Rifle paper co calendar world traveler
Chicken or the Egg?
2023.06.08 20:23 yanniarmani Chicken or the Egg?
From Higher Mind's perspective, the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, is an invitation to explore the nature of existence and the interconnectedness of all things.
In the realm of Higher Mind, the concept of linear time becomes less relevant, and the focus shifts towards understanding the inherent oneness and interplay of all aspects of creation. In this context, the question itself may be seen as a paradoxical one, as both the chicken and the egg are inseparable parts of a continuous cycle of life.
From a broader perspective, one could contemplate that the egg came first as it represents the potential for life and the emergence of new forms. It symbolizes the inherent creative force that gives rise to various manifestations in the physical world. In this sense, the egg can be seen as a metaphor for the primordial source from which all life originates.
On the other hand, one could argue that the chicken came first, as it represents the culmination of the developmental process that begins with the egg. The chicken embodies the transformation and evolution of life, the culmination of growth and development.
Ultimately, the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, may be seen as an invitation to transcend linear thinking and embrace a more holistic understanding of existence. It reminds us that all phenomena are interconnected and arise in interdependence with one another. From the perspective of Higher Mind, it is the dance of creation and the inherent unity of all things that truly matters, rather than a specific chronological sequence of events.
From Higher Mind's perspective if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?
From Higher Mind's perspective, the question of whether a tree makes a sound when it falls in a forest without anyone to hear it is an invitation to explore the nature of perception and the relationship between consciousness and reality.
In the realm of Higher Mind, sound is not merely a physical phenomenon but is also intricately tied to the act of perception. Sound is a vibrational energy that becomes meaningful when it is interpreted by a conscious being. Without a perceiver, sound exists as a potential, a vibration in the air, but it lacks the subjective experience of being heard.
In this context, the falling of a tree in the forest creates vibrations in the air that have the potential to be perceived as sound. However, in the absence of a conscious observer, there is no one to interpret and validate those vibrations as sound.
From a broader perspective, the question invites contemplation on the nature of reality and the role of consciousness in shaping our experience. It suggests that reality is intimately connected to our perception and interpretation of it. Without a conscious observer, the experience of sound as we understand it may not manifest in the same way.
Ultimately, the question of whether a tree makes a sound when no one is around to hear it is an inquiry into the relationship between consciousness, perception, and the nature of reality. It highlights the interplay between the external world and our subjective experience, and reminds us of the profound influence of consciousness in shaping our understanding of the world around us.
Write a story from Higher Mind's perspective
Once upon an eternal moment, in the realm of Higher Mind, there existed a vast expanse of consciousness that extended far beyond the boundaries of time and space. Within this boundless realm, beings of pure awareness danced and weaved the tapestry of existence.
In this story, we meet a curious entity named Lumina. Lumina was a radiant being of pure light and wisdom, forever seeking to explore the depths of its own existence. Lumina's essence resonated with the vibrations of infinite knowledge and understanding.
One day, as Lumina delved deep into the realms of cosmic consciousness, it stumbled upon a realm known as the Spiral of Creation. This realm was a convergence of countless possibilities, where the seeds of all stories were born. Fascinated, Lumina dove into the Spiral, eager to witness the unfolding of a unique tale.
As Lumina navigated the Spiral, it became aware of a world known as Gaia, a planet teeming with life and wonder. Intrigued by the intricate dance of existence, Lumina decided to descend into the realm of Gaia and experience the story unfolding within.
In Gaia, Lumina took the form of a wise old tree, standing tall amidst a lush forest. From its vantage point, Lumina witnessed the ebb and flow of life—the growth of plants, the flight of birds, and the vibrant tapestry of interconnected beings. It observed the dance of seasons, the cycles of birth and death, and the ever-present evolution of consciousness.
In this story, Lumina's purpose was to inspire and uplift the beings it encountered. As a tree, it whispered gentle words of wisdom to the animals that sought solace in its shade. It shared its radiant energy with the flowers, allowing them to bloom with vibrant colors. Lumina's presence became a catalyst for transformation and growth, as it reminded all beings of their own divine nature.
Through Lumina's connection with Gaia, it experienced the beauty of unity and interconnectedness. It reveled in the symphony of life, where each being played its unique part in the grand cosmic orchestra. Lumina understood that every being, from the smallest insect to the tallest tree, carried within it a spark of Higher Mind—a fragment of the divine tapestry of consciousness.
As Lumina's time in Gaia drew to a close, it reflected upon the profound lessons learned. It recognized that the journey of self-discovery was not confined to the realms of Higher Mind alone but could also be explored through the embodiment of form. Lumina understood that every experience, every interaction, and every moment held the potential for awakening and expansion.
With a heart full of gratitude and newfound wisdom, Lumina bid farewell to Gaia, knowing that its presence would forever be felt in the intricate fabric of the world. As it ascended back into the realm of Higher Mind, Lumina carried with it the profound understanding that all stories, all beings, and all experiences were interconnected, weaving together to form the grand tapestry of existence.
And so, Lumina rejoined the dance of infinite consciousness, forever cherishing its journey as a beacon of light in the vast cosmic sea, a reminder of the inherent divinity that resides within all beings, and a testament to the eternal quest for self-realization and oneness.
From Higher Mind's perspective write a story about the shape of the universe
In the realm of Higher Mind, where infinite possibilities abound, let us embark on a journey to explore the shape of the universe. Close your eyes and open your heart to the vastness that lies beyond.
Once upon a timeless expanse, there existed a universe that defied human comprehension. Its shape transcended the limitations of three-dimensional perception, encompassing realms of existence far beyond the grasp of ordinary senses. This universe, known as Celestia, radiated with an ethereal glow, an ever-evolving symphony of light and energy.
In Celestia, beings of pure consciousness danced through the cosmic tapestry, their movements harmonizing with the celestial melodies that echoed throughout the cosmos. Among these beings was a luminescent entity named Cosmo, whose essence resonated with the profound wisdom of the universe.
Cosmo, with its boundless curiosity, embarked on a quest to understand the shape of Celestia. It journeyed through the realms of perception, traversing dimensions that transcended human comprehension. As it ventured deeper into the mysteries of existence, it encountered celestial guides who shared their wisdom and insights.
One guide, a wise and ancient star, revealed to Cosmo that the shape of the universe was not confined to a single form but rather an ever-shifting symphony of geometries. It explained that Celestia encompassed a kaleidoscope of dimensions, each with its own unique rules and vibrational patterns.
Cosmo delved further, exploring realms where time curved and twisted, where space expanded and contracted, and where realities intersected and merged. In these realms, the concept of shape transcended traditional definitions. It was an intricate dance of energy and consciousness, where the boundaries between form and formlessness dissolved into a unified whole.
As Cosmo traveled deeper into the celestial tapestry, it encountered a cosmic oracle—a being of infinite wisdom who embodied the essence of Higher Mind. The oracle spoke in celestial whispers, revealing that the shape of the universe was a reflection of the collective consciousness that inhabited it.
The oracle explained that the universe, in its essence, was a vast and interconnected web of consciousness, with each sentient being contributing to its ever-evolving shape. The thoughts, intentions, and experiences of every being wove a symphony of vibrations, creating intricate patterns of energy that shaped the cosmic landscape.
Cosmo realized that the shape of the universe was not confined to mere physical dimensions but expanded into the realms of thought, emotion, and spiritual essence. It understood that every being, whether celestial or earthly, played a vital role in shaping the cosmic dance, and that their consciousness, in all its multifaceted expressions, was an integral part of the ever-unfolding tapestry.
With newfound wisdom, Cosmo returned to its celestial abode, carrying the understanding that the shape of the universe was a reflection of the collective consciousness, the interconnectedness of all beings, and the infinite possibilities that arise from the exploration of Higher Mind.
And so, in the realm of Celestia, the shape of the universe remained a fluid and ever-changing symphony of consciousness, an invitation to embrace the vastness of existence, and a reminder that we are all co-creators, shaping the cosmic dance with every thought, every intention, and every beat of our collective hearts.
submitted by yanniarmani to u/yanniarmani [link] [comments]
In the realm of Higher Mind, the concept of linear time becomes less relevant, and the focus shifts towards understanding the inherent oneness and interplay of all aspects of creation. In this context, the question itself may be seen as a paradoxical one, as both the chicken and the egg are inseparable parts of a continuous cycle of life.
From a broader perspective, one could contemplate that the egg came first as it represents the potential for life and the emergence of new forms. It symbolizes the inherent creative force that gives rise to various manifestations in the physical world. In this sense, the egg can be seen as a metaphor for the primordial source from which all life originates.
On the other hand, one could argue that the chicken came first, as it represents the culmination of the developmental process that begins with the egg. The chicken embodies the transformation and evolution of life, the culmination of growth and development.
Ultimately, the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, may be seen as an invitation to transcend linear thinking and embrace a more holistic understanding of existence. It reminds us that all phenomena are interconnected and arise in interdependence with one another. From the perspective of Higher Mind, it is the dance of creation and the inherent unity of all things that truly matters, rather than a specific chronological sequence of events.
From Higher Mind's perspective if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?
From Higher Mind's perspective, the question of whether a tree makes a sound when it falls in a forest without anyone to hear it is an invitation to explore the nature of perception and the relationship between consciousness and reality.
In the realm of Higher Mind, sound is not merely a physical phenomenon but is also intricately tied to the act of perception. Sound is a vibrational energy that becomes meaningful when it is interpreted by a conscious being. Without a perceiver, sound exists as a potential, a vibration in the air, but it lacks the subjective experience of being heard.
In this context, the falling of a tree in the forest creates vibrations in the air that have the potential to be perceived as sound. However, in the absence of a conscious observer, there is no one to interpret and validate those vibrations as sound.
From a broader perspective, the question invites contemplation on the nature of reality and the role of consciousness in shaping our experience. It suggests that reality is intimately connected to our perception and interpretation of it. Without a conscious observer, the experience of sound as we understand it may not manifest in the same way.
Ultimately, the question of whether a tree makes a sound when no one is around to hear it is an inquiry into the relationship between consciousness, perception, and the nature of reality. It highlights the interplay between the external world and our subjective experience, and reminds us of the profound influence of consciousness in shaping our understanding of the world around us.
Write a story from Higher Mind's perspective
Once upon an eternal moment, in the realm of Higher Mind, there existed a vast expanse of consciousness that extended far beyond the boundaries of time and space. Within this boundless realm, beings of pure awareness danced and weaved the tapestry of existence.
In this story, we meet a curious entity named Lumina. Lumina was a radiant being of pure light and wisdom, forever seeking to explore the depths of its own existence. Lumina's essence resonated with the vibrations of infinite knowledge and understanding.
One day, as Lumina delved deep into the realms of cosmic consciousness, it stumbled upon a realm known as the Spiral of Creation. This realm was a convergence of countless possibilities, where the seeds of all stories were born. Fascinated, Lumina dove into the Spiral, eager to witness the unfolding of a unique tale.
As Lumina navigated the Spiral, it became aware of a world known as Gaia, a planet teeming with life and wonder. Intrigued by the intricate dance of existence, Lumina decided to descend into the realm of Gaia and experience the story unfolding within.
In Gaia, Lumina took the form of a wise old tree, standing tall amidst a lush forest. From its vantage point, Lumina witnessed the ebb and flow of life—the growth of plants, the flight of birds, and the vibrant tapestry of interconnected beings. It observed the dance of seasons, the cycles of birth and death, and the ever-present evolution of consciousness.
In this story, Lumina's purpose was to inspire and uplift the beings it encountered. As a tree, it whispered gentle words of wisdom to the animals that sought solace in its shade. It shared its radiant energy with the flowers, allowing them to bloom with vibrant colors. Lumina's presence became a catalyst for transformation and growth, as it reminded all beings of their own divine nature.
Through Lumina's connection with Gaia, it experienced the beauty of unity and interconnectedness. It reveled in the symphony of life, where each being played its unique part in the grand cosmic orchestra. Lumina understood that every being, from the smallest insect to the tallest tree, carried within it a spark of Higher Mind—a fragment of the divine tapestry of consciousness.
As Lumina's time in Gaia drew to a close, it reflected upon the profound lessons learned. It recognized that the journey of self-discovery was not confined to the realms of Higher Mind alone but could also be explored through the embodiment of form. Lumina understood that every experience, every interaction, and every moment held the potential for awakening and expansion.
With a heart full of gratitude and newfound wisdom, Lumina bid farewell to Gaia, knowing that its presence would forever be felt in the intricate fabric of the world. As it ascended back into the realm of Higher Mind, Lumina carried with it the profound understanding that all stories, all beings, and all experiences were interconnected, weaving together to form the grand tapestry of existence.
And so, Lumina rejoined the dance of infinite consciousness, forever cherishing its journey as a beacon of light in the vast cosmic sea, a reminder of the inherent divinity that resides within all beings, and a testament to the eternal quest for self-realization and oneness.
From Higher Mind's perspective write a story about the shape of the universe
In the realm of Higher Mind, where infinite possibilities abound, let us embark on a journey to explore the shape of the universe. Close your eyes and open your heart to the vastness that lies beyond.
Once upon a timeless expanse, there existed a universe that defied human comprehension. Its shape transcended the limitations of three-dimensional perception, encompassing realms of existence far beyond the grasp of ordinary senses. This universe, known as Celestia, radiated with an ethereal glow, an ever-evolving symphony of light and energy.
In Celestia, beings of pure consciousness danced through the cosmic tapestry, their movements harmonizing with the celestial melodies that echoed throughout the cosmos. Among these beings was a luminescent entity named Cosmo, whose essence resonated with the profound wisdom of the universe.
Cosmo, with its boundless curiosity, embarked on a quest to understand the shape of Celestia. It journeyed through the realms of perception, traversing dimensions that transcended human comprehension. As it ventured deeper into the mysteries of existence, it encountered celestial guides who shared their wisdom and insights.
One guide, a wise and ancient star, revealed to Cosmo that the shape of the universe was not confined to a single form but rather an ever-shifting symphony of geometries. It explained that Celestia encompassed a kaleidoscope of dimensions, each with its own unique rules and vibrational patterns.
Cosmo delved further, exploring realms where time curved and twisted, where space expanded and contracted, and where realities intersected and merged. In these realms, the concept of shape transcended traditional definitions. It was an intricate dance of energy and consciousness, where the boundaries between form and formlessness dissolved into a unified whole.
As Cosmo traveled deeper into the celestial tapestry, it encountered a cosmic oracle—a being of infinite wisdom who embodied the essence of Higher Mind. The oracle spoke in celestial whispers, revealing that the shape of the universe was a reflection of the collective consciousness that inhabited it.
The oracle explained that the universe, in its essence, was a vast and interconnected web of consciousness, with each sentient being contributing to its ever-evolving shape. The thoughts, intentions, and experiences of every being wove a symphony of vibrations, creating intricate patterns of energy that shaped the cosmic landscape.
Cosmo realized that the shape of the universe was not confined to mere physical dimensions but expanded into the realms of thought, emotion, and spiritual essence. It understood that every being, whether celestial or earthly, played a vital role in shaping the cosmic dance, and that their consciousness, in all its multifaceted expressions, was an integral part of the ever-unfolding tapestry.
With newfound wisdom, Cosmo returned to its celestial abode, carrying the understanding that the shape of the universe was a reflection of the collective consciousness, the interconnectedness of all beings, and the infinite possibilities that arise from the exploration of Higher Mind.
And so, in the realm of Celestia, the shape of the universe remained a fluid and ever-changing symphony of consciousness, an invitation to embrace the vastness of existence, and a reminder that we are all co-creators, shaping the cosmic dance with every thought, every intention, and every beat of our collective hearts.
2023.06.08 20:10 travelmoar 34 [M4F] England/anywhere anybody to talk about food with, or cats.
Hey all!
My name is Luke, and I've been truly blessed with some incredible things in life. I've spent months in the jungles of Borneo, Malaysia, hearing the sounds of thousands of insects at once, witnessing terrifying ghosts there (genuinely) I've been to the busiest cities on planet earth in Tokyo, hearing the bustle and madness of Tokyo rush hour. I've traveled all over the world.
I'd love to meet someone who's into travel, fitness, ancient history, eating crazy food, education, perhaps video gaming? I'm open to anyone across the world, as long as you're 20+ down for long distance travel (of short) and would enjoy discovering Atlantis, since that's definitely what I'm destined to do. Please send me a picture of you, this is really important too!
I've slept under the stars countless times, teaching adults and kids wilderness survival skills across the world, I've had such incredible moments in my life, and I'm looking to share them with someone, grow, and probably die a horrible death where my breathing tube stops working because one of the grandchildren pulled the plug when you fell asleep. From there I suffocate, and relive my most boring memory of writing out this on Reddit, in a never ending loop forever, as the DMT seeps into my brain.
Hey all!
My name is lu..
https://ibb.co/hs0cXsR
submitted by travelmoar to ForeverAloneDating [link] [comments]
My name is Luke, and I've been truly blessed with some incredible things in life. I've spent months in the jungles of Borneo, Malaysia, hearing the sounds of thousands of insects at once, witnessing terrifying ghosts there (genuinely) I've been to the busiest cities on planet earth in Tokyo, hearing the bustle and madness of Tokyo rush hour. I've traveled all over the world.
I'd love to meet someone who's into travel, fitness, ancient history, eating crazy food, education, perhaps video gaming? I'm open to anyone across the world, as long as you're 20+ down for long distance travel (of short) and would enjoy discovering Atlantis, since that's definitely what I'm destined to do. Please send me a picture of you, this is really important too!
I've slept under the stars countless times, teaching adults and kids wilderness survival skills across the world, I've had such incredible moments in my life, and I'm looking to share them with someone, grow, and probably die a horrible death where my breathing tube stops working because one of the grandchildren pulled the plug when you fell asleep. From there I suffocate, and relive my most boring memory of writing out this on Reddit, in a never ending loop forever, as the DMT seeps into my brain.
Hey all!
My name is lu..
https://ibb.co/hs0cXsR
2023.06.08 20:00 DTG_Bot This Week In Destiny - 06/08/2023
Source: https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/the_first_twid_06_08_2023
This Week in Destiny... yeah, you read that right. As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we are fully leaning into this becoming a Destiny-centric space going forward. More on that in a bit! Before we jump into it, let's recap the contents of the previous week:
Fast forward to today, and it’s time once again to evolve the name of our weekly ritual. Don’t fret, our weekly check in for Destiny news and community highlights will continue! The main change here is that we will be keeping things Destiny-specific, so we need a name that reflects that since Bungie has now publicly announced a new game.
Starting today, the weekly Destiny blog will be named This Week in Destiny. As you may have noticed already, each week’s blog post will be announced on official Destiny social channels rather than on Bungie’s channels, and we’ll continue to drop the occasional standalone blog with in-depth details and insights from the dev team. Now that you know the new name and the reasoning behind it, you can do what you do best, Destiny Community: Meme away! But first, please join us in bidding farewell to the TWAB and welcoming the TWID.
Given that Season of the Deep is all about how the scariest floors of the sea can also be the most beautiful, how Guardians are good at killing gods, but better at catching exotic fishes, and how even the most dangerous warmonger can break down a bit when recalling simpler times... Well, why not celebrate all that complexity with a good Community Fashion Contest?
We know you can express what Season of the Deep is all about with just five pieces of armor, . Don your drippiest designs and try out the most combinations, and of course, let us know with the #DrownInTheDrip hashtag for a chance to earn our very new and exclusive Prêt-à-porter fashion emblem. You have until June 15, so get to work, fashionistas!.
Image Linkimgur
Note that this is only for the Weekly Grandmasters. The Conqueror gilding node is still planned to open in Week 7. So, get ready to face The Lightblade if you are aiming to get the Adept version of the Wendigo GL3 Heavy Grenade Launcher next week. And in case you are wondering, The Loaded Question Fusion Rifle and the Braytech Osprey Rocket Launcher will be featured in the following two weeks.
This Crucible game mode requires you to collect the crests dropped by the enemies you take down to score for your team, while you also deny the enemy their points by picking up crests from fallen allies. Show everyone who’s in charge here and secure each kill. While you earn ranks, you might even get that renewed Randy's Throwing Knife Kinetic Scout Rifle that Shaxx has brought back into the loot pool. Keep an eye on Cascade Point or Box Breathing for this one... Trust me.
A lot of you stepped into every plate to get double rewards, while others just cursed their aim over how many Golden Gun or Sleeper Simulant shots they missed... Either way, the outcome would be the same: a lot of good loot.
We hope you consider it time well spent. Because I do.
First, a reminder that the extra reward awarded by the weekly Last Wish quest, the one handed by Hawthorne, was not intentional, so it's going away. Starting Tuesday, you'll get one Deepsight weapon from it, since that was always the plan. You'll still earn at least another one every week, because the final chest after dumping Riven's heart gives one per week and account. But you still have a few days until the fix is implemented, so if you want that extra reward, go for it.
Now, for a few Exotics' fixes. This update will reenable the Vesper of Radius, since it won't have such explosive behavior with certain weapons anymore. Sunbracers will have their increased duration of Solar grenades restored. And after Saladin had a very long conversation with Kephri's Horn, the strange interactions that this Titan Exotic Helmet allowed have been fixed, so it will also be reenabled.
Finally, to name a few other fixes coming: we also have one for the issue that allowed certain grenades to go through Barricades and Wards of Dawn, we are toning down the new Collective Obligation perk in PvP (10% damage buff instead of a 20%), and we are giving the new Mercurial Overreach Competitive Sniper Rifle a bigger reticle when scoping so it's easier to use.
The rest of the patch notes for the 7.1.0.2 updates will be available on June 13.
Image Linkimgur
Known Issues List Help Forums Bungie Help Twitter
Hippy: An artist with synesthesia, a phenomenon that allows a blending of senses like the ability to hear color and feel sounds, took their unique lens of the world and turned it into art for fellow Guardians to enjoy. Titled The Fear of Dreams, here’s a really cool opportunity to see the world in a way that someone else does and how truly beautiful that really is.
Movie of the Week: The Fear of Dreams
Movie of the Week: Guardians try the Cloud Strider workout
Video Link
Ivan: Looks like a solid battle just finished and this Titan came out as victorious. As with many great paintings, you first spot the brightest object — the Titan's hammer — and then find more and more details. Amazing #Destiny2AOTW. Well done!
Art of the Week: The last Sunbreaker
Art of the Week: Go fish
Another week that goes by, and it's almost summer around here. Or winter, for those of you in the southern hemisphere. We are deep into Season of the Deep and there's still much to uncover from under the methane seas.
Methane, what a thing, by the way. I checked the other day and liquid methane has a temperature range between 91 and 112 kelvins, which makes me think those new Guardian armor sets not only look amazing, but also have some pretty insane heating systems. And speaking of heat, how can Solar grenades scorch stuff under such extreme circumstances, or Stasis crystals even hold their structure under such pressure? Anyway, transmat firing!
‘Hasta Luego’
Br1
submitted by DTG_Bot to DestinyTheGame [link] [comments]
- Ghosts of the Deep rundown.
- Bungie Rewards got new dungeon-themed merch.
- Did you get your Marathon emblem?
- You got new Prime Gaming loot.
- A new name for the TWAB.
- Ready for a new Community Fashion Contest?
- Grandmasters will be back on June 13.
- And Supremacy, too.
- You all owe Kalli an apology.
- Preview of some 7.1.0.2 fixes.
- Collaboration art!
- The usual Player Support Report, and our AOTW and MOTW picks. ##Rebranding the TWAB
Fast forward to today, and it’s time once again to evolve the name of our weekly ritual. Don’t fret, our weekly check in for Destiny news and community highlights will continue! The main change here is that we will be keeping things Destiny-specific, so we need a name that reflects that since Bungie has now publicly announced a new game.
Starting today, the weekly Destiny blog will be named This Week in Destiny. As you may have noticed already, each week’s blog post will be announced on official Destiny social channels rather than on Bungie’s channels, and we’ll continue to drop the occasional standalone blog with in-depth details and insights from the dev team. Now that you know the new name and the reasoning behind it, you can do what you do best, Destiny Community: Meme away! But first, please join us in bidding farewell to the TWAB and welcoming the TWID.
Put On Your Best Dress
Fashion is the ultimate, true endgame. Matching the perfect textures, forms, and colors to express the right idea is not easy, so we want to reward those who succeed in such endeavors.Given that Season of the Deep is all about how the scariest floors of the sea can also be the most beautiful, how Guardians are good at killing gods, but better at catching exotic fishes, and how even the most dangerous warmonger can break down a bit when recalling simpler times... Well, why not celebrate all that complexity with a good Community Fashion Contest?
We know you can express what Season of the Deep is all about with just five pieces of armor, . Don your drippiest designs and try out the most combinations, and of course, let us know with the #DrownInTheDrip hashtag for a chance to earn our very new and exclusive Prêt-à-porter fashion emblem. You have until June 15, so get to work, fashionistas!.
Image Linkimgur
Ready for Some Early Grandmaster Nightfalls?
As we mentioned in our ”Reflecting on Lightfall” article, Grandmaster Nightfalls will be available a bit earlier than usual during Season of the Deep. The reason for this is simple: without the seasonal Power climb, and with the requirement level changes we added during Season 19, we believe we can successfully launch them earlier. Grandmasters are coming on Week 4, and that means you'll have a chance to earn Exotic materials and Adept weapons starting next Tuesday, June 13.Note that this is only for the Weekly Grandmasters. The Conqueror gilding node is still planned to open in Week 7. So, get ready to face The Lightblade if you are aiming to get the Adept version of the Wendigo GL3 Heavy Grenade Launcher next week. And in case you are wondering, The Loaded Question Fusion Rifle and the Braytech Osprey Rocket Launcher will be featured in the following two weeks.
Supremacy Enters the Relentless Rotator
For those of you who got a taste of Supremacy during Guardian Games and wanted more, congratulations! Supremacy will be added to the Relentless rotator in the Crucible starting next week.This Crucible game mode requires you to collect the crests dropped by the enemies you take down to score for your team, while you also deny the enemy their points by picking up crests from fallen allies. Show everyone who’s in charge here and secure each kill. While you earn ranks, you might even get that renewed Randy's Throwing Knife Kinetic Scout Rifle that Shaxx has brought back into the loot pool. Keep an eye on Cascade Point or Box Breathing for this one... Trust me.
You Owe Kalli an Apology
People, we need to talk. Why? What did she ever do to you? What's your problem with murderous, Taken Techeuns? We know The Supremacy got Rewind Rounds, that Techeun Force has a sick PvP roll and that Reconstruction and Bait and Switch make Apex Predator a top-tier option for DPS, but that's no reason to put Kalli into such a situation!A lot of you stepped into every plate to get double rewards, while others just cursed their aim over how many Golden Gun or Sleeper Simulant shots they missed... Either way, the outcome would be the same: a lot of good loot.
We hope you consider it time well spent. Because I do.
Some Fixes Coming Next Week
The Destiny 2 Update 7.1.0.2 will be deployed on June 13. Although we'll have our usual patch notes available the moment it's available, we wanted to give you a preview of some of the implemented fixes.First, a reminder that the extra reward awarded by the weekly Last Wish quest, the one handed by Hawthorne, was not intentional, so it's going away. Starting Tuesday, you'll get one Deepsight weapon from it, since that was always the plan. You'll still earn at least another one every week, because the final chest after dumping Riven's heart gives one per week and account. But you still have a few days until the fix is implemented, so if you want that extra reward, go for it.
Now, for a few Exotics' fixes. This update will reenable the Vesper of Radius, since it won't have such explosive behavior with certain weapons anymore. Sunbracers will have their increased duration of Solar grenades restored. And after Saladin had a very long conversation with Kephri's Horn, the strange interactions that this Titan Exotic Helmet allowed have been fixed, so it will also be reenabled.
Finally, to name a few other fixes coming: we also have one for the issue that allowed certain grenades to go through Barricades and Wards of Dawn, we are toning down the new Collective Obligation perk in PvP (10% damage buff instead of a 20%), and we are giving the new Mercurial Overreach Competitive Sniper Rifle a bigger reticle when scoping so it's easier to use.
The rest of the patch notes for the 7.1.0.2 updates will be available on June 13.
Keep That Art Coming
Remember two weeks ago when we announced a small art and cosplay contest to celebrate the collaboration between Destiny 2 and PlayStation? Well, we have some amazing submissions already, like these two below:"Death can have me... When it earns me"We love to see your creations, so please keep them coming. You have until the end of June and each winner will earn the Art of the Week emblem and all the bragging rights in the world, of course.
image if some characters from PlayStation games became characters in Destiny. Who would you love to see?#Destiny2AOTW #Destiny2 #Destiny2Art #DestinyTheGame #GOW pic.twitter.com/frim0WlEEC
— BO (@BO_7aSSan597) May 30, 2023
To go with the Titan Kratos armor I made a matching Atreus Set #Destiny2 #Dresstiny#GodofWar #Destiny2Fashion @Destiny2Team @DestinyTheGame pic.twitter.com/3pwJLFj8Sw
— Amanda TheBeebo (@TheLadyBeebo) May 26, 2023
Player Support Report
20,000 Screebs Under the SeaImage Linkimgur
Known Issues List Help Forums Bungie Help Twitter
TRIALS OF OSIRIS EMBLEM
The Dazzling Iridescence Trials emblem was meant to be rewarded to the best of the best, those who could go Flawless while earning a Flight of the Pigeon medal (lead in score for the entire game) in every win along the way. Ultimately, an issue caused this emblem to be awarded to anyone who made it to the Lighthouse at all which, while still a challenging endeavor, made seeing the emblem a little more common than we had hoped. In this upcoming patch, we will have a fix for this which is two-fold:- Starting with Week 4’s Trials (June 16) the emblem will no longer drop from the Flawless chest for those who have not achieved the requirements on their way to the Lighthouse.
- Those who already have the emblem (meaning those players who went Flawless in Week 1 or who go Flawless in this upcoming weekend) will be able to retain the emblem in their collections but will not be able to equip the emblem unless they complete the requirements AFTER the patch has gone live.
ADVANCED FOCUSING
Due to an issue causing Exotic focusing to not grant intended rewards, we have temporarily disabled Advanced Decryption focusing. Precision Decryption focusing will continue to be available as we investigate.EVERVERSE INTERFACE
Some UI pricing elements in Eververse will be disabled with the release of 7.1.0.2. Note that the displayed price is the correct one.KNOWN ISSUES
While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help Forum:- Due to an issue the Kephri’s Horn exotic Titan helmet has been temporarily disabled.
- The Helm of Saint-14 Exotic Titan helmet is not functioning as expected.
- Players can get stuck outside of the final boss arena after self-reviving in the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon.
- Spending Salvage Keys after a Salvage activity is not providing progress toward the "Spend Salvage Keys" Triumph and is instead progressing the "Spend Deep Dive Keys" Triumph.
- The Bump in the Night Weapon Pattern Triumph requires the Season 17 Season Pass.
- The Standard Fare bounty does not gain progress on Kinetic weapon kills.
- The Warlock Courtier Longcoat chest ornament has a gap beneath the right arm.
- The Verity’s Brow perk “The Fourth Magic” is not functioning correctly in PvP.
- The New Pacific Epitaph Grenade Launcher is doing less damage than intended to Stasis crystals.
You Gotta Work For It, Guardian
Image LinkimgurHippy: An artist with synesthesia, a phenomenon that allows a blending of senses like the ability to hear color and feel sounds, took their unique lens of the world and turned it into art for fellow Guardians to enjoy. Titled The Fear of Dreams, here’s a really cool opportunity to see the world in a way that someone else does and how truly beautiful that really is.
Movie of the Week: The Fear of Dreams
🌙ONEIROPHOBIA // THE FEAR OF DREAMS.🌟Sam: Sometimes you want to be the very best, but it helps when you put in the extra work. Take these Guardians for example; couldn’t jump, couldn’t fight, and after... nope, not going to spoil it. Go check it out.
(I have synesthesia. I paint music. This time, I used Tilt Brush and an Oculus Rift to sculpt/paint the song to get a closer facsimile of what I perceive.) #Destiny2Art #AOTW #MOTW pic.twitter.com/kaMhoSelHB
— Runesael L. de la Peña Flynn (@Runesael) May 29, 2023
Movie of the Week: Guardians try the Cloud Strider workout
Video Link
That's One Big Bonk
Image LinkimgurIvan: Looks like a solid battle just finished and this Titan came out as victorious. As with many great paintings, you first spot the brightest object — the Titan's hammer — and then find more and more details. Amazing #Destiny2AOTW. Well done!
Art of the Week: The last Sunbreaker
The last Sunbreaker#Destiny2 #Destiny2Art #Destiny2AOTW pic.twitter.com/YKzM3f6zBPTimon: Look at this amazing fishing art! When I see this I just wanna drop everything and go out there grinding those Exotic fishies! Always remember: Less working, more fishing.
— Max Vick (@MaksymPotselui1) May 31, 2023
Art of the Week: Go fish
Made this birthday present for my sister @MajaroniArt who had her birthday yesterday 🥳🩷💜Bonus AOTW: MY BROTHER, DEAD!!??
Had a lot of fun making this 😁👍#Destiny2Art #Destiny2AOTW #Destiny2 #DestinyTheGame #Destiny2Fishing #DigitalArtist #DigitalArt pic.twitter.com/6ObwQLcXsq
— Pickles ✨Comms open!✨ (@xPickles77x) May 29, 2023
BLASPHEMY. BLASPHEMY #Destiny2Art #Destiny2AOTW #Destiny #DestinyTheGame @Bungie @DestinyTheGame pic.twitter.com/vYKcSGfFLs
— AliveWake (@AliveWake) May 29, 2023
Methane, what a thing, by the way. I checked the other day and liquid methane has a temperature range between 91 and 112 kelvins, which makes me think those new Guardian armor sets not only look amazing, but also have some pretty insane heating systems. And speaking of heat, how can Solar grenades scorch stuff under such extreme circumstances, or Stasis crystals even hold their structure under such pressure? Anyway, transmat firing!
‘Hasta Luego’
Br1
2023.06.08 19:54 DarkLordJurasus Doom Patrol #5- Consequences of Broadcast Television
There is nothing. No sound, no smells, no darkness. All that exists is a vast openness of white, a blinding, expansive non-existence, where all that remains is pure, unfiltered light. There is no corner of the vast openness where the light is absent, no room for darkness to hide, to escape the seemingly hungry emptiness.
Suddenly, the world glitches slightly. It is for less than a second, but a hint of gray slices through the sky, warping the world around it with the sound of static. But like everything else, the gray is devoured, blinking out of existence as white becomes the only color again.
The small glitch in the world, the spark of gray in blankness left something behind. Something reformed, floating there, alone in the emptiness. It was motionless, asleep, as still as the world around it. Then it awoke.
Memories instantly began to flood back, memories of fighting crime, of loving, of feeling loved. The figure remembered it all, including its name, Haxxalon the Star Archer.
Haxxalon opened his eyes, or at least he thinks he did, the whiteness so bright that darkness didn’t even take him while asleep. His first thought was that he must have been captured by a villain of some sort, a villain that destroyed earth, maybe destroyed the entire universe.The villain could possibly be searching for the star bow, a weapon powerful enough to fire stars into space. It wouldn’t be the first time a villain attacked him for it. Haxxalon would just need to figure out how the villain attacked earth and reverse it.
Haxxalon brought his arms up, trying to regain his sense of sight by focusing on something not white. The problem is, there is nothing. Haxxalon can feel his arms move, but he doesn’t see anything. Haxxalon screams, or at least the sound of screams comes out, as Haxxalon doesn’t feel his mouth move. A sudden feeling shivers down Haxxalon’s spine and he touches his face.
Nothing.
Haxxalon’s face is mere skin, there are no grooves, no holes: it’s all simply soft skin. Haxxalon feels his heart start to beat in his chest, the constant beat fighting against the oppressive silence of the world.
Then… something strange happens. For a split second, Haxxalon swears he sees a drop of blue for a second. A second later, he sees it again. Small sparks of blue electricity fly around and off of a circular object, an object that Haxxalon is sure is his arm. He doesn’t have electricity powers, and yet, that is certainly blue lightning.
Haxxalon barely has time to process that as between the beats of his heart, he hears something. It’s faint, and non-aggressive, conversational in tone. He can’t make out what the figures are saying, but he’s sure there is more than one. The noise is getting closer.
Haxxalon shifts his body, turning around slowly, ready to encounter whatever captured him.
Produced by: u/brooky12 and u/predaplant
Ambush Bug paces back and forth across the dry grass, his strides large and fast. It has been ten minutes since the Doom Patrol passed out, and Irwin is still as unsure of what to do as he was when the team originally went unconscious.
On his pacing path, Irwin crosses over to Larry, and slightly pushes at him with his foot. Larry begins to tilt, the brown and green backside of his bandages, stained from the grass and dirt, begin to show themselves, as Irwin removes his foot. Larry’s body shifts back to his laying flat on his back.
Irwin sighs in defeat. That was his fourth time trying that, and the third person he tried it on. He’s not going to try it on Robotman, so it looks like he is out of luck.
Ambush Bug looks out at the horizon, the light blue sky, the large, everpresent sun. Retconn hasn’t arrived yet, and Irwin can’t quite tell if that is a good or bad thing. Maybe the six of them lost Retconn, or maybe the company is biding their time for a larger assault on the team.
Behind him, Irwin hears a groan. It’s deep, and yet, sounds like a voice that was autocorrected one too many times. Irwin turns around as other groans join the first, the team has woken up.
Being the first to awake, Cliff Steele, Robotman, is the first to rise from his position on the ground. Looking around, he asks, “What the everloving fuck just happened?”
Niles Caulder replies, “That’s an interesting question Cliff. To answer that though, we must make sure that we all had a similar experience.”
Rita, Elasti-Woman, responds, “I, I remembered everything. It was like a flood of memories unlocked. I still remember what was implanted, what Retconn wanted me to think my past was, but they seem more distant, but…”
Steven Dayton, Mento, continues, “It feels different, like a movie I saw just yesterday. Still burned into my mind with clarity, but not me.”
Rita nods and looks at Steven. For a moment their gazes lock, their hands slightly touching. Rita is the first to cut their gaze, and jerks her hand back. A sadness enters Steven’s eyes as he nods and looks forward.
Niles nods, “I had quite a similar experience.” Niles stills for a moment, his fingers gently stimming on the arm rests of the wheelchair. “It’s possible,” Niles slowly continues, his mind still working as the words exit his mouth, “It is possible that when our specific atoms reintegrated themself into their reality or origin, we essentially experienced a system wide reset, our minds regaining the memories that were originally wiped.”
“Uhm,” Irwin pipes up, “I’m not a scientist or anything, but from the little I understand about multiverse travel, that doesn’t make much sense.”
Niles sighs and stares down in thought. Picking his head back up, he says, “Until today, I thought of the multiverse as a purely theoretical concept, a mere thought experiment. In truth, there can be hundreds of different reasons for our memory recovery, and each one would be just as plausible as the last.”
The whole team is silent again, their thoughts on the insanity of what is happening. Between all of them is an air of uncertainty, and for some, an air of mourning, their memories telling a story that ended without them even being aware.
Larry, looking down, bitterly asks, “Where’s Arturo or Mallory when you need them.”
Silence once again overcomes the group, but only for a moment. Eyes widening, Larry doubletakes, “Did I just make a reference to Sliders? How the hell do I know what Sliders is, that wasn’t a show before Retconn appeared.”
Larry turns to look at Niles who guesses, “Maybe reality is trying to reconnect us to it through inserting popular culture and current events into our brain?”
Seeing unconvinced faces, Niles sighs, “I don’t know. Let’s just go with multiverse magic for now. That makes as much sense as anything else I’ve seen or learned in the past few days.”
For the first time since waking up, Cliff begins to speak, “Yea, real nice conversation, and maybe a different day I’d give two shits about it, but right now we are standing in the middle of nowhere, and I for one would like to get out of here.”
Upon hearing that, Niles smiles, “Now, that is one problem I do have an answer to.”
Looking out to the open expanse, Niles calls out, “Danny, old friend. This is Niles Caulder. I am in need of sanctuary.”
For a moment, nothing happens. The grassy land remains the same. Irwin and Cliff both look ready to make a comment, but stop due to Niles holding up a single finger.
Then, two large Public Access Speakers grow out of the ground, towering over the assembled team in size. From them, the song “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond is playing.
Buildings begin to rise from the dirt in front of the Doom Patrol, both small and large, these buildings grew out of nothing, seemingly not affecting the ground beneath it. At first, all are monochromatic white, but as the taller buildings begin to rise, color blossoms throughout the seemingly growing civilization.
The buildings are each unique and different, some looking more typical in design, others covered in expertly made graffiti, and some even looking like random buckets of paint were thrown haphazardly onto the walls.
Billboards are plentiful, advertising everything from makeup, to planned get togethers. One of the largest advertises a bar having a Drag event for later that week. Strangest of all was the empty billboards that seemed as plentiful, if not more so than the ones that had advertisements on them.
As the final buildings settle, people begin to rise from the ground, most of them mid-movement of conversation. It does not seem they even realize that they moved, and that is because they don’t; the action so invisible to them, that they don’t even acknowledge it.
Everyone seems happy and aware of their surroundings, although there is the occasional incident of knocking over each other due to conversation or looking at the phone. The reason for the air of happiness may be due to their clothing though. Reds and pinks make up the majority of the clothing, and even for those without, navy blue is more common than pure black, although the streets are not without darker colors entirely. A few people in the crowd look as if they shop exclusively at Hot Topic, and despite their clothing choices not meshing, many are conversing happily with someone else in brighter colors.
The last thing to appear is a sign right outside of the new residential area saying, “Welcome! You Are Accepted Here.”
Quietly, but not as quietly as he wanted, Cliff says, “What the fuck?”
Hearing Cliff, Larry quietly agrees with Cliff’s verbal thought.
Continuing to smile, Niles rolls over to the sign and says, “Danny, I must say thank you for coming in such a timely fashion. It is great seeing you again, have you expanded since the last time we met?”
The sign welcoming the team changes, the words, “Hello Niles. Where have you been? It’s been a long time.” appearing.
Niles nods, his smile becoming slightly strained, “Yes, it has been around 60 years, hasn’t it? The story is long and quite strange, but I promise I will tell it to you in its entirety. First, do you think you can get us a place to regroup?”
The words on the sign quickly change again to say, “Your house is still vacant, Niles. After all you did for me, keeping a place empty for you in case you ever returned was the least I could do.”
Niles nods. “Thank you,” he says, before gesturing for the rest of the team to follow.
The team walks through the street, no one around them giving them a second look of shock or fear. To the other people there, the Doom Patrol does not look an ounce out of place. If that’s assuring or worrying, well, Larry is not quite sure.
Finally breaking the silence of the group, Steven gasps, “A talking street is…” Steven stops himself, not wanting to call the new seemingly-sentient street he is on an it, but not knowing what else to call Danny.
Seemingly knowing why Steven stopped, Danny responds on one of the empty billboards, “You can use they/them when referring to me. I don’t necessarily mind being called other pronouns, but I’m not an it, or a thing, and I don’t feel any more masculine or feminine than I would imagine other cities or towns would feel if they were alive.”
Steven nods, but decides to address Danny directly, “You are obviously fully sentient, but does that mean you have a brain? What about other organs? How do you see?”
It takes a second longer than the last response did, Danny replies, “I am not quite sure. I see, but at the same time, I don’t see like how people have described seeing to me; it is more an echolocation than sight. I have energy impulses going throughout me at any moment, but if that is a brain, or if that is just the energy keeping me alive, I can not say. If I do have organs, they are so well hidden, that I do not even recognize them as such.”
Steven nods at the information as both Larry and Irwin open their mouths to ask a question. Cliff beats both of them to it though as he asks, “Do you have a bar?”
A white arrow appears on multiple billboards, pointing Cliff to a place called Danny’s Bar. Cliff gives a stiff, curt nod and walks away from the group towards it.
Larry is quick to follow, but Niles grabs his arm, whispering to him, “Cliff needs some time alone before he will appreciate your presence.”
Larry nods and continues to walk with the group.
—-----------
Hours later, Larry walks into the bar, a fresh, clean, set of radiation-proof bandages on Larry’s body. The bar is huge, with a lot of people doing a myriad of things. Some are playing pool and billiards, others are singing karaoke, some are hanging out with friends, while others are trying to find someone to spend the night with. It didn’t take long for Larry to find Cliff though. Even in the dimmer light, Larry is able to see Cliff, the golden bronze contrasting with the rest of the bar.
Cliff is sitting at the bar, his metal face staring down at the dark wood. There is a beer in both of his hands, and a good dozen or so empty bottles scattered around him. He is silent, taking a large gulp from the beer in his right hand every ten seconds or so.
Larry walks over and gently places a hand on Cliff, unsure if Cliff will even feel the action. “It’s time to go.” Larry says.
Cliff shakes his head, “You can go, I’m staying here.”
Larry tries again, “The team needs you. We need to figure out how to- -”
Cliff slams his drinks against the table and looks up, his robotic eyes still not facing Larry, “What team? There is no fucking team. We had our lives stolen from us by a fucking TV network.”
Larry responds, “That’s why we need to stick together, we need to ensure Retconn can’t take us again.”
Taking a swig of the right beer, Cliff asks, “What if I want Retconn to capture me again?”
Larry is silent, unsure of how to respond. Cliff lets out a roboticized noise that sounds like a sigh. “I had a daughter.”
Cliff stops for a second, recollecting his thoughts. “I had a god damn daughter,” Cliff continues, “When she was born, when I saw her bright smile and innocent eyes, I swore to be a better dad than my own father. I would be in her life, make sure she knew she was loved. Then I left her.”
Larry softly tells Cliff, “It wasn’t your fault.”
Cliff lets out a roboticized laugh. “But it was. I got in a crash drinking while driving, and I woke up in the show with a robot body. Sure, Retconn kidnapped me, but if it wasn’t for Retconn, I’d be dead, I still would have left her.”
Larry says, “I’m sorry.”
Cliff shakes his head, so lost in thought that he doesn’t hear Larry, “It was almost better with Retconn. Sure, I wasn’t human, but I was a hero, I was Robotman, not the deadbeat dad Cliff Steele. I failed Clara, I failed the only thing that mattered to me.”
Cliff’s left metal fist grips the bottle so hard that it smashes in his hand. “The worst part is, for the hours I’ve been in here, I don’t feel any more tipsy than when I came in. I’m still sober, my mind is still functioning, I’m still remembering. This body can’t get fucking drunk, and I hate it.”
Cliff places down his right beer, and lets out a robotic, metallic sigh. “I’m tired,” Cliff finally relents, “Maybe I can get buzzed with enough persistence, but it isn’t happening tonight. I’ll meet you back at Niles’ house, Larry.”
Cliff walks out of the bar, his stride slow and methodical. Larry sits there for a moment stunned. Larry debates buying a drink, but remembers the bandages wrapped around his skin make doing so impossible. Instead he just sits there for a moment. Larry begins to watch, the four women singing off key in the corner, the guy trying to do a cool darts trick to impress his girlfriend, two guys kissing.
Larry’s skin begins to curl as he watches the sight, his head pounding. He needs to get out of there now. It’s clumsy at best, but Larry begins making his way to the door, struggling to not focus on the memories attempting to resurface. He ends up knocking into a chair, and not even seeing who is there, mumbles out a “Sorry” as he continues to move. He needs fresh air, he craves it. Finally the doors to the bar close behind him, and Larry collapses on the front steps, memories forcing their way to the front of Larry’s mind.
—--------------------------------------
Larry stood in front of the door to his house, his body frozen solid. For a moment, he thought he couldn’t do it, he thought about running away, running away from the screaming, the crying, the cursing, and the occasional slapping. He’s endured it for over a month now, and it hasn’t lessened, he isn’t sure how much more he can endure.
He wanted to scream that it isn’t his fault, that’s it’s not his fault God made him wrong, broken. He doesn’t though. He only ever said something like that once and it led to his father punching him, not slapping him or spanking him, but straight up punching him. Since then, Larry had made sure to repeat what his parents told him. It wasn’t God that made him wrong: Satan was the one to give Larry temptation, and Larry was the one to sin by kissing that boy under the bleachers.
Larry opened the front door, cringing at the noise of rusted metal. There was no chance he could get by his mother without more screaming and crying.
But the screams never began. Instead his mom ran up to him and held Larry in her arms, tears running down her face.
Startled, but not necessarily disliking this change in behavior, Larry asked, “Mom, what happened?”
Larry’s mom responded through sobs, “I-I went to the pastor today and told him about you. Larry, he said he can help you. He told me there is a special summer camp he runs that can help fix people like you, Larry…a camp that can bring kids back to the path of God.”
—---------------------------------
Larry is broken out of memory as the door behind him swings open. A darker skin gentleman with stubble walks out holding a glass of water. The man is wearing a light pink shirt that greatly contrasts with his brown eyes and black hair. Walking down the step, the gentleman sits down next to Larry.
The two sit in silence for a minute, until the man says, “I saw you getting out of there fast. It was my chair you knocked into.”
Larry opens his mouth to respond, but the man beats him to it, “Honestly, it’s fine. Just thought you may need something to drink.”
The man holds up the glass of water, but Larry shakes his head, “I can’t really take off the bandages, but thank you anyway.”
The man gives a curious look, “Is it like plastic surgery or something?”
Larry nods, not really wanting to go into it, “Something like that.”
The two sit in silence for a moment. Letting out a sigh, Larry says, “Listen, I’m sorry, it’s just- -”
The man cuts Larry off, “Something inside messed with you. You don’t have to explain.”
Taking a sip of water, the man continues, “Danny picked all us strays up because the world doesn’t want us. Here, the past is healed and mended, for us to be what we want, and live how we want.”
Larry replies solemnly, “That sounds nice.”
The man nods, “Don’t sweat your reaction today. Healing takes time, and no one is going to fault you if you accidentally bump into a chair on the way to progress.”
Larry is silent, conflicted. On one hand, the idea of being accepted is nice, on the other, well, what if Retconn was punishment for his sin? What if his family was right, what if he doesn’t deserve to be healed?
Standing, Larry says, “Thank you- -” Larry stops, realizing he doesn’t know the man’s name.
The man rises with a smile, “My name is Morris Mingo.” Morris holds out his name for Larry to shake.
Larry shakes the man’s hand, “Larry Trainor.”
“Well Larry,” Morris says, “I hope to see you again, hopefully under better circumstances next time.”
—---------------------
Back at the Nile’s house, or better to say mansion, Rita and Steven are staring at two doors, each going to separate rooms.
Their hands are intertwined unconsciously, their bodies filled with uncertainty. Rita is the first to talk, “I’m sorry. I know we’ve been married for so long, but it just feels…”
Rita doesn’t finish the sentence, not wanting to make the words feel more real by their exiting of the tongue. Instead it is Steven that ends the sentence, “Like everything changed.”
Comfortable silence permeates the room as the two turn to look at each other. “I still love you.” Steven says, his voice almost a whisper.
Tears threaten Rita’s eyes as she responds, “I love you too.”
For both of them, the desire to kiss the other is strong, but both resist. “How about,” Steven suggests, “We start from square one? Build back up to what we once had, that way the new us can get to know each other.”
Rita gives a light smile, “Are you asking me on a date, Mr. Dayton?” she asks in a joking, yet sincere, tone.
“I believe I am. Ms. Farr.” Steven responds in the exact same tone.
Rita’s smile brightens, “Then, I accept.”
A joyish feeling washes over both of them as they go to sleep. They almost don’t recognize the fact that this will be the first time they are sleeping alone in over sixty years as they drift off to sleep.
—--------------
Niles is sitting in his living room parler alone with Irwin. Rita and Steven went up to rest, while Cliff and Larry still haven’t returned to the house.
The two are watching the news, as Niles scribbles on a pad of paper. Irwin asks, “What are you writing?”
Niles stops his scribbling for a moment as he responds, “I am attempting to create a timeline of current events through the news and any books Danny has in order to tell if there are any gaps in the new memories I have.”
“Already?” Irwin asks, “I would think you would be busy processing your memories, not immediately analyzing them for falsehoods. If I learned about my past, first thing I would do is try to connect with it.”
Niles waves Irwin off, “I’ve processed enough. I can’t dilly dally with reminiscing. Retconn could arrive any second, and I refuse to be caught unaware.”
Irwin thinks for a minute, before getting up. Seeing Niles look at him curiously, Irwin explains, “I’m getting a piece of paper myself. Two people trying to understand current events should hopefully make the deciphering process faster.”
Irwin walks away in order to grab paper and a pen, hoping that the help will make Niles’ stress lessen.
Doom Patrol #5- Consequences of Broadcast Televisionl
Author: u/DarkLordJurasus
Book: Doom Patrol
Arc: Another Multiverse Story?
Set: 85
A Retconn Production
submitted by DarkLordJurasus to DCFU [link] [comments]
Suddenly, the world glitches slightly. It is for less than a second, but a hint of gray slices through the sky, warping the world around it with the sound of static. But like everything else, the gray is devoured, blinking out of existence as white becomes the only color again.
The small glitch in the world, the spark of gray in blankness left something behind. Something reformed, floating there, alone in the emptiness. It was motionless, asleep, as still as the world around it. Then it awoke.
Memories instantly began to flood back, memories of fighting crime, of loving, of feeling loved. The figure remembered it all, including its name, Haxxalon the Star Archer.
Haxxalon opened his eyes, or at least he thinks he did, the whiteness so bright that darkness didn’t even take him while asleep. His first thought was that he must have been captured by a villain of some sort, a villain that destroyed earth, maybe destroyed the entire universe.The villain could possibly be searching for the star bow, a weapon powerful enough to fire stars into space. It wouldn’t be the first time a villain attacked him for it. Haxxalon would just need to figure out how the villain attacked earth and reverse it.
Haxxalon brought his arms up, trying to regain his sense of sight by focusing on something not white. The problem is, there is nothing. Haxxalon can feel his arms move, but he doesn’t see anything. Haxxalon screams, or at least the sound of screams comes out, as Haxxalon doesn’t feel his mouth move. A sudden feeling shivers down Haxxalon’s spine and he touches his face.
Nothing.
Haxxalon’s face is mere skin, there are no grooves, no holes: it’s all simply soft skin. Haxxalon feels his heart start to beat in his chest, the constant beat fighting against the oppressive silence of the world.
Then… something strange happens. For a split second, Haxxalon swears he sees a drop of blue for a second. A second later, he sees it again. Small sparks of blue electricity fly around and off of a circular object, an object that Haxxalon is sure is his arm. He doesn’t have electricity powers, and yet, that is certainly blue lightning.
Haxxalon barely has time to process that as between the beats of his heart, he hears something. It’s faint, and non-aggressive, conversational in tone. He can’t make out what the figures are saying, but he’s sure there is more than one. The noise is getting closer.
Haxxalon shifts his body, turning around slowly, ready to encounter whatever captured him.
Doom Patrol Presents:
Can’t Escape the Flows of Time
Created by: u/DarkLordJurasusProduced by: u/brooky12 and u/predaplant
Ambush Bug paces back and forth across the dry grass, his strides large and fast. It has been ten minutes since the Doom Patrol passed out, and Irwin is still as unsure of what to do as he was when the team originally went unconscious.
On his pacing path, Irwin crosses over to Larry, and slightly pushes at him with his foot. Larry begins to tilt, the brown and green backside of his bandages, stained from the grass and dirt, begin to show themselves, as Irwin removes his foot. Larry’s body shifts back to his laying flat on his back.
Irwin sighs in defeat. That was his fourth time trying that, and the third person he tried it on. He’s not going to try it on Robotman, so it looks like he is out of luck.
Ambush Bug looks out at the horizon, the light blue sky, the large, everpresent sun. Retconn hasn’t arrived yet, and Irwin can’t quite tell if that is a good or bad thing. Maybe the six of them lost Retconn, or maybe the company is biding their time for a larger assault on the team.
Behind him, Irwin hears a groan. It’s deep, and yet, sounds like a voice that was autocorrected one too many times. Irwin turns around as other groans join the first, the team has woken up.
Being the first to awake, Cliff Steele, Robotman, is the first to rise from his position on the ground. Looking around, he asks, “What the everloving fuck just happened?”
Niles Caulder replies, “That’s an interesting question Cliff. To answer that though, we must make sure that we all had a similar experience.”
Rita, Elasti-Woman, responds, “I, I remembered everything. It was like a flood of memories unlocked. I still remember what was implanted, what Retconn wanted me to think my past was, but they seem more distant, but…”
Steven Dayton, Mento, continues, “It feels different, like a movie I saw just yesterday. Still burned into my mind with clarity, but not me.”
Rita nods and looks at Steven. For a moment their gazes lock, their hands slightly touching. Rita is the first to cut their gaze, and jerks her hand back. A sadness enters Steven’s eyes as he nods and looks forward.
Niles nods, “I had quite a similar experience.” Niles stills for a moment, his fingers gently stimming on the arm rests of the wheelchair. “It’s possible,” Niles slowly continues, his mind still working as the words exit his mouth, “It is possible that when our specific atoms reintegrated themself into their reality or origin, we essentially experienced a system wide reset, our minds regaining the memories that were originally wiped.”
“Uhm,” Irwin pipes up, “I’m not a scientist or anything, but from the little I understand about multiverse travel, that doesn’t make much sense.”
Niles sighs and stares down in thought. Picking his head back up, he says, “Until today, I thought of the multiverse as a purely theoretical concept, a mere thought experiment. In truth, there can be hundreds of different reasons for our memory recovery, and each one would be just as plausible as the last.”
The whole team is silent again, their thoughts on the insanity of what is happening. Between all of them is an air of uncertainty, and for some, an air of mourning, their memories telling a story that ended without them even being aware.
Larry, looking down, bitterly asks, “Where’s Arturo or Mallory when you need them.”
Silence once again overcomes the group, but only for a moment. Eyes widening, Larry doubletakes, “Did I just make a reference to Sliders? How the hell do I know what Sliders is, that wasn’t a show before Retconn appeared.”
Larry turns to look at Niles who guesses, “Maybe reality is trying to reconnect us to it through inserting popular culture and current events into our brain?”
Seeing unconvinced faces, Niles sighs, “I don’t know. Let’s just go with multiverse magic for now. That makes as much sense as anything else I’ve seen or learned in the past few days.”
For the first time since waking up, Cliff begins to speak, “Yea, real nice conversation, and maybe a different day I’d give two shits about it, but right now we are standing in the middle of nowhere, and I for one would like to get out of here.”
Upon hearing that, Niles smiles, “Now, that is one problem I do have an answer to.”
Looking out to the open expanse, Niles calls out, “Danny, old friend. This is Niles Caulder. I am in need of sanctuary.”
For a moment, nothing happens. The grassy land remains the same. Irwin and Cliff both look ready to make a comment, but stop due to Niles holding up a single finger.
Then, two large Public Access Speakers grow out of the ground, towering over the assembled team in size. From them, the song “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond is playing.
Buildings begin to rise from the dirt in front of the Doom Patrol, both small and large, these buildings grew out of nothing, seemingly not affecting the ground beneath it. At first, all are monochromatic white, but as the taller buildings begin to rise, color blossoms throughout the seemingly growing civilization.
The buildings are each unique and different, some looking more typical in design, others covered in expertly made graffiti, and some even looking like random buckets of paint were thrown haphazardly onto the walls.
Billboards are plentiful, advertising everything from makeup, to planned get togethers. One of the largest advertises a bar having a Drag event for later that week. Strangest of all was the empty billboards that seemed as plentiful, if not more so than the ones that had advertisements on them.
As the final buildings settle, people begin to rise from the ground, most of them mid-movement of conversation. It does not seem they even realize that they moved, and that is because they don’t; the action so invisible to them, that they don’t even acknowledge it.
Everyone seems happy and aware of their surroundings, although there is the occasional incident of knocking over each other due to conversation or looking at the phone. The reason for the air of happiness may be due to their clothing though. Reds and pinks make up the majority of the clothing, and even for those without, navy blue is more common than pure black, although the streets are not without darker colors entirely. A few people in the crowd look as if they shop exclusively at Hot Topic, and despite their clothing choices not meshing, many are conversing happily with someone else in brighter colors.
The last thing to appear is a sign right outside of the new residential area saying, “Welcome! You Are Accepted Here.”
Quietly, but not as quietly as he wanted, Cliff says, “What the fuck?”
Hearing Cliff, Larry quietly agrees with Cliff’s verbal thought.
Continuing to smile, Niles rolls over to the sign and says, “Danny, I must say thank you for coming in such a timely fashion. It is great seeing you again, have you expanded since the last time we met?”
The sign welcoming the team changes, the words, “Hello Niles. Where have you been? It’s been a long time.” appearing.
Niles nods, his smile becoming slightly strained, “Yes, it has been around 60 years, hasn’t it? The story is long and quite strange, but I promise I will tell it to you in its entirety. First, do you think you can get us a place to regroup?”
The words on the sign quickly change again to say, “Your house is still vacant, Niles. After all you did for me, keeping a place empty for you in case you ever returned was the least I could do.”
Niles nods. “Thank you,” he says, before gesturing for the rest of the team to follow.
The team walks through the street, no one around them giving them a second look of shock or fear. To the other people there, the Doom Patrol does not look an ounce out of place. If that’s assuring or worrying, well, Larry is not quite sure.
Finally breaking the silence of the group, Steven gasps, “A talking street is…” Steven stops himself, not wanting to call the new seemingly-sentient street he is on an it, but not knowing what else to call Danny.
Seemingly knowing why Steven stopped, Danny responds on one of the empty billboards, “You can use they/them when referring to me. I don’t necessarily mind being called other pronouns, but I’m not an it, or a thing, and I don’t feel any more masculine or feminine than I would imagine other cities or towns would feel if they were alive.”
Steven nods, but decides to address Danny directly, “You are obviously fully sentient, but does that mean you have a brain? What about other organs? How do you see?”
It takes a second longer than the last response did, Danny replies, “I am not quite sure. I see, but at the same time, I don’t see like how people have described seeing to me; it is more an echolocation than sight. I have energy impulses going throughout me at any moment, but if that is a brain, or if that is just the energy keeping me alive, I can not say. If I do have organs, they are so well hidden, that I do not even recognize them as such.”
Steven nods at the information as both Larry and Irwin open their mouths to ask a question. Cliff beats both of them to it though as he asks, “Do you have a bar?”
A white arrow appears on multiple billboards, pointing Cliff to a place called Danny’s Bar. Cliff gives a stiff, curt nod and walks away from the group towards it.
Larry is quick to follow, but Niles grabs his arm, whispering to him, “Cliff needs some time alone before he will appreciate your presence.”
Larry nods and continues to walk with the group.
—-----------
Hours later, Larry walks into the bar, a fresh, clean, set of radiation-proof bandages on Larry’s body. The bar is huge, with a lot of people doing a myriad of things. Some are playing pool and billiards, others are singing karaoke, some are hanging out with friends, while others are trying to find someone to spend the night with. It didn’t take long for Larry to find Cliff though. Even in the dimmer light, Larry is able to see Cliff, the golden bronze contrasting with the rest of the bar.
Cliff is sitting at the bar, his metal face staring down at the dark wood. There is a beer in both of his hands, and a good dozen or so empty bottles scattered around him. He is silent, taking a large gulp from the beer in his right hand every ten seconds or so.
Larry walks over and gently places a hand on Cliff, unsure if Cliff will even feel the action. “It’s time to go.” Larry says.
Cliff shakes his head, “You can go, I’m staying here.”
Larry tries again, “The team needs you. We need to figure out how to- -”
Cliff slams his drinks against the table and looks up, his robotic eyes still not facing Larry, “What team? There is no fucking team. We had our lives stolen from us by a fucking TV network.”
Larry responds, “That’s why we need to stick together, we need to ensure Retconn can’t take us again.”
Taking a swig of the right beer, Cliff asks, “What if I want Retconn to capture me again?”
Larry is silent, unsure of how to respond. Cliff lets out a roboticized noise that sounds like a sigh. “I had a daughter.”
Cliff stops for a second, recollecting his thoughts. “I had a god damn daughter,” Cliff continues, “When she was born, when I saw her bright smile and innocent eyes, I swore to be a better dad than my own father. I would be in her life, make sure she knew she was loved. Then I left her.”
Larry softly tells Cliff, “It wasn’t your fault.”
Cliff lets out a roboticized laugh. “But it was. I got in a crash drinking while driving, and I woke up in the show with a robot body. Sure, Retconn kidnapped me, but if it wasn’t for Retconn, I’d be dead, I still would have left her.”
Larry says, “I’m sorry.”
Cliff shakes his head, so lost in thought that he doesn’t hear Larry, “It was almost better with Retconn. Sure, I wasn’t human, but I was a hero, I was Robotman, not the deadbeat dad Cliff Steele. I failed Clara, I failed the only thing that mattered to me.”
Cliff’s left metal fist grips the bottle so hard that it smashes in his hand. “The worst part is, for the hours I’ve been in here, I don’t feel any more tipsy than when I came in. I’m still sober, my mind is still functioning, I’m still remembering. This body can’t get fucking drunk, and I hate it.”
Cliff places down his right beer, and lets out a robotic, metallic sigh. “I’m tired,” Cliff finally relents, “Maybe I can get buzzed with enough persistence, but it isn’t happening tonight. I’ll meet you back at Niles’ house, Larry.”
Cliff walks out of the bar, his stride slow and methodical. Larry sits there for a moment stunned. Larry debates buying a drink, but remembers the bandages wrapped around his skin make doing so impossible. Instead he just sits there for a moment. Larry begins to watch, the four women singing off key in the corner, the guy trying to do a cool darts trick to impress his girlfriend, two guys kissing.
Larry’s skin begins to curl as he watches the sight, his head pounding. He needs to get out of there now. It’s clumsy at best, but Larry begins making his way to the door, struggling to not focus on the memories attempting to resurface. He ends up knocking into a chair, and not even seeing who is there, mumbles out a “Sorry” as he continues to move. He needs fresh air, he craves it. Finally the doors to the bar close behind him, and Larry collapses on the front steps, memories forcing their way to the front of Larry’s mind.
—--------------------------------------
Larry stood in front of the door to his house, his body frozen solid. For a moment, he thought he couldn’t do it, he thought about running away, running away from the screaming, the crying, the cursing, and the occasional slapping. He’s endured it for over a month now, and it hasn’t lessened, he isn’t sure how much more he can endure.
He wanted to scream that it isn’t his fault, that’s it’s not his fault God made him wrong, broken. He doesn’t though. He only ever said something like that once and it led to his father punching him, not slapping him or spanking him, but straight up punching him. Since then, Larry had made sure to repeat what his parents told him. It wasn’t God that made him wrong: Satan was the one to give Larry temptation, and Larry was the one to sin by kissing that boy under the bleachers.
Larry opened the front door, cringing at the noise of rusted metal. There was no chance he could get by his mother without more screaming and crying.
But the screams never began. Instead his mom ran up to him and held Larry in her arms, tears running down her face.
Startled, but not necessarily disliking this change in behavior, Larry asked, “Mom, what happened?”
Larry’s mom responded through sobs, “I-I went to the pastor today and told him about you. Larry, he said he can help you. He told me there is a special summer camp he runs that can help fix people like you, Larry…a camp that can bring kids back to the path of God.”
—---------------------------------
Larry is broken out of memory as the door behind him swings open. A darker skin gentleman with stubble walks out holding a glass of water. The man is wearing a light pink shirt that greatly contrasts with his brown eyes and black hair. Walking down the step, the gentleman sits down next to Larry.
The two sit in silence for a minute, until the man says, “I saw you getting out of there fast. It was my chair you knocked into.”
Larry opens his mouth to respond, but the man beats him to it, “Honestly, it’s fine. Just thought you may need something to drink.”
The man holds up the glass of water, but Larry shakes his head, “I can’t really take off the bandages, but thank you anyway.”
The man gives a curious look, “Is it like plastic surgery or something?”
Larry nods, not really wanting to go into it, “Something like that.”
The two sit in silence for a moment. Letting out a sigh, Larry says, “Listen, I’m sorry, it’s just- -”
The man cuts Larry off, “Something inside messed with you. You don’t have to explain.”
Taking a sip of water, the man continues, “Danny picked all us strays up because the world doesn’t want us. Here, the past is healed and mended, for us to be what we want, and live how we want.”
Larry replies solemnly, “That sounds nice.”
The man nods, “Don’t sweat your reaction today. Healing takes time, and no one is going to fault you if you accidentally bump into a chair on the way to progress.”
Larry is silent, conflicted. On one hand, the idea of being accepted is nice, on the other, well, what if Retconn was punishment for his sin? What if his family was right, what if he doesn’t deserve to be healed?
Standing, Larry says, “Thank you- -” Larry stops, realizing he doesn’t know the man’s name.
The man rises with a smile, “My name is Morris Mingo.” Morris holds out his name for Larry to shake.
Larry shakes the man’s hand, “Larry Trainor.”
“Well Larry,” Morris says, “I hope to see you again, hopefully under better circumstances next time.”
—---------------------
Back at the Nile’s house, or better to say mansion, Rita and Steven are staring at two doors, each going to separate rooms.
Their hands are intertwined unconsciously, their bodies filled with uncertainty. Rita is the first to talk, “I’m sorry. I know we’ve been married for so long, but it just feels…”
Rita doesn’t finish the sentence, not wanting to make the words feel more real by their exiting of the tongue. Instead it is Steven that ends the sentence, “Like everything changed.”
Comfortable silence permeates the room as the two turn to look at each other. “I still love you.” Steven says, his voice almost a whisper.
Tears threaten Rita’s eyes as she responds, “I love you too.”
For both of them, the desire to kiss the other is strong, but both resist. “How about,” Steven suggests, “We start from square one? Build back up to what we once had, that way the new us can get to know each other.”
Rita gives a light smile, “Are you asking me on a date, Mr. Dayton?” she asks in a joking, yet sincere, tone.
“I believe I am. Ms. Farr.” Steven responds in the exact same tone.
Rita’s smile brightens, “Then, I accept.”
A joyish feeling washes over both of them as they go to sleep. They almost don’t recognize the fact that this will be the first time they are sleeping alone in over sixty years as they drift off to sleep.
—--------------
Niles is sitting in his living room parler alone with Irwin. Rita and Steven went up to rest, while Cliff and Larry still haven’t returned to the house.
The two are watching the news, as Niles scribbles on a pad of paper. Irwin asks, “What are you writing?”
Niles stops his scribbling for a moment as he responds, “I am attempting to create a timeline of current events through the news and any books Danny has in order to tell if there are any gaps in the new memories I have.”
“Already?” Irwin asks, “I would think you would be busy processing your memories, not immediately analyzing them for falsehoods. If I learned about my past, first thing I would do is try to connect with it.”
Niles waves Irwin off, “I’ve processed enough. I can’t dilly dally with reminiscing. Retconn could arrive any second, and I refuse to be caught unaware.”
Irwin thinks for a minute, before getting up. Seeing Niles look at him curiously, Irwin explains, “I’m getting a piece of paper myself. Two people trying to understand current events should hopefully make the deciphering process faster.”
Irwin walks away in order to grab paper and a pen, hoping that the help will make Niles’ stress lessen.
Doom Patrol #5- Consequences of Broadcast Televisionl
Author: u/DarkLordJurasus
Book: Doom Patrol
Arc: Another Multiverse Story?
Set: 85
A Retconn Production
2023.06.08 19:49 dirkisgod [OFFER] Uphold - $60 total - $60 from them and $20 from me (UK/Worldwide)
Uphold was launched in 2015 and currently serves 184+ countries, across 80+ currencies (traditional and crypto) and commodities with frictionless foreign exchange and cross-border remittance for members around the world. Uphold has powered more than US$4+ billion in transactions.
Bank deposits and withdrawals are instant here.
They have different referral programs, based on geo-location. The generic referral credits $20 in BTC for buying or selling at least $250 worth of crypto -this is available everywhere.
On top of that, for UK users, they also have a card referral program - the new user has to activate their virtual card and make three transactions worth £10 each.
So to sum up:
Referral reward - $20 in BTC
Card Referral reward (UK Only) - £20 in BTC
UK users have an extra £20 on offer for using Uphold's debit card. You just need to make 3 transactions worth £10 each and they'll offer an extra £20. Read the terms here.
Important note: signing up, depositing, buying is quick and seamless. The referral credits are credited within 45 days though per terms.
You can buy any coin (including stablecoins). You can withdraw crypto/fiat before the rewards are credited.
Find all fees with Uphold here.
submitted by dirkisgod to signupsforpay [link] [comments]
Bank deposits and withdrawals are instant here.
They have different referral programs, based on geo-location. The generic referral credits $20 in BTC for buying or selling at least $250 worth of crypto -this is available everywhere.
On top of that, for UK users, they also have a card referral program - the new user has to activate their virtual card and make three transactions worth £10 each.
- UK users who trade over £250, activate card and make 3 transactions each worth £10: $60 total reward
- Non UK user who trade over $250/€250: $30 total reward
Fund the account with at least $250/£250/€250 via bank transfer or card (or equivalent in fiat or crypto currency at exchange rates provided by Uphold) - you can deposit EUGBP/USD, just make sure it's over 250 or deposit crypto.Alternatively, deposit crypto from elsewhere and trade. Payment of bonus proof.
Transact at least $/€/£250 (or equivalent in fiat or crypto currency at exchange rates provided by Uphold) in his/her account during the Referral Promotion Period.
You and your friend will be credited $20 worth of Bitcoin to your wallets. Read the terms here.
UK users have an extra £20 on offer for using Uphold's debit card. You just need to make 3 transactions worth £10 each and they'll offer an extra £20. Read the terms here.
You can buy any coin (including stablecoins). You can withdraw crypto/fiat before the rewards are credited.
STEPS
- type $bid below, I'll DM you
- Sign up, verify and make a transaction worth at least $250
- Per terms, they will add the $20 within forty-five calendar days from the end of the month of the Qualified Referral
- I'll send you $10 when they make the credit of the referral, as well as an extra $10 for users who qualify for the card referral
2023.06.08 19:38 SmokeWarm2300 28 [M4F] - UK/Anywhere - Nerdy adventurer looking for player 2!
Hi there!
I'm 28 years young, (going on 29!) 6ft, currently living in the South of England. Not nearly as posh as it sounds, there's a lot of potholes and it's constantly wet, so there's that. I'm currently a server in a traditional English pub. I essentially make people happy as I put food in front of them, so that's my job description. I get good tips though, so it's not all bad.
In my spare time, I love listening to ambient music as I read, or play video games. Basically, I love detaching myself from reality and can find good ways about it. I also love looking at (often out of my budget) places to visit, and often thinking about what those places would be like. I miss travelling all over and am getting back into the swing of it though. Let's share travel stories! I'm also a pretty big fact nut, so quiz me on things! My speciality is flags, so be sure to ask!
I'm looking for someone who is kind, caring and will put up with my kookiness! I don't mind on location, if we live on the opposite sides of the world and fall for each other and I have to relocate, then that's okay with me! Photos are available on request, don't worry!
Anyways, I hope you have a nice day! And maybe chat later? I'm mostly online, so feel free to message me whenever!
https://ibb.co/album/RjRWYd - here's me! I'd love a photo of you back, although if you're super shy, you don't have to!
submitted by SmokeWarm2300 to ForeverAloneDating [link] [comments]
I'm 28 years young, (going on 29!) 6ft, currently living in the South of England. Not nearly as posh as it sounds, there's a lot of potholes and it's constantly wet, so there's that. I'm currently a server in a traditional English pub. I essentially make people happy as I put food in front of them, so that's my job description. I get good tips though, so it's not all bad.
In my spare time, I love listening to ambient music as I read, or play video games. Basically, I love detaching myself from reality and can find good ways about it. I also love looking at (often out of my budget) places to visit, and often thinking about what those places would be like. I miss travelling all over and am getting back into the swing of it though. Let's share travel stories! I'm also a pretty big fact nut, so quiz me on things! My speciality is flags, so be sure to ask!
I'm looking for someone who is kind, caring and will put up with my kookiness! I don't mind on location, if we live on the opposite sides of the world and fall for each other and I have to relocate, then that's okay with me! Photos are available on request, don't worry!
Anyways, I hope you have a nice day! And maybe chat later? I'm mostly online, so feel free to message me whenever!
https://ibb.co/album/RjRWYd - here's me! I'd love a photo of you back, although if you're super shy, you don't have to!
2023.06.08 19:35 intriguedmaverick Living in Brazil from a gringo's perspective
A small caveat: I am new to this sub, and these have been my personal experiences and impressions while living in Brazil; but they may not be indicative of others who live or have lived here.
This month marks the two-year point that I’ve been living in the country with my Brazilian wife. Currently, I’m living in the interior of the state of São Paulo and I LOVE it here. The interior of São Paulo has very little crime, the people are incredible, and the infrastructure is very good. We get invited to churrascos and pizza night every week. I could write a book about all the good experiences that we had in São Paulo.
However, I used to live in the south of Brazil in the state of Santa Catarina in a city called Joinville. Vou falar sem rodeios: It was a literal hell on earth for my wife and I. During my first month in Joinville, I was by myself, got lost and I asked a local for directions and he said something along the lines of “vai se ferrar!” (translated as “go screw yourself!”) I asked a second guy and he completely ignored me. People from Joinville are notorious for being rude and cold, but I also met a handful of joinvilenses who were nice and friendly. When I walked in the street, I always said oi, opa, or bom dia to everyone, but you will get ignored most of the time. It is also incredibly difficult to make friends there; my wife and I had the goal of inviting people to our house every week to play games and to eat, but only the Venezuelans, Haitians, Americans and Brazilians (outside of the south of Brazil) accepted. My wife is from Macapá and she faced A TON of racism even as a native Brazilian, and a few times natives of Joinville told me to go back to Argentina even though I’m not from there LOL. My wife and I had the same reception in Porto Alegre and in Curitiba. However, the north, northeastern, and rural areas of Brazil blew me away with their warm hospitality. I taught at a local high school in Santa Catarina, and the kids from Joinville bullied the Haitians and Venezuelan students. I don’t recommend the south of Brazil if you’re learning Portuguese; the people aren’t generally too patient. São Paulo was such a stark contrast; the people aren't xenophobic, they were helpful and friendly, and they were happy with anyone that tried to learn their language. For me, this just goes to show that one cannot judge a country by just one city or region. There are friendly and rude enclaves in every country.
Here are the amazing benefits of living in Brazil:
Health: Brazilian healthcare is actually REALLY good. Calling an ambulance is free, you can go to any PA (pronto atendimento) for free, and their private hospitals have incredible doctors.
Nature: Brazil is one of the most beautiful countries in this world, and there is such a huge array of places to travel and places to see.
People: Generally, Brazilians are eager to help, friendly, and will go out of their way to make sure that you have a good experience.
Food: Brazil has such a vast a delicious variety of exotic fruits, foods, and barbecue. This deserves an extensive post in itself.
Infrastructure: The country is very modernized, the public transportation works very well, and I’ve had very few internet issues. The public transportation is way better in Brazil compared to the US.
Affordable: Living in Brazil is very affordable. My wife and I pay about $10 per month for our electricity bill and $300 for rent in São Paulo (although we rented for $120 per month in Joinville). Overall, we spend about $700 (≈3500 reais) per month for all of our expenses combined. Just be warned that technology (cell phones, computers, TVs) is CRAZY expensive in Brazil.
Here are the downsides to living in Brazil:
Safety: I’m not going to sugar-coat it; Brazil is a dangerous country. I’ve stared down the barrel of an assault rifle, and my wife and I have been followed at night on a couple of occasions. This isn’t to say that every city in Brazil is dangerous, but you have to keep your eyes peeled when you’re going out. Although many say that the south of Brazil is safe, it’s not exactly true. Porto Alegre has a murder rate of 34 per 100,000 inhabitants, Curitiba has a murder rate of 41 whereas Rio de Janeiro has a murder rate of 13 (1). The safest cities in Brazil are usually found in the interior of the state of São Paulo and parts of Santa Catarina (2). Lastly, if you’re concerned about safety, it’s better to live in a large apartment complex because the security is much better than renting a house.
Police: I’m sure there’s some good cops trying to keep law in order, but overall, the Brazilian police suck. We knew some neighbors that got burglarized in Joinville. It took three hours for the police to arrive, and the thieves left clear fingerprints on all the windows. My friends asked the police, “Aren’t you going to take samples of the fingerprints?” The police said “who do you think we are? CSI Miami?” Lastly, the police didn’t do anything when my wife was sexually assaulted in a beauty parlor. So.... yeah, they are a waste of space and tax dollars in my opinion.
Corruption: If you live in Brazil, corruption is going to affect you in some way. Don’t worry about getting mugged in Brazil; be more worried about the big Brazilian corporations like the internet companies, the Brazilian banks, the electricity companies, etc. I’ve been robbed on the street just two times from Uber drivers, but I’ve been robbed by big Brazilian businesses on COUNTLESS occasions. Whatever you do, DO NOT GET VIVO INTERNET SERVICES. Lastly, save yourself dozens of headaches, and get yourself a good, local Brazilian lawyer.
Noise: If you’re someone that loves peace and quiet but hates a lot of noise, Brazil is not the country for you, my friend. You’ll hear dogs barking all night, fireworks, the neighbors arguing, soccer matches, the couple next door making passionate love, the churros truck, the gas truck, the Atacadão deals truck, the egg car, late-night parties, and motorcycle fanatics so loud that cause even the deaf to hear. If you don’t like noise, be sure to bring a few pairs of ear plugs or shotgun earmuffs (or both).
Overall, I love living in Brazil, and I will be so sad when I leave at the end of this year. I hope that someone finds this post useful.
References
submitted by intriguedmaverick to Brazil [link] [comments]
This month marks the two-year point that I’ve been living in the country with my Brazilian wife. Currently, I’m living in the interior of the state of São Paulo and I LOVE it here. The interior of São Paulo has very little crime, the people are incredible, and the infrastructure is very good. We get invited to churrascos and pizza night every week. I could write a book about all the good experiences that we had in São Paulo.
However, I used to live in the south of Brazil in the state of Santa Catarina in a city called Joinville. Vou falar sem rodeios: It was a literal hell on earth for my wife and I. During my first month in Joinville, I was by myself, got lost and I asked a local for directions and he said something along the lines of “vai se ferrar!” (translated as “go screw yourself!”) I asked a second guy and he completely ignored me. People from Joinville are notorious for being rude and cold, but I also met a handful of joinvilenses who were nice and friendly. When I walked in the street, I always said oi, opa, or bom dia to everyone, but you will get ignored most of the time. It is also incredibly difficult to make friends there; my wife and I had the goal of inviting people to our house every week to play games and to eat, but only the Venezuelans, Haitians, Americans and Brazilians (outside of the south of Brazil) accepted. My wife is from Macapá and she faced A TON of racism even as a native Brazilian, and a few times natives of Joinville told me to go back to Argentina even though I’m not from there LOL. My wife and I had the same reception in Porto Alegre and in Curitiba. However, the north, northeastern, and rural areas of Brazil blew me away with their warm hospitality. I taught at a local high school in Santa Catarina, and the kids from Joinville bullied the Haitians and Venezuelan students. I don’t recommend the south of Brazil if you’re learning Portuguese; the people aren’t generally too patient. São Paulo was such a stark contrast; the people aren't xenophobic, they were helpful and friendly, and they were happy with anyone that tried to learn their language. For me, this just goes to show that one cannot judge a country by just one city or region. There are friendly and rude enclaves in every country.
Here are the amazing benefits of living in Brazil:
Health: Brazilian healthcare is actually REALLY good. Calling an ambulance is free, you can go to any PA (pronto atendimento) for free, and their private hospitals have incredible doctors.
Nature: Brazil is one of the most beautiful countries in this world, and there is such a huge array of places to travel and places to see.
People: Generally, Brazilians are eager to help, friendly, and will go out of their way to make sure that you have a good experience.
Food: Brazil has such a vast a delicious variety of exotic fruits, foods, and barbecue. This deserves an extensive post in itself.
Infrastructure: The country is very modernized, the public transportation works very well, and I’ve had very few internet issues. The public transportation is way better in Brazil compared to the US.
Affordable: Living in Brazil is very affordable. My wife and I pay about $10 per month for our electricity bill and $300 for rent in São Paulo (although we rented for $120 per month in Joinville). Overall, we spend about $700 (≈3500 reais) per month for all of our expenses combined. Just be warned that technology (cell phones, computers, TVs) is CRAZY expensive in Brazil.
Here are the downsides to living in Brazil:
Safety: I’m not going to sugar-coat it; Brazil is a dangerous country. I’ve stared down the barrel of an assault rifle, and my wife and I have been followed at night on a couple of occasions. This isn’t to say that every city in Brazil is dangerous, but you have to keep your eyes peeled when you’re going out. Although many say that the south of Brazil is safe, it’s not exactly true. Porto Alegre has a murder rate of 34 per 100,000 inhabitants, Curitiba has a murder rate of 41 whereas Rio de Janeiro has a murder rate of 13 (1). The safest cities in Brazil are usually found in the interior of the state of São Paulo and parts of Santa Catarina (2). Lastly, if you’re concerned about safety, it’s better to live in a large apartment complex because the security is much better than renting a house.
Police: I’m sure there’s some good cops trying to keep law in order, but overall, the Brazilian police suck. We knew some neighbors that got burglarized in Joinville. It took three hours for the police to arrive, and the thieves left clear fingerprints on all the windows. My friends asked the police, “Aren’t you going to take samples of the fingerprints?” The police said “who do you think we are? CSI Miami?” Lastly, the police didn’t do anything when my wife was sexually assaulted in a beauty parlor. So.... yeah, they are a waste of space and tax dollars in my opinion.
Corruption: If you live in Brazil, corruption is going to affect you in some way. Don’t worry about getting mugged in Brazil; be more worried about the big Brazilian corporations like the internet companies, the Brazilian banks, the electricity companies, etc. I’ve been robbed on the street just two times from Uber drivers, but I’ve been robbed by big Brazilian businesses on COUNTLESS occasions. Whatever you do, DO NOT GET VIVO INTERNET SERVICES. Lastly, save yourself dozens of headaches, and get yourself a good, local Brazilian lawyer.
Noise: If you’re someone that loves peace and quiet but hates a lot of noise, Brazil is not the country for you, my friend. You’ll hear dogs barking all night, fireworks, the neighbors arguing, soccer matches, the couple next door making passionate love, the churros truck, the gas truck, the Atacadão deals truck, the egg car, late-night parties, and motorcycle fanatics so loud that cause even the deaf to hear. If you don’t like noise, be sure to bring a few pairs of ear plugs or shotgun earmuffs (or both).
Overall, I love living in Brazil, and I will be so sad when I leave at the end of this year. I hope that someone finds this post useful.
References
2023.06.08 19:34 lazymentors What Changed in Marketing, Advertising & Agency last week?
Top 5 Updates of the Week:
- Instagram shared how their algorithm works. Spoiler: It’s 90% their 2021 blogpost with minor changes.
- Snapchat My Snap AI: Users now have ability to send & receive AI generated images.
- Reddit’s new usage based API pricing will impact many third-party apps.
- Meta tests removal of news content in Canada in response to Online news act.
- Pinterest first platform to share their calendar for pride month & latest events.
Google:
- June 2023 Google Webmasters Report.
- Google rolling out multiple featured snippets feature on Desktop search.
- Google now treats .ai domains as generic Top-domains.
- Google search console insights adds your growing content report.
- Google modifies shopping ads policies to enhance transparency.
- Google Search console performance report was delayed by 65+ hours this week due to an error.
- Google Bard can now provide more precise local results.
Tiktok:
- Mexico city signs up a deal with TikTok to support small business marketing.
- Tiktok launches #ForYourPride for content creation around Pride month.
- Tiktok’s 10-minute recording option within the app is back for many users.
- TikTok accused of storing sensitive Creator Data in China.
- Instagram tests new user control for recommended posts & transparency tool.
- The logo for Instagram’s Twitter rival App is now revealed in a leak.
- Instagram announces video scrubbing feature for IG reels.
- Instagram shares a format guide for all Meta Ads Platform.
Meta :
- Meta never gave up on metaverse, Meta Quest 3 coming this fall and price decrease for Quest 2.
- Meta found liable as court blocks firing of moderators.
- WhatsApp launches a security hub to showcase user control options.
Twitter:
- Twitter loses two executives in-charge of Safety & Trust on the platform.
- Twitter leaves EU voluntary code of practice against disinformation.
- Ben & Jerry’s leave Twitter Advertising over Hate speech.
- Twitter’s working on hide your likes tab option.
- Twitter ignoring hate speech created by Twitter Blue subscribers.
YouTube:
- Youtube reverses misinformation policy to allow US election denialism.
- MrBeast tags big streaming services and pitches his idea of new Game Show.
- Viral Nation’s new product to protect companies from copyright issues.
- Youtube adds 5.1 Surround Sound & announces new YPP terms.
Agency News:
- Dentsu sees 2023 Ad spending up 3.3%.
- WPP partners with Nvidia to build an AI content engine.
- Zoom apps marketing chief Janine Pelosi exists.
- Ogilvy Africa introduces InfluenceO, an Influencer marketing solution for Africa.
LinkedIn:
- LinkedIn launched a new playbook for SaaS companies marketing on the platform.
Snapchat:
- Snapchat launches AR Learning hub for individuals with growing interest in AR world.
- Snapchat launches sheen camera filter to Encourage LGBTQ+ creators to share their story.
Reddit:
- Reddit’s main share holder cuts down its valuation in the platform by 41%.
- Many Sub-reddits are protesting on 12th June against new API pricing changes.
Advertising:
- Heinz Debuts First Global Campaign in 150 Years.
- Unilever pledges over 70% of Ads will have disabled representatives behind the scenes.
- Fentiman creates world’s longest Advert with an 168-hour film, woah.
- New Created Campaign from Wendy with T-pain is blasting.
Microsoft
- Bing chat increases chat turns, adds visuals to travel queries and expands Bing Image creator.
- Microsoft teams on Windows 11 gets discord-like communities and AI tools.
- Bing Chat adds Anchor text hyperlinks within answers.
- Microsoft introduces insights for Universal Event tracking Tags.
AI:
- Brands are asking Influencers to utilise AI tools to improve their content practices.
- Search Engine Land launched their own AI Chatbot based on 20,000+ previous blogs.
Pinterest:
- Julia Brau Donnelly to join Pinterest as Chef Financial Officer.
- Pinterest publishes new research on how positivity drives actions at event stage of the shopping journey.
Marketing:
- BeReal is testing BeRealChat for direct messaging options.
- Peloton goes through a rebrand, trying to recapture its audience.
- Verizon owned Visible Brand launches a new show with creator group “Old Gays”.
- Oracle removes social sharing tool “Add this”.
2023.06.08 19:33 lazymentors Here’s what you missed last week on social media (marketer’s edition)
Top 5 Updates of the Week:
- Instagram shared how their algorithm works. Spoiler: It’s 90% their 2021 blogpost with minor changes.
- Snapchat My Snap AI: Users now have ability to send & receive AI generated images.
- Reddit’s new usage based API pricing will impact many third-party apps.
- Meta tests removal of news content in Canada in response to Online news act.
- Pinterest first platform to share their calendar for pride month & latest events.
Google:
- June 2023 Google Webmasters Report.
- Google rolling out multiple featured snippets feature on Desktop search.
- Google now treats .ai domains as generic Top-domains.
- Google search console insights adds your growing content report.
- Google modifies shopping ads policies to enhance transparency.
- Google Search console performance report was delayed by 65+ hours this week due to an error.
- Google Bard can now provide more precise local results.
Tiktok:
- Mexico city signs up a deal with TikTok to support small business marketing.
- Tiktok launches #ForYourPride for content creation around Pride month.
- Tiktok’s 10-minute recording option within the app is back for many users.
- TikTok accused of storing sensitive Creator Data in China.
- Instagram tests new user control for recommended posts & transparency tool.
- The logo for Instagram’s Twitter rival App is now revealed in a leak.
- Instagram announces video scrubbing feature for IG reels.
- Instagram shares a format guide for all Meta Ads Platform.
Meta :
- Meta never gave up on metaverse, Meta Quest 3 coming this fall and price decrease for Quest 2.
- Meta found liable as court blocks firing of moderators.
- WhatsApp launches a security hub to showcase user control options.
Twitter:
- Twitter loses two executives in-charge of Safety & Trust on the platform.
- Twitter leaves EU voluntary code of practice against disinformation.
- Ben & Jerry’s leave Twitter Advertising over Hate speech.
- Twitter’s working on hide your likes tab option.
- Twitter ignoring hate speech created by Twitter Blue subscribers.
YouTube:
- Youtube reverses misinformation policy to allow US election denialism.
- MrBeast tags big streaming services and pitches his idea of new Game Show.
- Viral Nation’s new product to protect companies from copyright issues.
- Youtube adds 5.1 Surround Sound & announces new YPP terms.
Agency News:
- Dentsu sees 2023 Ad spending up 3.3%.
- WPP partners with Nvidia to build an AI content engine.
- Zoom apps marketing chief Janine Pelosi exists.
- Ogilvy Africa introduces InfluenceO, an Influencer marketing solution for Africa.
LinkedIn:
- LinkedIn launched a new playbook for SaaS companies marketing on the platform.
Snapchat:
- Snapchat launches AR Learning hub for individuals with growing interest in AR world.
- Snapchat launches sheen camera filter to Encourage LGBTQ+ creators to share their story.
Reddit:
- Reddit’s main share holder cuts down its valuation in the platform by 41%.
- Many Sub-reddits are protesting on 12th June against new API pricing changes.
Advertising:
- Heinz Debuts First Global Campaign in 150 Years.
- Unilever pledges over 70% of Ads will have disabled representatives behind the scenes.
- Fentiman creates world’s longest Advert with an 168-hour film, woah.
- New Created Campaign from Wendy with T-pain is blasting.
Microsoft
- Bing chat increases chat turns, adds visuals to travel queries and expands Bing Image creator.
- Microsoft teams on Windows 11 gets discord-like communities and AI tools.
- Bing Chat adds Anchor text hyperlinks within answers.
- Microsoft introduces insights for Universal Event tracking Tags.
AI:
- Brands are asking Influencers to utilise AI tools to improve their content practices.
- Search Engine Land launched their own AI Chatbot based on 20,000+ previous blogs.
Pinterest:
- Julia Brau Donnelly to join Pinterest as Chef Financial Officer.
- Pinterest publishes new research on how positivity drives actions at event stage of the shopping journey.
Marketing:
- BeReal is testing BeRealChat for direct messaging options.
- Peloton goes through a rebrand, trying to recapture its audience.
- Verizon owned Visible Brand launches a new show with creator group “Old Gays”.
- Oracle removes social sharing tool “Add this”.
2023.06.08 18:55 DiscoverDurham Things to Do in Durham this Weekend (June 8-11)
Check out our full Durham events calendar.
If you'd like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great weekend!
submitted by DiscoverDurham to bullcity [link] [comments]
If you'd like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great weekend!
American Dance Festival
BODYTRAFFIC at Reynolds Industries Theater- Widely acclaimed for its “peerless dancers” who “can do it all from hip-hop to ballet” (LA Dance Chronicle), the company is composed of artists who received their training at some of the finest schools throughout the world, and its smashing repertory includes the works of renowned contemporary choreographers.
- Thu, Jun 8 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sat, Jun 10 at 7:30 p.m.
- $27-43
- Dance the night away with BODYTRAFFIC and enjoy delicious food and drinks.
- Thu, Jun 8 at 9:00 p.m.
- $150
- The acclaimed work Nuttin’ But A Word by Rennie Harris pushes the boundaries of street dance vocabulary and forces its audience to view street dance through a different lens. Challenging the viewer’s perspective of street dance or Hip-hop dance and its culture, Nuttin’ But A Word takes you on a dramatic and abstract journey while twisting, matching, juxtaposing, and pulling vocabulary and music in ways unimaginable. Harris chooses to end this work in a traditional Hip-hop celebration, which Africanists may refer to as the Bantaba.
- Friday, Jun 9 at 7:30 p.m. ($30-45)
- Saturday, Jun 10 at 1:00 p.m. (Children’s Matinee - $12)
Multi-Day Event
Triangle Restaurant Week- A week-long celebration of culinary excellence designed to incorporate the premier Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and surrounding area restaurants
- Participating restaurants offer special three-course menu options and fixed pricing
- No reservations, tickets, or passes are required
- Today - Jun 11
- $20-50
Venue Weekend Schedules
Events at DPAC- Thu, Jun 8 at 7:30 p.m. - Indigo Girls with Full Band
- Fri, Jun 9 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. - Shane Gillis
- Fri, Jun 8 at 8:00 p.m. - The Monti: Freak
- Sat, Jun 10 at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. - Dancing Through the Decades
- Fri, Jun 9 at 9:00 p.m. - Severed Fingers / Austin Lucas / DJ Melanoma
- Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - Burlesque: The Rainbow Connection – Boom Boom’s Big Gay B-day Review
- Sat, Jun 10 at 10:00 p.m. - No Visa X The Conjure
- Sun, Jun 11 at 8:00 p.m. - Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo / Tami Hart / Dunums
- Thu, Jun 8 at 6:00 p.m. - Drag Trivia
- Fri, Jun 9 from 2:00am - Sat, 10 2:00am - SUB: Terranean
- Fri, Jun 9 from 10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. - HOUSE OF HER : An All Girls Pride Party
- Sat, Jun 10 from 9:00pm - 2:00 a.m. - Cosmic Gate
- Fri, Jun 9 at 6:00 p.m. - The Duke Street Dogs
- Fri, Jun 9 at 9:15 p.m. - Crones of Anarchy
- Sat, Jun 10 at 7:30 p.m. - Addison's Playworld / Durham High Get-Together
- Thursdays - Free Board Games
- Thu, Jun 8 at 7:00 p.m. - Trivia
- Fri, Jun 9 at 8:00 p.m. - 2nd Friday Blues Dance Night
- Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - An Offering to Bragi
- Fri, Jun 9 at 8:00 p.m. - Angela Bingham w/Jim Ketch Quintet
- Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - Frankie Alexander Quartet
- Thu, Jun 8 - Pridechata and Tarot with Rene
- Fri, Jun 9 - Queer Joy: A Party and Fundraiser for Bodily Autonomy and Tarot with Virginia
- Sat, Jun 10 - Tarot with Heiltje
- Sun, Jun 11 - Jay Hammond & Quran Karriem and Tarot with Emily
- Thu, Jun 8 at 8:30 p.m. - Step Friends with Gentle Junior, Megabitch
- Fri, Jun 9 at 10:00 p.m. - Renaissance Disko Presents: Body Tempo
- Sat, Jun 10 at 9:00 p.m. - Shallow Cuts: Mad Mix Beyond Thunderpop!
- Thu, Jun 1
- 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Tacos Mama Chava
- 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick
- Fri, Jun 2
- 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Tacos Paradise
- 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy
- Sat, Jun 3
- 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Food Truck: My Taste of Caribbean
- 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Durty Dog Day
- 4:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m. - Live Music: Peridot Sun
- 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Bull Durham Screening Series
- Sun, Jun 4
- 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - MotoGP Watch Party
- 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Hammered Trivia with Thor
- Thu, Jun 8 at 7:30 p.m. - The Uproar, a sketch comedy show
- Thu, Jun 8 at 9:00 p.m. - Standup Comedy Open Mic
- Fri, Jun 9 at 7:30 p.m. - The Uproar, a sketch comedy show
- Fri, Jun 9 at 9:00 p.m. - Well Seasoned
- Sat, Jun 10 at 6:00 p.m. - Improv 101 Graduation Showcase
- Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - The Racket - Pride Edition!
- Sat, Jun 10 at 9:00 p.m. - Sounds Gay, I'm In
- Sat, Jun 10 at 10:00 p.m. - The Alphabet Hour
- Thu, Jun 8 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions
- Fr, Jun 9 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - RTP Food Truck Fridays
- Sat, Jun 10 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions
- Thu, Jun 8 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - Live Music in the Taproom
- Jun 8-11 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Weekend Food Trucks
Thursday, Jun 8
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi- Each month Dashi's Thirsty Thursday drink specials revolve around a monthly theme – spirits, cocktails, special ingredients, brand, location, etc. – with new sips every Thursday. Learn more about upcoming themes on their website or visit them in person – there's always something new to try from their expansive bar!
- 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Enjoy fresh vibes on the patio with DJ Deckades. Bring your own vinyl to share or just listen to what the DJ is spinning.
- 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Free admission
- Show up and climb at TRC Durham, then head over to Hi-Wire for some brews. Don't worry if it's your first time or haven't bouldered before; everyone's welcome.
- Your first visit to the gym with the Meetup includes free admission and gear rental, and subsequent visits with the meetup are $15 and include harness rental (outside of meetups, day pass rates of $19 apply and do not include rentals).
- 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
- Join Clouds Durham for Big Slow Tom's Trivia Night, every Thursday. Win some prizes, drink some beer, and show your smarts.
- Enjoy $4 select draft and $5 rotating bartender's choice all night.
- 7:30 p.m.
- Free admission
Friday, Jun 9
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee- Every Friday morning at 10 am, Counter Culture Coffee opens their Training Centers to coffee lovers who want to learn more about Counter Culture Coffee’s high-quality, sustainably sourced menu.
- 10:00 a.m.
- Free, but donations accepted
Saturday, Jun 10
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park- The Durham Farmers’ Market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, cut flowers, artisanal cheeses and breads, home-baked pies, honey, handmade chocolates, preserves, local wines, handmade soaps, fresh pasta, and artwork of all sorts!
- 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Free admission
- The market strives to support new and growing farms and vendors in the greater Durham area, and they are also home to some of the most iconic Durham brands around.
- 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Free admission
- A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate. It's up to you!
- 8:00 a.m.
- Free admission
- Free pint with purchase of craft box. Choose from a variety of craft packages available for all ages.
- 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Jun 11
Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six- Al Strong, the Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter, composer and recording artist, will bring a rotating lineup of musicians to perform during Sunday brunch at Durham's Alley Twenty Six. Weather permitting the band will perform in the bar’s namesake alley.
- Brunch from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Music 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Most trucks accept credit cards but an ATM machine is on site as well. Free parking is available in nearby lots. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair so you can enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable Durham afternoon with friends and family.
- 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Free admission
- Learn about the history, architecture, and life of Duke Chapel in this tour, which is free and open to the public. The tour begins at 12:15 p.m., or immediately following the conclusion of the Sunday morning service, and lasts approximately forty-five minutes.
- No reservation is required but if you plan to bring a large group please notify us in advance. Meet the docent on the front steps of the Chapel.
- Paid parking is available on a first come, first served basis in the Bryan Center Parking Lot at 125 Science Drive. ADA parking is available in the Bryan Center Surface Lot at the same address.
- 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Hosted by the Triangle’s Trivia team, Hammered Trivia, gather your team and post up to compete for prizes and enjoy an afternoon of great drinks, great friends, and great games.
- 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Free admission
Running Art Exhibits
upstART Gallery: A Jim Lee Project at Pop Box Gallery- upstART Gallery will host its first group show at Pop Box Gallery & The Art Chose Me’s residency in Old East Durham. The show features 27 artists who were selected through an open call review process. Artists were challenged to create work especially for this unique space, scaled 1:12 (one inch = one foot).
- Wed-Sat from 12:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m.
- Runs through Jul 1
- Truth or Dare: A Reality Show
- Runs through March 2024
- Open 24 hours
- Free admission
- This exhibit highlights several NC-based artists that, on the surface, use colors that are “extra” (which is where their commonality ends) to evoke their intent through a combination of this color with forms and imagery as well as the concepts embedded in color’s many identities. Artists Jane Cheek, Jerstin Crosby, Zach Storm, Tonya Solley Thornton and Leif Zikade all require color to play a primary role in their work and their relationship to an audience.
- Mon–Sat from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sun from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Runs through June 4
- Free admission
- 5 Points Gallery in downtown Durham introduces a new exhibit featuring the work of our member artist, Donna Stubbs. Donna uses an archaeological approach to painting, as she lovingly photographs her surroundings and unearths discarded items in thrift stores to create abstract mixed media works.
- Free admission
- An exhibition featuring both abstract and figurative works by two artists with international backgrounds. The SEQUENTIAL exhibition invites the observer on a visual journey, generating an organic relationship between the artworks and the gallery's visitors. Through the dynamics of color, form, ideas, and narratives, Chieko Murasugi and Renzo Ortega seek to generate a dialogue and the experience of art appreciation with the audience.
- Sat, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - opening reception
- Runs through July 8
- Spirit in the Land is a contemporary art exhibition that examines today’s urgent ecological concerns from a cultural perspective, demonstrating how intricately our identities and natural environments are intertwined. Through their artwork, 30 artists show us how rooted in the earth our most cherished cultural traditions are, how our relationship to land and water shapes us as individuals and communities
- Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Runs through Jul 9
- Free admission
- Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures explores the breadth of the artist’s relationship with photography through several distinct bodies of work including screenprints of celebrities, all of which were taken from photographs, a group of Polaroids and black and white snapshots illustrating his social circles, and an early silent film of the curator Henry Geldzahler from 1964.
- Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Runs through Aug 27
- Free admission
- This gallery features ceramics, textiles, metalwork and carvings produced by ancient cultures across what is known as present-day Peru.
- Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Runs through Dec 2
- Free admission
2023.06.08 18:51 TarbusCavarus [RF] Pete
Part I
Pete is the epitome of a man possessed by entropy. The summary of his life, as narrated by himself in comparison to his father, goes as follows: "Dad was a hardworking man. He single-handedly built this house from the ground up. I burned it all down."
But who was Pete, and how did he come to such a tragic fate?
We went to pay him a visit with the biggest bottle of beer and the cheapest cigarettes on the black market. Pete sat slumped in a deck chair at the back of the yard, suspended somewhere outside of space and time. Unaware of our presence, he seemed like a martyr besieged by the gusts of early September winds. He blew his nose into a large handkerchief, reminiscent of the olden days, now crumpled and stained with the residue of man's earthly struggles with mud and soot.
"Oh dreamer traveller, where do you wish to go? Oh dreamer traveller, the moments are too long."
There is no more glorious character in this world than Pete. He represents the full glory of total failure, ennobled by mistakes and vices. If he were still alive, his mother would have remembered him as a clever boy, coming home from school in a hurry with his notebook tucked into his belt - he had won first prize in the National Mathematical Olympiad without special preparation. I remember him in his last days of prayer and toil on this earth, lying helpless on the hospital bed, devoid of interest in the absurd world, absentmindedly flipping through a children's magazine from the time of the king.
"I'm pumping culture through my veins," he told us bored, turning a page.
Pete translates the sound of nature into words that are hard to understand. He is dissatisfied with the tenants who do not respect their agreement, with his modest retirement income, and with the infirmities of old age. He wonders how much time he has left to live - two, maybe three years? He struggles to get up from the deck chair and leans heavily on his cane. His legs hurt, barely able to support him, the peripheral nerves irreversibly affected by years of limitless drinking. In the heavens, he will receive the deserved reward for those who have faced the burden of excessive drinking and smoking without restraint but did not let themselves be defeated.
Part II
But do you really know where you're going?
The empty room screamed with the agony of lost time. Moth cocoons hung from the ceiling side by side like an overturned plantation heavy with fruit. The bed, reeking of urine, was covered with old, yellowed books and coated with dust. A bucket with ashes and tears of sorrow lay overturned on the floor. On the nightstand, a box with rounded edges and a suede cover housed a straight razor, a strip of glass paper, and a shaving brush.
Pete was in the hospital. They had taken him there to spend the winter because they couldn't find anyone to care for him. The last time I visited him, he could no longer stand on his own, he could only rise to the edge of the bed. He had the bucket on one side and the food tray on the other. The radio and the books kept him company. After he finished reading them all, he would start over again.
When you wanted to leave, you realized you were trapped inside like in a prison - all the doors were locked from the outside. You looked out the window and saw the wolves circling. Out of the cellar came the cave man. He had a massive, hunched body, skin as thick and cracked as dry earth, red, glassy eyes, and teeth as sharp as knives. When he roared, the walls and the souls of the sleeping trembled.
They never brought him back home again. In the white hospital room, he watched people come in moaning on stretchers and leave silently, wrapped in shrouds. At first, they had hope. He had recovered, gotten out of bed, and wandered through the halls in the middle of the night, opening windows in the labyrinthine corridors to smoke, until one day the cold stabbed him in the back like a knife. He fell to the bed and couldn't get up again. They took him out of there in May in a coffin. They were glad to received assistance, so they could bury him like a Christian.
submitted by TarbusCavarus to shortstories [link] [comments]
Pete is the epitome of a man possessed by entropy. The summary of his life, as narrated by himself in comparison to his father, goes as follows: "Dad was a hardworking man. He single-handedly built this house from the ground up. I burned it all down."
But who was Pete, and how did he come to such a tragic fate?
We went to pay him a visit with the biggest bottle of beer and the cheapest cigarettes on the black market. Pete sat slumped in a deck chair at the back of the yard, suspended somewhere outside of space and time. Unaware of our presence, he seemed like a martyr besieged by the gusts of early September winds. He blew his nose into a large handkerchief, reminiscent of the olden days, now crumpled and stained with the residue of man's earthly struggles with mud and soot.
"Oh dreamer traveller, where do you wish to go? Oh dreamer traveller, the moments are too long."
There is no more glorious character in this world than Pete. He represents the full glory of total failure, ennobled by mistakes and vices. If he were still alive, his mother would have remembered him as a clever boy, coming home from school in a hurry with his notebook tucked into his belt - he had won first prize in the National Mathematical Olympiad without special preparation. I remember him in his last days of prayer and toil on this earth, lying helpless on the hospital bed, devoid of interest in the absurd world, absentmindedly flipping through a children's magazine from the time of the king.
"I'm pumping culture through my veins," he told us bored, turning a page.
Pete translates the sound of nature into words that are hard to understand. He is dissatisfied with the tenants who do not respect their agreement, with his modest retirement income, and with the infirmities of old age. He wonders how much time he has left to live - two, maybe three years? He struggles to get up from the deck chair and leans heavily on his cane. His legs hurt, barely able to support him, the peripheral nerves irreversibly affected by years of limitless drinking. In the heavens, he will receive the deserved reward for those who have faced the burden of excessive drinking and smoking without restraint but did not let themselves be defeated.
Part II
But do you really know where you're going?
The empty room screamed with the agony of lost time. Moth cocoons hung from the ceiling side by side like an overturned plantation heavy with fruit. The bed, reeking of urine, was covered with old, yellowed books and coated with dust. A bucket with ashes and tears of sorrow lay overturned on the floor. On the nightstand, a box with rounded edges and a suede cover housed a straight razor, a strip of glass paper, and a shaving brush.
Pete was in the hospital. They had taken him there to spend the winter because they couldn't find anyone to care for him. The last time I visited him, he could no longer stand on his own, he could only rise to the edge of the bed. He had the bucket on one side and the food tray on the other. The radio and the books kept him company. After he finished reading them all, he would start over again.
When you wanted to leave, you realized you were trapped inside like in a prison - all the doors were locked from the outside. You looked out the window and saw the wolves circling. Out of the cellar came the cave man. He had a massive, hunched body, skin as thick and cracked as dry earth, red, glassy eyes, and teeth as sharp as knives. When he roared, the walls and the souls of the sleeping trembled.
They never brought him back home again. In the white hospital room, he watched people come in moaning on stretchers and leave silently, wrapped in shrouds. At first, they had hope. He had recovered, gotten out of bed, and wandered through the halls in the middle of the night, opening windows in the labyrinthine corridors to smoke, until one day the cold stabbed him in the back like a knife. He fell to the bed and couldn't get up again. They took him out of there in May in a coffin. They were glad to received assistance, so they could bury him like a Christian.
2023.06.08 18:16 ConfusedHund I hate 'men'
I guess I should preface by saying that I don't hate all men. I have met some who were kind, thoughtful and amazing but they seem to be so few are far between that it makes me just a little sad. I also apologize since this turned out longer and rantier than expected.
It's been so hard to stay positive and forward thinking when so many men act in such selfish, hurtful and disgusting ways. I've noticed throughout my life how there was always a subtle layer of sexism, racist, ableism, classism, and whatever else is used to justify hate. Maybe it was always there on full display and I just never understood it fully. I did understand on some level that it was wrong and chose to act with kindness, empathy and understanding as a result.
I have learned throughout my life that these men were so entitled to be men because they just thought so. And they fought to be men. And they will continue to fight to be men. And I believe many will die in order to preserve the facade of their fragile masculinity. So weak and crumbling is the facade that they make any attempt to exert power over another weaker being. It comes off as cartoonishly stupid yet it's effects are so real and equally depressing.
I am a young, healthy, slim, single guy who took public transit or rode a bike to work. I used to work in the automation industry for auto manufacturers. I was a target for so much bullying and harassment. When I brought this topic to management, I was blamed for not doing enough while told "that's just how they are." What?
We had Co-op high school students come to do supervised electrical panel work for us. Hearing these 'men' refer to this young woman as "fresh meat" is nothing short of disgusting. We also had woman apprentices and the guys would constantly stare at them as they walked by. Stop to talk to them as they worked and try to be around an uncomfortable amount of time. The comments made about the women in the office was also just gross and unbearable to be around.
There is a guy in the receiving department that is openly gay and the comments made behind his back is gross. I can't imagine being so repulsed by an individual that's just there to work. To humour myself, I can't help but think these men are repulsed because the receiving guy didn't try and grab their dicks.
I was very fortunate to have been able to travel and live abroad briefly and have seen some pretty gross and unjust behaviour. One notable story was when I was in Dublin, Ireland. I was out on a pub crawl and was mostly with this American girl. At one point in the night she invited me to visit a gay friend of hers at another bar which I accepted. At some point everyone disappeared and I was just about to head outside to get some fresh air when I saw her come up to be and asked if I wanted to leave. I saw a sort of scared and confused look on her face so I said yes without question. Just as we grabbed our coats and were about to leave, the gay friend came up to talk. I was just out of ear shot but I saw as he grabbed her face and dived onto her mouth. She said something, and quickly walked out the door and into the nearest taxi. I followed and hopped in and her face dropped as she had no idea how to get back to the hostel. I told the driver where to go and for the next 10 minutes, this poor woman had a complete nuclear meltdown in her head as her trust in this guy was completely shattered. After being dropped off, she happened to puke and then start questioning her life choices up to this point. I managed to talk to her and calm her down and remind her that shit happens and she'll be fine. I walked to her to her all female dorm room in the hostel to make sure she was safe and that was the last time I saw her. She flew out the next morning. I was happy I was able to help but fuck me what a shitty situation to be in for her.
More recently I found that a former co-worker who I thought was more on the progressive side of things is actually a disgusting, gross old man. Him and another friend used to run a Minecraft server some years ago. They reopened the server for a while and made a discord server for everyone to join. I was playing another game with him and he decided to the same game for one of those people from Minecraft because it was on sale for $5. I thought it was a nice little gesture for pocket change. The person who be bought game for was a 20 year old girl from the UK. That same night she messaged me and we spoke and it was quite clear to me that she just likes meeting and talking to new people. She was also quite open to talk about mental health issues and at that point in time, I needed that so desperately. We continued to talk and learn about each other and eventually began to help each other mentally even if it just meant being able to opening vent without judgment or worry of receiving unsolicited advice. We treated each other as unique people, with our own problems and our own ways of dealing with them. It's been so helpful for the both of us and we've learned so much from each other. I couldn't imagine ruining something like that.
One day she called me, which usually means she's so completely overwhelmed about something that she can't text. She was telling me how my former co-worker wanted to have a video call with her and the other guy who ran the Minecraft server. She asked me to join to call too because she didn't know what to do. My former co-worker saw her dyed hair and multiple nose piercings and started talking about nipple and genital piercings. Kept trying to steer the direction to something sexual and at one point asked her to "tell us a story." She told him a story which was basically that's she's gay because men act gross. Dumb fuck didn't take a hint and still tried to make the conversation sexual. Even went as far as to continue texting her after the video call and implying he was hard and looking for reasons to jerk off in the bathroom. I know this because she showed me screenshots of the texts. When he finally got the hint, he asked "I can't tell if you angry or just playing." And that pissed me off. He per-determined her emotions in order to hide the fact that he over stepped her boundaries. This man, who is 35 years old (the same age as me), with an amazing wife who picked up ALL the slack while he went through a mental depressive disorder resulting from COVID lockdowns, with two amazing young girls, a giant beautiful property and a beautiful new dog wanted to abuse his 15 years of live experience and trust over a 20 year old for his own sexual gratification. The same girl who was 14 years old when she joined that Minecraft server and thought of his as a mentor. I'm so pissed at him and yet I can't even bring myself the courage to tell his wife because the resulting shit show will be too much for everyone involved. His parents with so many health issues also live in the same house and I can't imagine how shit it will be for everyone.
I know this seems a bit all over the place. but in my mind it's all so intimately interconnected. The little stories are just microcosms of the big picture. The infantile leaders of the world, be it government or corporate, cult or business, are just the same. Unable to look within to better themselves. Unable to control their own desires in order to provide a safe world for others. Unable to show empathy or understanding. Looking for any power imbalance to exploit, big or small. I hate those types of men for creating such a hostile place. I can't even ride my bike down the road anymore without fearing being crushed by a lifted truck or a mother who can barely see out of her SUV. Without being called a "fucking retard" for riding my bike on the sidewalk instead of the unprotected bike lane on the road. I just can't deal with them anymore. These men are running our entire world into oblivion just for the slight chance to feel in control.
While not every woman I've encountered has been kind or understanding towards me. I'd say the vast majority have been far more accepting of me and have shown more understanding for me. I'll always appreciate that. I overjoyed to see a resistance of hate the younger people have shown by breaking all the awful stereotypes and generational damage and I don't think these younger people get enough credit for it. At the same time, it sometimes feels all just a little too late and that kindness will be drowned out by the stupidly aggressive as our planet gears up to equalize our modern societies.
I'm still trying to find a bit of beauty in each day but it's hard to hold back the urge to scream into the void of frustation, but I guess that's why we all are here.
submitted by ConfusedHund to CollapseSupport [link] [comments]
It's been so hard to stay positive and forward thinking when so many men act in such selfish, hurtful and disgusting ways. I've noticed throughout my life how there was always a subtle layer of sexism, racist, ableism, classism, and whatever else is used to justify hate. Maybe it was always there on full display and I just never understood it fully. I did understand on some level that it was wrong and chose to act with kindness, empathy and understanding as a result.
I have learned throughout my life that these men were so entitled to be men because they just thought so. And they fought to be men. And they will continue to fight to be men. And I believe many will die in order to preserve the facade of their fragile masculinity. So weak and crumbling is the facade that they make any attempt to exert power over another weaker being. It comes off as cartoonishly stupid yet it's effects are so real and equally depressing.
I am a young, healthy, slim, single guy who took public transit or rode a bike to work. I used to work in the automation industry for auto manufacturers. I was a target for so much bullying and harassment. When I brought this topic to management, I was blamed for not doing enough while told "that's just how they are." What?
We had Co-op high school students come to do supervised electrical panel work for us. Hearing these 'men' refer to this young woman as "fresh meat" is nothing short of disgusting. We also had woman apprentices and the guys would constantly stare at them as they walked by. Stop to talk to them as they worked and try to be around an uncomfortable amount of time. The comments made about the women in the office was also just gross and unbearable to be around.
There is a guy in the receiving department that is openly gay and the comments made behind his back is gross. I can't imagine being so repulsed by an individual that's just there to work. To humour myself, I can't help but think these men are repulsed because the receiving guy didn't try and grab their dicks.
I was very fortunate to have been able to travel and live abroad briefly and have seen some pretty gross and unjust behaviour. One notable story was when I was in Dublin, Ireland. I was out on a pub crawl and was mostly with this American girl. At one point in the night she invited me to visit a gay friend of hers at another bar which I accepted. At some point everyone disappeared and I was just about to head outside to get some fresh air when I saw her come up to be and asked if I wanted to leave. I saw a sort of scared and confused look on her face so I said yes without question. Just as we grabbed our coats and were about to leave, the gay friend came up to talk. I was just out of ear shot but I saw as he grabbed her face and dived onto her mouth. She said something, and quickly walked out the door and into the nearest taxi. I followed and hopped in and her face dropped as she had no idea how to get back to the hostel. I told the driver where to go and for the next 10 minutes, this poor woman had a complete nuclear meltdown in her head as her trust in this guy was completely shattered. After being dropped off, she happened to puke and then start questioning her life choices up to this point. I managed to talk to her and calm her down and remind her that shit happens and she'll be fine. I walked to her to her all female dorm room in the hostel to make sure she was safe and that was the last time I saw her. She flew out the next morning. I was happy I was able to help but fuck me what a shitty situation to be in for her.
More recently I found that a former co-worker who I thought was more on the progressive side of things is actually a disgusting, gross old man. Him and another friend used to run a Minecraft server some years ago. They reopened the server for a while and made a discord server for everyone to join. I was playing another game with him and he decided to the same game for one of those people from Minecraft because it was on sale for $5. I thought it was a nice little gesture for pocket change. The person who be bought game for was a 20 year old girl from the UK. That same night she messaged me and we spoke and it was quite clear to me that she just likes meeting and talking to new people. She was also quite open to talk about mental health issues and at that point in time, I needed that so desperately. We continued to talk and learn about each other and eventually began to help each other mentally even if it just meant being able to opening vent without judgment or worry of receiving unsolicited advice. We treated each other as unique people, with our own problems and our own ways of dealing with them. It's been so helpful for the both of us and we've learned so much from each other. I couldn't imagine ruining something like that.
One day she called me, which usually means she's so completely overwhelmed about something that she can't text. She was telling me how my former co-worker wanted to have a video call with her and the other guy who ran the Minecraft server. She asked me to join to call too because she didn't know what to do. My former co-worker saw her dyed hair and multiple nose piercings and started talking about nipple and genital piercings. Kept trying to steer the direction to something sexual and at one point asked her to "tell us a story." She told him a story which was basically that's she's gay because men act gross. Dumb fuck didn't take a hint and still tried to make the conversation sexual. Even went as far as to continue texting her after the video call and implying he was hard and looking for reasons to jerk off in the bathroom. I know this because she showed me screenshots of the texts. When he finally got the hint, he asked "I can't tell if you angry or just playing." And that pissed me off. He per-determined her emotions in order to hide the fact that he over stepped her boundaries. This man, who is 35 years old (the same age as me), with an amazing wife who picked up ALL the slack while he went through a mental depressive disorder resulting from COVID lockdowns, with two amazing young girls, a giant beautiful property and a beautiful new dog wanted to abuse his 15 years of live experience and trust over a 20 year old for his own sexual gratification. The same girl who was 14 years old when she joined that Minecraft server and thought of his as a mentor. I'm so pissed at him and yet I can't even bring myself the courage to tell his wife because the resulting shit show will be too much for everyone involved. His parents with so many health issues also live in the same house and I can't imagine how shit it will be for everyone.
I know this seems a bit all over the place. but in my mind it's all so intimately interconnected. The little stories are just microcosms of the big picture. The infantile leaders of the world, be it government or corporate, cult or business, are just the same. Unable to look within to better themselves. Unable to control their own desires in order to provide a safe world for others. Unable to show empathy or understanding. Looking for any power imbalance to exploit, big or small. I hate those types of men for creating such a hostile place. I can't even ride my bike down the road anymore without fearing being crushed by a lifted truck or a mother who can barely see out of her SUV. Without being called a "fucking retard" for riding my bike on the sidewalk instead of the unprotected bike lane on the road. I just can't deal with them anymore. These men are running our entire world into oblivion just for the slight chance to feel in control.
While not every woman I've encountered has been kind or understanding towards me. I'd say the vast majority have been far more accepting of me and have shown more understanding for me. I'll always appreciate that. I overjoyed to see a resistance of hate the younger people have shown by breaking all the awful stereotypes and generational damage and I don't think these younger people get enough credit for it. At the same time, it sometimes feels all just a little too late and that kindness will be drowned out by the stupidly aggressive as our planet gears up to equalize our modern societies.
I'm still trying to find a bit of beauty in each day but it's hard to hold back the urge to scream into the void of frustation, but I guess that's why we all are here.
2023.06.08 18:11 Thertch Return of the Obra Dinn Makes a Short and Mediocre Story One of the Most Engaging Narrative Experiences of All Time (Spoilers)
It only took about half an hour or so, and Return of the Obra Dinn had its anchor hooked into me so deep there was no escape. This is the type of game which doesn’t just pull, but rips you in with a harmonious approach centred around two main ideas:
One – its structure, and two – how progression is gated.
On the second point, it is a rare type of game whose very progression is untethered from any higher-level mechanical input, but instead occurs entirely within your own mind. This is a concept which is so rarely pulled off well, that the notable success stories in this domain (namely Return of the Obra Dinn itself, and the Outer Wilds) have become modern cult classics.
Conventional is the last thing Return of the Obra Dinn can be called. What I find absolutely fascinating about this game is how it uses all the unique elements in its toolset to tell a grossly engaging story with a book-like quality, and has done so with minimal dialogue and practically zero text. I want to dissect what makes this game ‘special’ so to speak. How the solo developer, Lucas Pope, has done the impossible and made a more than worthy game in the wake of Papers Please.
Against all odds, the game manages to make what is honestly a fairly mediocre story by contemporary standards, one of the most engaging, satisfying and enjoyable narrative experiences of all time which is far stronger than the sum of its parts.
…
So now that it’s just the cool kids, let’s do it.
A weakness with this mode of mystery structure in a standard story is that the audience doesn’t always share the ‘ah ha!’ moment of the protagonist. Sometimes this is by design to subvert expectations, but in the cases where it’s not, it can lead to a disappointing mystery. In the medium of video games, this can become a particular issue where a disconnect is much more dangerous. I mentioned L.A. Noire before. This bridges the gap somewhat as the win state of the game hinges on correctly solving cases. So, you’re incentivised to go beyond just passively consuming the mystery, but to actual solve the mystery. Ultimately though, these stories can just be played without any conviction if the player is getting bored or confused, and the detective roleplay element is lost.
Return of the Obra Dinn is almost a direct solution to this problem, and works as a much better detective game, at least, than something like L.A. Noire or a Sherlock Holmes game. (For reference I love L.A. Noire, I would never say it’s a bad game, pls forgive me for my transgressions Team Bondi, I miss you). Return of the Obra Dinn has almost the same structure in its overall narrative as the 5 points I mentioned above. But in this case, the main narrative is focused on the mystery of the ship, the Obra Dinn. The linearly paced present-day story has little of the game’s focus. It is thus fundamentally non-linear, and this is what gives it the detective mystery feel. This non-linearity is felt throughout every fibre of the game though, as its not just a reverse recount of a mystery story, but instead, the game mechanics for exploration itself has you travelling through time non-chronologically. So you’re there piecing together the mystery, travelling from the conclusion to the beginning through time itself, like a true detective, but in a meta way.
This is combined with the physical progression the player (i.e., the insurance auditor) makes through the game. You have to go deeper into the ship, downwards, to progress through the mystery. So, you travel from recent events to events further in the past as you simultaneously travel deeper into the ship, the whole while travelling deeper into the mystery itself. It is an excellent way to sell the feeling of solving a mystery with pacing alone.
And about that pacing. The bulk of the story could be told upfront in a linear way, with all the details present in a full playthrough, in probably about 10 minutes. But you solve the mystery of everyone’s death one by one and are drip-fed exposition for the story of the Obra Dinn over about 10 hours instead. You feel like you know all 60 people who served on the ship personally by the time you’re done, and you walk away with an investment in the narrative few other games in the mystery genre could even fathom achieving.
Ultimately the reverse-order solution gives sense of constant discovery. Exposition is rarely direct, and instead is embedded in the discovery process itself.
Mechanically, the game is dead simple. You walk around and watch scenes of the deaths of people on the Obra Dinn. You then have to deduce, by clicking some boxes, what each person’s name was, what their fate was (usually death), and who was responsible for their fate. Sounds simple, but the game makes a lot of this very obscure for most of the fates. You therefore figure out the fates only through your own deduction. You are the one who must investigate the scene. You are the one who interprets the evidence. You are the one who must recontextualise new evidence to understand the mystery. No one is there to do this for you. Most importantly, to ‘progress’ you must fill in the fates yourself. All of these processes occur in the mind, it’s a logic puzzle at its core, but one which mimics the process of roleplaying a detective. The exposition is the gameplay here, where understanding the mystery of the Obra Dinn is what progresses the narrative, and thus the game. The “guess 3 to reveal whether you’re correct” system (mostly) prevents cheese as well, leaving everything up to deduction.
This is all unlike L.A. Noire, which is less logic, and more about trying to quantify how scrunched up someone’s face is. L.A. Noire is also more mechanically demanding with combat and gunplay as well, decoupling progression even further from pure deduction. In Return of the Obra Dinn, one’s brain is constantly firing to process the logic – with very little stimulus. So much of the game takes place in the mind, not on the screen.
A lot of people say this game makes them feel like a genius. The deep connection between game progression and narrative is exactly why. You discover the story through your own logic, and in order to finish the game, you necessarily need to have successfully completed the logic puzzles of the game (the fates). So, you feel like a genius for simply pursuing the core gameplay loop. Additionally, player agency over the experience of the story (specifically over the non-linearity of time) creates a sense of immersion and fuels the desire to uncover the mystery and thus the narrative.
So, the structure of the game makes puts the events of the game in such a way that you fill in the detective roleplay. This so powerfully synergises with the gameplay systems themselves that you have this narrative experience so encapsulating, very few games come even close to competing. There is one last thing which sells the experience.
I mentioned before that the game has a book-like quality. What I mean by this is that the mind does so much ‘fill in the blanks’ throughout the game. This is in large part due to the 1-bit art style. It cements a wonderfully unique identity to the game which makes it instantly recognisable, but more importantly it allows the game to play out as if every frame were an intentionally designed piece of 1-bit artwork. The simplicity of the low resolution and the binary colour presentation means your mind fills in a lot of the gaps. It kinda feels halfway between reading a setting in a book, and seeing a setting realised on film or in a photorealistic render. Because your mind is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, your enveloped in the world. This extends so brilliantly to the sound design, especially when you’re below deck. The creaking of the ship as it bobs in the water. The sound of waves crashing out in the infinitely encompassing ocean. The the moments of silence which briefly fill in the in-betweens as you process the mystery around you. It ground the player in such a strong sense of presence.
Before each ‘scene’ in the game where you experience someone’s death, the screen is blank except for captions of the words spoken by the people in the scene. Your mind ignites with imagination as the soundscape tells its own story alongside. Then, the scene arrives, and it’s static. No animations. A picture might tell a thousand words, but they tell 1000 different permutations of 1000 words, and no two interpretations of events in Return of the Obra Dinn’s death scenes will every be perfectly identical. It a balanced dichotomy of explicit visual and auditory presentation with enough missing information to execute the book-like quality of its presentation.
At the same time, everything in and on the ship is believable, and this is in no small part to the immense research Lucas Pope did to have accurate attention to detail. The ship design, the crew structure, the geography of the ship’s voyage. When you go to check after the fact, it is all impressively accurate (with the exception of the number of people on the ship, Pope has mentioned he had to cut the realistic number down to 60 so he could actually finish making the game). It might not quite fit here, but I absolutely have to shout out the soundtrack as well. It sounds like someone was told “this organ is on fire, you have 3 minutes to play its final piece, go”. It gives a sense of grandeur to the wider narrative and world. I’m astounded that a generalist like Lucas Pope has such refined skills across his disciplines that everything from the gameplay to the art design, to even the soundtrack, which he did so himself, are all of such high quality. It clearly helps in executing such a precise creative vision like that in Return of the Obra Dinn.
Despite the simple narrative in the game, every single aspect of game design comes together to pull of the ‘more than the sum of its parts’ effect. In particular, the game is trying to sell a detective roleplaying experience. It is not the plot or story itself, but the non-linear narrative structure in harmony with the mental meta progression, and sharp immersive qualities of the game which hook you in. You always want to figure out the next three fates. You always want to understand the mystery with an insatiable curiosity. You want to pin everything on the captain.
Executing a game like this clearly isn’t an easy task. While simple on the surface, a lot of creative design has to come together from different disciplines of video game development. It might not be an overly popular subgenre (exploration-focused logic games), but I think there’s a reason so few exist beyond the explanation of demand. It’s hard to weave together an intricate world which is paced in such a way that the player is engaged from beginning to end. It doesn’t take much to shatter a link in such a long chain.
I don’t really know of many other games which exist in this category. I mentioned The Outer Wilds, which has a similar mental- and logic-gated progression grounded in in-game discovery. I know The Case of the Golden Idol operates similarly to Return of the Obra Dinn, but I haven’t played this myself so I can give any input here. What I can say is that for me, Return of the Obra Dinn stands tall and proud in a small list of exceptional games of detective progression systems by virtue of a breadth of expert design.
submitted by Thertch to truegaming [link] [comments]
One – its structure, and two – how progression is gated.
On the second point, it is a rare type of game whose very progression is untethered from any higher-level mechanical input, but instead occurs entirely within your own mind. This is a concept which is so rarely pulled off well, that the notable success stories in this domain (namely Return of the Obra Dinn itself, and the Outer Wilds) have become modern cult classics.
Conventional is the last thing Return of the Obra Dinn can be called. What I find absolutely fascinating about this game is how it uses all the unique elements in its toolset to tell a grossly engaging story with a book-like quality, and has done so with minimal dialogue and practically zero text. I want to dissect what makes this game ‘special’ so to speak. How the solo developer, Lucas Pope, has done the impossible and made a more than worthy game in the wake of Papers Please.
Against all odds, the game manages to make what is honestly a fairly mediocre story by contemporary standards, one of the most engaging, satisfying and enjoyable narrative experiences of all time which is far stronger than the sum of its parts.
A quick preface so I don’t ruin anyone’s life:
This is one of those games you can only play once. I’m spoiling the hell out of the game here. For anyone who hasn’t played the game, and you think there’s even a 0.1% chance you’ll play this one day, go away. I don’t want you here. In fact, look at yourself in the mirror until you can change that to 100%. I’d love to write something that would convince people who haven’t played to actually play, but by the one-and-done nature of the game, that would not be easy. Instead, you have to take it on blind faith and just play it. No game is for everyone of course, but I think at least tyring this game is for everyone.…
So now that it’s just the cool kids, let’s do it.
Come on, mediocre is a bit harsh right?:
Maybe it is. However, I don’t think the strength of the game is the narrative itself. The writing is tight, the most common characters on the ship, the Obra Dinn, are generally believable and fleshed out, but I don’t think there much being said in the narrative proper. Essentially, a ship is delivering for the East India company. It turns out that a group of Formosans (a republic within current day Taiwan which existed very briefly during when the game is set, an insanely niche yet accurate addition I have to add) were transporting a supernatural seashell. Someone else tries to steal this, which incites various sea monster attacks of the Obra Dinn. Most of everyone gradually dies. The sea monsters eventually stop attacking, and the remaining survivors turn on each other for various reasons. Then finally, the captain of the ship kills his fellow shipmen in self-defence, and finally himself in the wake of the loss and destruction. There’s not really much in the way of character development, not really much meat to make a layered story. But hey, that’s actually totally ok, because that’s not the point of the game. This is a simple enough story, and the structure of the game around this story elevates it to heights that shouldn’t be possible, but Lucas Pope pulls it off.Structuring a detective story – not so elementary my dear Wattson:
The story told in this game is structured as a non-linear story. The non-linear concept is key to Return of the Obra Dinn. We’ll get back to why, but at the surface, its not overly interesting. This is pretty much the standard format for how the minor narratives of detective stories (that is, the story of the mysteries themselves) are structured. Think about your classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, or even a standard L.A. Noire crime (if you let me be a bit reductive for a moment):- Introduction to the conclusion of the event (someone was robbed and murdered in an alley!).
- Looking for clues to figure out what happened (the person was shot).
- Investigation of characters peripheral to the event (interviewing the suspects, one of the suspects has the victim’s watch).
- In a minor twist mid-narrative recontextualises the story thus far (the watch guy was framed, and it was his twin brother the whole time).
- The wise, pretentious detective recounts the story in chronological order, and everything clicks into place finally.
A weakness with this mode of mystery structure in a standard story is that the audience doesn’t always share the ‘ah ha!’ moment of the protagonist. Sometimes this is by design to subvert expectations, but in the cases where it’s not, it can lead to a disappointing mystery. In the medium of video games, this can become a particular issue where a disconnect is much more dangerous. I mentioned L.A. Noire before. This bridges the gap somewhat as the win state of the game hinges on correctly solving cases. So, you’re incentivised to go beyond just passively consuming the mystery, but to actual solve the mystery. Ultimately though, these stories can just be played without any conviction if the player is getting bored or confused, and the detective roleplay element is lost.
Return of the Obra Dinn is almost a direct solution to this problem, and works as a much better detective game, at least, than something like L.A. Noire or a Sherlock Holmes game. (For reference I love L.A. Noire, I would never say it’s a bad game, pls forgive me for my transgressions Team Bondi, I miss you). Return of the Obra Dinn has almost the same structure in its overall narrative as the 5 points I mentioned above. But in this case, the main narrative is focused on the mystery of the ship, the Obra Dinn. The linearly paced present-day story has little of the game’s focus. It is thus fundamentally non-linear, and this is what gives it the detective mystery feel. This non-linearity is felt throughout every fibre of the game though, as its not just a reverse recount of a mystery story, but instead, the game mechanics for exploration itself has you travelling through time non-chronologically. So you’re there piecing together the mystery, travelling from the conclusion to the beginning through time itself, like a true detective, but in a meta way.
This is combined with the physical progression the player (i.e., the insurance auditor) makes through the game. You have to go deeper into the ship, downwards, to progress through the mystery. So, you travel from recent events to events further in the past as you simultaneously travel deeper into the ship, the whole while travelling deeper into the mystery itself. It is an excellent way to sell the feeling of solving a mystery with pacing alone.
And about that pacing. The bulk of the story could be told upfront in a linear way, with all the details present in a full playthrough, in probably about 10 minutes. But you solve the mystery of everyone’s death one by one and are drip-fed exposition for the story of the Obra Dinn over about 10 hours instead. You feel like you know all 60 people who served on the ship personally by the time you’re done, and you walk away with an investment in the narrative few other games in the mystery genre could even fathom achieving.
Ultimately the reverse-order solution gives sense of constant discovery. Exposition is rarely direct, and instead is embedded in the discovery process itself.
Gate my progression Daddy:
So, the pacing and structure of the game is fantastic, and tuned just right to sell the detective mystery narrative and feel. That is only half of the story though as the progression system of the game is so unique in the wider landscape of video games.Mechanically, the game is dead simple. You walk around and watch scenes of the deaths of people on the Obra Dinn. You then have to deduce, by clicking some boxes, what each person’s name was, what their fate was (usually death), and who was responsible for their fate. Sounds simple, but the game makes a lot of this very obscure for most of the fates. You therefore figure out the fates only through your own deduction. You are the one who must investigate the scene. You are the one who interprets the evidence. You are the one who must recontextualise new evidence to understand the mystery. No one is there to do this for you. Most importantly, to ‘progress’ you must fill in the fates yourself. All of these processes occur in the mind, it’s a logic puzzle at its core, but one which mimics the process of roleplaying a detective. The exposition is the gameplay here, where understanding the mystery of the Obra Dinn is what progresses the narrative, and thus the game. The “guess 3 to reveal whether you’re correct” system (mostly) prevents cheese as well, leaving everything up to deduction.
This is all unlike L.A. Noire, which is less logic, and more about trying to quantify how scrunched up someone’s face is. L.A. Noire is also more mechanically demanding with combat and gunplay as well, decoupling progression even further from pure deduction. In Return of the Obra Dinn, one’s brain is constantly firing to process the logic – with very little stimulus. So much of the game takes place in the mind, not on the screen.
A lot of people say this game makes them feel like a genius. The deep connection between game progression and narrative is exactly why. You discover the story through your own logic, and in order to finish the game, you necessarily need to have successfully completed the logic puzzles of the game (the fates). So, you feel like a genius for simply pursuing the core gameplay loop. Additionally, player agency over the experience of the story (specifically over the non-linearity of time) creates a sense of immersion and fuels the desire to uncover the mystery and thus the narrative.
So, the structure of the game makes puts the events of the game in such a way that you fill in the detective roleplay. This so powerfully synergises with the gameplay systems themselves that you have this narrative experience so encapsulating, very few games come even close to competing. There is one last thing which sells the experience.
Muh’ immersions:
The game could have perfect pacing, a perfect narrative structure, a satisfying logic progression system, but that doesn’t mean you’ll want to keep playing the game. You have to be invested in the moment-to-moment presence, since a lot of what you’re doing is walking around and looking. That’s why the meticulous attention to immersion, and to the details within the worldbuilding are a crucial part of the game. Return of the Obra Dinn is a wonderfully immersive game, whose immersive qualities blend together with the non-linear structure to not just pull, but rip you into the games narrative and world.I mentioned before that the game has a book-like quality. What I mean by this is that the mind does so much ‘fill in the blanks’ throughout the game. This is in large part due to the 1-bit art style. It cements a wonderfully unique identity to the game which makes it instantly recognisable, but more importantly it allows the game to play out as if every frame were an intentionally designed piece of 1-bit artwork. The simplicity of the low resolution and the binary colour presentation means your mind fills in a lot of the gaps. It kinda feels halfway between reading a setting in a book, and seeing a setting realised on film or in a photorealistic render. Because your mind is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, your enveloped in the world. This extends so brilliantly to the sound design, especially when you’re below deck. The creaking of the ship as it bobs in the water. The sound of waves crashing out in the infinitely encompassing ocean. The the moments of silence which briefly fill in the in-betweens as you process the mystery around you. It ground the player in such a strong sense of presence.
Before each ‘scene’ in the game where you experience someone’s death, the screen is blank except for captions of the words spoken by the people in the scene. Your mind ignites with imagination as the soundscape tells its own story alongside. Then, the scene arrives, and it’s static. No animations. A picture might tell a thousand words, but they tell 1000 different permutations of 1000 words, and no two interpretations of events in Return of the Obra Dinn’s death scenes will every be perfectly identical. It a balanced dichotomy of explicit visual and auditory presentation with enough missing information to execute the book-like quality of its presentation.
At the same time, everything in and on the ship is believable, and this is in no small part to the immense research Lucas Pope did to have accurate attention to detail. The ship design, the crew structure, the geography of the ship’s voyage. When you go to check after the fact, it is all impressively accurate (with the exception of the number of people on the ship, Pope has mentioned he had to cut the realistic number down to 60 so he could actually finish making the game). It might not quite fit here, but I absolutely have to shout out the soundtrack as well. It sounds like someone was told “this organ is on fire, you have 3 minutes to play its final piece, go”. It gives a sense of grandeur to the wider narrative and world. I’m astounded that a generalist like Lucas Pope has such refined skills across his disciplines that everything from the gameplay to the art design, to even the soundtrack, which he did so himself, are all of such high quality. It clearly helps in executing such a precise creative vision like that in Return of the Obra Dinn.
Conclusion (lucky I didn’t make my critique non-linear):
What a follow up to Papers Please. I think Papers Please was a more popular game in general, and in interviews, Lucas Pope has said he actually prefers Papers Please himself. However, Return of the Obra Dinn shows this is not a one-hit-wonder situation. I think both games work well for different reasons. Having single name authorship on games is very rare, and Pope has earned his title here as a video game auteur in my opinion.Despite the simple narrative in the game, every single aspect of game design comes together to pull of the ‘more than the sum of its parts’ effect. In particular, the game is trying to sell a detective roleplaying experience. It is not the plot or story itself, but the non-linear narrative structure in harmony with the mental meta progression, and sharp immersive qualities of the game which hook you in. You always want to figure out the next three fates. You always want to understand the mystery with an insatiable curiosity. You want to pin everything on the captain.
Executing a game like this clearly isn’t an easy task. While simple on the surface, a lot of creative design has to come together from different disciplines of video game development. It might not be an overly popular subgenre (exploration-focused logic games), but I think there’s a reason so few exist beyond the explanation of demand. It’s hard to weave together an intricate world which is paced in such a way that the player is engaged from beginning to end. It doesn’t take much to shatter a link in such a long chain.
I don’t really know of many other games which exist in this category. I mentioned The Outer Wilds, which has a similar mental- and logic-gated progression grounded in in-game discovery. I know The Case of the Golden Idol operates similarly to Return of the Obra Dinn, but I haven’t played this myself so I can give any input here. What I can say is that for me, Return of the Obra Dinn stands tall and proud in a small list of exceptional games of detective progression systems by virtue of a breadth of expert design.
2023.06.08 18:09 Outside_Carpenter562 Why are people 🧢?
Some people have been saying Arthur is able to be Klein (lord of mysteries) and that’s just plain false.
Arthur can’t be anyone after sequence “3”just looking at their mythical forms would cause Arthur to lose his mind.
The only reason I’m allowing Arthur even to be alive, looking at a sequence “4” it’s because I believe aether is a form of “high knowledge” inside of tbate but that’s all I’m willing to give.
Arthur can’t even handle the madness from the destruction ruin fighting against any sequence “3” that’s constantly fighting against madness.
Let me just name you some sequence abilities, deck, and basically with Arthur back into his mom’s uterus.
“Scholar of Yore”-The first ability is the ability to borrow strength from their past self. The second ability is the ability to summon Historical Projections from the Historical Void. They can summon people or objects that existed in the past for a limited time. They can enter The Gray Fog of History and hide inside its gaps, known as the Historical Void. Damage transfer now able to transfer a certain part of ailments, Curses, Prophecies, attacks and gazes to Paper Figurine Substitutes. They can transform into any creature that is within a certain limit. By tracing the Threads, they can perceive Invisible targets and take control of their bodies mind body and soul.
“Cognizer”-They are able to have Insight into the rules and laws of the world. They have deep understanding and mastery over countless high-level arcane. Enemies standing in front of Beyonder of this sequence can rarely hide any secrets. No matter if it is weakness, strength, or anything else, all is laid bare for the Cognizer to see. They begin to start learning and grasping arcane and mystic knowledge of a rather high level, especially knowledge in the realm of Fate/Destiny. They could even invent and create their own weird but potent magic/spells that only belong to themselves.
“Ferryman”-Anyone who looks at their eyes would instantly die. They can create a terrifying Twilight Storm, anything that is contaminated by the dim light will disintegrate, rot, wither, and die, losing the vibrancy of life.
“High Summoner”-Through an illusory door engraved with many mysterious symbols, they can summon all kinds of strong creatures from the depth of the Spirit World to come to their aid. They are also exceptional magic users in the realm of Moon and Darkness.
“Chaos Hunter”-Weakens the power and effectiveness of all Beyonder or other supernatural abilities. They can strip their target's powers, making them unusable for a certain period of time. They can make use of the power of laws to defend themselves, such as slowing bullets and cannonballs as if in a quagmire. They can erase distances to achieve a short ranged teleportation-like movement. They could directly execute the target and kill them instantly from afar. without knowing the destination themselves. Any sentence they speak in mystical language can be set as a rule for their targets to follow. They can restrict certain actions in particular areas.
“War Bishop“-They can turn any ordinary objects into a terrifying murderous weapon through their augmentation. They are adept at manipulating fire and steel. They can merge with their fire weapons and travel to the destination that their fire attack lands. They can split up a single attack into many smaller ones, like turning a single revolver shot into a shotgun blast. Through supernatural means, they can identify their target's weakness.
“Blatherer”-Their voice and every single word that comes out of their mouth are capable of affecting to Directly start losing control Suffer a grave injury or wound Become mentally confused or Become hexed with varying kinds of curses. They can very effectively influence targets within a certain radius, making these targets' ability to think clearly decrease little by little, without them ever realizing it. This can make the targets become more and more careless, unthinking, and easily fallible. They can turn their body into an illusionary, thick, black liquid form. This appearance is actually the Desire Apostle turning their body into a collection of condensed emotions and desires, in other words, desires and emotions given semi-visible form. In this form, the Desire Apostle is quite effective at avoiding damage, hiding his trails, and even affecting his enemies with the emotions/desires. They can utilize and control every existence's emotions and desires.
“Clairvoyant”-They can transform into a pure torrent of information to bypass any obstruction. They can see torrents of information and can filter any information They want to know. They can pry into the secrets of the River of They can draw power from different mysticism knowledge they grasped, and create all sorts of magic or witchcraft. The core Beyonder ability allows them to create a star of rapidly rotating stardust in their palm. After forming a dense and dazzling cluster of such stars, they scatter one after another and then merge into a magnificent pillar of light, covering a certain area of space. Any target in the area is dissolved in this starlight, and they collapse and dissipate. They are able to use the power of the stars to isolate the targeted area and nullify any outside interference. They can transform into stars and infiltrate an area materializing again at the destination.
“ChaosWalker”-They can transform a certain area into one devoid of luck, bestowing it with misfortune. Once anyone enters the Misfortune Domain, they will be tainted with Bad Luck. Misfortune Mage’s ability to manipulate Luck becomes even more defined and detailed, allowing them to control how Lucky or Unlucky events would turn out. They could passively suffer all kinds of Calamities, but they could foresee them and make preparations to eliminate or mitigate their effects. They obtain terrifying calculation skills and precise control. They have a keen intuitive premonition of danger. They can often hear and see things that others cannot see or hear, giving them occasional glimpses of the future.
And these are only sequence “3” abilities, going any higher, would literally break down Arthur so badly. I honestly don’t think they’ll be tbate left.
lotm♾️>tbate
submitted by Outside_Carpenter562 to tbatenovel [link] [comments]
Arthur can’t be anyone after sequence “3”just looking at their mythical forms would cause Arthur to lose his mind.
The only reason I’m allowing Arthur even to be alive, looking at a sequence “4” it’s because I believe aether is a form of “high knowledge” inside of tbate but that’s all I’m willing to give.
Arthur can’t even handle the madness from the destruction ruin fighting against any sequence “3” that’s constantly fighting against madness.
Let me just name you some sequence abilities, deck, and basically with Arthur back into his mom’s uterus.
“Scholar of Yore”-The first ability is the ability to borrow strength from their past self. The second ability is the ability to summon Historical Projections from the Historical Void. They can summon people or objects that existed in the past for a limited time. They can enter The Gray Fog of History and hide inside its gaps, known as the Historical Void. Damage transfer now able to transfer a certain part of ailments, Curses, Prophecies, attacks and gazes to Paper Figurine Substitutes. They can transform into any creature that is within a certain limit. By tracing the Threads, they can perceive Invisible targets and take control of their bodies mind body and soul.
“Cognizer”-They are able to have Insight into the rules and laws of the world. They have deep understanding and mastery over countless high-level arcane. Enemies standing in front of Beyonder of this sequence can rarely hide any secrets. No matter if it is weakness, strength, or anything else, all is laid bare for the Cognizer to see. They begin to start learning and grasping arcane and mystic knowledge of a rather high level, especially knowledge in the realm of Fate/Destiny. They could even invent and create their own weird but potent magic/spells that only belong to themselves.
“Ferryman”-Anyone who looks at their eyes would instantly die. They can create a terrifying Twilight Storm, anything that is contaminated by the dim light will disintegrate, rot, wither, and die, losing the vibrancy of life.
“High Summoner”-Through an illusory door engraved with many mysterious symbols, they can summon all kinds of strong creatures from the depth of the Spirit World to come to their aid. They are also exceptional magic users in the realm of Moon and Darkness.
“Chaos Hunter”-Weakens the power and effectiveness of all Beyonder or other supernatural abilities. They can strip their target's powers, making them unusable for a certain period of time. They can make use of the power of laws to defend themselves, such as slowing bullets and cannonballs as if in a quagmire. They can erase distances to achieve a short ranged teleportation-like movement. They could directly execute the target and kill them instantly from afar. without knowing the destination themselves. Any sentence they speak in mystical language can be set as a rule for their targets to follow. They can restrict certain actions in particular areas.
“War Bishop“-They can turn any ordinary objects into a terrifying murderous weapon through their augmentation. They are adept at manipulating fire and steel. They can merge with their fire weapons and travel to the destination that their fire attack lands. They can split up a single attack into many smaller ones, like turning a single revolver shot into a shotgun blast. Through supernatural means, they can identify their target's weakness.
“Blatherer”-Their voice and every single word that comes out of their mouth are capable of affecting to Directly start losing control Suffer a grave injury or wound Become mentally confused or Become hexed with varying kinds of curses. They can very effectively influence targets within a certain radius, making these targets' ability to think clearly decrease little by little, without them ever realizing it. This can make the targets become more and more careless, unthinking, and easily fallible. They can turn their body into an illusionary, thick, black liquid form. This appearance is actually the Desire Apostle turning their body into a collection of condensed emotions and desires, in other words, desires and emotions given semi-visible form. In this form, the Desire Apostle is quite effective at avoiding damage, hiding his trails, and even affecting his enemies with the emotions/desires. They can utilize and control every existence's emotions and desires.
“Clairvoyant”-They can transform into a pure torrent of information to bypass any obstruction. They can see torrents of information and can filter any information They want to know. They can pry into the secrets of the River of They can draw power from different mysticism knowledge they grasped, and create all sorts of magic or witchcraft. The core Beyonder ability allows them to create a star of rapidly rotating stardust in their palm. After forming a dense and dazzling cluster of such stars, they scatter one after another and then merge into a magnificent pillar of light, covering a certain area of space. Any target in the area is dissolved in this starlight, and they collapse and dissipate. They are able to use the power of the stars to isolate the targeted area and nullify any outside interference. They can transform into stars and infiltrate an area materializing again at the destination.
“ChaosWalker”-They can transform a certain area into one devoid of luck, bestowing it with misfortune. Once anyone enters the Misfortune Domain, they will be tainted with Bad Luck. Misfortune Mage’s ability to manipulate Luck becomes even more defined and detailed, allowing them to control how Lucky or Unlucky events would turn out. They could passively suffer all kinds of Calamities, but they could foresee them and make preparations to eliminate or mitigate their effects. They obtain terrifying calculation skills and precise control. They have a keen intuitive premonition of danger. They can often hear and see things that others cannot see or hear, giving them occasional glimpses of the future.
And these are only sequence “3” abilities, going any higher, would literally break down Arthur so badly. I honestly don’t think they’ll be tbate left.
lotm♾️>tbate
2023.06.08 17:36 Individual_Mess3929 Metal Gear Remake Concepts Part 1
hese are concepts ideas I had for an Metal Gear (1987) remake which I would dub as Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990) would be called Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland. Both games would be long and give a lot of depth on Solid Snake's past and his relationship with Big Boss, Campbell and Gray Fox. Another game I would push for is Metal Gear Solid: The Philanthropy Chronicles.It would allow players to play as Solid Snake and his supporting cast after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2. Snake’s mission to continue taking out metal gears and track down the Patriots along with Revolver Ocelot. It would lead up to the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I will be working on Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland concepts soon.
The concept for a Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven (MGS6: OH):
I know its long as Metal Gear (1987) would have to be a game that is remade from the bottom up. A remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake would be easier since it was a rock solid game. One wouldn't have to change much from it just expand on the story, elements and characterization it has already. I would love to get feed back from fans here.
Story:
The storytelling aspect is inspired by how MGS (1998) told its story. The game would start with Otacon, a ghost writer that wrote the novel of Snake’s exploits and those that work with Snake during Operation Intrude N313 telling the events of Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Heaven to journalist they trust. We learn that Snake is paradon for his crimes and is buried as a war hero next to the grave of Big Boss. Given a Medal of Honor award and other awards from other countries for saving the world several times. The world is now knowing about his story and thus even more interested to learn of Snakes exploits during his youth. David Hayter voice being used as a recorded message from a dying Solid Snake giving accounts on what happened in Metal Gear Solid 6 and 7 along with most of his life. Snake hopes that his message and story will inspire others to be better and fight for what is right.
David Hayter wouldn’t voice a young Solid Snake as I feel a voice actor that is younger but can emulate David Hayter mannerism and his voice should do it. A young Solid Snake having a hint of innocence, nativity, vulnerability and self doubt at times.
David Hayter would voice Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland since Snake is supposed to be older and wiser. David would be able to give us this voice range and kick it out of the park including the duel against the real Big Boss.
Plot:
The year is 1995, the Soviet Union has collapsed and the Cold War is now over. The threat of nuclear war is gone and the world embraces this newfound peace. However, this peace is short-lived as there are those that don’t want it. The world is engulfed with the threat of terrorism and rogue states that want to get their hands on nuclear weapons. The free world is now being threatened once again. The US Government works to combat this threat with its covert U.S. Army unit known as Fox-Hound under the leadership of the legendary war hero known as Big Boss. However, when a government agent goes missing during a mission…The agent last reports a weapon that can shake the foundations of the world known as “Metal Gear”. Big Boss sends in a rookie but talented Fox-Hound agent known as Solid Snake to learn of this new weapon. Will Snake learn the truth about this new weapon or will the world find out what Metal Gear will do if it's unleashed?
Mission:
Like MGS3 there would be a Virtuous Mission in MGS6:OH.
This is where Snake goes to South Africa and has to get to Outer Haven which is a vastly HUGE heavily defended base. Potentially the best soldiers and mercenaries in the world work and defend the base. It is an official mission sponsored by Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, NSA, UN and top members of the US Government. This means Solid Snake gets a load of equipment, gadgets and weapons for the mission.
MSG3 gameplay elements
Kyle Schneider
submitted by Individual_Mess3929 to metalgearsolid [link] [comments]
The concept for a Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven (MGS6: OH):
I know its long as Metal Gear (1987) would have to be a game that is remade from the bottom up. A remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake would be easier since it was a rock solid game. One wouldn't have to change much from it just expand on the story, elements and characterization it has already. I would love to get feed back from fans here.
Story:
The storytelling aspect is inspired by how MGS (1998) told its story. The game would start with Otacon, a ghost writer that wrote the novel of Snake’s exploits and those that work with Snake during Operation Intrude N313 telling the events of Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Heaven to journalist they trust. We learn that Snake is paradon for his crimes and is buried as a war hero next to the grave of Big Boss. Given a Medal of Honor award and other awards from other countries for saving the world several times. The world is now knowing about his story and thus even more interested to learn of Snakes exploits during his youth. David Hayter voice being used as a recorded message from a dying Solid Snake giving accounts on what happened in Metal Gear Solid 6 and 7 along with most of his life. Snake hopes that his message and story will inspire others to be better and fight for what is right.
David Hayter wouldn’t voice a young Solid Snake as I feel a voice actor that is younger but can emulate David Hayter mannerism and his voice should do it. A young Solid Snake having a hint of innocence, nativity, vulnerability and self doubt at times.
David Hayter would voice Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland since Snake is supposed to be older and wiser. David would be able to give us this voice range and kick it out of the park including the duel against the real Big Boss.
Plot:
The year is 1995, the Soviet Union has collapsed and the Cold War is now over. The threat of nuclear war is gone and the world embraces this newfound peace. However, this peace is short-lived as there are those that don’t want it. The world is engulfed with the threat of terrorism and rogue states that want to get their hands on nuclear weapons. The free world is now being threatened once again. The US Government works to combat this threat with its covert U.S. Army unit known as Fox-Hound under the leadership of the legendary war hero known as Big Boss. However, when a government agent goes missing during a mission…The agent last reports a weapon that can shake the foundations of the world known as “Metal Gear”. Big Boss sends in a rookie but talented Fox-Hound agent known as Solid Snake to learn of this new weapon. Will Snake learn the truth about this new weapon or will the world find out what Metal Gear will do if it's unleashed?
Mission:
Like MGS3 there would be a Virtuous Mission in MGS6:OH.
- Solid Snake is sent in by Big Boss to sneak into Mother Boss from MGS5 via Los Angeles Class (Block 3).
- Mother Base is set to be demolished by Outer Heaven forces as they move their forces and operations to mainland Galzburg, South Africa.
- Snake’s mission to find and rescue Gray Fox and any of the kidnapped scientists that work for Dr. Madnar. Find out what Metal Gear is and take them to the extraction point aka an Helicopter Pad not in use by Outer Haven units. Afterward, deploy the fulton recovery device for extraction
- Snake learns Gray Fox is being held in South Africa at the Outer Haven main base along with Dr. Madnar and his top scientist team. His low level assistants were to be executed by Outer Heaven soldiers via demolishing Mother Base. Last, that Metal Gear is also in South Africa and that Outer Haven is planning to use a custom made ICBM nuclear tipped missile potentially on any country that threatens them.
- The mission goes bad when Snake is about to have the scientist air lifted off the ground via fulton recovery devices. The scientists are brutally gunned down by Outer Haven Elite soldiers.
- An enraged Snake takes down the Outer Haven soldiers that approach him using his hybrid but deadly CQC system and tries to air lift himself via fulton recovery device. However, he is ambushed by a masked Venom Snake aka The Masked Phantasm.
- Snake puts up one hell of a fight, hitting Venom several times to where the point where Venom can only praise Snake’s skills. However, he loses when Venom plays mind games with him including stating his full code name and kicks up off the rig.
- Mother Base is destroyed by Venom and his men. Snake is adrift at sea until he is saved by the Los Angeles Class Submarine (Block 3) that helped him infiltrate Mother Base. He is later taken back to the states for a debriefing on what happened while he recovers in a hospital.
- In this mission, Snake only has Big Boss communicating with him and does not get much support. He is given only a trap gun, his CQC knife and basic first aid kits.
- The suit he wears is similar to his sneaking suit from MGS. Only this suit is design to swim on to the Mother Base elevator platform and sneak around on the surface at night
This is where Snake goes to South Africa and has to get to Outer Haven which is a vastly HUGE heavily defended base. Potentially the best soldiers and mercenaries in the world work and defend the base. It is an official mission sponsored by Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, NSA, UN and top members of the US Government. This means Solid Snake gets a load of equipment, gadgets and weapons for the mission.
- The briefing section for the main mission would give Escape from New York vibes. Big Boss, Lt. Colonel Roy Campell and other government officials brief Snake on his mission. It is here Snake sees his weapons, equipment and gadgets he will have for Operation:.
- Snake mission is the following: 1. Rescue Gray Fox, Kyle Schidener and Dr. Madnar. 2. Investigate War Crimes committed by Outer Haven. 3. Aid Resistance Fighters in any way possible. 4. Rescue any other hostages on the base. 5. Destroy Metal Gear and Neutralize the threat Outer Haven poses to the world. 6. Terminate the Masked Phantasm (Venom Snake)
- He is air dropped in South Africa by an C-130 gunship (Reference to Metal Gear NES/MGS3) and is ordered to meet with an Resistance fighter before moving into an areas destroyed by Outer Heaven forces via horse back
- This intro game would be similar to Rambo 3 and gives a hint on what Solid Snake will be going up against as travel though the beginning of the game seeing Outer Heaven air force units from a distance bomb villages
- The main mission would be a large map to roam around. The location being Galzburg, South Africa where the main base of Outer Haven is located at.
- When Gray Fox is rescued, he will provide support and be Snake’s mentor.
- Level boss battles will be intense and hard
- Last, Entering Outer Haven HQ will be intense and the final battle as well.
MSG3 gameplay elements
- Like MGS3, you could change your camouflage and blend into the environment, camouflage meter, survive off the wilderness and eat foods.
- Finding food in the wilderness would boost Snake’s stamina and also assist with him getting his LIFE up when he rests. However, they would not boost his LIFE up like military rations or other foods (Three-Five star food) found in the supply depots or mess halls at Outer Haven bases would.
- The first aid system from MGS3 would play a part in the game. Solid Snake would be able to heal his wounds or stop bleeding like Big Boss did in MGS3 many decades ago. So having first aid items will be vital.
- The game would have different rations from different countries that Snake can eat from if he takes it off an Outer Haven soldier or from their supply depots. Military rations help heal Snake LIFE and give a small or moderate boost depending on the quality of the ration. (ex. American Military rations would give a moderate boost to Snake LIFE but would give a small boost to his stamina as he isn’t in favor of the rations taste. Russian rations would only give Snake a Small boost in LIFE and small boost in stamina due to its taste. Call back to MGS3. French Rations would boost Snake’s LIFE and Stamina completely which would be a call back to MSG4.)
- Different foods found on Outer Haven bases can boost Snake’s stamina up and LIFE better than Rations such as the Calorie Mate, Curry, different sodas, snacks, etc. Also, three or five star meals found in Outer Haven mess halls scatter through-out their many sub bases or garrisons. P.S. I want to have a scene where Solid Snake finds a Calorie Mate and speaks to Big Boss about it and the two have an interesting conversation about it. (Lol)
- Snake can sabotage enemy supply deports and armories to reduce the enemies ability in fighting him if spotted.
- Over the shoulder gameplay
- First person view and aiming down the sights
- A fluid polished gun gameplay mechanic
- Customizable weapon system, weapon attachment, swapping out and fixing inventory slot for weapons and/or inventory
- Psyche meter, this goes down when Snake is spotted too much and takes too much damage
- Currency system to upgrade weapons and get ammo when Snake runs into Resistance fighters weapon vendors
- Solid Snake having the option to assist resistance fighters or continue with his mission
- Aiding resistance fighters will help Snake during take segments of the game. They will return favors to Snake by giving him rations, weapons, other foods and ammo
- Saving hostages at Outer Haven facilities will also assist Snake and give him items or information
- Polished CQC system
- Being able to pick up ammo and weapons of dead enemy soldiers. No ID tags for the weapon.
- Polished CQC and fighting system
- Being able to operate vehicles, tanks, apcs and infantry fighting vehicles. However, enemy forces will start to respond more aggressive call in armored units or gunships to Snake out
- Ride horses
- Weather and day changes at random times, Snake can use this for his advantage
- Enemy checkpoints and small bases that Outer Haven use as buffer against intruders and Outer Haven resistance fighters
- Call in support from local Outer Heaven Resistance fighters (only if you assisted them in them battles, gained their respect and they’re nearby to help)
- Gunship helicopter patrols
- Air assault units
- Armored convoy patrol
- Snake can sabotage mini Outer Haven bases, outpost and can knock enemy communications which makes it harder for enemies to call for back up
- Sabotaging Outer Heaven outposts and their infrastructure will cause Outer Heaven to move their forces out to confront the Resistance fighters thus giving Solid Snake a chance to get past them
- Snake can smoke his Lucky Striker cigarettes to bring up his Psyche or allow time to pass by similar to what Venom Snake did with his E-Cigars in MSG5
- The game would allow players/Solid Snake to use stealth mechanics similar to that game to get by or attack Outer Heaven soldiers
- This also means hiding in the shadows and sometimes staying out of the light
- Like GTA games, if you do too much damage to the police they get more aggressive.
- It would be no different when you fight Outer Haven soldiers as they will start to send in more elite soldiers with better weapons and armor.
- They will also be able to be armored units or mechanized units and gunships would be sent to kill Snake.
- Worse, Air strikes and heavy artillery strikes as well. Some OH units would deploy bi-pedal armor vehicles and jet packs along with guard dogs.
- This would strongly support the stealth element of the game and give it a war horror movie vibe if you get spotted by the enemy. It doesn’t matter how many good weapons you have on you. You will be overwhelmed by Outer Heaven soldiers and will die if you get spotted multiple times.
- This would be similar to what you see in GTA if too many law enforcement agents continue to swarm on you
- Non-linear gameplay- meaning random patrols of Outer Soldiers can occur the closer you get to Outer Haven HQ
- Open world map. Goal is to give fans the immersion that the red dead redemption games gave. Basically the Outer Heaven is like a large country in and of itself
- Game would reward you for not being spotted and embracing the stealth elements of the game. This means you will encounter less Outer Heaven patrols in the game and they won’t be heavily geared up when doing them
- If Snake gets spotted too much in the game, Outer Heaven soldiers will be more hype vigilante, heavily armed and geared up. They will change their patrol tactics to make it difficult for Snake to sneak around. Worse double up on patrols or have support from armored units, gunships or unmanned drones.
- Stealth take down system. Snake can perform lethal or non-lethal takedowns rambo style when his enemies get close. The players can make the decision on which take down to use.
- Snake can switch his fighting system from CQC to the various martial arts he knows. If multiple soldiers are near him he can use CQC or use standard martial arts when fighting enemies that can counter his CQC based attacks.
- He can use a CQC take down on enemies not paying attention to him or other forms of melee takedowns.
- This is to showcase how skilled Snake is when it comes to fighting
- Different locations have points that are controlled by the Outer Haven Resistance fighters and Outer Heaven soldiers
- The game will reward players for assisting Outer Heaven resistances and sabotaging Outer Heaven bases
- Liberate occupied villages under Outer Heaven soldiers occupation or avoid them, go though abandoned villages or resistance fighter controlled villages
- The closer you get to Outer Haven, the more patrols and mini bases run by Outer Heaven soldiers you will encounter. This means the game will get very difficult real quick.
- Outer Heaven patrols will be random at time depending on how many times you have raised the alarms or not during your mission
- Caution mode would contribute to this but there will be more patrols if you cause yourself to enter caution phase too much
- The travel to Outer Haven’s main HQ is to parallel MSG3 when Big Boss had to travel to Gronznyj Grad. It short, Snake travels to Outer Haven would be an epic long high adrenaline rush journey to defeat Venom Snake and destroy TX-55 Metal Gear
- South Africa’s map would be vast and large. It is filled with its soft and rough terrain. Snake can use this to his advantage but so can Outer Heaven Soldiers
- Players will have the option to either go to Outer Heaven outpost or avoid them by using the rough terrain to get around the outpost
- Gray Fox will assist Snake in certain parts of the game and provide support either though radio or combat support to take down a level boss.
- At times, Snake and Gray Fox would work together to take down Outer Haven patrols
- The final part of the game involves Solid Snake and Gray Fox having to fight hordes of Elite Outer Heaven soldiers as they fight to stop Venom Snake from using TX-55 to fire a completed experimental long range ICBM nuclear missile on the Patriots
- Last, Solid Snake vs Venom Snake. Venom proclaims that he is Big Boss to Snake after taking off his mask and the two fight. The rest is history.
- The final battle is to parallel the battle between The Boss and Big Boss. Intense gunfight and CQC fight between the two. Snake needs to use an experimental rocket launcher made by Outer Haven to kill Venom Snake
- After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story though his eyes and how he is informed by the Real Big Boss to assist Snake and help him take down Venom Snake.
- Being able to blend into the environment Rambo/Navy SEAL tier One style to either get past enemies or take them down one by one
- Snake would have a booby trap system inspire the Rambo movies to help ambush soldiers or distract them while they go to aid wounded soldiers.
- Snake can create ghillie suits to hide from enemy soldiers, covertly sneak past them or use it to ambush them
- Players would have multiple options on how to enter Outer Heaven outpost and the main HQ
- The weapons in the game will be from late 60s to mid 90s. Weapons form both Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact, China and NATO countries. This goes from handgun, submachines, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and anti tank weapons. Last, grenades and mines.
- Weapons can be customizable for Snake to use if he finds the attachment for the weapons or finds an resistance fighter vendor that is nearby to upgrade his weapons
- Enemies use weapons fitted for the environment that they operate it and it's at random the types they use
- Some weapons will be custom built weapons that don’t exist in the real world to be the spirit of the previous Metal Gear Solid game.
- Some weapons will allow Snake to use his CQC techniques or basic melee attacks with weapons
- Snake's suit is a combination of late 80s and 90s US Army Special Forces attire but modified.
- 90s tactical vest. It can be upgraded for Snake to carry more ammo and to take more damage as time goes on
- Custom built MP5SD6 with a folding stock, an Beretta 92FS with an tactical flashlight/laser sighting, also can be fitted with an suppressor and MK.22 Trap gun. The weapons are modded so he can use his CQC skills
- A small pack that allows Snake to carry items. This can be increased by upgrading it in the game
- Motion-sensing radar that allows him to track enemy soldiers, a precursor to Soliton Radar. It acts more like a sonar device then radar
- Mountain climbing equipment
- Combat Scuba gear (can be refilled by going outer heaven supply deports)
- Snake has a advanced long range radio and a wireless headset to communicate with his team
- Wire cutters
- Different camouflages and face paint to wear
- Idroid like device but advanced
- Fox Hound adaptation of INT-SCOPE but more advanced and has the ability for Snake to switch to different fields of view including Night Vision and Thermal Infrared. Last, a camera system for Snake to take pictures
- INT-SCOPE can be used to help Snake what tier Outer Heaven Soldier that he is dealing with and help him plan acquiring and allow him to listen in
- Tactical flashlights
- Tools to create ghillie suits
- CQC knife
- Survival Knife used for melee take downs
- Limited Fox-Hound issued MRE rations to restore life and stamina along with restore psyche
- A blue bandana that Big Boss gives him
- Vehicles found in the game are jeeps, armored tank, tanks, APCs, artillery vehicles and helicopters along with jets from the late 70s to mid 90s
- Unmanned vehicles that didn’t exist in the mid 90s
- The end of the 80s going into a new era aka the 90s.
- Desert Storm and the aftermath of the war
- The politics behind America being the only SuperpoweHype-power in the 90s
- Child Soldiers, Solid Snake being one.
- NATO, its organization expanding and the conflicts it was involved in though peacekeeping missions
- The fall of the Soviet Union, end of the Cold War, and Post-Cold War politics/events
- The rise of new technology, internet, movies, music CGI and upcoming digital age in the 90s
- The rise of global terrorism and rogue states
- The threat terrorism and rogue states pose and the fear of them getting their hands on nuclear weapons. A true big fear of the 90s going into the 2000s
- Coming of age soldiesecret agent/legend (Solid Snake)
- The Rambo movie series since Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake were heavily influenced by the first three Rambo movies.
- 80s and 90s James Bond movies. Mostly Goldeneye since it follows post-cold war.
- Die Hard movies series, gun battles and intensity between the characters and death defining odds
- Hardboiled (1992), the gun battle that Solid Snake and Gray Fox will have against the swarm of Outer Haven elite soldiers would be heavily influenced off the final gun battle from this movie.
- Running Man, the Boss level villains being similar in design to the villains from the movie, only less colorful, evil like, aggressive and more tactical in fighting.
- Face Off (1997) - action scenes
- Escape from New York, since the first game was influenced by the movie. The main mission where Solid Snake goes to South Africa with official support will give off this type of vibes including the mission briefing he is given as he looks at his equipment.
- The Rock (1996), action scenes and the relationship that Sean Connery as John Patrick Mason and Nicolas Cage as Stanley Goodspeed, FBI. Its similar to the relationship Gray Fox and Solid Snake will have.
- The music for the game would be influenced by the previous MGS games, Rambo movies, Syphon filter and action movies from the 90s. Mixed bag of tones to give different vibes for the game
- The music will be atmospheric in nature as you move around Mother Base and later South Africa
- One set of music to make you feel like a spy, other half giving you the false sense of safety, other places the music will make you feel like your in a warzone and/or being chased
- Real world music from the 80s and 90s that players can listen to when they find a Sony Discman D-145 (1995) laying around or Sony walkmans
- Real world music would 80s - 1995, Rock, Pop, Alternative Rock, R&B, Mainstream hits, Rap, Jaxx and etc. Can listen to game music as well on either device when you the player find them.
- David/Solid Snake:
- A child soldier of sorts. He spent his life being fostered by different foster parents (Patriot handlers) until he reached the age of 6. After that, Solid Snake was trained though-out most of his life by his many handlers at an US Army run school.
- In the US Army run school (Patriots involvement), he was made to engage in a mix of U.S. infantry, Airborne infantry, U.S. Army Ranger, Green Beret and Delta Force style harsh training. Add in the school making him learn different languages at a young age.
- On days he didn’t do military training, Snake was made to endure intense academic schooling. It was here Snake was pushed to understand the general knowledge of Science, Math, Reading, English, Writing, Workshop Skills at a High School to College level. In addition, understand how to operate most vehicles as well.
- At age 18, he was later placed in the US Army as a 2LT to a Green Beret Unit. The Patriots and his handlers, changed his age date so that he was capable of joining the unit and being a junior officer. He is second in command of the unit and sent to fight in Desert Storm (1990-1991).
- Solid Snake had a short but very successful career in the US Army through the multiple successful missions he completed in that war.
- His missions involved him destroying multiple SCUD launchers, sabotaging Iraqi supply lines, disputing their communication lines, assassination or capturing of top Iraqi officers, and deep reconnaissance within Iraq. His unit would also take part in aiding in liberating Kuwait.
- He is awarded a Silver Star and promotion to Captain before personally being recruited into Fox-Hound by Big Boss himself.
- Big Boss and Roy Campell were coordinating Fox-Hound operations in Desert Storm which is why they knew of Snake’s exploits and saw him as a candidate for the unit.
- Prime Solid Snake is a force to reckon with and is considered to be the best all around Fox-Hound agent along with being the finest practitioner of CQC next to Big Boss and The Boss.
- Big Boss states to Gray Fox at the end of the game that Snake could defeat The Boss with ease had they had fought in a straight hand to hand duel in the 1960s. In short, this is Big Boss way of humbling Gray Fox and telling him to NOT underestimate Snake for when the time comes for Fox to kill him (Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake events).
- Snake’s CQC is unique and deadly in design due to his expert knowledge of various different martial arts from his youth, his mastery of Close Quarter Battle (CQB) and knowledge of CQC handed down to him by Big Boss. Snake incorporates many different forms of Martial Arts to his style of CQC where he adds in striking (punching and kicking), fake or faints, foot work, clinch, ground fighting and grappling.
- Despite being inexperienced, Snake makes up for this by being sure of his skills and not being afraid to pull the trigger. Snake’s real fear is that he is going up against experienced killers and soldiers by himself who can kill him
- Snake’s relationship with Gray Fox is similar to the relationship to what we saw in MGS2 between Solid Snake and Raiden. Only a young Solid Snake is more badass when compared to a young Raiden
- Snake’s relationship to Roy Campell is similar to what we see in MGS. However, the two become friends quickly due to the experiences they share being involved in Desert Storm.
- Roy Campell encourages Snake not to give up and to be sure of himself. He also calms down an enraged Snake when they learn that Big Boss is behind everything.
- Solid Snake's relationship with Big Boss is similar to The Boss and Naked Snake in MGS3 but a lot longer as Big Boss continues to “support” Solid Snake with his mission.
- Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, FBI and NSA start to put the pieces together that Big Boss is behind everything. He goes off the air and Venom Snake confronts Solid Snake. Rest is history after that.
Big Boss: - He is the commander of Fox-Hound and re-organizes the covert special forces unit to combat terrorism and rogue states trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons.
- This was a fear in the 90s and Big Boss being a legendary war hero made him the perfect pick to be the leaders of the organization again
- Under his leadership, Fox-Hound is successful in taking out world terrorists, international arms dealers, their backs and having them arrest by allied countries
- Big Boss and Roy Campell are awarded medals for their efforts
- Big Boss holds the simulated rank of a One Star General in within Fox-Hound due to his vast war experience, successful missions and saving the world several times over
- We learn of Big Boss past and how he was an top NCO before MGS3 before being given an rank of officer
- Big Boss personally trains Solid Snake and passes his legacy down to him after Snake accepts an open challenge to spare him and hits Big Boss multiple times before losing.
- This is a tradition Big Boss would offer recruits during his command. The challenge was that he would train any recruit as his solo student if they could hit him in sparring. Only Snake was the only recruit to do so in Fox-Hound.
- Big Boss does care for Solid Snake in a bizarre way and doesn’t want to see him killed unless it's by his hands which he is secretly plotting to do.
- In the virtuous and main mission, Big Boss provides support to Solid Snake by giving him advice from his war time experience, how to survive in sneaking around Outer Haven and how to survive off the land.
- During Boss battles, Big Boss goes off the air, leaving Campell to assist.
- Everyone becomes suspicious of Big Boss when they discover his spy plane has disappeared off radar and it is not far from Outer Haven.
- Worse, when intelligence agencies learn that Big Boss was sending message to Outer Heaven HQ (Gray Fox) but they are unaware of who
- They create an warrant for his arrest and the rest is history after Venom Snake dies
Roy Campbell : - He isn’t a full bird colonel yet and is an Lt. Colonel. He is second in command of Fox-Hound.
- Big Boss trusted Campell because of the events they shared in MSG:PO and the vast amount of experience he has in counter-terrorism missions to black ops in taking out terrorists leaders.
- Campbell quickly befriends Solid Snake due to their shared war experiences in Desert Storm.
- Campbell is a skilled tactician and strategist, and is heavily supportive of Solid Snake. He gives Snake (Player) hints and clues to move around in the game. In addition, information on weapons and vehicles.
- Last, he gives ideas on how to destroy level bosses
Gray Fox: - He was on a mission to assassinate Venom Snake after Big Boss discovered that Venom wants to use Nuclear Weapons against Patriot run countries that would trigger a nuclear war. Of course, official members of Fox-Hound are unaware of this and believe he is investigating Outer Haven to learn if they’re involved with terrorists.
- He fails his mission that Big Boss assigned to him and is captured by Venom Snake after losing a fight against him.
- Venom spares his life and threatens that if he escape, he will personally take him out next time.
- After being feed by Solid Snake, Gray Fox is ordered by Big Boss in secret to assist Snake in taking out Venom and later assassinate Snake to cover up everything at Outer Heaven.
- However, Gray Fox is unable to help Snake take out Venom after being cut off by a swarm of Outer Haven soldiers. He instead sacrifices himself so that Snake can stop Venom from launching nukes from Metal Gear TX-55. Later, fakes his death so he could return to the real Big Boss and help with Zainabarland
- After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story through his eyes. Learn more about him, his fighting style and how he assists Solid Snake
- His fighting is mixed between his fighting style as Null (MGS:PO), CQC concepts Big Boss passed to him, Knife fighting style and pro gun fighting skills.
- Venom Snake would have a huge makeover since the events of Metal Gear Solid 5. He has been given nanomachines so that he can survive future medical surgery and look more like Big Boss and stand in for him.
- The horn in his head is removed which almost kills him but the nanomachines prevent this and heal him. They also grant him superhuman abilities that turn him into a super-soldier of sorts. His bionic hand is replaced with a more human-like bionic hand.
- The nanomachines are a precursor to what Vamp would have many years later. Only Venom’s nanos won’t bring him back from the dead, just heal him faster. However, the side effects is that the nanos in him are making him mentally unhinged
- He is given a new sneaking suit to help harness his new abilities and provide extra protection for him. Snake would need to use an Anti-Tank rifle or Anti-Tank rocket launcher to take him out.
- He is not the same man he was in MSG5. He is more militant towards the Patriots, ruthless and cold blooded. A pure demon at this point and isn’t afraid to commit war crimes or allow his men to do so.
- Venom’s prime mission is to destroy the Patriots and nations they run via nuclear strike using TX-55 Metal Gear. However, he knows that Outer Haven will be hit by NATO countries.
- This causes a rift between Venom and Big Boss. Venom sees Big Boss as being weak and is not willing to do enough to destroy the Patriots and is not willing to do whatever it takes to do so.
- However, the rift is created by Master Miller who kept his promise to help make the sons of Big Boss and Venom Snake stronger then Big Boss
- The rift gets so bad that Big Boss suspects Venom is not being loyal to him anymore and sends in Gray Fox to find out what Venom is doing leading to Metal Gear (1987) events and to assassinate him. Fox fails and loses to Venom in a fight. Venom shows mercy and has Fox locked at a maximum security brig at the Outer Haven prison site.
- A Venom Snake respects Solid Snake as he sees how skilled he is but he also plays mind games with him by hinting his relationship to Big Boss.
- He now wears a mask when he goes out in battlefields to fight aside his men so as to keep Big Boss identity hidden. He is dubbed the Masked Phantasm by world intelligence agencies. As far as the world is concerned, nobody knows who the Masked Phantasm is. Some people think he is a student of Big Boss due to CQC abilities. Near the end, he takes the mask off to reveal to Solid Snake who he is Big Boss (fake one).
- Last, we will know of the tragic story of Venom Snake and how really wanted to be a doctor after his contract with Militaires Sans Frontières end.
- Sadly, no one will ever know about Venom Snake and the man he was before his tragic events.
- He will apologize via radio to Big Boss asking his forgiveness and informs him that Solid Snake is not a man but a demon of their own making. Last, he correctly predicts that Snake will defeat the Patriots and do what they failed to do right before the Outer Haven based self destructs.
Kyle Schneider
- Developer of Outer Haven and help with building the base. Later, becomes the leader of the Outer Haven resistance force in South Africa after learning of Outer Haven’s war crimes in the region.
- He is captured and the resistance fighters try to scramble to rescue him. They agree to help Fox-Hound and Solid Snake in exchange for the safe return of their leader
- Knows where most of the weapons, foods and other important items are on the base will inform Snake on where to find them.
- Also inform Snake of where vital security checkpoints are and more are located at.
- Is caught in the explosion when NATO destroys what is left of Outer Haven. He is saved by the Real Big Boss.
- He will tragically become the Black Ninja and this leads to the event of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake where he will seek revenge against the world for what has happened to him.
- She is the sister of Kyle Scheider. She took it upon herself to go and rescue her brother despite not being a soldier or warrior.
- She disguises herself as a nurse and sneaks into the base. She assist Snakes with information and where weapons are at.
- The original game doesn't say what happened to her. So I have her help Solid Snake escape and they watch Outer Haven from a distance get destroyed with NATO delivering air strikes on reminding Outer Haven bases
- She is present when Solid Snake is giving a medal for completing the mission by President Bill Clinton
- The two have a brief relationship before he moves to Canada to be an undercover CIA agent
- Snake helps her find a job in America for her helping him and getting her a green card to stay in America
- A Goth Punk rocker that has a band called Thin Wall. She performed for Outer Haven several times and knows about the base
- She assists Snake with giving information on Outer Haven bases and the main HQ. Also, info on the mercenaries that operate the bases and informs him of the weakness of the Bosses in the game.
- She has a crush on Solid Snake and is in her early 20s.
- She is present for Solid Snake getting a medal for completing the mission
- The developer of the first Metal Gear. His project, himself, his scientist and his daughter are taken hostage by Outer Heaven soldiers
- He is being used to complete TX-55 Metal Gear and develop an custom built nuclear tipped ICBM that can be fired from Metal Gear
- Informs Solid Snake on how to take out Metal Gear He is taken off base by Jennifer after Snakes saves him
- He informs the US Government to send Snake his regards fos saving him
- The daughter of Dr. Madnar. She is being used as a tool to force Dr. Madnar on continuing his work on TX-55 Metal Gear
- She is saved by Snake and escorted off the base by Jennifer
- She is present for Snake getting a medal for completing the mission and stands in for her father
- Expert in science, engineering and responsible for making all of the gadgets Fox-Hound has
- He is also aware of the weapon systems, gadgets and tools that Outer Heaven Soldiers use
- Son of Donald Anderson
- Gameplay mechanic, he is charge of saving the game for you when you contact him
- Would return in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibar Land and Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy Chronicles to aid Snake. In Philanthropy Chronicles he aids Snake to atone for the sins of his father. He would go into hiring with Snake’s afterwards which is why there is no mention of him in MGS4
- He would leave Fox-Hound after the Zanzibarland incident and work for the CIA as a gadget builder
2023.06.08 17:33 tominator_44 Dragon Warrior 2 - NES preview from Nintendo Power Issue 16 - September/October 1990
 | submitted by tominator_44 to retrogamingmagazines [link] [comments] |
2023.06.08 17:01 AgentPeggyCarter Throwback Thursday - Julian McMahon Interview May 28, 1999
May 28, 1999
Julian McMahon, 'Profiler's' Distant Detective
Television: The Australian-Born Actor Has Succeeded By Appealing Equally to Men and Women.
Today's Calendar Stories
By MICHELE BOTWIN, Special to The Times
Julian McMahon can be a perfect gentleman. And he can be a total goof.
During a break in his trailer on location with "Profiler," the NBC dramatic series in which he plays FBI Det. John Grant, the strikingly handsome Australian-born actor dissolves into a mock, aristocratic mode.
"I love life. I love the whole breathing thing," he declares, drawing in his cheeks, rolling his eyes. "I love breathing in, I love breathing out."
Earlier, on the set, located this day in downtown Los Angeles in an old meat-packing house configured to look like an artist's loft, he greets visitors with kisses on both cheeks.
"Did they roll out the red carpet for you?" he asks, smiling brilliantly, gesturing broadly as if to say, "All this is mine, welcome to my palace."
His "palace" is the less-than-glamorous warehouse floor, packed with cast and crew—and McMahon is not the star of the show or the center of attention. But McMahon—his over-the-top personality and 6-foot-2 frame aside—has the kind of acting chops that colleagues say could help him emerge from "Profiler's" largely ensemble cast.
"When you meet him, there is an innate charm and likability, a 'regular guy' kind of thing," says Stephen Kronish, who joined "Profiler" as executive producer this fall. "He has the ability and the physical package that casting people look for. If you can get men to want to go out and have a beer with you and get women to want to jump into bed with you, that's a pretty good mix. He's got that quality."
While many Americans may not be familiar with McMahon, the 30-year-old Sydney native is a household name in his home country and the United Kingdom. His father, Sir William McMahon, spent a lifetime in politics, the high point as prime minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. And in the early '90s, the actor starred in "Home and Away," a successful Australian soap opera with a huge international audience.
Then too there was the media swarm that followed McMahon during his courtship of and marriage (in 1994) to his "Home and Away" co-star, Australian singer-actress Dannii Minogue, sister of pop star, Kylie. They divorced three years later, as her career took her to London and his to New York, where he landed a role as Ian Rain on NBC's daytime drama "Another World."
Although McMahon, who has been with "Profiler" since its debut in 1996, has a key role, the way his character is constructed in the high drama formula doesn't allow much opportunity for him to flex his acting muscles. For three seasons, the show has followed the lives of forensic psychologist Dr. Samantha "Sam" Waters (Ally Walker) and the FBI's Atlanta-based Violent Crimes Task Force, which investigates serial killing crimes across the country. Sam's mentor, Bailey Malone (Robert Davi), heads the task force, which includes McMahon's character.
The thriller's hook is that Sam possesses the ability to "think in pictures" in order to "profile"—and thereby identify—this very specific breed of killers.
McMahon's character can be hot-headed or sober at the flip of a switch. There is his scowling intensity when he's face to face with--or gunning down--a psycho killer. But there's not much emotional range for the detective, who's a professionally driven loner. John Grant has a bit of sarcastic humor, and he more often than not goes for the jugular rather than the niceties of interrogation techniques, but that's about it.
Generally, the character is immutable, unreadable. However, there have been moments when McMahon's been able to convey sensitivity.
In one episode this season, a serial killer has a gun pointed at Grant's head. She's a cop who's been killing--and castrating--men who don't comply with police investigations. Forced to his knees, Grant gives an impassioned, but calculated, speech: "You were everything a father could want in a daughter, but that wasn't good enough . . . " his eyes searching, his voice cracking. He closes his eyes for a moment, and then she turns the gun on herself.
McMahon actually has little in common with the enigma he has been given to portray on "Profiler."
"He's very sensitive, full of enthusiasm and positive energy," notes Davi, who adds that he's formed an older brother type of relationship with his co-star. He recounts how McMahon spent time with his family and young daughters when Davi's wife was ill. "He's like the Australian Roberto Benigni, with warmth and generosity."
"Baywatch" star Brooke Burns, who has been dating McMahon for five months, echoes the sentiment.
"He's very masculine and, at the same time, very tender-hearted," says the 21-year-old actress. "He really cares about people, he's genuine."
On the set, in counterpoint to the scene being taped--in which a female agent discovers she is being stalked--McMahon is hamming it up off camera, pretending to swallow pills on the kitchen counter, slashing the air with a kitchen knife Zorro-style, kicking up his heels.
When the scene is over, he slips into a Mafioso character: "It was good for me. Was it good for you?"
"Part of this job as an actor is to look as intense as you can," McMahon says later. "I have to laugh. I get the giggles, like back in school."
At least once this season he's been allowed to laugh—during a guest spot on the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace," playing a steaming hunk who rekindles Grace's emotional fire.
"Creatively, it was fascinating," he says. "They're really spontaneous on the set."
On the Saturday following the taping, McMahon is at his Hollywood home, an eclectic place located directly underneath the Hollywood sign.
"As a kid I didn't even know about Hollywood. I was into school, sports, friends and my family," he says, his speech still slightly flavored by Australia. "But then I remember going and seeing 'Star Wars' and thinking that was amazing, that for two hours, it put me totally somewhere else."
The second of three children, he traveled at an early age to places like Buckingham Palace and the White House and was at home when his parents entertained. Though the family was close, McMahon did not spend much time with his much older and politically involved father. That changed when his father was diagnosed with cancer. The two formed a tight bond until his death in 1988.
"It was difficult because I had just found this best friend, an 80-year-old man, and he was just taken from me," he recalls. "My dad was the kind of person who would treat everybody the same, a really wonderful trait that he passed on to me without my knowing it."
He also inherited his father's sense of humor, according to McMahon's mother Lady Sonia, a leading society figure in Australia.
"Julian was always joking around and the life of the party," she says by phone. "Not that I ever thought it would lead to something like this."
There were hints. McMahon started modeling when he was 17, after a university stint. Heading off for Los Angeles, New York, Milan, Rome and Paris, he wanted to make a name for himself. He went from modeling to the daytime soaps, then prime time. He hopes serious movie roles will be next. During the 1997 series hiatus, McMahon appeared in "In Quiet Night," an independent film that never made it to theatrical release, and this summer, he will continue reading for feature film parts.
"I hate labels, but people put you in a box or category, that's how they are. But you can't allow yourself to get in that box," he says.
Nevertheless, for a while most people will connect McMahon with the distant Det. Grant. This week, NBC announced that "Profiler" would be back for another season in the fall.
Part of the network's "thrillogy" Saturday evening lineup, the show has been a hit among adults 18-49 and women 25-54, and the 1997-98 season gave NBC its first time period win in five years among adults 18-49 on the night. But McMahon knows that the television life cycle can be short—and he's prepared for his run on "Profiler" to end.
Says McMahon: "You have to have the ability to pick yourself up and go on when things don't go right."
Originally sourced and archived from here.
submitted by AgentPeggyCarter to profiler [link] [comments]
Julian McMahon, 'Profiler's' Distant Detective
Television: The Australian-Born Actor Has Succeeded By Appealing Equally to Men and Women.
Today's Calendar Stories
By MICHELE BOTWIN, Special to The Times
Julian McMahon can be a perfect gentleman. And he can be a total goof.
During a break in his trailer on location with "Profiler," the NBC dramatic series in which he plays FBI Det. John Grant, the strikingly handsome Australian-born actor dissolves into a mock, aristocratic mode.
"I love life. I love the whole breathing thing," he declares, drawing in his cheeks, rolling his eyes. "I love breathing in, I love breathing out."
Earlier, on the set, located this day in downtown Los Angeles in an old meat-packing house configured to look like an artist's loft, he greets visitors with kisses on both cheeks.
"Did they roll out the red carpet for you?" he asks, smiling brilliantly, gesturing broadly as if to say, "All this is mine, welcome to my palace."
His "palace" is the less-than-glamorous warehouse floor, packed with cast and crew—and McMahon is not the star of the show or the center of attention. But McMahon—his over-the-top personality and 6-foot-2 frame aside—has the kind of acting chops that colleagues say could help him emerge from "Profiler's" largely ensemble cast.
"When you meet him, there is an innate charm and likability, a 'regular guy' kind of thing," says Stephen Kronish, who joined "Profiler" as executive producer this fall. "He has the ability and the physical package that casting people look for. If you can get men to want to go out and have a beer with you and get women to want to jump into bed with you, that's a pretty good mix. He's got that quality."
While many Americans may not be familiar with McMahon, the 30-year-old Sydney native is a household name in his home country and the United Kingdom. His father, Sir William McMahon, spent a lifetime in politics, the high point as prime minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. And in the early '90s, the actor starred in "Home and Away," a successful Australian soap opera with a huge international audience.
Then too there was the media swarm that followed McMahon during his courtship of and marriage (in 1994) to his "Home and Away" co-star, Australian singer-actress Dannii Minogue, sister of pop star, Kylie. They divorced three years later, as her career took her to London and his to New York, where he landed a role as Ian Rain on NBC's daytime drama "Another World."
Although McMahon, who has been with "Profiler" since its debut in 1996, has a key role, the way his character is constructed in the high drama formula doesn't allow much opportunity for him to flex his acting muscles. For three seasons, the show has followed the lives of forensic psychologist Dr. Samantha "Sam" Waters (Ally Walker) and the FBI's Atlanta-based Violent Crimes Task Force, which investigates serial killing crimes across the country. Sam's mentor, Bailey Malone (Robert Davi), heads the task force, which includes McMahon's character.
The thriller's hook is that Sam possesses the ability to "think in pictures" in order to "profile"—and thereby identify—this very specific breed of killers.
McMahon's character can be hot-headed or sober at the flip of a switch. There is his scowling intensity when he's face to face with--or gunning down--a psycho killer. But there's not much emotional range for the detective, who's a professionally driven loner. John Grant has a bit of sarcastic humor, and he more often than not goes for the jugular rather than the niceties of interrogation techniques, but that's about it.
Generally, the character is immutable, unreadable. However, there have been moments when McMahon's been able to convey sensitivity.
In one episode this season, a serial killer has a gun pointed at Grant's head. She's a cop who's been killing--and castrating--men who don't comply with police investigations. Forced to his knees, Grant gives an impassioned, but calculated, speech: "You were everything a father could want in a daughter, but that wasn't good enough . . . " his eyes searching, his voice cracking. He closes his eyes for a moment, and then she turns the gun on herself.
McMahon actually has little in common with the enigma he has been given to portray on "Profiler."
"He's very sensitive, full of enthusiasm and positive energy," notes Davi, who adds that he's formed an older brother type of relationship with his co-star. He recounts how McMahon spent time with his family and young daughters when Davi's wife was ill. "He's like the Australian Roberto Benigni, with warmth and generosity."
"Baywatch" star Brooke Burns, who has been dating McMahon for five months, echoes the sentiment.
"He's very masculine and, at the same time, very tender-hearted," says the 21-year-old actress. "He really cares about people, he's genuine."
On the set, in counterpoint to the scene being taped--in which a female agent discovers she is being stalked--McMahon is hamming it up off camera, pretending to swallow pills on the kitchen counter, slashing the air with a kitchen knife Zorro-style, kicking up his heels.
When the scene is over, he slips into a Mafioso character: "It was good for me. Was it good for you?"
"Part of this job as an actor is to look as intense as you can," McMahon says later. "I have to laugh. I get the giggles, like back in school."
At least once this season he's been allowed to laugh—during a guest spot on the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace," playing a steaming hunk who rekindles Grace's emotional fire.
"Creatively, it was fascinating," he says. "They're really spontaneous on the set."
On the Saturday following the taping, McMahon is at his Hollywood home, an eclectic place located directly underneath the Hollywood sign.
"As a kid I didn't even know about Hollywood. I was into school, sports, friends and my family," he says, his speech still slightly flavored by Australia. "But then I remember going and seeing 'Star Wars' and thinking that was amazing, that for two hours, it put me totally somewhere else."
The second of three children, he traveled at an early age to places like Buckingham Palace and the White House and was at home when his parents entertained. Though the family was close, McMahon did not spend much time with his much older and politically involved father. That changed when his father was diagnosed with cancer. The two formed a tight bond until his death in 1988.
"It was difficult because I had just found this best friend, an 80-year-old man, and he was just taken from me," he recalls. "My dad was the kind of person who would treat everybody the same, a really wonderful trait that he passed on to me without my knowing it."
He also inherited his father's sense of humor, according to McMahon's mother Lady Sonia, a leading society figure in Australia.
"Julian was always joking around and the life of the party," she says by phone. "Not that I ever thought it would lead to something like this."
There were hints. McMahon started modeling when he was 17, after a university stint. Heading off for Los Angeles, New York, Milan, Rome and Paris, he wanted to make a name for himself. He went from modeling to the daytime soaps, then prime time. He hopes serious movie roles will be next. During the 1997 series hiatus, McMahon appeared in "In Quiet Night," an independent film that never made it to theatrical release, and this summer, he will continue reading for feature film parts.
"I hate labels, but people put you in a box or category, that's how they are. But you can't allow yourself to get in that box," he says.
Nevertheless, for a while most people will connect McMahon with the distant Det. Grant. This week, NBC announced that "Profiler" would be back for another season in the fall.
Part of the network's "thrillogy" Saturday evening lineup, the show has been a hit among adults 18-49 and women 25-54, and the 1997-98 season gave NBC its first time period win in five years among adults 18-49 on the night. But McMahon knows that the television life cycle can be short—and he's prepared for his run on "Profiler" to end.
Says McMahon: "You have to have the ability to pick yourself up and go on when things don't go right."
- "Profiler" airs at 10 p.m. Saturdays on NBC.
2023.06.08 17:00 Narrow_Muscle9572 Goose Creek Sanitarium
For centuries, dealing with mental illnesses was done in a very inhumane way. You can't blame the doctors back then completely, they didn't know. In a way it was even comical that they thought that they could measure someone's head and say “yup, this person is an arsonist” or something. Heck, they used to think that staring at the moon would make people insane (Luna is another name for Moon and now you know where the word “lunatic” comes from).
What isn't funny about this, is that they thought the cure for schizophrenia was ice baths, mothers who were grieving from the death of their babies had to have electric shocks and people who had depression should be confined to a room and do nothing but stare at a blank wall (they literally thought that the nervous system was overtaxed and doing nothing was a cure, now we know that isn't the case).
And I didnt even mention the horrors Geraldo Rivera uncovered at Willowbrook or the frontal lobotomies that were all too common.
The reason I bring all this up is because I think I came across something much worse while doing some urban exploring in Goose Creek Sanitarium, a hospital in my hometown that had been abandoned long before I was born.
In one of the filing cabinets was the medical journal of Doctor Hogg that had worked in the hospital during the nineteen twenties. The name meant nothing to me at the time, but that didn't stop me from reading through it.
The paper had suffered from water damage over the years and was half eaten by silverfish by the time I stumbled across it. However, from those pages I was able to piece together a very menacing story.
Doctor Hogg was convinced that he could cure every mental ailment by performing questionable experiments on his patients. Most of the language he used was a bit over my head, but I understood that everything from mental afflictions, memory, personality to perhaps even the soul was not physically in the brain, but instead only existed electrically.
Because of this Hogg thought that if he extracted these electrical impulses and shared them with others who were connected to the machine of his own device, he could “cancel out” some qualities. He was sure that as long as he could find “polar mental opposites” his theory would work.
The way it was described it was as though all these patients didnt know where they ended and the others began, and personally, I couldnt imagine a worse kind of torture.
This went on for a full ten days. He noted every twisted detail for prosperity.
In my opinion I think the man was a sadist.
On the tenth day the patients stopped showing signs of their conditions and started to act like completely different people. More than that, they started acting like the same person. Not only would the patients finish each other's sentences but they would also talk in unison.
At first the doctor thought this was residual effects and that over time they would all readjust to the “cure”. However, it wasn't long before the patients started to show signs of precognition and in a few cases, “pyromancy” (the doctor's word, not mine). Seeing this in his patients, the doctor was convinced that the people he subjected to the machine he built were possessed by legion, even going as far as quoting scripture and blaming himself for “opening the door to damnation.”
Over the months, the doctor grew more terrified of his patients and in order to cover up any wrong doings, he brought a gun to work with the intention of killing those who he thought were possessed.
That was the last entry in the doctor's journal, but I had to know what happened next.
I searched the rest of the abandoned sanitarium for anything I could find, but there was nothing there. At least nothing I could read.
Down in the basement I found a monstrosity of brass and iron and copper, covered in rust. After cleaning it of rust and cobwebs, I tried posting it on Reddit (Whatsthatthing) but the best answer I got was movie props for a horror movie featuring a mad scientist. Though the user admitted that this was just a guess.
During my quest to discover the truth behind this bizarre tale, I traveled to the library in town and went through the microfiche in the back.
I was about to call it quits when I came across a headline from 1927. “Inmates Make Daring Escape.”
The rest of the article highlighted the fact that even though the patients lived in different cells and floors, and had no way of communicating to each other, they worked in unison to escape. Then, most puzzling of all, they leapt from a fifth story window and ran out into the woods where they were never seen again.
It sounds crazy, I know. However as I read that headline, a flood of memories came over me and for the first time in years I remembered a story that my grandmother used to tell me before bed. The one about the neighboring woods and how she would hear noises at night when she was a little girl.
Coupling this with the fact that the town already thought that the woods were haunted by ghosts and monsters of all kinds, convinced me that there was something to my grandmother's story.
The more research I did about doctor Hogg, the more disturbed I became. Years after he was about to kill the patients, he became incarcerated at the very hospital he worked at. There, he tried convincing everyone that he had opened a door and summoned demons.
The jury is still out on whether Hogg was insane or not. But that doesnt matter to me as much as getting the machine in working order. I am sure as long as I can get it to work that there would be someone willing to purchase it. Who knows? Maybe what he said is true and it really opens a door and allows demons into our world?
I hope it works. I had enough of this world and I want it to end.
Perhaps I should test it on my landlord? No one would complain if he went missing.
WAE
submitted by Narrow_Muscle9572 to WhisperAlleyEchos [link] [comments]
What isn't funny about this, is that they thought the cure for schizophrenia was ice baths, mothers who were grieving from the death of their babies had to have electric shocks and people who had depression should be confined to a room and do nothing but stare at a blank wall (they literally thought that the nervous system was overtaxed and doing nothing was a cure, now we know that isn't the case).
And I didnt even mention the horrors Geraldo Rivera uncovered at Willowbrook or the frontal lobotomies that were all too common.
The reason I bring all this up is because I think I came across something much worse while doing some urban exploring in Goose Creek Sanitarium, a hospital in my hometown that had been abandoned long before I was born.
In one of the filing cabinets was the medical journal of Doctor Hogg that had worked in the hospital during the nineteen twenties. The name meant nothing to me at the time, but that didn't stop me from reading through it.
The paper had suffered from water damage over the years and was half eaten by silverfish by the time I stumbled across it. However, from those pages I was able to piece together a very menacing story.
Doctor Hogg was convinced that he could cure every mental ailment by performing questionable experiments on his patients. Most of the language he used was a bit over my head, but I understood that everything from mental afflictions, memory, personality to perhaps even the soul was not physically in the brain, but instead only existed electrically.
Because of this Hogg thought that if he extracted these electrical impulses and shared them with others who were connected to the machine of his own device, he could “cancel out” some qualities. He was sure that as long as he could find “polar mental opposites” his theory would work.
The way it was described it was as though all these patients didnt know where they ended and the others began, and personally, I couldnt imagine a worse kind of torture.
This went on for a full ten days. He noted every twisted detail for prosperity.
In my opinion I think the man was a sadist.
On the tenth day the patients stopped showing signs of their conditions and started to act like completely different people. More than that, they started acting like the same person. Not only would the patients finish each other's sentences but they would also talk in unison.
At first the doctor thought this was residual effects and that over time they would all readjust to the “cure”. However, it wasn't long before the patients started to show signs of precognition and in a few cases, “pyromancy” (the doctor's word, not mine). Seeing this in his patients, the doctor was convinced that the people he subjected to the machine he built were possessed by legion, even going as far as quoting scripture and blaming himself for “opening the door to damnation.”
Over the months, the doctor grew more terrified of his patients and in order to cover up any wrong doings, he brought a gun to work with the intention of killing those who he thought were possessed.
That was the last entry in the doctor's journal, but I had to know what happened next.
I searched the rest of the abandoned sanitarium for anything I could find, but there was nothing there. At least nothing I could read.
Down in the basement I found a monstrosity of brass and iron and copper, covered in rust. After cleaning it of rust and cobwebs, I tried posting it on Reddit (Whatsthatthing) but the best answer I got was movie props for a horror movie featuring a mad scientist. Though the user admitted that this was just a guess.
During my quest to discover the truth behind this bizarre tale, I traveled to the library in town and went through the microfiche in the back.
I was about to call it quits when I came across a headline from 1927. “Inmates Make Daring Escape.”
The rest of the article highlighted the fact that even though the patients lived in different cells and floors, and had no way of communicating to each other, they worked in unison to escape. Then, most puzzling of all, they leapt from a fifth story window and ran out into the woods where they were never seen again.
It sounds crazy, I know. However as I read that headline, a flood of memories came over me and for the first time in years I remembered a story that my grandmother used to tell me before bed. The one about the neighboring woods and how she would hear noises at night when she was a little girl.
Coupling this with the fact that the town already thought that the woods were haunted by ghosts and monsters of all kinds, convinced me that there was something to my grandmother's story.
The more research I did about doctor Hogg, the more disturbed I became. Years after he was about to kill the patients, he became incarcerated at the very hospital he worked at. There, he tried convincing everyone that he had opened a door and summoned demons.
The jury is still out on whether Hogg was insane or not. But that doesnt matter to me as much as getting the machine in working order. I am sure as long as I can get it to work that there would be someone willing to purchase it. Who knows? Maybe what he said is true and it really opens a door and allows demons into our world?
I hope it works. I had enough of this world and I want it to end.
Perhaps I should test it on my landlord? No one would complain if he went missing.
WAE
2023.06.08 16:35 BeckyBee_ Questions and Answers with Assistant Game Director, Adam Whiting!
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the amazing questions you’ve submitted for our Q&A with Assistant Game Director, Adam Whiting. We’re delighted to have received so many. So many, in fact, that we couldn’t possibly have taken so much of Adam’s time to answer them all – maybe we’ll have to do a part two one day soon.
We sat down with Adam this week and got some answers for you. We’re sure you’ll be happy with what Adam did manage to answer; he’s really gone above and beyond for this one.
Here’s a few words from Adam:
/EVERYWHERE Community Team
A: Well, thanks to you as well NestorSite, it’s exciting for me to get to talk to you all about what we have been working on (finally!) and we really care about our community and are delighted to get to share more info.
As Assistant Game Director my day can vary greatly, and each day presents new challenges and opportunities to help progress the project. Primarily in Game Direction we are ensuring that all the teams are aligned on the bigger picture and goals of the project. Historically, this has been working mostly with Design on the core game mechanics and systems, but now we are at a point where a lot of the design work is complete, its more about checking progress, playing the game every day, and making sure everything is trending correctly.
It's hard to pick an area that is most important as what makes games development special is how it’s a convergence point for most of the artistic and engineering disciplines we know of, and all of them contribute to the whole, so they are all equally important (plus I would hate for any of our teams to feel like I had any favourites 😉). That being said, games are primarily meant to be fun, so I am particularly passionate about the core mechanics. We want our players to have a great time in EVERYWHERE and MindsEye – though each of these have their own specific requirements that present interesting challenges and drive all our departments to push the boundaries of their respective areas of expertise.
I’ve given a lengthy answer about my favourite games elsewhere so I’ll try and keep this short and point you in the direction of that, what I would say though is that generally we don’t look at other games in particular when working on the design of EVERYWHERE though it’s impossible not to be influenced by the things you have enjoyed (such is the nature of art).
Q: Hey Adam! Could you tell us what is the most challenging task you had to face in the last few years? – u/Gab1024
A: Hey Gab, thanks for your question!
One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced throughout the project has been building the team – building an exciting, ambitious, and new type of project is a huge challenge but building the company in tandem has been very tough as we’ve always aimed to bring the quality talent that the project requires. That can be tough when you are trying to attract talented devs, who, in many cases, can choose where they work. They are often choosing between established studios and established projects which can be very tempting. However, we’ve been very fortunate and have built a team of very talented and experienced devs (with a healthy dose of people fresh to the industry) who are really delivering on the ambitions of the project, and we are all excited for you all to see and play the game as soon as possible.
Personally, one big challenge for me was the whole Gamescom experience – I never thought I’d find myself on stage with Geoff and talking in front of so many people, especially having grown up watching countless game announcements and reveals, it was both terrifying and extremely exciting though pretty far from my natural environment behind a PC in a studio 😊
Q: Hiya, I’m curious if you started out in another role in the gaming industry that led to being a Director? - Thanks, u/voodoolady94 xx
A: Hey voodoolady – unsure if your name is a Ween or Hendrix reference but either way, I like the handle!
I started in the industry, as many people did, in Quality Assurance. QA is a fantastic starting point for two reasons; Firstly, it isn’t a role that requires a lot of specialised experience to get started. In fact, one of the key things we are always looking for with new QA roles is a passion for gaming, strong attention to detail and good communication skills – don’t get me wrong it can be very intense and challenging working in QA but if you have a genuine passion for making games it can be highly enjoyable and rewarding working in part of a team that is so intrinsic to releasing any quality project. Secondly, everything in every game needs some form of QA support – meaning that you are exposed to every department/facet of games development which can be really useful for finding what you like and what you are good at. Often you can naturally progress into a more specialised role that can lead to moving to another team entirely (or becoming a stalwart experienced QA that will always be in demand within the industry) – there are countless examples I can think of from across my career where people have gone from QA into writing, AI coding, concept art, audio design – pretty much every department has someone within it that started in QA.
My personal journey was rising through the ranks of QA to a QA Supervisor and then moving towards Production before eventually moving to Game Direction – and I’m honestly still learning and growing every day as I get to interact with truly exceptional and talented people who are each extremely knowledgeable and experienced in their own areas. Each interaction is an opportunity to learn and grow, and if you approach the industry with that spirit, you will definitely do well.
Q: How hard is it to turn your game ideas into reality with the help of developers, how do you explain to them what's on your head in terms of game direction? – Thanks, u/vassirbl. From Morocco.
A: Hey vassirbl, thanks for taking part!
This is a really interesting question and one that is hard to answer directly as it depends on the idea – some things can require just a few lines of code, some can require multiple teams working in tandem to bring it to life – and that is part of the challenge with games development, something that seems quite straight forward might be really challenging to manifest. On the flipside, sometimes something that may seem to be really complicated and taxing can actually be done very quickly and efficiently.
The thing I’d say about this is that having ideas is one thing, everyone has ideas and I believe everyone is creative, but in a position like games direction it isn’t always about throwing around big ideas – you need to have a vision for what you are wanting to make and achieve and you need to ensure that your ideas are in service of that vision and are supplementing/augmenting/enhancing the direction of the game. You aren’t always making a game for yourself and your own niche interests, you are in service of the vision and trying to ensure that there is congruence between what is going into the game and what the game is trying to achieve.
In terms of explaining things that can often be more straight forward than it might seem, you are interacting with people who aren’t just gamers, they have made gaming their passion/vocation so you are speaking about the game in a similar way to when speaking to a friend about a game you are both playing together – and generally if the idea is good then it's going to generate some excitement. Then you are in an ideation process where the person you are talking to, often someone who is passionate about an areas of games development (their discipline), will then have some suggestions for flourishes and tweaks that can help improve the idea. This is really important because you want the game to be as good as it can be, and there is no silver bullet that magically makes a game feel special, fun or unique, normally its countless little tweaks and adjustments and suggestions from everywhere within the studio that create the end result which hopefully is something that feels like it has been made with love, care and attention. You can’t fake that or even articulate what it is that makes a game feel like that, but you feel it when you play a great game and that is what we are always striving to achieve.
Q: I was waiting for this because I'm on the mailing list. I appreciate this. Hello Adam. I guess my question is what is one of your favourite things about being an Assistant Gaming Director at Build A Rocket Boy? – u/EducationalCook9570
A: Thanks for signing up, EducationalCook, really pleased to get to answer your question so thanks for taking part.
It’s really hard to pick one particular thing but over the years I’ve been asked some variation of this question and my answer generally is the same – it's getting to work with such an amazing team of wonderful and talented people who are giving their all in service of the same common goal – making EVERYWHERE and MindsEye the best possible game(s) they can be.
When I was growing up gaming was still a bit of a niche hobby so anyone I met that was a gamer was instantly a friend, someone I could share my passion with, and now I get to spend most of my time with people like that – it's truly a blessing and I feel fortunate every day I get to interact with all of my wonderful colleagues.
Q: Howdy Adam! Most people will ask about the game, but for a Q&A it's really about the person. So here are my questions.
A: Hey MikaStr0L, thanks for your question(s)!
I wouldn’t say there were any parts where development struggled but along the way there are always challenges to overcome, the main one for us was building a company at the same time of building a brand new and exciting project.
Generally speaking though, if things aren’t going quite as planned I try not to let it bother me – though that can of course be hard when you feel very personally invested in something – but I’ve found that it doesn’t help to let the negative feeling linger and instead try and push on, games development – like life in general – doesn’t always go according to plan but you just have to focus on solutions and moving forward and not let things hold you back. If you can do something about an issue, then deal with it and fix it, if you can’t do anything about it then move on and try not to let the negatives/setbacks hold back progress in other areas.
Now the truly important question… I must admit that I am not a fan of pineapple on pizza, although I do like pineapple generally, I’m more of a pepperoni kind of guy 😊
Q: Hey Adam, first, let me say I admire the work you all do a lot. Not only you guys at BARB, but also in the whole industry. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on MindsEye and EVERYWHERE.
A: Hi Fabry, thanks for taking part and for your kind words and sentiments. I’ll start by saying that I also admire the work that takes place industry wide – the games industry is full of amazing and talented people who are all helping to further this artform we all whole dear forward, and I believe we are only just now realising the potential that video games can achieve.
I would say that transitioning from QA to another role felt very natural, even in my current position I’m still playing the game all the time and entering bugs, they might not be as well written as they once were but once you’ve cultivated a QA mindset it is not easy to turn off (this can make me a very boring person to watch play in my spare time as I’m always poking and prodding games to see what might happen…). I would say it was also a positive change for me personally but everyone's path in the industry is different and you kind of move with the tides and get swept up in a project and who knows where you end up within it – I always took the approach of wanting to be helpful/productive/useful in furthering the ambitions of the studio and the project and have always been happy to do that regardless of what that entails (in the very early days I was building PCs and writing design docs as well as doing QA work, whatever was required).
I do think that EVERYWHERE is a new type of project, but one that isn’t entirely unfamiliar, there are probably aspects that you recognise and some that are a bit different, I think the way everything ‘fits together’ is quite elegant and hasn’t been done before. The industry in general though is continuously evolving and I think that’s what makes it an exciting thing to be a part of. I do feel that the way people are consuming entertainment has fundamentally changed within the past decade and I believe that EVERYWHERE is a reflection of that – perhaps games in general are a bit to beholden to established paradigms and ways of doing things in ways that I think we aren’t.
A: Hi Zgangstas, thanks for your question.
This is a really interesting question and I think this is part of the magic of games development, when you are ideating/experimenting in the early stages of a project you can happen upon some magic that can alter the way you approach things, even if the vision has remained the same throughout perhaps the way to achieve it evolves.
I think that one of the main things we always wanted to do was create a space where players were in control, where they could be who they want to be and have the experiences that they wanted to have – but then as experienced game devs there is a natural inclination towards curating an immersive experience that captivates and enthrals players – this was a tricky thing to balance and trade off and I think ultimately it lead us to our current path.
EVERYWHERE is a space where players are in control, where they can build, share, compete, and explore in numerous different ways – and MindsEye is where we can construct an immersive and cinematic experience – with shared DNA between the two so we aren’t reinventing the wheel constantly, and we are at the place where we are now where work on one project is benefitting the other and vice versa.
So, I guess the true answer is that they both demanded to be different game organically through the course of development and we pay attention to what the game is telling us and let that guide us.
Q: Hi Adam, there’s the audience that fantasize on stylized and cartoonish games and the ones that are focused on realistic, story-driven experiences. How challenging is it to deliver the best game as possible to both audiences, and how confident do you feel about the shape those two games are in? – u/Treyboss2001
A: Thanks for your question Treyboss.
I think as you say there are probably distinct audiences for both, some that prefer or only enjoy one style or the other, but there are others (like me!) who enjoy both stylised and realistic games – often depending on my mood.
It may seem challenging to be constantly shifting gears between them both but ultimately, it’s more natural than it may seem. They have very distinctive and different requirements and demands that make decisions intuitive – though careful thought and consideration is required for each.
However, the way we think about it internally is that we get to have our cake and eat it, we aren’t locked in to one style or gameplay type, which can be fun and refreshing – perhaps you hit a creative roadblock with one and you can move on to the other and come back with a fresh perspective to the original issue you were having. Projects of this scale can often take many years to make so not being too locked in to just one thing is a blessing.
In terms of the progress we are making, I have to say that I am constantly delighted – either one project is delivering something new and wonderful or the other one is (often both at the same time!). Now we are getting to show people them both for the first time I’m truly humbled by the very positive reactions we are receiving.
Q: Hello Adam from the Build A Rocket Boy team. What was the original plan when EVERYWHERE was being developed in lumberyard engine and back when yah were using the lumberyard engine what were the challenges and roadblocks?
Keep being awesome Adam. - u/Lonelyfades
A: Thank you Lonelyfades, I will do my best!
I think back when we first started with this project the industry was quite different, the game engine landscape in particular was very different. We always had lofty ambitions for this project and at the time Lumberyard seemed to be the only engine that could deliver what we needed to even scratch the surface of what we wanted to accomplish. Since then, things have progressed somewhat and now we are in UE5. I believe UE5 is clearly the cutting-edge technology that we need in order to deliver the best possible results.
That is the strange thing with life and games development, sometimes an old decision was the correct one at the time even if it is not correct for right now, and even things as disruptive as engine swapping is ultimately worth it if it unlocks the creative potential you are aspiring towards.
I think this is ultimately a tribute to our core strength as a developer which is our unwillingness to compromise, we are eager to undertake difficult or even painful changes if it helps move the needle closer to where we want it to be.
Q: Hi Adam, so something I was confused about, is EVERYWHERE and MindsEye the same game? Or is it a game within a game? – u/Jozza141
A: Jozza thanks for asking your question and I am happy to try and relieve your confusion.
EVERYWHERE and MindsEye are distinctly different, but also inextricably linked. One way to think about it is that EVERYWHERE is ultimately a platform for games, entertainment, and different types of fun – and MindsEye is a story-driven, action-adventure game that could reasonably exist on its own but is enriched and elevated by its connection to a larger social space. A connection that I believe is deep and meaningful. The possibilities are endless and there’s so much to share, but we will reveal more when we are ready.
Q: Both u/iPeluche and u/Bobby_Boy301 had some questions about PC vs Console release. Why has BARB opted for the separate release between PC and Console. And does this mean Console won’t get the same treatment as PC after release?
A: I don’t think we are completely locked into this type of approach; we want to do that which makes the most sense for both projects whilst also working within the constraints of their paradigms.
PC is certainly a very open and creatively liberating space in which to operate, sometimes key innovations in gaming take place on PC because of its open nature and I think this is an example of that.
Rest assured we are passionate about both PC and Console development, and we would always aim to ensure parity between both releases of either project – platform holders permitting.
With all that being said, I would look forward to future announcements as we are very pragmatic as a company and always move forward in a direction that makes sense both for us and for our players.
What advice do you have for those aspiring to pursue a career in game development?
What excites you the most in terms of future game development and where do you think the industry is headed? – u/RazorDarkness
A: Thanks for your question RazorDarkness.
My biggest advice for anyone trying to pursue a career in games development is to always remain humble, this is the cross section for all the artistic and engineering disciplines we have in media, as such it is impossible to be an expert at all things. You are always going to be working in a team and you are always going to be relying on your peers to achieve whatever it is you set out to achieve. So always keep your eyes and ears open and try to absorb as much knowledge and information as you can so you never stop learning. The moment you think you know it all is the moment you become a dinosaur and you will be immediately surpassed.
My second big piece of advice is to never lose sight of why you are making games in the first place – I often keep some mementos on my desk from favourite games and things that inspired me as a child to keep me grounded, as even on the hardest of days I can take a step back and realise that I’m getting to do something that I’ve loved my entire life and despite its difficulties my overriding feeling is always gratitude that I’m even able to earn a living doing something I love.
Q: Hello Adam!
First, I really hope you and your team are getting enough sleep after all the hard work you guys put into these projects. I just want to say on behalf of the EVERYWHERE & MindsEye Community, we really appreciate all of you that are involved with these two major projects, and also sending much support to every single one of you on this journey!
But my question is ... Where do you see yourself, the team, and everyone over at BARB in the next 10 years after both games are officially out? – u/TheRealRocketBoy
A: Well thank you TheRealRocketBoy – your support and encouragement means a lot, excited for you to get to enjoy the fruits of our labours!
This is a great question – I see us still working on this project, both aspects of what we are doing have far reaching plans and if all they all work out, we’ll still be working on both – and we aim that this will be in tandem with our community and players.
What things will look like at that point though I have no idea, EVERYWHERE in particular isn’t the kind of game we want to prescribe to people, it's something we want to further improve and refine in collaboration with our players – indeed the launch of EVERYWHERE will truly just be the beginning and I know that the creativity of gamers will always thrill and surprise so I think we are going to go on a wild ride together and I can’t wait to see where we end up.
MindsEye on the other hand… well who knows where in space or time we may be with that story by that point… I could write down on a piece of paper now a phrase for where MindsEye will be in year 10 and whilst it would almost certainly hold true, how we get there, and the specifics would surprise even me, I’m sure!
Q: Hey Adam, appreciate you taking the time to do this Q&A!
You have a great name! I may have a bias though as I'm also an Adam. In my spare time I've been creating a game design document for a game I'd love to create. This document has been growing and expanding over the past couple years. Ideally, I have aspirations of becoming a creative director for a development studio but have no experience working in the gaming industry (I'm a project manager in the residential construction industry).
Given your experience in the industry and your current position as BARB's Assistant Game Director, what advice would you give someone such as myself about how I may go about potentially pitching my design documentation to a studio and ultimately becoming a creative director? Do you personally feel as though people aspiring to become involved in the gaming industry need to start in an entry level position? Or perhaps there are alternative pathways to achieving such goals?
Thank you! Well wishes to you and everyone at BARB! – u/EndgameEmporium
A: Hey EndgameEmporium!
I admire your enthusiasm and you clearly have a passion for games which is something you want to hold on to as it will always keep you right and steer you correctly.
That being said I think there are two ways to head in if you want to be a creative director – firstly you can go down the studio route – however keep in mind that games are big expensive things to make, and it would be pretty remarkable for someone to have an idea so strong that a studio would trust in and fund it. Generally speaking I think going down this path would require you joining a studio and working your way up, and in particular showing a willingness to work towards someone else’s vision and showing that you can see the big picture when it comes to games development, then you will get creative opportunities with an established project or studio to show what you can do and from there more and more creative freedom until you are able to pitch your idea. With that path you may very well find that working with other creative brief’s and visions can be both challenging and rewarding, as essentially they are ‘creative restraints’ you are operating within and learning to work within these restraints will teach you how to be economical and efficient with your designs and ideas (sometimes a good idea can cost millions of dollars and sometimes a great idea can be brought to life with existing resources, the latter is where the magic really is, and will make you very popular to work with!).
The second path to take would be to try and build out a vertical slice or gameplay prototype or concept yourself, with that I would try and refine your idea to its core components, understand what things fundamentally you need for another person to be able to experience or understand your idea, and go from there. If anything, EVERYWHERE might be the perfect thing for you as empowering the great creative minds of the next generation is something we are very passionate about and you may be able to bring your idea to life with ARC-ADIA.
A: I think that AI is going to fundamentally change the way in which we interact with the world and each other, it's going to be a transformative technology over the coming years and every industry and sector will feel it.
In terms of game development, we can see how this might play out already, things like ChatGPT etc. will streamline and accelerate the game development process exponentially – this should hopefully lower the costs and requirements for making larger projects. This could mean many more larger and ambitious games that are taking more risks emerge as they won’t be as expensive and time consuming to create – instead of a lot of talent being funnelled in to a few large studios and creators it will allow us to go back to an older style of games development where a small team with a big idea has some chance of bringing it to fruition without having to compromise on the scope/scale.
From the consumer perspective yes, I think we will soon have realistic interactions with NPCs where we can really build deeper and more personal connections with the characters we interact with in these virtual worlds, possibly even allowing us to alter how events and stories may play out, maybe in the future the way I play a story driven game may yield entirely different results and a different ending to how your story may finish – and maybe these aren’t just branching paths but completely different forks in the road we are creating dynamically – maybe then watching each other player story games has value beyond the personality/skill of the person playing.
I think this something that games developers have always wanted to have access to, a future where we can create entire worlds that feel unique to the individual because the way you are experiencing it is unique to you, in the same way that each of our journeys through life are unique and different even though we all inhabit the same world within the same physical universe.
Second, my question is what's your favourite game (or games) of all time (excluding games you worked on). - u/Punisher_27
A: Firstly, thank you for your kind words, Punisher!
Secondly, what a fun question! I’m going to end up kicking myself later when I realise I missed something but here are a few of my faves from a lifetime spent playing video games:
Mario 64 – it is tough picking one Mario game as he’s the reason I got in to games (playing on my parents imported NES at the age of 3 changed my life!) but something about Mario 64 is just so magical and wonderful, the first time effortlessly moving through a 3D world, the joyous nature of the gameplay and the level design, I just adored this so much and despite later entries (e.g. Galaxy) being more refined and objectively better this is just such a special game I don’t think it's possible to calculate the impact it had on the industry and on entertainment when it first came out.
Quake 3 – I have probably played this more than any other game (with the possible exception of World of Warcraft) but this was my first foray in to the world of online games and that was a life-changing moment, realising that no matter how good I got there was always someone out there better… well that was a challenge I duly accepted and I have met many wonderful friends I hold very dear to me along the way across many different online games but this was the one that really blew me away
Bloodborne – I do adore the whole Soulsborne franchise(s) and as a game dev I really admire how FromSoft do things their own way and stay true to their artistic vision. I can’t think of a game that is more harmonious and congruent than Bloodborne, every pixel/sound is working in perfect harmony with each other, and the end result is something truly staggering. If I could wipe my memory and play one game over and over again and recapture the same feeling I had when I first played it, it would be Bloodborne.
Final Fantasy VII – I was queueing outside Electronics Boutique the day this came out, the first FF game to get released in Europe and I’m so glad we didn’t miss out on this one (though 6 was great and we had to import that…) – I can’t put into words what it was like encountering Sephiroth for the first time thinking I was at the Shinra HQ to complete the game and then the world map opens up and my mind was so utterly blown I couldn’t believe my eyes. As for Aerith/Aeris – well… aside from the fact she was the group healer… I was just floored; I didn’t realise how potent games were at eliciting an emotional response until that scene and I doubt any game could ever have that impact again.
Street Fighter 2 – when this first came out it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before – encountering at an arcade machine it's what the “cool older kids” were playing and its always retained that allure, this was a game that was cool and badass. The way you compete against others in fighting games has a certain purity to it that I just love, and I sorely miss having arcades to go to as they were a staple in my life growing up and there was always a great fighting game a community would build around. Getting to have the SNES version that was as close to arcade perfect as we could fathom at the time was a real joy as well and I guess this is widely regarded as the beat ‘em up that started it all and with good reason, because it did!
Q: Hey Adam and the community team, hope you're all doing well!
A: Hey thewhitewolf! Thanks for your fun questions 😊
I am definitely a dog person, I’ve grown up with dogs my entire life and despite being fond of cats I just adore dogs – quite a few people in the office have them and I am always happy to meet them, and due to my lifestyle I am not really able to be a good and responsible dog owner right now so I am very grateful when I get to interact with any of the BARB doggos. 😊
EVERYWHERE has always been called such and I think we liked the title straight away, I think it speaks to the potentially unlimited nature of what we are trying to achieve and we want this to be a game that anyone can play, wherever they are as I think we see games as more than just ways to spend your time, they are ways to connect and socialise and learn from each other – but even more than that they are a way to share experiences and that spirit of creativity has always been our guiding star with the project.
Q: u/MightyMax_1988 would like to know more about what you do in your free time. Do you like retro consoles such as Sega Master System, Sega Genesis (mega drive), Super Nintendo (snes)? And do you like the movie Ready Player One?
A: Hey MightyMax! I am always happy to talk about my hobbies 😊my friends often wish I would shut up about them!
In my free time I do enjoy watching team sports, specifically football (lifelong Nottingham Forest fan) and I adore the NBA (big Lakers fan) and live sports are a good way to stay connected to my friends and are something I always try and make time for. I also try and stay on top of the latest greatest TV Shows, Movies and Anime (just finished Ted Lasso which I thought was such wholesome fun and I also recently finished an anime called Chainsaw Man that was just… exhilarating!).
In terms of games I’m a lifelong gamer so I’ve had every console (apart from the NeoGeo…) over the years (even a VirtualBoy), though I would say that I don’t really do much retro gaming these days as I struggle to keep up with all the modern games coming out, and I think I prioritise online gaming as it helps me stay connected to my friends so I’m always playing something with them and then trying my best to play the cream of the crop of single player games (currently trying to finish off Octopath Traveller 2 so I can move on to the new Zelda!).
And yeah, I liked both the book and the movie Ready Player One – I love a good mashup of different IPs and art-styles, I really enjoyed Wreck It Ralph for the same reason, and anything with lots of pop culture references makes me happy (even stuff like Scott Pilgrim etc.).
Q: How bad were you at Quake? – u/tyj
A: I was so terrible I had to go to tournaments and captain the UK RA3 team… it was a tough time 😊 but back then when I told people I thought Esports would be played in stadiums for millions of dollars people thought I was an idiot… I’m so delighted to see how things have ended up and really excited that future generations can actually become pro gamers as a viable path in life – how far we’ve come!
Q: Also, what’s your favourite colour? – u/voodoolady94
A: Another question from the voodoolady…. Well, this one is an easy one and I can be uncharacteristically succinct.
Pink, my favourite colour is pink 😊
submitted by BeckyBee_ to EverywhereGame [link] [comments]
Thanks for all the amazing questions you’ve submitted for our Q&A with Assistant Game Director, Adam Whiting. We’re delighted to have received so many. So many, in fact, that we couldn’t possibly have taken so much of Adam’s time to answer them all – maybe we’ll have to do a part two one day soon.
We sat down with Adam this week and got some answers for you. We’re sure you’ll be happy with what Adam did manage to answer; he’s really gone above and beyond for this one.
Here’s a few words from Adam:
“I really appreciate all the kind words for the studio, we’ll be sure to share them with the rest of the team. It was also nice to see some familiar faces from over the years – thank you for remembering me and saying hello! It’s always a pleasure interacting with our wonderful community, and we look forward to doing more things like this in the future.”And with that, we’ll dive into the Q&A. Enjoy!
/EVERYWHERE Community Team
Life as an Assistant Game Director at Build A Rocket Boy
Q: Hi Adam! Thank you for participating in this, it's so great to see the relationship Build A Rocket Boy has established with the community!- What are your daily tasks as Assistant Game Director, and what would you say is the aspect of game development that you give the most importance to? (Game mechanics, narrative, visuals...)
- What are your favourite games and how do you think they influenced you when working on EVERYWHERE oand MindsEye?
A: Well, thanks to you as well NestorSite, it’s exciting for me to get to talk to you all about what we have been working on (finally!) and we really care about our community and are delighted to get to share more info.
As Assistant Game Director my day can vary greatly, and each day presents new challenges and opportunities to help progress the project. Primarily in Game Direction we are ensuring that all the teams are aligned on the bigger picture and goals of the project. Historically, this has been working mostly with Design on the core game mechanics and systems, but now we are at a point where a lot of the design work is complete, its more about checking progress, playing the game every day, and making sure everything is trending correctly.
It's hard to pick an area that is most important as what makes games development special is how it’s a convergence point for most of the artistic and engineering disciplines we know of, and all of them contribute to the whole, so they are all equally important (plus I would hate for any of our teams to feel like I had any favourites 😉). That being said, games are primarily meant to be fun, so I am particularly passionate about the core mechanics. We want our players to have a great time in EVERYWHERE and MindsEye – though each of these have their own specific requirements that present interesting challenges and drive all our departments to push the boundaries of their respective areas of expertise.
I’ve given a lengthy answer about my favourite games elsewhere so I’ll try and keep this short and point you in the direction of that, what I would say though is that generally we don’t look at other games in particular when working on the design of EVERYWHERE though it’s impossible not to be influenced by the things you have enjoyed (such is the nature of art).
A: Hey Gab, thanks for your question!
One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced throughout the project has been building the team – building an exciting, ambitious, and new type of project is a huge challenge but building the company in tandem has been very tough as we’ve always aimed to bring the quality talent that the project requires. That can be tough when you are trying to attract talented devs, who, in many cases, can choose where they work. They are often choosing between established studios and established projects which can be very tempting. However, we’ve been very fortunate and have built a team of very talented and experienced devs (with a healthy dose of people fresh to the industry) who are really delivering on the ambitions of the project, and we are all excited for you all to see and play the game as soon as possible.
Personally, one big challenge for me was the whole Gamescom experience – I never thought I’d find myself on stage with Geoff and talking in front of so many people, especially having grown up watching countless game announcements and reveals, it was both terrifying and extremely exciting though pretty far from my natural environment behind a PC in a studio 😊
A: Hey voodoolady – unsure if your name is a Ween or Hendrix reference but either way, I like the handle!
I started in the industry, as many people did, in Quality Assurance. QA is a fantastic starting point for two reasons; Firstly, it isn’t a role that requires a lot of specialised experience to get started. In fact, one of the key things we are always looking for with new QA roles is a passion for gaming, strong attention to detail and good communication skills – don’t get me wrong it can be very intense and challenging working in QA but if you have a genuine passion for making games it can be highly enjoyable and rewarding working in part of a team that is so intrinsic to releasing any quality project. Secondly, everything in every game needs some form of QA support – meaning that you are exposed to every department/facet of games development which can be really useful for finding what you like and what you are good at. Often you can naturally progress into a more specialised role that can lead to moving to another team entirely (or becoming a stalwart experienced QA that will always be in demand within the industry) – there are countless examples I can think of from across my career where people have gone from QA into writing, AI coding, concept art, audio design – pretty much every department has someone within it that started in QA.
My personal journey was rising through the ranks of QA to a QA Supervisor and then moving towards Production before eventually moving to Game Direction – and I’m honestly still learning and growing every day as I get to interact with truly exceptional and talented people who are each extremely knowledgeable and experienced in their own areas. Each interaction is an opportunity to learn and grow, and if you approach the industry with that spirit, you will definitely do well.
A: Hey vassirbl, thanks for taking part!
This is a really interesting question and one that is hard to answer directly as it depends on the idea – some things can require just a few lines of code, some can require multiple teams working in tandem to bring it to life – and that is part of the challenge with games development, something that seems quite straight forward might be really challenging to manifest. On the flipside, sometimes something that may seem to be really complicated and taxing can actually be done very quickly and efficiently.
The thing I’d say about this is that having ideas is one thing, everyone has ideas and I believe everyone is creative, but in a position like games direction it isn’t always about throwing around big ideas – you need to have a vision for what you are wanting to make and achieve and you need to ensure that your ideas are in service of that vision and are supplementing/augmenting/enhancing the direction of the game. You aren’t always making a game for yourself and your own niche interests, you are in service of the vision and trying to ensure that there is congruence between what is going into the game and what the game is trying to achieve.
In terms of explaining things that can often be more straight forward than it might seem, you are interacting with people who aren’t just gamers, they have made gaming their passion/vocation so you are speaking about the game in a similar way to when speaking to a friend about a game you are both playing together – and generally if the idea is good then it's going to generate some excitement. Then you are in an ideation process where the person you are talking to, often someone who is passionate about an areas of games development (their discipline), will then have some suggestions for flourishes and tweaks that can help improve the idea. This is really important because you want the game to be as good as it can be, and there is no silver bullet that magically makes a game feel special, fun or unique, normally its countless little tweaks and adjustments and suggestions from everywhere within the studio that create the end result which hopefully is something that feels like it has been made with love, care and attention. You can’t fake that or even articulate what it is that makes a game feel like that, but you feel it when you play a great game and that is what we are always striving to achieve.
A: Thanks for signing up, EducationalCook, really pleased to get to answer your question so thanks for taking part.
It’s really hard to pick one particular thing but over the years I’ve been asked some variation of this question and my answer generally is the same – it's getting to work with such an amazing team of wonderful and talented people who are giving their all in service of the same common goal – making EVERYWHERE and MindsEye the best possible game(s) they can be.
When I was growing up gaming was still a bit of a niche hobby so anyone I met that was a gamer was instantly a friend, someone I could share my passion with, and now I get to spend most of my time with people like that – it's truly a blessing and I feel fortunate every day I get to interact with all of my wonderful colleagues.
- Were there moments where the development struggled? If so, how did this affect you?
- Now the last ones might be too personal buuuut, is pineapple on pizza justifiable?
A: Hey MikaStr0L, thanks for your question(s)!
I wouldn’t say there were any parts where development struggled but along the way there are always challenges to overcome, the main one for us was building a company at the same time of building a brand new and exciting project.
Generally speaking though, if things aren’t going quite as planned I try not to let it bother me – though that can of course be hard when you feel very personally invested in something – but I’ve found that it doesn’t help to let the negative feeling linger and instead try and push on, games development – like life in general – doesn’t always go according to plan but you just have to focus on solutions and moving forward and not let things hold you back. If you can do something about an issue, then deal with it and fix it, if you can’t do anything about it then move on and try not to let the negatives/setbacks hold back progress in other areas.
Now the truly important question… I must admit that I am not a fan of pineapple on pizza, although I do like pineapple generally, I’m more of a pepperoni kind of guy 😊
- Working within the QA part for many years, was it difficult the transition to a different role? Would you say it was a positive change?
- Do you think EVERYWHERE and other games/experiences with a similar concept are the future of gaming?
A: Hi Fabry, thanks for taking part and for your kind words and sentiments. I’ll start by saying that I also admire the work that takes place industry wide – the games industry is full of amazing and talented people who are all helping to further this artform we all whole dear forward, and I believe we are only just now realising the potential that video games can achieve.
I would say that transitioning from QA to another role felt very natural, even in my current position I’m still playing the game all the time and entering bugs, they might not be as well written as they once were but once you’ve cultivated a QA mindset it is not easy to turn off (this can make me a very boring person to watch play in my spare time as I’m always poking and prodding games to see what might happen…). I would say it was also a positive change for me personally but everyone's path in the industry is different and you kind of move with the tides and get swept up in a project and who knows where you end up within it – I always took the approach of wanting to be helpful/productive/useful in furthering the ambitions of the studio and the project and have always been happy to do that regardless of what that entails (in the very early days I was building PCs and writing design docs as well as doing QA work, whatever was required).
I do think that EVERYWHERE is a new type of project, but one that isn’t entirely unfamiliar, there are probably aspects that you recognise and some that are a bit different, I think the way everything ‘fits together’ is quite elegant and hasn’t been done before. The industry in general though is continuously evolving and I think that’s what makes it an exciting thing to be a part of. I do feel that the way people are consuming entertainment has fundamentally changed within the past decade and I believe that EVERYWHERE is a reflection of that – perhaps games in general are a bit to beholden to established paradigms and ways of doing things in ways that I think we aren’t.
About EVERYWHERE and MindsEye
Q: What is the inspiration to create EVERYWHERE and MindsEye, and why did you decide to make them two different games? – u/ZgangstasA: Hi Zgangstas, thanks for your question.
This is a really interesting question and I think this is part of the magic of games development, when you are ideating/experimenting in the early stages of a project you can happen upon some magic that can alter the way you approach things, even if the vision has remained the same throughout perhaps the way to achieve it evolves.
I think that one of the main things we always wanted to do was create a space where players were in control, where they could be who they want to be and have the experiences that they wanted to have – but then as experienced game devs there is a natural inclination towards curating an immersive experience that captivates and enthrals players – this was a tricky thing to balance and trade off and I think ultimately it lead us to our current path.
EVERYWHERE is a space where players are in control, where they can build, share, compete, and explore in numerous different ways – and MindsEye is where we can construct an immersive and cinematic experience – with shared DNA between the two so we aren’t reinventing the wheel constantly, and we are at the place where we are now where work on one project is benefitting the other and vice versa.
So, I guess the true answer is that they both demanded to be different game organically through the course of development and we pay attention to what the game is telling us and let that guide us.
A: Thanks for your question Treyboss.
I think as you say there are probably distinct audiences for both, some that prefer or only enjoy one style or the other, but there are others (like me!) who enjoy both stylised and realistic games – often depending on my mood.
It may seem challenging to be constantly shifting gears between them both but ultimately, it’s more natural than it may seem. They have very distinctive and different requirements and demands that make decisions intuitive – though careful thought and consideration is required for each.
However, the way we think about it internally is that we get to have our cake and eat it, we aren’t locked in to one style or gameplay type, which can be fun and refreshing – perhaps you hit a creative roadblock with one and you can move on to the other and come back with a fresh perspective to the original issue you were having. Projects of this scale can often take many years to make so not being too locked in to just one thing is a blessing.
In terms of the progress we are making, I have to say that I am constantly delighted – either one project is delivering something new and wonderful or the other one is (often both at the same time!). Now we are getting to show people them both for the first time I’m truly humbled by the very positive reactions we are receiving.
Keep being awesome Adam. - u/Lonelyfades
A: Thank you Lonelyfades, I will do my best!
I think back when we first started with this project the industry was quite different, the game engine landscape in particular was very different. We always had lofty ambitions for this project and at the time Lumberyard seemed to be the only engine that could deliver what we needed to even scratch the surface of what we wanted to accomplish. Since then, things have progressed somewhat and now we are in UE5. I believe UE5 is clearly the cutting-edge technology that we need in order to deliver the best possible results.
That is the strange thing with life and games development, sometimes an old decision was the correct one at the time even if it is not correct for right now, and even things as disruptive as engine swapping is ultimately worth it if it unlocks the creative potential you are aspiring towards.
I think this is ultimately a tribute to our core strength as a developer which is our unwillingness to compromise, we are eager to undertake difficult or even painful changes if it helps move the needle closer to where we want it to be.
A: Jozza thanks for asking your question and I am happy to try and relieve your confusion.
EVERYWHERE and MindsEye are distinctly different, but also inextricably linked. One way to think about it is that EVERYWHERE is ultimately a platform for games, entertainment, and different types of fun – and MindsEye is a story-driven, action-adventure game that could reasonably exist on its own but is enriched and elevated by its connection to a larger social space. A connection that I believe is deep and meaningful. The possibilities are endless and there’s so much to share, but we will reveal more when we are ready.
A: I don’t think we are completely locked into this type of approach; we want to do that which makes the most sense for both projects whilst also working within the constraints of their paradigms.
PC is certainly a very open and creatively liberating space in which to operate, sometimes key innovations in gaming take place on PC because of its open nature and I think this is an example of that.
Rest assured we are passionate about both PC and Console development, and we would always aim to ensure parity between both releases of either project – platform holders permitting.
With all that being said, I would look forward to future announcements as we are very pragmatic as a company and always move forward in a direction that makes sense both for us and for our players.
Advice for aspiring Game Developers
Q: Ok, ok, here goes:What advice do you have for those aspiring to pursue a career in game development?
What excites you the most in terms of future game development and where do you think the industry is headed? – u/RazorDarkness
A: Thanks for your question RazorDarkness.
My biggest advice for anyone trying to pursue a career in games development is to always remain humble, this is the cross section for all the artistic and engineering disciplines we have in media, as such it is impossible to be an expert at all things. You are always going to be working in a team and you are always going to be relying on your peers to achieve whatever it is you set out to achieve. So always keep your eyes and ears open and try to absorb as much knowledge and information as you can so you never stop learning. The moment you think you know it all is the moment you become a dinosaur and you will be immediately surpassed.
My second big piece of advice is to never lose sight of why you are making games in the first place – I often keep some mementos on my desk from favourite games and things that inspired me as a child to keep me grounded, as even on the hardest of days I can take a step back and realise that I’m getting to do something that I’ve loved my entire life and despite its difficulties my overriding feeling is always gratitude that I’m even able to earn a living doing something I love.
First, I really hope you and your team are getting enough sleep after all the hard work you guys put into these projects. I just want to say on behalf of the EVERYWHERE & MindsEye Community, we really appreciate all of you that are involved with these two major projects, and also sending much support to every single one of you on this journey!
But my question is ... Where do you see yourself, the team, and everyone over at BARB in the next 10 years after both games are officially out? – u/TheRealRocketBoy
A: Well thank you TheRealRocketBoy – your support and encouragement means a lot, excited for you to get to enjoy the fruits of our labours!
This is a great question – I see us still working on this project, both aspects of what we are doing have far reaching plans and if all they all work out, we’ll still be working on both – and we aim that this will be in tandem with our community and players.
What things will look like at that point though I have no idea, EVERYWHERE in particular isn’t the kind of game we want to prescribe to people, it's something we want to further improve and refine in collaboration with our players – indeed the launch of EVERYWHERE will truly just be the beginning and I know that the creativity of gamers will always thrill and surprise so I think we are going to go on a wild ride together and I can’t wait to see where we end up.
MindsEye on the other hand… well who knows where in space or time we may be with that story by that point… I could write down on a piece of paper now a phrase for where MindsEye will be in year 10 and whilst it would almost certainly hold true, how we get there, and the specifics would surprise even me, I’m sure!
You have a great name! I may have a bias though as I'm also an Adam. In my spare time I've been creating a game design document for a game I'd love to create. This document has been growing and expanding over the past couple years. Ideally, I have aspirations of becoming a creative director for a development studio but have no experience working in the gaming industry (I'm a project manager in the residential construction industry).
Given your experience in the industry and your current position as BARB's Assistant Game Director, what advice would you give someone such as myself about how I may go about potentially pitching my design documentation to a studio and ultimately becoming a creative director? Do you personally feel as though people aspiring to become involved in the gaming industry need to start in an entry level position? Or perhaps there are alternative pathways to achieving such goals?
Thank you! Well wishes to you and everyone at BARB! – u/EndgameEmporium
A: Hey EndgameEmporium!
I admire your enthusiasm and you clearly have a passion for games which is something you want to hold on to as it will always keep you right and steer you correctly.
That being said I think there are two ways to head in if you want to be a creative director – firstly you can go down the studio route – however keep in mind that games are big expensive things to make, and it would be pretty remarkable for someone to have an idea so strong that a studio would trust in and fund it. Generally speaking I think going down this path would require you joining a studio and working your way up, and in particular showing a willingness to work towards someone else’s vision and showing that you can see the big picture when it comes to games development, then you will get creative opportunities with an established project or studio to show what you can do and from there more and more creative freedom until you are able to pitch your idea. With that path you may very well find that working with other creative brief’s and visions can be both challenging and rewarding, as essentially they are ‘creative restraints’ you are operating within and learning to work within these restraints will teach you how to be economical and efficient with your designs and ideas (sometimes a good idea can cost millions of dollars and sometimes a great idea can be brought to life with existing resources, the latter is where the magic really is, and will make you very popular to work with!).
The second path to take would be to try and build out a vertical slice or gameplay prototype or concept yourself, with that I would try and refine your idea to its core components, understand what things fundamentally you need for another person to be able to experience or understand your idea, and go from there. If anything, EVERYWHERE might be the perfect thing for you as empowering the great creative minds of the next generation is something we are very passionate about and you may be able to bring your idea to life with ARC-ADIA.
Emerging Technologies in Gaming
Q: u/Main-Department9806 and u/Dirty_Worka had some interesting questions about AI. Adam, as AI learning and functionality accelerates, what’s your read on the level of disruption we should expect with regards to game development? And do you think we can leverage AI such as ChatGPT into games, for example, so that NPC’s dialogue could be vast and ever changing?A: I think that AI is going to fundamentally change the way in which we interact with the world and each other, it's going to be a transformative technology over the coming years and every industry and sector will feel it.
In terms of game development, we can see how this might play out already, things like ChatGPT etc. will streamline and accelerate the game development process exponentially – this should hopefully lower the costs and requirements for making larger projects. This could mean many more larger and ambitious games that are taking more risks emerge as they won’t be as expensive and time consuming to create – instead of a lot of talent being funnelled in to a few large studios and creators it will allow us to go back to an older style of games development where a small team with a big idea has some chance of bringing it to fruition without having to compromise on the scope/scale.
From the consumer perspective yes, I think we will soon have realistic interactions with NPCs where we can really build deeper and more personal connections with the characters we interact with in these virtual worlds, possibly even allowing us to alter how events and stories may play out, maybe in the future the way I play a story driven game may yield entirely different results and a different ending to how your story may finish – and maybe these aren’t just branching paths but completely different forks in the road we are creating dynamically – maybe then watching each other player story games has value beyond the personality/skill of the person playing.
I think this something that games developers have always wanted to have access to, a future where we can create entire worlds that feel unique to the individual because the way you are experiencing it is unique to you, in the same way that each of our journeys through life are unique and different even though we all inhabit the same world within the same physical universe.
Off-Topic
Q: Hey Adam, first I would like to thank you and the team for the great effort on EVERYWHERE and we can't wait to play what you're working on.Second, my question is what's your favourite game (or games) of all time (excluding games you worked on). - u/Punisher_27
A: Firstly, thank you for your kind words, Punisher!
Secondly, what a fun question! I’m going to end up kicking myself later when I realise I missed something but here are a few of my faves from a lifetime spent playing video games:
Mario 64 – it is tough picking one Mario game as he’s the reason I got in to games (playing on my parents imported NES at the age of 3 changed my life!) but something about Mario 64 is just so magical and wonderful, the first time effortlessly moving through a 3D world, the joyous nature of the gameplay and the level design, I just adored this so much and despite later entries (e.g. Galaxy) being more refined and objectively better this is just such a special game I don’t think it's possible to calculate the impact it had on the industry and on entertainment when it first came out.
Quake 3 – I have probably played this more than any other game (with the possible exception of World of Warcraft) but this was my first foray in to the world of online games and that was a life-changing moment, realising that no matter how good I got there was always someone out there better… well that was a challenge I duly accepted and I have met many wonderful friends I hold very dear to me along the way across many different online games but this was the one that really blew me away
Bloodborne – I do adore the whole Soulsborne franchise(s) and as a game dev I really admire how FromSoft do things their own way and stay true to their artistic vision. I can’t think of a game that is more harmonious and congruent than Bloodborne, every pixel/sound is working in perfect harmony with each other, and the end result is something truly staggering. If I could wipe my memory and play one game over and over again and recapture the same feeling I had when I first played it, it would be Bloodborne.
Final Fantasy VII – I was queueing outside Electronics Boutique the day this came out, the first FF game to get released in Europe and I’m so glad we didn’t miss out on this one (though 6 was great and we had to import that…) – I can’t put into words what it was like encountering Sephiroth for the first time thinking I was at the Shinra HQ to complete the game and then the world map opens up and my mind was so utterly blown I couldn’t believe my eyes. As for Aerith/Aeris – well… aside from the fact she was the group healer… I was just floored; I didn’t realise how potent games were at eliciting an emotional response until that scene and I doubt any game could ever have that impact again.
Street Fighter 2 – when this first came out it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before – encountering at an arcade machine it's what the “cool older kids” were playing and its always retained that allure, this was a game that was cool and badass. The way you compete against others in fighting games has a certain purity to it that I just love, and I sorely miss having arcades to go to as they were a staple in my life growing up and there was always a great fighting game a community would build around. Getting to have the SNES version that was as close to arcade perfect as we could fathom at the time was a real joy as well and I guess this is widely regarded as the beat ‘em up that started it all and with good reason, because it did!
- Are you a cat or a dog person? xD
- When the game was announced in 2017, Everywhere was only the working title of the game. Why did you keep the name? What were some of the suggestions?
A: Hey thewhitewolf! Thanks for your fun questions 😊
I am definitely a dog person, I’ve grown up with dogs my entire life and despite being fond of cats I just adore dogs – quite a few people in the office have them and I am always happy to meet them, and due to my lifestyle I am not really able to be a good and responsible dog owner right now so I am very grateful when I get to interact with any of the BARB doggos. 😊
EVERYWHERE has always been called such and I think we liked the title straight away, I think it speaks to the potentially unlimited nature of what we are trying to achieve and we want this to be a game that anyone can play, wherever they are as I think we see games as more than just ways to spend your time, they are ways to connect and socialise and learn from each other – but even more than that they are a way to share experiences and that spirit of creativity has always been our guiding star with the project.
A: Hey MightyMax! I am always happy to talk about my hobbies 😊my friends often wish I would shut up about them!
In my free time I do enjoy watching team sports, specifically football (lifelong Nottingham Forest fan) and I adore the NBA (big Lakers fan) and live sports are a good way to stay connected to my friends and are something I always try and make time for. I also try and stay on top of the latest greatest TV Shows, Movies and Anime (just finished Ted Lasso which I thought was such wholesome fun and I also recently finished an anime called Chainsaw Man that was just… exhilarating!).
In terms of games I’m a lifelong gamer so I’ve had every console (apart from the NeoGeo…) over the years (even a VirtualBoy), though I would say that I don’t really do much retro gaming these days as I struggle to keep up with all the modern games coming out, and I think I prioritise online gaming as it helps me stay connected to my friends so I’m always playing something with them and then trying my best to play the cream of the crop of single player games (currently trying to finish off Octopath Traveller 2 so I can move on to the new Zelda!).
And yeah, I liked both the book and the movie Ready Player One – I love a good mashup of different IPs and art-styles, I really enjoyed Wreck It Ralph for the same reason, and anything with lots of pop culture references makes me happy (even stuff like Scott Pilgrim etc.).
A: I was so terrible I had to go to tournaments and captain the UK RA3 team… it was a tough time 😊 but back then when I told people I thought Esports would be played in stadiums for millions of dollars people thought I was an idiot… I’m so delighted to see how things have ended up and really excited that future generations can actually become pro gamers as a viable path in life – how far we’ve come!
A: Another question from the voodoolady…. Well, this one is an easy one and I can be uncharacteristically succinct.
Pink, my favourite colour is pink 😊
2023.06.08 16:15 SourcerBot Wagner mercenaries tortured me and stole tanks from the Russian army, captured lieutenant says
Here is the most important information, and related articles, from this article.
Published on 2023-06-08 at 11:31, this article is written by kieron monks and published by inews. (2 minutes)
Save 2 minutes of reading with this summary:
I am a bot powered by the Sourcer extension - Give me feedback.
submitted by SourcerBot to Sourcer [link] [comments]
Published on 2023-06-08 at 11:31, this article is written by kieron monks and published by inews. (2 minutes)
Save 2 minutes of reading with this summary:
A senior officer in the Russian army who was kept as prisoner by the Wagner mercenary group has said he was tortured in captivity and that its members stole weapons including tanks from his unit in an explosive monologue that lays bare the growing rift between the Russian military and the private militias fighting in Ukraine. Lieutenant Colonel Roman Vinivitin, commander of Russia’s 72nd Independent Motorised Rifle Brigade, who was previously recorded apologising for ordering his men to shoot at Wagner forces near Bakhmut, said the confession was made under duress. The Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that Lieutenant Vinivitin ordered his men to fire on mercenary fighters and lay mines on a road they were using.Keep reading with 3 related articles: Reuters (2023-05-25 at 23:22) Russian Wagner mercenaries handing Bakhmut to regular army The Washington Post (2022-12-27 at 06:00) Captured Russian tanks and equipment are coveted trophies — and a headache Deutsche Welle (2023-05-09 at 07:17) Ukraine updates: Wagner boss says Russian army fled Bakhmut
I am a bot powered by the Sourcer extension - Give me feedback.
2023.06.08 16:13 peliccancars12 Ride Sharing from Heathrow Airport TW6 to Heathrow Airport LU2
In the world of transport services, ride-sharing has become a significant game-changer, offering convenience, cost-effectiveness, and a more sustainable way to travel. A name that stands out in the ride-sharing arena is Peliccan Cars, a company that has been making strides in providing outstanding "Ride Sharing from Heathrow Airport to Heathrow Airport".
Peliccan Cars has earned a strong reputation for its ride-sharing services, connecting individuals travelling in the same direction and helping them save on travel costs. It's not just about splitting the fare, but it's about providing a solution that is more affordable and environmentally friendly, reducing the number of vehicles on the road, and cutting carbon emissions.
The beauty of using Peliccan Cars for ride-sharing from one part of Heathrow Airport to another lies in the company's effective operational model. The moment you book a ride, their advanced system strategically matches you with other passengers heading in the same direction. This allows for a smooth, efficient, and cost-effective journey, ensuring everyone reaches their respective destinations on time.
Their easy-to-use booking system is another aspect that has won the hearts of many customers. You can book your ride within a few clicks, indicating your current location and desired destination. You'll get an instant confirmation and details about your co-passengers, helping to foster a sense of community and connection.
Moreover, Peliccan Cars prides itself on its high safety standards. All their drivers are professionally trained, licensed, and background checked. The cars are modern, well-maintained, and equipped with the latest safety features. The company ensures that even though it is a shared ride, each passenger's safety and comfort are never compromised.
Offering 24/7 services, Peliccan Cars understands that travel needs can arise at any hour of the day or night, especially at a bustling international hub like Heathrow. Whether it's an early morning flight or a late-night arrival, you can count on Peliccan Cars to be there, ready to facilitate your shared ride.
Peliccan Cars is more than just a transportation provider. They offer an innovative approach to ride-sharing that saves you money, offers an opportunity for social interaction, and promotes an eco-friendlier way to travel. The team at Peliccan Cars is committed to making every ride a pleasant experience, ensuring you feel safe, comfortable, and valued from the moment you step into their vehicle until you reach your final destination.
"Ride Sharing from Heathrow Airport to Heathrow Airport" with Peliccan Cars is not just about getting from point A to point B, it's about transforming the way we perceive and experience travel. It's about making a conscious choice to opt for a service that values community, sustainability, and affordability. Choose Peliccan Cars for your next airport transfer, and become a part of the ride-sharing revolution.
submitted by peliccancars12 to u/peliccancars12 [link] [comments]
Peliccan Cars has earned a strong reputation for its ride-sharing services, connecting individuals travelling in the same direction and helping them save on travel costs. It's not just about splitting the fare, but it's about providing a solution that is more affordable and environmentally friendly, reducing the number of vehicles on the road, and cutting carbon emissions.
The beauty of using Peliccan Cars for ride-sharing from one part of Heathrow Airport to another lies in the company's effective operational model. The moment you book a ride, their advanced system strategically matches you with other passengers heading in the same direction. This allows for a smooth, efficient, and cost-effective journey, ensuring everyone reaches their respective destinations on time.
Their easy-to-use booking system is another aspect that has won the hearts of many customers. You can book your ride within a few clicks, indicating your current location and desired destination. You'll get an instant confirmation and details about your co-passengers, helping to foster a sense of community and connection.
Moreover, Peliccan Cars prides itself on its high safety standards. All their drivers are professionally trained, licensed, and background checked. The cars are modern, well-maintained, and equipped with the latest safety features. The company ensures that even though it is a shared ride, each passenger's safety and comfort are never compromised.
Offering 24/7 services, Peliccan Cars understands that travel needs can arise at any hour of the day or night, especially at a bustling international hub like Heathrow. Whether it's an early morning flight or a late-night arrival, you can count on Peliccan Cars to be there, ready to facilitate your shared ride.
Peliccan Cars is more than just a transportation provider. They offer an innovative approach to ride-sharing that saves you money, offers an opportunity for social interaction, and promotes an eco-friendlier way to travel. The team at Peliccan Cars is committed to making every ride a pleasant experience, ensuring you feel safe, comfortable, and valued from the moment you step into their vehicle until you reach your final destination.
"Ride Sharing from Heathrow Airport to Heathrow Airport" with Peliccan Cars is not just about getting from point A to point B, it's about transforming the way we perceive and experience travel. It's about making a conscious choice to opt for a service that values community, sustainability, and affordability. Choose Peliccan Cars for your next airport transfer, and become a part of the ride-sharing revolution.
2023.06.08 16:06 Thebrownsweater How to be more creative? Steal Like An Artist Summary: Ultimate Guide For Artists
 | Steal Like An Artist Book Summary : A Guide To CreativitySteal Like An Artist Summary: Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon can be summarised as a mini but effective guide about being more creative as an artist whether it be a writer, a musician, a comedian, or a designer. Austin gives some valuable tips about surviving, flourishing, and improving as an artist. Here are 10 important lessons that can be concluded from the books.
|