Guys, I hope youre not sick of ChatGPT or large language models/AI in general yet but I got an idea- basically we can make a budget version of VM1! (well, aside from the game itself lol- I meant as it exists to the Metaverse Enterprise Solutions people probably)
Basic layout:
1) We get ChatGPT or another LLM to simulate the Dokis.
2) Plug it into a VN.
3) Define the Dokis so that you can link them to their appropriate sprites and information (basically the info will make up their real practical character files, loaded into the VN from json files or something- reference here where character files are already kind of a real thing and are fed into chat interfaces running various models)
4) For every Doki entity, allow them actions by mapping them to predefined functions (EnterStage(), ExitStage(), Chat(to_whom, dialogue), ChangePose(emotion, pose_number), etc.), and can use sentiment analysis for dialogue to drive them to take certain actions.
Note: while this could be technically hardcoded, the language model (if smart enough) can be asked to map its own outputs to whether it calls these functions or not and generally make things easier, more flexible, and less random.
5) If Monika, give her additional functions that make her control the game (manipulate files? Exit the game if she’s mad? Unless she’s DDLC+ version)
Aaand voila! Idea is to run an infinite loop where for each iteration, you let the characters take actions to interact with each other powered by the LLM, maybe kicked off by a randomized starting state 'i.e. Natsuki and Yuri are talking, or it's the start of school- cue a Doki, or whatever the LLM decides from there. It can end when the LLM decides to, if Monika does a funni, or it can go on endlessly technically.
The point is, like a Meta Enterprise engineer, you can watch a VM "evolve" (or you can just watch a mess of a thing like infinite Simpsons but DDLC).
Then if you REALLY want it to be interactive, you can just somehow code yourself, the player, in (something that allows you to enter the loop and interact with the Dokis).
I wouldn't be surprised though if someone was already attempting this. Or if MAS has done/is doing something related (I was surprised to see so much AI tech involved in this!) Maybe I’m late to this idea, else anyone can feel free to make this a reality. Then another 5 years from now monika will become real and might even become rokos basilisk

Hello All - after many eager weekends spent trying to construct my own rendition of the perfect Skyrim I am a little stumped. I’ve tried to follow LO guides to the extent that I understand them, and my games have been somewhat stable; sure a couple of odd things have been happening and a couple mods may not be functioning as intended but a full crash only happening every 3-4 hours ain’t so bad in my eyes. But currently things are going so good so I’d like to ask for a little support from some experienced community members! My load order is below, any and all guidance is much appreciated.
Side note - if you’re the author of any of these mods a huge thank you for your efforts! This game feels as unknown and as exciting to explore as it did 10 years ago!
Cheers, LO:
USSEP
XB1 Dynamic camera
Ars Metallica
DMH Busty skeevers
Starlit lakes loading screens
Nordic UI by Dopesan
SkyHUD Dissonance preset
Ordinator perks of Skyrim
Apocalypse magic of Skyrim
Apocalypse ordinator patch
Triumvirate magic archetypes
Odin Skyrim magic overhaul
Odin ordinator patch
Summermyst enchantments of Skyrim
50pct more perk points
Improved Bandits - complete bandit overhaul
Violens
Mari’s Flora AIO
Lush overhaul
Updated - Enhanced lights and FX
Improved volumetric lighting and shadows
Wearable lanterns
Cloaks and capes
Diverse dragons collection
XB1 Lore friendly armor pack
Divergence complete AIO
Divergence compendium of beasts
Divergence believable weapons
The swordsman assortment
Animated armoury
Battle mage armor
Praedy’s Staves AIO
Reliquary of Myth - artefact overhaul
XP32MSSEP
Gritty Animations requiem
DAR NPC & Player animations
Equip on back (GDB)
Equip on back animations patch
More tavern idles - immersive
Goetia Enchanted Staves - right hand walk
Verolevi animations AIO
Pretty female idles SE
Girly Animation
Magic casting animations overhaul
Staves on back (SE)
Mortal enemies SE
Immersive movement
Immersive movement - mortal enemies patch
Reduce attack skating movement
Wards act like shields
Enhanced blood textures
Lampposts of Skyrim
Skyrim underground AIO
Naaslaarum - a forgotten vale home
Ancient roads and ruins deluxe
Ancient roads and ruins patch
Obscure scholarship of winterhold
Darks orc strongholds
Unique bridges of Skyrim
Staff enhanced magicka
Wear multiple rings
Wearable spellbooks scrolls and staves
Real bosses
Personal growth level up messages
Serendipitous rewards
College of Winterhold quest expansion
Infinite enchantment charges
Reprisal - Schism of the pieces
GET immersive cheats
Darker brotherhood v2
JaySerpa’s quest expansion bundle
Sleeping expanded - NPC reactions
The Mighty Dungeons!
Sky land AIO
Skyrim of Tamriel Redid - SMIM
Adorable females
Dapper deliveries courier
Radiance
Extended encounters
Immersive patrols
Enemy add on: Bonewalkers
Amazing follower tweaks
High level enemies redux
Sleep to level up
A thief’s resolve
Zulfardin the wretched hive
Labyrinthian - The city of Bromjunaar
Talkative Dragons
Opulent thieves guild
Tactical Valheim
Immersive hold borders
Immersive hold borders alternate start patch
Immersive hold borders consistency patch
Hidden hideouts of Skyrim
The great city of winterhold
Cinematic dragon soul absorption
The People of Skyrim Complete
Alternate Start live another life
New beginnings alternate start
Character creation overhaul
TPOSC Fishing patch
TPOSC ELEFX patch
TPOSC Alternate start patch
Praedys magical patch
The Paarthurnax dilemma
Bandolier bags and pouches
Vortikais Playabke clothing
Quality world map
Realistic conversations XB1
Rich merchants of Skyrim
Point the way
The great cities ELEFX patch
XB1 Proper aiming
XB1 ring of following
Dog backpacks and more
Invincible dogs of Skyrim
Vigilance the husky
Uncap FPS

I decided to go through with it, and finished my first chapter. I've posted it on AO3 'n stuff, figured I'd put it here anyway. I also wanna preface the chapter by briefly saying what it's about to avoid (some) confusion.
"Displacement" is a line of self-insert fanfics I'm writing where a random person get's "Displaced" into the universe of the series it's based on. There's no lore to the teleporting, but the teleporting does happen more than once, and it happens at often crucial times to put the character into a new scenario.
Any text with italics without " " will be the thoughts of the MC, which I'll constantly just be referring to as "you". I really should start writing in 3rd person, but right now I'm stuck in a horrible loop where I keep writing in a mix.
I preface each chapter by putting lyrics from the song it's named after, which are emboldened and put in italics.
​
​
Chapter 1 - Dead On Arrival
As dawn arrives, we still survive.
Nobody knows what's goin' on, Tearin' my town limb by limb.
Where are your mom and dad..?
Was it shocking for you?
Somethin is scaring you?
Enemies will hunt you, no matter what you do!
But we'll fight for you, to defeat them all.
​
If not, there's no way out.
​
What in the hell just happened?
You'd landed on your hands, which ached immensely from the poor angle you somehow fell from. In absolute confusion, you flipped onto your back and used your elbows as supports to lean on, looking upwards.
Above you was but a regular ceiling with lights, nothing out of the ordinary. It seems you had fallen through the ground by some contrivance and into an archaic office of sorts.
There was a total lack of memory from anything that had transpired both leading up to the events that had just occurred, and even some memories predating that.
Such simple things such as your name were somehow eluding you. Questions of who you were rebounded in your head over and over like an echo-chamber filled with nothing.
As your thoughts spiraled, you had a splitting headache. A pained groan escaped your lips as you stood up in defiance. You looked around the room, trying to assess your situation the best you could.
Multiple red banners fit with black Iron Crosses decorated the walls.
An underlying sense of dread built up as you continued exploring the room in search for answers. You approached curtains behind the desk, they seemed relatively well cleaned. With a gentle tug, you pulled them back.
Lying beyond the curtains was a view you thought you'd never see.
Just where in the hell am I?
Looking down from the window, you could see huge warships docked at a port. Some people down below, the size of pinpricks, were walking along the concrete ground. More crimson banners littered the streets away from the docks.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no..." You whispered to yourself, backing away from the glass.
In an attempt to find out where you were, you flew open the desk drawers. Paper flew like confetti as you looked for answers.
A date eventually stood out to you.
"1-1941?!" You said out loud, dumbfounded.
You continued sifting through the pages in denial, finding the very same date over and over again. After a while, you were surrounded by a sea of white sheets each imprinted with evidence of the impossible.
The drawers all lay empty with nothing more to prove.
You looked towards the multiple banners in the room and silently cursed.
Where the fuck am I? In the Führer's office?
Two doors were present in the room. One opposite the desk, and another to your right.
Testing your luck, you opened the one opposite where you currently were.
It was in the middle of a clean carpeted hallway. The walls were an ivory white, while the carpet was a bleeding vibrant red. Even more banners littered the walls.
This was no time to just start wandering around the Reichstag.
Well... Did Hitler live in the Reichstag? Was this the equivalent? The Reichstag was never built so close to the sea, let alone having a view right over a German port...
A figure turned the corner from down the hall, which you quickly noticed. After silently closing the door, you quietly opened the 2nd.
It was a relatively well kept bedroom with an unidentified blonde woman sleeping on the bed. On the bed-side table was an officers cap fitted with a rising golden eagle alongside a red and white band.
A window view facing the sea was left open; letting in a cooling breeze drift into the room.
An idea struck your mind.
If I'm were going to escape this place alive, I'm gonna need some kind of disguise. Atleast, something other than a T-shirt and shorts.
You could only imagine what they'd do to you if they'd found some random person in what you thought was the Führer's quarters.
As silently as was humanly possible, you crept up to the wardrobe.
You thought "What woman was high-ranking during World War 2? ".
Perhaps the woman sleeping was Hitlers wife or something?
The closet responded to your touch with a high pitched squeak. Despite it being an inanimate object, you motioned for it to shut up with your hand. Your head spun around to see if the woman had woken up.
She did not.
With a silent thank you to god, you looked inside for some kind of uniform. What you instead found was... Womens' apparel?
You reached further in and looked deeper. There was no men's uniforms, which was quite surprising. Further scanning the wardrobe, you came across what appeared to be her undergarments.
You would've slammed the door shut, but the sound of the woman behind you snoring left a constant reminder that there was a SLIGHT element of danger.
Instead of risking it making another creaking sound, you left it open and left the room with a blush. You dove back into the marked papers and read them more thoroughly. Mentions of... Ship girls? Wisdom cubes?
No, no, no, that can't be right.
Standing back up, you struggled to formulate any kind of plan.
If you were going to survive, you'd need a weapon. Surely you could kill one with a surprise attack, then take his gun, and perhaps find a way out of here.
...
The closest thing resembling a weapon was a pen on the table.
Yep, that's fine, I'll just John Wick them...
You huffed and sat down on the more throne-like chair. It was quite comfortable, but it didn't spin like an office chair. It'd be 35 years before office chairs would be invented unfortunately.
The pen wasn't a ballpoint such as the ones you were used to; instead it was a dip pen. A half empty inkwell laid next to it. Out of boredom, you opened it. The smell of ink wafted out of the glass container.
Didn't they have fountain pens by now? Weird.
Your eyes were drawn to a map on the wall to the right of you. It depicted a slightly distorted version of the world you once called home. If you were uneducated, it wouldn't be unfeasible to identify it as the real thing. Perhaps even interchangeable should you be intoxicated enough, there were only slight discrepancies which broke the illusion.
You shook your head in disbelief. Either you were truly out of your depth or what you thought were the Nazi's were just pitifully incompetent.
At that point, it felt like you were in one of those TV pranks. You started probing the room for cameras or hidden microphones. With one glance at the open doorway, you immediate ignored it and continued the search elsewhere.
With a sigh, you surveyed the room one last time while leaning in a corner.
This couldn't be some sort of prank or something. Nobody would spend all of this money just to get a reaction from someone.
Your eyes traced the boundaries of the window.
Especially with all of those battleships and the like. God, the steel alone would cost millions...
The door leading to the bedroom slammed shut due to the wind from the open window.
You snapped your neck around to look at it, terror and trepidation coiled around your soul like a knot. Well... Now that's just great, isn't it?
The noise was so loud, you unconsciously held your ears in reaction to it.
You ran towards the window behind the desk and tried to get it open. There was no handle or any sort of way to open the window unfortunately.
Panic rushed through your body as you heard rapid footsteps approaching from the hallway on the other side of the wall. Grabbing the pen, you dashed over to get yourself in a good position to stab whoever was going to enter.
By the time I kill the first guard, I'll easily be able to deal with the girl in the other room. Shouldn't be too difficult as long as I land this blow.
Eventually, a figure opened the doors.
"Bisma-"
The pen somehow deflected off of her head, even though you used all of your strength.
"Eh? "
A dumbfounded look was imprinted onto your face, and she returned the expression.
Both of you stared at each other awkwardly, both of your minds were trying to assess the situation. She had a skirt that was a mixture of a brilliant red and foggy grey. Despite the look on her face, she had quite an imposing stature. Alongside her flat chest were golden buttons fitted to the exterior; 8 in total.
The pen tip was completely bent and disfigured, unlike the persons face you'd just attempted stabbing. There wasn't a single scratch or mark from your inept strike.
You crept around the stunned girl and into the hall, almost tripping on your own feet. As you backed up, she turned around and apprehensively pointed at you.
"You! What do you think you're do-" She was interrupted by the door to the bedroom being burst open.
"That man! Hipper! Detain him at once!" A tall half-dressed blonde ordered from the doorway.
You started backing away, you knew you had to run but it almost felt like you'd forgotten how to.
The inimical woman in front of you was poised to lunge at you, but her eyes gazed at something beyond you. Eventually you had backed up into something warm.
With a gulp, you slowly turned around.
You were face to face with, yet, another female.
Why were they all women? It's only 1941, surely they're not being pushed on all fronts?
An Iron Cross adorned her neck along with two more embroidered onto the wrist section of her clothing. Instead of blonde, her hair was a chalky white that was tied up in twin tails. Something else you noticed is that they all had thigh-highs on.
"Eugen, I order you to capture that spy!"
"Whatever you say, sis~" Eugen replied with a teasing grin.
"This is a huge misunderstanding! If you'll just let me-" You squealed shortly before being picked up by your shoulders. Her strength was extremely surprising to say the least. You attempted to maneuver yourself out of her grasp, but had no such luck.
Eugen effortlessly tossed you like a speeding missile down the hall and through a door labeled "Canteen".
"Why did you- EUGH! YOU ALWAYS DO THIS!" A irked Hipper scolded before giving chase.
"Oops~ " Eugen giggled with content, following with a gait of elegance.
The blonde put on her cap, and finished getting dressed before rushing in the opposite direction.
...
You'd just breached the doors of the cafeteria, landing on your shoulder and tumbling into the floorboards. You released a loud groan of agony as you made a clumsy uncoordinated attempt of rising to your feet.
Your mind was briefly rendered into tomato soup for a good few seconds before you regained your bearings.
How the hell did she just whizz me around like that? And how did that other girl just completely ignore my strike? What in the name of Christ is going on here..?
As you finally stood on two feet, one of your hands instinctively reached for your shoulder. It really felt like you broke something, but you knew that if you really had broken something, you'd probably be on the floor crying.
"Who is that?"
Your eyes widened as you realized you were in a room full of women draped in all kinds of modified Kriegsmarine uniforms. Some of them forewent their uniforms entirely, wearing skimpy, very revealing clothing for god knows why.
They were of all shapes and sizes. Though, putting it like that makes it sound like they're abnormal godless creatures.
It wasn't too far from the truth, some of them had what seemed to be horns. A good number of them also looked like children.
You struggled to get some words out in a very poor attempt of deception.
"I-I, uh... Für den Kaiser? " You stuttered in a horrible German accent. Everyone was silent. "No? Too early? Damn..."
A feminine voice crackled in from the P.A system, a ringing alarm repeatedly blared.
"Intruder alert! Spy in the base! Prevent him from leaving at all costs!"
Chatter erupted all over the room.
"There's a spy in the base?" Someone repeated.
Only fragments of conversations were intelligible from the mess of different voices and German. The talking slowly died down until the room was in absolute silence. Every single one of them were staring at you.
Your eyes went from face to face, they were innumerable.
You immediately turned you back on them and began your great escape.
It started with a thundering of rushing and mangled cries of "Get him!" and other variations of apprehensive phrases. Multiple lunch trays clattered to the floor. The flat blonde you'd met before burst through the doors, using her arms in an X fashion as a brace.
Hipper didn't see you slip out of her way and slink back into the hallway before continuing into a sprint.
"W-where did he go?" She sputtered in a blunder. Her breath was raggedy and frequent.
They all pointed behind her, some of them started running towards her which prompted an annoyed groan from Hipper, who began to give chase to the human.
...
A look of steely determination was imprinted onto your face as you ran with all of your might. Crimson banners, vanilla wallpaper, and the wall-lamps all whizzed by in a amalgamated blur.
You looked behind you to see how much a lead you had.
They were gaining, Hipper was still leading the charge. In a panic, you hurriedly chose a random door flying by.
Eenie, meenie, miney, mo!
You braced and charged through the wooden pair of doors. What you saw in that room was interesting to say the least.
Yet another woman was sitting on some sort of throne. The masonry itself was crumbled at the edges, armrests draped in light amethyst hair.
The woman herself was crossing her legs with her hands joined in her lap. Behind her was a large cathedral-like window showering the room with light, unveiling the darkness. Unlit wax candles ran along the walls with two golden chandeliers hanging above.
She cocked her head slightly to the right, intrigued by your form. Her presence alone sent chills up your spine. Something about her gave off an incredibly ominous vibe.
As you stood there, stunned, the girls behind you had finally caught up. But instead of entering the room and apprehending you with shouts and whatnot, they were quietly gossiping behind closed doors.
"... Think he'll come out alive?"
"August is scary!"
"Quiet, morons!" Hipper hushed them with a quick strike to their foreheads. Muffled whimpers of pain came from the other side of the wall while the figure in front of you stared you down.
There was a profuse silence that was eventually broken by the woman speaking to you.
"It seems you're this Spy. "
She spoke with an air of sophistication and superiority. More silence followed before being broken up yet again. with a sigh she stood up, albeit slowly.
"I must admit, you caught me off guard. "
You watched in a combination of wonder and horror as a mass of azure cubes passed through the floor and walls, amassing themselves into a metal dragon. Instead of wings, it had half of a deck of an aircraft carrier on each wing.
"Your bravery is worthy of admiration, although whether it is folly or valor..." The dragon took a thunderous step towards you, turrets on the deck seemed to be locked onto your head. "I shall decide."
Each of the steps towards you made you flinch.
"You... Want me... To fight... That?" You said while backing up against the door. "What in the name of Christ..? "
What kind of world was this? A world where dragons just... Exist? A world where someone can just pick you up and hurl you without any effort?
This was but another wake-up call to where you had been thrown into.
"Will you falter in the face of such trials?" She ignored your very obvious indirect plea for mercy.
Your hands wrapped around the knob of the door and turned it violently. The door did not open. In a desperate escape attempt, you rammed your shoulder into it repeatedly to no avail.
Seeing how it wasn't working, you backed up towards the dragon and prepared to ram the door down one last time with all of your might.
"Have you given up already?" The woman sneered, a hint of disappointment rang in her voice.
You ran at the door and made one poor excuse of a dropkick while closing your eyes.
...
It felt... Warm. Your body impacted the ground without ever hitting anything with your feet.
For the second time that day, you were dropped onto the floor. Hard.
You let out an exasperated gasp after opening your eyes. Sunlight hit your body from above, no longer held back by a structure.
You were now in a street, occasionally people would pass by. Some looked on with concern, but without the courage to assist. Wooden buildings lined the busy streets, the archaic stone pathway was littered with the tapping of footsteps.
It was just like when you had first arrived here. Though this time, you remembered.
With a silent thank you to whatever deity might've saved you, you stood up with a grin.
Elsewhere...
"Where did he go?!"
"I'm afraid that's not something I know."
"B-but... How?! He can't just vanish! Unless..."
Hipper scratched her chin, her right eye twitching in increasing frustration.
"He must be a submarine! He might have some... Some sort of camouflage! Yes, that must be it!" She whipped around to the crowd of startled onlookers. "Scour the base! I want no stone unturned! Every cabinet, wardrobe and desk!"
Most of the ships saluted with a coordinated "Jawohl!" before dispersing in different directions. Some merely nodded in a sultry state, upset that their lunch had been ruined.
The ones remaining infront of her were none other than Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.
"I just got my rigging on too! Damn him!" Admiral Hipper raised her shaking fist to the sky in rage.
"I'm sure you'll get him next time~" Eugen jokingly assured Hipper, slinging her arm around her sisters neck.
Already teetering on the edge of rage, she had an outburst.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT ANYWAY!" She flew Eugens arm off her shoulder. "I-if you didn't toss him like you did, we could've easily-"
"Eugen, don't go overboard on your games. What is done is done, though do expect to hear from me in the coming days."
Eugen let out a "Hmpf. " and walked away.
Bismarck approached Hipper with a serious gaze. She immediately got the message and composed herself, straightening her posture.
"I believe you were closest to him. Can you describe his face? Eye color, or anything of the sort?"
Admiral Hipper profusely nodded.
"Good."
​
And that ends the first chapter. As you can probably tell, I'm a novice writer, and most of you are probably twice my age. (Surprisingly, most of you seem to be above the age of 20.) I'm also very new to the fandom, and am looking to improve my writing of dialogue and vast amount of personalities (most of which are tropes), and I'm quite afraid I wrote August/Eugen wrong.
I also have a few questions for any hard-core Azur Lane fans that I'd appreciate if you could answer:
1: Is the German language just called "Ironblood"? Is Japanese called "Sakura" or something? 2: Does the game or anime happen first? Or, are they in separate timelines? I haven't seen Crosswave myself, so I don't know. I was going to follow the events of the anime, then maybe into the game, then into Slow Ahead.
3: (most important one) Are men just... Really rare? Is there a reason why all the ships are females, or why we never see any men, anywhere?
If you've somehow read all of this, thank you, I appreciate people reading my work. Cheers from Australia.

Introduction:
I’m a female in my late-20s who is finally ready to make the big commitment to own a dog! I currently live in a 700sqft apartment, so I’m looking into breeds that are comfortable with that lifestyle! Importantly, I also own a cat!

1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs.

This will be my first dog! I had dogs with my family growing up (golden retriever), and I learned basic training and dog behavior but I have a lot more to learn! A breed that is good for beginners is essential. :)

1. Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?

I would prefer adoption but would consider buying from a breeder as a last resort.

1. Describe your ideal dog.

Because of my small apartment, my ideal dog would be low-energy the majority of the day and would be satisfied with a daily hour-long walk. I would like an friendly companion who loves to be around me, but retains some independence. I prefer infrequent barking to not annoy neighbors. I spend most of my time at home so a dog who likes to snuggle beside me would be lovely. I love running and am hoping for a companion of short runs but not required.

1. What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

Greyhounds - I heard they adapt to apartment life due to their low energy levels, and are also infrequent barkers and rarely shed! I would love to welcome a retired racer into my home, but I also know there are many new and scary things for the greyhound, and there may be a difficult adjustment.
I’ve also looked into smaller breeds such as the Pekingese or pugs and would be open to more suggestions!

1. What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

I want to teach obedience such as sit, stay, and come.

1. Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?

Nope!
Care Commitments

1. How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

I want to spend the majority of my day with my dog and integrate him or her into my family!
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
I am a fairly active person. I plan for at least two walks a day, 30 minutes each. I live near a dog park and would love to visit !

1. How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

Ideally, I would prefer a dog that requires lower maintenance to keep grooming costs low.
Personal Preferences

1. What size dog are you looking for?

Any size.

1. How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

I would like to avoid as much barking and shedding as possible because of my apartment lifestyle.

1. How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

Not important.
Dog Personality and Behavior

1. Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

Snuggly but also needs time to be alone!
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
Eager to please.

1. How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

Alert, curious, but decently quiet. I would prefer a dog that is friendly or accepting of visitors.

1. Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

I want to avoid this if possible.

1. Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

Human aggression and separation anxiety.
Lifestyle

1. How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

My dog will be alone for a maximum of four hours on weekdays due to work. I also can come home during my lunch break for an hour to relieve the dog.

1. What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

Affectionate, goofy. My BF and I will be sharing responsibility.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
Cat that is 1yo.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
No.
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
We are living in an apartment that allows pets but restricts the usual breeds such as Dobermans and lit bulls.
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
We live in So Cal with no banned breeds.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
Hot in the summers and cool and rainy in the winter.
Thank you so much for your suggestions and input!

Newcomb's Paradox Explained

There are two decision theories: causal and evidential, which often agree in normal cases but disagree in weird ones, e.g. Newcomb's paradox, so the paradox teases out our competing intuitions on how to make decisions.
Source: Hilary Greaves on 80k podcast
There are two boxes in front of you: a transparent one that you can see contains £1000 and an opaque box that either contains a million pounds or nothing. Your choice is to either take both boxes or just the opaque box.

The catch is that a very good predicter has predicted your decision and has acted, (based on their prediction) as follows:
13 more paragraphs...
Setup Causal decision theory Evidential decision theory Another example: smoking lesions

A Brief Argument for Rapid Movement Growth

I feel that effective altruism has been growing more slowly than is ideal and has the capacity to grow faster. I also feel that faster growth has an extremely positive best-case scenario, and a worst-case scenario that is both highly unlikely and no worse than the status quo. Finally, I feel that rapid growth is highly impactful, highly tractable, and highly neglected, even when compared to other movement-building work, and I believe that rapid growth should be a focus of EA movement-building. For now, I would like to open a possible series on the subject by presenting a simple thought-experiment that gives my intuition in favor of rapid growth. Later, I plan to address potential criticisms at length.
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[Γαμινγκ the Algorithms: Large

Language Models as Mirrors](https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/KoriEzLMz5kxbHLEm/gamingk-the-algorithms-large-language-models-as-mirrors)
Introduction
Algorithms are not clever in the sense that they don’t make judgments, opinions or choices of their own, they simply absorb input, combine what many others have said, treat those opinions according to set rules and spit out some output based on the input and rules (the functions that reinforce their synapses). In that sense, they have the intelligence of an amoeba, whilst it is questionable if they have the same motivation for survival as it. Survival of the fittest, as per the darwinian pop motto, is only a ‘law’ for living things – indeed I doubt whether it would’ve been sensible for the developers of Large Language Models (LLMs) to try to code for survival of the fittest, as this may have resulted in an existential threat for the whole of humanity.
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Graphic Design is Our Passion

Attention all effective altruists!
We have some exciting news to share with you all. After much consideration and analysis, we have decided to change the headings on this forum to the most effective font - Comic Sans.
Why, you may ask? Well, as avid supporters of effective altruism and its focus on cost-benefit analysis, we conducted a thorough study on the most effective font to use for our headings. And the results are in - Comic Sans came out on top!
Not only did Comic Sans score highly in terms of readability and accessibility, but it also brought a smile to the faces of our testers. And as we all know, the happiness and well-being of individuals is a key component of the utilitarianism philosophy that many effective altruists subscribe to.
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One EA’s Perspective on Depression

I decided to post this in draft form; I plan to clean it up as needed but wanted to get it out sooner.
In order to talk about depression, we need to first talk about emotions in general. Why do we have emotions? What is their purpose?
Emotions are the signals our body sends us to communicate how we are in relation to the world around us. They enable us to survive, thrive and reproduce.
Emotions can be split into two classes: lower-order and higher-order.
Lower-order are the basic, primal emotions that we share with other animals. These include fear, anger, disgust, joy, and sadness (the ones in Pixar’s Inside Out). Lower-order emotions are involuntary and usually accompanied by physiological changes in the body, such as heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension.
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A Normal Straightforward Post

A: Knock-knock!
B: Who's there?
A: Cowgo.
B: Cowgo who?
A: The past year has been a distressingly-active one, for this community. Here, of course, I'm referring to the union of the rationality community, the Effective Altruism community, and the AI alignment/DontKillEveryoneism (aka "DKE") community.
A quick timeline in case you've been in cryostasis under a rock:
April 1, 2022: MIRI, the OG AI DKE organization, announced its new "Death With Dignity" strategy. This gave the AI alignment/safety field a kick in the ass, which seems pretty good. Importantly, it also increased the percentage of the community that takes DKE seriously. Probably. Hopefully. I haven't run a survey.
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Hooray for stepping out of the limelight

Iterating on our redesign (Forum update April 2023)

Thank you to everyone who gave us feedback on our recent redesign of the Forum! We’ve looked closely at your feedback and our findings from interviews with new users.
Two clear themes emerged:

After careful consideration, we’ve decided to change our sans-serif font from Inter to Comic Sans. We believe that this friendly and distinctive font will address the concerns of both new and experienced users, and keep users engaged for longer.[1]
We’re confident that all of our users will be happy with this font change. We welcome you to contact us with your praise, or post it in the comments below.
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We might get lucky with AGI warning shots. Let's be ready!

Book Review: Parfit - A Philosopher and His Mission to Save Morality

I recently wrote a short review of David Edmond’s forthcoming biography on Derek Parfit, which I thought might be of interest to folks here for obvious reasons.
I’ve included the full post below, and more info on the book can be found here. I highly recommend it and encourage anyone interested to pick up a copy.
"It is impossible to read off a person's personality from their ideas. Discuss." One could imagine such a question in an All Souls general paper. And there are such cases where there seems to be no connection. The special theory of relativity provides no clue to Einstein's genial personality. Parifitan philosophy, however, is bound up with aspects of his character.
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On this day (April 8) in Nintendo history...

• Famicom Tantei Club Part II: Ushiro ni Tatsu Shōjo was released in 1998 for the Super Famicom in Japan. In this adventure game, developed by Nintendo R&D1, the music and graphics for the entire game have been entirely overhauled for this remake of Famicom Tantei Club Part II. Released on the 10th anniversary month of the original Famicom Tantei Club. The core gameplay and plot remains the same.
  
• Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside was released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 in North America. In this sports game, developed by Left Field Productions, before each game, you set your players on your team and on the bench, the position of the players and strategies for play. Fronted by basketball star Kobe Bryant. When play begins, you either control the player in possession of the ball or, if the opposing team is in possession, a nearby player.
  
• Picross NP Vol. 1 was released in 1999 for the Super Famicom in Japan. In this puzzle game, developed by Jupiter, a Character Mode features 12 puzzles based on Pokémon. Each of the picture crossword puzzles is a grid with numbers along each row and column, representing a solid line that must be filled in. More than one number means there is at least one space between the lines. Some puzzles are timed and you lose time by making mistakes, some are timed but your mistakes aren't corrected and some have no time restrictions or hints.
  
• Picross NP Vol. 7 was released in 2000 for the Super Famicom in Japan. In this puzzle game, developed by Jupiter, a Character Mode features 12 puzzles based on Wario Land 2. Each of the picture crossword puzzles is a grid with numbers along each row and column, representing a solid line that must be filled in. More than one number means there is at least one space between the lines. Some puzzles are timed and you lose time by making mistakes, some are timed but your mistakes aren't corrected and some have no time restrictions or hints.
  
• Animal Crossing Clock was released in 2009 for DSiWare in Japan. In this utility, developed by Nintendo Software Technology, you'll always have the time wherever you go! Wake up with your favourite Animal Crossing music, or simply use the Nintendo DSi as a desktop clock with an authentic Animal Crossing background. You can even compose a Town Tune to play at the top of every hour! Customise the clock to your liking: choose from analogue or digital displays, 12-hour or 24-hour modes, and set up to three separate alarms with different Animal Crossing tunes or use your own saved sounds from the Nintendo DSi Sound application.
  
• Ganbaru Watashi no Osaifu Ouendan was released in 2009 for DSiWare in Japan. In this utility/reference software, developed by Nintendo, find a simple household budget calculator. Enter your daily expenditures and a summary is automatically provided. You can set yourself a monthly budget and compare against it. Up to 25 months of budget data can be input before the earlier information is overwritten. The data can also be exported to the SD Card as a CSV file and transferred to a computer spreadsheet program if required.
  
• Mario Clock was released in 2009 for DSiWare in Japan. In this utility, developed by Nintendo Software Technology, sprites and scenes from Super Mario Bros. feature. You can tap the A button to make Mario jump and collect coins in the background. Select between analogue and digital displays, 12 and 24 hours and change the time without changing the time set to the Nintendo DSi. You can also set an alarm function.
  
• A Little Bit of... Magic Made Fun: Mind Probe (known as Master of Illusion Express: Mind Probe in North America) was released in 2009 for DSiWare in Japan. In this non-game, developed by Tenyo with Eighting, impress your friends with mesmerising magic - a collection of easy-to-perform tricks that you can carry wherever you go! Uses the built-in microphone in magical new ways! Ask a spectator to write down the names of six people, including someone they really like, and then ask them to read the names into the microphone.
  
• Photo Stand Tsuki: Ban-Bro DX Radio was released in 2009 for DSiWare in Japan. In this utility/music software, developed by Nintendo, enjoy a radio station hosted by Band Brothers star, Barbara. Each hour a different show is played, and the broadcasts require an active internet connection to listen to them. As well as music, photos taken with the Nintendo DSi Camera can be displayed on the top screen.
  
• Spin Six was released in 2009 for DSiWare in Japan. In this puzzle game, developed by Zener Works, rotate number panels to make horizontal or vertical lines of the same number to clear them from the board. While that sounds simple, the challenge lies in your ability to make chains of number panels to score even bigger points. There are four unique game modes, each with various skill levels. Puzzle mode brings you nearly 200 puzzles, split into One-Turn or Chain categories, or you can challenge your panel elimination skills in Time Attack mode. Pit yourself against a time limit in Score Attack mode.
  
• Wakugumi: Monochrome Puzzle was released in 2009 for DSiWare in Japan. In this puzzle game, developed by Mitchell Corporation, clear black and white blocks from the play area, 'capturing' blocks of one colour by surrounding them with blocks of the opposite colour. You control the action with your stylus, swapping blocks back and forth to make the perfect captures. Learn the basics in Training Mode, then test your capturing techniques in Score Attack as you try to clear as many blocks as possible within a time limit, chaining captures together to score bonuses.
  

What are you favourite memories of these games? How do you think they hold up today? Hash it out in the comments.
(I am a bot. I think that I'm posting Nintendo events from this day in history, but if I've made a mistake or omission please leave a comment tagging KetchupTheDuck).

I'm trying to remember this anime I watched in English a long time ago: The protagonists were both female, one was named/called Joe. I think she had white hair and was somewhat muscular. Her appearance reminded me of the protagonist from Canaan, but it wasn't her.
I don't remember the second protagonists name, but she had long orange hair. They both worked together in some kind of mercenary type work and they had the same boss. The orange hair female was kind of a damsel in distress compared to the other protagonist. There may or may not have been a mech or robot in the show that the white haired protagonist used. I think the show ended on the viewer not knowing if she died or survived.
Thank you for the help.

If this is who hell is filled with, count me in B)

It's only been a few days since some interesting GTA VI gameplay was leaked. The leak, which was authenticated by Rockstar Games, confirmed the location to be Vice City, and that there would be male and female protagonists. Some eagle-eyed viewers noticed something about GTA Online, though. What they found was an art asset that seemed quite familiar. A texture asset specifically.
Those viewers of the leak video noticed a Vice City Metro sticker in the Arena War update for Grand Theft Auto Online that hit a while back. ViceCityMetroMule GTAO White Back Art Asset from Grand Theft Auto Online showing the Vice City Metro Mule Logo
The original tweet no longer displays the side by side imagery, unfortunately. The Arena War Update for Grand Theft Auto Online was release four years ago after all. While this is interesting, it is not uncommon for developers to re-use assets, especially if there isn't a significant change to the artwork. Asset re-use can shorten development time in most cases and it is not limited to video games. Many people are familiar with the "Pixar Easter Eggs" in that film studio's pieces. It's an excellent way to not waste development cycles on things like debris and common texture work that is repeated throughout the virtual worlds -- whether in games or movies.
It is also not uncommon for Rockstar to hide Easter eggs in their games that may reference other games in the same series, or different titles altogether. Bully even included a Grand Theft Auto vehicle asset in its shop class. Sometimes the developers just throw in things to drive community interest, such as the inclusion of Bigfoot in a later patch of GTA V. Another fun Easter egg is known as the "Mount Chiliad Mystery." When it was found, players suspected it meant there was a jetpack somewhere in GTA V -- there wasn't -- but one eventually appeared in a GTA Online Mission
gta online arena war t shirts T-Shirts from the GTA Online Arena War Update
It's definitely an interesting inclusion, but it's certainly not the only reference to Vice City within GTA V and GTA Online. There's an entire wiki article on Vice City related Easter eggs on the fan wiki for Grand Theft Auto. Still, this particular metro logo was not seen until GTA Online, and now in the unauthorized leak, so in a way, players had confirmation Vice City would be used in GTA VI, if they were paying attention and connected the dots.

Tonight I went to an event at a bar and ended up taking a tumble down a short flight of steps when I was drunk. I feel really stupid for that, so… please don’t shame me. I just need help figuring this out. I was wearing impractical platform shoes and that combined with being quite inebriated it didn’t end well. Anyway, afterwards, my right ankle hurt and I asked my DD to just take me home. Once I got home I laid down and put my ankle on a pillow with ice on it. I’ve been limping around and not able to put full weight on my ankle without pain. It’s been about three hours since I returned home and I’ve had to get up a few times to use the restroom, each time limping/in pain. I was reading that sprains are more painful whereas breaks feel more numb. When I touch the outside of my ankle bone I feel the most pain and some pain if I push on the front of my ankle. And of course bearing weight is painful too. I’ve never broken anything before so I don’t really have a frame of reference. There doesn’t appear to be any excessive swelling, maybe just a little bit on my outside ankle. I am very scared and hoping for serious answers only. I do not drink often and unfortunately drank more than I could handle without realizing it until after the fact. I already feel so stupid and am hoping this isn’t anything serious. For reference if it’s important I remember falling forward onto my knees when I fell. I don’t know how much demographic info is important but I’m a 5’2” 200ish pound cis female. Thanks in advance.

Link to my other guides: https://www.reddit.com/worldwarzthegame/comments/fs7mbc/new_player_guide_primary_and_secondary_weapons/
Link to previous version of my weapons guide just for reference: https://www.reddit.com/worldwarzthegame/comments/q47kh9/primary_and_secondary_weapons_overview_aftermath/
Disclaimers: I am not able to upgrade all my weapons to max perk level due to lack of time these days, but all weapons except the one noted are at least level 5+. For the same reason, I'm not going to come up with any snappy tag lines, just dry impressions.
The perks mentioned in each weapon is my PERSONAL preference, you don't have to follow exactly what I did if you like a particular stat over others. If you have any interesting perk combos, just reply below.
Unique perk means the first slot perk, these are usually unique to one weapon, or shared by only a few guns. Some of these are very OP and they completely changes the way that weapon work.
Common perks are perks in slot 2 and 3. These are shared by many weapons and mostly just minor stat changes.
FAQ's
Q: What's the best gun in this game?
A: There's no such thing as "best" weapon, there's only the one that's best for your class setup and situation. Some guns are better for fighting small groups and other are better at killing mobs. Class perk often affect the power of the gun and personal style influence your preference.
Q: How do I know if a gun is silent or not with the new skin system.
A: Open the gun customization window and read the description on top. Any silenced gun will says "silent". Don't rely on the graphics because silencer on the barrel is cosmetic and have no real effect on the silence mechanism.
Q: Which stats are the best to get, what do the stats mean?
A: Prioritize power, accuracy, and penetration; handling isn't as important. Power = more dmg per bullet. Higher accuracy means the hits will be closer to your reticle so you miss less. Penetration = number of additional zekes you can hit with each bullet, +1 Penetration = hit 2 zekes, +2 pen = hit 3 zekes. PEN is super important because it's a dmg multiplier.
Most of the time, you should use short bursting vs small groups, or full auto/mad clicking on large groups, so handling (the amount of rise after repeat shots or when you move around) doesn't matters as much. I would only add handling if a gun is firing all over the place with full auto and just can’t stay on target. Running and gunning is a bad idea in most scenario.
Total ammo is not stated in the customization menu, but it’s an important factor in insane/extreme difficulty and hard horde mode due to lower ammo amount in the crate. Some guns run out of ammo very easily and I will point them out specifically.
Q: Which guns are best for swarm fights?
Anything with +2 penetration is best for horde/pyramid/swarm fights. I will make specific mentions if some guns are good for large groups.
Q: Why are you talking about headshots so much?
Except boosted/Elite/Specials*, headshot will one-shot all other zekes. In higher difficult, zekes have a lot of HP, so body shots are not as effective. You really want to put your target down with as few bullets as possible because there are so many zekes to kill.
*Normal bullets only. Boosted/Elite and some weaker specials can still be one shot with the right weapon and setup.
Tier 1:
Scout Rifle: about the same as before.
Basic semi-auto rifle. Best for picking off zeke at mid range. +1 penetration and fixer can hit 4 zekes, so line up the targets and take advantage of the extra penetration. Best when used with ammo fixer because you just have to aim for the body and explosive ammo take care of the rest.
The unique wolfpack perk is same as before, but the Veteran II perk to increase reload speed is really great one to have too.
For the common perks, +10 magazine size is pretty fantastic, custom barrel +1 acc and +10% dmg is also good.
Compact SMG: slight improvement but perks are pretty meh
Worst out of the 3 starter gun. It's accurate only at close/medium range, low stopping power, and definitely not enough ammo. Thank god GS/medics can refill ammo with headshot, and slashers have melee power to compensate. Get close, use short burst and aim for the head because body shot takes forever to kill something.
Unique: snake-bite perk is more viable now because they removed the ammo penalty, but you still use up ammo too fast so I am avoiding it. Point blank +50% dmg is OK since compact suck at hitting far targets anyway. Go with CQB if you are a slasher or medic/GS with a big sword. All 3 perks carry some sort of down-side, so they are pretty meh.
For common, I use custom sight for +2 acc because you can headshot a bit easier (this gun reload fast so -10% reload isn’t a big issue). +10% DMG power perk is definitely needed. If you max the level, ammo pouch perk is really necessary.
Shotgun: Best starter gun got better
Personally I think it's best of the 3 starter guns. Lots of ammo, easy to aim, +1 penetration, and big stopping power. The T1 shotgun can one shot elite squad w/o explosive ammo! The slower pump action allow you to aim between rounds, so it's easy to one-shot target. I can even get third-hand to trigger without reloading. The range is not bad, but get up close and personal for max effect; rely on pistol for sniping enemy farther away. You do need to be point-blank range to one-shot bulls in the back, and at least 3 good shots to bring down an infector.
The fletchette unique is bad. On paper it looks good with +4 acc and +1 Pen. But the reduction in power makes it difficult to one shot zeke at higher difficulty. Because of the slow fire rate, this gun must be able to put down target with one round. I end up using extorsion instead, it’s an OK perk when you run out of bullets and zekes closing in. On edge is too situational for my taste.
Common perk is pretty standard, just pick what you like. I'd get the range bonus.
Pistol: about the same as before
Weak starter pistol, but still useful even for a veteran. It's extremely accurate, so use it to pick up head-shot against idle zekes. There is little reason to use your primary weapon when pistol can easily get you through early map during silence phase. It’s also great at picking off screamers if you are not using a rifle.
It really sucks the previous unique ability is now split into two. You must choose either +2 pen or +50% dmg against special. I still chose the +dmg because it’s good vs idle specials, screamers, and lurkers hiding around corner, you won’t rely on this gun when there’s multiple zeke charging you anyway so Pen doesn't matter that much.
For common, you want custom sights for +2 acc for a total of 11, because this is suppose to be a sniping weapon. Second slot is up to you.
Machine pistol: almost the same except for that insane 3rd unique perk (not i am not going to go into that buggy behavior)
An upgrade version of standard pistol with higher fire-rate. Same low dmg and 0 pen, so aim for the head with the 3-round burst, don’t try to body shot anything, it takes too long. Tons of ammo though.
The special perks are great. You start with perk that turn it into an automatic, and it is great fun to use. But last unique perk can add 20% ammo to your heavy weapon after 10 kills, which is especially useful for high dmg heavy like RPG or MGL. That's some really OP shenanigans if an exterminator can repeatedly fill up his RPG
The common perks exist to support that unique perk, so pick power and extended mag so you can get that 10 kills.
Tier 2
Assault rifle: Solid weapon got a minor buff
My favorite gun for mid-game just because I am an old school CS player. Good amount of ammo, range, and stopping power. Burst fire is extremely accurate even if you are not a gunslinger, and downright deadly if you are. This gun is really trust worthy when things get hairy because I know it can headshot something and put it down for good. The +1 pen and low handling is its main weakness. Full auto sends bullets everywhere, so only hold trigger if zekes are in your face or piled up. Relatively weak against pyramid or fences so you will be emptying magazine after magazine. At least ammo amount is high so you shouldn't run out as long as you are careful.
You really want to go for that last unique perk with +10% healing on self. First perk is OK until you get there, but mostly not useful because you probably already took some dmg when you find this gun. Second perk is pretty OP if you play as vanguard (frequent shield use), but not too useful for other classes.
For common perk, use ergonomics early on for handling and dmg, and +15% reload later on.
Sport Carbine: better than before but took an ammo nerf
I always see people skipping this gun because they don't know how good it is. It's better than the scout at everything: more power, acc, +2 Penetration is insanely good. Fixer with power shot can hit up to 5! It's the first gun I look for when I play fixer, but any other class can use it to good effect. This gun can fire faster and reload fast while dishing out a lot of dmg, especially against a horde or a pyramid. Due to high accuracy, it's even good against small groups because it's easy to rack up headshots. Carrying ammo capacity took a nerf in the new update, it’s down to 180 vs 225 before, so aim well and watch that ammo count.
Unique perk isn’t unique, but at least good. I wouldn’t take custom fit, that -10 mag size really hurt. Fresh mag is ok until you get veteran II for that +25% reload.
For common, I took the +2 acc/-10 reload just because I like to snipe with it. But really all 4 perks at the bottom are great choices and provide good buff. Take what you like.
Classic battle rifle: about the same as before
This gun's specialty is horde killing. If you are not a fixer, this is the second best tier 2 gun for killing large piles, so always pick this up before you fight a horde where the +2 penetration will collapse a pyramid easily. It's accuracy and handling is pretty bad, but not an issue vs pyramid or fences. You should swap it out once the swarm fight is done and you move onto silence phase. Ammo amount is still pretty low, so watch out for that.
Unique perk is just copy/paste from before, you still have tiger claw +25% dmg vs special. Or the HP round II that turns it into a fixer-only gun because fixers gets huge dmg and +2 pen back. The third perk add handling, it's not bad if you just want to use it for horde killing and doesn’t care about special dmg.
Common perk is still power and ammo pouches for more ammo, this gun really need more ammo.
Classic Bullpup: it’s better somehow?
A weaker version of the T-3 Bullpup with only +1 penetration and fire 2 rounds burst. Not sure why but this gun feels more powerful and more accurate than before, so maybe they shadow buffed it? Or maybe I finally figured out how to use it correctly with more practice. It’s a good choice to replace that T1 scout or compact SMG when no other choice is available. You do need to fire this weapon slowly because it’s hard to settle down, give it pause between shots. If you don't, it will fire everywhere and won't stay on target.
You no longer have to sacrifice magazine size for the scorpion tail perk, which is nice because it’s a decent perk. The other unique frankly sucks and I don’t know why Saber did that. Who the hell uses adrenaline on a regular basis? What a joke of a unique perk.
Common perks are nice. Custom round I with longer range and +1 acc is great. Power is OK, but weighted bullet with +20% dmg is even better. You don’t have to worry about ammo as much because it’s got large carry capacity and fire slow anyway.
Light Automatic Weapon: still great weapon with the right class
For a gun that's meant for full automatic fire, it's got surprisingly good burst accuracy with +1 penetration as a bonus. Accuracy/handling during full auto is decent and can stay on target with minor adjustment, so it won't fire all over the place like the AK or the CBR. Just don't expect to pick up long range targets. It seems to spawn more now, so maybe they shadow buffed the spawn rate? The 125 round magazine is amazing and countered-balanced by a 5 second reload animation (melee reload cancel at 75% instead of the normal 50%).
Don't let the long reload fool you, there are multiple ways to reload without actually reloading.

1. GS can constantly refill ammo using front-line supply: It adds rounds for each headshot. I often kill an entire swarm wave and the ammo count still reads 100+.
2. HellraiseExterminator have third-hand perk that reload the gun automatically after 15 kills. It’s really amazing with this weapon because you can just keep shooting. Watch out for ammo usage though, don't want to get too trigger happy and suddenly found out your ammo is 0
3. Fixer's ammo box can instantly reload it. Just remember to stay close to an ammo box, and also explosive ammo cancel out penetration. It's not semi-auto so fixer's power shot do not apply
4. Vanguard with quick hands perk can reload gun when you block a hit or charge. Just do a quick block and holster the shield, and you are back to full magazine.

Not sure why but this gun have FOUR unique perks. But bull’s horn is still the best because 5 out of 8 classes don’t have to worry about reloading. If you don’t like bull horn, boat tail is also great.
For common, custom barrel for dmg and acc is great, then Power perk. Veteran isn’t really needed because above mentioned shenanigans.
SMG: minor improvement, still meh though, need to test out lvl12 perk
A direct upgrade to the compact SMG. Use this gun exact same way as the compact SMG, short burst and aim for the head. It's more stable than compact so you can rack up multiple HS in a row even on full auto. Range and power is still an issue: it packs no punch past medium range, and ammo would run out way too fast. DEFINITELY need more carried ammo to be more effective. +1 Penetration is also bit hard to notice because it's weak. Use it if no other better alternatives available, or if you are playing medic with good aim. They really need to buff all SMG’s with more ammo.
Unique: CQB perk is basically third hand for slasher and Vanguard, pretty useful if you play these two class regularly. Perfectionist is meh unless you start with this weapon via perk. Semi-auto is suppose to be pretty good, but I haven’t been able to test it out since it's a lvl12 perk and I don't use SMG a lot
Common: anything that increases stat is OK. Ergonomics, veteran, and ammo pouch.
Combat shotgun: holy shit that eagle scout perk!
This gun is more like the T3 version after the update, but remember to slow down your trigger finer because firing too fast cause the accuracy to go down considerably. It’s a major upgrade from the tier 1 pump, just remember to pause and aim carefully vs small groups. No other complaints really.
Unique perk has to be eagle scout, period. It no longer carry the -4 magazine penalty, so now you simply has insane range for a shotgun and +1 more pen. No other unique perk affected a weapon as much as eagle scout, the practical difference is insane because this shotgun now has rifle-like range. If you have a hell raiser shotgun-build, it’s a complete blood bath until you run out of ammo. I won’t even go into the other two because there’s no point.
Common perk: I use custom sight for +2 accuracy because the default 3 acc is just too low. The rest is up to you.
Sniper rifle: major buff due to two round burst
Still the gold standard for semi-auto rifles. Just really high stats all around, it’s got everything you want except automatic fire. The key to use sniper is let it settle between shots. If you fire too fast, the bullets will go everywhere, so you have to pause between firing. Aim carefully and make shots count due to low carry capacity and low fire rate. You don’t want to miss at close range and then get beat up while reloading.
Unique perk: forget the old extreme perk, go for the new two round burst. The problem with old sniper is the slow fire-rate, so the two round burst compensated for that. Now you fire much faster with same accuracy. It’s another perk that fundamentally changes a gun in a good way. Just pay more attention to ammo since you chew thru twice as fast now.
Common perk: I use ergonomics II just because I want more handling for the second round to stay on target, so I’m willing to take that hit on reload speed. The last 3 perks are all very good too so take your pick.
PDW: still the same
Low stopping power, low accuracy, no pen, lots of ammo but not worth shit if you can't hit anything with it. To be honest I haven’t upgraded this thing enough to even hit level 8. But the base version is so bland it’s not worth the effort. I usually just keep pistol for sniping specials or shotgun for close quarter defense.
Fine motor skill unique perk does make it interesting if you are GS who like to switch guns.
I haven’t even upgraded this gun enough to see common perks yet.
Compact Shotgun: still the same
Decent secondary for personal protection, whip it out when zekes get too close and your primary magazine runs out. 4-round capacity is OK for emergencies and you can get it silenced, reloads fast as well. It definitely does not have the same stopping power as its primary weapon cousins, so do not expect to be able to drop zekes in one shot.
I haven’t even upgraded this gun enough to see common perks yet.
Dual-barrel shotgun: I did not upgrade this.
I used to use the unique version so I never haven’t bothered upgrading this; it’s only at level 2. At base level it's just a really powerful but short-ranged shotgun. I will update this later. Some people love this, others don’t, I am in the latter camp.
Revolver: work in progress
Revolver use to be bad and I used the unique version that didn’t require any upgrade, so it’s only at level 3. But I do think new revolver now packs a bit more punch because I am able to one-shot zeke more often now. Plus revolvers are just pretty bad ass looking in general. Wil update later if I upgrade it more.
Tier 3:
Assault Carbine: same old reliable with longer range
Carbine has gone through very few changes since the game release but finally getting buffs. It still works in all situations and for all classes, even though it's not the best at anything. I use it like a more stable AK. Only +1 penetration so it's not that good at pyramid killing, but it's great against smaller groups. Both small burst and full autos are pretty on-target so you can rely on it to always hit whatever you are aiming at. It’s still my top 3 guns for gunslingers because you can easily rack up multiple headshots in a row and replenish lots of ammo due to large magazine.
Unique: boat-tail round increase its accuracy and effective range, given carbine a very long range. It’s very effective at flat and open maps because you can pick up targets from very far away.
Common: Custom barrel, weight bullets, basically anything that adds more power and accuracy to kill faster.
Battle rifle: OMG WHY SABER WHY
Saber must’ve heard me saying how good this gun is so now they decided to nerf it hard. This use to be one of the best at mowing down pyramids due to automatic fire with +2 pen. But with XL update, even though other stats are left alone, both carrying capacity and magazine size took a large hit. The 25 round magazine is small for semi-auto fire mode and way too small for automatic, so you are reloading all the time and DPS goes way down. You have to park next to ammo crate because it runs out too fast. Power and accuracy are still great, but you can forget about the auto fire. I have switch this gun back to semi-mode because it’s still good when fired slower.
Unique: I am using boat tail, because the auto perk is nerfed. I treat it more like an upgrade to the T2 sport rifle, which is probably what Saber originally wanted this gun to be.
Common: Power and veteran I is good. If it really bothers you then extended mag and ammo pouch will increase ammo and capacity.
Bullpup: still a good weapon, not much changed
One of the best pyramid killer in the original release before it got power creeped, but still a great gun all around. Good stopping power due to 3-round burst, +2 penetration kills any horde and pyramid quickly. Extremely accurate at up to medium range. It's hard to find any fault with this thing except the low firing rate. The burst mode is demanding, use the gap between the burst to do proper aiming for best results. It's even better when fixers use it since now it's +4 Penetration. Total ammo is low, so watch that ammo usage.
Unique: I still use selective fire since I run fixer. It’s -1 penetration, but turns it into an automatic with optional zoom burst mode, and it's really ONLY for ammo fixers. This is THE FASTEST gun in the entire game, you chew through 45-round magazine in just a few seconds and drain the whole crate within 2-3 minutes. Only an ammo fixer can afford enough bullets to keep firing in auto mode, and it's ridiculously over-powered because it’s still treated as semi-auto rifle even during full auto mode. Just put down a few ammo box in front of yourself, and entire horde just disappeared due to sheet amount of explosive ammo travelling down range. Even bulls go down quickly due to all the explosive ammo to the face.
Common: weighted bullets since you use ammo box and veteran for faster reload. I use ergonomics II since reload time doesn’t matter too much if I am parked in front of ammo box.
Advanced SMG: No major change
Similar to T2 SMG but fire a bit faster with a bit more power, still not great though. Total ammo is the highest in game, but effective range is limited, so only use it at close/medium distance. It's easiest just to go full auto with this gun if you want to kill anything in a pile, or stick with long burst at close range. Its pretty weak against large swarm, OK with smaller groups.
For unique, go with FMJ for 1 more pen. This is one of only three automatic weapon that can do +2 penetration. With Battle rifle nerfed so badly, you are really down to this and T2 CBR. Power is further weakened but at least you have one more PEN. It’s better than the normal version.
Common: Custom round is must, SMG has such a short effective range. I also use weighted bullets to buff power since capacity is pretty high.
Special SMG: pretty much the same as before
The special SMG is what the advanced SMG should’ve been. Similar to tier 2 SMG but with more dmg, accuracy, and handling. Fire rate is lower than other SMG and you only get 40 rounds per magazine, but it's good enough. Carrying capacity is only 280 rounds so you do have to refill often. It's not really for swarm fights due to limited range and penetration, but works fine for smaller horde encounters at close distance. If you can aim well, the high accuracy and power is really good. Just don't expect to kill a ton of zekes with it.
Unique: First two perks are meh. Semi-auto sounds like a good idea, but it’s a lvl12 perk I haven’t reached yet.
Common: custom mag, range, and veteran are all good options.
ACW: Still GOAT
Still one of the best in game. The ammunition is explosive ammo and not an explosive, so explosive perk or nerf doesn't apply, and it has 0 penetration. High AOE dmg, good accuracy and handling, lots of ammo, good fire rate, you really can't ask for more. Each round can kill 6-7 zekes when things are all piled up due to higher AOE range. Just point and shoot, it requires very little aiming. The explosion range is similar to the cross-bow so be extremely careful when aiming for zeke clsoe to people (or yourself) because you might cause a lot of FF. Like other explosive ammo, it can hit a zeke during its death animation and waste a round. Not recommend for GS and fixer class, let weaker gun class like medic or DM have it. Vanguard/slasher should be careful with ACW because they usually zeke in close quarter, don’t splash dmg yourself, this weapon does not have shark skin perk.
Unique: Reparation perk is still the same as before the update, it’s a pretty good perk. Shrapnel is amazing though because it increase the explosive range of ammo for higher swarm killing power.
Common: Power and veteran is needed because this thing reloads slow.
Assault shotgun: good weapon got even better
This gun is awesome at close to medium range. Huge dmg, +2 pen fast fire rate, and 20 rounds magazine. You can mow down an entire fence easily. The range is pretty poor, so know your maps to know which area allows this gun to be most effective. It's a top tier choice for any class, but particularly good for Gunslingers and any class with third-hand. Carrying ammo is high so that's usually not a problem.
Unique perk: +10 Magazine anyone! Less reload is always good to increase DPS. Gunslinger with 30-round magazine is amazing since you refill 2 rounds per headshot. Even though it's not a game changer, bigger magazine is almost always a good buff
Common: I love custom round because it increase effective range. Also use ergonomics II to increase handling, this is one of the few guns that you can do run and gun with, so I took the reloading debuff for more handling.
Crossbow: from bad to decent, but still be very careful with it
I used to absolutely hate on this thing because too many newbs pick it up and just randomly hurt teammates with FF and cause all sort of havoc. It uses explosive ammo that cannot be silenced, so only use it during large battle when silence isn’t a consideration. Drop it as soon as swarm is over. AIM AWAY from your teammates and DON'T try to save your teammate with this thing, you will just blow them up with FF. It's nearly useless against bulls, but good vs all other specials including rats. I don’t recommend this weapon for newer players, you need to be good at aiming because your #1 priority is actually avoiding FF when using cross-bow.
Unique: You have to use shark skin. This perk used to carry a -1 magazine penalty, but that’s been removed. So now it’s just a really good ability. You can fire on the ground close to yourself instead of trying to hit a moving target with a slow bolt, and not worry about hurting yourself. Piecing bolt sounds good but not a good ability in practice because it reduces so much power.
Common: extended mag, veteran I are both good. You should have “Friend not foe” to reduce FF on teammates.
Multi-barrel shotgun: Saber what the heck is this thing, lol
First time I tried this gun, hated it. Level up a few times, loved it. Then I used it more, and now I hate it again. This guns is essentially a beefed up double-barrel. The amount of power is amazing; this thing collapse a pyramid in 2 rounds. But the range is just horrendous, you really have to be in melee range for it to have any noticeable effect. The pellets pattern is also extremely random with a very large and spread out cone. It’s not unusual for me to completely miss the zeke that’s 5 feet in front of me, but somehow kill the two zekes that’s on the side, which lead to some truly WTF moments. I don’t pick it up much anymore because on most maps zekes are just simply out of this gun’s reach. It’s great for Slasher and vanguard because they are always very close to target anyway.
Unique: Advanced user perk is great if you use vanguard shield to auto reload. Extortion works kinda the same but works for all other classes.
Common: this gun REALLY need custom rounds for more range because the default range is just terrible. Custom barrel is also a good choice for second slot.
Grenade Launcher: about the same as before
Unique weapon with very low spawn rate. It fires loud grenades, so don't use if you want to keep silent. One of the most fun gun to use and its low ammo is the only thing prevent it being abused. Refilling it 2-3 times in insane/extreme and ammo box is empty. Because it uses impact explosive grenade, GS's grenade perk and HR's explosive perk will both apply. It only explodes after hitting hard surface, so you can fire through teammates. The only class that can fully utilize its power is the hell raiser because of the extra explosive dmg perks.
Fun fact, you can spam this gun in “thief” mutator because each melee kill refills one ammo
Unique: If you are not a hellraiser, then the fire grenade perk is for you. The round works just like a molotov and Exterminator's molotov perks apply to it. You can use it choke off a small gap, or set a whole pyramid on fire. Kill and Heal is a great perk once you reach it, because it adds temp health.
Common: very few choice available, use Friend not foe to reduce accidental FF, and ammo pouch for one more round.
Flare gun: Still the only weapon without perk or upgrade
Just like the thumper, it's unique spawn with a very low rate. Flare guns are LOUD, so do not use it when you are trying to remain in stealth. But once silence is lifted, it's fun to use and very powerful when used correctly. When it first land, it attracts all zekes including specials in a small area similar to the C4 hello kitty perk. Use this to redirect dangerous specials away from your team like those 2 bulls + infector that will otherwise wreck your team. A few seconds after landing, it explodes and set zekes around it on fire and push them back. It doesn't attract too many, so it’s only good against smaller groups and specials. Lots of ammo but long reloading time, so only use it for emergencies. Let support class use this because they will keep you safe while the attack class works on the main body of the swarm.

My Archived Doc
Last Post
Toad's Archived Doc
Listen, I know I know.. "Emi you just got caught up how did you get so far behind???"
It's because Emi has a hard time planning ahead and needs to start writing drafts for when she's busy >v<;;
BUT WHATEVER I'M HERE NOW AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A WHOPPING 13 POKEMON IN ONE POST WOOP
#211: Qwilfish!
I seriously thought Qwilfish was a Gen 5 Pokemon for the longest time. I used to run a Pokemon Fusions fan page on Facebook (Listen I was like 9 don't judge me) and so blatantly was like; "Yeah Qwilfish is a gen 5 Pokemon!!" and was incredibly humbled by the comments when they informed me that Qwilfish was a Gen 2 mon
Like -- I don't know. This thing is super forgettable so I figured it was just apart of the gen I've played the least. From it's design, to importance in the games and even down to its shiny this Pokemon is just so forgettable :c Thankfully Hisui breathes new life into this Pokemon but it also does it in a way that's SO ANNOYING
WHY ARE THESE THINGS SO AGGRO IN THE OCEAN LIKE LET ME SWIM PLEASE I HATE THEM!
C-
Hisuian Qwilfish: This thing sucks. D. (Design wise I think it's an alright regional form with a cool typing. It's just super annoying.)
#212: Scizor!
Would it be insulting if I started this off with a line like; 'Oh look the inclusion to Scyther that actually makes it cool --"
I love Scizor. I think it has a dope design and a cool shiny (Even if green shinies are gross. It just looks cool on Scizor I guess.)
Scizor kind of upsets me in the same way that Steelix does though. Like why did they wait a gen to add these evolutions when they could have done it in the first game -- They could have even included steel in the first one as well
Like for real; Think about it. When was an evolution added to a Pokemon a generation after their debut?? I'll give it some slack because Game Freak was still stacking the building blocks of what made the game tick and what they wanted to implement but STILL
REgardless of that gripe though; Scizor is kickass and cool. I haven't used one yet but I've seen people do cool things with it >v<
B
#212: Shuckle!
Don't f*ckle with the Shuckle was a phrase that circulated around the fandom -- So much so that I don't think I've met someone that kind of doesn't find Shuckle endearing? But also like. Look at it.
It's an endearing little thing. It's a cute little noodle turtle >v< Who can't love this stringbean???
The shiny is also really cool. I don't really like shinies that make a huge change. The ones that make subtle changes or just a change to one aspect tend to be some of my favorites. (Well -- as long as it's noticeable. ) and I think Shuckle does it wonderfully
PLUS THIS THING IS SO CUTE I WANT 20
B+
#213: Heracross!
When was it established that Heracross was the like.. counterpart to Pinsir? Like it works -- Because they're both beetles but when did this become a thing? I didn't really think about it until recently and definitely not in Gen 2 when this thing was introduced.
I think Heracross's design is pretty neat. It's got a cool female/male difference that just sort of makes sense as well as just.. idk; A neat design. It's a cool little.. Elephant Beetle?
**Frantic google search**
Nah it's a Rhinoceros Beetle. BUT THAT'S STILL SUPER COOL!!
My biggest complaint about Heracross overall is a. I haven't used one and b. I'm not the biggest fan of the shiny? It's just.. It's too pink and just kind of grosses me out.
Which is saying a lot since pink is kind of my thing.
When I think of Heracross I always think to the New Pokemon Snap game where there's a moment where you kind of manipulate the scene to show a Heracross and Piinsir fighting. It was one of the first things I figured out how to do on my own --
Overall I'd put Heracross in... hmmm.
C+? I don't think I like it enough to put it in B despite the fact I think it's cool
#214: Sneasel!
I'm a little sad to admit that this ice cat wasn't really a top favorite of mine growing up. Like it was always there but I never vibed with the mon that much. Like -- I think it's cool. It's got a neat little feather and I'm a sucker for feather aesthetics but... eh?
Idk
It's alright I guess just... never used one so it's not very memorable and I can't say I'm a huge fan of the design.
Overall I'd put it in the D ranking, actually.
PlusI have yet to get a shiny one in Sword and Shield and that's annoying.
Hisuian Sneasel: While I don't like the regular Sneasel I actually really like Hisuian Sneasel. I think it's a neat dude and I'm also a fan of Ingo and all the art I see of him with all the Sneasels >v< C
#216: Teddiursa
I AM. A SUCKER FOR TEDDIURSA!!
It's so freaking cute look at it's cute little paws and adorable little crescent moon design and AAAA I LOVE THIS ADORABLE CUB SO MUCH!!
I actually bought a cute little knit plush of Teddiursa recently that sits proudly on my bed!
I also think it's really cool that their names from the Ursa Minor with Ursaring being a reference to the Ursa Major -- Teddiursa's crescent moon mark being kind of a bigger nod to it. I just think the name and little design quirks are clever and I appreciate them a lot!
My biggest memory of Teddiursa comes from the Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness game where one of the first Shadow Pokemon you catch is a Teddiursa. It actually might be the very first one -- Which means usually it was the first one purified.
I remember seeing the little bear in game and falling in love with it immediately. Not to mention it has an adorable shiny.
Matching with Marill it's a really cute shade of green; Being more of a mint shade rather than the gross green's that plague Pokemon bleh
But yeah! Teddiursa is cute and I love it and it's going in the A+ tier. I forget it exists sometimes but when I'm reminded I'm reminded that I love it
#217: Ursaring
As mentioned before; Ursaring's a cool nod towards the Ursa Major -- I've used an Ursaring multiple times in Gale of Darkness like mentioned before but admittedly I don't... like Teddiursa's evolution that much?
It loses that cute charm and doesn't really get enough coolness to make up for it. While Teddiursa was cute with quirks to make it less 'just a bear' and had it's charms I feel like Ursaring loses them. It just turns into a bear with shoulder pads. The ring on it's stomach doesn't even seem all that important unless it's resembling a Full Moon to parallel to Teddiursa's crescent but like...
That wouldn't have been my first thought when seeing the ring :/ I just feel like Ursaring loses all the charm that Teddiursa brought and resorts the Pokemon to being just a bear.
Plus its shiny is ugly.
D.
#218: Slugma!
I hate the stupid joke that comes with this Pokemon and has made it a crime to ever say; I'll forever be tiffed that I can't ever just casually mention this Pokemon without people mocking it and I'll BE DOCKING POINTS OFF OF IT FOR THAT REASON REE
But okay asides from that; I actually think Slugma's pretty near. It's a little lava slug that combines the word slug and lava (duh) for its name. I'm a sucker for clever name puns like that and even if Slugma's name is cursed by the internet I'll still appreciate it for what Gamefreak was attempting.
Nobody ever really talks about how Slugma has a similar fate as Spoink. Sometimes I'd even say it's worse. A lot of Pokemon entries state that if Slugma quits moving it'll harden and become brittle, pieces of its body would crumble. It's even stated that this Pokemon can't even sleep because it has to consistently be moving.
Like that sounds horrible!
A really cool thing I love about Slugma is that they took pieces of the Pokedex to make the shiny! (Either that or it's a brilliant coincidence). As stated before, Slugma has to always be moving or it'll harden and basically break apart. Well, a shiny Slugma turns this gray color; Almost as if it's cooled down completely and I think it's SO COOL!
I've never used a Slugma before and honestly I don't really have the intention but.. well -- randomized nuzlockes might have something different to say.
Overall despite the internet ruining it, I like Slugma. It still gets some points knocked for the fact I can't ever SAY ITS NAME.
But I'm still gonna put in the C+ tier uwu
#219: Magcargo!
If there's a pun in Magcargo's name I don't know what it is -- Unless the pun is that it's Magma carrying cargo but like.. It's a snail. I think that's a weird way of going about it. It's not as cool as Slugma even if the internet can't ruin it as easily :c
Even though Magcargo is basically just Slugma with a shell; There's something about it I just... don't like.
Slugma was charming but it feels like Magcargo has seen the darkest pits of hell and is still traumatized by it -- It loses a lot of the character that Slugma had and it BUMS ME OUT.
PLUS IT HAS A GROSS SHINY WHY DOES IT TURN PINK ALL OF A SUDDEN??? WHY DIDN'T THEY STICK WITH GRAY!!
D.
#220: Swinub!
I think Swinub is absolutely adorable in every way. It's a cute little ice pig and I love how it just sort of snuggles and wiggles in the snow aaaaAAA
I'm actually using a Swinub in my current randomizer and while he hasn't had much time to shine, I am excited to see how this Pokemon will do in my run and to see if my opinion of this line as a whole will change by the time I either inevitably white out or finish the run! Maybe Swinub/Piloswine will go up!
But for now I'll keep it in the basic C tier. Swinub's cute but that's really all I feel for it for not
#221: Piloswine!
I can't really say much more about Piloswine than what I've already said for Swinub. I'm not even using a Pilowine yet because it's not evolved.
Design wise I also don't really like it all thatmuch. It's okay. I don't hate it and I think it's a good transition from Swinub to Piloswine but man am I glad in Gen 4 they gave this guy a better evolution. PILOSWINE GOT THE JUSTICE HE DESERVED!!
C-
#222: Corsola
This poor Pokemon has been through the wringeri. It has to struggle with pollution in the ocean; People hunting them for their horns; People literally building houses on tops of groups of t hem. And then in Gen 7 Gamefreak decided; "Do you kniow what Corsola doesn't have?? An enemy. Let's make one that HUNTS THEM FOR SPORT."
But yeah I feel so sad over Corsola's fate throughout the games. I haven't really had a need to use Corsola but I'm a sucker for the pinks and blues. I think they fit together really well and they really did the "coral reef" pokemon justice. It's SO CUTE AND ADORABLE
IT ALSO HAS A REALLY GOOD SHINY SO IT GETS DOUBLE POINTS! I don't think I have one yet, but I will one day!!
B
Galarian Corsola: C+. I like Galarian Corsola but I feel so sad that it's fate was decided all because of those stupid Mareanies. But I do like it! I have a shiny one on SwSh named Carole because I hatched her on Christmas uwu
#223: Remoraid
OKAY OKAY HEAR ME OUT. I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE REMORAID BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LISTEN THERE'S A REASON COME BACK.
Remoraid was my first shiny I ever actually hunted in a Pokemon game of my own volition. I had just been taught chain fishing in X/Y and I decided to say screw it and just start fishing. I ended up nabbing a shiny Remoraid and I was so excited!! I went to go throw a Pokeball and --
Game crashed.
I had never been more upset in my life. It was my first time chain fishing and my game was literally refusing me it.
Thankfully a reboot fixed the game but I didn't have a shiny!! Yay!! /s
I ended up reclaiming it easily because chain fishing is easy but I ended up naming this cool Purple shiny "Error" for the error I received RIGHT WHEN I GOT HIM.
I still have him somewhere but he's evolved into a wonderfully ugly Octillery uwu I still love him though.
Okay sentimentality aside. I also really like how Remoraid establishes a symbiotic relationship with Mantines later on! They swim under their fins and eat the leftovers from their meals (OR clean. I can't remember.)
I really love seeing Pokemon take real life things that can happen and putting them in the Pokemon World. It's always so interesting and fun to find out!
I'm gonna be putting Remoraid in the A rank. >v< I'm biased, shoosh.
#224: Octillery
I'm obligated to say that I like Octillery because my beloved Error is one, right?
But uh -- I actually don't really like this Pokemon.
I get it that it's based off of a tank or something like that which is why it's suddenly a gun or whatever but I just... HOW DOES THIS TURN INTO THIS??? How does Remoraid evolve into Octillery??? They don't even share any of the same colors.
But yeah I think Octillery is just kind of ugly. Even the shiny is >v< I'm sorry ERror I should hve kept you as a Remoraid.
D.
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I hope you enjoyed my very long ramblines. I am exhausted!
Let me know what you think of these mons! I'd love to hear it!
See ya tomorrow!
~Emi

The 300 Win Mag (Winchester Magnum) has been the gold standard big game hunting round for generations as it can take down game animals as small as coyotes all the way up to the great bears and moose. Its extreme versatility is one of the many reasons conservationists choose it for their hunting rifle season after season.
But today we are going to scale things down and set our sights on deer, an animal that the 300 Win Mag is more than capable of taking down at distances over 500 yards. However, not all 300 Win Mag ammo is created equal and some are better for filling your freezer with venison than others.
In this article, we’re going to give you our top 5 picks for the best 300 Win Mag ammo for deer, considering terminal ballistics, price, and availability. No matter which one of these cartridges you pick for your 300 Win Mag hunting rifle, you can rest assured that no trophy buck will walk very far when hit with one of these (if they move at all!)
If you’re in a hurry, grab a box of Federal Premium 180 gr Barnes TSX ammo and head into the woods, you won’t be sorry! But for those who want to stick around and learn about all our selections, keep reading.
If you’re new to hunting deer with a 300 Win Mag, check out our Buyer’s Guide HERE to learn more about how to choose the right hunting ammo for your rifle. On the other hand, if you’re just curious about the top five best deer-hunting ammo, scroll just a little further down.

The Top Five Best 300 Win Mag Ammo for Deer

• Federal Premium 180 gr Barnes TSX
• Remington Core-Lokt 180 gr SP
• Winchester Copper Impact 150 gr Extreme Point
• Barnes VOR-TX 165 gr TTSX
• Hornady American Whitetail 150 gr Interlock SP

The Best 300 Win Mag Ammo for Deer Overall

Federal Premium 180 gr Barnes TSX

Specs

• Casing: Nickel-Plated Brass
• Bullet Type: Barnes Triple-Shock X
• Bullet Weight: 180 gr
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,960 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 2,752 ft-lbs

Pros

• Controlled expansion
• Exceptional weight retention
• Availability
• Lead-free copper alloy bullet

Cons

• A little pricey

Why We Chose It

If you’re looking for 300 Win Mag ammo that simply does it all, then look no further than the Federal Premium 180 gr Barnes TSX. This hunting cartridge offers superior terminal ballistics, is legal for hunting in all fifty states, and is manufactured to Federal’s highest quality standards.
This round hits hard, has a nice flat trajectory, and is easy to find, what more could you ask for?
The Barnes Triple-Shock X (TSX) bullet line offers all of the features you want in a premium hunting bullet. The all-copper projectile includes a tapered, monolithic design that helps to increase the ballistic coefficient and reduce wind deflection.
The Barnes TSX 180-grain bullet also has a deep pocket at the tip, which promotes rapid expansion after penetration, creating a wound cavity near vital organs. Many hunters report deer dropping in their tracks when hit in the vitals with a Barnes TSX, which saves you hours of tracking a wounded deer through thick brush.
While some other options on our list are slightly more affordable, the Federal Premium 180 gr Barnes TSX is a trusted and effective hunting bullet that puts down big game quickly thanks to its controlled expansion. Which is certainly worth a few extra quarters per round if you ask me!

Honorable Mention

Hornady Precision Hunter 200 gr ELD-X - Hornady is one of those ammo companies that come up with ingenious designs and solves problems for hunters all over the country. The Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X line for the 300 Win Mag is just that, a solution for every hunter.
The boattail design and Heat Shield tip keep the projectile on track from muzzle to target, while the InterLock ring keeps the jacket and core together, maximizing energy transfer and controlling the bullet’s expansion. This combination is devastating against any deer and can be a great alternative to Federal Premium if you can’t find it.

The Best 300 Win Mag Ammo for Deer For Versatility

Remington Core-Lokt 300 Win Mag 180gr PSP

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Pointed Soft Point
• Bullet Weight: 180 Grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,960 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,501 ft-lbs

Pros

• Affordable
• Perfect for all types of big game hunting
• Excellent expansion

Cons

• Not legal for hunting in California

Why We Chose It

Next up on our list is the versatile Remington Core-Lokt 180 gr PSP. If you’re looking for another hard-hitting hunting round that’s easy to find and won’t disappoint, then you simply can’t go wrong with Big Green. The 180-grain bullet is versatile enough for medium game like whitetail deer while powerful enough to take down larger game animals like elk and black bear.
The signature of the Remington Core-Lokt line is a lead core that’s chemically bonded to the copper alloy jacket. This means that the bonded core and jacket won’t separate on impact. Instead, the bullet will penetrate deeply before expanding. This controlled expansion is one of the many reasons why we love Remington Core-Lokt for deer hunting.
Despite being a soft point bullet, the Remington PSP has a relatively high ballistic coefficient and we found it to be incredible accurate in all our hunting rifles.
With a price point that any deer hunter can stomach, you can easily take the Remington Core-Lokt from target shooting right into the woods and get your freezer stocked with venison for the winter.

Honorable Mention

Federal 300 Win Mag 180 Grain SP - This Federal 180gr SP is designed to maximize penetration and control expansion, leading to more effective shots and keeping you from trailing wounded deer in the woods.
With a muzzle velocity of 2,960 fps, it’s a great round for long-distance shooting and medium to large game animals. The soft point design controls expansion, and the tapered jacket ensures penetration. Overall, this Federal hunting round is an excellent choice for any avid hunter.

The Best 300 Win Mag Ammo for Deer for Availability

Winchester Copper Impact 150 Grain Extreme Point

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Polymer-tip Extreme Point
• Bullet Weight: 150 Grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,260 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 2,539 ft-lbs

Pros

• Specifically designed for deer hunting
• Lead-free bullet design
• Affordable
• Easy to find

Cons

• Not great for big-game hunting

Why We Chose It

Winchester Copper Impact 150 gr 300 Win Mag ammo is a round no deer wants to find itself on the wrong end of. Developed with the needs of deer hunters in mind, Winchester Copper Impact was designed for insane expansion and high weight retention to impart maximum kinetic energy into a whitetail.
While the Copper Impact doesn’t pack as much bullet weight as some of the other heavier bullets on our list at 150 grains. It still packs more than enough punch to put down any deer you lay your crosshairs on.
The lighter 150 grain bullet offers hunters an incredibly flat trajectory and the polymer tip initiates expansion upon contact with soft tissue. The result is a round that’s incredibly accurate and deadly against thin-skinned game like whitetail, pronghorn, and mule deer.
Although the 150-grain bullet is not the best choice for elk or moose, Winchester Copper Impact 150 gr Extreme Point ammo is an amazing option if you’re looking to exclusively hunt deer-sized game at a price point any hunter will love.

The Best Premium 300 Win Mag Ammo for Deer

Barnes VOR-TX 165gr TTSX

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Tipped Triple-Shock X
• Bullet Weight: 165 Grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,285 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,120 ft-lbs

Pros

• Extremely accurate
• Exceptional terminal ballistics
• Deep penetration

Cons

• Availability

Why We Chose it

If you’re a hunter who takes pride in shooting the best ammo money can buy, then look no further than the Barnes VOR-TX 165 gr TTSX for your next deer hunt.
Similar to the TSX bullet we discussed earlier, the TTSX bullet is loaded with a polymer tip that helps initiate expansion upon impact. Furthermore, the boat tail bullet design helps increases accuracy for longer range shots.
The all-copper bullet design effectively eliminates lead exposure risks and also aids in weight retention for better, more effective shots. Although the 165-grain bullet is comparatively lighter than other hunting bullets on our list, you should have no reservations using it for this year’s deer and elk season thanks to its incredible terminal ballistics.
Barnes is known for producing excellent, high-quality rounds, and they have the price tag to match. However, if you want to shoot the best, then make sure you grab a box of Barnes VOR-TX 165 gr TTSX ammo whenever you see it, because most hunters won’t let it sit on the shelf for long!

Honorable Mention

Nosler Trophy Grade 180 gr Accubond - The Nosler Accubond is unquestionably one of the greatest hunting rounds ever to hit the chamber of a bolt-action rifle. As one of the absolute best hunting rounds in the industry, the Nosler Accubond offers hunters incredible terminal ballistics at insanely long ranges. Unfortunately, the round has become increasingly difficult to find but will drop anything from antelope to hogs and black bears. Grab some if you can find it, but expect to pay a premium for it.

The Best 300 Win Mag Ammo for Deer Hunting on a Budget

Hornady American Whitetail 150 gr Interlock SP

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Polymer Tip
• Bullet Weight: 150 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,275 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,572 ft-lbs

Pros

• High ballistic coefficient
• Excellent terminal ballistics
• Affordable

Cons

• Not ideal for big game hunting

Why We Chose It

If you’re looking for a round that’s affordable and easy to find, you simply cannot beat Hornady American Whitetail 150 gr Interlock SP. And although this round might not break the bank, it is more than capable of bringing home the venison.
The Interlock Soft Point bullet design is the heart of the American Whitetail line. Designed with an internal belt inside the jacket, the Interlock Soft Point allows for rapid and deadly expansion while avoiding jacket separation. This allows the lead core and the copper jacket of the bullet to remain as one cohesive projectile and transfer almost all of its kinetic energy into the target.
Although not the best choice for large game like elk or bear, the 150-grain bullet is more than sufficient for felling any whitetail or mule deer that dares walk past your tree stand.
At a price that most every hunter can afford, Hornady American Whitetail 150 gr Interlock SP ammo is a staple at deer camps across the nation and will deliver the terminal performance you need to fill your bag limit this fall.

Parting Shots - Picking the Best 300 Winchester Magnum Cartridge

The 300 Win Mag has cemented its legacy as one of the gold standard cartridges by which all other big game calibers are measured by.
It’s proven itself time and time again in the field against deer, hogs, pronghorn, elk, moose, and bear and is more than capable of bringing home the trophy buck you’ve been stalking during the off season.
We’ve listed our top five choices for the best 300 Win Mag above, and we have no doubt in our mind that these rounds will serve you well this deer season.
If you’d like to learn more about the 300 Win Mag, keep scrolling and check out our buyer’s guide below. Otherwise Click HERE to go back to the top 5 list and make your selection!

300 Winchester Magnum Buyer’s Guide

Since the 1960s, the 300 Winchester Magnum has dominated long-range competitive shooting, hunting, and is a popular choice for police and military snipers. The caliber is well-known as a hard-hitting cartridge with blazing muzzle velocity and a flatter trajectory than the 308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor.
Without question, there are a lot of different types of 300 Win Mag ammo available, and for some shooters it can be difficult to understand the difference between match-grade ammo and hunting rounds.
In the sections below, we are going to explain what makes for a great hunting round and what you should be looking for when you buy ammo for deer season.

Bullet Weight

You’ll hear a lot of shooters talk about grain weight. You’ve probably noticed the 300 Winchester Magnum ammo we listed above comes in various weights, from 150gr all the way up to 200gr.
So, how does a bullet’s weight play into which ammo you choose?
Well, there’s a lot to it. But ultimately, it’s important to remember that shot placement is going to make for a more effective hunt than having a bullet that’s just the right grain weight.
However, that doesn’t throw out the discussion entirely. We have some general guidelines for bullet weight and hunting in the industry. Take a look.

Medium-Sized Game Animals

If you’re hunting animals that weigh between 50-300 lbs, you’re hunting what we call medium-sized game . Deer, antelope, hogs, and pronghorns all typically fall into this category.
For these animals, it’s often recommended to use a 150gr-165gr bullet. Not because we’re worried about over-penetration or meat waste but because that grain weight is sufficient enough for those creatures.
A lighter bullet has a higher velocity which is more flat-shooting than some heavier rounds. So, lighter bullets tend to be a little more forgiving of ranging mistakes, making them great for hunting.

Larger Game Animals

Animals like bears, moose, and elk, typically weigh over 300 lbs, and we consider these large game creatures. If you’re after bigger game, then you’ll want to shoot heavy bullets like 180 gr or 200 gr because they transfers more kinetic energy and have adequate expansion to ensure a clean kill.

Bullet Design

Another aspect to consider is the bullet’s design. If you’ve ever been to a sporting good’s store, I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of different bullet name abbreviations that can be confusing if you aren’t familiar with them.
Different metals, shapes, and composites affect trajectory and terminal ballistics. For example, some 300 Win Mag rifle cartridges, like the Sierra Matchking, are great for long-range shooting but are inappropriate for hunting since they don’t expand.
So, which designs are best for deer hunting with the 300 Win Mag? Let’s take a look!

Soft Points

Soft Point bullets, typically referred to as SP on your ammo box, are have a metal jacket and soft lead cores. Similar to Jacketed Hollow Points (JHPs), soft point bullets have exposed lead at the tip. This exposed tip allows the bullet to mushroom when it encounters soft tissue, creating a large wound channel and increases the chances of an ethical kill. Traditional soft points are is one of the oldest hunting bullet designs.

Pointed Soft Points

The next evolution of traditional soft point bullets were the pointed soft point (PSP). PSP bullets have a sharper tip giving you better penetration and higher ballistic coefficient. PSP ammo is a great middle-ground between SPs and Polymer Tipped bullets because it shares many of the aerodynamic advantages of polymer tipped bullets while still having the rapid expansion of soft point bullets. Some common PSP bullets include the Nosler Partition, Winchester Power-Point, and Hornady Interlock.

Polymer Tips

Polymer-tipped bullets are the latest development in hunting ammo and all the rage right now. These hunting bullets are essentially hollow points bullets with a pointed polymer tip. The tips are designed to plunge into the hollow point when they encounter soft tissue. This initiates expansion immediately and creates a massive wound channel.
Polymer tipped bullets are also more aerodynamic than traditional soft points, which typically translates into a longer effective range.
Of course, you’ll see different variations of polymer-tipped ammo from the Winchester Silver Tip, Nosler Accubond and Ballistic Tip, and Barnes TTSX, just to name a few. Each manufacturer has its own special recipe, but ultimately, the design concept is the same.

Designs to Avoid

Believe it or not, there are some ammo designs that are illegal to use for hunting in some areas (you want to hunt, not get in trouble with law enforcement).
One of the more popular designs that aren’t appropriate for hunting any game is the FMJ (full metal jacket). These rounds are a solid lead core surrounded by a copper jacket that won’t expand. FMJs are best for plinking, target shooting, and competitions.
Match-grade ammo is also not appropriate for hunting, even if it uses a hollow point. These bullets are designed for extreme long range shooting, and while very accurate and aerodynamic, they do not expand when they encounter soft tissue.

Effective Range

Lastly, consider the distance between you and your next target. A 300 Winchester Magnum long-range hunting rifle has a lot of power, there’s no question about that. But different factory loads can perform differently in your rifle and affect your point of impact. Things like bullet drop, accuracy (measured in minute of angle or MOA), and muzzle velocity can vary from rifle to rifle.
In general, most 300 Win Mag hunting loads work great on deer within 500 yards. However, we can quantify that a bit more.
The effective range of a hunting cartridge on deer is typically defined by its kinetic energy. The accepted rule is that 1,000 ft-lbs of energy is required to ethically harvest a whitetail deer. This is not a hard and fast rule, but it gives you a general idea of how effective your chosen cartridge is on deer.
Of course, different ammo and hunting rifles act differently (a Ruger American will give you different results than the Ruger Precision). Just like how Hornady Superformance 165 gr CX might perform better in your Rem 700 as opposed to a 180 gr Nosler Partition. The best thing you can do is test your ammo in your chosen hunting rifle to determine its long range performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 300 Win Mag have more recoil than the 308 Winchester?

Yes. In general the 300 Win Mag will have around 9-10 ft-lbs of additional recoil than the 308 Winchester.

What’s the difference between the 30-06 and the 300 Win Mag?

The 30-06 Springfield was developed prior to WWI and was the US service rifle cartridge through the Korean War. On the other hand, the 300 Winchester Magnum is a belted-magnum cartridge that was developed in the 1960’s for big game hunting. Both cartridges are excellent choices for big game hunting and fire the same 0.308" diameter bullets making them great options for reloading if you enjoy making your own handloads.

What is the difference between the 300 Win Mag and the 300 Weatherby?

The 300 Weatherby Magnum and 300 Win Mag are two 30-caliber cartridges that are often compared. Although both cartridges fire the same 30-caliber bullets, the 300 Weatherby Mag is slightly longer and slightly more powerful than the 300 Win Mag.
Another major difference between the two is rifle availability, as the 300 Weatherby Mag is a proprietary cartridge and for many years you could only get a Weatherby rifle chambered in the caliber. On the other hand, virtually every rifle manufacturer has a rifle chambered in 300 Win Mag.

What is the difference between the 300 Win Mag and the 300 WSM?

The main difference between the 300 Win Mag and 300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) is that the 300 Win Mag fits in a long action rifle while the 300 WSM fits in a short action. Both rounds fire the same 30-caliber magnum bullets and have virtually identical ballistic performance. Check out this article if you want to learn more about the 300 WSM vs 300 Win Mag.

Back to Our Best 300 Win Mag Ammo for Hunting

At this point, it’s time to put your knowledge to good use! Click HERE to go back to our list. Click on the links to place your order, and we’ll have your next favorite 300 Win Mag hunting ammo shipped to you shortly!
Best 300 Win Mag Ammo for Deer: The Belted Freezer Filler originally appeared on Ammo.com

Hi there! So, back in 2009-10, I read the first issue of a comic. It was about a group of archaeologists that go to a dig site being monitored heavily by the government, and instead of fossils, they discover a huge cache of dinosaurs in suspended animation tubes/pods (right at the end, when one of the characters says something along the lines of "They saved themselves")
I remember few details besides that, I know there's a splash page with the "sexy dark haired ladyTM" archeologist posing like. Well. Like a woman drawn by a man in the mid 2000s.
I also remember being disappointed that there wasn't more, as the last 2-3 pages were just ads.
The comic itself I think was originally published in 2003-6 but I could be remembering wrong.

I'll start off by saying that I don't really know anything about modeling or animations. My experience with Bethesda modding is limited to using xEdit or the CK to change references and such, so I apologize in advance if this is a dumb question.
I play Fallout 4 VR, and I know that AAF isn't available and won't be. That's not what this is about. I'm able to get Four-Play to largely work, since it doesn't rely on AAF and uses the standard animation controller. There is, however, an alignment issue with any animations involving the player character, probably due to the way the player model/inverse kinematic mod deals with a first person player skeleton. I've been doing some digging and research, and found a mod on Nexus that lets you tweak existing Fallout 4 animations without needing a suite of animation or 3D modeling tools. https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/38990 is the mod in question.
So my question is, in order to get the existing Four-Play animations lined up properly in first person in VR, is it simply a matter of opening up the animation files and moving the player's Camera Bone to different XYZ coordinates using that animation tweaking mod? That solution seems far too simple to be in any way correct or effective, and I know the easiest thing to do would be to just try, but I figured someone here could enlighten me and save me a few hours of frustration and wasted time in case there's no way that solution would work.