Episode Description

The Lion Guard discovers from Laini and her group of galagos that a leopard named Badili has moved into their tree. They find out that Badili has been driven out of his home by the mean leopard Mapigano who has taken over his territory in Mirihi Forest in the Back Lands. Kion and the Lion Guard scare Mapingano away, but the next day, the galagos tells them that Badili has returned to their tree, due to Mapingano returning. The guard then teaches Badili to stand up to Mapigano and reclaim his territory.
Song: "Find Your Roar"

Pros
-First off, I love the opening scene of the Lion Guard just hanging out at Hakuna Matata Falls, just chilling out in the sun and watching Bunga diving off the falls. It's really sweet to see them just acting like kids when they have some down-time. There's a charm to them just hanging out together as friends, because they're still kids at the end of the day.
-"Yeah, that's one dive even I can appreciate," Fuli. Said every cheetah/domestic cat ever. Also, I really like these sweet and wholesome Bunga and Fuli interactions. They do appear to be more warmer and on friendlier terms since "Fuli's New Family". Bunga, "....Want me to teach ya?" Fuli, "That's okay," such a typical cat answer.
-Laini and her galagos are formally introduced in this episode. I really like the cute and adorable designs on the galagoes. Also, Meghan Strange > Dee Bradley Baker as the voice of Laini. She sounds so much smaller and cuter. Did anyone else think Laini was a boy until this episode had come out, or is it just me?
-But, anyways, Laini and her group of galagoes are all super adorable and Laini is a really fun, sweet, lovable character who's very, very skittish and easily scared, but, that's to be expected from her species since they're too small to defend themselves. I can't help, but love the moment where she clings onto Kion's muzzle for protection and, in a panic, accidentally prevents from being able to speak. She's super cute. I would've certainly done everything in my power to make sure that small animals are safe from harm. How can you possibly look at Laini' group and not want to leap into action? At least Laini is really smart and competent compared to most other Pride Lands' leaders.
-Laini could be considered one of Beshte's "adult friends" because of him knowing her by name and how he communicates with her. Also, the way he comforts her when she's terrified and promises that they'd never let her be eaten, which is further proof of "how can you refuse to help the galagoes?"
-Okay, now let's talk about the real star of the episode, the leopard named Badili, himself. I can't stress how much love Badili's character. He's so lovable and it would be easy to get along with him (as long as you don't annoy him, of course). I love him because he's funny, fun loving, playful, charming, sweet, kind-hearted, lovable, sensitive and yet he's socially awkward introvert, but, I found him endearing. I love how he grows through some good character development in a short space of time. He starts off as this very apprehensive, insecure, easily scared, shy and quiet character, but then, thanks to the Lion Guard, he grows confident, self-assured, brave, assertive and most importantly defensive, but, he's still really kind-hearted, cheerful, loyal, friendly, quiet, caring, sweet and sensitive. I think we can all relate to Badili. I'm sure we've all had our fair share of social awkwardness in day to day life, from time to time. I'm sure we've all had a "Mapigano" or two in our lives before. I know, I've definitely had some annoying jerk ass bullies during my time at school, and I've had difficulty making friends like Badili, but, I liked hanging out with my friends who respect me and who are not mean to me. I think we can all agree that we want people who are nice to us, like Badili.
-I also love how Badili is set up as the villain of the episode when he first encounters the Lion Guard, because it's implied, at first, that he forced the galagoes out of their home and the fact that it looks like, for a moment, that Badili actually wanted to fight the Lion Guard and the fact that he ends up coming back to the Pride Lands the very next day. But, then it's made very clear that he's a nice leopard who has some deep rooted insecurities that he needs the Lion Guard's help with in the end, and he doesn't have a home at that point.
-Plus, speaking of Badili and the galagoes, I like how Badili is, deep down, well able to stand up for himself, as shown when growls and snarls at the Lion Guard when they close in on him. But, then, when they actually charge at him, he instantly backs down and quivers. So, he was capable of standing up for himself and had assertiveness deep down inside himself, but, the fear of getting pushed around by larger, more fierce animals renders him week and helpless. He gets full-blown anxiety when faced with much larger opponents and, therefore, does not know how to find that balance of standing up for himself and being nice.
I would've loved to see how he ended up living in the galagoes' tree anyway. Did he bully the galagoes into handing over their tree to him in exchange for not being eaten, even though he's a real softie? It's not uncommon for victims to bully smaller and meeker people because it's easy to vent their anger onto them. So, did Badili, against his better judgement, of course, threaten to eat Laini and her galagoes to avoid to pain of having to stand up to an even bigger threat, Mapigano? Plus, it's the only other way he knew how to resolve conflicts at that point. Let me know what you think happened. I personally think he just climbed into the galagoes' tree when they were distracted and did not mean to scare them. Then, Laini just got scared because, in her eyes, she saw a "Big Scary Leopard" come out of nowhere, next to her and the other galagoes. I personally would've been interested to see how it actually played out.
-"Oh no, please don't hurt me. I didn't mean to growl. I thought you were baboons!" Badili. Also, like I said, he does know how to stand up for himself, but, he lacks the self-confidence that comes with that, especially against large animals. Also, he and Fuli could bond over their shared dislike of baboons. Plus, their needs for solitude and peace and quite from time to time.
-I actually used to root for Fuli and Badili to fall in love because I thought they were perfect for each other and Azaad isn't that interesting to me. But, alas, it's fine to have them as "just friends".
-Fuli, "Ooh. I've had that dream." Accurate cheetah response. In real life, baboons have been known to chase away and even kill cheetahs.
-I like how Badili has a deep rooted insecurity stemming from not being as fierce as any other normal leopard and not being able to fight for his turf. He's embarrassed because male leopards tend to fight each other for territories and over finding food or a mate, but, in Badili's case, he dislikes fighting and he just wants peace and to be by himself.
-Fun Fact, Badili is actually super realistic because aggression between leopards is pretty rare, due to their solitary and reclusive nature, they prefer not to interact with each other. So, Badili preferring to live a life of peace and without confrontation is super realistic. However, like with Badili and Mapigano in this episode, male leopards will put up a fight over territorial disputes, food scarcity or mating. Also, Badili using his claws to mark his tree trunk is very real because leopards will mark their territory via claw markings, defecation or urination (take that how you will).
-I like Badili's need to be alone without any disturbances. This is because leopards are solitary animals and rarely come out of their territories. They hunt and spend most of their lives alone with the exception of females and cubs. However, on a personal level, I relate to Badili because I enjoy spending a good portion of my free time alone or with a small group of friends, same as himself.
-I love the use of Swahili in this show because it feels very African. And I really the names in this episode. First off, "Galago" means "bush baby", our main character, Badili's name means "Change/Switch" in Swahili, hence his character development at the end. Mapigano's name means "Battle/Clashes/Fighting" in Swahili, hence him and Badili constantly fighting before the episode. It's also very interesting because, as I said, male leopards will fight when they cross paths with each other. Laini means "Soft/Smooth", hence her soft and furry coat.
-Speaking of Badili's character development, I think he has one of the best character transformations for a one-off character in the series. The way he started off as a very timid, shy, insecure, apprehensive leopard, who did know how to be assertive, but would let fear stop him from acting, but, then, with help from the Lion Guard, he became self-assured, confident, competent, brave, courageous and most importantly assertive, and in a span of 20 minutes, roughly.
-I love the writing behind this episode because it flows so naturally and it never once felt rushed, in my opinion. The song "Find Your Roar" makes it seem like it took the Lion Guard and Badili about a day or two to truly defeat Mapigano. I don't think it was that long, but, at the same time, I wasn't that surprised that he learned how to stand his ground in a short space of time.
-Kion is a really compelling character in this episode. One of his best character growth moments is when he realises that the Lion Guard are not helping Badili by constantly having to stand up to Mapigano because the latter will keep coming back every time they leave they leave. Kion recognises that Badili will never be able to defend himself when they're away if he keeps relying on them instead of standing up for himself. I love Kion for boasting Badili's morale as well and motivating him to be more assertive. Kion and the Lion Guard reassure him that he won't need to fight Mapigano, he just needs to show him that he's not going to back down.
-Also Kion, earlier in the episode, "And he's gone for good. He knows the Lion Guard has your back." The very next day, he realises that it's up to Badili to stand up to Mapigano. I like how Kion and his friends got some character development as well because they're only kids at the end of the day.
-I like how, when Kion tries to encourage Badili to be assertive, he uses Beshte as an example of someone who's a real sweetheart and a nice guy, but, is confident and brave when faced with an opposition. I like this comparison because Beshte has got the right idea about how to be nice and kind, but also stand his ground when necessary. It's one of the things I love about him. Also, towards the end, the new Assertive Badili basically becomes the leopard version of Beshte, in a way.
-Now let's talk about the song of the episode, "Find Your Roar". By do I love this absolute banger of a song. I love the instrumentals of the song so much and the African tune playing in the background. Meanwhile, during the song, a montage starts playing with the Lion Guard helping Badili to better himself so that he will be able to face Mapigano. I love every bit of the song. From Badili struggling at first, but eventually, with practise and patience, becomes stronger and fiercer and even roaring over a cliff edge towards to end. I'll give a 9/10 to the song.
-Now let's finally talk about Mapigano. Even though he's, in my opinion, one of the flattest characters in the series, I do like his dynamic with Badili at the start of the episode. To throw in a few positives about him, I like the fact that their dynamic seems like a typical High School rivalry, with the "smaller and more nerdy, socially awkward student who's a bit quieter and apprehensive" Vs. the "the jerk ass jock who's a bit more confident and selfish and picks on an easy target." I liked the idea behind their dynamic together. I'm so getting the impression that they are either brothers or they lived in close proximity to each other and fought all the time, as cubs. I'll talk more about him later.
-I like the fact that the writers made an episode about bullying and facing your fears and the importance of standing up for yourself. I liked it because bullying is a common and scary part of childhood and even adulthood. Many children and adults encounter bullies in their day to day lives that they don't know how to handle. They don't want to resort to violence, but, they're also too intimidated and anxious to put their foot down. I like that this episode highlights the concepts of bullying to a young audience and the importance of facing it. They use Badili to show that there are adults that are being bullied as well, in the world.
-The moment where Badili finally confronts Mapigano, using all the skills taught to him by the Lion Guard, was more than spectacular and very satisfying. I loved it. Also, I like the fact that Badili appears to be terrified for a brief moment because it's his first time ever standing up for himself, so it's new territory (no pun intended). I think appears terrified because Mapigano appears so scary to him and it can be daunting trying to stand up for yourself, but, Badili does hold his nerve and stands his ground. Fuli wants to intervene and help Badili in that moment, but, Kion, bless him, is adamant that Badili needs to be able to do this for himself. And Badili manage to intimidate Mapigano in the end.
-"Well, I'm not, I'm not scared of you, Mapigano," Badili's assertive moments. Mapigano, "Well maybe you should be." Badili, "You'll have to be faster than that." I love this moment because it shows he doesn't have to fight Mapigano.
-Also, Badili, "Is this close enough? Oh, was that too close?" Was that Badili teasing Mapigano a little, because if so, I'm here for it. Mapigano, "No, I just...." You don't look so tough now, do you?
-Badili, "I said, NOW!" {Roars at Mapigano, who immediately turns tail and runs far, far away. Was funny as freak for some reason. He's not going to be pushed around or taken advantage of anymore by any other leopard and Mapigano understood that he meant business.
-I loved the moral of this episode about always reporting bullying to a trusted friend or a trusted adult even if you feel embarrassed about it. I think it's an important lesson and I think, with the domination of social media and video games, some younger people I find, seem to forget that's important not to resort to violence, but it's equally important to stand your ground and to be assertive. Don't be afraid to say "No" to bullies and do not rely on other people to stand up for you. Badili learns this after the Lion Guard leaves the first and Mapigano comes back. Kion is adamant that Badili needs to stand up for himself to avoid being pushed around even more when they are not around. I like the way they acknowledge getting picked on as a challenge to overcome for young children and also why it's important to be assertive and how to mean what you say. I like the lesson about believing in your own abilities to be able to face challenges, but, also staying true to yourself.
Cons
-I didn't really give a crap about Mapigano. I know we are supposed to dislike him because he's mean to Badili and he keeps taking over his home for much of the episode, but, I don't like as a "villain" (he's not much of a villain if you ask me) either. He doesn't have the same charm or coolness as other Lion Guard villains. He's just a jerk ass typical teenage bully with absolutely no personality. I never found him as entertaining as other Lion Guard villains. He's not witty or wisecracking like Janja (even Janja puts up fights in the series), he's not menacing or vicious like Mackucha, he's not belligerent or threatening like Makuu, he's not charismatic or sneaky like Reirei and he's not an all around enjoyable, funny and stupid villain Cheezi, Chungu, Goi-goi or anyone. He's just poorly written with no interesting characteristic. He's kind of a weak character with no redeeming qualities. And in the end, he just up and runs away to God knows where he goes. In the early days of the fandom, I don't know who said this, but, someone said that after Badili stood up to him, he was so shocked that he died of a heart attack afterwards. I very much doubt that because it doesn't sound very plausible. But, anyway, Mapigano is one of worst characters in the series and feels like a knock-off Mackucha. I wish they just used Mackucha to be the bully instead because at least he is menacing and has actually met and fought with the Lion Guard only two episodes ago. Unlike Mapigano, who's easily scared away by a group of children. Also, this episode fails to explain why Beshte would know who Mapigano is. "That Mapigano is not a nice leopard." How on Earth would he know him? Beshte would have no reason to know who he is. The only reason they know Mackucha is because they have met before and had to chase him out of the Pride Lands. They could've had him need the Lion Guard's help in the future and, thereby making amends with them, or else he could've joined Mackucha's leap or something. But, overall, I think he should've been a more interesting character than what we got.
-I think this episode has a poor title, to be honest. Like, yes, the galagoes are important in setting up the main conflict of the story, but, they are not important character themselves and are hardly in it during the second act. Yes, Laini is the one who told the Lion Guard about Badili, but is it really necessary to put her group in the episode title? The writers should've made the title have something to do with bullying, or else changed the word "Galagoes" to "Leopards" for "The Trouble with Leopards" since the main conflict in the episode is between Badili and Mapigano. But, that's not a huge criticism I have with this episode.
-I don't like how they did Badili dirty after this episode. He's never seen again after this episode even though he'd have been so perfect for the Pride Lands' Army in Season 3. I know he's obviously not a Pride Lander, but, neither is Jasiri and she obviously got to fight alongside them. I think it could've been a cool thing for Badili to do, to show us that he's still a badass leopard since the last time we left him. He could've heard about Scar's return and offered to fight with the Lion Guard to defeat him. Or maybe he could've later on in Season 2 or something and helped a shy animal become assertive because the Lion Guard helped him become assertive. I don't like the fact that Badili was not given more episodes when he clearly had great potential. I don't like that he and Mapigano were both given a whole episode were not given any depth/backstory to their characters and were never used again by the writers. I wish we got more of them, especially Badili.
-I think the writers could've done without the "giraffe stuck in a tree" plot point because it was really stupid and downright unrealistic. How does a giraffe get his tongue stuck in a tree? He's used to eating leaves and branches off high trees. Giraffes eat branches, in real life, and as far as I know, they grip plant material with their long tongues, so, Shingo should've been able to get out of this one himself and it shouldn't have been an emergency. You know what, I'm calling it now, Shingo didn't need the Lion Guard's help, he was just too lazy and just decided to see if they respond for real life! There's no way a giraffe would actually need help freeing his tongue. I wish the writers just scrapped that plotline and went onto Badili. We could've spent more time learning about Badili, for example, why he was too nervous to stand up for himself, his dynamic with Mapigano (another reason I wasn't super into him as a "villain" is his lack of backstory). We know nothing about Badili's past. Was he abandoned by his parents? Were his parents killed by other leopards? I think time could've been better spent with the Lion Guard and Badili, instead of Shingo.
Overall
Upon re-watching this episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it, like I did as a kid. I liked the theme of bullying and harassment and standing up for yourself. I like the way the writers wrote an episode about bullying because a lot of audiences, young and old, can relate to it and put themselves in Badili's shoes. Badili is an awesome one-time character that I think a lot of people can relate to and find endearing and he does have a deep rooted insecurity. I think it's a good lesson for all ages, about why it's important to stand up to bullies yourself and being able to be assertive. It has good music and top tier moments. I loved "Find Your Roar and I loved the message behind it about believing in yourself. It was awesome to see Badili, no longer a pushover, but, still a lovable and friendly leopard. He didn't loose what we all love about him. He's an adorable, highly relatable character. The Badili Vs. Mapigano "fight" at the moment was really satisfying. Badili and the Lion Guard underwent some good character development. The galagoes were adorable. Laini is really nice and all she cares about is the wellbeing of her fellow galagoes above all else. It's refreshing to see a good Pride Lands' leader. The only things I would've changed is Badili had so much potential to be a recurring character except the writers decided to completely ignore him for the rest of the series. Mapigano is a waste of space antagonist with nothing interesting about him and they could've switched him out for Mackucha, whom is a far more interesting villain and already established a rivalry with the Lion Guard. Or at least gave us a storyline about the fate and history or Badili and Mapigano in the future to try and make him an interesting antagonist with depth. Also, the storyline with Shingo was just useless "Filler" and doesn't add anything to the episode and makes no sense. However, I did like most of the humour and the character and the education about leopards. I'll give it an 8/10 because I liked the positive message about sticking up for yourself and I liked the Lion Guard's friendship with Badili.

Hello! This post is to share any of your book or book series recommendations for alterhumans! Here's how it works:
Comment books you've found that might be nice for an alterhuman, furry, quadrobist, etc! Make sure nobody else has commented that book/the book is not mentioned in the post itself. If nobody suggested it, go ahead and comment! You can also share your experiences with alterhuman-themed books. The format will be: [Book] (series?) - [Author] (Recommendations)
This post is similar to my post about music for alterhumans, which you may want to check out. (I'll do one for movies/shows soon!)
Here's mine:
Warriors/Warrior Cats (series) - Erin Hunter (Cats)
Wings of Fire (series) - Tui T. Sutherland (Dragonkin & avian)
Swordbird (series) - Nancy Yi Fan (Avian/bird)
Asha and the Spirit Bird - Jasbinder Bilan (Avian, those with spirit animals)
The Wild Path - Sarah R. Baughman (Horses, fall setting)
Bravelands (series) - Erin Hunter (African Savannah animals)
Seekers (series) - Erin Hunter (Bears)
Survivors (series) - Erin Hunter (Canines)
Bamboo Kingdom (series) - Erin Hunter (Bears, snow leopards, monkeys, tigers)
Therian Tales: Embracing our Inner Nature - Uranzaya Batsaikhan (Any therian! You can buy this on Amazon)
A Wolf Called Wander - Rosanne Parry (Wolves)
The Traveling Cat Chronicles - Hiro Arikawa (Cats, POV)
Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George (Wolves)
The Call of the Wild - Jack London (Wolves)
White Fang - Jack London (Wolves)
Wolfwalkers - Tom Moore and Ross Stewart (Wolves, Ireland, Paganism)
Spirit Animals (series) - Written by several authors (Any therian)
Animorphs (series) - K. A. Applegate (Any therian)
Shifting Hearts - Several authors (Otherkin & therian)
Edit: A Whale of the Wild - Rosanne Parry (Orcas, whales, sea life)
And finally, your own journal/book/etc., nonfiction books about your 'type(s), or any stories online!
Okay I searched far and wide for more but this is the best I got guys, drop ur ideas down below
I hope I helped some people! (Idk what flair to put-)

So we are expecting the Monkey King and Li Dao the Fire Dragon soon-ish.
I feel, like they need to bring too many units to fit into 1 DLC (and imagine the riot, if 2 paid Cathay DLC factions come out at once!)
I just want to talk about units, not faction mechanics for now.
Let's speculate for each faction:
The Monkey King:

• Some Monkey Lord (for theming and buffing the new units specifically)
  
• A (Wu Xing) Monk type (melee) Hero (focused on in batte ability buffs, like a Warrior Priest) brings replenishment army action (not necessarily a monkey, but possible)
  
• Monkey warriors (in different flavours. Early game chaff in loose formations, like dryads just without magical attacks and then enlightened monkey Elite Infantry, this time with magical attacks?)
  
• Tigermen (Elite or mid tier [comparable to Jade Warriors?] Infantry?)
  
• Gorrila Monstrous Infantry?
  
• Monkey missile infantry? (Throwers, so no huge range?)
  
• Great Ape? (A La King Kong as a SEM?)
  

Li Dao the Fire Dragon:

• Master War-Artificer? (Lord) (Like a mix of Engineer and Necrotect. With skill lines to buff either Constructs, Gunpowder units and/or War Machines & Artillery)
  
• War-Artificer (Hero) (like the one above, just as a hero)
  
• Maybe adding some Lore of Fire Caster to an existing Hero pool as FLC (either to the Alchemists or Astomancers with a new name)
  
• a Handgunner unit (Cathay has snipers and shotguns, but nothing in between. They are needed!) (Yes Dragon Guard Crossbows would still be better, but let us theme our armies to either gunpowder or Bow/Crossbow units)
  
• either Grenade Launchers or Flamethrowers (or both) (he is the fire lord, so let's theme the units towards fire!)
  
• melee infantry with fire attacks? (Maybe like Infernal Ironsworn even with limited grenades?)
  
• Terracotta Automatons/Warriors (Monstrous infantry (maybe with a Bow/Crossbow variant) (maybe a regular infantry version too?) (anti-Demon units with magical attacks) (Maybe this unit/ these units will be held back for Yin-Yin the Sea Dragon? Not fire thematic enough, but would work great with the Artificer)
  
• New Artillery (Cathay needs more variety) (Yin-Yin will bring more as well, but later, if Warhammer 3 gets long enough support)
  
• Vermillion Warbird (the thing is already powering Grand Cathays Blimp fleets) (a weaker Phoenix copy with either the bombardment ability from the HE Fire Phoenix or an area buff in contrast to the HE Frost Phoenix?)
  

Either of the 2 (or left for Yin-Yin?):

• A Lu Bu style Legendary Hero. Practically a Gate Master, but with a Halberd/Guandao and Shield (I don't want to compromise the missile block chance) but is a better damage dealer (and has anti-large) and buffs Dragon Guard and Elite Cavalry (like Longma Riders) instead of Jade Warriors
  
• Shi-Hong (Legendary Artificer Hero)
  
• a Tiger unit? (Either a pack hunter like Sabertusks or a SEM like the snow leopard (or something between both options and make it a 4 entity unit and buff said Snow Leopards up to this)
  
• Maybe A Ki-rin or (Spirt) Qilin? (Would this be a SEM or an Elite Cavalry unit?)
  
• Panda Riders? (A weaker version of Kislev's Warbear Riders)
  
• More artillery
  
• Dragon-Turtle (either as a SEM-Monster or SEM-Artillery or both?)
  

Ideas partially from: https://youtu.be/6pBCVHy17N0?si=uuwD9wVLWYuQ_aCQ from Mods ("Dead Baron" or "Singemeister") and my own ideas
No, I don't want to see Chinese style Dragons as generic SEM. They are Legendary Lords, leading nations (or factions in this case) and nothing less!
Anyway! Your ideas?

I have played this game as a kid (not as much as TR3 but it was my first TR ever) but never finished it, so i wanted to catch up now that i have the remastered version. There are probably zillions of these kinda rankings around here but i feel like talking about that experience. It was awesome to relive and repeat some of my favourite childhood memories, although i had to use a walkthrough at some points. I played with old tank controls. Well, here are my short reviews for all the main game levels:
Great Wall 4/5 I’ve spent so much time here as a kid, very hard for a first level. A school friend of mine who played TR2 back then as well told me about the 2 T-Rex, i didn’t believe him for years until i saw it on Youtube myself someday in the 2000s.
Venice 4/5 This should get a 5/5 for the iconic soundtrack alone. Another level i’ve spent a lot of time as a kid because it was so cool. If you don’t know about the speed boost of the boat you will probably spend ages getting to the exit somehow. It’s crazy how you were f****d back then if you didn’t have a game manual.
Bartoli‘s Hideout 5/5 This is very chill and cozy somehow. Just a feel-good-level. It’s more on the easier side, but that last secret is kinda cheeky though. I just really liked this level.
Opera House 3/5 I like the dark atmosphere and the setting, but the opera house itself was a bit too confusing for my taste.
Offshore Rig 3/5 I actually don’t mind getting my weapons back so early. Cool industrial setting, but i didn’t like the last part with the huge room. Those computer panels looked quite silly. Average.
Diving Area 3/5 I know the ladder is annoying but i love the ambient soundtrack ("The Great Wall" or "Long Way Up" in TR3), Nathan McCree did a great job with those JV 1080 pads (and with the classic TR soundtrack in general). Besides that, i only remember the flamethrower guys and that stupid sawblade which somehow made it impossible to grab the keycard - just 90s gaming.
40 Fathoms 2/5 My childhood nemesis, i just couldn’t find the entrance as a 9 year old kid and eventually gave up on this game. Besides the extraordinary and distressing start it’s a quite boring and forgettable level, i can only remember the secret outside of the ship and that timed fire trap puzzle right now.
Wreck of the Maria Doria 2/5 There are these kind of TR levels where you have to find the same key for x-amount of times and then come back to the main room. It can be fun but in this case it isn’t immediately clear what to do. I also don’t like backtracking that much (this is nothing compared to TR3 levels, i know) and that last circuit breaker was just super nasty (having to double press that switch). Bonus points for the upside down scenario.
Living Quarters 4/5 The best MD level for me, i like the big room with the pistons and the theatre at the end. Besides that, the blue/ rusty brown color scheme starts to annoy me a bit, 2 or 3 levels would be more suitable for the MD section
The Deck 2/5 It’s too sprawled out and it’s easy to get lost, but i like the small lake with the boat in the middle. That diver behind the small door in the swimming pool though (where the secret is) made me cringe, i mean is this guy really waiting THERE for Lara?
Tibetian Foothills 3/5 I looked forward to this but controlling the snowmobile was worse than i thought. Those baddies on snowmobiles trying to overrun you were annoying too. That snowmobile theme though… awesome.
Barkhang Monastery 5/5 I generally don’t like long and big levels that much but this one is just awesome and a better version of the concept that was already used in Wreck of Maria Doria. The big statue is gorgeous, the friendly monks roaming around are cool, trying not to hit them is difficult though. That one part where you have to fight 4-5 guys at once was stupid though. Still, awesome level and probably the best of TR2.
Catacombs of the Talion 3/5 I’m a grown man and that dark room with the Yetis inside made me panic for a moment because i couldn’t find the shortkey for the flares. Those loud screams man... Besides the Yetis and tons of snow leopards it was quite unremarkable though.
Ice Palace 3/5 Returning to previous locations is a cool idea, even though it’s typical 90s „gaming“ again when you find other items in those places for no apparent reason. But perhaps i shouldn’t apply such high standards to a game from 1997. Those jumping pads were more annoying than fun and that bird end boss looked kinda silly. It’s short enough though and i like the location.
Temple of Xian 3/5 I know people love that level, but it wasn’t really my cup of tea. It wasn’t as hard as i thought but you can get lost easily at some places, even though it’s not as open as other levels. The sequence in the beginning was mean but an awesome idea! Working your way back up again was a great concept but this level is WAY too long and exhausting for my taste (and i hate spiders). I saved every 30 seconds which made the experience somewhat better.
Floating Islands 3/5 Cool and abstract idea, but i wished there would have been a FMV showing the transformation of the temple. I like the luminous green colour of that level (especially in the remaster) and those hovering guys making drone noises were creepy af, but combat isn‘t exactly a strength of the old TR games, especially if you have to move around to not get killed. That one jump through the lava gate where you have to dive or press action in order to pass through the gate is kinda bad game design if you ask me, there wasn’t a single time i had to do this before iirc.
The Dragon’s Lair 2/5 At this point i had so much ammunition that i was quite sad that i wasn‘t using some of the better guns more often in earlier levels. You will laugh but it actually took me quite a few tries to beat the boss. You can catch fire easily because shooting while jumping around (and trying not to get stuck somewhere) is kinda hard with the old tank controls and i didn’t want to change controls just to make things easier. Getting the dagger is also very fiddly because of the annoying hitboxes and the time frame is kinda short if you shot him from a distance.
Home Sweet Home 3/5 Awesome idea for a last level, but could have been a bit longer actually, they only use a fraction of the mansion. Felt like a little bonus sequence.
Conclusion: Definitely worth playing, the remaster looks great for the most part, although it's quite dark (i used Reshade to make it brighter). The game is a bit too combat-heavy and the locations could be a bit more varied, but the level design is not as outrageous as some TR3 levels. Next up: TR3! See you in a few weeks.

Hello NYC Redditors!
Last night I went to a vodka event that I signed up for at Astor Wines after buying a $46 bottle of New Amsterdam Elite Style and thought it would have been a bit more classy. It seems like the only screening for admission was being 21 and having an email address.
I’ve been to more classy events like the one for Kraken Rum and one that was kind of bucolic, in line with the theme for a craft bourbon brand that’s a subsidiary of Jim Beam. Classy enough, free swag and a selfie station that my roommate and I thought was really cool.
Last night, the hoi polloi were out. I had a cool neon shot glass I got from showing up early and one guy in an Armani Exchange shirt pointed at it and barked, “Where do I get that?” One woman draped her leopard print top over two seats next to mine and said “save these for me,” coming back 15 minutes later with six drinks — just for herself! It felt like if everyone from plentyoffish.com in 2016 were there.
I shop mostly at Astor Wines for hard to find vodkas and tequilas and am used to more upscale events for an upper class consumer. Last year, I signed up for a mailing list to get a squishy keychain at a more “local” shop in North Ft Greene and keep getting invites to cognac and malt beverage events. Even though those were a bit more “urban,” it was still classy for a free event.
I thought to myself, hmm it is kind of a democratic leveler, these free liquor events, but I would like a free event that caters to more of an upscale clientele who has more than Malibu rum and Absolut vodka in their cabinets :: side eye ::
Any info on free alcohol events that are a bit more upscale?

INFINITE FORBIDDEN

Etymology/Translation Corner
Tagline: "All the pieces / pieces of hope are right here! Unravel the infinite seal, and obliterate all your enemies!!"
CM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7nhS_nYM20
Sugoroku: "Let's go in search of new pieces! Encounters with never-before-seen monsters-- There's a heart inside each and every card, you know! Now, unravel the seal and gain hold of infinite attack power! Here comes Exodia, the Mythical Summoned God! And that's the end of my rope, it seems."
...
Sugoroku: "That's all, folks."
This is a list of translated Japanese names for all of the cards in Infinite Forbidden. See below for further notes.
Each card name is linked to an image!! (Use an image-zooming extension like Imagus to view them instantly.)
Any questions or issues you may have about the translations are welcome.

• Dragon of Pride and Soul

1. The Primitive Who Awoke from a Millennium-Long Slumber
2. The Golem That Guards the Millennium Treasure
3. Shield of the Millennium Dynasty
4. Millenniumoon Maiden
5. Millennium Absoluter
6. The Black-Clad Sorcerer - Black Magician
7. Gimmick Puppet - Little Soldiers
8. Gimmick Puppet - Bloody Doll
9. Gimmick Puppet - Cattle Scream
10. Light-End Sublimation Dragon / Dragon of Light and Sublimation
11. Dark-End Evaporation Dragon / Dragon of Darkness and Extinction
12. The Knight-in-Armor Dragon -Knight Armed Dragon-
13. Asteria of the White Forest
14. Liesette of the White Forest
15. Silvi of the White Forest
16. Lucia of the White Forest
17. Demonsmith, Engraver of Evils
18. Raika-no-Himejanome / Scourgebud the Princess's Evil Eye
19. Tenpai Dragon of Phantom Fortune / Heavenly Cup Dragon of Phantom Fortune
20. Memento Sleepy
21. Centurion Atry / Dragon Knight - Atry
22. Draightron - Nu II / Radiance Dragoncraft - Nu II
23. Missing Burroughs, Demon King of the Highest Heavens
24. The Queen of Prayers - Cosmo Queen
25. Shibirerudake
26. Faultless Turret - Disablaster
27. Mulchummy Purulia
28. Dora Dra
29. Broomy
30. Menkomori / Menko Bat
31. May Blues Leopard
32. Draightron - Meteonis=DAD / Ritual Dragoncraft - Meteonis=DAD
33. Exodia, the Mythical Summoned God
34. Light-and-Darkness Dragon Lord / Dragon King of Light and Darkness
35. Demonsmith Lacrimosa / Engraved Demon Lacrimosa
36. Demonsmith Dies Irae / Engraved Demon Dies Irae
37. Nether-Skeleton King - Mementolan Tecuhtlica
38. Silvia, Witchwolf of the White Forest
39. Luciela, Witchery of the White Forest
40. Diabell, Wraithwitch of the White Forest
41. DPA Jeanne d'Armure
42. Gimmick Puppet - Fantasix Machina
43. Chaos Xyz: Gimmick Puppet - Fanatix Machina
44. Queen Madolche Tiarafraise
45. Phoboscovoth the Heretic
46. Demonsmith Requiem / Requiescent Coffin of the Engraved Demons
47. Demonsmith Sequentia / Great Holy Coffin of the Engraved Demons
48. Raika-no-Kurokamitsuki / Scourgebud the Black Moonturtle Incarnate
49. Varmonica's Divine Symphony - Vaalar
50. Mignyard Madolche Nyacaron
51. Illumistil the Star-Studded World Tree
52. Top-Hat Hare the Silhouette Conjurer
53. Millennium Cross
54. The Temple of Wedj / The Temple of Stone Tablets
55. Exode Blaze / Devil-God Blaze Cannon
56. Mansion of the Dolls from Hell
57. Dragon's Shadow and Light
58. Legend of the White Forest
59. Enter Not Into the White Forest
60. Whispers of the Tainted Treasure
61. Demonsmith Tractus / Holy Anthem of the Engraved Demons
62. Demonsmith Sanctus / Holy Hymn of the Engraved Demons
63. Emblema of Atonement
64. Vesper Girsu / Flash of the Evening Star
65. Trap Gather
66. Hyperspatial Matter Translocator
67. Be-Back Site
68. Raging Hellfire - Exode Flame
69. Barrier of Black Magic -Mirror Force-
70. Marionette Playtime - Servist Puppet
71. The White Forest Invites Disaster
72. Demonsmith in Paradisum / Paradise of the Engraved Demons
73. Flowering of the Lustrous Phantoms
74. Guardian of Silent Voices
75. Varmonica of the Creator Deity
76. Meteorora Draightron / Radiance Meteorcraft Aurora Shower
77. Madolche Dessert
78. Dominus Purge / Pulverization of the Holy King
79. Hat-Sporting Silhouettes
80. Three as One

+1 Bonus Pack

• Exodia the Summoned God

Etymology and other trivia:

• Dragon of Pride and Soul is named after a line Seto Kaiba commonly used to describe his Blue-Eyes White Dragon in the Duel Monsters anime/manga: "My pride, as well as my soul! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!!"

Millennium/Exodia

• The Millennium theme is a reference to Story 8: Memories of the Pharaoh, the penultimate story arc in Duel Monsters, which featured various monster spirits called ka sealed inside stone tablets. They could then be called upon to fight by the Pharaoh's priests using the power of their Millennium Items. The Millennium monsters' gimmick of placing themselves in the Magic & Trap Zone is meant to emulate the way those spirits were sealed inside their tablets, and being able to forego their costs by revealing Millennium Cross is a reference to how a Millennium Item was required to use their power in the anime/manga.
• Most of the Main Deck monsters in this theme are based on Normal Monsters used by Shimon Muran in some of the early Yu-Gi-Oh! video games.
• The first three members use the Japanese word Sennen (lit. "millennium") to denote the theme name, while the latter two monsters use the English word Millennium.
• The Primitive Who Awoke from a Millennium-Long Slumber is based on the Normal Monster Millennium Primitive (Sengenjin in the TCG), which in its flavor text is described as carrying a Millennium Item. Judging from this card's artwork, the Item in question seems to have been the Millennium Shield (which in some version of its flavor text is described as being a genuine Millennium Item).
• The Golem That Guards the Millennium Treasure is based on the Normal Monster Millennium Golem, which in its flavor text is described as having guarded a certain treasure for over a thousand years.
• Shield of the Millennium Dynasty is based on the aforementioned Millennium Shield.
• Millenniumoon is a portmanteau of millennium and moon (with this monster being based on the Normal Monster Maiden of the Moonlight).
• Millennium Absoluter is based on the Normal Monster Absoluter (known as Fiend Reflection #1 in English media).
• The latter two being of the Illusion Magic tribe is a reference to how the Normal Monsters they were based on belonged to the Illusion Magic summon type in the early video games.
• Mythical Summoned God is a phrase used by Sugoroku Muto to describe the combined form Exodia takes after all its separate parts are gathered in the Duel Monsters anime/manga. This phrase also serves as the subtitle for Phantom God, an early-era OCG-only reprint set that reprinted all pieces of Exodia the Sealed One for the first time after their release in the first PREMIUM PACK. The monster itself is based on the ka version of Exodia summoned by Shimon Muran during the Memories of the Pharaoh arc, and its LP-draining effect is meant to be a reference to how using this ka was extremely draining on its wielder's life force.
• Millennium Cross is meant to resemble the Millennium Lock, the Millennium Item used by Shimon Muran.
• The Temple of Wedj is based on a location from the Duel Monsters anime/manga, in which a large number of ka, including those of the Exodia parts, were sealed inside stone tablets. Wedj is an Egyptian word which originally meant "command," but is now commonly used to refer to a stele—an upright stone slab or column typically bearing a commemorative inscription or relief design, often serving as a gravestone.
• Exode Blaze is named after the attack name of Exodia's ka in the anime/manga. The artwork depicts a scene from the anime/manga in which the ka of Exodia, controlled by Shimon, attacks Zorc Necrophades.
• Raging Hellfire - Exode Flame is the name given to Exodia's Duel-winning effect when it was first used by Dark Yugi to beat Seto Kaiba during the DEATH-T arc in the manga. The artwork depicts the scene from that Duel in which Exodia destroys Kaiba's three Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

Gold Coffer of Light

• Even though all the monsters related to Gold Coffer of Light from LEGACY OF DESTRUCTION were based on cards used by Yugi Muto during his final Duel against his other self in the anime/manga, The Black-Clad Sorcerer - Black Magician is instead based on the Black Magician used by Dark Yugi during that same Duel. This is also why this card's effect to Special Summon itself can be used even if the opponent is the one who controls Gold Coffer of Light.
• Barrier of Black Magic -Mirror Force- is likewise a reference to how Atem/Dark Yugi used Holy Barrier -Mirror Force- during the final Duel in the Duel Monsters manga, while he had Black Magician on his field. It being able to be activated in response to both an attack or a monster effect is a reference to how the original Mirror Force was also able to reflect the magical attack resulting from the effect of Yugi's Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction.

Gimmick Puppet

• Little Soldiers, specifically the one wearing the red uniform in the center, is the doll shown operating Numbers 15: Gimmick Puppet - Giant Killer in its artwork and the ZEXAL anime.
• Bloody Doll is a reference to the urban legend of the Bloody Mary—a ghost or spirit said to appear in a mirror when chanting her name repeatedly.
• The Cattle in Cattle Scream (Katoru Sukurīmu) can also be translated as the French quatre ("four"), referring to IV from the ZEXAL anime. The monster itself resembles a brazen bull—an ancient torture device, supposed to have been devised by Perillos of Athens, consisting of a hollow bull fashioned from brass in which victims were imprisoned and burned to death.
• Fantasix Machina is a portmanteau of fantastic and deus ex machina (Latin for "god from the machine")—a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly or abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. The fan part of its name is also a pun on fanservice, a phrase commonly said by IV in the anime to mockingly refer to the torment he would inflict upon his opponents. The monster itself heavily resembles IV, and its arm blades are designed to be similar to IV's D-Pad. Its two effects allowing easy use and re-use of the same Rank-Up Magic card is a reference to how, in IV's Duel against Nasch, he activated Rank-Up Magic - Argent Chaos Force three times.
• Fanatix Machina is similarly a portmanteau of fanatic and deus ex machina, and the monster's design follows the same pattern, albeit being based on IV's sadistic side rather than the well-manored one he falsely presents that Fantasix is based on.
• Mansion of the Dolls from Hell resembles the art gallery the Arclight family used for their hideout in the anime, and in which III and IV had their Tag Duel against Yuma and Kaito. Dolls from Hell is a kanji subtitle used for Gimmick Puppet in the title for Episode 114 of ZEXAL: "The Sorrowful Duelists: Infernal Rumbling of the Gimmick Puppets!!"
• Servist seems to be a portmanteau of service (referring to fanservice) and sadist. The coined Japanese phrase used for Playtime is made up of the kanji for "play" and "service," with the latter making it a cruel-sounding pun on funeral service. Its artwork is based on a scene from IV's Duel against Tetsuo and Todoroki, in which he repeatedly used his Giant Killer to destroy their two Xyz Monsters.

Light-and-Darkness Dragon

• Light-End Sublimation Dragon is a more accurate adaptation of the original Light-End Dragon, a Synchro Monster that was originally a Main Deck monster in the GX manga. Its name comes from Light-End Dragon's attack name in the manga: Shining Sublimation. Its artwork is based on a scene from the manga in which Light-End Dragon is shown attacking directly.
• Dark-End Evaporation Dragon is a similar adaptation as the above, with its name being a reference to the original Dark-End Dragon's effect name in the GX manga: Dark Evaporation. Its artwork is based on a scene from the manga in which Manjome summons Dark-End Dragon during his second Duel against Judai.
• Sublimation is the transition of a substance directly from the solid to the gas state, without passing through the liquid state, while evaporation is the process of turning from liquid into vapor.
• Knight Armed Dragon is a combination of two monsters used by Manjome in the manga: Armed Dragon (Armored Dragon in the English version) and Dragon Knight (Dragonic Knight in the TCG).
• The official summon chant for Light-and-Darkness Dragon Lord: "O dragon emerging from the rift between light and darkness! Will you fight by my side once more? Fusion Summon! Light-and-Darkness Dragon Lord!"
• Shadow and Light (Eikō) is a Japanese homophone for glory (also pronounced eikō).

Diabellstar storyline

• Asteria (lit. "starry one" in Ancient Greek) was the Titan goddess of falling stars and nighttime in Greek mythology. This monster is a child version of Diabellstar the Black Witch, both having names related to stars.
• Liesette (Rizetto) is the actual name of Diabellze the Original Sin, both having the ze sound in their Japanese names.
• Silvi is likely the original form of Tainted Treasure of Betrayal - Silvia, with its name coming from Rhea Silvia—the mythical mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, who founded the city of Rome and were suckled by a she-wolf in their infancy.
• Lucia is the original form of Tainted Treasure of Death - Luciela. The name comes from the Latin word lux (meaning "light").
• Diabell sounds like diavel (the word for "devil" in the Bolognese dialect).
• The White Forest Magic/Trap Card artworks feature puppets, shadow figures, and abstract designs, giving them a fairy-tale- and folklore-like atmosphere, likely due to the fact this part of the storyline is set in Diabellstar's childhood past.
• Whispers of the Tainted Treasure's artwork is based on the forbidden fruit—in Jewish mythology, a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden which God commands mankind not to eat. In the biblical story, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and are exiled from Eden, with this act being kn

Demonsmith

• The Demonsmith theme is based on Dies irae (pronounced DEE-ES EE-REH and Latin for "the Day of Wrath")—a medieval Latin hymn on the Day of Judgment sung in Requiem Masses.
• Lacrimosa means "to shed tears" in Latin and is the first word of the eighteenth verse in Dies irae, as well as the name for the movement which comprises its eighteenth and nineteenth verses.
• A requiem is a Mass to honor and remember a dead person. Requiescent Coffin (Chinkonkan) is a pun on the Japanese word for requiem (similarly pronounced chinkonka).
• Sequentia is Latin for sequence—a musical composition used in some Catholic Masses between the readings. Dies irae is the most famous such sequence.
• Tractus is the Latin term for a tract—an anthem of scriptural verses formerly replacing the Alleluia in certain penitential and Requiem Masses.
• Sanctus (Latin for "holy") is an ancient Christian hymn of adoration sung or said immediately before the prayer of consecration in traditional liturgies.
• In paradisum is a Latin phrase that means "into paradise." It comes from the Latin text of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass. In paradisum is often sung or recited as part of the final commendation of the deceased, as their soul is entrusted to the care of God and led into paradise.

Raika

• Himejanome is the Japanese name for the Chinese bushbrown (Mycalesis gotama), an East Palearctic species of satyrine butterfly. Janome means "snake's eye" and is derived from the fact that some species have wings with an eye-like pattern that looks like a snake's eye. The ja in the card name is instead the kanji for "evil" or "wicked."
• The kanji used for Kurokamitsuki seem to be a portmanteau of Genbu (the Black Tortoise—one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, usually depicted as a tortoise intertwined with a snake), kamigakari (Japanese for "divine possession"), kamitsukigame (the Japanese name for the commmon snapping turtle), and tsuki (Japanese for "moon").

Tenpai Dragon/Lustrous Phantoms

• Phantom Fortune (Genroku) is a pun on the Japanese mahjong term genrokuzumi (lit. "Genroku loading")—a cheating technique which involves the player loading tiles into their wall in such a way that they'll be guaranteed to draw them during play, giving them the tiles they need to complete any given yaku (scoring element) or yakuman (limit hand).
• Flowering of the Lustrous Phantoms (Sangenkaihou) is a play on the Japanese mahjong term rinshankaihō (lit. "flowering on the range")—a specific scenario that can occur during the game when a player draws a tile from the wall to complete a winning hand immediately after declaring a kan (a set of four identical tiles).

Memento

• Memento Sleepy is based on the early-era OCG Normal Monster Sleepy (Mystical Sheep #2 in the TCG), though its Fusion Summoning effect is more related to Sleepy's different-colored counterpart: Illusion Sheep (Mystical Sheep #1 in the TCG).
• Mementolan is a portmanteau of Memento and Mictlan, the underworld of Aztec mythology.

Centurion

• Atry is a corruption of the Latin ātrī (a conjugation of āter), meaning "dull black" or "dark."

Draightron

• Nu II (pronounced "NEW TWO") is likely based on Nu Draconis (also known as 𝜈 Dra, 𝜈 Draconis, where 𝜈 is the Greek letter "nu"), a double star in the constellation Draco. The respective components are designated 𝜈1 Draconis and 𝜈2 Draconis, this card being more specifically based on the latter.
• DAD is the abbreviation used for the December Alpha Draconids—a meteor shower associated with the Draco constellation. They typically peak in early December, around the 4th or 5th, and are known for producing bright, colorful meteors.
• Meteorora is a portmanteau of meteor and aurora.

Madolche

• Tiarafraise is a portmanteau of tiara and à la fraise (French for "with strawberry/ies"), a French phrase commonly used to denote desserts or drinks with a strawberry flavor.
• Mignyard (pronounced "MEE-NYAWR") is a portmanteau of the French mignard ("delicate" or "cute" and referring to mignardise—a bite-sized dessert sometimes served at the end of a meal), mi (a Japanese reading for the number three), and nya (Japanese onomatopeia for a cat's meowing). Nyacaron is likewise a portmanteau of nya and macaron—a small round cake with a meringue-like consistency, made with egg whites, sugar, and powdered almonds and consisting of two halves sandwiching a creamy filling.
• Dessert uses the French pronunciation ("DESSAIR").

Varmonica

• Vaalar is possibly named after the Valar—angelic deities in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.

Miscellaneous

• Missing Burroughs is likely named after William S. Burroughs—an American writer and visual artist known for his works in postmodernism and science fiction.
• The Queen of Prayers - Cosmo Queen is named after Cosmo Queen's Prayer, a Ritual card used to summon a Ritual Monster version of Cosmo Queen in the early Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters video games. Its effect of searching a Field Magic Card is a reference to how Cosmo Queen had the ability to change the terrain or playing field in some of those video games.
• Shibirerudake is a portmanteau of shibireru (a Japanese idiom meaning "to get excited" or "to get the tingles from an electric shock") and shibiretake (the Japanese name for Psilocybe venenata—a species of psychoactive mushroom). Because it's read dake instead of the more standard take used for mushroom names, its name can also be interpreted as saying "It's just tingling."
• Disablaster is a portmanteau of disable (referring to its negation effects) and blaster. Faultless Turret (Mukōhōtō) is a pun on the Japanse term for negation (mukō), with the second kanji having been replaced for the one meaning "hole," giving it the meaning of something with no flaws in its design.
• Mulchummy is a portmanteau of multi- and chummy (meaning "friendly"). Purulia is likely a portmanteau of purupuru (Japanese onomatopoeia for "jiggling" or "wobbling") and Aurelia (referring to Aurelia aurita, the common jellyfish).
• Dora Dra (Dora Dora) is a counterpart to Poke Dra (Poki Draco in the TCG), with a dora being a Japanese mahjong term for a special tile that increases the value of specific sets or hands. It is revealed at the beginning of the game and can change during the game based on specific rulesets or actions. Dora dora is also used as an informal term to refer to a hand that contains two dora tiles.
• Menkomori is a portmanteau of menko—a traditional Japanese children's game which involves collecting and flipping small, rectangular cards, also called menko, to try and flip over the opponent's cards—and kōmori (Japanese for "bat").
• May Blues Leopard (Gogatsubyou) is a pun on the Japanese term May blues (gogatsubyō, lit. "May disease")—the blues experienced by Japanese college freshmen or workplace recruits shortly after beginning school or work, a phenomenon that occurs during the transition after the new fiscal year starts and a week-long nationwide holiday—and the kanji hyō/byō meaning "leopard." Fittingly, its ATK-changing effects revolve around multiples of five.
• DPA stands for data protection authority—an independent public authority that supervises, through investigative and corrective powers, the application of the European Union's data protection law. Jeanne d'Armure seems to be a portmanteau of Jeanne d'Arc (the French spelling for Joan of Arc—a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation), gendarme (pronounced "ZHAWN-DARM," a member of a gendarmerie—a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population), and armure (French for "armor").
• Phoboscovoth is named after phobos (an Ancient Greek word meaning "fear" and the root of the English word "phobia"). Phobos is also the name for the Greek god of fear. Its name ending in "-oth" is possibly a reference to the names of several Cthulhu Mythos deities, as this monster is very Lovecraftian in appearance.
• Illumistil (Irumistiru) is a portmanteau of illumination, Irminsul (Old Saxon for "great pillar")—a sacred, pillar-like object attested as playing an important role in the Germanic paganism of the Saxons—and mistilteinn (Icelandic and Old Norse for "mistletoe")—the name of a legendary sword from Norse mythology. Irminsul is sometimes compared to the Norse Yggdrasil—the central sacred tree of Norse cosmology, said to encompass the entirety of the universe—due to both Irmin (Jörmunr in Old Norse) and Yggr being two of the names of Odin.
• Silhouette Conjurer (Kagehōshi) is written with the same kanji as the Japanese word for silhouette (kagebōshi) but read differently, with hōshi possibly referring to an archaic Japanese word for a sorcerer.
• Vesper (the Roman equivalent of Hesperus) is the mythological personification of the evening star—the planet Venus when it appears in the west (evening sky), after sunset.
• Hyperspatial Matter Translocator is a seemingly more accurate re-adaptation of Seto Kaiba's Hyperspatial Matter Transporter (Interdimensional Matter Transporter in the TCG), which in the Duel Monsters anime/manga was a Magic Card and simply transported the chosen monster to a different location of any kind (primarily in order to avoid an attack which targeted it). This is somewhat similar to how this card's effect temporarily banishes a monster before bringing it back immediately. Its artwork is also based on the scene from the manga in which Kaiba uses Transporter to transport his XYZ - Dragon Cannon.
• Be-Back Site (BBS) is a pun on the term bulletin board system (also initialized as BBS)—a type of computer system, now largely obsolete (though still somewhat common in Japan), used to exchange messages and data over a telecommunications network. The name is likely also a reference to Be-Bop High School—a popular Japanese delinquent manga that ran from 1983 to 2003. (Kiriban, which appears in the artwork, is based on the pop-culture stereotype of the Japanese delinquent girl.)
• Dominus is the Latin word for "master."
• Hat-Sporting Silhouettes (Kagebōshi) is, in Japanese, a portmanteau of kagebōshi ("silhouette") and bōshi ("hat").
• Three as One's artwork is a reference to how the Ojama Brothers performed the effect of Ojama Delta Hurricane!! in the GX anime.

Tournament Pack 2024 Vol.2

1. Pithy
2. The Spring-Blanketing Fairy of Seedlings and Haze
3. Fabled Demon-God Lurrie
4. Diabolos, Demon King of the Dark
5. Black Magician the Dragon Knight
6. Verz Knightmare
7. Amphibious Pod Warship - Amblowhale
8. Machine Duplication Technique
9. Exode Flame / Devil-God Flame Cannon
10. Earthen Statue in Anguish Pattern
11. Angel Statue - Azulune / Tombstone Statue Angel - Azulune

Etymology:

• Pithy comes from pithos, the Greek name of a large storage container, usually in the shape of a jar. Its flavor text seems to be a reference to the myth of Pandora's box.

Event Pack 2024

1. Critter
2. D.D. Crow
3. Raiza the Wind Emperor
4. Dark Armed Dragon
5. Honest
6. Light-Road Magician Lyla
7. Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon
8. Decode Talker
9. Release of the Soul
10. Heavy Storm
11. Cyclone
12. Lightning Vortex
13. Holy Barrier -Mirror Force-
14. Bribing the Demon Palace
15. Demon's Chain
16. Burgesstoma Canadia

"Duelist Kingdom: Collect Star Chips!" Limited Pack

1. Auss, the Charmer of Earth Spirits
2. Eria, the Charmer of Water Spirits
3. Heata, the Charmer of Fire Spirits
4. Win, the Charmer of Wind Spirits
5. Dharc, the Charmer of Dark Spirits
6. Lyna, the Charmer of Light Spirits

DUELIST KING CUP Top Prize

1. Gemini Elf

V Jump June 2024 Edition bonus card

• Galaxy War Drake / Galactic War Dragon

QUARTER CENTURY UNITY & PRIDE Campaign (side:UNITY)

1. Black Magician
2. Black Magician Girl

V Jump Books: Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Card Game Perfect Rulebook 2024 bonus card

1. Summon Sorceress

YCSJ TOKYO 2024 Commemorative Product: "Gold Coffer of Light" Duel Set

• The Silence of Time - Turn Silence

YCSJ TOKYO 2024 Commemorative Product: Diabellstar Duel Set

• Tainted Treasure of Original Sin - Snake-Eye

There will be a TLDR at the bottom haha
It's been a year and a half since I went no contact with my ex-situationship (yeah, you're probably rolling your eyes already at the word situationship...and so am I). I met this guy when I was living abroad in Europe at age 25 and ended things when I turned 29. I'm 30 now (and back in the States) but still really struggling with certain elements. I recently found out that he has a girlfriend. This may sound like it's normal and no big deal, but as you heard before...I worked for that title for years and never got it. He refused to give me the title of girlfriend and would just tell people we were "seeing each other" or "best friends who sleep together." When I met him, he hadn't had a girlfriend he claimed since 2016, though he had dated boatloads of women, none longer than 3 or 4 months, though. That last relationship (2016) was his first love and they only dated for 9 months and then SHE broke up with HIM, something I think shattered his ego and actually made him put her on a pedestal (He often compared his feelings for me to those he had for her and said he must not love me romantically because the feelings weren't the same). Before this girl, he had one other girlfriend who was official, but who he admittedly cheated on as often as he was able.
Sounds like a keeper, right? And I sound just like a dumb kid that didn't know how to let go? Yes, yes, no need to lecture me. I know this. If any person I cared about was in my situation, I know what I would say and how strongly I would advise against it and tell them their worth, but I also think I value others above myself (something that clearly contributed to me staying in this situation for so long). He did proclaim the magical "I love you" words to me, and he said he had only ever said that to his ex he he did love in 2016, but then later backtracked and said he just loved me as a person. Nonetheless, it felt like a big deal, as he had told me he didn't even say those words to his parents or them to him. So, it allegedly meant something coming from him.
Probably a few months into the relationship with him in 2019, I signed up for therapy, because my gut told me something was wrong, and I had to get out. I was holding on to the chance this man could change and he became my validation of whether I was worthy or not. I started losing weight, losing my hair, spontaneously vomiting. I was a mess. It's 2024, and I'm still largely dealing with the same themes in therapy, but it's less to do about him and what he's doing, but more to do with picking up the pieces of all the damage and the confusion that still is there. Did he love me? Did he not? Did he love me as much as someone like him is capable of loving someone but it wasn't enough? It triggered some deep childhood wounds of abandonment and an inferiority complex that I'd never be enough for anyone, and now I'm rebuilding as best I can. Don't get me wrong...I always had the choice to walk away, so I have my fair share of blame for staying despite some pretty EFFED up things, but it was hard. He knew me better than anyone else in the world ever had, even better than my own family, and I knew him. I felt understood in a lot of ways, but it became unhealthy and codependent. I'm also someone who doesn't want to "give up" on people, so I lacked boundaries. I think over time he became attached to me as well in a way he didn't so much like, as he prided himself on not forming attachments. He famously said "I would drop my mother if I didn't feel she was serving me." I think he resented me for seeing his vulnerable side and kind of peeling layers. He would sometimes say "You're the only girl I couldn't let go. I don't know why." (You're probably thinking right now that it's because I was the easiest to manipulate etc, but you can save me from that lecture too).
I've tried to cut any contact or mention, but we still have some mutuals. One morning in January I woke up with a message from a casual guy friend who knew my history with (we'll call him Joey) saying "btw would it bother you to know that Joey has a girlfriend now?" Before I could answer, he sent me a screenshot from Joey himself being like "I have a girlfriend now, but I can wingman you bro." I went into a full spiral because like I said, I begged this man for years to make things official, but not just me...he didn't call anyone his girlfriend for 8 years, so I felt the stab and that feeling of ..."He changed for someone else." It's the biggest fear for a lot of us...that we stay by someone's side and don't give up on them, hoping they will change, and then they give the next person everything we asked for. Is it real? My friends told me it probably wasn't, and that a leopard can't change his spots and Joey would never love anyone as much as he loved himself, so inevitably, he would cheat, or run away.
Fast forward to a few months later and I'm chatting casually to someone who says, "Random, but you're way more attractive than Joey's gf. I just thought she was some rando." I realized that his sentiment might have been a failed attempt at a compliment, but I do try to avoid all mention of him, because he's still in the same, vibrant city where we lived and has moved on as if I never existed in his life, and I just turned 30 (and while I know that's not actually old), I'm just struggling with the fact my life isn't where I expected it to be, and I spent the last half of the decade of my 20s fighting for someone to SEE me and acknowledge me who never did.
I was sent back into a spiral today, because I think I had tried to find closure within myself by saying he would never change and was still being a fuck boy. I've been back to the city we lived three times, and the things I did hear all corroborated that. I actually ran into him at a concert/nightclub, and he ditched his friends and went in only with a girl who he made out with a foot away from me (He told his friends he didn't see me INSIDE but the venue was tinyyy and I was with a group of girls he knew). I was hoping we could be cordial and talk and maybe end amicably, but that was it. So with this "Fuck boy who will never change" theory, I accepted that I didn't make things up and it was real, and he did feel for me strongly (in some way), but that he was incapable of committing properly. It's something he had even admitted in a drunken stupor to me...that he wished he could be who I wanted him to be, but that he didn't know if he was capable of changing and that he wishes it could be different, but it can't, because he would have to be different.
Fast forward and he has a girlfriend...and it's been over four months (a record for him for even hooking up with someone, other than with me and his two other girlfriends from nearly a decade ago). Does this mean he's changed? He was able to give this label to someone. Is she so amazing that he wanted to be better for her?
I have always been a believer in the fact that people don't change for others, but for themselves, but someone could be part of the reason they work on themselves and are inspired to change. But now that this situation happened, it's easy to fall into the spiral that I just wasn't good enough and he finally found someone that worked for him. But I also think he's dated wonderful woman with great qualities before, and I'm not referring to just myself, but smart, funny, kind women...so what's changed? Has he?
I would love to hear people's personal experiences kind of looking back at things in hindsight about their own breakups, seeing their partner move on, finding closure, and whether that partner ended up making a true change (from what you know) or if it was just an act that didn't hold up.
I am trying so hard to heal, and I get really angry at myself that I'm still so affected by this.
TLDR:
I went through a breakup and the guy I was with (who was notorious for being non-committal) has gotten himself a girlfriend. It has been a year and a half since the breakup, but I know (mostly from information that came unwillingly and then sparked my curiosity) that he's been an "F-boy" until at least October and then got in the relationship in January and they're still together.
Overall, do you think people can change that quickly? What makes someone change? Do you truly believe people change for the "right" person or is it just the timing in life or self-reflection that wills them to change?
Would love to hear anecdotes of people in their personal life and looking back in hindsight on a situation where their partner moved on and they felt they gave everything they had asked for to this new person. Was the change real? It might help other people who are having the same thoughts as me and need guidance. I feel it's a common fear and question.

Overall, my mother in law is a good person and we have had very few issues over the years. However, in recent years (maybe it's post partum Irritability or something) I've been very easily annoyed with things she does. Most the time I'm just annoyed by her trying too hard or being, in my opinion, fake. For example, she talks a lot about how her family is the world to her and her grandkids are her heart and whatever, but she talks a lot of shit about almost everyone so it's hard not to think "what does she say when we aren't around?" We also see them a lot but it never feels like they get quality time with the kids. The guys have projects they have to get done because they work during the week and it's their only opportunity but she will be on her phone, cleaning or doing other projects. It just doesn't make sense that she would make us go out of our way so she can "see her babies" but she doesn't do anything with them (gets them toys or other distractions). Other things that made me irrationally angry: - She either intentionally or subconsciously picks pictures where I don't look great.
-She sent me a picture of the most hideous outfit (Halloween themed) and asked "she'll be x months old by Halloween yes?" I then politely told her it wasn't my style and she said she just figured she would ask. Later I saw her in person and we got talking about leopard print and the outfit she sent me came up and she got flustered and said she just "thought it was funny and wanted to show it to me" and that she "would never buy something like that" She has baught similar outfits for my daughter before.
-yesterday I made a comment about eyes. My hubby has blue, almost grey eyes. My son has very deep blue eyes and my baby daughter has the exact same eyes as her dad (I have green so neither one of them got it from me). I made a comment about how my son has blue too but my daughter has the exact same. She smiled and went on and on about how deep blue my husband's eyes were...while looking at the grey baby blues of my baby girl. idk why this bugged me but it did. Does she not know what color his eyes are now? Did she just not want to back peddle? I would have said "oh, her eyes are really grey and light, are his that way now? They used to be x" or something.
-I dont think this one is irrational: She buys perfume for everyone for Christmas even though she knows full well her other daughter in law is allergic. It's been close to 15 years. When I asked her "isn't x allergic to perfume?" She responded "only to some" with a shrug and continued picking out stuff from bath and body works. Her soaps are all scented as well. When I joined the family she got my favorite scent and colored things (she asked me for the info) but she didn't bother for the other in law. She later cried to me about how terrible that felt to her. t's been 10 years and now she doesn't bother to get my favorites anymore either. I'm pale, red headed and like blues, greens and purples. This year she got me a makeup color palet (from the dollar store, she got us all one) and it was red and oranges... I've told her multiple times those aren't my colors and I don't like red in general. I know we've had these conversations because maroon is her favorite. I've said I like it other people. Just not on me. I threw it away when we got home and my Husband seemed offended 🙄 She has had a lot of health issues so I don't know if she doesn't care (like with other SIL) Or if she just genuinely doesn't remember 🤔

I'm working through a circus themed o&g army, and want to get a strong man giant (ideally leopard print tunic style).
Any one know whether any of the gw (or 3rd party) models would suit this well?

https://preview.redd.it/2hnea5i3iowc1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=b37c6917f44df273e3e96948887272b4483003df
Hi, my name is Sleepy but here it is Ghosterized. I'm fundraising for a project of mine that I feel like other people could get excited for too. A One Piece Minecraft server built from the ground up with all custom plugins. It would include a multitude of things and I'm going to share them with you here. This is a brief overview of the systems I'd like to incorporate into the server. This is One Piece World. A fully fledged Minecraft open-world MMO RPG with raids, trials, mounts, devil fruits, and unique GUI's and systems. I have been wanting this for awhile and I plan on delivering on it. I need the money to hire: developers, modelers, artists, effect artists, and other freelance work. I have a lot more to discuss that I want added and hell, who knows, maybe 20k isn't enough, but at least is it a start. I believe in this project with my heart and soul and I know I could manage a team and deliver an amazing One Piece experience like no other. I will listen to the community and add features suggested by them, I will engage with the community, do Q and A's, I want my community to know I love what I'm doing.

Race System

When players join the server, they are randomly assigned a race, each with unique abilities:
Mink:
Increases player speed.
Grants bunny ears for a whimsical touch.
Fishman:
Enhances swimming speed.
Adds a fin on the player’s back.
Skypiean:
Allows higher jumps.
Provides angel wings.
Humans:
Gain an extra 2 hearts for increased durability.
Players can also purchase race tokens to customize their race. A custom GUI displays race options, and there’s even a race spin wheel for random selection.

Haki System

Players have an extra hotbar slot for haki abilities:
Armament Haki:
Hardens the player’s skin, increasing damage dealt.
Applies to fists or swords (if equipped).
Gives a black, hardened appearance to items/entities.
Observation Haki:
Allows detection and sensing of nearby entities.
Entities appear with a blue, misty soul-like aura visible through blocks.
Conqueror’s Haki:
Rare chance upon joining the game.
Unleashes chaotic red waves of energy, damaging everything nearby.

Devil Fruits

Fire Fruit:
Fire Bullets: Shoots three fire bullets.
Fireball: Shoots a big fireball.
Fire Column: Creates a column of fire shooting up from the ground.
Ice Fruit:
Cold Tornado: Generates an icy tornado that sucks players in, throws them high into the air, and stuns them.
Ice Wall: Creates a wall of ice.
Ice Shards: Shoots three shards of ice.
Water-to-Ice Transformation: Turns water into ice when walked upon.
Dark Fruit:
Dark Slash: Executes a black slash attack.
Blackhole: Summons a black orb that pulls entities toward it, dealing damage once they reach the hole.
Blind: Creates a smokescreen of darkness that blinds nearby players.
Light Fruit:
Golden Sword: Comes with a golden sword made of light.
Light Ray: Fires a golden ray of light.
Light Bullets: Shoots three golden bullets.
Reflection of Light: Enables teleportation.
Gum-Gum Fruit:
Pistol: Extends the arm forward, dealing damage to everything in its path.
Smash: Extends the arm into the air and comes down, creating a powerful smash attack.
Sweeping Kick: Performs a leg sweep with knockback.
Love Fruit:
Pink Bow: Comes with a pink bow with infinite heart arrows.
Heart Shot: Fires a pink bow shot that moves faster and in a straight line, dealing more damage than regular bows.
Heart Explosion: Fires a pink bow shot that moves fast and explodes into a heart on impact, causing area-of-effect damage.
Heart Attraction: Temporarily prevents affected entities from harming the user.
Phoenix:
Transformation: Transforms into a blue-fiery phoenix with wings, gaining the ability to fly.
Blue Fire Ray: Shoots a ray of blue flames.
Slam: Flies into the air and slams down, creating a fiery explosion.
Blue Fire Bullets: Shoots three blue flame bullets.
Lightning:
Lightning Ball: Creates a stationary ball of lightning that damages those near and inside it.
Thunderstorm: Unleashes a barrage of lightning strikes.
Judgment: Delivers one massive lightning strike lasting for three whole seconds.

Virtual Dojo

A dedicated space where players can enter and face waves of enemies or complete obstacle courses. Mastery points are rewarded for both Devil Fruit powers and Haki.

Bosses

Bosses will have portals at spawn for raids:
Captain Buggy: Can separate his body parts to attack. Drops: Captain’s Coat.
Crocodile: Uses sand powers to create sandstorms and quicksand traps. Drops: Hook.
Enel: Strikes with lightning bolts from a distance. Drops: Golden Staff.
Rob Lucci: Transforms into a leopard, with increased speed and strength. Drops: Cipher Pol Jacket.
Gecko Moria: Summons shadows to fight alongside him. Drops: Giant Scissors.
Donquixote Doflamingo: Controls players with strings and creates clones. Drops: Pink Feather Coat.
Kizaru: Moves at the speed of light, delivering fast attacks. Drops: Marine Admiral Coat.
Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom): Summons homies to attack players. Drops: Napoleon Hat.

Bounty Multipliers

Apply multipliers to bounties based on specific conditions. For example:
Notoriety: Bounties increase faster if a player defeats other high-bounty players.
Crew Influence: Bounties rise when a player leads a powerful crew or alliance.
Quest Accomplishments: Completing challenging quests grants temporary bounty boosts.

Bounty Quests

Create special quests related to bounties. These could involve hunting down notorious players, retrieving stolen treasures, or capturing elusive criminals.
Completing these quests rewards players with both experience and bounty points.
Bounty Notices.
Broadcast bounty notices globally or within specific regions when players reach a certain bounty/rank, creating excitement and encouraging PvP interactions.

Factions

Faction Leaders: At the spawn, there will be distinct areas designated for each faction leader. These leaders can be NPCs (Non-Player Characters) that provide quests, information, and faction-specific interactions.
Point System: Each faction will have its own unique point system. Points can be earned through completing faction-specific quests, defeating enemies, or participating in events. These points can be used in faction shops to purchase items, upgrades, or special abilities.
Shops: Every faction will have its own shop with items and perks relevant to their theme. For example, the Pirate shop might sell ship upgrades, while the Marine shop could offer armor and weapons.
Bounty Points: In addition to their unique points, all factions will reward players with bounty points. These points reflect a player’s notoriety and can be used to unlock special content or participate in server-wide events.
Faction Ranks: Players can rise through the ranks of their chosen faction by earning points and completing objectives. Higher ranks unlock more privileges and access to exclusive areas.

Crews

Crew system: acts like the traditional guild system found in other servers and games that players can create and recruit for. However, this does not mean you can attack another player or crew and destroy their base. Destroying other players' bases is prohibited. There will be protection for player bases. Crews can accumulate crew points based on the bounty increase (if you join with a high bounty it won't matter, you only affect the crew points for raising your bounty once joining the crew) or by beating bosses and other trials. Crew points can be used to purchase items and weapons.

Misc Information:

Currency, PVP arena (a battlegrounds where everyone fends for themselves), weapons, gear, misc items, foods, crate shop. Ranks and prefixes. Have an NPC that has quests for ranks, like getting 1000 marine points, killing 20 players, idk stuff like that. It’s basically like a title. It will show up beside your name in chat. Spawn is a safe haven with portals to dimensions with bosses, trials, events, quests, the virtual dojo, faction NPC’s, shop NPC’s, crates, haki quests, and the devil fruit trader (3 random devil fruits will be available daily, however you are allowed to purchase all devil fruits with IRL money and you get to keep them forever. Fruits sold with the in game currency will not get to be kept if you eat another devil fruit). Outside of spawn you may play normally and build your bases and complete quests for your factions, however PVP is enabled and expect to have to fight from time to time!
A link to the GoFundMe can be found on the discord! Only join if you're interested in investing or donating!
https://discord.gg/zZbx9HBe6J

Note: Template for post courtesy of u/YakFuji, copying for purposes of record keeping this week. Except for some editing to plug in information from this week's challenge, all credit should go to u/YakFuji.

What Is Fashion Report?

It's a weekly event held at the Gold Saucer where you can earn in excess of 60,000 MGP (10,000 for taking part, 50,000 for scoring 80 or more... you can get more using FC or personal MGP buffs) a week just by equipping some glamours. After weekly reset; we get hints as to a set of glamours we need to wear which is then up for scoring on Friday. It's the same for everyone so even if you don't want to join in with the guessing game below; you can wait for the results and present your outfit and get some easy MGP. Current and previous results can also be found on this query thread or alternatively follow Kaiyoko for the Friday results thread.
Best guess is worked out by historical results (repeat results) or in the case of new clues, community effort
Kaiyoko will usually have the results post up upon Friday reset

Hints For This Week

Theme

[EN] Pantheran Pirate [JP] [DE] [FR] Coeurl de pirate [CN] [KO] 

Head

[EN] Leaping Leopards [JP] [DE] [FR] Pelage léopard [CN] [KO] 

Body

[EN] Shivering Timbers [JP] [DE] [FR] Pirates des mers [CN] [KO] 

Hands

[EN] The Great Sigmascape [JP] [DE] [FR] Sigmatrice [CN] [KO] 

Legs

[EN] Short Shorts [JP] [DE] [FR] Ultra-court [CN] [KO] 

** Google Translate

Sources

[EN] https://imgur.com/a/YjO0cku
[JP]
[DE]
[FR]
[CN]
[KO]

Template

Please if you have the other languages and can translate; include native language and translation e.g."With Pockets (Mit Taschen)"Template For Answer... English Language (Local Language)

[Theme] _ () [Body ] _ () [Hands] _ () [Legs ] _ () [Feet ] _ () [IMG ] _ [URL TO IMAGE] ([link to /r profile] username) 

Best guess is worked out by historical results (repeat results) or in the case of new clues, community effort
Kaiyoko will usually have the results post up upon Friday reset