How to play tudou region
A guide to gaming in India
2012.02.28 11:59 CriticallyChallenged A guide to gaming in India
/IndianGaming — For discussions related to the Indian gaming scenario, from video games in general, how we procure them to how we play them. Pretty much anything in and around videogames and its intersection with India or Indian-ness.
2012.06.05 08:24 Feueradler9 PlayStation Plus
/PlayStationPlus has everything you need to know about the PlayStation Plus (PS+) service.
2009.06.25 02:23 erogue How to Play Poker
Learning how to play Poker? Resources for beginners, place to ask questions, great stories about the game, and much more. The is a great place to start when looking for how to play Poker. Come in and talk with others about the grind.
2024.06.09 18:19 neonkim [WW] As a whale or a dolphin are you worried about the next sensor tower?
I’ve been playing WW as a f2p player and seeing how successful the income of the first week (with all the freebies) was I started thinking about whaling.
My problem is that I’ve seen the game jump up the sales chart only to fall today to Puzzle and Dragons and Fate which is never a good indicator (meaning a quick jump and then a fall)
I honestly believe the game is doing good enough and will have an awesome month in June (July’s Sensor Tower) but I’m worried about July’s (August’s Sensor Tower) income mainly because:
-Honeymoon would be over
-Freebies will slow down as players are already invested and glitches fixed
-ZZZ’s combat is out
-Hoyo learning and taking ideas to improve combat and exploration on GI (they made a rerun of Wanderer -flying unit- plus released a teaser about mounts -even if only in the new region or situational-). But I can see how money will make CEO’s do whatever it takes.
-Azur Promilia in the horizon
So, even tho I think the game is doing good and will keep on performing this month I do see it having troubles from August onwards.
Plus, and this is just my personal feelings, having the ability to quick explore / climb / run is proving to me that I don’t need to use ‘the paths’ or ‘the stairs’ that usually lead me to the nicest views of the open world. And the fact that the first city is China (Honkai 2nd world, GI 2nd area) feels a bit icky… will the next city be the usual European city or Japan? I’ve seen those already, I don’t know if I want to do that a 3rd time.
So, as dolphins or whales do you have concerns about WW performance? Do you care about the long run or do you feel satisfied with the current game in relation to the money spent? Are you going all out or testing the waters?
This is definitely not a question for f2p players since money is not a thing and the game is actually really fun.
submitted by neonkim to gachagaming [link] [comments]
My problem is that I’ve seen the game jump up the sales chart only to fall today to Puzzle and Dragons and Fate which is never a good indicator (meaning a quick jump and then a fall)
I honestly believe the game is doing good enough and will have an awesome month in June (July’s Sensor Tower) but I’m worried about July’s (August’s Sensor Tower) income mainly because:
-Honeymoon would be over
-Freebies will slow down as players are already invested and glitches fixed
-ZZZ’s combat is out
-Hoyo learning and taking ideas to improve combat and exploration on GI (they made a rerun of Wanderer -flying unit- plus released a teaser about mounts -even if only in the new region or situational-). But I can see how money will make CEO’s do whatever it takes.
-Azur Promilia in the horizon
So, even tho I think the game is doing good and will keep on performing this month I do see it having troubles from August onwards.
Plus, and this is just my personal feelings, having the ability to quick explore / climb / run is proving to me that I don’t need to use ‘the paths’ or ‘the stairs’ that usually lead me to the nicest views of the open world. And the fact that the first city is China (Honkai 2nd world, GI 2nd area) feels a bit icky… will the next city be the usual European city or Japan? I’ve seen those already, I don’t know if I want to do that a 3rd time.
So, as dolphins or whales do you have concerns about WW performance? Do you care about the long run or do you feel satisfied with the current game in relation to the money spent? Are you going all out or testing the waters?
This is definitely not a question for f2p players since money is not a thing and the game is actually really fun.
2024.06.09 18:14 Bluepanther512 Hello from the USA with a question about Hurling
May I ask y'all how I can (preferably legally) watch Hurling matches freely? I've taken quite a liking to the game, and would like to be able to see matches.
(By the way, I noticed that there is a rule about playing for the county/region in which you were born. Is that true, and what should I do given that I lived where I was born for only a few months before moving to my current place of residency)
submitted by Bluepanther512 to GAA [link] [comments]
(By the way, I noticed that there is a rule about playing for the county/region in which you were born. Is that true, and what should I do given that I lived where I was born for only a few months before moving to my current place of residency)
2024.06.09 17:59 InotiaKing Who Knew Statues Could Be Such Divas? (Act II)
 | https://preview.redd.it/6ohisqamik5d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=00454b148b054414c404c5aa0f3500ac4c424326 submitted by InotiaKing to GenshinLorepact [link] [comments] Canticles of Harmony Let's Play Genshin World Quests What's up guys! It's your friendly Hoyoverse overthinker Inotia King. As always before we begin I just want to make sure new readers have checked out my older topics which my newer theories are built upon. So for the Genshin ones you can click here. And for the Honkai related ones you can click here. Following up from last time today's is more lore-based than reference-based. https://preview.redd.it/r9fp8wqkik5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=7fa8d7f2922d5e76abd84ae82a327c5ed9749f3d https://preview.redd.it/llfbuuelik5d1.png?width=1918&format=png&auto=webp&s=e2f9c926f254dac2643382ab470521fff6d1c019 The "great plains beyond the north wind" huh? I've talked about this before but Fontaine being based on France means its history extends back to the Frankish Kingdom following the fall of Rome. This kingdom was also the birthplace of Germany and these two seemingly different countries in the modern day share an origin story that miHoYo has referenced a few times. The north wind is likely talking about Andrius the King of the North Wind and Mondstadt is located in the plains of the north. The silver tree is then talking about the Frostbearing Tree of Dragonspine seeing how that's the only tree we know of smashed into frozen soil. However that's also east of Remuria not north so if we go off of just that it could mean the icy plains of Russia which could also have its own buried Ley Line tree. While not nearly as connected to France as Germany, Russia also shares a few historical cues. I do think though that if anything Snezhnaya can only be linked with Fontaine and Mondstadt through Scandinavian aka Khaenri'ahn ties. France was invaded several times by the Vikings so much so they eventually gave them a region to call their own and then influenced them to convert to Christianity and learn French. Yes I'm speaking of the French Normans which I thought we'd have gotten a shoutout by now in the new Dainsleif quest. (topic coming soon) These Normans then conquered England which is why we have British characters like Wriothesley and nods to UK mythology like Clervie and (Mount) Esus. But even before that the Scandinavians are themselves Germanic people. Finally they also kickstarted Slavic migrations into Ukraine and eventually Russia, heavily influencing them while they were under their control. It's my belief that these references tie the three nations together similar to how Sumeru, Liyue and Inazuma are tied together through China's massive influence on the ancient world. https://preview.redd.it/4g4vpkcphk5d1.png?width=1916&format=png&auto=webp&s=4e8cb223ea2197fb210b3b96531e37a51001107f Seriously? A Jesus reference? And the gizmo that did it is related to the guy our Traveler daydreamed. Therefore it's likely once again we're getting a Jesus shoutout about the Traveler. Side Note: And the first of two actually just in this World Quest. Last time I brought up how the music box has tunes based on Mozart's Requiem and one section of Requiem is the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God. However I should point out that the Gnostic Christ isn't the same thing as the Jesus we're all more likely familiar with. In Gnosticism he's just another Aeon though he was created through all of the other Aeons not just a dyad. He was meant to become the replacement pair for Sophia after she rejected her original pair thereby creating the abomination Demiurge. Jesus is sent to help her right her wrongs which I have likened to our Fourth Descender completing the mission started by our "Sophia" aka Nicole the Second Who Came. In this way I still maintain that our MC isn't meant to be a true Jesus reference just a stand-in just as our Second Who Came clearly didn't create Phanes. https://preview.redd.it/9aboz5i7hk5d1.png?width=1910&format=png&auto=webp&s=cef129dea0efc21d83c61e66d48392d788629a53 See I take issue with that. Not the part where Scylla is just a larger Bathysmal Vishap. It's a really weird mutant of one but I can see the relation if I squint at it. I mean it's not like we saw the original Scylla anyway just a conscious memory of it saved in the Phobos. No the weird part is why no new Hydro Dragon could be born if Egeria wasn't freed. It just felt odd right? Some of you guys know what's coming lol. It's odd unless you had read my theory and then it just feels like a slip of the tongue for miHoYo. A deliberate one though since you wouldn't really put these pieces together unless you knew about the theory and there's still so much in the air that it confirms practically nothing. Anyway in the theory I proposed that Neuvillette was never going to resurrect at all but Zhongli decided to intervene because he wanted to plan ahead in a very long game of his. To that end, he set up another prophecy, the reincarnation of the Hydro Dragon in human form. He then required Egeria to help nurture a love of humanity into the guy just as Guizhong had done for him. Therefore it would stand to reason that this resurrection couldn't happen until such a time when Egeria could be freed so she could then put the pieces in place. That's really it for direct lore. The rest of the quest was focused solely on stopping Phobos which while fun, didn't really play a role in understanding the greater lore. I suppose if anything it showed that the theories about music having anything to do with the wider world of Teyvat were incorrect. Yes we learned more about the Loom of Fate in Dainsleif's quest but it expectedly didn't have anything to do with Remus and his Grand Symphony or even music in general. It was just another in the long list of misguided attempts at preserving static eternity. https://preview.redd.it/7w6kctrbgk5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=6f9533e3cb688c6e31606c8f27b92dca6fd16c3c Speaking of Egeria, we're all likely familiar with the nymph but did you guys know Egeria is also the name of a Christian pilgrim? https://preview.redd.it/efd7bh89gk5d1.jpg?width=323&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fefc19b3d6d599dc72608e4a7182493c6340302 Originally named Itinerarium Egeriae, this book is an account of Egeria's pilgrimage to Jerusalem back in 381AD which wasn't too long before the final division of East and West Rome. Egeria herself is believed to be from Galicia, Spain but there is another suggestion that she may have come from Gallia Narbonensis which is part of Southern France today. She actually converted to Christianity which is why she has the name Egeria. The name would have been seen as pagan at that time. I wouldn't be surprised that this little tidbit of early Christian history made it into miHoYo's research notes as they were figuring out Fontaine's backstory, inspiring the pilgrimage of the Oceanids to her deathbed which could be likened to their "holy land." https://preview.redd.it/6b109p1wfk5d1.png?width=331&format=png&auto=webp&s=f3fa17ca8ec96e75553e3634212ea1b3d2afab49 Now my theory for Remus was that he was influenced by the fallen Hydro Dragon who convinced him of his Ichor plan, stripping the souls out of humans and mixing them into the Primordial Sea. In my original predictions for Fontaine, this was the start of it, why Fontaine doesn't have normal humans. Unfortunately as we all saw, miHoYo decided that the Oceanids just happened to want to be humans one day and Egeria just stuffed them full of Primordial Seawater which somehow allowed them to mimic humans in a more believable way than the Hydro Mimics could. I think I pointed out the issues with this already. Sadly miHoYo doubled down on this with the new Artifact Set Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy. In the Grand Jape piece the story goes that Remus never actually encountered the Hydro Dragon at all but rather Egeria and it was Egeria that gave him the idea to use the Ichor. Now granted I'm usually the first to point out that the older lore starts out with "legend says" which means it never had to be factual. However there are serious implications with this version of events that miHoYo is now committed to. Previously if it was the Hydro Dragon that did this then it fits with what the dragons were trying to accomplish. The dragons under Nibelung hated the Heavenly Principles and as Apep had said, it was Phanes that adored the humans and not the dragons of the old order. In other words a dragon convincing a usurper to screw up the humans is only natural. Remus was a fool for trusting one. However Egeria was supposed to love the humans and especially these humans who she created herself out of her own familiars. For her to have given Remus the idea to essentially kill her humans and then subject them to the torture of the Ichor, lore which is canon as the Sublime Dewdrop mat does not include the words "legends say" in its lore, it hilariously paints her in a very malevolent way lol. This wouldn't be the first time. Neuvillette as I had pointed out before was implicated in creating sick and dying Fontainians because all current Fontainians only started being truly human at the end of the Archon Quest and therefore couldn't have long-standing human illnesses while they were still Oceanids. Even if they had Oceanid illnesses those would have been removed once they were remade into humans. The only way they could have chronic illnesses is if Neuvillette directly gave them those illnesses for some reason. So now miHoYo's essentially vilified a supposedly reformed, human loving dragon and even the kind and loving Fontaine Archon lol On top of this the new lore still doesn't answer the plothole created by the Archon Quest's explanation. Where are all the non-Oceanid Fontainians? With the current story, we were told that after the Hydro Dragon fell one of the shining shades created Egeria. Egeria created the Oceanids but one day the Oceanids pined for a human life so she pumped Primordial Seawater into their elemental bodies which somehow allowed them to assume human form. This angered Celestia for some reason and they imprisoned her under the sea and her Fontaine fell to ruin with the combined populations of human and Oceanid human Fontainians forming scattered tribes. Some time later Remus would arrive and conquer the region to create Remuria, continuing the conquest of all the tribes. He was then informed of the prophecy Celestia had cursed Fontaine with and sought Egeria to figure out a solution. For some reason Egeria went maniacal for a second and suggested that he use Primordial Seawater on the Fontainians knowing full well some of them would dissolve. Remus enacts his plan and either somehow the normal humans were also dissolved when Remus did it or they were all already dead by then for some reason. Either way Remus turned most of the Oceanid humans into Ichor and then combined them into the Phobos. In this form they were able to freely inhabit golem bodies. (They also sometimes felt torturous pain of varyingly tolerable degrees? They didn't seem too distraught about it even though Cassiodor did mention it.) Phobos ends up failing because duh and Remuria is destroyed in flood that sends it to the bottom of the sea. Phobos survived and generated a version of Remuria accessed through a painting found in the Faded Castle, the only part of Remuria that survived. The fall of Remuria for some reason convinces Celestia to free Egeria who rebuilds Fontaine with rebels that opposed Remus. Then she sacrifices herself during the Cataclysm, sets in motion Neuvillette's reincarnation and also creates another Oceanid human named Furina to take on her Gnosis in a convoluted plan to fool Celestia and destroy their Hydro Archon Throne. This is to foil that prophecy they had cursed her region with. (but for some reason freed her to continue ruling it instead of you know, Divine Nail go brrrr) By the time of the Archon Quest it is confirmed by the events that there are no more normal humans in Fontaine besides any visitors from other regions. Where did any survivors go? If there weren't any why weren't there any? Was it discrimination and the Oceanid humans genocided them? Were they just unlucky and every catastrophe that occurred happened to kill mostly the normal humans and not the Oceanid ones? Or did miHoYo just forget the part where the original Fontaine under the Hydro Dragon would have consisted of real humans that the Oceanids were envious of? Just like how they likely forgot why Celestia would punish Egeria for creating those humans by sealing her away and cursing all of them but then suddenly decide to release her to rule over that cursed region even though they continued to curse it. Sorry for that tl;dr review of the lore. It's become a fun pastime to summarize with all the plotholes on full display lol While the plotholes are fabulously left unresolved this new information does reconcile one thing. Focalors' Divinity said that she spent so much time underwater contemplating how to resolve the prophecy that she was growing barnacles. She wouldn't have had enough time for that if she was just promoted to Archon following Egeria's death because immediately after her ascension she set up Furina as Egeria's successor. But as Egeria, she would have been imprisoned by Celestia underwater for a very long time with nothing better to do than figure out how to bypass their prophecy. She likely would have grown barnacles and those barnacles would have grown barnacles in that time. So that at least is resolved though because it confirms that "Focalors' Divinity" must refer to Egeria herself. The Focalors that's supposed to be a separate Oceanid being that Egeria selected and ascended to Archon didn't exist long enough to have done what she said she did. Furina existed for exactly five hundred years as shown by the Archon Quest itself and Egeria died in the Cataclysm that happened five hundred years ago. https://preview.redd.it/e76jkrnyck5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=fae633f3b8bd568712a405dac0a9c4b6330d99a1 There's one more thing that Petrichor gave us. We actually heard about Mecantre and Babisse a long long time ago back in the very first Evermotion Mechanical Painting event in v2.8. I had picked it out then that they were supposedly working on space travel. Since miHoYo had been promoting Star Rail stuff recently, even derailing the Archon Quest's story with space related stuff it made sense they would progress this little footnote from long ago. And especially with the addition of Bossuet now this research might actually go somewhere. At least the companion World Quests seem to suggest as much. Honestly back then I was intrigued that space travel would be a thing in Genshin's medieval and early industrial age but I really hope they don't just use it to push Star Rail onto us. Side Note: Fingers crossed because anachronistic tech is hardly new to Genshin. Mondstadt's developing sonar and rifled mortar rounds while Snezhnaya's Katheryne models are far more advanced than even the robots we have today! https://preview.redd.it/2acucz7qck5d1.png?width=1918&format=png&auto=webp&s=7ab7e25091442211f13d51a367489ab5734fe9e8 Finally when everything's said and done you have the Daydream World Quest where you catch up with Garcia and the aforementioned Mercantre and Babisse. This is where we get what I think is the best version of the Hive Mind plot in fiction. I brought up the versions I didn't like back when Sumeru was new and we had just gotten Alhaitham's quest. I already brought up how Boethius in this World Quest was following in the footsteps of Deshret, Remus and Rene right? The thing all of them had in common was the idea to pool everybody's consciousnesses together and preserve it in that state for all eternity. One of the prerequisites for all of these plans was to remove individuality. That was also the problem with the Akasha and then later on with both Nahida's and Alhaitham's quests when some yo-yos decided to continue the work of the Akasha with the term hivemind even coming up directly in the latter. These are bad interpretations of the hivemind. It shows the weaknesses of having a connected intelligence network without intelligent users. The Akasha suppressed the awareness of Sumerans so the sages could keep them under control. Beynuni preyed on people's desires and escapist tendencies and Siraj made the network only work towards his goals both of them keeping the rest of the hive under their control. https://preview.redd.it/anv116b9ck5d1.png?width=1916&format=png&auto=webp&s=009a2708a055292e6420b767e99f17fbc20f7368 So now we finally get the good version. In the quest we find that a previously self-serving investor Grundeland has seen the error of his ways. The reason he did was because of having been connected to the Phobos network, experiencing life from the eyes of a devoted Remurian. As a result he was able to re-evaluate his own life and wanted to repent. I tend to compare hivemind stories to StarCraft because of the Protoss. If you read up on the Protoss backstory you know there was an event called the Aeon of Strife following the Xel'Naga abandoning them. During this long period the Protoss fell into constant civil war. That is until Khas found the Khaydarin Crystals and connected to the Protoss psionic network, their hivemind. After that he set out to connect all the surviving Protoss and this hivemind allowed all of them to feel empathy, to see each other's thoughts and feelings. This ended their civil war. It's practically the same thing that happened to Grundeland. (StarCraft didn't end this hivemind plot well though lol) Anyway the point is that a hivemind can be so much more than a way for some dictator to suppress the people and control thought. Even when the Akasha was first introduced I saw the potential for a good plot though I knew they were going for the bad one lol. On its own the Akasha is what I'd like to think our own internet could evolve into, a repository for all knowledge available that can be accessed and "learned" instantaneously. And the thing is all of these hivemind stories could go this way with just a simple fix in the narrative. Instead of trying to rid individuality with this thing and force desirable thoughts onto people, it just needs to be that repository. When users access it they can choose what information they want to know. That's it. Instead of becoming humanity soup in literal or data form or having some corrupt leadership force thoughts and commands onto users all a good hivemind can ever do is be a more advanced internet. It's up to the users what they choose to believe from that and then all it takes is a proper education for them to be able to suss out the facts from the rest of the garbage on the internet. Hopefully we'll get a story like that from miHoYo in the future. After all that might just be the endgame for our own Traveler. Side Note: On top of this though there's the poetry theory. We can actually see that the Phobos began rejecting Remus when he changed his mind about the Grand Symphony just like the Shogun attacked Ei when she started to question eternity. https://preview.redd.it/vu1o125kbk5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=095b411ff6d9a3eb7cfa4fd08845f799f2791485 Ok this last section is just things I thought were amusing in the quest. Feel free to skip. https://preview.redd.it/i8y75mvabk5d1.png?width=1910&format=png&auto=webp&s=9a87f25df35f2f899a474463d4fd749fd55a0aa9 Why do I feel personally attacked miHoYo lol. Hey it was pretty nice worldbuilding Aether! I'm about to rant about my version of the Fontaine Archon Quest so avert your eyes all ye weary. The plotholes I mentioned before would have all been resolved using my version of the Archon Quest. That's because I kept an eye on the implications. The Fontainians weren't normal humans so you can't apply normal human stories to them. On top of that calling Act V the "Masquerade of the Guilty" should involve somebody that's guilty right? In the actual quest nobody's really guilty of anything. Egeria was guilty for creating the Oceanid humans only because Celestia didn't like it and punished her for it. They thought she was guilty but it's just a matter of opinion. Furina wasn't guilty because she was following the directive given to her by a literal god. Focalors' Divinity as a separate entity from Egeria would still be innocent because her only action was setting up the plan to undermine the Heavenly Principles. Neuvillette is no longer involved in the Remus story and even if he was Egeria was moved to running Fontaine both before and after him and set up the Oceanid humans before Remus even got there meaning even he's innocent. He was honestly trying to stop the prophecy that had nothing to do with him. Compared to that, my version has a guilty Furina because she had willingly played the part of a bad Archon that led her region to ruin as it was a necessary evil to get her in place for the long game. Neuvillette is guilty for his part in Remus killing all the Fontainians of his Remuria. Arlecchino is guilty for her role in the Fatui plot. Of course Pulcinella and Dottore are guilty for their roles too. And even the Fontainians themselves are culpable in creating class divides that provided the opening for the Fatui in the first place. More importantly, each guilty party is allowed a chance at redemption. Furina fulfills her role in defeating the prophecy which now no longer is a strange irrational anger by Celestia. She sacrifices her final connection to her Egeria half by depowering the Gnosis. Neuvillette then permanently sacrifices his old form as Dragon Sovereign in order to undo the damage he caused when he fooled Remus into dissolving the Fontainians. Arlecchino redeemed herself by betraying Pulcinella in the trial and also being dissolved by the Primordial Sea until Neuvillette remakes her as a real human. (back then we thought she was a Fontainian) Even Childe who is given agency in my version redeems himself for his actions back in Liyue by opposing Pulcinella and also providing the whale, the former body of Neuvillette which he needed to sacrifice. And finally the Fontainians themselves are sacrificed but once they are given their second chance at life, they begin working towards a better Fontaine. This is a real masquerade (a ballroom dance of people hiding their true identities) of the guilty. Ok that was heavy. Let's got with something lighter like https://preview.redd.it/jxdat3vgak5d1.png?width=1912&format=png&auto=webp&s=72de04967759e9cf25e1ffb7c8eeff002c44ad63 What is he on and can I get some? https://preview.redd.it/9ffbcsvbak5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=35eb70b082b463460d584f34237e24afc406e961 And with that Petrichor becomes a distant memory as we look ahead toward Natlan! Let's review:
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2024.06.09 17:55 InotiaKing Who Knew Statues Could Be Such Divas? (Act II)
| | https://preview.redd.it/i7cacugrik5d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=caa16999bb18cf5ebb4b957070f6b0f0c2800da0 submitted by InotiaKing to GenshinImpactLore [link] [comments] Canticles of Harmony Let's Play Genshin World Quests What's up guys! It's your friendly Hoyoverse overthinker Inotia King. As always before we begin I just want to make sure new readers have checked out my older topics which my newer theories are built upon. So for the Genshin ones you can click here. And for the Honkai related ones you can click here. Following up from last time today's is more lore-based than reference-based. https://preview.redd.it/y6fje76hik5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f06f5a2c3d591831fb969f93d32d5d888784f96 https://preview.redd.it/idzv8yqhik5d1.png?width=1918&format=png&auto=webp&s=1c1ac7578bbf6dbbb8a2fb278d09270baae8e1d3 The "great plains beyond the north wind" huh? I've talked about this before but Fontaine being based on France means its history extends back to the Frankish Kingdom following the fall of Rome. This kingdom was also the birthplace of Germany and these two seemingly different countries in the modern day share an origin story that miHoYo has referenced a few times. The north wind is likely talking about Andrius the King of the North Wind and Mondstadt is located in the plains of the north. The silver tree is then talking about the Frostbearing Tree of Dragonspine seeing how that's the only tree we know of smashed into frozen soil. However that's also east of Remuria not north so if we go off of just that it could mean the icy plains of Russia which could also have its own buried Ley Line tree. While not nearly as connected to France as Germany, Russia also shares a few historical cues. I do think though that if anything Snezhnaya can only be linked with Fontaine and Mondstadt through Scandinavian aka Khaenri'ahn ties. France was invaded several times by the Vikings so much so they eventually gave them a region to call their own and then influenced them to convert to Christianity and learn French. Yes I'm speaking of the French Normans which I thought we'd have gotten a shoutout by now in the new Dainsleif quest. (topic coming soon) These Normans then conquered England which is why we have British characters like Wriothesley and nods to UK mythology like Clervie and (Mount) Esus. But even before that the Scandinavians are themselves Germanic people. Finally they also kickstarted Slavic migrations into Ukraine and eventually Russia, heavily influencing them while they were under their control. It's my belief that these references tie the three nations together similar to how Sumeru, Liyue and Inazuma are tied together through China's massive influence on the ancient world. https://preview.redd.it/zcke0gtqhk5d1.png?width=1916&format=png&auto=webp&s=0bc206d81bc1ac4de12dbd7f5fd2759f2963326c Seriously? A Jesus reference? And the gizmo that did it is related to the guy our Traveler daydreamed. Therefore it's likely once again we're getting a Jesus shoutout about the Traveler. Side Note: And the first of two actually just in this World Quest. Last time I brought up how the music box has tunes based on Mozart's Requiem and one section of Requiem is the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God. However I should point out that the Gnostic Christ isn't the same thing as the Jesus we're all more likely familiar with. In Gnosticism he's just another Aeon though he was created through all of the other Aeons not just a dyad. He was meant to become the replacement pair for Sophia after she rejected her original pair thereby creating the abomination Demiurge. Jesus is sent to help her right her wrongs which I have likened to our Fourth Descender completing the mission started by our "Sophia" aka Nicole the Second Who Came. In this way I still maintain that our MC isn't meant to be a true Jesus reference just a stand-in just as our Second Who Came clearly didn't create Phanes. https://preview.redd.it/5ivmrwk4hk5d1.png?width=1910&format=png&auto=webp&s=72e64542218457bed1082832770d28fea6ff0919 See I take issue with that. Not the part where Scylla is just a larger Bathysmal Vishap. It's a really weird mutant of one but I can see the relation if I squint at it. I mean it's not like we saw the original Scylla anyway just a conscious memory of it saved in the Phobos. No the weird part is why no new Hydro Dragon could be born if Egeria wasn't freed. It just felt odd right? Some of you guys know what's coming lol. It's odd unless you had read my theory and then it just feels like a slip of the tongue for miHoYo. A deliberate one though since you wouldn't really put these pieces together unless you knew about the theory and there's still so much in the air that it confirms practically nothing. Anyway in the theory I proposed that Neuvillette was never going to resurrect at all but Zhongli decided to intervene because he wanted to plan ahead in a very long game of his. To that end, he set up another prophecy, the reincarnation of the Hydro Dragon in human form. He then required Egeria to help nurture a love of humanity into the guy just as Guizhong had done for him. Therefore it would stand to reason that this resurrection couldn't happen until such a time when Egeria could be freed so she could then put the pieces in place. That's really it for direct lore. The rest of the quest was focused solely on stopping Phobos which while fun, didn't really play a role in understanding the greater lore. I suppose if anything it showed that the theories about music having anything to do with the wider world of Teyvat were incorrect. Yes we learned more about the Loom of Fate in Dainsleif's quest but it expectedly didn't have anything to do with Remus and his Grand Symphony or even music in general. It was just another in the long list of misguided attempts at preserving static eternity. https://preview.redd.it/qifl1tkegk5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=777d5f577edbd42575efe34e2d34cab605579917 Speaking of Egeria, we're all likely familiar with the nymph but did you guys know Egeria is also the name of a Christian pilgrim? https://preview.redd.it/6vm2elp0gk5d1.jpg?width=323&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=937eccdee2ed452eda7906b1d215ec92e29e1120 Originally named Itinerarium Egeriae, this book is an account of Egeria's pilgrimage to Jerusalem back in 381AD which wasn't too long before the final division of East and West Rome. Egeria herself is believed to be from Galicia, Spain but there is another suggestion that she may have come from Gallia Narbonensis which is part of Southern France today. She actually converted to Christianity which is why she has the name Egeria. The name would have been seen as pagan at that time. I wouldn't be surprised that this little tidbit of early Christian history made it into miHoYo's research notes as they were figuring out Fontaine's backstory, inspiring the pilgrimage of the Oceanids to her deathbed which could be likened to their "holy land." https://preview.redd.it/3bm7jekxfk5d1.png?width=331&format=png&auto=webp&s=a2dd9b67e3b2f9328fe10cf513911872911bf46c Now my theory for Remus was that he was influenced by the fallen Hydro Dragon who convinced him of his Ichor plan, stripping the souls out of humans and mixing them into the Primordial Sea. In my original predictions for Fontaine, this was the start of it, why Fontaine doesn't have normal humans. Unfortunately as we all saw, miHoYo decided that the Oceanids just happened to want to be humans one day and Egeria just stuffed them full of Primordial Seawater which somehow allowed them to mimic humans in a more believable way than the Hydro Mimics could. I think I pointed out the issues with this already. Sadly miHoYo doubled down on this with the new Artifact Set Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy. In the Grand Jape piece the story goes that Remus never actually encountered the Hydro Dragon at all but rather Egeria and it was Egeria that gave him the idea to use the Ichor. Now granted I'm usually the first to point out that the older lore starts out with "legend says" which means it never had to be factual. However there are serious implications with this version of events that miHoYo is now committed to. Previously if it was the Hydro Dragon that did this then it fits with what the dragons were trying to accomplish. The dragons under Nibelung hated the Heavenly Principles and as Apep had said, it was Phanes that adored the humans and not the dragons of the old order. In other words a dragon convincing a usurper to screw up the humans is only natural. Remus was a fool for trusting one. However Egeria was supposed to love the humans and especially these humans who she created herself out of her own familiars. For her to have given Remus the idea to essentially kill her humans and then subject them to the torture of the Ichor, lore which is canon as the Sublime Dewdrop mat does not include the words "legends say" in its lore, it hilariously paints her in a very malevolent way lol. This wouldn't be the first time. Neuvillette as I had pointed out before was implicated in creating sick and dying Fontainians because all current Fontainians only started being truly human at the end of the Archon Quest and therefore couldn't have long-standing human illnesses while they were still Oceanids. Even if they had Oceanid illnesses those would have been removed once they were remade into humans. The only way they could have chronic illnesses is if Neuvillette directly gave them those illnesses for some reason. So now miHoYo's essentially vilified a supposedly reformed, human loving dragon and even the kind and loving Fontaine Archon lol On top of this the new lore still doesn't answer the plothole created by the Archon Quest's explanation. Where are all the non-Oceanid Fontainians? With the current story, we were told that after the Hydro Dragon fell one of the shining shades created Egeria. Egeria created the Oceanids but one day the Oceanids pined for a human life so she pumped Primordial Seawater into their elemental bodies which somehow allowed them to assume human form. This angered Celestia for some reason and they imprisoned her under the sea and her Fontaine fell to ruin with the combined populations of human and Oceanid human Fontainians forming scattered tribes. Some time later Remus would arrive and conquer the region to create Remuria, continuing the conquest of all the tribes. He was then informed of the prophecy Celestia had cursed Fontaine with and sought Egeria to figure out a solution. For some reason Egeria went maniacal for a second and suggested that he use Primordial Seawater on the Fontainians knowing full well some of them would dissolve. Remus enacts his plan and either somehow the normal humans were also dissolved when Remus did it or they were all already dead by then for some reason. Either way Remus turned most of the Oceanid humans into Ichor and then combined them into the Phobos. In this form they were able to freely inhabit golem bodies. (They also sometimes felt torturous pain of varyingly tolerable degrees? They didn't seem too distraught about it even though Cassiodor did mention it.) Phobos ends up failing because duh and Remuria is destroyed in flood that sends it to the bottom of the sea. Phobos survived and generated a version of Remuria accessed through a painting found in the Faded Castle, the only part of Remuria that survived. The fall of Remuria for some reason convinces Celestia to free Egeria who rebuilds Fontaine with rebels that opposed Remus. Then she sacrifices herself during the Cataclysm, sets in motion Neuvillette's reincarnation and also creates another Oceanid human named Furina to take on her Gnosis in a convoluted plan to fool Celestia and destroy their Hydro Archon Throne. This is to foil that prophecy they had cursed her region with. (but for some reason freed her to continue ruling it instead of you know, Divine Nail go brrrr) By the time of the Archon Quest it is confirmed by the events that there are no more normal humans in Fontaine besides any visitors from other regions. Where did any survivors go? If there weren't any why weren't there any? Was it discrimination and the Oceanid humans genocided them? Were they just unlucky and every catastrophe that occurred happened to kill mostly the normal humans and not the Oceanid ones? Or did miHoYo just forget the part where the original Fontaine under the Hydro Dragon would have consisted of real humans that the Oceanids were envious of? Just like how they likely forgot why Celestia would punish Egeria for creating those humans by sealing her away and cursing all of them but then suddenly decide to release her to rule over that cursed region even though they continued to curse it. Sorry for that tl;dr review of the lore. It's become a fun pastime to summarize with all the plotholes on full display lol While the plotholes are fabulously left unresolved this new information does reconcile one thing. Focalors' Divinity said that she spent so much time underwater contemplating how to resolve the prophecy that she was growing barnacles. She wouldn't have had enough time for that if she was just promoted to Archon following Egeria's death because immediately after her ascension she set up Furina as Egeria's successor. But as Egeria, she would have been imprisoned by Celestia underwater for a very long time with nothing better to do than figure out how to bypass their prophecy. She likely would have grown barnacles and those barnacles would have grown barnacles in that time. So that at least is resolved though because it confirms that "Focalors' Divinity" must refer to Egeria herself. The Focalors that's supposed to be a separate Oceanid being that Egeria selected and ascended to Archon didn't exist long enough to have done what she said she did. Furina existed for exactly five hundred years as shown by the Archon Quest itself and Egeria died in the Cataclysm that happened five hundred years ago. https://preview.redd.it/997rxffxck5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=fe1ac9a65c45e8c8966a5ea76431376c6a318f00 There's one more thing that Petrichor gave us. We actually heard about Mecantre and Babisse a long long time ago back in the very first Evermotion Mechanical Painting event in v2.8. I had picked it out then that they were supposedly working on space travel. Since miHoYo had been promoting Star Rail stuff recently, even derailing the Archon Quest's story with space related stuff it made sense they would progress this little footnote from long ago. And especially with the addition of Bossuet now this research might actually go somewhere. At least the companion World Quests seem to suggest as much. Honestly back then I was intrigued that space travel would be a thing in Genshin's medieval and early industrial age but I really hope they don't just use it to push Star Rail onto us. Side Note: Fingers crossed because anachronistic tech is hardly new to Genshin. Mondstadt's developing sonar and rifled mortar rounds while Snezhnaya's Katheryne models are far more advanced than even the robots we have today! https://preview.redd.it/hdjkk4dock5d1.png?width=1918&format=png&auto=webp&s=72a32e7bf1dfc06678a2574e32a53f4dd88136af Finally when everything's said and done you have the Daydream World Quest where you catch up with Garcia and the aforementioned Mercantre and Babisse. This is where we get what I think is the best version of the Hive Mind plot in fiction. I brought up the versions I didn't like back when Sumeru was new and we had just gotten Alhaitham's quest. I already brought up how Boethius in this World Quest was following in the footsteps of Deshret, Remus and Rene right? The thing all of them had in common was the idea to pool everybody's consciousnesses together and preserve it in that state for all eternity. One of the prerequisites for all of these plans was to remove individuality. That was also the problem with the Akasha and then later on with both Nahida's and Alhaitham's quests when some yo-yos decided to continue the work of the Akasha with the term hivemind even coming up directly in the latter. These are bad interpretations of the hivemind. It shows the weaknesses of having a connected intelligence network without intelligent users. The Akasha suppressed the awareness of Sumerans so the sages could keep them under control. Beynuni preyed on people's desires and escapist tendencies and Siraj made the network only work towards his goals both of them keeping the rest of the hive under their control. https://preview.redd.it/pct0ev9bck5d1.png?width=1916&format=png&auto=webp&s=37c3f2e7f4461383ec1f31c8d6ca75a506885d98 So now we finally get the good version. In the quest we find that a previously self-serving investor Grundeland has seen the error of his ways. The reason he did was because of having been connected to the Phobos network, experiencing life from the eyes of a devoted Remurian. As a result he was able to re-evaluate his own life and wanted to repent. I tend to compare hivemind stories to StarCraft because of the Protoss. If you read up on the Protoss backstory you know there was an event called the Aeon of Strife following the Xel'Naga abandoning them. During this long period the Protoss fell into constant civil war. That is until Khas found the Khaydarin Crystals and connected to the Protoss psionic network, their hivemind. After that he set out to connect all the surviving Protoss and this hivemind allowed all of them to feel empathy, to see each other's thoughts and feelings. This ended their civil war. It's practically the same thing that happened to Grundeland. (StarCraft didn't end this hivemind plot well though lol) Anyway the point is that a hivemind can be so much more than a way for some dictator to suppress the people and control thought. Even when the Akasha was first introduced I saw the potential for a good plot though I knew they were going for the bad one lol. On its own the Akasha is what I'd like to think our own internet could evolve into, a repository for all knowledge available that can be accessed and "learned" instantaneously. And the thing is all of these hivemind stories could go this way with just a simple fix in the narrative. Instead of trying to rid individuality with this thing and force desirable thoughts onto people, it just needs to be that repository. When users access it they can choose what information they want to know. That's it. Instead of becoming humanity soup in literal or data form or having some corrupt leadership force thoughts and commands onto users all a good hivemind can ever do is be a more advanced internet. It's up to the users what they choose to believe from that and then all it takes is a proper education for them to be able to suss out the facts from the rest of the garbage on the internet. Hopefully we'll get a story like that from miHoYo in the future. After all that might just be the endgame for our own Traveler. Side Note: On top of this though there's the poetry theory. We can actually see that the Phobos began rejecting Remus when he changed his mind about the Grand Symphony just like the Shogun attacked Ei when she started to question eternity. https://preview.redd.it/argdgenibk5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=d91c85835a7737c083c960e9f2002288e92d85e9 Ok this last section is just things I thought were amusing in the quest. Feel free to skip. https://preview.redd.it/puyu9djebk5d1.png?width=1910&format=png&auto=webp&s=3ba6d188af6304d2dfd76e2322e077f98f56c302 Why do I feel personally attacked miHoYo lol. Hey it was pretty nice worldbuilding Aether! I'm about to rant about my version of the Fontaine Archon Quest so avert your eyes all ye weary. The plotholes I mentioned before would have all been resolved using my version of the Archon Quest. That's because I kept an eye on the implications. The Fontainians weren't normal humans so you can't apply normal human stories to them. On top of that calling Act V the "Masquerade of the Guilty" should involve somebody that's guilty right? In the actual quest nobody's really guilty of anything. Egeria was guilty for creating the Oceanid humans only because Celestia didn't like it and punished her for it. They thought she was guilty but it's just a matter of opinion. Furina wasn't guilty because she was following the directive given to her by a literal god. Focalors' Divinity as a separate entity from Egeria would still be innocent because her only action was setting up the plan to undermine the Heavenly Principles. Neuvillette is no longer involved in the Remus story and even if he was Egeria was moved to running Fontaine both before and after him and set up the Oceanid humans before Remus even got there meaning even he's innocent. He was honestly trying to stop the prophecy that had nothing to do with him. Compared to that, my version has a guilty Furina because she had willingly played the part of a bad Archon that led her region to ruin as it was a necessary evil to get her in place for the long game. Neuvillette is guilty for his part in Remus killing all the Fontainians of his Remuria. Arlecchino is guilty for her role in the Fatui plot. Of course Pulcinella and Dottore are guilty for their roles too. And even the Fontainians themselves are culpable in creating class divides that provided the opening for the Fatui in the first place. More importantly, each guilty party is allowed a chance at redemption. Furina fulfills her role in defeating the prophecy which now no longer is a strange irrational anger by Celestia. She sacrifices her final connection to her Egeria half by depowering the Gnosis. Neuvillette then permanently sacrifices his old form as Dragon Sovereign in order to undo the damage he caused when he fooled Remus into dissolving the Fontainians. Arlecchino redeemed herself by betraying Pulcinella in the trial and also being dissolved by the Primordial Sea until Neuvillette remakes her as a real human. (back then we thought she was a Fontainian) Even Childe who is given agency in my version redeems himself for his actions back in Liyue by opposing Pulcinella and also providing the whale, the former body of Neuvillette which he needed to sacrifice. And finally the Fontainians themselves are sacrificed but once they are given their second chance at life, they begin working towards a better Fontaine. This is a real masquerade (a ballroom dance of people hiding their true identities) of the guilty. Ok that was heavy. Let's got with something lighter like https://preview.redd.it/s65uof0fak5d1.png?width=1912&format=png&auto=webp&s=782e3e48ed873ee027e93c5a2bb886aa0c597fbf What is he on and can I get some? https://preview.redd.it/nsmxlksaak5d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=7a103c32336b714d12fd68580aa00c993215a960 And with that Petrichor becomes a distant memory as we look ahead toward Natlan! Let's review:
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2024.06.09 17:46 Gizm0Guru Sonos Ace - Hard to Hate, Hard to Love (Review)
I took the plunge and pre-ordered the Ace, and I’ve been putting it through its paces for the last couple of days. I’m pretty deep in the Sonos ecosystem, and I’m a big headphone collector, so I’m tossing in my thoughts here for those thinking about taking the plunge on these $450 cans.
TL:DR - the Aces come in at a high price point in the market at $450. At that price, these may be a tough sell for many. The overall sound is very good - but not definitively better than the category leaders in the market, many of which cost substantially less. Early/Gen1 bugs will leave some thinking that the product is half baked or leaves them out entirely, especially Android users. All that said, this is still a Sonos product, so there are enough things done well about the Ace that it could be a decent proposition - especially if you catch a sale and/or after upcoming software updates. Hard to hate, hard to love.
Now to give some context and get into the deeper review. As mentioned, I am pretty deep in the Sonos ecosystem because I’ve steadily added to my setups over the years. I started with a 5.1 system, Playbar + Sub + two Play 1s about 10 years ago (now in my kid’s playroom) and now I have Sonos in my whole home - another Arc-based 5.1 setup (media room), a Playbase 5.1 setup (living room), a Beam (bedroom), Move (outdoor patio) and a Roam (travel).
I am also a headphone collector and have 22 pairs, ranging from “consumer” stuff like the Ace, AirPods Pro/Max - and all the way up to high-end reference gear from the likes of Audeze, Sennheiser, Meze, Focal, etc. I listen to many types of music, from hip-hop to classical, and I also do quite a bit of gaming. I have a young kiddo so have the need to use headphones for TV viewing pretty often.
Starting with the overall design, comfort, control and included accessories - Sonos does a mostly solid job. The design isn’t overly striking in any way, but it is a well-refined “standard headphone” type of design with clean lines. The Aces are light while still feeling solidly built, have a smooth but appropriately firm sliding hinge for headband fit, have easily removable pads, and while they don’t completely collapse, they get compact enough to fit in the included zip-up hard shell carrying case.
The respectable carrying case isn’t the only included accessory. A USB-C cable is included for both charging and USB-C audio (no included wall charger), and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable is included as well for plugging into analog sources. The inclusion of these cables and capabilities gives the Aces a lot of general versatility and are good things at this price point.
The design lends itself to an overall very comfortable headphone. The band has a very soft cushion and connects to the cups in a way that distributes the weight very well. The cushions of the cups are a well-padded and very comfortable faux leather situation with a firm but not too imposing pressure on the head. These are easy to wear for hours without discomfort for me. I will note that while everything is fine for me, the cups are not particularly large, and the pads are angled, so people with large ears may find their ears touching the cups a bit.
The controls are also well designed. Sonos chose to avoid any type of touch controls with the Aces and has just three buttons - one for power and Bluetooth pairing, one for ANC/transparency/on-device voice assistant, and one for volume and track/audio source/phone call control. It reads more complicated than it is for the controls to become second nature. It is a very good overall control scheme. It’s not quite as good as the Digital Crown design of the AirPods Max, but I’d give it a strong second to that.
When it comes to hardware design and general ease of use, Sonos has always done well across its product range, and that continues here. Grade: A
Sound is one of the most subjective/difficult things to review, and I’m going to try and be as neutral as possible and use some good points of comparison. Overall, the Aces perform fairly well for the product category, and while they bring their own approach to the table, it is very much debatable whether what they bring in terms of sound is worth the fairly high $450 entry point versus $450 for the AirPods Max, $299 for the Sennheiser Momentum 4, $328 for the Sony WH-1000XM5 or $379 for the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra - all very mature and respectable market leaders with similar product features in this category. There are wireless headphones out there that are priced higher like the Focal Bathys ($799) or the Bowers and Wilkins Px8 ($529), though one could argue that those are catering to the luxury and/or audiophile market (all Amazon US prices as of this writing), where the sound expectations have a higher hurdle to overcome.
Let’s first talk about tonal balance. The general tuning of the Aces is very similar to all of the other products I mentioned above, which is a version of a “V-Shaped” tune; bass is boosted, and treble is boosted, creating what has become commonly known as a “fun” type of tuning that I call warm and sparkly. While all of the products I mentioned do this in some way, each does it slightly differently, resulting in a slightly different overall sound presentation, the Aces are no exception. Let’s dive in.
The bass on the Aces is very noticeably boosted throughout the entire band, and the biggest boost is in the sub-bass region. This means the Aces bring slam, boom and rumble to the listen. It could be argued that these get into bass head territory, and I believe those that like bass would be happy with the Aces in that department. While the bass is certainly very prominent, it is not overly loose and still maintains a decent level of control. It is a thick but fairly clean bass. It hits thicker than the AirPods Max but less so than the Momentums and XM5s. If you like to feel those big explosions and soundtrack moments in your TV viewing and gaming, the Aces will fit the bill, as the depth the bass can reach is impressive. The downside to the bass tuning is that since the entire bass band is boosted, if you are listening to a track that has a lot of action in the bass region, it can be overwhelming and lack detail. It can also lead to some bleed into the lower midrange on certain tracks.
It is the midrange on the Aces that surprised me the most, though when I think about how Sonos likely dedicated as much thought to how these sound for TV as to how they sound for music, it makes sense. In a usual “V-shaped” tuning, it is the midrange that is the least present or gets a bit left out of the mix. This often results in vocals and many common core instruments and pieces of the mix somewhat veiled, and is the reason many audiophiles don’t like the V-shaped tuning. The Aces mostly avoid this. The midrange balance is pretty on-target with the exception of a bit of a dip in the upper mids. This means that you get a very full-bodied core sound when listening to the Aces, and that’s a very good thing. Male vocals are very often put on full display because of the added warmth of the bass boost. Female vocals can sometimes take a bit of a back seat, along with instruments like guitar, as a result of the dip in the upper mids, but to notice either of these, you’d really have to be a focused listener (more on why later). The story of the midrange is that it’s better executed than many in the category. This translates well to TV/gaming as well, as dialogue is typically easy to make out, even when there’s lots of other action going on.
The treble on the Ace, as mentioned, is definitely boosted, but in a targeted way that overall, works. I mentioned that the upper midrange where female vocals and some higher instruments live is a bit de-emphasized. Well, the treble is boosted in the “sparkle” region, where sounds like symbols reside - as well as the “s” and “t” sounds in vocals. This boost makes details shine a bit more, and it also hides the under-emphasis of the upper midrange a bit because it still pulls forward the sparkle of all vocals. This upper midrange and treble boost combination is also seen in some well-regarded higher end headphones from the likes of Sennheiser and Meze Audio, just to name a few, so kudos to Sonos for pretty solid execution on the treble. The downside to boosting this region is that some people’s ears are sensitive to this frequency range, and can find sounds like snare drums, loud symbols and the like in this region to be grating to listen to for long periods of time. I don’t find the boost to be extreme, but it is there, so those that are treble-sensitive, just something to note.
This is a good point to make note that this has all been related to the default tonal balance of the Aces right out of the box. Connecting to the Sonos app does allow you to adjust the frequency response - though it is a very basic EQ just like other Sonos products - a simple treble/bass slider. Most of the options at this price point offer greater level of control with a at least a 3-5 band EQ, but it’s better than nothing.
Last in the sound department is a bit about the staging and technical performance. Again, the Aces do what they do fairly well for the category, but whether what they do is definitively better than their peers is debatable. The sound that comes from the Aces is crisp and clear, and one of the most immediately noticeable aspects of the presentation is the good horizontal spread of the pieces of the mix - everything is placed very well with pretty good separation. The sound stage isn’t overly wide by any means, and we aren’t talking about a 3D/holographic sound stage (unless you’re using Dolby Atmos, which I’ll come back to), but the sound does indeed go ear-to-ear horizontally. Even so, the focus of the Aces is always front and center. The stage is very center-focused and intimate, with the edges of the left and right channel wrapping around to the ears. It is a pretty in your face presentation that works well. The center position also has a small but distinct depth and separation from the mix, which is impressive for a wireless headphone (I had to wonder if the fact that the inside of the pads of the Aces are angled contributes to this). The fact that the stage is so center-focused also keeps the vocals and heart of the mix emphasized, and this pairs well with its midrange tuning. This presentation also is another testament to being well-designed for both music and TV listening.
I am not always a fan of Dolby Atmos for headphones, as what the technology can do is often overhyped, but the Aces do handle Atmos mixed sources (or multichannel sources when using TV Swap) very well. It essentially makes the sound stage a bit bigger, along with more precise positioning of the pieces of the mix. I find it best for video content and hit or miss for music.
The overall sound package that the Aces deliver is solid, well-executed, V-shaped listen. The sound is warm, crisp, clean, dynamic/lively and is presented very well, in a way that will work for many genres of music, TV and gaming. The aces definitely deserve to be in the conversation among the market leaders, but each of these market leaders also have strong overall presentations that are arguably just as good, if not better - and allow for a bit more control with more EQ personalization options. The Ace’s premium price relative to this competition has to be taken into consideration as a point of comparison in evaluating overall sound. Grade: B+ / A-
I realize that when evaluating a pair of wireless headphones nowadays, the technology feature set is a big factor as well, and that’s where things get even more interesting for the Aces. This is because depending on your particular Sonos setup, mobile device setup, and general home listening setup, the technological features of the Aces are various levels of either lacking or unfinished.
Let’s start with the good. Regardless of the device you’re using to connect, you get to experience the active noise cancellation and transparency modes of the Aces, and both are very good. The noice cancelling mode isn’t quite as good as Bose, and the transparency mode isn’t quite as good as Apple, but both are respectable compared to anything else, a good showing. You can also enable head tracking in the Sonos app when connected to any device audio via Bluetooth, which for Android users may be an added convenience, depending on your device (for Apple users, this is a feature built in option at the system level between any iOS device and AirPods). You also get a fairly good mix of codec support, including some lossless options if your device supports it.
Now, the not so good. When Sonos announced the Aces, the company very accurately talked about how headphones were one of the most requested products of the community, and everyone in this sub can probably attest to that. But what has been released, at this point in time especially, IMO misses the mark by not doing the we want the headphones to do most - connect seamlessly to our larger Sonos systems, and on top of this, it highlights the challenge of forced obsolescence when dealing with home theater speakers and advanced technology in the same package.
The best way to illustrate this is to state plainly that the Aces are first and foremost Bluetooth headphones. They connect to your Sonos system indirectly via the app on your Bluetooth device, not directly to the system itself via WiFi (mostly). This means a few things. If you’re envisioning using the Sonos app as a hub main hub for navigating your music library across sources and handing it off between your Sonos speakers and headphones, that’s not in the cards with the Ace (ha). As a matter of fact, you can only use the Sonos app to play and pause media playing on the Ace, not select and navigate.
If your goal is using the Aces to listen to your TV, it can be done via a feature called TV Swap, but the situation isn’t exactly pretty for a lot of people. You can press a button on the Aces or within the Sonos app to trigger a direct WiFi connection between a TV-connected Sonos speaker, but at launch and of this writing, it only works on the top-of-the-line Sonos Arc soundbar. This support is coming via software update to the Beam and Ray at an unannounced date. This means that for folks like me that have been building a Sonos ecosystem for years, arguably the most loyal and valuable customers of Sonos (and the ones requesting this product for years), the usefulness of the Aces may be substantially reduced. Out of the four rooms that have Sonos sound bars in my home, again, all purchased within the last ten years or less, only two will ever work with the Aces. My Playbase and Playbar are forever excluded, and if you’re using something like the Sonos Amp to connect a turntable or other device to your Sonos system, you’re also out of luck. If you are an Android user, the picture is even uglier, as the TV Swap feature doesn’t work AT ALL, meaning that until an update arrives, also at an as yet unannounced date, the Aces are essentially a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones for Android users.
For me, this is the most disappointing thing about the Aces. Unless you are a fairly recent inductee to the Sonos ecosystem, the Aces probably are really more general Bluetooth headphones that can connect to a Sonos speakeTV than Sonos headphones that also connect to Bluetooth devices. This is in a world where there are certainly other options for connecting headphones to your TV’s audio. Many smart TV’s and set top boxes now offer a direct Bluetooth connection, and if you have an Apple TV, using AirPods via AirPlay is a much more seamless experience. All of these things, combined with the recent revamp of the Sonos app that took away features and left many unhappy in the name of updating the app for future products (including the Ace), should make you think twice about if the Aces are the best way to get TV audio via headphones for you and your setup - and about the longevity of your particular Sonos setup in general. I realize there are technical challenges that make better Sonos system integration a challenge, and that for some, the issue about older products isn’t an issue at all, but it is worth bringing to light for those making a long-term purchase decision.
The second most disappointing thing about the launch of the Aces is the continued trend of companies releasing products at full price that are essentially unfinished. I already discussed that for Android users at launch, there is no TV Swap at all, so these are effectively just regular Bluetooth headphones with no Sonos system integration at all. I also touched on the fact that TV swap support for the Beam and Ray is missing for all platforms. There is also a very cool-sounding form of TruePlay that Sonos is calling TrueTune. This will calibrate the room, so that when using TV Swap to listen to audio, you’ll get an even more “immersive” listening experience that takes Spatial Audio and head tracking to the next level by trying to actually mirror the acoustics of the room as if you had no headphones on at all. I can’t report on that because, you guessed it…the feature is coming at a yet unannounced date. On top of this, there are bugs out of the gate. Sometimes my Aces don’t show up in the Sonos app, and TV Swap sometimes doesn’t trigger or glitches out.
All of this makes judging the technological features of the Aces difficult. On the side of being Bluetooth headphones - the ANC, connection possibilities/versatility, multi-device connection, head tracking/spatial audio support, and battery life, the Aces are a strong showing. On the Sonos side, your experience will be highly dependent on your current Sonos setup, source setup, how you like to navigate your music library, your level of patience to receive updates, and your trust/level of care for when/if Sonos will release an update that breaks something between your Aces and your existing setup or releases a new speaker that doesn’t work with the Aces. These are all considerations that again make the $450 asking price seem steep when there are other options in the market with equal or greater capabilities for a substantially lesser price. Grade: C-
Overall, I view the Aces as a solid pair of Bluetooth headphones, and as Bluetooth headphones for day-to-day needs, they are worth considering, though arguably not the best value in terms of overall sound quality and features. The AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra all bring comparatively good sound and feature sets at the same or a substantially lower price. Whether that premium is worth it because of the Sonos interplay, well, your mileage may vary, depending on your setup. They have the potential to be pretty great for some, while at the same time being annoying for some - hard to hate, hard to love. I hope this review was helpful for those taking a look at these or building a Sonos ecosystem in general. Happy listening!
submitted by Gizm0Guru to headphones [link] [comments]
TL:DR - the Aces come in at a high price point in the market at $450. At that price, these may be a tough sell for many. The overall sound is very good - but not definitively better than the category leaders in the market, many of which cost substantially less. Early/Gen1 bugs will leave some thinking that the product is half baked or leaves them out entirely, especially Android users. All that said, this is still a Sonos product, so there are enough things done well about the Ace that it could be a decent proposition - especially if you catch a sale and/or after upcoming software updates. Hard to hate, hard to love.
Now to give some context and get into the deeper review. As mentioned, I am pretty deep in the Sonos ecosystem because I’ve steadily added to my setups over the years. I started with a 5.1 system, Playbar + Sub + two Play 1s about 10 years ago (now in my kid’s playroom) and now I have Sonos in my whole home - another Arc-based 5.1 setup (media room), a Playbase 5.1 setup (living room), a Beam (bedroom), Move (outdoor patio) and a Roam (travel).
I am also a headphone collector and have 22 pairs, ranging from “consumer” stuff like the Ace, AirPods Pro/Max - and all the way up to high-end reference gear from the likes of Audeze, Sennheiser, Meze, Focal, etc. I listen to many types of music, from hip-hop to classical, and I also do quite a bit of gaming. I have a young kiddo so have the need to use headphones for TV viewing pretty often.
Starting with the overall design, comfort, control and included accessories - Sonos does a mostly solid job. The design isn’t overly striking in any way, but it is a well-refined “standard headphone” type of design with clean lines. The Aces are light while still feeling solidly built, have a smooth but appropriately firm sliding hinge for headband fit, have easily removable pads, and while they don’t completely collapse, they get compact enough to fit in the included zip-up hard shell carrying case.
The respectable carrying case isn’t the only included accessory. A USB-C cable is included for both charging and USB-C audio (no included wall charger), and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable is included as well for plugging into analog sources. The inclusion of these cables and capabilities gives the Aces a lot of general versatility and are good things at this price point.
The design lends itself to an overall very comfortable headphone. The band has a very soft cushion and connects to the cups in a way that distributes the weight very well. The cushions of the cups are a well-padded and very comfortable faux leather situation with a firm but not too imposing pressure on the head. These are easy to wear for hours without discomfort for me. I will note that while everything is fine for me, the cups are not particularly large, and the pads are angled, so people with large ears may find their ears touching the cups a bit.
The controls are also well designed. Sonos chose to avoid any type of touch controls with the Aces and has just three buttons - one for power and Bluetooth pairing, one for ANC/transparency/on-device voice assistant, and one for volume and track/audio source/phone call control. It reads more complicated than it is for the controls to become second nature. It is a very good overall control scheme. It’s not quite as good as the Digital Crown design of the AirPods Max, but I’d give it a strong second to that.
When it comes to hardware design and general ease of use, Sonos has always done well across its product range, and that continues here. Grade: A
Sound is one of the most subjective/difficult things to review, and I’m going to try and be as neutral as possible and use some good points of comparison. Overall, the Aces perform fairly well for the product category, and while they bring their own approach to the table, it is very much debatable whether what they bring in terms of sound is worth the fairly high $450 entry point versus $450 for the AirPods Max, $299 for the Sennheiser Momentum 4, $328 for the Sony WH-1000XM5 or $379 for the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra - all very mature and respectable market leaders with similar product features in this category. There are wireless headphones out there that are priced higher like the Focal Bathys ($799) or the Bowers and Wilkins Px8 ($529), though one could argue that those are catering to the luxury and/or audiophile market (all Amazon US prices as of this writing), where the sound expectations have a higher hurdle to overcome.
Let’s first talk about tonal balance. The general tuning of the Aces is very similar to all of the other products I mentioned above, which is a version of a “V-Shaped” tune; bass is boosted, and treble is boosted, creating what has become commonly known as a “fun” type of tuning that I call warm and sparkly. While all of the products I mentioned do this in some way, each does it slightly differently, resulting in a slightly different overall sound presentation, the Aces are no exception. Let’s dive in.
The bass on the Aces is very noticeably boosted throughout the entire band, and the biggest boost is in the sub-bass region. This means the Aces bring slam, boom and rumble to the listen. It could be argued that these get into bass head territory, and I believe those that like bass would be happy with the Aces in that department. While the bass is certainly very prominent, it is not overly loose and still maintains a decent level of control. It is a thick but fairly clean bass. It hits thicker than the AirPods Max but less so than the Momentums and XM5s. If you like to feel those big explosions and soundtrack moments in your TV viewing and gaming, the Aces will fit the bill, as the depth the bass can reach is impressive. The downside to the bass tuning is that since the entire bass band is boosted, if you are listening to a track that has a lot of action in the bass region, it can be overwhelming and lack detail. It can also lead to some bleed into the lower midrange on certain tracks.
It is the midrange on the Aces that surprised me the most, though when I think about how Sonos likely dedicated as much thought to how these sound for TV as to how they sound for music, it makes sense. In a usual “V-shaped” tuning, it is the midrange that is the least present or gets a bit left out of the mix. This often results in vocals and many common core instruments and pieces of the mix somewhat veiled, and is the reason many audiophiles don’t like the V-shaped tuning. The Aces mostly avoid this. The midrange balance is pretty on-target with the exception of a bit of a dip in the upper mids. This means that you get a very full-bodied core sound when listening to the Aces, and that’s a very good thing. Male vocals are very often put on full display because of the added warmth of the bass boost. Female vocals can sometimes take a bit of a back seat, along with instruments like guitar, as a result of the dip in the upper mids, but to notice either of these, you’d really have to be a focused listener (more on why later). The story of the midrange is that it’s better executed than many in the category. This translates well to TV/gaming as well, as dialogue is typically easy to make out, even when there’s lots of other action going on.
The treble on the Ace, as mentioned, is definitely boosted, but in a targeted way that overall, works. I mentioned that the upper midrange where female vocals and some higher instruments live is a bit de-emphasized. Well, the treble is boosted in the “sparkle” region, where sounds like symbols reside - as well as the “s” and “t” sounds in vocals. This boost makes details shine a bit more, and it also hides the under-emphasis of the upper midrange a bit because it still pulls forward the sparkle of all vocals. This upper midrange and treble boost combination is also seen in some well-regarded higher end headphones from the likes of Sennheiser and Meze Audio, just to name a few, so kudos to Sonos for pretty solid execution on the treble. The downside to boosting this region is that some people’s ears are sensitive to this frequency range, and can find sounds like snare drums, loud symbols and the like in this region to be grating to listen to for long periods of time. I don’t find the boost to be extreme, but it is there, so those that are treble-sensitive, just something to note.
This is a good point to make note that this has all been related to the default tonal balance of the Aces right out of the box. Connecting to the Sonos app does allow you to adjust the frequency response - though it is a very basic EQ just like other Sonos products - a simple treble/bass slider. Most of the options at this price point offer greater level of control with a at least a 3-5 band EQ, but it’s better than nothing.
Last in the sound department is a bit about the staging and technical performance. Again, the Aces do what they do fairly well for the category, but whether what they do is definitively better than their peers is debatable. The sound that comes from the Aces is crisp and clear, and one of the most immediately noticeable aspects of the presentation is the good horizontal spread of the pieces of the mix - everything is placed very well with pretty good separation. The sound stage isn’t overly wide by any means, and we aren’t talking about a 3D/holographic sound stage (unless you’re using Dolby Atmos, which I’ll come back to), but the sound does indeed go ear-to-ear horizontally. Even so, the focus of the Aces is always front and center. The stage is very center-focused and intimate, with the edges of the left and right channel wrapping around to the ears. It is a pretty in your face presentation that works well. The center position also has a small but distinct depth and separation from the mix, which is impressive for a wireless headphone (I had to wonder if the fact that the inside of the pads of the Aces are angled contributes to this). The fact that the stage is so center-focused also keeps the vocals and heart of the mix emphasized, and this pairs well with its midrange tuning. This presentation also is another testament to being well-designed for both music and TV listening.
I am not always a fan of Dolby Atmos for headphones, as what the technology can do is often overhyped, but the Aces do handle Atmos mixed sources (or multichannel sources when using TV Swap) very well. It essentially makes the sound stage a bit bigger, along with more precise positioning of the pieces of the mix. I find it best for video content and hit or miss for music.
The overall sound package that the Aces deliver is solid, well-executed, V-shaped listen. The sound is warm, crisp, clean, dynamic/lively and is presented very well, in a way that will work for many genres of music, TV and gaming. The aces definitely deserve to be in the conversation among the market leaders, but each of these market leaders also have strong overall presentations that are arguably just as good, if not better - and allow for a bit more control with more EQ personalization options. The Ace’s premium price relative to this competition has to be taken into consideration as a point of comparison in evaluating overall sound. Grade: B+ / A-
I realize that when evaluating a pair of wireless headphones nowadays, the technology feature set is a big factor as well, and that’s where things get even more interesting for the Aces. This is because depending on your particular Sonos setup, mobile device setup, and general home listening setup, the technological features of the Aces are various levels of either lacking or unfinished.
Let’s start with the good. Regardless of the device you’re using to connect, you get to experience the active noise cancellation and transparency modes of the Aces, and both are very good. The noice cancelling mode isn’t quite as good as Bose, and the transparency mode isn’t quite as good as Apple, but both are respectable compared to anything else, a good showing. You can also enable head tracking in the Sonos app when connected to any device audio via Bluetooth, which for Android users may be an added convenience, depending on your device (for Apple users, this is a feature built in option at the system level between any iOS device and AirPods). You also get a fairly good mix of codec support, including some lossless options if your device supports it.
Now, the not so good. When Sonos announced the Aces, the company very accurately talked about how headphones were one of the most requested products of the community, and everyone in this sub can probably attest to that. But what has been released, at this point in time especially, IMO misses the mark by not doing the we want the headphones to do most - connect seamlessly to our larger Sonos systems, and on top of this, it highlights the challenge of forced obsolescence when dealing with home theater speakers and advanced technology in the same package.
The best way to illustrate this is to state plainly that the Aces are first and foremost Bluetooth headphones. They connect to your Sonos system indirectly via the app on your Bluetooth device, not directly to the system itself via WiFi (mostly). This means a few things. If you’re envisioning using the Sonos app as a hub main hub for navigating your music library across sources and handing it off between your Sonos speakers and headphones, that’s not in the cards with the Ace (ha). As a matter of fact, you can only use the Sonos app to play and pause media playing on the Ace, not select and navigate.
If your goal is using the Aces to listen to your TV, it can be done via a feature called TV Swap, but the situation isn’t exactly pretty for a lot of people. You can press a button on the Aces or within the Sonos app to trigger a direct WiFi connection between a TV-connected Sonos speaker, but at launch and of this writing, it only works on the top-of-the-line Sonos Arc soundbar. This support is coming via software update to the Beam and Ray at an unannounced date. This means that for folks like me that have been building a Sonos ecosystem for years, arguably the most loyal and valuable customers of Sonos (and the ones requesting this product for years), the usefulness of the Aces may be substantially reduced. Out of the four rooms that have Sonos sound bars in my home, again, all purchased within the last ten years or less, only two will ever work with the Aces. My Playbase and Playbar are forever excluded, and if you’re using something like the Sonos Amp to connect a turntable or other device to your Sonos system, you’re also out of luck. If you are an Android user, the picture is even uglier, as the TV Swap feature doesn’t work AT ALL, meaning that until an update arrives, also at an as yet unannounced date, the Aces are essentially a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones for Android users.
For me, this is the most disappointing thing about the Aces. Unless you are a fairly recent inductee to the Sonos ecosystem, the Aces probably are really more general Bluetooth headphones that can connect to a Sonos speakeTV than Sonos headphones that also connect to Bluetooth devices. This is in a world where there are certainly other options for connecting headphones to your TV’s audio. Many smart TV’s and set top boxes now offer a direct Bluetooth connection, and if you have an Apple TV, using AirPods via AirPlay is a much more seamless experience. All of these things, combined with the recent revamp of the Sonos app that took away features and left many unhappy in the name of updating the app for future products (including the Ace), should make you think twice about if the Aces are the best way to get TV audio via headphones for you and your setup - and about the longevity of your particular Sonos setup in general. I realize there are technical challenges that make better Sonos system integration a challenge, and that for some, the issue about older products isn’t an issue at all, but it is worth bringing to light for those making a long-term purchase decision.
The second most disappointing thing about the launch of the Aces is the continued trend of companies releasing products at full price that are essentially unfinished. I already discussed that for Android users at launch, there is no TV Swap at all, so these are effectively just regular Bluetooth headphones with no Sonos system integration at all. I also touched on the fact that TV swap support for the Beam and Ray is missing for all platforms. There is also a very cool-sounding form of TruePlay that Sonos is calling TrueTune. This will calibrate the room, so that when using TV Swap to listen to audio, you’ll get an even more “immersive” listening experience that takes Spatial Audio and head tracking to the next level by trying to actually mirror the acoustics of the room as if you had no headphones on at all. I can’t report on that because, you guessed it…the feature is coming at a yet unannounced date. On top of this, there are bugs out of the gate. Sometimes my Aces don’t show up in the Sonos app, and TV Swap sometimes doesn’t trigger or glitches out.
All of this makes judging the technological features of the Aces difficult. On the side of being Bluetooth headphones - the ANC, connection possibilities/versatility, multi-device connection, head tracking/spatial audio support, and battery life, the Aces are a strong showing. On the Sonos side, your experience will be highly dependent on your current Sonos setup, source setup, how you like to navigate your music library, your level of patience to receive updates, and your trust/level of care for when/if Sonos will release an update that breaks something between your Aces and your existing setup or releases a new speaker that doesn’t work with the Aces. These are all considerations that again make the $450 asking price seem steep when there are other options in the market with equal or greater capabilities for a substantially lesser price. Grade: C-
Overall, I view the Aces as a solid pair of Bluetooth headphones, and as Bluetooth headphones for day-to-day needs, they are worth considering, though arguably not the best value in terms of overall sound quality and features. The AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra all bring comparatively good sound and feature sets at the same or a substantially lower price. Whether that premium is worth it because of the Sonos interplay, well, your mileage may vary, depending on your setup. They have the potential to be pretty great for some, while at the same time being annoying for some - hard to hate, hard to love. I hope this review was helpful for those taking a look at these or building a Sonos ecosystem in general. Happy listening!
2024.06.09 17:38 knowbodysmokes Solo Queue
This is literally the most tilting game ever. Every time i get to my peak which is currently 33 stars, I get troll/toxic/trash teammates that just lose the game for me. I usually fill roles and am either always left with roam or exp and for some reason people still just don’t play how my opponents play. Every game it just feels like an uphill battle. Why is this game like this? I also experience this the most with Latin American flag players. I once forgot I’d left my vpn on in Albania and the teammates I got from that region were 🤌
Literally thinking of uninstalling this game. Just a waste of time at this point.
submitted by knowbodysmokes to MobileLegendsGame [link] [comments]
Literally thinking of uninstalling this game. Just a waste of time at this point.
2024.06.09 17:33 Ace201613 Review: The Blade Itself (First Law Trilogy), by Joe Abercrombie
All things come to an end. But some only lie still, forgotten
This book is fantastic. I've been wanting to say that since I finished it a few days ago. There are books that you see mentioned all the time and to some extent you think "i'm sure its good, but there's probably some exaggeration in there as well". You expect to be let down and try not to get your hopes up too high. Because there's nothing worse than having high expectations and being let down. Well, The Blade Itself is a case where high expectations are well earned. The start was a bit slow for me. Random guy gets attacked in the woods by some monsters, then falls off a cliff. I was wondering "Ok. Where are we going with this? Is he the protagonist or just a walking dead guy meant to show the tone of the story?" But from that introduction this grows into a truly epic tale set in kind of a harsh world in which you'll see a growing war, magical powers returning, and different political players seeking to take advantage wherever they can. If I had to throw three important words out to describe this book it would be Action, Characters, Intrigue.
This isn't some power fantasy where the protagonist is getting into fights every chapter and steamrolling all of his opponents. But when he, or anyone else, gets into a fight it's a real, no holds barred, tip of the nose, bloody fight. Political/social intrigue is just as important, if not more so, because this is a case where the plot focuses heavily on the actual politics involved in running different organizations and gradually building toward, what seems like it'll be, a new world war. And at the heart of everything it's the point of view characters that bring it all together and make you want to keep reading. Kudos to the author for actually making them all distinct. There are a few similarities between some of them, but this isn't a story in which you'll be confused when switching from one to the other.
In my opinion, this story is kind of a giant subversion on classic fantasy tropes. I'd say the "main" protagonist is Logen Ninefingers, a viscious northman with a bloody past who seems to be trying to change for the better. But that past keeps coming back to bite him as he associates with old enemies and, more importantly, comes into contact with the mage Bayaz who wants to use Logen for unknown reasons. And that's one major subversion right there. Bayaz and Logen come into contact because Bayaz sent his apprentice to find Logen. Bayaz didn't do it himself. Bayaz and Logen aren't old friends. Bayaz didn't know Logen's father (Or if he did it isn't mentioned here). Bayaz knows of Logen, needs him for something, and sends someone to fetch him. He does the same with another protagonist from a different region of the world named Ferro Maljinn. In fact, the group of companions that has formed by the story's end were all gathered by Bayaz, mostly through him sending his proxies to find them. And he clearly has some mystical quest planned for them all, but this isn't a story about destiny or fate leading a group together. It's not about friends reuniting or one man gradually gathering a group of trusted friends who he saves on his way. It's all the manipulations of Bayaz setting these characters up to follow him, as if he's moving chess pieces on a board. And its brilliant.
Bayaz himself is not the stereotypical wise wizard. Instead you have this solidly built, bald, arrogant man who will set a group of men on fire, be physically taxed by it, and keep going on his merry way. He's not providing words of wisdom, he's speaking in riddles and keeping his cards close to the chest. He looks down his nose at his apprentice constantly and clearly believes he knows what's best for everyone. In turn you have Logen who is trying to be better, but constantly struggling to do so and by the story's end he completely loses it to what could be called a more bloodthirsty alter ego (The Bloody Nine) who proceeds to kill the enemies before him like a maniac. Ferro, who in another story might be a noble freedom fighter after having escaped slavery, is in some ways just as harsh as Logen, seeking to cause as much harm as possible to the people she despises (And notably being pretty damn racist as well lol). None of these characters, and there are more I haven't mentioned, are who you'd expect them to be in a classical fantasy novel, but it's handled so damn well and I love it.
Apart from Logen and Ferro there are 4 other point of view characters.
Collem West, an aging soldier from a poor background
Dogman, a northman who was in a group with Logen right as things went to shit at the story's start
Sand dan Glokta, former soldier, current cripple and member of the King's Inquisition
Jezal dan Luthar, nobleman and aspiring swordsman who is too lazy for his own good
I'll say that Ferro absolutely gets the least amount of focus, probably followed by the Dogman right after. Collem and Jezal are actual friends at the story's start, so even when you're following one of them the other will often appear as well. Glokta will pop up in their segments too, and vice versa, since all 3 of them are located in the same city. Overall, i'd say this is an excellent example of handling different points of view properly. It isn't just because the characters have major differences between them, it's about how the writing divides page time between all of them. Furthermore, there's an overarching story that all of their narratives play into even though individually they aren't aware of this. It's fun to see something like Jezal reacting to Bayaz, wondering why the Mage seems so interested in him, and right afterward you have Glokta looking into Bayaz to see if he is who he says he is. Things like that not only kept me interested, it built my interest in the story as it went on because I wanted to see which characters would end up interacting by the story's end.
All of the characters are great and could have carried a story on their own, but i'd like to take a moment and say Logen was my favorite. There's something so tragic about this guy who has clearly lived a bloody life, references it often in almost everything he says or does, who does seem like he wants to change, but clearly can't change. A really interesting segment was when he first arrived in Adua, the nation's capitol. Having always lived in a completely different land that has a suitably different climate and landscape he reacts as you'd expect him to. He panics. He is lost in a crowd, finds it to be stifling hot, doesn't understand the way people react to him or how they treat one another. I'd say he was on the verge of passing out from a panic attack to be honest. He is a foreigner in a strange land and he reacts as such. It's a generally small moment in the entire book, but it's one of my favorites because it shows a level of thought that you don't see from every author. That's how a character like Logen should be reacting, but more often than not things like this aren't even touched upon. And when he's trapped by enemies at the end with no hope of escape, wounded and covered in blood, he finally loses it. The beast inside himself that he hid away the entire time finally comes out and you can see why his enemies who know him tried to get rid of him. You can see why he does want to move beyond that and why he is adamant that the world probably would have been better off without him. I'm repeating myself, but it's all done so well and I love it.
I'm willing to say that if the next 2 books in this trilogy are written as well as this one i'd place the series on my list of favorites. There's so much i'm not mentioned, but I was very impressed and it was a pleasure to read. Sometimes when reading a book can feel like a chore, because you're not really enjoying it but you want to finish it. This is a case where I became a kid again, staying up later and later to read one more chapter, my mind constantly turning over the events of the book to wonder what would happen next. I was lost in this story and it was actually fun to read. Very violent, bloody, and sure to have a bittersweet ending when all is said and done (I have the feeling that both Logen and Collem will probably die), but absolutely fun. I suggest it to anyone who enjoys stories like Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire or books with multiple POV characters for you to follow.
submitted by Ace201613 to Fantasy [link] [comments]
This book is fantastic. I've been wanting to say that since I finished it a few days ago. There are books that you see mentioned all the time and to some extent you think "i'm sure its good, but there's probably some exaggeration in there as well". You expect to be let down and try not to get your hopes up too high. Because there's nothing worse than having high expectations and being let down. Well, The Blade Itself is a case where high expectations are well earned. The start was a bit slow for me. Random guy gets attacked in the woods by some monsters, then falls off a cliff. I was wondering "Ok. Where are we going with this? Is he the protagonist or just a walking dead guy meant to show the tone of the story?" But from that introduction this grows into a truly epic tale set in kind of a harsh world in which you'll see a growing war, magical powers returning, and different political players seeking to take advantage wherever they can. If I had to throw three important words out to describe this book it would be Action, Characters, Intrigue.
This isn't some power fantasy where the protagonist is getting into fights every chapter and steamrolling all of his opponents. But when he, or anyone else, gets into a fight it's a real, no holds barred, tip of the nose, bloody fight. Political/social intrigue is just as important, if not more so, because this is a case where the plot focuses heavily on the actual politics involved in running different organizations and gradually building toward, what seems like it'll be, a new world war. And at the heart of everything it's the point of view characters that bring it all together and make you want to keep reading. Kudos to the author for actually making them all distinct. There are a few similarities between some of them, but this isn't a story in which you'll be confused when switching from one to the other.
Thoughts
It's a sorry fact that the man who strikes first usually strikes lastIn my opinion, this story is kind of a giant subversion on classic fantasy tropes. I'd say the "main" protagonist is Logen Ninefingers, a viscious northman with a bloody past who seems to be trying to change for the better. But that past keeps coming back to bite him as he associates with old enemies and, more importantly, comes into contact with the mage Bayaz who wants to use Logen for unknown reasons. And that's one major subversion right there. Bayaz and Logen come into contact because Bayaz sent his apprentice to find Logen. Bayaz didn't do it himself. Bayaz and Logen aren't old friends. Bayaz didn't know Logen's father (Or if he did it isn't mentioned here). Bayaz knows of Logen, needs him for something, and sends someone to fetch him. He does the same with another protagonist from a different region of the world named Ferro Maljinn. In fact, the group of companions that has formed by the story's end were all gathered by Bayaz, mostly through him sending his proxies to find them. And he clearly has some mystical quest planned for them all, but this isn't a story about destiny or fate leading a group together. It's not about friends reuniting or one man gradually gathering a group of trusted friends who he saves on his way. It's all the manipulations of Bayaz setting these characters up to follow him, as if he's moving chess pieces on a board. And its brilliant.
Bayaz himself is not the stereotypical wise wizard. Instead you have this solidly built, bald, arrogant man who will set a group of men on fire, be physically taxed by it, and keep going on his merry way. He's not providing words of wisdom, he's speaking in riddles and keeping his cards close to the chest. He looks down his nose at his apprentice constantly and clearly believes he knows what's best for everyone. In turn you have Logen who is trying to be better, but constantly struggling to do so and by the story's end he completely loses it to what could be called a more bloodthirsty alter ego (The Bloody Nine) who proceeds to kill the enemies before him like a maniac. Ferro, who in another story might be a noble freedom fighter after having escaped slavery, is in some ways just as harsh as Logen, seeking to cause as much harm as possible to the people she despises (And notably being pretty damn racist as well lol). None of these characters, and there are more I haven't mentioned, are who you'd expect them to be in a classical fantasy novel, but it's handled so damn well and I love it.
Points of View
Why do I do this? Why?Apart from Logen and Ferro there are 4 other point of view characters.
Collem West, an aging soldier from a poor background
Dogman, a northman who was in a group with Logen right as things went to shit at the story's start
Sand dan Glokta, former soldier, current cripple and member of the King's Inquisition
Jezal dan Luthar, nobleman and aspiring swordsman who is too lazy for his own good
I'll say that Ferro absolutely gets the least amount of focus, probably followed by the Dogman right after. Collem and Jezal are actual friends at the story's start, so even when you're following one of them the other will often appear as well. Glokta will pop up in their segments too, and vice versa, since all 3 of them are located in the same city. Overall, i'd say this is an excellent example of handling different points of view properly. It isn't just because the characters have major differences between them, it's about how the writing divides page time between all of them. Furthermore, there's an overarching story that all of their narratives play into even though individually they aren't aware of this. It's fun to see something like Jezal reacting to Bayaz, wondering why the Mage seems so interested in him, and right afterward you have Glokta looking into Bayaz to see if he is who he says he is. Things like that not only kept me interested, it built my interest in the story as it went on because I wanted to see which characters would end up interacting by the story's end.
Logen
Mercy, the man was like a child. A six and a half food child with a face like a butchers blockAll of the characters are great and could have carried a story on their own, but i'd like to take a moment and say Logen was my favorite. There's something so tragic about this guy who has clearly lived a bloody life, references it often in almost everything he says or does, who does seem like he wants to change, but clearly can't change. A really interesting segment was when he first arrived in Adua, the nation's capitol. Having always lived in a completely different land that has a suitably different climate and landscape he reacts as you'd expect him to. He panics. He is lost in a crowd, finds it to be stifling hot, doesn't understand the way people react to him or how they treat one another. I'd say he was on the verge of passing out from a panic attack to be honest. He is a foreigner in a strange land and he reacts as such. It's a generally small moment in the entire book, but it's one of my favorites because it shows a level of thought that you don't see from every author. That's how a character like Logen should be reacting, but more often than not things like this aren't even touched upon. And when he's trapped by enemies at the end with no hope of escape, wounded and covered in blood, he finally loses it. The beast inside himself that he hid away the entire time finally comes out and you can see why his enemies who know him tried to get rid of him. You can see why he does want to move beyond that and why he is adamant that the world probably would have been better off without him. I'm repeating myself, but it's all done so well and I love it.
Conclusion
The blade itself incites to deeds of violenceI'm willing to say that if the next 2 books in this trilogy are written as well as this one i'd place the series on my list of favorites. There's so much i'm not mentioned, but I was very impressed and it was a pleasure to read. Sometimes when reading a book can feel like a chore, because you're not really enjoying it but you want to finish it. This is a case where I became a kid again, staying up later and later to read one more chapter, my mind constantly turning over the events of the book to wonder what would happen next. I was lost in this story and it was actually fun to read. Very violent, bloody, and sure to have a bittersweet ending when all is said and done (I have the feeling that both Logen and Collem will probably die), but absolutely fun. I suggest it to anyone who enjoys stories like Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire or books with multiple POV characters for you to follow.
2024.06.09 17:09 YoLoMaN2510 [REQUEST] [PS5] 30th Attempt for my most wanted game, Horizon Forbidden West
Hello everyone at GiftofGames, how are you all doing!!
I recently graduated from college and I'm struggling to find a job. It's really demoralising for me receiving rejection letters, I'm a big gamer and playing games is the only thing that has kept my morale up during these tough times. My financial situation is pretty dire right now, I can't afford to buy a lot of new games.
I'm currently looking to buy Horizon Forbidden West on my PS5. This is my 30th attempt at requesting for this game. I played the first game on my PS4 and loved it. The complete edition of the game is currently on sale with a 34% discount at $39.59. I'm looking for a $40 PlayStation gift card of US region.
GAME SUMMARY
The sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Western United States recovering from the aftermath of an extinction event caused by a rogue robot swarm. The player can explore the open world and complete quests using ranged and melee weapons against hostile machine creatures.
Basically the game takes place in the far future where humanity almost gets destroyed by their advanced robotic creations. But it seems humanity have sort of gone backwards with their primitive clothing, implying that they haven't got the previous knowledge of their ancestors. The first game Horizon Zero Dawn, the protagonist Aloy discovers secrets about what happened to humanity, and its sequel is the continuation of this first game where she explores the far west of modern day america.
WHY I'M INTERESTED
The reason why this game appeals to me is the setting. I find it soo interesting how humanity was able to be on the brink of extinction and somehow managed to survive (I can't anymore due to spoilers). And after surviving, civilisation sort of went backwards instead of continuing on from the ancestors. I watch a lot of lore videos on youtube about this game, and there are many different stories hidden in the game world which tells us different perspectives of people on the situation. Even though its humanity that is in trouble, everybody has a different view on how to tackle the problem. But this is only touching the surface, there is also the robot machines created in these giant cauldrons that is a big mystery to this day.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and will give my thanks if I receive the gift card from you. Here is my PSN ID: https://psnprofiles.com/Revelanttech713
Game link: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/horizon-forbidden-west/
submitted by YoLoMaN2510 to GiftofGames [link] [comments]
I recently graduated from college and I'm struggling to find a job. It's really demoralising for me receiving rejection letters, I'm a big gamer and playing games is the only thing that has kept my morale up during these tough times. My financial situation is pretty dire right now, I can't afford to buy a lot of new games.
I'm currently looking to buy Horizon Forbidden West on my PS5. This is my 30th attempt at requesting for this game. I played the first game on my PS4 and loved it. The complete edition of the game is currently on sale with a 34% discount at $39.59. I'm looking for a $40 PlayStation gift card of US region.
GAME SUMMARY
The sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Western United States recovering from the aftermath of an extinction event caused by a rogue robot swarm. The player can explore the open world and complete quests using ranged and melee weapons against hostile machine creatures.
Basically the game takes place in the far future where humanity almost gets destroyed by their advanced robotic creations. But it seems humanity have sort of gone backwards with their primitive clothing, implying that they haven't got the previous knowledge of their ancestors. The first game Horizon Zero Dawn, the protagonist Aloy discovers secrets about what happened to humanity, and its sequel is the continuation of this first game where she explores the far west of modern day america.
WHY I'M INTERESTED
The reason why this game appeals to me is the setting. I find it soo interesting how humanity was able to be on the brink of extinction and somehow managed to survive (I can't anymore due to spoilers). And after surviving, civilisation sort of went backwards instead of continuing on from the ancestors. I watch a lot of lore videos on youtube about this game, and there are many different stories hidden in the game world which tells us different perspectives of people on the situation. Even though its humanity that is in trouble, everybody has a different view on how to tackle the problem. But this is only touching the surface, there is also the robot machines created in these giant cauldrons that is a big mystery to this day.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and will give my thanks if I receive the gift card from you. Here is my PSN ID: https://psnprofiles.com/Revelanttech713
Game link: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/horizon-forbidden-west/
2024.06.09 17:02 cats64sonic Emerging US Politics After The Revolution and Acid-Base Reactions In Solution; Dynamics of Transformation and Equilibrium
Introduction
The period following the American Revolution witnessed the emergence of a new political landscape in the United States, characterized by debates over governance, representation, and the role of the federal government. Concurrently, in the field of chemistry, scientists were beginning to unravel the complexities of acid-base reactions in solution, laying the groundwork for understanding chemical equilibrium and the behavior of substances in aqueous environments. This essay explores the parallels between the evolving politics of post-Revolutionary America and the intricate dynamics of acid-base reactions in solution, highlighting how both phenomena involve processes of transformation, equilibrium, and negotiation.
Emerging US Politics: Debates Over Governance and Representation
In the wake of the American Revolution, the fledgling United States grappled with defining its political identity and establishing a functional system of governance. Debates over issues such as federalism, states' rights, and the scope of governmental authority dominated the political landscape.
Federalism vs. States' Rights
One of the central debates in early US politics revolved around the balance of power between the federal government and the individual states. Federalists, led by figures such as Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, advocated for a strong central government with broad authority to regulate commerce, levy taxes, and maintain national defense. In contrast, Anti-Federalists, including Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, favored a more decentralized approach, emphasizing states' rights and limited federal intervention in local affairs.
Representation and the Constitution
The drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787 marked a critical turning point in the evolution of American politics. The Constitution sought to address concerns over representation, governance, and individual liberties, while also balancing competing interests among states and regions. Key compromises, such as the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate, reflected the delicate balance of power and interests at play.
Acid-Base Reactions In Solution: Equilibrium and Transformation
In the realm of chemistry, scientists were beginning to unravel the complexities of acid-base reactions in solution, a fundamental process that underlies many chemical phenomena. Acid-base reactions involve the transfer of protons (H+ ions) between substances, resulting in the formation of conjugate acid-base pairs and the establishment of chemical equilibrium.
Proton Transfer and Equilibrium
In acid-base reactions, proton transfer occurs between acidic (donating protons) and basic (accepting protons) species, leading to the formation of conjugate acid-base pairs. For example, when hydrochloric acid (HCl) reacts with water (H2O), it donates a proton to water, forming hydronium ions (H3O+) and chloride ions (Cl−). This reversible process establishes a state of equilibrium, where the rates of forward and reverse reactions are equal, and the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant over time.
Buffers and Stability
Acid-base equilibrium is essential for maintaining pH balance in biological systems and regulating environmental conditions. Buffer solutions, which consist of weak acids or bases and their conjugate salts, help to stabilize pH by resisting changes in acidity or alkalinity when small amounts of acid or base are added. For example, blood in the human body contains buffers such as bicarbonate ions (HCO3−) that help maintain physiological pH levels, ensuring the proper functioning of biological processes.
Parallels and Intersections
Despite their apparent differences, the emerging politics of post-Revolutionary America and the dynamics of acid-base reactions in solution share common themes of transformation, equilibrium, and negotiation.
Processes of Transformation
In both realms, processes of transformation are at play as systems evolve and adapt to changing conditions. In politics, the post-Revolutionary period witnessed the transition from colonial rule to democratic governance, with debates and compromises shaping the structure of the new nation. Similarly, in chemistry, acid-base reactions involve transformations of chemical species as proton transfer leads to the formation of new substances.
Establishment of Equilibrium
Equilibrium, whether political or chemical, is a fundamental concept that underlies stability and balance in dynamic systems. In politics, the establishment of equilibrium involves negotiations and compromises among competing interests, resulting in a functional system of governance. Likewise, in acid-base reactions, equilibrium is achieved when the rates of forward and reverse reactions are balanced, leading to a steady-state concentration of reactants and products.
Negotiation and Compromise
Both realms involve processes of negotiation and compromise as stakeholders seek to reconcile conflicting interests and achieve common goals. In politics, the drafting of the Constitution and the subsequent ratification process required compromise among states with divergent interests and concerns. Similarly, in acid-base reactions, the formation of buffer solutions involves compromises between weak acids and their conjugate bases to maintain pH stability.
Conclusion
The post-Revolutionary period in America and the study of acid-base reactions in solution both represent dynamic processes of transformation, equilibrium, and negotiation. In politics, the emergence of a new nation involved debates over governance, representation, and federalism, ultimately leading to the establishment of a functional system of governance. In chemistry, the study of acid-base reactions elucidates the complex dynamics of proton transfer and equilibrium, essential for understanding chemical processes and maintaining environmental and physiological balance. By recognizing the
submitted by cats64sonic to DecreasinglyVerbose [link] [comments]
The period following the American Revolution witnessed the emergence of a new political landscape in the United States, characterized by debates over governance, representation, and the role of the federal government. Concurrently, in the field of chemistry, scientists were beginning to unravel the complexities of acid-base reactions in solution, laying the groundwork for understanding chemical equilibrium and the behavior of substances in aqueous environments. This essay explores the parallels between the evolving politics of post-Revolutionary America and the intricate dynamics of acid-base reactions in solution, highlighting how both phenomena involve processes of transformation, equilibrium, and negotiation.
Emerging US Politics: Debates Over Governance and Representation
In the wake of the American Revolution, the fledgling United States grappled with defining its political identity and establishing a functional system of governance. Debates over issues such as federalism, states' rights, and the scope of governmental authority dominated the political landscape.
Federalism vs. States' Rights
One of the central debates in early US politics revolved around the balance of power between the federal government and the individual states. Federalists, led by figures such as Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, advocated for a strong central government with broad authority to regulate commerce, levy taxes, and maintain national defense. In contrast, Anti-Federalists, including Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, favored a more decentralized approach, emphasizing states' rights and limited federal intervention in local affairs.
Representation and the Constitution
The drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787 marked a critical turning point in the evolution of American politics. The Constitution sought to address concerns over representation, governance, and individual liberties, while also balancing competing interests among states and regions. Key compromises, such as the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate, reflected the delicate balance of power and interests at play.
Acid-Base Reactions In Solution: Equilibrium and Transformation
In the realm of chemistry, scientists were beginning to unravel the complexities of acid-base reactions in solution, a fundamental process that underlies many chemical phenomena. Acid-base reactions involve the transfer of protons (H+ ions) between substances, resulting in the formation of conjugate acid-base pairs and the establishment of chemical equilibrium.
Proton Transfer and Equilibrium
In acid-base reactions, proton transfer occurs between acidic (donating protons) and basic (accepting protons) species, leading to the formation of conjugate acid-base pairs. For example, when hydrochloric acid (HCl) reacts with water (H2O), it donates a proton to water, forming hydronium ions (H3O+) and chloride ions (Cl−). This reversible process establishes a state of equilibrium, where the rates of forward and reverse reactions are equal, and the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant over time.
Buffers and Stability
Acid-base equilibrium is essential for maintaining pH balance in biological systems and regulating environmental conditions. Buffer solutions, which consist of weak acids or bases and their conjugate salts, help to stabilize pH by resisting changes in acidity or alkalinity when small amounts of acid or base are added. For example, blood in the human body contains buffers such as bicarbonate ions (HCO3−) that help maintain physiological pH levels, ensuring the proper functioning of biological processes.
Parallels and Intersections
Despite their apparent differences, the emerging politics of post-Revolutionary America and the dynamics of acid-base reactions in solution share common themes of transformation, equilibrium, and negotiation.
Processes of Transformation
In both realms, processes of transformation are at play as systems evolve and adapt to changing conditions. In politics, the post-Revolutionary period witnessed the transition from colonial rule to democratic governance, with debates and compromises shaping the structure of the new nation. Similarly, in chemistry, acid-base reactions involve transformations of chemical species as proton transfer leads to the formation of new substances.
Establishment of Equilibrium
Equilibrium, whether political or chemical, is a fundamental concept that underlies stability and balance in dynamic systems. In politics, the establishment of equilibrium involves negotiations and compromises among competing interests, resulting in a functional system of governance. Likewise, in acid-base reactions, equilibrium is achieved when the rates of forward and reverse reactions are balanced, leading to a steady-state concentration of reactants and products.
Negotiation and Compromise
Both realms involve processes of negotiation and compromise as stakeholders seek to reconcile conflicting interests and achieve common goals. In politics, the drafting of the Constitution and the subsequent ratification process required compromise among states with divergent interests and concerns. Similarly, in acid-base reactions, the formation of buffer solutions involves compromises between weak acids and their conjugate bases to maintain pH stability.
Conclusion
The post-Revolutionary period in America and the study of acid-base reactions in solution both represent dynamic processes of transformation, equilibrium, and negotiation. In politics, the emergence of a new nation involved debates over governance, representation, and federalism, ultimately leading to the establishment of a functional system of governance. In chemistry, the study of acid-base reactions elucidates the complex dynamics of proton transfer and equilibrium, essential for understanding chemical processes and maintaining environmental and physiological balance. By recognizing the
2024.06.09 16:03 Litvinik01 SONY? AGAIN?!
 | I can't believe this is real. Played and enjoyed Helldivers 2 a lot. Like A LOT! And wanted my friend to enroll. But now we have this stupid SONY management again... You can play if you have the game. But they won't let you buy it in the wrong region! submitted by Litvinik01 to Helldivers [link] [comments] So the question is how to avoid this? Will it work to use VPN and redeem the key? Has there anybody faced such issues? P.S. Region: Lithuania |
2024.06.09 15:22 allthatisstupid Region A to Region B
I have a question that I've been getting conflicting information and need you fine folks to answer for me;
I have a PS5 in North America (Region A) and want to play Blu ray movies that are from Europe (Region B), will that work, or do I have to change the settings in my PS5?
And if I have to change the settings, which ones, where and how?
Thank you!
submitted by allthatisstupid to playstation5 [link] [comments]
I have a PS5 in North America (Region A) and want to play Blu ray movies that are from Europe (Region B), will that work, or do I have to change the settings in my PS5?
And if I have to change the settings, which ones, where and how?
Thank you!
2024.06.09 14:43 InvestigatorSea7579 please recommend a breed for me
Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs? It will be my first dog.
Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder? I would try to adopt if the right breed is available, if not then i don't mind going through a reputable breeder.
Describe your ideal dog. A dog that is on the smaller, because I'll be living in a small apartment, I'll be moving for my grad school.
What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why? I do not have any specific preference except the size.
What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do? Maybe some basic ones like tricks, such as stay, sit, roll over, but if there's time then something more.
Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport? No
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
I will be able to spend 4-5 hours per day. Maybe even more on the days I don't have classes (which is most days cuz it's grad school). I'm a homebody so if it's not school related, I am mostly at home and multitasking.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
I go on walks everyday (around 2.5 miles). I do yoga daily, and want to do pet yoga with my pet.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
Does not matter, will be able to handle anything.
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
I want a small dog.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Do not have a preference, okay with anything. Maybe just less drooling.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
Honestly I probably won't be leaving my dog unleashed for their own safety...
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
Definitely a more snuggly dog that will spend time with me when I'm home doing my tasks.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
Don't mind either, as long as the dog's willing to spend time and play with me!
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
I don't mind how it will react to guests, just not being aggressive and biting people.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
Honestly as a first time dog parent, i don't know if I'll be able to handle that. So preferably a more sociable dog.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
Not any that I know of.
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
On days that I have classes for 3-4 hours (2-3 days a week probably). Otherwise I'll be home.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
I'll be living alone with the dog, hopefully.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
No, this is my first pet.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
No, no kids in the family either.
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
There aren't many restrictions to be honest, but I would just prefer a smaller breed
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
I live in the North East region of the USA, there are no major laws against breeds as far as I know.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
Summer 80-90F and Winter 60-70F
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
I hope to get a breed which doesn't have much caring costs, like for example going to groomers often, or which are more prone to health issues, as I'm still a student and I live on budget
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
I'm not sure if i should go for a puppy or a little bit older dog to be honest, you can suggest your opinions to me.
submitted by InvestigatorSea7579 to dogs [link] [comments]
Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder? I would try to adopt if the right breed is available, if not then i don't mind going through a reputable breeder.
Describe your ideal dog. A dog that is on the smaller, because I'll be living in a small apartment, I'll be moving for my grad school.
What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why? I do not have any specific preference except the size.
What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do? Maybe some basic ones like tricks, such as stay, sit, roll over, but if there's time then something more.
Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport? No
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
I will be able to spend 4-5 hours per day. Maybe even more on the days I don't have classes (which is most days cuz it's grad school). I'm a homebody so if it's not school related, I am mostly at home and multitasking.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
I go on walks everyday (around 2.5 miles). I do yoga daily, and want to do pet yoga with my pet.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
Does not matter, will be able to handle anything.
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
I want a small dog.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Do not have a preference, okay with anything. Maybe just less drooling.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
Honestly I probably won't be leaving my dog unleashed for their own safety...
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
Definitely a more snuggly dog that will spend time with me when I'm home doing my tasks.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
Don't mind either, as long as the dog's willing to spend time and play with me!
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
I don't mind how it will react to guests, just not being aggressive and biting people.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
Honestly as a first time dog parent, i don't know if I'll be able to handle that. So preferably a more sociable dog.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
Not any that I know of.
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
On days that I have classes for 3-4 hours (2-3 days a week probably). Otherwise I'll be home.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
I'll be living alone with the dog, hopefully.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
No, this is my first pet.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
No, no kids in the family either.
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
There aren't many restrictions to be honest, but I would just prefer a smaller breed
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
I live in the North East region of the USA, there are no major laws against breeds as far as I know.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
Summer 80-90F and Winter 60-70F
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
I hope to get a breed which doesn't have much caring costs, like for example going to groomers often, or which are more prone to health issues, as I'm still a student and I live on budget
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
I'm not sure if i should go for a puppy or a little bit older dog to be honest, you can suggest your opinions to me.
2024.06.09 14:33 LastWeekInCollapse Last Week in Collapse: June 2-8, 2024
The heat and the pressure are on—for our planet, and for one more World War.
Last Week in Collapse: June 2-8, 2024
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter compiling some of the most important, timely, useful, soul-crushing, ironic, stunning, exhausting, or otherwise must-see/can’t-look-away moments in Collapse.
This is the 128th newsletter. You can find the May 26-June edition here if you missed it last week. You can also receive these posts (with images) every Sunday in your email inbox with Substack.
——————————
Bengaluru broke a 133-year rain record by almost 10mm last Sunday, with 111mm (4.37 inches) of rain falling in a single day. In Sri Lanka, some 24,000 people were displaced by recent flooding. A heat wave swept through the southwest United States and northern Mexico. Part of Niger already broke its June temperature record. Parts of New South Wales, Australia broke nighttime temperatures as well; so did the Philippines, and Vietnam. And a heat wave in Greece.
“Atmospheric blocking” happens when regions of the atmosphere remain stationary for days or weeks, imposing similar weather on a region for a while. A study released in Nature Communications looked at Svalbard, which is warming faster than the Arctic, which is itself warming faster than most of the rest of the planet. The researchers claim that atmospheric blocking has resulted in warmer & wetter conditions in Svalbard, which is driving its ice loss. “The augmented blocking in the Ural and Scandinavian regions in the future combined with the projected declines in sea ice, and increases in sea surface temperatures and moisture availability, will likely increase the magnitude and frequency of exceptional rainfall incidents similar to the 2016 occurrence, posing further hazards to the population and ecosystems in Svalbard.”
A paywalled study in Nature Climate Change emphasizes “in the absence of a global tipping point there is no safety margin within which permafrost loss would be acceptable.” The summary states that permafrost melt does not have a worldwide tipping point, but rather several local temperature thresholds. Permafrost worldwide is expected to be all melted once global temperature gains hit 5 or 6 °C.
We are currently in the brief neutral period between El Niño and La Niña, expected to begin around August. Meteorologists expect temperatures in the eastern Pacific to decline for between 1 and 3 years—and for stronger Atlantic hurricanes. A 14-page report from the WMO forecasts a particularly wet summer for Central America.
Monsoon storms in Sri Lanka killed 14, mostly by falling trees, though others drowned or were covered by landslides. Texas saw “canteloupe-size hail” fall during a freak tornado; some think it is a record size for the region. Experts say some 23% of Africa’s land has been degraded, by five major factors: 1) invasive species, 2) climate change, including Drought and flooding, 3) resource extraction, 4) deforestation, and 5) pollution, including algal blooms. Poverty, population growth, and resource dependencies have aggravated the problem, says the article.
In Kashmir, a glacier Collapsed, sending three plunging into the ice, one of whom has still not been found. In the Philippines, a volcanic mud landslide swept into a village; volcano alerts were raised to 2 (on a 0-5 scale). Rising sea levels are displacing residents of one of Panama’s islands (pop: ~1,200); others will follow. Greece is gearing up for a fierce wildfire season ahead. And, in a moment of hopeful news, Sweden is banning bottom trawling in its “marine protected areas.”
In the EU, early polling appears to show a “greenlash,”, a backlash to the Green Alliance—and perhaps a loss of some 30% of their 72 current seats in the EU Parliament (705 total). Some blame the “moral superiority complex” of Greens, while others believe it is their lack of compromise on important issues. Farmer protests also damaged Green sentiment; now future sweeping climate reforms will probably have to wait years to get passed, since conservatives are expected to make gains. Most results will emerge within 24 hours of this post.
Worldwide, 39% of environmental journalists have faced threats due to their reporting—according to a 112-page report by the Earth Journalism Network. Most of the threats came to reporters writing about illegal extraction operations.
Roughly 20% of sealife near the surface is expected to face a “triple threat” of climate hazards: extreme heat, oxygen loss and acidification. Some of these species will die in place; others will be forced into progressively smaller living spaces. Most of the danger lies in the northern Pacific. The full study in AGU Advances has more.
The UN Secretary-General announced that we are on the “highway to climate hell.” And we aren’t wearing any seatbelts. The EU Copernicus Programme says last May was the hottest on record. This means the last 12 months were the hottest on record, with each consecutive month setting a new monthly record. Our planet is supposedly on the edge of 1.5 °C temperature increase, but some think we’ve already surpassed it.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a 27-page report, “Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 2024-2028,” predicting short-term temperatures exceeding the 1.5 °C mark.
Mexico saw its first human case of a bird flu strain, H5N2, in a dead man supposedly with no known previous exposure to animals. Two turkey farms got outbreaks in Minnesota, and Iowa’s first dairy farm reported bird flu as well. American health authorities expect H5N1 human cases to rise in the coming weeks. Bird flu was also found in San Francisco last week. Millions of human vaccine doses for bird flu are being prepared for the United States this summer.
Citigroup says the United States is already in a recession, though other institutions disagree. Nevertheless, junk bonds are becoming even more junky, and economists agree that the economy is at least slowing down. Credit card debt is reportedly rising, and the “personal savings rate” has dropped to pre-COVID levels. “America’s debt accumulation over the last seven years is akin to the costs of a world war,” says the article. Cuts to the Federal Reserve interest rate are coming, and the rise of tariffs is unlikely to stop soon. And Europe’s strongest economy, Germany, is not seeing a strong recovery from last year’s recession.
Thousands are starving in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where Drought and school dropouts have also worsened. Investigators claim in a new report that both sides in the Tigray War committed grave war crimes and “acts of genocide” in the conflict, which ended (on paper, anyway) in November 2022; intercommunal violence continues at a lower intensity.
The American Heart Association released a report projecting the rates of heart illnesses by 2050, and they believe the rate of hypertension among adults will rise from about 51% in 2020 to 61% in 2060. Diabetes rates are expected to jump from about 16% in 2020 to almost 27% in 2050; and obesity rates will expand 17% to over 60%... A number of other heart conditions are expected to worsen as well, though at least high cholesterol rates are expected to decrease.
A 12-page report by Oil Change International says what we all know: most nations are failing to meet climate targets. “Some G7 countries are massively expanding fossil fuel production at home, while others are investing in more fossil fuel infrastructure abroad.” China is, far and away, adding more renewable energy capacity than any other nations on earth, supposedly adding “over 90% of all renewable capacity mentioned in NDCs {nationally determined contributions}” in the 2020s so far.
The U.S. FDA has unanimously recommended a new vaccine be developed to address the JN.1 COVID variant. Vaccine-manufacturers say that a new vaccine could arrive as early as mid-August. A 242-page prepublication report on the long-term dangers of Long COVID, with a view to planning future impacts on Social Security.
A number of current & former employees at OpenAI are warning of the careless pursuit of dominance of the artificial intelligence arena—and the supposed 70% chance that AI could bring about “doom” for humanity. Some of the computer scientists believe that a general intelligence (AGI) could arrive as soon as 2027—a generation earlier than previous estimates of roughly 2050. "The world isn’t ready, and we aren’t ready," said one dissenting researcher.
——————————
The intervention into Haiti is almost ready to go, but gangsters in Haiti have escalated attacks against police in advance of the Kenya-led operation, set to begin in a week or two. “The gangs are just waiting for the Kenyans, they’re just cracking their knuckles and stretching out.…It’s going to be a battle if not a bloodbath of a war, because the gangs are ready,” said one ex-diplomat. A new PM has been installed, Garry Conille, a guy who previously served as PM for 4 about months in 2011-2012. Gangs vying for power control roughly 80% of Port-Au-Prince; will they remain fragmented upon the arrival of an outside coalition, or make an alliance of convenience to oppose police intervention?
Although New Caledonia’s state of emergency has ended, over $1B of damage has been wrought by rioters opposing an expansion of voting rights. Analysts say that the Pacific island’s abundant nickel reserves—essential for France’s renewable energy push—have seen their extraction obstructed by recent events. A curfew remains in place, and social cohesion has been seriously damaged by the protests and the central government’s reactions.
President Biden issued new orders restricting the flow of migrants and asylum-seekers at the Mexico border. At the U.S./Canada border, migrant arrivals have spiked 1000%+ in the last 3 years. Days before the EU election, Portugal instituted stronger controls over immigration. On the Poland/Belarus border, a Polish soldier died, after being stabbed by a migrant from Belarus.
Georgia’s controversial foreign agents bill has been signed into law despite strong protests from the masses. Some call the law a form of Russian hybrid warfare, though Russia contends that allowing foreign media funding functions as a kind of anti-Russian hybrid warfare on its own.
South Korea suspended a military agreement with North Korea over their waste balloons sent into the South. This will result in a more militarized border, outside the DMZ, in the coming months. President Putin is also planning a visit to Pyongyang, which has been long-supplying materiel to Russia for use in Ukraine. A border clash between Chinese and Indian forces took place in their contested mountains—using only sticks and stones.
Conditions in Gaza are said to be “beyond crisis levels” for the 1M+ people who have been displaced from Rafah, as the Israeli advance continues—despite calls from the ICJ to halt the operation. “The sounds, the smells, the everyday life, are horrific and apocalyptic,” said one observer. Killings in the West Bank have now exceeded 500 since October 7, and aid deliveries have sunk 65%+ since the Rafah offensive began. A strike on a school killed 45 people sheltering there, according to Gaza officials. In the coastal settlement of al-Mawasi, where many IDPs moved after the Rafah invasion began, toilets are so scarce that over 4,000 people share a single latrine.
The battlefield is expanding; in some ways, it has always been all-encompassing, and it’s only now that the world is re-learning it. Ukraine has sent soldiers to Syria to fight Wagner Group mercenaries operating in the failed state. Ukraine had earlier intervened in Sudan to combat Russian forces operating in the country. Ukraine also struck an air defense unit inside Russia for the first time, marking another escalation in the War. Russia struck Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power plant in Dnipro, which is now in “critical condition.” Russia reportedly intends to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant at some point, though international regulators argue that it would be unsafe to turn Europe’s largest nuclear facility online while War still rages around it. Half of Ukraine’s electrical generation has been taken offline. Although weapons are reaching Ukraine’s frontlines, they are not enough to change the tide of the War—and are still outnumbered by Russian soldiers & munitions. Ukraine is also crowd-sourcing 3D-printing drone parts to support their drone fleets—a key part offuture modern warfare.
Russia also claims that French military instructors within Ukraine present a lawful military target for Russian forces—and an opportunity to start WWIII. But others believe the flashpoint may come from elsewhere—Taiwan, or the unfolding Israel/Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran conflict, which are intensifying on the Lebanon/Israel border. Russia is also taking over Niger’s uranium reserves, once held by a French corporation. And four Russian sea vessels will be visiting Cuba—but not carrying nuclear weapons.
Around Sudan’s capital, looters, checkpoints, and violence have been established. Several torture chambers have been discovered, and the smell of death hangs in the air of a few neighborhoods, contested by both sides. The number of displaced people is approaching 10M. Russia is supposedly playing both sides to its advantage. “All over Sudan, people are going hungry because they have lost everything, the economy has collapsed, and armed men frequently steal what little aid is available,” said one reporter. The insurgent RSF forces are said to not only be fighting for the future, but fighting over history as well. The National Museum has become a cemetery for RSF fighters. University archives have been burned. And ancient artifacts have been cleared out, sold to mysterious buyers, stashed away in unknown places, or simply destroyed… Other horror stories are still emerging; this article details some of the worst recent tales in the War.
One major NATO supplies provider claims that a decade of arms accumulation is coming, to replenish stockpiles given to Ukraine and in advance of a potential open War between China and whatever western nations decide to participate. China announced its intention to detain vessels moving into its alleged national waters near the Philippines—and presumably to sink those which resist. Ukraine used up six years’ worth of shoulder-fired missiles, like javelins, in just one year. The development of the F-35 will exceed $2T, although the U.S. military is planning on using it less than previously expected. NATO is also planning its rapid-transit troop corridors through Europe to the expected frontlines of a potential open War against Russia.
——————————
Select comments/threads from the subreddit last week suggest:
-It is a common refrain that the education system is a bellwether for Collapse. It is also a symbol—alongside our food system, plastic dependency, state militaries, and many other institutions—of how difficult it apparently is to change course. The institutional friction and incentives are burnt in. This detailed post on the (American) school system and the “metacrisis” and much more. Several thorough comments build on the OP’s thesis. Peek into teachers for a glimpse into our doomed future.
-People in southern California are evidently closing their eyes and ears to Collapse, if this weekly observation is to be believed. The author writes about their unfulfilled hope that humanity might turn the ship around during the COVID period, cognitive biases, the persistence of COVID denial, plastics, and the early burning sun.
-Society is closing in on a Doom-Awakening, says the comments on this post. Some disagree (see the above observation).
-Nothing works, and everything is breaking—say many terrific comments in this self-post about the lack of empathy, passion, quality products, and the atrocious job market.
Got any feedback, questions, comments, complaints, upvotes, hurricane advice, bird flu tips, cheap off-grid land, etc.? Check out the Last Week in Collapse SubStack if you don’t want to check collapse every Sunday, you can receive this newsletter sent to your (or someone else’s) email inbox every weekend. What did I forget this week?
submitted by LastWeekInCollapse to collapse [link] [comments]
Last Week in Collapse: June 2-8, 2024
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter compiling some of the most important, timely, useful, soul-crushing, ironic, stunning, exhausting, or otherwise must-see/can’t-look-away moments in Collapse.
This is the 128th newsletter. You can find the May 26-June edition here if you missed it last week. You can also receive these posts (with images) every Sunday in your email inbox with Substack.
——————————
Bengaluru broke a 133-year rain record by almost 10mm last Sunday, with 111mm (4.37 inches) of rain falling in a single day. In Sri Lanka, some 24,000 people were displaced by recent flooding. A heat wave swept through the southwest United States and northern Mexico. Part of Niger already broke its June temperature record. Parts of New South Wales, Australia broke nighttime temperatures as well; so did the Philippines, and Vietnam. And a heat wave in Greece.
“Atmospheric blocking” happens when regions of the atmosphere remain stationary for days or weeks, imposing similar weather on a region for a while. A study released in Nature Communications looked at Svalbard, which is warming faster than the Arctic, which is itself warming faster than most of the rest of the planet. The researchers claim that atmospheric blocking has resulted in warmer & wetter conditions in Svalbard, which is driving its ice loss. “The augmented blocking in the Ural and Scandinavian regions in the future combined with the projected declines in sea ice, and increases in sea surface temperatures and moisture availability, will likely increase the magnitude and frequency of exceptional rainfall incidents similar to the 2016 occurrence, posing further hazards to the population and ecosystems in Svalbard.”
A paywalled study in Nature Climate Change emphasizes “in the absence of a global tipping point there is no safety margin within which permafrost loss would be acceptable.” The summary states that permafrost melt does not have a worldwide tipping point, but rather several local temperature thresholds. Permafrost worldwide is expected to be all melted once global temperature gains hit 5 or 6 °C.
We are currently in the brief neutral period between El Niño and La Niña, expected to begin around August. Meteorologists expect temperatures in the eastern Pacific to decline for between 1 and 3 years—and for stronger Atlantic hurricanes. A 14-page report from the WMO forecasts a particularly wet summer for Central America.
Monsoon storms in Sri Lanka killed 14, mostly by falling trees, though others drowned or were covered by landslides. Texas saw “canteloupe-size hail” fall during a freak tornado; some think it is a record size for the region. Experts say some 23% of Africa’s land has been degraded, by five major factors: 1) invasive species, 2) climate change, including Drought and flooding, 3) resource extraction, 4) deforestation, and 5) pollution, including algal blooms. Poverty, population growth, and resource dependencies have aggravated the problem, says the article.
In Kashmir, a glacier Collapsed, sending three plunging into the ice, one of whom has still not been found. In the Philippines, a volcanic mud landslide swept into a village; volcano alerts were raised to 2 (on a 0-5 scale). Rising sea levels are displacing residents of one of Panama’s islands (pop: ~1,200); others will follow. Greece is gearing up for a fierce wildfire season ahead. And, in a moment of hopeful news, Sweden is banning bottom trawling in its “marine protected areas.”
In the EU, early polling appears to show a “greenlash,”, a backlash to the Green Alliance—and perhaps a loss of some 30% of their 72 current seats in the EU Parliament (705 total). Some blame the “moral superiority complex” of Greens, while others believe it is their lack of compromise on important issues. Farmer protests also damaged Green sentiment; now future sweeping climate reforms will probably have to wait years to get passed, since conservatives are expected to make gains. Most results will emerge within 24 hours of this post.
Worldwide, 39% of environmental journalists have faced threats due to their reporting—according to a 112-page report by the Earth Journalism Network. Most of the threats came to reporters writing about illegal extraction operations.
Roughly 20% of sealife near the surface is expected to face a “triple threat” of climate hazards: extreme heat, oxygen loss and acidification. Some of these species will die in place; others will be forced into progressively smaller living spaces. Most of the danger lies in the northern Pacific. The full study in AGU Advances has more.
The UN Secretary-General announced that we are on the “highway to climate hell.” And we aren’t wearing any seatbelts. The EU Copernicus Programme says last May was the hottest on record. This means the last 12 months were the hottest on record, with each consecutive month setting a new monthly record. Our planet is supposedly on the edge of 1.5 °C temperature increase, but some think we’ve already surpassed it.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a 27-page report, “Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 2024-2028,” predicting short-term temperatures exceeding the 1.5 °C mark.
“The global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2024 and 2028 is predicted to be between 1.1°C and 1.9°C higher than the average over the years 1850-1900. It is likely (80% chance) that global mean near-surface temperature will exceed 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average levels for at least one year between 2024 and 2028. It is about as likely as not (47%) that the five-year mean will exceed this threshold….Arctic warming over the next five extended winters (November to March), relative to the average of the 1991-2020 period, is predicted to be more than three times as large as the warming in global mean temperature. Predicted precipitation patterns for 2024, relative to the 1991-2020 average, suggest an increased chance of low rainfall over North-East Brazil and an increased chance of wet conditions in the African Sahel, consistent with the warmer-than-usual temperatures in the North Atlantic….The Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy released its 2024 Environmental Policy Index, and the 204 pages illustrate the state of sustainability in 180 countries, according to 58 indicators. The document, full of useful graphics and accessible summaries, presents a world in escalating danger of global heating, pollution, and biodiversity loss. It is well worth skimming. These kinds of climate reports usually seem to me like, overall, much more time was spent making them than people spend reading them…
“Only five countries — Estonia, Finland, Greece, Timor-Leste, and the United Kingdom — cut their GHG emissions at the rate needed to reach zero by 2050….After climate change, biodiversity loss has emerged as the most serious and irreversible environmental crisis….As of 2022, aggregated GHG emissions were falling in 60 countries but still rising in 128…. Human activities, namely the combustion of fossil fuels, of which CO2 is an inevitable byproduct, have caused a nearly 50 percent of the increase in CO2 levels in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution, with atmospheric concentration surpassing 426 parts per million in April 2024 — a level higher than at any point in human history….China, the United States, and India are pivotal, accounting for over half of global GHG emissions…China used more cement in two years (2020 and 2021) than the United States did in the entire twentieth century….Air pollution remains the most serious environmental threat to public health. Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) caused 7.8 million premature deaths in 2021, close to 12 percent of global deaths…” -selections from the first third of the report——————————
Mexico saw its first human case of a bird flu strain, H5N2, in a dead man supposedly with no known previous exposure to animals. Two turkey farms got outbreaks in Minnesota, and Iowa’s first dairy farm reported bird flu as well. American health authorities expect H5N1 human cases to rise in the coming weeks. Bird flu was also found in San Francisco last week. Millions of human vaccine doses for bird flu are being prepared for the United States this summer.
Citigroup says the United States is already in a recession, though other institutions disagree. Nevertheless, junk bonds are becoming even more junky, and economists agree that the economy is at least slowing down. Credit card debt is reportedly rising, and the “personal savings rate” has dropped to pre-COVID levels. “America’s debt accumulation over the last seven years is akin to the costs of a world war,” says the article. Cuts to the Federal Reserve interest rate are coming, and the rise of tariffs is unlikely to stop soon. And Europe’s strongest economy, Germany, is not seeing a strong recovery from last year’s recession.
Thousands are starving in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where Drought and school dropouts have also worsened. Investigators claim in a new report that both sides in the Tigray War committed grave war crimes and “acts of genocide” in the conflict, which ended (on paper, anyway) in November 2022; intercommunal violence continues at a lower intensity.
The American Heart Association released a report projecting the rates of heart illnesses by 2050, and they believe the rate of hypertension among adults will rise from about 51% in 2020 to 61% in 2060. Diabetes rates are expected to jump from about 16% in 2020 to almost 27% in 2050; and obesity rates will expand 17% to over 60%... A number of other heart conditions are expected to worsen as well, though at least high cholesterol rates are expected to decrease.
A 12-page report by Oil Change International says what we all know: most nations are failing to meet climate targets. “Some G7 countries are massively expanding fossil fuel production at home, while others are investing in more fossil fuel infrastructure abroad.” China is, far and away, adding more renewable energy capacity than any other nations on earth, supposedly adding “over 90% of all renewable capacity mentioned in NDCs {nationally determined contributions}” in the 2020s so far.
The U.S. FDA has unanimously recommended a new vaccine be developed to address the JN.1 COVID variant. Vaccine-manufacturers say that a new vaccine could arrive as early as mid-August. A 242-page prepublication report on the long-term dangers of Long COVID, with a view to planning future impacts on Social Security.
“Even individuals with a mild initial course of illness can develop Long COVID with severe health effects….Women are twice as likely as men to experience Long COVID….Long COVID can cause more than 200 symptoms and affects each person differently….There currently is no curative treatment for Long COVID itself. Management of the condition is based on current knowledge about treating the associated health effects and other sequelae….Long COVID symptoms generally improve over time, although preliminary studies suggest that recover can plateau 6-12 months after acute infection. Studies have shown that only 18-22 percent of those who have persistent symptoms at 5-6 months following infection have fully recovered by 1 year. Among those who do not improve, most remain stable, but some worsen.” -selections from the study summaryGermany reported African swine flu in some pigs in the northeast. Monkeypox cases remain in the United States, and at higher rates than last year, despite waning media coverage. And four strains of dengue fever, yes four, are still sweeping through Brazil with no end in sight.
A number of current & former employees at OpenAI are warning of the careless pursuit of dominance of the artificial intelligence arena—and the supposed 70% chance that AI could bring about “doom” for humanity. Some of the computer scientists believe that a general intelligence (AGI) could arrive as soon as 2027—a generation earlier than previous estimates of roughly 2050. "The world isn’t ready, and we aren’t ready," said one dissenting researcher.
——————————
The intervention into Haiti is almost ready to go, but gangsters in Haiti have escalated attacks against police in advance of the Kenya-led operation, set to begin in a week or two. “The gangs are just waiting for the Kenyans, they’re just cracking their knuckles and stretching out.…It’s going to be a battle if not a bloodbath of a war, because the gangs are ready,” said one ex-diplomat. A new PM has been installed, Garry Conille, a guy who previously served as PM for 4 about months in 2011-2012. Gangs vying for power control roughly 80% of Port-Au-Prince; will they remain fragmented upon the arrival of an outside coalition, or make an alliance of convenience to oppose police intervention?
Although New Caledonia’s state of emergency has ended, over $1B of damage has been wrought by rioters opposing an expansion of voting rights. Analysts say that the Pacific island’s abundant nickel reserves—essential for France’s renewable energy push—have seen their extraction obstructed by recent events. A curfew remains in place, and social cohesion has been seriously damaged by the protests and the central government’s reactions.
President Biden issued new orders restricting the flow of migrants and asylum-seekers at the Mexico border. At the U.S./Canada border, migrant arrivals have spiked 1000%+ in the last 3 years. Days before the EU election, Portugal instituted stronger controls over immigration. On the Poland/Belarus border, a Polish soldier died, after being stabbed by a migrant from Belarus.
Georgia’s controversial foreign agents bill has been signed into law despite strong protests from the masses. Some call the law a form of Russian hybrid warfare, though Russia contends that allowing foreign media funding functions as a kind of anti-Russian hybrid warfare on its own.
South Korea suspended a military agreement with North Korea over their waste balloons sent into the South. This will result in a more militarized border, outside the DMZ, in the coming months. President Putin is also planning a visit to Pyongyang, which has been long-supplying materiel to Russia for use in Ukraine. A border clash between Chinese and Indian forces took place in their contested mountains—using only sticks and stones.
Conditions in Gaza are said to be “beyond crisis levels” for the 1M+ people who have been displaced from Rafah, as the Israeli advance continues—despite calls from the ICJ to halt the operation. “The sounds, the smells, the everyday life, are horrific and apocalyptic,” said one observer. Killings in the West Bank have now exceeded 500 since October 7, and aid deliveries have sunk 65%+ since the Rafah offensive began. A strike on a school killed 45 people sheltering there, according to Gaza officials. In the coastal settlement of al-Mawasi, where many IDPs moved after the Rafah invasion began, toilets are so scarce that over 4,000 people share a single latrine.
The battlefield is expanding; in some ways, it has always been all-encompassing, and it’s only now that the world is re-learning it. Ukraine has sent soldiers to Syria to fight Wagner Group mercenaries operating in the failed state. Ukraine had earlier intervened in Sudan to combat Russian forces operating in the country. Ukraine also struck an air defense unit inside Russia for the first time, marking another escalation in the War. Russia struck Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power plant in Dnipro, which is now in “critical condition.” Russia reportedly intends to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant at some point, though international regulators argue that it would be unsafe to turn Europe’s largest nuclear facility online while War still rages around it. Half of Ukraine’s electrical generation has been taken offline. Although weapons are reaching Ukraine’s frontlines, they are not enough to change the tide of the War—and are still outnumbered by Russian soldiers & munitions. Ukraine is also crowd-sourcing 3D-printing drone parts to support their drone fleets—a key part of
Russia also claims that French military instructors within Ukraine present a lawful military target for Russian forces—and an opportunity to start WWIII. But others believe the flashpoint may come from elsewhere—Taiwan, or the unfolding Israel/Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran conflict, which are intensifying on the Lebanon/Israel border. Russia is also taking over Niger’s uranium reserves, once held by a French corporation. And four Russian sea vessels will be visiting Cuba—but not carrying nuclear weapons.
Around Sudan’s capital, looters, checkpoints, and violence have been established. Several torture chambers have been discovered, and the smell of death hangs in the air of a few neighborhoods, contested by both sides. The number of displaced people is approaching 10M. Russia is supposedly playing both sides to its advantage. “All over Sudan, people are going hungry because they have lost everything, the economy has collapsed, and armed men frequently steal what little aid is available,” said one reporter. The insurgent RSF forces are said to not only be fighting for the future, but fighting over history as well. The National Museum has become a cemetery for RSF fighters. University archives have been burned. And ancient artifacts have been cleared out, sold to mysterious buyers, stashed away in unknown places, or simply destroyed… Other horror stories are still emerging; this article details some of the worst recent tales in the War.
One major NATO supplies provider claims that a decade of arms accumulation is coming, to replenish stockpiles given to Ukraine and in advance of a potential open War between China and whatever western nations decide to participate. China announced its intention to detain vessels moving into its alleged national waters near the Philippines—and presumably to sink those which resist. Ukraine used up six years’ worth of shoulder-fired missiles, like javelins, in just one year. The development of the F-35 will exceed $2T, although the U.S. military is planning on using it less than previously expected. NATO is also planning its rapid-transit troop corridors through Europe to the expected frontlines of a potential open War against Russia.
——————————
Select comments/threads from the subreddit last week suggest:
-It is a common refrain that the education system is a bellwether for Collapse. It is also a symbol—alongside our food system, plastic dependency, state militaries, and many other institutions—of how difficult it apparently is to change course. The institutional friction and incentives are burnt in. This detailed post on the (American) school system and the “metacrisis” and much more. Several thorough comments build on the OP’s thesis. Peek into teachers for a glimpse into our doomed future.
-People in southern California are evidently closing their eyes and ears to Collapse, if this weekly observation is to be believed. The author writes about their unfulfilled hope that humanity might turn the ship around during the COVID period, cognitive biases, the persistence of COVID denial, plastics, and the early burning sun.
-Society is closing in on a Doom-Awakening, says the comments on this post. Some disagree (see the above observation).
-Nothing works, and everything is breaking—say many terrific comments in this self-post about the lack of empathy, passion, quality products, and the atrocious job market.
Got any feedback, questions, comments, complaints, upvotes, hurricane advice, bird flu tips, cheap off-grid land, etc.? Check out the Last Week in Collapse SubStack if you don’t want to check collapse every Sunday, you can receive this newsletter sent to your (or someone else’s) email inbox every weekend. What did I forget this week?
2024.06.09 13:53 Mzonnik Remaking TROS and its lore to keep the sequels consistent (cos why not) - Idea combining elements of Trevorrow's script and Dark Empire comics.
So Sidious returning in IX wasn't even my biggest issue actually. In fact, it always seemed right for him to remain the final villan, rather than replacing him with an entirely new character for the remaining films (but that's just me). The problem was JJ being JJ. He completely ignored TLJ, abandoned his own original premise for Kylo's arc, turning Snoke into a Joke (yes, TROS did it, not VIII) and ended up with a rushed, most senseless script in the entire franchise. Hence I've been thinking about a far better way to handle the story as left off by Rian Johnson, not butcher Snoke, keep Palpatine's return and wrap up the sequels in a cohesive, sensible way.
The first thing is, IF Palpatine is to return, it shouldn't be shoehorned into the trilogy but be its own subsequent movie instead. Now, I know, I know, they wanted it to be 3 films like the OT and PT, but what I'd propose is simply separating the film that finishes the sequel trilogy itself AND the grand finale of the entire "expanded saga" (for me the basis will always be Lucas' 6 movies). The latter would instead serve as a standalone Episode X. As far as I remember, George Lucas had a simmilar idea at one point early on when he still considered making the sequels. Besides, it would have meant more $$$ for the Mouse.
So here are my key points:
● Episode IX - The last episode of the sequel trilogy that properly completes the threads from The Last Jedi. This film should finish the story of the Skywalker family, in this case meaning Kylo and Leia. It should of course also conclude the wider conflict in the Galaxy. At least the one started in Force Awakens.
My proposal would be to base it on the pre-existing Colin Trevorrow's script. It did have some problems, but overall with a few tweaks it would have been the best eposode of the 3. Key changes:
With Kylo and the knights of Ren being dealt with, Palpatine's return can be properly fleshed out in the movie's run time. The plot starts about 5 years after the sequel trilogy and its first act can resemble the issue 1 of Dark Empire. The remaining First Order cells begin to unite under a misterious leader and start pushing back the Galactic Federation (there cannot be a New New Republic) with the help of a massive dark fleet from the unknown region. Meanwhile, Rey has learned to see through the Force (she's blind for good mind you) but she hasn't heard from Luke's ghost for a while now. In pursuit of the identity of her parents she is ultimately led to Exegol, not an ancient Sith world, but instead a pure nexus of the Dark Sie. A violent world covered by storms saturated with reddish colours. As in TROS Palpatine's revealed to be hiding there in an old clone body. And this is where she dircovers how Snoke, Kylo Ren and herself all play into this.
My idea would be that Snoke was a dark side abomination created by Darth Plagueis long before he took in Palpatine. He observed the events of the PT and the OT in hiding, using Palpatine's fall at Endor as the right moment to take over. But he knew that Sidious couldn't have died so easily and would eventually return. That's why he turned Ben Solo to his side. He needed a Skywalker to help him wipe out the Sith once and for all before getting rid of him as well. But Kylo killed Snoke in TLJ and Rey killed Kylo in the next film. She eliminated the last Skywalker according to Palpatine's plan, paving the way for his own resurgence. He would never repeat the mistake of turning a Skywalker to his side. But Rey is his own creation. Just like in TROS, she is a daughter of a failed clone and the only suitable vessel for Palpatine. Snoke discovered the link between her father and Palpatine, thus he had him killed (which now makes sense, unlike in Trevorrow's script). Tbh at this point the story can end like JJ's movie. The Federation fleet arrives at Exegol, Palpatine wipes them out with a massive force storm, Rey turns the storm against him with the aid of Anakin and Luke's ghosts and escapes with Poe and Finn on the Falcon while the Planet is wiped out. As Luke does at the end of Dark Empire 1, she concludes that the Galaxy will always need Jedi protecyors and starts rebuilding the order. The End
It could have all made sense, just not in a single, rushed and senseless pile of scenes that JJ's film is.
I know it was a long text that doesn't deal with anything other than my own thoughts, but what do you think about it?
submitted by Mzonnik to MawInstallation [link] [comments]
The first thing is, IF Palpatine is to return, it shouldn't be shoehorned into the trilogy but be its own subsequent movie instead. Now, I know, I know, they wanted it to be 3 films like the OT and PT, but what I'd propose is simply separating the film that finishes the sequel trilogy itself AND the grand finale of the entire "expanded saga" (for me the basis will always be Lucas' 6 movies). The latter would instead serve as a standalone Episode X. As far as I remember, George Lucas had a simmilar idea at one point early on when he still considered making the sequels. Besides, it would have meant more $$$ for the Mouse.
So here are my key points:
● Episode IX - The last episode of the sequel trilogy that properly completes the threads from The Last Jedi. This film should finish the story of the Skywalker family, in this case meaning Kylo and Leia. It should of course also conclude the wider conflict in the Galaxy. At least the one started in Force Awakens.
My proposal would be to base it on the pre-existing Colin Trevorrow's script. It did have some problems, but overall with a few tweaks it would have been the best eposode of the 3. Key changes:
- Kylo doesn't have internal conflict any more, he is fully devoded to the dark side and he does surpass Vader (so in that cave vision the script features he should beat his grandfather). As I've said, Driver has revealed that was the idea, Kylo's journey was supposed to be a mirror reflection of Vader’s. That means he doesn't get to be redeemed in the end, it just doesn’t make sense. Rey and the Force ghosts try to save him one last time on Mortis, just like in the script, but he already made his choice (a recap of him killing Han wpuld be useful). So Rey does kill him with the help of the ghosts and Leia dies on Coruscant at that same moment, like she does in the actual IX, and her wounds (including burned eyes) aren't healed by Kylo;
- No Gray Jedi lore breaking the franchise;
- The ending is more open-ended than in Trevorrow's script. Rey does not restart the Jedi yet, she still isn't sure if the order should even be continued. Instead, she leaves in pursuit of her own true identity and the answers as to why Snoke ordered Kylo to kill her parents (he mentiones that in the script) while the new Galactic government still struggles with First Order remnants. That's how the trilogy ends.
With Kylo and the knights of Ren being dealt with, Palpatine's return can be properly fleshed out in the movie's run time. The plot starts about 5 years after the sequel trilogy and its first act can resemble the issue 1 of Dark Empire. The remaining First Order cells begin to unite under a misterious leader and start pushing back the Galactic Federation (there cannot be a New New Republic) with the help of a massive dark fleet from the unknown region. Meanwhile, Rey has learned to see through the Force (she's blind for good mind you) but she hasn't heard from Luke's ghost for a while now. In pursuit of the identity of her parents she is ultimately led to Exegol, not an ancient Sith world, but instead a pure nexus of the Dark Sie. A violent world covered by storms saturated with reddish colours. As in TROS Palpatine's revealed to be hiding there in an old clone body. And this is where she dircovers how Snoke, Kylo Ren and herself all play into this.
My idea would be that Snoke was a dark side abomination created by Darth Plagueis long before he took in Palpatine. He observed the events of the PT and the OT in hiding, using Palpatine's fall at Endor as the right moment to take over. But he knew that Sidious couldn't have died so easily and would eventually return. That's why he turned Ben Solo to his side. He needed a Skywalker to help him wipe out the Sith once and for all before getting rid of him as well. But Kylo killed Snoke in TLJ and Rey killed Kylo in the next film. She eliminated the last Skywalker according to Palpatine's plan, paving the way for his own resurgence. He would never repeat the mistake of turning a Skywalker to his side. But Rey is his own creation. Just like in TROS, she is a daughter of a failed clone and the only suitable vessel for Palpatine. Snoke discovered the link between her father and Palpatine, thus he had him killed (which now makes sense, unlike in Trevorrow's script). Tbh at this point the story can end like JJ's movie. The Federation fleet arrives at Exegol, Palpatine wipes them out with a massive force storm, Rey turns the storm against him with the aid of Anakin and Luke's ghosts and escapes with Poe and Finn on the Falcon while the Planet is wiped out. As Luke does at the end of Dark Empire 1, she concludes that the Galaxy will always need Jedi protecyors and starts rebuilding the order. The End
It could have all made sense, just not in a single, rushed and senseless pile of scenes that JJ's film is.
I know it was a long text that doesn't deal with anything other than my own thoughts, but what do you think about it?
2024.06.09 12:58 NoCharacterLmt Context on Olympias' Snake/Dionysus Connection
This is going to discuss an aspect of the most recent episode of HH so if you haven't listened yet and don't want anything spoiled don't read on.
I too have a podcast (a side project that I do in my spare time, very small still but take pride in the quality of info I share) and I'm currently doing research on my next topic which is all centered around some Greek mythology. And it's brought me down several rabbit holes written by well respected academics on the meaning of snakes and Dionysus in the ancient Greek world that most people tend not to understand.
Naturally when Dan Carlin touched on this I was excited. He hedged his bets by saying how creepy it would be to have been married to a woman who was into snakes but that he understands not to impose his modern values to these ancient times. He describes multiple times throughout the episode where the snake and Dionysus were key to both Alexander's mother and Alexander. As usual he picked some great quotes especially around the conception of Alexander and Philip spying on her with a snake. The artwork for the episode even captures this moment. This is also the moment where he beautifully explains how this lore is what makes ancient history so fascinating.
The serpent has deep connections in pre-classical Greek near east religions. Dan will likely discuss this in his upcoming episodes on Alexander but Alexander changed the entire makeup of the world during his reign. The 4th century BC was incredibly disruptive due to Alexander's conquests but the entire region had been in a state of flux arguably since the fall of Assyria and the rise of the Median Empire in the 7th century BC. The Assyrians followed by the Medians and Persians did all of ground work in creating a centralized empire for Alexander to conquer. Through these disruptive centuries Egypt, Lydia, Babylon, and others were subsumed into an increasingly growing block of power whose keys would be handed over to anyone who could defeat the leader. The Medes took the keys from the Assyrians, the Persians took the keys from the Medes, and Alexander took the keys of this power bloc from the Persians before it was divvied up among his generals and once again becoming more regional. I bring all of this up because this changed beliefs in worship a lot! A lot of old ideas disappeared forever during this disruptive time.
One of the beliefs that was almost lost was the concept of the Earth Mother as THE most powerful god. Yes, she does have her role in Greek mythology as a vindictive wife and mother who just wants all of her children to live freely in revised Greek mythology but there is still a lot of evidence uncovered that this was the primary deity to worship all around the region going back into the mists of time. The Earth mother was often symbolized by a serpent and this symbolism was fairly ubiquitous before the age of Alexander. Aspects of her are embedded across all the Greek female deities but particularly Demeter, Persephone, and Artemis, all of whom have rituals and worship related the Earth. Demeter's Eleusinian mysteries were the most practiced mysteries in the ancient world. Another set of rituals known as Thesmophoria had sacred pits of snakes being fed pig parts relating to the story of Persephone's disappearance into the underworld. Artemis' Temple was actually larger than Apollo's. The destruction of her temple seems to coincide with a rewriting of religion with masculine sky deities in power over feminine Earth ones. There is even good reason to believe the early tragedian greats helped cement this new mindset in the public eye and to move away from feminine cthonic worship.
The snake was the most potent symbol of feminine Earth power. It likely has origins in its connection with the ocean and chaos symbolized by the leviathan but ultimately coming to represent cthonic worship and oracular foresight. It is no coincidence that Apollo had to tame Python, a serpent, in order to gain power over the oracular visions, something even the post-Alexander world recognized was first in the hands of Gaea. The Oracle at Delphi was always female as well. Similarly Zeus only comes into power by the help of a series of female deities including Gaea, Rhea, Metis, and Themis. There are also many connections to Greek goddesses of the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele.
Dionysus has connections as well because like Persephone he travels to the underworld and returns (in one version of his stories he is shredded by the titans and resurrected thanks to Athena). Dionysus' cult even had enough power to move into and control Delphi for part of the year where Dionysus' tomb was to be found within Apollo's temple on Delphi. This tomb symbolized the Megara, or sacred underground pit, that are found all throughout the region including inside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. It was always in these types of places that oracles practiced and the most sacred rituals performed. While this transformation didn't fully allow for the old feminine Earth worship Dionysus played a key role in helping move towards the newer traditions and may be why he even takes on a feminine form at times.
What this all may have to do with Olympias is that Plutarch may have been associating her with the dangers of feminine power or the old ways of cthonic worship that were changing around this time. Dan did a good job of associating these older beliefs with modern ideas of witches or druids who practice forms of earth worship. These beliefs are often looked down at as primitive compared to the Abrahamic sky god the is more popular today.
I have a lot more to say on all of this but like I said I'm doing a whole series related to this but thought this would all be fun context to share in light of the episode.
submitted by NoCharacterLmt to dancarlin [link] [comments]
I too have a podcast (a side project that I do in my spare time, very small still but take pride in the quality of info I share) and I'm currently doing research on my next topic which is all centered around some Greek mythology. And it's brought me down several rabbit holes written by well respected academics on the meaning of snakes and Dionysus in the ancient Greek world that most people tend not to understand.
Naturally when Dan Carlin touched on this I was excited. He hedged his bets by saying how creepy it would be to have been married to a woman who was into snakes but that he understands not to impose his modern values to these ancient times. He describes multiple times throughout the episode where the snake and Dionysus were key to both Alexander's mother and Alexander. As usual he picked some great quotes especially around the conception of Alexander and Philip spying on her with a snake. The artwork for the episode even captures this moment. This is also the moment where he beautifully explains how this lore is what makes ancient history so fascinating.
The serpent has deep connections in pre-classical Greek near east religions. Dan will likely discuss this in his upcoming episodes on Alexander but Alexander changed the entire makeup of the world during his reign. The 4th century BC was incredibly disruptive due to Alexander's conquests but the entire region had been in a state of flux arguably since the fall of Assyria and the rise of the Median Empire in the 7th century BC. The Assyrians followed by the Medians and Persians did all of ground work in creating a centralized empire for Alexander to conquer. Through these disruptive centuries Egypt, Lydia, Babylon, and others were subsumed into an increasingly growing block of power whose keys would be handed over to anyone who could defeat the leader. The Medes took the keys from the Assyrians, the Persians took the keys from the Medes, and Alexander took the keys of this power bloc from the Persians before it was divvied up among his generals and once again becoming more regional. I bring all of this up because this changed beliefs in worship a lot! A lot of old ideas disappeared forever during this disruptive time.
One of the beliefs that was almost lost was the concept of the Earth Mother as THE most powerful god. Yes, she does have her role in Greek mythology as a vindictive wife and mother who just wants all of her children to live freely in revised Greek mythology but there is still a lot of evidence uncovered that this was the primary deity to worship all around the region going back into the mists of time. The Earth mother was often symbolized by a serpent and this symbolism was fairly ubiquitous before the age of Alexander. Aspects of her are embedded across all the Greek female deities but particularly Demeter, Persephone, and Artemis, all of whom have rituals and worship related the Earth. Demeter's Eleusinian mysteries were the most practiced mysteries in the ancient world. Another set of rituals known as Thesmophoria had sacred pits of snakes being fed pig parts relating to the story of Persephone's disappearance into the underworld. Artemis' Temple was actually larger than Apollo's. The destruction of her temple seems to coincide with a rewriting of religion with masculine sky deities in power over feminine Earth ones. There is even good reason to believe the early tragedian greats helped cement this new mindset in the public eye and to move away from feminine cthonic worship.
The snake was the most potent symbol of feminine Earth power. It likely has origins in its connection with the ocean and chaos symbolized by the leviathan but ultimately coming to represent cthonic worship and oracular foresight. It is no coincidence that Apollo had to tame Python, a serpent, in order to gain power over the oracular visions, something even the post-Alexander world recognized was first in the hands of Gaea. The Oracle at Delphi was always female as well. Similarly Zeus only comes into power by the help of a series of female deities including Gaea, Rhea, Metis, and Themis. There are also many connections to Greek goddesses of the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele.
Dionysus has connections as well because like Persephone he travels to the underworld and returns (in one version of his stories he is shredded by the titans and resurrected thanks to Athena). Dionysus' cult even had enough power to move into and control Delphi for part of the year where Dionysus' tomb was to be found within Apollo's temple on Delphi. This tomb symbolized the Megara, or sacred underground pit, that are found all throughout the region including inside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. It was always in these types of places that oracles practiced and the most sacred rituals performed. While this transformation didn't fully allow for the old feminine Earth worship Dionysus played a key role in helping move towards the newer traditions and may be why he even takes on a feminine form at times.
What this all may have to do with Olympias is that Plutarch may have been associating her with the dangers of feminine power or the old ways of cthonic worship that were changing around this time. Dan did a good job of associating these older beliefs with modern ideas of witches or druids who practice forms of earth worship. These beliefs are often looked down at as primitive compared to the Abrahamic sky god the is more popular today.
I have a lot more to say on all of this but like I said I'm doing a whole series related to this but thought this would all be fun context to share in light of the episode.
2024.06.09 12:39 KokoHekumatiaru Beginners guide to Soulmask, with no BS.
Hello there. If you are like me, you might also be a bit allergic to all the guides out there, that start with "please hit like and subscribe", followed by 10 minutes of chatter around what you need help with, for something that could`ve taken 30 seconds to explain.
With that out of the way, welcome to my No-BullS#$t guide to Soulmask, outlining everything I`ve learned in 80 hours playing on a server rented from G-Portal.
I am going to assume that everyone is somewhat accustomed to the bare basics of the game and how it plays so I will stick to only highlighting things that I learned myself.
-The Claw tribe has the best overall fighters for every weapon school
-The Fang tribe specializes in Remedies, healing and Poisons (Alchemy) so they make for great Alchemists overall, but do very well in relation to ranged combat so make for decent companions, if you prefer having a ranged helper along, they are good for this.
-The Flint tribe are supposedly the clever ones who are all about evolving and furthering their tribe's development so naturally, they make for great crafters.
-The outcasts don`t belong to any tribes and their stats as such are completely random. You can find great ones of course but expect a lower chance of finding what you need, compared to if you were chasing the more specialized tribes.
-Source: Personal experience after deterring roughly 800 Barbarians and while I know the pool isn`t very big, but it is high enough for me to be positive that the level of a deterred barb does not affect their max proficiency level, only what it starts at.
-Labourers are great at the collection of materials: Logging, Mining, Harvesting
-Craftsmen: Any crafting, completely random which ones they are given. Also supposed to unlock various tribes medium/advanced clothing and costumes if they are found in a fortress(Only 3 fortresses at the minute.) Potentially bugged right now though as I`ve deterred 50+ Craftsmen of varying levels from Novice to Master Craftsmen in a Flint fortress with 0 unlocks as of yet).
-Porters: Good at working the Kiln and or Furnace but they are also Great at transporting large quantities of items over longer distances as their weight limits are different and they have positive traits that affect how having more weight makes them move faster etc. (Unlocks the first tribe clothing too. Level 20-25 area barracks)
That`s it for now, if there`s anything else you want to know, just ask in the comments and I will add it to the guide too. But these are some of the things I see being asked the most, so instead of commenting in each post and repeating myself, I will update this one with new info.
-You can have 7 different buffs active at any one time. 3 Meals, 2 Drinks, 1 Medical and 1 "unhealthy" one in the Cigar. Types of buffs: Staple Food, Recreational, Beverage, Vegetable/Fruit, Meat, Medical Potion and finally a Cigar.
Thank you u/fatheals & u/tadian for the info.
-Having multiple Armor sets with different mods on them will be a benefit, even though it is grindy. Having one with Heat, Cold, Poison and Radiation protection will be the difference between surviving or dyeing.
-Repairing a Weapon or Armor WILL remove the MOD that is on them, so keep this in mind. Repair first, then put on the mod of choice.
-IMPORTANT: You can in fact have EVERY single mod that fits in each respective category on a single piece of Armor, this includes but is not limited to every resistance for example: Poisonproof, chill proof, heat proof and so on.
-One good example of when it helped me was in my first Ancient Ruin Dungeon/Holy Ruin where I encountered an enemy type that took essentially 0 damage until I threw a Corrosion bomb on them so use it and you will find that while doing the classic Unga Bunga works, sometimes. Having a bit more tact does come in handy.
-The higher tiered ones can be acquired by deterring craftsmen from Fortresses, albeit. I have yet to unlock a single one, even after numerous deters and full tames, so this might be something that the devs will need to look into, so if you`ve been chasing it as well, know that you are not alone friend.
-Right-side options are all active besides Spawning monsters and barbarians whilst a player is inside a barrack. PVP, Friendly fire, Cross-Server and applying output multipliers to the special items.
-General: Barb Taming speed 2.5, Proportion of Daytime 0.8, Tribe recruitment limit 100, Mood increase 1.5, Mood Reduction 0.5, Personal animal Quantity 20. The chest drop level is special in that we tested this out, but changing it will bug certain chests, keeping them from respawning loot over time so we left it at 0.
-EXP & Growth: Awareness, character and mask is 3. Proficiency, Collection, Craft, Monster-Kill and Other Exp multipliers are all 2.5, Kill EXP sharing 1. Max awareness 60.
-Output & Drops are all set to 1.5, Crop growth, Crafting Speed. Chest Drop multiplier, Animal growth and hatching speed are all 2.
-Building: I turned off Building Decay because we hate that mechanic, but if I notice people stop playing I`ll turn it on to clear up the map.
-Refresh: Vegetation Respawn Speed 1
-Combat: Dmg against wildlife 1.3, Dmg from wildlife 0.7, Wildlife quality 2, not touched PVP.
-Consumption: Durability 0.5, Repair reduces the durability 0.2, I don`t want people to craft a single set of items and just endlessly repair it with 0 drawbacks so this is a decent median and whilst I can appreciate some enjoy having 0 durabilities, it adds a little extra and will keep you from just staying out and makes you have to prepare a little before bigger outings which I like. At the end of the day, tweak it as you see fit.
-Invasions: Has seemed fine so far, just remember that there are barriers in the game for a reason, albeit not that needed in lower-level zones.
-Mangrove is next which is across the water to the south-west of the Western Rainforest which introduces a lot more "aquatic life" and makes for pretty rough base locations, so it is not really recommended as a spot of operations, but there are some tablets to pick up here though for those adventurous enough.
-Next, we`ll continue heading west into the three zones that all have monsters and Barbarians of varying levels from 21-30+ in the Rocky Bottomland, The Wild and finally Pit Hill. These three places make for decent locations if you are looking to build either a second base and or maybe just an outpost?.
-From here we head North and into the Table Mountains where the level range is 30 - 40, however further to our west is a median zone and one of my recommended locations for your second base if you are 35 and closing in on 40 as the weather is very temperamental and it gets pretty chilly, so you`ll want to have access to the Air Heater(Awareness 40) but you WILL make due if you have level 2 Cold mod on the clothing for your tribesmen to stave of the cold. The zone in question is called the Lakeside Forest(26-35) and west of that is also the Jungle Cave which is a poisonous hellscape with Poison dart frogs, scorpions and other creepy crawlies but also the best place for Iron Ore. The Lakeside Fores also houses the Flint Tribe Fortress, where the levels go up to 50+, so not recommended to go in if you`re lowleveled here as they will turn you into a pincushion very quickly but it`s an excellent place to gather good crafters and labourers later in the game.
-North of the Table Mountain is the Plateau Woodland, sharing a level range of 31-40, I have not explored it a lot but it seems like a rather boring locale for a base, but it holds a dungeon where you need Awareness 40 to enter, so it`s worth exploring once you hit that threshold, just make sure you come WELL prepared.
-We continue our adventure north into the Giant Wood Forest and Great Prairie and honestly, I am considering making a base on the Prairie as it`s beautiful and full of life but some of the enemies here are terrifying, so I won't go there unless I have the resources to make barriers around the entire base first.
-We are now going into the last of the northern regions and reaching the initial level cap of 50 in the Southern Wasteland where we are now dealing with enemies in the 41-50 bracket, sometimes even above. Don`t consider this a base location unless you are ready to deal with the radiation but it`s a cool locale with very varied flora and fauna. You will also find the Fang tribe has it`s Fortress in this area, so it`s definitely worth the adventure.
-Now you are more or less getting towards the end of your journey but if you look at the map, there`s a lot of fog west of the desert as well as the far south of the Jungle Cave and The Wild where we went earlier in our adventure. First is the Volcanic Forest 41-50, which is due southwest of the Wild, followed by the Barren Meadow 41-50+ just South of the Jungle Cave and finally the Scorching Volcano in the bottom left of the map with a whooping 46-55 level range and let me tell you. Unless you have Heat protection here, you will die in seconds the closer you get to the Volcano and you can in fact get inside the volcano as it has an expansive underground system to explore.
-The last zone is the Dark Fores, Frostleaf Grove, Frost Canyon and Alpine Land all of which are as of yet, unexplored by myself, but perhaps someone else can offer some insight about these areas for us?.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE AWARDS and SHARES.
Please, if you have anything you would like to be added to it then this is the place, let's make our own little lexicon for those who come after.
submitted by KokoHekumatiaru to PlaySoulMask [link] [comments]
With that out of the way, welcome to my No-BullS#$t guide to Soulmask, outlining everything I`ve learned in 80 hours playing on a server rented from G-Portal.
I am going to assume that everyone is somewhat accustomed to the bare basics of the game and how it plays so I will stick to only highlighting things that I learned myself.
1 There are 5 Tribes: Claw, Flint, Fang, Outcasts and Plunderers.
-Everyone can be deterred except Plunderers and Elites (The ones with a unique name and a silver border around their health bar).-The Claw tribe has the best overall fighters for every weapon school
-The Fang tribe specializes in Remedies, healing and Poisons (Alchemy) so they make for great Alchemists overall, but do very well in relation to ranged combat so make for decent companions, if you prefer having a ranged helper along, they are good for this.
-The Flint tribe are supposedly the clever ones who are all about evolving and furthering their tribe's development so naturally, they make for great crafters.
-The outcasts don`t belong to any tribes and their stats as such are completely random. You can find great ones of course but expect a lower chance of finding what you need, compared to if you were chasing the more specialized tribes.
2 Proficiencies of barbarians go from 1-125+ in each respective school and what they have is based on a lot of factors as well as the low chance of them being a uniquely titled barbarian that can give them various perks outside of the proficiencies themselves.
-The level of the deterred barbarian ONLY affects what the overall proficiencies' start at when you deter them. with the higher the level the better the proficiency.-Source: Personal experience after deterring roughly 800 Barbarians and while I know the pool isn`t very big, but it is high enough for me to be positive that the level of a deterred barb does not affect their max proficiency level, only what it starts at.
-Labourers are great at the collection of materials: Logging, Mining, Harvesting
-Craftsmen: Any crafting, completely random which ones they are given. Also supposed to unlock various tribes medium/advanced clothing and costumes if they are found in a fortress(Only 3 fortresses at the minute.) Potentially bugged right now though as I`ve deterred 50+ Craftsmen of varying levels from Novice to Master Craftsmen in a Flint fortress with 0 unlocks as of yet).
-Porters: Good at working the Kiln and or Furnace but they are also Great at transporting large quantities of items over longer distances as their weight limits are different and they have positive traits that affect how having more weight makes them move faster etc. (Unlocks the first tribe clothing too. Level 20-25 area barracks)
That`s it for now, if there`s anything else you want to know, just ask in the comments and I will add it to the guide too. But these are some of the things I see being asked the most, so instead of commenting in each post and repeating myself, I will update this one with new info.
3 Mysterious Tisane, dropped by bosses will reset the attributes of your main aka the Vagrant Novice character, but the Mysterious body shaping pill will reset the attributes of any of your deterred tribesmen.
-I have been informed there is a server setting that changes this, letting you reset the attributes of your deterred tribesmen much earlier in the game, effectively making the Mysterious body shaping pill a completely irrelevant addition to the game, so the choice is yours. Make the game easier earlier and or play it the way it`s "meant" to be played. Whatever the choice, as long as you are comfortable and happy with it, that`s all that matters.4 The Basic Portal that you can craft yourself will not let you teleport to unlocked teleporters, only to other basic teleporters. (Please for the love of god change this.)
Is important to note that you can only teleport with whatever is currently on your action/hotbar and it will not bring anything in your inventory when using this discount portal they`ve provided us with unless you turn on Custom Supply Portal in the right-hand Menu in the server settings.5 Cooking is one of the most important proficiencies in the world of Soulmask.
-I would highly recommend you get someone who`s good at it and put points towards output when selecting bonuses as they improve.-You can have 7 different buffs active at any one time. 3 Meals, 2 Drinks, 1 Medical and 1 "unhealthy" one in the Cigar. Types of buffs: Staple Food, Recreational, Beverage, Vegetable/Fruit, Meat, Medical Potion and finally a Cigar.
Thank you u/fatheals & u/tadian for the info.
6 Armor & Weapon crafting
-For traits, select Durability for 30-60 respectively and then Quality once you hit Iron as this is the point where levelling starts to slow down and moreover, you will unlock the Sabre tooth Armor at Awareness 40 once you kill the Berserk Sabre-toothed Predator which is a recommendation to everyone and when crafting the gear it will inherit the stats of the Iron Armor that goes into it. Hence you want to make sure it`s as good as possible as this will be the best Armor you will have access to for quite a while.7 Modifications make a huge difference
-All these mods you keep looting in chests from barracks and dungeons are not useless, even if the numbers may seem small they make a massive difference so use them.-Having multiple Armor sets with different mods on them will be a benefit, even though it is grindy. Having one with Heat, Cold, Poison and Radiation protection will be the difference between surviving or dyeing.
-Repairing a Weapon or Armor WILL remove the MOD that is on them, so keep this in mind. Repair first, then put on the mod of choice.
-IMPORTANT: You can in fact have EVERY single mod that fits in each respective category on a single piece of Armor, this includes but is not limited to every resistance for example: Poisonproof, chill proof, heat proof and so on.
8 The hunting Gallery is VERY useful.
-It will show a lot of useful info about the local wildlife and enemies you encounter so I recommend having a look if you are struggling with a specific enemy, perhaps you`re just using the wrong weapon to fight it?.-One good example of when it helped me was in my first Ancient Ruin Dungeon/Holy Ruin where I encountered an enemy type that took essentially 0 damage until I threw a Corrosion bomb on them so use it and you will find that while doing the classic Unga Bunga works, sometimes. Having a bit more tact does come in handy.
8 Farms inside Barracks & Fortresses
-These farms are incredible if you are looking to get resources for either food and even crafting by way of cotton, needed for a lot of various crafts. What is important to note here is that these farms, IF you empty them out, leave and return at a later time, the crops may actually change. The availability of what they can change into, seem to be dependent on what you find in the chests within the Barracks and or Fortress. In the Flint Tribe fortress, I have collected everything except for Cactus out of their farms.9 Unlocking Tribe Costumes and Armor
-The first three sets can be unlocked by Deterring the Porters in each respective low-level barrack.-The higher tiered ones can be acquired by deterring craftsmen from Fortresses, albeit. I have yet to unlock a single one, even after numerous deters and full tames, so this might be something that the devs will need to look into, so if you`ve been chasing it as well, know that you are not alone friend.
10 My Co-Op Server setting, aimed at smaller communities, only the options we`ve changed from their defaults.
-You can open the server settings by hitting the "tilde"-key next to the 1 on the Keyboard for QWERTY keyboards, followed by typing in: gm key "your admin password" and then hitting ENTER-Right-side options are all active besides Spawning monsters and barbarians whilst a player is inside a barrack. PVP, Friendly fire, Cross-Server and applying output multipliers to the special items.
-General: Barb Taming speed 2.5, Proportion of Daytime 0.8, Tribe recruitment limit 100, Mood increase 1.5, Mood Reduction 0.5, Personal animal Quantity 20. The chest drop level is special in that we tested this out, but changing it will bug certain chests, keeping them from respawning loot over time so we left it at 0.
-EXP & Growth: Awareness, character and mask is 3. Proficiency, Collection, Craft, Monster-Kill and Other Exp multipliers are all 2.5, Kill EXP sharing 1. Max awareness 60.
-Output & Drops are all set to 1.5, Crop growth, Crafting Speed. Chest Drop multiplier, Animal growth and hatching speed are all 2.
-Building: I turned off Building Decay because we hate that mechanic, but if I notice people stop playing I`ll turn it on to clear up the map.
-Refresh: Vegetation Respawn Speed 1
-Combat: Dmg against wildlife 1.3, Dmg from wildlife 0.7, Wildlife quality 2, not touched PVP.
-Consumption: Durability 0.5, Repair reduces the durability 0.2, I don`t want people to craft a single set of items and just endlessly repair it with 0 drawbacks so this is a decent median and whilst I can appreciate some enjoy having 0 durabilities, it adds a little extra and will keep you from just staying out and makes you have to prepare a little before bigger outings which I like. At the end of the day, tweak it as you see fit.
-Invasions: Has seemed fine so far, just remember that there are barriers in the game for a reason, albeit not that needed in lower-level zones.
11 Zone Progression by Level
-Eastern Rainforest, typically where you spawn in and start your journey, followed by the Western and Northern Rainforest, the last two zones scale from 10-25 with level 25 Mobs and Barbarians respectively can be found in the Barracks for tribes located there.-Mangrove is next which is across the water to the south-west of the Western Rainforest which introduces a lot more "aquatic life" and makes for pretty rough base locations, so it is not really recommended as a spot of operations, but there are some tablets to pick up here though for those adventurous enough.
-Next, we`ll continue heading west into the three zones that all have monsters and Barbarians of varying levels from 21-30+ in the Rocky Bottomland, The Wild and finally Pit Hill. These three places make for decent locations if you are looking to build either a second base and or maybe just an outpost?.
-From here we head North and into the Table Mountains where the level range is 30 - 40, however further to our west is a median zone and one of my recommended locations for your second base if you are 35 and closing in on 40 as the weather is very temperamental and it gets pretty chilly, so you`ll want to have access to the Air Heater(Awareness 40) but you WILL make due if you have level 2 Cold mod on the clothing for your tribesmen to stave of the cold. The zone in question is called the Lakeside Forest(26-35) and west of that is also the Jungle Cave which is a poisonous hellscape with Poison dart frogs, scorpions and other creepy crawlies but also the best place for Iron Ore. The Lakeside Fores also houses the Flint Tribe Fortress, where the levels go up to 50+, so not recommended to go in if you`re lowleveled here as they will turn you into a pincushion very quickly but it`s an excellent place to gather good crafters and labourers later in the game.
-North of the Table Mountain is the Plateau Woodland, sharing a level range of 31-40, I have not explored it a lot but it seems like a rather boring locale for a base, but it holds a dungeon where you need Awareness 40 to enter, so it`s worth exploring once you hit that threshold, just make sure you come WELL prepared.
-We continue our adventure north into the Giant Wood Forest and Great Prairie and honestly, I am considering making a base on the Prairie as it`s beautiful and full of life but some of the enemies here are terrifying, so I won't go there unless I have the resources to make barriers around the entire base first.
-We are now going into the last of the northern regions and reaching the initial level cap of 50 in the Southern Wasteland where we are now dealing with enemies in the 41-50 bracket, sometimes even above. Don`t consider this a base location unless you are ready to deal with the radiation but it`s a cool locale with very varied flora and fauna. You will also find the Fang tribe has it`s Fortress in this area, so it`s definitely worth the adventure.
-Now you are more or less getting towards the end of your journey but if you look at the map, there`s a lot of fog west of the desert as well as the far south of the Jungle Cave and The Wild where we went earlier in our adventure. First is the Volcanic Forest 41-50, which is due southwest of the Wild, followed by the Barren Meadow 41-50+ just South of the Jungle Cave and finally the Scorching Volcano in the bottom left of the map with a whooping 46-55 level range and let me tell you. Unless you have Heat protection here, you will die in seconds the closer you get to the Volcano and you can in fact get inside the volcano as it has an expansive underground system to explore.
-The last zone is the Dark Fores, Frostleaf Grove, Frost Canyon and Alpine Land all of which are as of yet, unexplored by myself, but perhaps someone else can offer some insight about these areas for us?.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE AWARDS and SHARES.
Please, if you have anything you would like to be added to it then this is the place, let's make our own little lexicon for those who come after.
2024.06.09 12:10 Sleepdprived My world, my creation. My gift to myself.
This is a world I created to play D&D in. It follows the rules of 3.5 edition D&D. This worldspace was originally intended for private use, but I like the idea of sharing it now that it has become so detailed. I don't charge anything and don't accept money for it, so i shouldn't have to deal with anyone's lawyers...
This is for fun only. I am one person, and I have a real job, so I may post intermittently. If it becomes too much, i may take it down completely. There are many references to popular culture, all out of love. Similarities between real people and fictional characters portrayed are entirely coincidental otherwise. The groups, nations, and religions portrayed are also FANTASY. I am not attempting to miss portray or miss appropriate anyone's cultural background history or political views. Any similarities are to be considered fictional happenstance. It is very hard to write anything new after all. Like how it is difficult to imagine a new regional accent that doesn't exist.
For now I am the only one allowed to post, as this is a reference section for my Dungeon Masters Notes. (That may open to players in the world eventually) Feel free to comment any questions, but keep in mind I may not have time to answer everyone.
Part of my desire to make this open to more people is the OBVIOUS NEED for new content and the fight over the rights to said content. Technically this is all old content rehashed in a new world setting, but I hope it acts as inspiration for others to make their own worlds, or for it to act as a world of rest for the weary working people, to wander and adventure to their hearts content.
submitted by Sleepdprived to Tetsudinarc [link] [comments]
This is for fun only. I am one person, and I have a real job, so I may post intermittently. If it becomes too much, i may take it down completely. There are many references to popular culture, all out of love. Similarities between real people and fictional characters portrayed are entirely coincidental otherwise. The groups, nations, and religions portrayed are also FANTASY. I am not attempting to miss portray or miss appropriate anyone's cultural background history or political views. Any similarities are to be considered fictional happenstance. It is very hard to write anything new after all. Like how it is difficult to imagine a new regional accent that doesn't exist.
For now I am the only one allowed to post, as this is a reference section for my Dungeon Masters Notes. (That may open to players in the world eventually) Feel free to comment any questions, but keep in mind I may not have time to answer everyone.
Part of my desire to make this open to more people is the OBVIOUS NEED for new content and the fight over the rights to said content. Technically this is all old content rehashed in a new world setting, but I hope it acts as inspiration for others to make their own worlds, or for it to act as a world of rest for the weary working people, to wander and adventure to their hearts content.
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2024.06.09 11:49 minorbyte REBBL BB3 - Season 2 signups
REBBL Season 2
This post is a work in progress and once finalized, it will be pinned
Welcome to REBBL's Blood Bowl 3 second season!If you'd like to join us, you have until July 20th, 2024 to sign up at https://rebbl.net/signup
We require your BB3 Coach Name - which you may need to link to your overall rebbl.net account. Once you've done that, you can select any of your inexperienced teams in Blood Bowl 3 from the drop down list. This means you will need to create your team in BB3 first BEFORE completing your signup. Until your team is assigned to a division, you can continue to freely make changes to the roster, and so on.
You will also be asked which of our three regions you would like to play in:
- Big O is our Asia/Pacific region (predominantly Oceanic coaches)
- GMAN is our European region
- REL is our Americas region
REBBRL College League Season 2
College League will continue! (providing enough people sign up)Are you a new Blood Bowl coach looking to get into the game? Then this is the league for you! This is hands down the best place to get started with Blood Bowl 3 anywhere on the internet!
Are you a more experienced coach looking for some stiff competition? Head on over to main ReBBL.
ReBBRL College League is geared towards new coaches learning the game, you can start the process here and take your team all the way up to the major leagues.
This post will be updated with information on College League within the next couple of days.
In the meantime, join our discord and any of the Admins would be happy to answer any questions that you might have. DISCORD
REBBL Format
For Season 2, we expect to have a pyramid structure again where we can cater both inexperienced and experienced teams.Supported Competition Status
It is expected that REBBL will be granted Supported Competition status for the Blood Bowl 3 World Championship competition.REBBL's tickets for the World Championship will be granted to our champion(s) - it is currently unconfirmed how many tickets we'll have.
If you want our tickets, you have to win the REBBL playoffs and become REBBL champion.
Depending on how many tickets we do get, we may need to run a Champion of Champions tournament at some point - but I'll be able to confirm this at a later date.
Re-draft Season 1
If you wish to sign up with your season 1 team, you will have to take the team through the re-draft process first, once your team's re-draft has been validated, it will be eligable to sign up with (i.e. show up in the team dropdown when signing up).You are allowed to sign up with an inexperienced team even after you have completed the re-draft of your team. You can read more about the re-draft process here.
Re-draft Season 2
We are currently testing the waters with re-drafting. Our current rules can be found here. Expect changes to re-drafting in season 2, which will be posted on reddit once we know what we will change. Changes will probably concern things surrounding balancing the budgets.REBBL Rules
https://www.reddit.com/ReBBl/wiki/rules/all/While we will soon make some additions to the rules to cover BB3 specific issues, the REBBL rules remain unchanged and by signing up to play, you commit to abiding by these rules at all times.
Signup Deadline
As confirmed above, the deadline for completing your signup is July 20th, 2024 with the initial aim of starting the season on July 24th, 2024If you have issues with the signup process, join the REBBL Discord via this link and come over to the #rebbl.net channel, where we will try to work things out for you.
Best of luck to all coaches!
2024.06.09 11:36 mysterioustimesmag Witches and Weasels
The link between witches and weasels is a rich element in folklore, deeply rooted in historical beliefs about magic, shape-shifting, and the supernatural. This connection is evident in various cultures and periods, highlighting the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. In European folklore, particularly during the medieval and early modern periods, witches were often believed to possess the power of transformation, or shape-shifting, which allowed them to take on the form of animals.The weasel, with its sleek and elusive nature, was a common animal form that witches were believed to adopt. Stories from Scotland and Ireland frequently depict witches transforming into weasels to conduct their mischief. These transformations were often temporary, allowing the witch to carry out her tasks undetected. For example, a witch might become a weasel to slip into a household, steal items, or eavesdrop on conversations. In German folklore, the weasel was seen as a symbol of cunning and guile. Witches in these stories often took the form of weasels to blend into their surroundings and avoid detection by witch hunters or villagers. During the Middle Ages, the fear of witchcraft was pervasive, and animals associated with witches were viewed with suspicion. The idea that witches could transform into weasels was part of a broader belief in the magical abilities of witches to manipulate the natural world. In some witch trials, accusations included claims that the accused had transformed into a weasel or other small animal to commit their crimes. These testimonies were taken seriously by authorities, reflecting the widespread belief in the transformative powers of witches. The sudden appearance of a weasel in a home or village was often interpreted as an ill omen, particularly in communities that believed strongly in witchcraft. People thought that a witch had sent the weasel to deliver a curse or cause mischief. To ward off potential witchcraft, some households would perform rituals or place protective charms around their homes. These measures were believed to prevent witches in weasel form from entering or causing harm. Weasels were commonly thought to be familiar spirits, or familiars, that served witches. These familiars were believed to assist witches in their magical practices, acting as extensions of the witch’s will. Familiars like weasels were thought to help witches gather ingredients for potions, spy on enemies, and even deliver spells. The familiar’s ability to move undetected and its association with the witch’s power made it a feared and respected creature. During witch hunts, the presence of an animal like a weasel near a suspected witch’s home could be used as evidence of witchcraft. This belief contributed to the persecution and execution of many accused witches. Fairy tales and literary works from various cultures often depict witches with animal familiars, including weasels. These stories serve to reinforce the connection between witches and their animal companions, highlighting themes of transformation and supernatural assistance. In some of Hans Christian Andersen’s tales, animals like weasels play significant roles, often embodying traits associated with witchcraft, such as cunning and deception. The belief in the connection between witches and weasels has influenced many cultural practices and superstitions. In some regions, weasels are still viewed with a mix of fear and respect, and their presence is interpreted through the lens of historical beliefs about witchcraft. More modern portrayals of witches in media and literature sometimes draw on these traditional associations, depicting witches with weasel-like familiars or incorporating elements of shape-shifting. In the story of the Witch of Endor from the Bible, while not directly involving weasels, illustrates the concept of witches having control over the supernatural. In some interpretations and adaptations, witches like the one at Endor are believed to summon spirits in animal forms, including weasels. Irish folklore is replete with stories of witches transforming into weasels. One notable tale involves a witch who, after being wronged by a villager, turns into a weasel to exact her revenge. Her transformation back to human form is discovered when she is caught in a trap meant for weasels, revealing her true identity and leading to her punishment. While in The Weasel and the King a weasel enters the king’s palace causing trouble, only to be revealed later as a witch who had transformed to spy on the court and steal secrets. The weasel’s characteristics—its slyness, agility, and ability to move unseen—make it a powerful symbol of the supernatural and the unknown. In folklore, these traits are often exaggerated to highlight the fear and suspicion surrounding witchcraft. The weasel’s dual nature, as both a real animal and a symbolic representation of witchcraft, reflects the human tendency to personify animals with qualities that resonate with cultural fears and beliefs. The association between witches and weasels can be seen as a projection of societal anxieties. In times of uncertainty, people often turn to supernatural explanations for their troubles, and the weasel, with its mysterious behavior, becomes a convenient scapegoat. The fear of weasels and their connection to witches can be interpreted as a manifestation of the fear of the unknown and the uncontrollable aspects of nature and human behavior. The relationship between witches and weasels in folklore is a testament to the power of myth and superstition. The weasel, with its elusive and cunning nature, became a symbol of the supernatural, embodying the fears and suspicions that surrounded witchcraft. This connection has left a lasting legacy in literature, culture, and collective imagination, illustrating how deeply rooted beliefs can shape perceptions of the natural world and its inhabitants.
submitted by mysterioustimesmag to InterestingToRead [link] [comments]
2024.06.09 10:49 dkswift 35, selling biz for $17M… help me not dumb.
I’m 35 and selling a service business for about $17M to private equity… what to do?
I commented here several months ago about the sale of my business. Was told to focus on the close before worrying about investments.
Well, we close next week and I want to be smart with the money and continue to grow the exit $ for future generations while also living how we do now and making one particular purchase.
There are several investment questions, but let me paint the current picture.
2024: $10M pre-tax 2025: $2.7M pre-tax (the earn out; not guaranteed) 2026: $800k (escrow) 2027-29: $6-7.5M (roll up; not guaranteed)
The cash consideration at close is $13.6M, but I’m planning to roll $2-2.5M into the roll up. My shares are the same class as the management team, so that feels like a good play. Lots of consolidation in our industry so it doesn’t seem unrealistic to hit the projected 3x return, but I’ve heard plenty of PE horror stories in here and from friends.
We live in a MCOL market. We’re renovating our dream home now and already have the cash to do that so we don’t plan on upgrading there. My wife doesn’t work. No vehicle upgrades or anything like that. Maybe I’ll buy a watch to celebrate? Idk.
Our only debt is the house will be worth $2.5M and we’ll owe $900k on the note.
I plan to work again or build another business in the future but this is the safety net to take a break and be with my family for a while then build the next thing.
My goal with the exit was to live as we do now($400-450k/year) off of the interest while also allowing half of the interest to compound and not be touched over time. I think I can do that on the cash at close.
I’m mostly familiar with real estate investing as an LP. Not tons of experience, but I’ve done a couple deals with people I know(several friends are in the REI world regionally around me). Most recently, I did a mobile home park investment where I got to write off 100%+ of the invested dollars due to bonus depreciation from a cost seg with preferred 8% return that’s already paying distributions.
Questions… - I love the LP mobile home park investment… 8% pref + big tax savings + money back in 5ish years after refinance, but keep the equity. Is it a bad idea to put 50-60% in these types of investments? - I love the MHP idea because of tax savings. Am I trying to avoid the $2Mish in taxes too much? - Recently read Tony Robbins’ The Money Game and it’s giving me cold feet about investing with a financial advisor. Plus I see everyone and their mother here seemingly is in just Vanguard S&P 500 funds. Am I overthinking not wanting to put $ with a traditional financial advisor due to the additional fees they charge, etc.? Am I overexposing myself by using a Wealthfront or better online option to invest in Vanguard or something similar? - Why is everyone so concerned about being liquid if you’re living well under the projected distributions of your investments? Every financial advisor I’ve talked with mentions liquidity like it’s so helpful. - Are there other investment vehicles I should be looking in to? - What am I overlooking or missing? Where am I not seeing things properly?
A fun question… My only plan to do something ‘fun’ is with the earn out $, if it hits. There’s a Discovery Land(luxury golf / community) property near where I live. I’d like to buy a lot in there. I don’t want to build because we already have the house we love, but it would be about a $2M purchase + $300k initiation. The initiation is 80% equity and I think I could sell the lot for more than it’s worth down the road as our area is growing. But it obviously isn’t a cash flow investment. Is this a horrible idea?
Thanks for any feedback!
submitted by dkswift to fatFIRE [link] [comments]
I commented here several months ago about the sale of my business. Was told to focus on the close before worrying about investments.
Well, we close next week and I want to be smart with the money and continue to grow the exit $ for future generations while also living how we do now and making one particular purchase.
There are several investment questions, but let me paint the current picture.
2024: $10M pre-tax 2025: $2.7M pre-tax (the earn out; not guaranteed) 2026: $800k (escrow) 2027-29: $6-7.5M (roll up; not guaranteed)
The cash consideration at close is $13.6M, but I’m planning to roll $2-2.5M into the roll up. My shares are the same class as the management team, so that feels like a good play. Lots of consolidation in our industry so it doesn’t seem unrealistic to hit the projected 3x return, but I’ve heard plenty of PE horror stories in here and from friends.
We live in a MCOL market. We’re renovating our dream home now and already have the cash to do that so we don’t plan on upgrading there. My wife doesn’t work. No vehicle upgrades or anything like that. Maybe I’ll buy a watch to celebrate? Idk.
Our only debt is the house will be worth $2.5M and we’ll owe $900k on the note.
I plan to work again or build another business in the future but this is the safety net to take a break and be with my family for a while then build the next thing.
My goal with the exit was to live as we do now($400-450k/year) off of the interest while also allowing half of the interest to compound and not be touched over time. I think I can do that on the cash at close.
I’m mostly familiar with real estate investing as an LP. Not tons of experience, but I’ve done a couple deals with people I know(several friends are in the REI world regionally around me). Most recently, I did a mobile home park investment where I got to write off 100%+ of the invested dollars due to bonus depreciation from a cost seg with preferred 8% return that’s already paying distributions.
Questions… - I love the LP mobile home park investment… 8% pref + big tax savings + money back in 5ish years after refinance, but keep the equity. Is it a bad idea to put 50-60% in these types of investments? - I love the MHP idea because of tax savings. Am I trying to avoid the $2Mish in taxes too much? - Recently read Tony Robbins’ The Money Game and it’s giving me cold feet about investing with a financial advisor. Plus I see everyone and their mother here seemingly is in just Vanguard S&P 500 funds. Am I overthinking not wanting to put $ with a traditional financial advisor due to the additional fees they charge, etc.? Am I overexposing myself by using a Wealthfront or better online option to invest in Vanguard or something similar? - Why is everyone so concerned about being liquid if you’re living well under the projected distributions of your investments? Every financial advisor I’ve talked with mentions liquidity like it’s so helpful. - Are there other investment vehicles I should be looking in to? - What am I overlooking or missing? Where am I not seeing things properly?
A fun question… My only plan to do something ‘fun’ is with the earn out $, if it hits. There’s a Discovery Land(luxury golf / community) property near where I live. I’d like to buy a lot in there. I don’t want to build because we already have the house we love, but it would be about a $2M purchase + $300k initiation. The initiation is 80% equity and I think I could sell the lot for more than it’s worth down the road as our area is growing. But it obviously isn’t a cash flow investment. Is this a horrible idea?
Thanks for any feedback!
2024.06.09 10:32 No-Ideal-5283 World That Simulates Development of World Civilizations
We now have the technology to make games that literally can cover the expanse of earth thanks to No Man's Sky developers Hello Games. So what if there was a game where it simulated a world the size of Earth and everyone around the world could join and play simultaneously?
People would spawn in based on their location (to keep language and culture intact so it doesn't take as long to develop).
The thought is that when everyone joins the game they start in the stone age and slowly develop their nations. Then as time progresses forward, the game updates for the next age.
The goal of this Community is to summon the knowledge of both gaming and history nerds to try to put all of the information in one spot on how we could develop one such game, that way when a developer has the technology and wants to make one such game they can use the information gathered here.
I feel like this game would also be benificial to everyone because we would learn several things from it.
First, we could unify as a region, a nation, and a world because we're creating something together: The History of a New World.
Second, we would understand the government more and maybe find new ways to improve existing governments, or even find better ones than we have today.
Third and most importantly, we can make mistakes in a setting where we can learn from them without having hurting anyone. Instead of making decisions and accidentally causing thousands of deaths, future world leaders who play the game can make decisions based on what the think is best and see what the consequences are without real life deaths and injuries.
submitted by No-Ideal-5283 to GameSimulatingWorld [link] [comments]
People would spawn in based on their location (to keep language and culture intact so it doesn't take as long to develop).
The thought is that when everyone joins the game they start in the stone age and slowly develop their nations. Then as time progresses forward, the game updates for the next age.
The goal of this Community is to summon the knowledge of both gaming and history nerds to try to put all of the information in one spot on how we could develop one such game, that way when a developer has the technology and wants to make one such game they can use the information gathered here.
I feel like this game would also be benificial to everyone because we would learn several things from it.
First, we could unify as a region, a nation, and a world because we're creating something together: The History of a New World.
Second, we would understand the government more and maybe find new ways to improve existing governments, or even find better ones than we have today.
Third and most importantly, we can make mistakes in a setting where we can learn from them without having hurting anyone. Instead of making decisions and accidentally causing thousands of deaths, future world leaders who play the game can make decisions based on what the think is best and see what the consequences are without real life deaths and injuries.