I found this game while browsing the steam sale. It looks super fun even solo, but I'm a little picky about games so I want to know some things.

1. are any of the dlc necessary to show the game or is the base game on its own enough? Most of them seem to be packs but a lot have a mixed rating. Which ones would you recommend I use or at least get at some point?
   
2. I'm a scale from 1-10, how difficult is this game solo, and how do the respawn mechanics world for this? Do I lose everything like some other survival games or is it more forgiving to compensate the difficulty if it's on the higher end?
   
3. How much time investment does this game require? I don't really beat long games that often because I enjoy the journey the most, but is there a real incentive to beat it or am I free to simply play as I see fit?
   
4. Do you believe the full price is fair for what it is?
   

I'm looking up this information from other places, but I figure input from people other than content creators or game articles would be invaluable.
Thank you in advance

Hey, my girlfriend and I are looking for another couple to befriend. We want to become a little 4 person friend group and play games together, watch movies, hit each other in the face, whatever else we decide on honestly, all of it would be fun. Except maybe that last thing.
We want to become good long term friends and hang out semi-regularly. How often would depend on our wild schedules. So instead let's plan hangouts out individually each time, down to the day and time. We try our hardest to honor all of the plans we make and will almost never cancel, and if we do, we'll reschedule and tell you what happened.
As for the gamer part of "gamerpals", we're mostly interested in playing co-op games and we only play on PC, though my girlfriend does have a switch that she plays on sometimes (not as often anymore because she's busy with life sadly). We have: lethal company, don't starve together, risk of rain 2, deep rock galactic, terraria, plateup, bloons td6, satisfactory, tabletop simulator, ultimate chicken horse, various web games, etc. We're always open to trying out new games, though we probably won't get them until they're on sale. Sorry, money does grow on trees but only in a very abstract sense.
We're both chill people, mildly autistic (i apologize if either of us accidentally says anything that upsets you, please bring it up if it happens), introverted at first but as we warm up to you we'll become more extroverted. Does that even make sense? Or would that just make us ambiverts?
Anyway, hope to hear from you. If I didn't respond to you in the past, then I have no clue why honestly, my memory is so bad that I barely remember what I did yesterday let alone what I did weeks or months ago.

Recently I’ve started building computers back in August 2023 as a fun side hustle
Over the course of eight months, up until April, I’ve built 14 computers and sold 12 of them, the other 2 are for personal use.
Most of the time, I buy mediocre used parts since it’s cheap and can still run great. I’m talking about gtx 970’s, some amd r9 cards, and some older intel 6th and 7th gen chips. I get everything for a really cheap price, then I sell it for at least a $250+ profit.
The reason why I think this lil side hustle is kind of scummy is because most of my clients were kids and they had their mom buy it for them, which I know damn well I’m ripping them off for the price because I myself wouldn’t pay this much, but they’re still cheaper than brand new computers. My most recent sale was a guy I kind of know, and I told him every single spec, down to the last minute detail, and he still offered to trade his PS5 + gave me $100 cash for the shitty pc I built him. Is it partially my fault for scamming him, or am I just a good businessman for advertising these computers so well? I’m scared of getting jumped by this guy if he finds out he got ripped off.

The game's every system, and I mean EVERY system, is copy pasted from survival/crafting games. Game lacks originality but sometimes even that is not a problem if implemented well or tweaked, following is my personal opinion, this game does a poor job of copy pasting these ideas, anyone who thinks the combat in the last alpha was a placeholder and they'll change it is setting themselves up for a huge shock.
Anyway, why is this game being marketed as MMO, not survival/crafting as it should, it's simple. Survival/crafting genre is bloated, every month there's a new mainstream game, but if a game in this genre isn't even remotely fun, it will do bad numbers sales wise and player count wise. Look at Nightingale player count, a game that was not good. Look at Palworld and Enshrouded that came out so close to each other but the former was more fun than the latter and sales/playercount reflects that. On top of these, Rust reigns supreme survival game. These games' audiences will simply abandon and go back to other survival games if the new one isn't shiny enough, they don't make excuses like "this game has potential".
On the other hand, no matter how terrible the gameplay or monetization or endgame loop or any other system is bad in an MMO, its entire subreddit is filled with "this game has potential", "they're starting to listen", "don't listen to %80 overwhelming negative reviews on Steam". No matter how much shit they are served, MMO players will eat it up and thank the chef for it. New World, a game that almost crashes when a server gets close to 3k players still has a loyal 6-7k people playing to this day and ruthlessly defending the game, Lost Ark has 100 bots per a player, and the same thing. Many more MMOs like these too, and they still get people to use ingame shops, in survival games, you'll be laughed at and bullied away if you try to sell something in cash shop when your game is not enjoyable.
TL:DR this game is marketed as MMO but is not one, and will attract the worst crowd in gaming, zergs. Will suffer the same fate as Last Oasis.

The game's every system, and I mean EVERY system, is copy pasted from survival/crafting games. Game lacks originality but sometimes even that is not a problem if implemented well or tweaked, following is my personal opinion, this game does a poor job of copy pasting these ideas, anyone who thinks the combat in the last alpha was a placeholder and they'll change it is setting themselves up for a huge shock.
Anyway, why is this game being marketed as MMO, not survival/crafting as it should, it's simple. Survival/crafting genre is bloated, every month there's a new mainstream game, but if a game in this genre isn't even remotely fun, it will do bad numbers sales wise and player count wise. Look at Nightingale player count, a game that was not good. Look at Palworld and Enshrouded that came out so close to each other but the former was more fun than the latter and sales/playercount reflects that. On top of these, Rust reigns supreme survival game. These games' audiences will simply abandon and go back to other survival games if the new one isn't shiny enough, they don't make excuses like "this game has potential".
On the other hand, no matter how terrible the gameplay or monetization or endgame loop or any other system is bad in an MMO, its entire subreddit is filled with "this game has potential", "they're starting to listen", "don't listen to %80 overwhelming negative reviews on Steam". No matter how much shit they are served, MMO players will eat it up and thank the chef for it. New World, a game that almost crashes when a server gets close to 3k players still has a loyal 6-7k people playing to this day and ruthlessly defending the game, Lost Ark has 100 bots per a player, and the same thing. Many more MMOs like these too, and they still get people to use ingame shops, in survival games, you'll be laughed at and bullied away if you try to sell something in cash shop when your game is not enjoyable.
TL:DR this game is marketed as MMO but is not one, and will attract the worst crowd in gaming, zergs. Will suffer the same fate as Last Oasis.

Welcome GiftofGames to the attempt number 8 of requesting cod mwIII another sale has came in which is for a week so I only have 2 other attempts before it's over I hope to be lucky this time (btw the game is on free trial for mp and zombies but hurry only 1 day left)

What Is MWIII?

A Game from the famous call of duty franchise and its the latest one.

Why MWIII?

Well am gonna be honest with yall my brother got a new pc and both of us play warzone on it its just fun if someone dies the other one take control and so on we tried mwiii mp when it was on free trial and it was even more fun than resurgence it reminded me of my old days with CODM and we really wanted to try it for longer and try to get progression camos but we didn't made it (sadly it's hard on warzone)

Why Don't both of you share and buy it?

The people that know me from my first request of Minecraft ( thank you lorex6 we are really enjoying it) will know that i live in a country that doesn't support transcations online outside of it and since we in Africa and economy there low 10$ usd gift cards are sold for 15$ and our third party sellers sell for higher than that and other cheap one are often scammers which makes it harder to me that Activision dont do regional pricing so its too much for me and my brother (both students) to buy it.

Why Will I Buy it for you?

Ain't that what this amazing subreddit for gifting games to strangers? to make them happy? I am really feeling bad for requesting expensive games cuz i cant afford them if it was like 10 ill save up and get it but its expensive for 70$ but since its on sale am just trying my luck

Thank You #

Thank you for reading my request and ofc again thanks to all the gifters on this subreddit
SteamID MWIII

Dear Insta360 team,
In the last month, I have purchased a one RS 1-inch 360 edition, an Ace Pro, an X4, two black Go 3, one white Go 3, and a spare standalone Go 3 camera in both black and white, so I have learned a lot about your company. I think you guys are really innovating, but please do try to follow USA ethical and legal standards more as they exist for a reason.
Now, to the topic of this post: can you please help me understand why you have added charging contacts to the bottom of the action pod for the Go 3? There are charging contacts on both the Go 3 camera AND the action pod, and yet Insta360 doesn't sell anything like the charging quick connector that is for sale on Amazon.
So anyway, I ordered one of the pivot stand versions of the powered quick connector to see if it can be used as a charging dock for the action pod so I don't have to plug a USB cable into the action pod every time, and I ordered one of the non-pivot stand versions as well to see if I can make a power pendant with a small USB power bank I found with exactly the same design aesthetic of a little white lozenge that you used on the standalone camera unit. If this product works as advertised then I won't need the action pod at all and can leave it at home since the app can do pretty much everything the action pod can do.
In addition to a power pendant with quick connector for the standalone camera, there needs to be a powered hat clip with quick connector. I have been trying to invent one with aftermarket parts but it won't really look right, the way the hat clip looks minimalist and unobtrusive.
You should know, I really do think many people come to this camera for the truly unique shot possibilities but, having watched a crap ton of reviews, I think they stay for the unobtrusive POV vlogging while getting coffee and getting on the plane and stuff... places you'd feel weird filming, but you totally do not with the Go 3 on the pendant or hat clip. Without the LED on, people don't even know they are being filmed and act naturally. You'll probably even forget you're wearing it yourself, capturing all the natural life around you that you'd miss owning any other camera that you'd have to bust out and power on, or wear some sort of chest mount and look weird.
p.s. "How good is the Insta360 Go 3" (hint: its indestructible!) and ""Insta360 Ace Pro had a major flaw. So I fixed it." both by make(dot)art(dot)now (no dots so it doesn't become a link) are a must watch on Youtube. You guys struck gold with this guy! He's as much fun as the guys who throw stuff off of a dam to see if it will bounce, and way smarter. Free advice: get him to make more videos for you.
p.p.s. why no diopter for the Ace Pro to fit like the ND filters like this guy suggested? Sure, there's aftermarket 49mm and 52mm adapters, but you should absolutely offer one that would slip on and off easily and not have to be unscrewed and oversized.

Background: I (19F) transferred to a new college closer to home because it was more affordable, but even with these changes, I can barely afford to pay for food, rent, and classes. I’m constantly sick and underweight from stress and lack of nutrition. I know people have it worse financially, and this might sound whiny, I’m just struggling atm. If I “act out” (do art, relax, be introverted, dress/talk a certain way), my finances are threatened, which stresses me out because I share ownership of my bank account with both my parents. And if I need financial support, I often have to call and beg. I don’t like doing it, and she doesn’t like it either, and tells me about how she was able to do it all back when she was in college. And my family is well off, I went to school in a good area, got multiple Christmas presents, and would always go on summer vacations growing up, so money in the family is plentiful. In contrast, my brother is having a wonderful college experience traveling across the country, going out at night with friends, and eating at nice restaurants all paid for by my parents. And since I’ve been out of the house, they travel more frequently. We got that dough! Well, they do. I might sound a bit bitter, and that's because I am, but I’m at least glad that my brother doesn’t have to feel this stress.
The Tea: Now for where this subreddit is relevant. My mom has been working to start a business for a year. It started with social media, and I think she blew up? I don’t check social media much these days. She has a loyal fanbase, and she started putting all her effort into opening up her own shop. I’ve helped her with content, aesthetics, marketing, products, a couple times a week since the start, because she seems so excited; and with her busy with this, there’s been way less of her dumping all of her problems (financial, depressive episodes, or otherwise) onto me, and our relationship has gotten a lot better, or so I thought.
She’s been really anxious recently because my dad is ready to retire and live a quieter life, away from the hustle and bustle, which means leaving behind this lavish lifestyle and live more simply, or in short: downsize. Less shopping hauls, presents, and vacations. He’s worked hard for so long and he’s tired and he gets sick often, nothing serious, but I think it would be healthy for him to stop, plus he’s lucky enough that he is able to do so; but she’s doesn’t want to lose it, and change can be pretty hard sometimes. She called me last week asking me to move across the country, to a building she purchased, not remotely close to home, and work as the manager. I would be the only employee, as she wants to only hire people she can trust. I would do all the marketing, create all the merch, learn and eventually to operate inventory, keep track of all sales, bookkeeping, and essentially run the shop.
When I heard this, I knew I didn’t want to do it. I was happy to help her this much, but all of this is so sudden and not what I’d signed up for. I want to stay in school and explore my own life, and I don’t want to put that on hold for anyone. I’m in the interview process for an internship, I work summers, overload classes so I don’t have to spend as much, plus I’m working on a business myself, but I don’t really have funds, so it’s really small now, but it’s something, and I have regular supporters that frequently purchase from me.
I told her this, and safe to say, she was quite upset, and sends me paragraphs upon paragraphs regularly, to remind me. “This is just what kids do for their parents” “You’re being selfish, only thinking about yourself, and not my dream” “This will be a good for you, this is the best job you’ll ever have, you’ll hate everything else out there” “The kids of all my friends are working harder, you’re slacking off” “Do you really want to stop traveling? I know I’m not going to give that up” (By the way, I haven’t been invited to a family vacation since high school, so that never really applied to me.)
She especially didn’t like that I had started my own business. I launched it a month ago, and I’ve made $150! It’s not much, but I’m proud of myself, especially working from nothing and no support, but she told me “I make more money than you, so this should be prioritized.” So I asked her what payment would be, because at this point we’ve been talking for 2 hours and I’m exhausted, and she said that we could “come up with a compromise that would work for the both of us.” So does that mean I don’t get paid?? I asked and she didn’t answer at first, later saying payment would come if she deemed I was working hard and putting in effort. Um…? and now she’s beginning to move my stuff, like my bed, over to the location so I can live nearby.
As for my dad, he’s gone silent, I got one email from him last week, basically saying that ‘he’s ok, he’s taking care of a lot of things right now, things are stressful, but not unexpected.’ I haven’t been able to get ahold of him since, which concerns me because I don’t know if something is wrong, and I’m so anxious. My mom tells me worse and worse things about what’s happening to him, and I could make it better if I took some responsibility and supported the family.
And no, she hasn’t asked my brother for help, she doesn’t talk to him about the serious stuff, they just kinda joke around and do fun stuff together when he’s around. I’m the oldest, so I always grew up needing to be the role model. I’ve already started rolling out her ad campaigns and logos and product design (for free), because I feel so guilty for not repaying my family for everything they’ve done for me. (Yes, I’m a doormat.) I don’t want to be selfish, or troublesome, or lazy, or mean, and I’m trying my best to balance it with my school and my work, but I want to live my own life and find what makes me happy, I have so much hope for what I can do to make a difference in this world! My way! But at the same time, it just feels so strongly like what I want to do is the wrong thing to do. I’m not exactly financially independent, and my main support system is gone, so I’m at a loss for what to do.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading.<3

Monthly Merchandise Megathread #39!

Hello everyone! This is a mega thread for merchandise sales in which /Neopets members can advertise and find sales of Neopets merchandise with ease here. This thread will not be pinned after today, but it will be added to the sidebar.
Please read the following information carefully and trade safely!

Rules

• Sellers must abide by our 90/10 Advertising Rule:

Some Neopets-related promotional posts/comments are allowed if you are an active member of the subreddit. A maximum of 10% of your contributions can be promotional; the other 90% should be meaningful and active engagement in other conversations here.

• Please do NOT advertise a sales post in private messages/chats, thread comments, or in a new post. Don't treat the Neopets community as your own personal cash cow.
  
• If you are selling NC Cards, please follow and adhere to the 90/10 rule as outlined above.
  
• NC Cards/Merch/Codes are NOT to be traded with NP/NC items as that is against site rules.
  
• Art, craft, and coding commissions are NOT allowed due to the legal complications involved. (We are waiting to re-evaluate this once the Neopets Fan Art program fully releases.) Additionally, we do not condone DMing random people to sell merch either.
  
• Moderators have no liability with respect to any conducted transactions.
  
• Moderators are not liable for lost funds or time. We cannot help you get your money back/your merch. It is YOUR responsibility to uphold your end and choose partners wisely. Caveat Emptor.
  
• Moderators will step in if we receive multiple reports that a user is abusing the marketplace via not delivering works, not paying or any other breach of trust.
  

General

• This thread is in CONTEST MODE This is to discourage downvoting in order to increase everyone's visibility and make it fairer for participants arriving throughout the day. All posts are randomized!
  
• Please observe all rules as outlined in our community and discussion guidelines! (Check out the nifty sidebar!)
  
• The plan is to have a mega thread every first Saturday of the month.
  
• Reminder: NEVER mention Reddit (or any variations thereof like Read It, Arr! Neopets, Blue Aliens, “that other site”, etc) or this thread on Neopets itself! We are not an officially affiliated fansite and doing so can put your account—or the ones of others—at risk of getting frozen!
  

Courtesy

• If you do gift, gift at your own discretion.
  
• Exercise caution when it comes to new Reddit/Neopets accounts posting on the thread.
  
• Please don’t be rude and steal other people’s sales if they are not intended for you.
  
• There is to be no begging or harassment of any kind.
  
• Report any suspicious individuals to the mods! This thread is a free-for-all chaotic mess most of the time and not micro-managed in any manner.
  

FAQ

Is Selling NC Cards/Merch/Codes Neo-Legal?

• See Neopian Times, Issue 529 (tl;dr: Yes, but no exchanging on-site NP/NC for IRL Merch)

Hi, TNT. While I was browsing through eBay, I found Neopets trading cards for sale. There are so many, and I was interested in buying some, but wouldn't that be against the rules? I don't really think it would be, but I'd rather ask than risk my account. I'm not 100% sure, but can't you redeem codes from the cards in the packs and get items? Would that then be considered buying items? ~i_luv_cows12345
No, physical merchandise produced or officially licensed by us is just fine to buy, sell, or trade online. This includes stuff like real life plushies, action figures, TCG cards, etc. Codes are considered a legitimate part of these items. Items you cannot buy or sell online are virtual items, Neopoints, Neopets, or accounts.

• See Neopian Times, Issue 610 (tl;dr: Yes, but no exchanging on-site NP/NC for IRL Merch)

Hi, TNT! I have an odd question for you.... about commissions. Now, I know taking them in exchange for anything on Neopets is against the rules, as is doing commissions with Neopets characters. However... what about real-life merchandise? I'm the sort that's willing to take trades, and I was wondering: could someone pay me in Neopets plushies? What about rare item codes, or Neocash? (the cards, not actual on-site NC items) I mean, people sell the item codes on eBay all the time, so wouldn't that be okay? As far as NC cards go, if I'm just going to buy them anyway, why not save a step? Would these be against the Terms & Conditions because they give things on the site itself? I mean, obviously, it still wouldn't be okay to do a commission OF Neopets, but in exchange for merchandise, where do you guys stand? (please remove my username) ~username removed
As you said, as long as you aren't taking commissions of Neopets intellectual property, you're welcome to trade or sell your real-world merchandise however you'd like. According to Lawyerbot: "Trading plushies, rare item codes, NC cards, etc. for real-life merchandise is fine. I once traded my brother's turtle to a friend for a Shadow Uni Plushie.

Can I just send the Space Faerie Code, but keep the items?

• See Neopian Times, Issue 651 (tl;dr: Yes)

Hi, TNT! So, I had a question about gifting rare item codes, Space Faerie codes, site theme codes (like Puzzle Adventure), etc. I know it is against the rules to ask for anything like "tips" or compensation in return for gifting a code, as well as selling codes. However, is it against the rules to ask someone to return the item that they got from the code itself? Say someone receives a plushie from redeeming a code. Is it okay to ask that they return the plushie, or would it be better to say something like, "I would greatly appreciate if you return the item, but it's not required" since non-requested thank you gifts are allowed? I just wanted to be sure. Thank you for your time! Also, a side note: I LOVE YOU, TNT. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 9+ YEARS NOW AND NEOPETS IS AWESOME. spreads love Please remove my username. ~username removed
If the receiver is kind enough to return the item from the code, we wouldn't consider it any sort of "tip" due to the nature of Rate Item Codes. That said, once you give away the code, it is up to the codebearer to decide what to do with the item. You can ask them as you phrased the example above, but code gifting is an unsupported transaction and we will likely be unable to assist if the person chooses to keep the item.

Where can I redeem codes?

• Redeem most codes at the Grundo Warehouse.
  
• Redeem Neocash Cards codes here.
  
• Redeem TCG codes at the Neopets TCG Prize Code Redemption.
  

What Neopets Merchandise gives out the Space Faerie challenger?

Products that can reward the Space Faerie challenger are:

• Old Neocash Mystery Capsules Codes
  
• Fun Pak Codes
  
• Comic-Con Codes
  
• Newer Merch Codes (Geekify, What’s Your Passion, etc.), etc.
  
• TCG, Current Neocash, and Promotional Rare Item Codes do not reward the Space Faerie challenger.
  

Neopets Official Merch

• Neopets Shop
• What’s Your Passion
• Geekify
• More here: Merch Partners

Neopets Fan Art Program

• Calling All Creative Neopians! (Jan 10, 2024)
• The Neopets Fan Art Program will be a platform to showcase trusted and approved sellers who create quality Neopets-inspired artwork. This means approved sellers can legitimately sell digital Neopets products and commissions for real-world currency, with support directly from Neopets. Approved sellers will be featured on a dedicated page directly on Neopets.com, with an opportunity to share your work and build connections with potential clients and customers! There, Neopets will be able to link visitors to your store to purchase directly, meaning you won’t have to worry about any fees from Neopets! Your earnings will be 100% your own. This will also protect you and give you confidence in providing your services without risk of copyright infringement or rule violations on your Neopets account.

Yesterday, I had my graduation ceremony. After years of university with absolutely no help besides occasional rides to the bus stop and, very rarely, to campus, I finally graduated. Here's what my parents have done in the lead-up to graduation and the day after instead of supporting me.
My parents spent months leading up to the graduation freaking out about how I'll get a job, trying to control my hair and clothing (even implying I'm ugly when I choose my own hair and clothing), harassing me to hand out business cards to everyone I meet (especially if the situation would be an immense faux pas), grilling me on if my grades are good, lecturing me relentlessly about how I need to keep in contact with people in my class and it's soooo important and would I like to hear about how my dad got a job through nepotism for the eightieth time, asking me questions they already know the answers to (Yes, I'm still talking to my former classmates. Yes, I know that you worked in the Yukon when you were 18. Yes, I know about your friend who worked in a weather station. Yes, I know you had to move to find a job in the 1980s. Yes, I am aware that it is a possibility I might have to move too. Yes, I know that it's okay to invite people over to the house, you've only "informed" me about a hundred times. Yes, I know that school is important.) Every single thing that they "inform" me about is something I have very clearly expressed that I understand, and is just thinly veiled criticism. But my dad needs to lecture more than he needs oxygen.
Just constant nitpicking, criticism, and nothing I ever did was enough. I couldn't even focus on grades, because they would in their own words "put pressure on" me to do what they wanted. To handle their emotions for them. They're obsessed with the idea that I would have to move to a tiny town or work in a coal mine to find a job, because I'm more highly educated than my dad (who dropped out of university despite having all expenses paid by his father), and because my dad worked in the Yukon for two summers. He will never shut up about that, and he even goes so far as to hold us hostage with implicit threat of a massive tantrum to listen to him tell us the story again and again and again and to show us pictures of the place he worked on Google maps and point to everything he remembers. Sometimes he can go on for half an hour just repeating himself over and over.
Last summer, my parents even went and took action without my knowledge or approval to try and get a job set up for me cleaning up a mine contaminated with arsenic in the middle of nowhere, NWT. They tried to guilt and shame me into it ("What are your plans instead? Do you have another job lined up? Because you need to have a job. You can't sit around all day." This coming almost literally one week into summer vacation after my second-last year of university, when I could be using my energy to find interesting co-ops or explore hobbies or travel, instead dealing with their harassment and obsession with trying to literally trap me in a fucking arsenic mine.) They went on and on, lectured me over and over, implied that I would be embarrassing my grandfather if I didn't go, and so on. Eventually they said "You can go work or get a certification", and I picked the certification, but then they got grumpy anyways, and every week for the entire summer they would ask "Are you still working on the certification?". Of course, dipsh*t. I've told you fifty times how long the program lasts.
They don't care about what I'm learning in class, don't care about my hobbies or interests, only care about my friends as either a means to get backdoored into a job or a "nice French Canadian woman" to have babies with. They don't care if I'm struggling, and are completely unavailable to help in any regard. Any request for help would result in a guilt trip. Even if I actually couldn't eat dinner with the family for one day because I had a test, my father would get raw emotions and I'd have to walk on eggshells for a few days. The one time I mentioned I was having trouble studying, instead of shutting up and no longer ranting in the main floor where I could hear him or turning the TV off, he just dragged a table into the unfurnished boiler room (without asking me) and then told me that I would have to study there. I wasn't allowed to choose not to, because he'd already set it up. Ironically, my anger at him did let me study pretty well for the one day that I was forced there. He tried to keep me there long-term because he thought it was just such a great idea, but I managed to trick him into thinking I didn't need help studying anymore, so I got to study at a desk with a light on it and flooring that wasn't bare cement. Hooray for the most minor victory imaginable.
In the months leading up to graduation, did they care about how hard I was working at my capstone project and offer support? Absolutely not! Did they care about how well my sleep quality was, how many times the cat woke me up because they didn't play with her enough or give her enough attention? Nope! Did they care about how exhausting it was to deal with their constant lectures on the same topics, and to have to give them affirmations ("Yes, you're right, that's right, good job, nice, very tasty, good work, oh really?, neat, that's cool, how'd you make that?, mhm, I agree, you're being reasonable, they're being ridiculous, that's crazy") a hundred times a day? Not even in the slightest!
We spend more time talking about my dad's college friends than about anything I or my brother care about.
Then, leading up to graduation. all I've gotten are the most humiliating, infuriating, insulting messages and lectures from my parents. I get almost daily emails and texts saying "You need to get a job, it's important to look for a job" despite the fact I've told them I am looking probably fifty times. Too cowardly to say it to my face. I've been texted literal links to a Google search for "[degree name] jobs [city]" more than once. Both my parents treat me like I don't listen, when I do. They treat me like I'm lazy, when I've put myself through university with no help even after they lied to me about giving me financial aid and made me out to be a bully demanding more money when all I did was say "alright" and then pay for it myself. They must have sternly given me a talking to about how "I'm not going to pay for university, you know that, right? You need to pay. Don't expect us to pay. Because we paid for your first semesters, you know that, right? We've already paid for enough." thirty times, even after I'd made the final payment. They treat me like I'm stupid when I have expressed understanding before. They treat me like I'm a bully while I always bend over backwards for them, just because I don't play my role as "surrogate mommy but this time I get to tell her what to do" well enough.
It feels like they're almost raising me into a replacement or surrogate parent. Like my dad wants me to be his mom or dad, except this time he gets to be in charge. And my mom wants me to be her mom, except this time when she freaks out or has her deer in headlights look, she'll get someone to step up and take care of everything for her. I distinctly remember having to comfort her even for things she did to me, like tell me that a pair of comfortable shoes I picked out was good and she'd get them, and then immediately scream "take it out, take it out!" after it was scanned at the register. I could not have been older than twelve. And for my dad, he always rants and raves to me exactly like he does to his parents, except without including blame for them sending him to boarding school and instead having tons of old "life updates" like where he worked when he was 18 and what music he liked to listen to in high school, stuff like that. Then he expects me to praise him or be interested like his parents never were (he always tells me that his parents only cared about his car when they called).
So now I graduated. All they had to say in the days coming up to it was to grill me on the time I'd have to be at the venue and the time I was planning to leave the house to get there on time, with a distinct air of "you're too lazy to think of this in advance and too stupid to figure it out without a plan". Of course, I had to answer this question probably five times, because they don't care to ever listen to me. Before the ceremony I got text messages showing they were way more excited about themselves being here than anything relating to me, with multiple messages expressing how they arrived and it was exciting, then they asked me how the atmosphere was and their only reply was a one-word "nice" with no punctuation, because they don't care about me and only ask droll questions to segue into their next bit.
After grad, there was two generic sentences spoken with no emotion about how it was nice I graduated, and then they made a whole song and dance about the amazing gifts they got me. It was a degree frame I picked out myself that my dad presented as new and exciting (because he never pays attention to me, of course, when I told him I had picked one out and ordered it with my mother. Also she had another freakout about price and acted like I was holding her hostage by taking her unforced offer to buy me the second-cheapest degree frame on offer.). Then he presented the free gift small frame they got with it as though I should praise him for it, then a congratulation card that was alright I suppose if only because my brother drew a little creature in it that made me smile (my parents did not add anything special or meaningful to it). There was also a cap, which I genuinely enjoy and is nice, and a cheap ballpoint pen for some reason. He said there was more gifts at home, which okay, I don't care about gifts but I'd like him to at least be as excited for my graduation as he was for the picture frame. I didn't get any souvenirs from the bookstore because I knew if I got something he'd also gotten he'd freak out and accuse me of not listening to him or whatever, so I waited. When I got home my gift was Skittles. I don't know why I thought me might have gone to the bookstore and gotten me something special related to my actual interests. He doesn't care to know what those are anyways. I guess I hoped that at least this one day would be different.
Today, the day after graduation, all I've gotten from my parents is:
- Involved in a lecture and manufactured drama about my brother not using my car to drive to his job, even though my dad had the exact opposite position the entire rest of the year, because "what if you need to drive somewhere?", trying to manufacture a fight between my brother and me while also guilting and shaming me for not driving as a hobby like he does.
- A text message from my mother asking me if I'm awake because she wants more ammo to paint me as lazy. Nevermind that I barely slept the night before to make it to grad (of course neither of my parents would care enough about me to come with me as a family. I was literally the only person I saw who went on my own and without their family showing up early too, to support them. I walked past so many families in the parking lot knowing my mother couldn't be bothered to change out of her pajamas for me.) Nevermind I had a huge day that day, and that I was taking care of the cat's energy all that night too because attending my grad is apparently soooo draining my parents can't look after their own pet, and somehow it falls to me. All that matters is she woke up early and I didn't (after I handled all her inconveniences for her, funny how that works).
- Rapid knocks on my door because my dad is making bread as a hobby and apparently "needs" me there to help him with it, and then also "needed" me to stay and make cookies with him.
- A lecture about someone I never knew who apparently once threw something at another kid on my street when I was about 5, and about how he died and how his wife's hobby was really expensive or whatever and if I really don't remember him?
- I went to a showhome for fun and brought back the brochure. My dad jabbed his finger at the pictures on it to explain the house to me like I wasn't the one who literally brought the brochure back. Never asked if I cared or anything, just immediate launch into lecture and expecting me to stay and listen and praise him for being so smart or whatever.
- A lecture about D Day for some fucking reason. My dad is obsessed with history, and he doesn't have any friends to talk to (wonder why) so his lectures always fall on my ears.
- An email from my mother explaining in an extremely condescending way how important it is to have a cover letter when applying for jobs (just completely assuming I don't write them and also am too lazy or stupid to think about having them) including copy-pasted text from a sample cover letter that is no doubt one of the first results on google for "cover letter example"
- An angry email from my mother including a job she found on google
But, contrast that to my neighbors across the street. I was friends them in grade school, haven't seen them in like ten years, and just on my way past to the showhome we said hi and chatted in a genuinely nice conversation that wasn't a one-sided lecture like usual in my house. They could sense my emotions and didn't try to keep me there longer than I wanted to rant, they were genuinely interested in me and gave me space and interest to express myself, their mother even hugged me for graduating and it was the most genuine hug and congratulations I've ever received in person. Every other hug was my family members forcing me to hug them for their own sole benefit. I admit I cried a bit later on my walk thinking about it.
Compared to my parents, the parents of old friends care more about me, trust me more, believe in me more, have more hope for my future, are more interested in me, and understand me better. It's tremendously sad that all throughout my graduation ceremony I was worried about my parents becoming upset for some random reason and blowing up at me. I'm glad I at least focused and made myself feel some pride and joy in myself for graduating.
Even the random people I met who were also taking part in the open house were nicer and better conversationalists than my parents. A random elderly couple I have never seen in my life can have a better interaction with me than my own parents. The realtor was more chill and less perfectionistic than my parents by a mile. His million-dollar house sale was something he was less stressed and perfectionistic about and something he beat himself up over less than my parents are about my hairstyle when I'm going to class because "What if you meet someone in industry and they see you're not professional".
It's absurd.

Just for fun, I created a Rakuten Wallet account and used Rakuten Points and a small amount of yen to buy Bitcoin.
I am trying to figure out what this line below means.
暗号資産の売却で得た本邦通貨の「楽天キャッシュ」へのチャージ（出金）については、課税対象になりません。https://cash.rakuten.co.jp/news/2021/0226\_information/
If I convert Bitcoin to Rakuten Cash/Points does that avoid tax on the Bitcoin gains?? If so, does the exemption apply to both the Bitcoin bought with Rakuten Points and with my own cash?
Or does it just mean you are still liable for tax on the sale of the Bitcoins but there is no tax on the newly purchased Rakuten Points? - which would surely go without saying?
Edit: I also noticed the Rakuten Points used to buy Bitcoin become declarable as one-off income. 楽天ポイントから暗号資産（仮想通貨）に交換をした時点で、ポイント使用相当額を一時所得の総収入金額として算入する必要があります https://rwallet.my.site.com/faq/s/article/604-11 However, this is only if the Points used exceed 200,000 yen for company employees and 500,000 for business owners. https://biz.moneyforward.com/tax_return/basic/1284/#20

Is this even something Unreal Engine 5 fixes? I got Ark on a Steam sale for $9.99 because it was cheap, and had no idea if I would like it, particularly because Ascended has terrible reviews. But actually it's really fun so I'm glad I bought it.
But it has basic flaws like my dinos fall through the floor, then I have to demolish the floor and let them escape, then reconstruct it at a loss of resources, because the engine is basically broken. Or after playing for a while I can't fit through doors, because the engine thinks I'm like 1m taller than I am. Restarting the game fixes this. Also, destroying and reinstalling the door lets me fix it. But it should never be a problem in the first place. Sometimes, when that happens, I also get stuck on a border between 2 tile types (say, Wood and Thatch). Again, restarting resolves that. But I don't like to restart every 50 minutes as the only solution to bugs that just crop up and increase as you play.
The question is, does any of this stuff get fixed in ASA? Everything I've heard about it indicates that it introduces even more bugs, and reduces framerates while also reducing playable maps; it sounds like it's bad any way you look at it. I play SP so I don't really care about reports I've heard of clans holding servers hostage, or whatever. It's bad game design, but does not affect me. I just want to know if ASA will be a better or worse experience SP. I have a sufficiently powerful computer.
If dinosaurs still fall through the floor, I won't buy it. If they do, I have to ask why... I mean... in 2015, I don't care if Dinos fall through the floor for an early access game. In 2024, I have to wonder, is there a single person in your entire company who has basic programming skills?
Don't get me wrong - I think many things about Ark, like the dino animations, are amazing. I just don't get how you can successfully do all the hard things while completely failing at things that are absolutely trivial, like testing a z-level. Maybe nobody at Wildcard ever tried to put a small dinosaur on a constructed floor, after 9 years? Or maybe they just don't care? Both are very unlikely.

I’m overdue for an upgrade - I have been riding an Ibis from 1992 with a seat post shock and elastomer front forks. During covid my full suspension bike was stolen so I restored this Ibis, rebuilt the elastomers and have been having fun! I share/sometimes ride my wife’s bike which is a 2015 Stumpjumper FSR Comp Evo 650b. Its more bike than she needs but we found it on craigslist for a great deal and it was the only XL frame for sale (she is 6’2”). This bike works great for me when I do ride it so im using this as a baseline. I’ll keep the bike for a long time.
Should I look for a similar era used 2015 stumpjumper? Are performance upgrades worth getting a newer stumpjumper evo comp alloy? (Main difference seems to be the 1x crankset)
Is there a bike from a different Brand that I should be seriously considering? - I haven’t researched other brands at all but very open minded

This post is my report regarding mobile data use on recent 10 days trip to Japan (April). I write this mainly for expressing my thanks to everybody who helped me (and will help me) on this subreddit. I am not affiliated with any company/brand mentioned in this post, everything described here is based on true experience.

1. Daily Roaming Charge from Canadian Telecom Provider

The two Canadian Telecom Providers I am with both have daily roaming package: if I go abroad, they will start charge daily roaming at $15/day, it is OK if I change flight in Japan for one or two days, but it is too expensive if I spend 10 or 20 days there. I think this charge has a cap per month, MAY BE 20 days' charge each month.
Another thing worth to mention is that the charge is calculated based on Eastern Time (each day), not Japan local time.
Please note this package usually start as soon as your Canadian phone connect to Japanese mobile network when mobile data start flowing (if you didn't turn it off). If you don't want to this daily charge, you will need to call your provider checking and asking CANCEL this option BEFORE starting your trip. Don't disable your International Roaming, you may need it (voice call and text message) for emergency.
Please write down the date and time and name of agent helped you, you may need to use this information to dispute future charge. Although I called both providers and cancelled this feature, one of them was still there, which caused unexpected charge.
Once I arrived Japan, I turned off "Cellular Data" and "Data Roaming" on my phone (on my Canadian SIM), so my phone number can be used for outgoing/incoming phone call and outgoing text message (iPhone will try iMessage via mobile data network first, I believe), although per usage charge is a bit expensive (if I have to use them), but I had peace of mind.
But, there is one more feature I should turn off, on iPhone it is called "Focus Driving": one day when I was on subway train, somebody called or texted me, because I am moving fast, my iPhone thought I was driving, so it automatically replied sender via text message: "This phone owner is driving......". Boom, that message cost me CA$15, because my Daily Roaming Charge was not turned off by Agent. I only figured this out once I see the monthly statement.

2. eSIM

eSIM is what I recommended to regular Japan travelers, because it is very convenient: if your mobile phone works, your mobile data connection works.
The provider I choose is one of names mentioned in wiki below: it has a APP on my iPhone that I can buy directly, and monitor my usage. If I used all data, I can top it up (did not happen to me). Another feature I like is this eSIM only activate when my phone is in Japan. This means I can grab the eSIM package while it is on sale, install it, play with it (learn how it co-exist with my physical SIM), then start using it when I arrive Japan.
Please note that this eSIM provider is not from Japan, it is from Singapore, so you have to turn on ROAMING on this SIM card, and my Google also sent me alert saying that I logged on Google from Singapore.
I used 3GB out of 5GB package in my 10 days Japan trip, only for navigation, checking my email and visiting websites including Reddit.

3. Pocket WiFi

Pocket WiFi was commonly used before, but due to impact of eSIM, I heard the device rental turns attractive on price.
I don't like this option because I have to rent it, charge it, carry it, return it. But I need second method of mobile data communication, so what I did was: bought a used MiFi device from eBay (dirt cheap), bought a physical Japan Data SIM (different provider than my eSIM) from Amazon.CA, then used them in Japan. It was fun to play with and worked out well in Japan, but you must be tech savvy to go with this route.
Another thing you should be aware is that Mobile WiFi tend to use more data than eSIM, because your mobile phone thought this is unlimited usage channel, a lot of actions like system update, offline map update, etc. will go through WiFi.
Oh, once you go back hotel, don't forget to toggle your Pocket WiFi connection to Hotel's free WiFi.
I used all 5 GB data on the 8th day of my 10 days trip, but the provider allowed me to continue using it at snail speed (for messaging and small email messages).
That all for now, this reddit WiKi page has more basic information about mobile data:
https://www.reddit.com/JapanTravel/wiki/advice/technology/internet/
If anybody is interest in building your own pocket WiFi device, I can write a how-to later.
Thank you for reading, and enjoy your Japan trip. :)

Hey fellow devs,
I'm Jeff from Shiftwork Studios, and I'm super excited to join this awesome community. I run a blog dedicated to helping indie game developers like you. Whether you're just starting out or you've been at it for years, I aim to share useful articles, tips, and resources to make your journey a bit smoother.
Here's what you can find on my blog:

1. Deep Dives into Game Dev: From balancing creativity with scope to nailing your marketing strategy, I cover it all in detail.
2. Practical Tips: I share tools, techniques, and best practices to help streamline your development process and keep you on track.
3. No Ads, No Sales Pitches: This blog is all about sharing value. No annoying ads or trying to sell you stuff—just pure content to help you out.

I like to keep things informative but also fun, with a bit of humor thrown in to keep things light. I'm all about building a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
Check out my latest posts and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your feedback and am always open to suggestions for new topics to cover.
Happy developing, and let's make some great games together!
Jeff

Good afternoon, I hope you all are doing well. I would like to ask for Far Cry 5. t's currently on sale for 85% off unit the 2nd of June. If your willing to contribute towards it, I would be immensely grateful and happy. Your generosity would provide me with countless hours of enjoyment and fun
About/Why I want the game?
Far Cry 5 is about a mid-western US area called Hope County, and their continuous battle with a religious cult family called the Seeds, who's Leader is the eldest brother Jacob. You are a sheriff’s deputy and part of a task force sent into Hope County, Montana. in which you can tackle a mission stealthy or guns blazing in the vast open world. I can remember seeing/watching my cousin play Far cry 3 for hours and couldn't play
Why I can't afford it?
I'm in University and don't really have money to spend on any online stuff. whatever pocket change I have goes to education and food stuff. So I currently don't really have extra money to spend on games or anything online at the moment.
Far Cry 5
My Steam Link
PS: Feel free to add me on steam my friend code is 1013 7492 93.

I'm 28 and have been a horse person my whole life. I did the whole hunter show circuit through college, leased horses, trained OTTBs, etc. I've never owned a horse because the time just wasn't right. The last 3 years I've put money away and have been working/volunteering at a small barn outside of my FT job. I finally have the environment and funds to own and was loosely looking. Initially, my thoughts were low-budget green horse that I could work up, since that's really the best for my wallet.
There's a boarders horse here- she's the horse of a young daughter who lost interest in riding and had basically become the family pet. I've worked with her over the last 3 years keeping her in shape, or bringing her back into shape after stall rests from hoof abscesses. I love her. She's the typical "dream horse". Inquisitive personality, LOVES to work/have a job. Great work ethic. Amazing foundation (from Boyd Martin!!!). Smooth beautiful gaits that dont aggravate my old back injury like some of the greener horses im working with do. She's a chestnut warmblood. She's a horse I never thought I'd be able to own.
The family recently decided to finally sell her as they are abruptly relocating. In good shape, for a quick sale she would be about 20k. She's currently "out of shape" and pegged at 10-15k. My trainer was excited and assumed they would give me a good deal for a quick/uncomplicated sale, knowing I've been caring for her. They ended up offering 10k, with the option to "lease to own". I have the money, but my initial horse budget was 5k and under and I thanked them and said I couldn't do it.
I can't stop thinking about her and worrying that I'm making a mistake. Thinking of never seeing her again puts me in a funk, but 10k is a big chunk of change. I am not someone looking to seriously complete. Just do some fun shows here and there, trail rides, lessons, etc. It doesn't help that she's grown attached to me either. Whenever her owner comes or the lesson kids she will run away from them in the field- she has never done that with me. The horse market is wild here and if I waited to find a horse like her around here, it won't happen under 30k- and I never needed a ready made horse like her. But idk. Could really use some feedback from actual horse owners. Maybe it's just not the right time yet. Thank you for reading.

I'm making a zine about ableism, because a lot of my friends aren't treating an autistic person in our class very well, and just other than them, people are really horrible to him, some going as far as trying to "help" him, only to make fun of the way he was acting right after. And I constantly here people using things such as "sale trisomique" (which translates to dirty down syndromic person) and the r slur, and other things, not told to people with disabilities, just being used as an insult.
And I wanted to express my rage about that and inform people on my school anonymously by making a "fuck ableism" zine. I got to a part where I'm trying to briefly sensitive people about autism, but I don't know how to do so.
Because if I take the example of the guy in my class, a lot of people make fun of him for having said that "gay people are bad", whereas that's really just the way he's educated, and him having no friends because nobody talks to him, and having to rely on things others say to be truthful, and also, as a person with autism, he might just be repeating things others are saying because he thinks thats the correct response. (Btw I have autism, "lighter" than him, or I guess more high performing?)
And because of people not getting enough information about that, nobody takes those aspects into consideration. He often lashes out at teachers and has anger tantrums, people just make fun of him for that, and it's really not okay.
I don't know how to try and at least slightly sensitive people about it in 2-3 sentences, so does someone know
Either

• What to say Or
• a link or video or resource to give ?