Anyway, I live in California too, a state that I’m proud to call home and hopefully can live here the rest of my life too. Anyway, about me. I love to write poems, but people probably disagree with me that what I write isn’t really poetry. That’s understandable, people have different likes. The majority of what I write is dark/sad/somber, but I promise it’s not a reason to be concerned. I also write about love, hope, essentially all good feelings life has to offer.
I have an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts (Arts and Letters Emphasis) and a Certificate of Achievement in Communication Studies from Community College; and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology from the university level.
Long story short, I’ve never been in a relationship before. I focused on my well-being in the six years I spent in college and searched for my personal values and that of what I’d like to find in a woman I may consider being in a relationship with. My personal values now are kindness, empathy, understanding. These are the 3 important values I hope a woman I meet has too. At the end of the day, we’re all people trying to get by in life and succeed as we see right. We all deserve to experience love and happiness, don’t we? I think that we do. I hope to meet a woman that believes in this too. Ultimately, I have a lot of love to give to the right woman. 😌
If this matters, I’m…
-6’4
-165 pounds and on skinny side
-Black hair and brown eyes
When sending me a message or chat, please introduce yourself and not just say “hello.” I’d like to learn a little about you. I hope to meet a woman that’s at least 21. And yes, I’m fine talking to older woman too.

I do. I have a very addictive personality. Substances, alcohol, s*x, I've even been addicted to people.. do you ever want something so bad it hurts inside? I've felt that way a lot. I'm attracted to the darker side of life, people, anything dangerous or bad. I'm a very obessive person, something I haven't been able to change.
I'm working on being healthier, but it's not easy, and that pull to the dark is always calling me. I wonder if anyone else feels it too. I've had a long life, I wonder where it'll go. I'd like to meet people along the way. I wonder if I'm the one who's bad for other people. Does anyone feel it too?

I made a post yesterday after completing the campaign which I'm not very proud of. I came off elitist and shat all over the game without giving any good reasons or evidence. Now that I've had some time to think and gather my thought I can lay them out here in a more organized way for any ARPG fans who haven't bought the game yet and are considering it. This post is meant purely to inform, so if you already bought the game and are enjoying it, keep enjoying it and move on. No need to be a huge blizz fanboy and argue with me over what I am right now making very clear is my own opinion.
Some background on me - I've spent 1000's of hours playing an assortment of ARPG's including but not limited to D3, POE, Grim Dawn, and Last Epoch. I'm no expert on the genre, but I'd say I've got enough experience to give an informed opinion. I'm breaking down my critique into several sections, that will sometimes overlap and may seem redundant, but that's only they all influence each other to create an overall feeling of "meh" for me while I'm playing.
1. Power Level
Enemy scaling is fucking terrible. Some people love it - esp the casual crowd that's touting how great the level scaling for co-op is. I'm not a co-op player. I do ARPG's solo and other people are there purely for trading. So this monster scaling for me is shit.

• You never get the power spikes we're all used to in other ARPG's. There's no better feeling than going from feeling like you're shooting little bolts of nothing out of a wet noodle, to feeling like an ultimate god who's blowing up packs like nothing. This just doesn't happen in D4. I always felt like it was taking the same exact amount of time for me to kill enemies. Fucking lame.
• This goes back to itemization. Never did I in my entire playthrough switch one of my items and actually feel stronger. Maybe I was killing things like a millisecond quicker, but never was it like "whoa! that's fucking sick".
• This is the same for the skill tree. Never did I take a node on it and feel significantly stronger.

2. Player Autonomy
It seems like Blizzard created this game for a very very very casual crowd. I knew that going into it, as D3 was the same way, but I feel like they went even further this time in taking away any meaningful level of control the player has over how they play the game.

• Gave us force move, but only make right click available from level 3. Why? Why can't I have move on my left click and attack on right click right from the start.
• No layover map. They say this would take away from immersion. I'm pretty sure pulling up a full screen map every few seconds does that even more. If there are players who feel it takes away from immersion, they don't have to use it. Give us the option.
• The skill tree. Skills in D3 had 5 options to choose from. If you map the old D3 skills on a tree, like you have in D4, and look at it that way, we actually have less choices now.

3. Build Customization
Diablo was never known for deep mechanics, but it seems that D4 has even less choices when it comes to making viable end-game builds.

• The terrible generatospender system for skills. I played a Sorc and even at level 50 was still having to use the basic skill constantly. Long ass cooldowns on half of my skills, and terrible mana regen, and high mana costs for other skills. It just feels clunky. This forces any build that doesn't want to constantly use a basic skill to stack CDR, Resource Gen, and RCR on every item that can roll it. People will say that this gets figured out for end-game. So what? Do I wanna be running around for the first 10+ hours of the game with a gimped character. And should I have to stack all those affixes on every item just to get a decent build?
• In addition to the affixes you're basically pigeon holed into using specific legendary aspects and parts of the skill tree to further help with this resource generating problem. If you don't, be ready to constantly cycle between basic skills and core skills. FEELS LIKE SHIT.
• I haven't gotten to Paragon Boards yet, but from the looks of it they're just a slightly more complex version of Paragon Points from D3. There's nothing build defining about them. You just keep adding stats and multipliers to what's already a pigeon holed build.

4. Time Wasting Aspects
Luckily the devs made it so that you can skip the campaign after you complete it with you first character, but what about seasons? So I have to do this slog all over again every time?

• Not well thought out mechanics. There were dungeons in which I had to bring two of some item to some pedastels and both were pretty close to each other. Guess what? I could only carry one at a time. Other dungeons I had to run to the end of a super long hallway to just talk to some NPC, and then run all the way back to another area with no ability to teleport out. Tons of this running around pointlessly thhroughout the campaign that could have just been done away with.
• Why are MMO's leaking into Diablo? I'm not some fucking gatherer who wants to pick plants and stuff rocks into my pockets. I'm here to kill monsters and get more powerful. Why the fuck did they take the worst parts of Lost Ark and throw them into D4?
• The camel quest. What the fuck was this? Following around some idiot with a camel for 15 minutes through a desert? Like really?

5. General Grievances
For a game that took so long to develop there's a surprisingly large number of bugs and little things that should have been caught in testing, or at least during the open betas.

• Sorc teleporting into walls and rock formations
• Only thing painful about the Duriel fight was not being able to see anything from half of the arena
• Many other areas where the environment completely blocks your view
• Gems - don't gotta say anything more

In conclusion I wish I could get a refund on the game. There are so many better options out there for me at the moment that I can't see myself spending any time on D4 unless they make very significant improvements, but I'm not hopeful. Does that mean it's a bad game? No. A lot of people are enjoying it and maybe you will too. But if you have similar ideas to mine as to what makes an ARPG exciting and fun then I'd not dish out the money they're asking for.

I do. I have a very addictive personality. Substances, alcohol, s*x, I've even been addicted to people.. do you ever want something so bad it hurts inside? I've felt that way a lot. I'm attracted to the darker side of life, people, anything dangerous or bad. I'm a very obessive person, something I haven't been able to change.
I'm working on being healthier, but it's not easy, and that pull to the dark is always calling me. I wonder if anyone else feels it too. I've had a long life, I wonder where it'll go. I'd like to meet people along the way. I wonder if I'm the one who's bad for other people. Does anyone feel it too?

Hi guys! This is my first NoP fanfic, and the first fanfic in general that I’ve ever published. In addition, it’s only the second that I was able to complete a single chapter for. What I’m trying to say here is that I might not be the best writer due to my lack of experience, so please don’t hate; I’m trying my best. However, if there is something you think I can improve on, feel free to leave polite, constructive criticism in the comments.
Also, though I do have plans for more chapters (in fact, actual NoP stuff won’t happen until chapter 4), I might not be able to complete them, at least not with any haste. I apologize if this is an inconvenience, but do keep in mind that all of this is free and thus offered solely at my discretion. That said, I hope you find this very entertaining! (and yes, that’s a Hazbin Hotel reference, for those of you in that fandom… and perhaps a bit of foreshadowing… ^`v´^.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This file is a collection of memory transcriptions chronicling the tale of first contact with the Larul species.
CONTENT WARNING: The contents of this file are rated “M-V” for Mature-Violent according to the classifications outlined in the Galactic Content Rating Board. This means that this file is not suitable for the following audiences:

• non-yotul herbivorous species
• individuals of any species that are more than one solar rotation younger than legal adult age.

If you belong to either of these demographics, please exit this page immediately and ensure content filters are enabled. DO NOT PROCEED past this point. We at the Memory Transcription Initiative™ promise you are not missing out on anything worth potentially causing permanent psychological harm.
This file includes depictions of murder with cannibalistic intent. We at the Memory Transcription Initiative™ understand that such topics may cause serious discomfort for many individuals; thus, we have included this content warning. We will not be held responsible for any emotional damages that may arise from reading this file. Proceed only at your own risk:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Memory Transcription Subject: Skoy, Larul hunter
Date (standardized human time): December 18th, 2141
It was a pleasure to kill. Ever since my first hunt, 3 La-cycles [local years, each approximately 1.5 Earth years long] ago, I had relished in the many joys of the process. From stalking prey down, waiting for the perfect time to strike, to the climactic triumph of finally swooping in for the kill. It satisfied something deep and instinctual within me, for I was a predator. And there was nothing wrong with that. Animals have to consume other lifeforms to survive. It is simply the way of things.
Still, it was also a pain. It was a pain to take the life of an animal, to take the life of a creature that felt fear and felt pain, to take the life of a creature that cried in desperation for that mercy which was not and could not be given. As I slit the throat of my prey – as his warm, dark orange blood coated my hands; its sweet, savory, rich, metallic, saliva-inducing scent wafting into my nostrils; tantalizing me with the promise of the feast that was to come – I felt hunger, yes. But I also felt as if a bowstring inside of me was pulled taut and then mercilessly released, letting loose a proverbial arrow that pierced my soul just as deeply as an actual arrow would pierce a creature’s heart. And from that wound, a shadow of grief spread throughout my entire being, like a thundercloud threatening to drown me in sorrow. As I watched the light leave his eyes, it felt as if the light within me dimmed a little bit as well. One couldn’t tell it from my detached expression, but I was overwhelmed with emotion. It was almost as if I actually cared about those I killed. Stupid empathy. Always such a bother; always trying to get in the way of what has to be done. I was a hunter; I had killed countless times before and should be beyond such things. Though I suppose I had never killed prey of this kind before. Prey of my kind before. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Better they get hurt than someone in my tribe. Better them… than Kolas.
Kolas was my youngest sister, still just a child. She’d be 6 La-cycles [9 Earth years] old now, barely a pre-adolescent [12 y.o. human maturation equivalent]. It would be a couple of La-cycles [3 Earth years] until she was old enough to join me in the Pack – if she wanted to, that is. I mean, she has never been anything but a shining epitome of kindness; not really the type to kill anything, let alone… this. But I’m sure that given time, she would come to understand the necessity of our role, and could learn to take the lives of at least our normal prey. But most importantly of all, if she joined the Pack, she would be given the chance to learn how to fight: which meant she would finally be able to defend herself.
Kolas was always a bit smaller and weaker than the other children her age, and they, recognizing her as an easy target, bullied her relentlessly for it. But perhaps her greatest bully of all was no child, but her own mother. Sabwo - our mother, and that of the tribe – had no patience for anything she saw as weakness. She believed that brute strength and might were incredibly important in a leader, and as her heirs, any lack of these qualities was unacceptable in us. She also believed that the best way to forge these attributes in a person was to beat it into them – both emotionally and physically – until their hides grew tough and their souls grew hard. I was lucky in that I had little trouble keeping up with her expectations; I was born a strong, healthy baby who was able to grow into a strong, healthy adult. Plus, I was naʻa [nonbinary], and thus considered sacred, so the village wouldn’t have let her get away with treating me too roughly. Our middle sister, Kovoy, though not protected by her gender and its associated status, was similarly advantaged in other ways: she grew up to be even stronger in body and tougher in spirit than I. Of course, things weren’t as easy for Kolas, my dear youngest sister.
Physically, she was put at a disadvantage with her naturally smaller frame; she didn’t stand a chance against the other kids – who were almost twice her weight – let alone Sabwo, who was not only an adult woman, but a rather large and muscular one at that. And emotionally, Kolas always had a very soft and sensitive nature. Sabwo always taught us that a leader must never let their emotions overwhelm them, nor should those emotions be allowed to sway one’s judgement. She also taught us that a leader should always handle themselves with aplomb, never betraying any sadness, fear, or even joy they may feel. The only emotion she ever showed freely, or encouraged us to show freely, was a sort of cold animosity that sent shivers down the spines of anyone who dared to find themselves at the wrong end of her ire. Kolas’s personality, of course, was the exact opposite of this. She was the type to be both driven by and easily overwhelmed by her emotions, and to always show them outwardly. On top of that, there wasn’t a mean bone in her body.
Speaking of bodies, I was brought back to the reality of my current situation by a sharp pain on my left side, right below my ribs. I hadn’t had a bite to eat for 7 A-cycles [local days, each lasting 18 Earth hours; 7 A-cycles≈5 Earth days] now; I was looking forward to finally having a proper meal. Yet, as I looked down at my kill, that lifeless corpse, that used to be someone, someone with a life so similar to mine, *even more similar to my sis- …*no. I couldn’t think like that right now. As I stared at the… meat, because that’s all this was now, I reminded myself that really, I was saving the lives of those I loved. When I and the other hunters left my tribe, the crops were failing. And as we set out to look for game, we found none. I knew that if we did not return with something soon, Sabwo, as leader, would have to kill her own people so that we wouldn’t all starve. And knowing her; in all of her cold, calculating, loveless, glory; she’d slaughter the member of the tribe that she saw as contributing the least. Even if that person was her own youngest daughter – that little sister I loved so much.
“That was a close one, wasn’t it?” a hushed, but still-too-loud voice exclaimed in a poor attempt at whispering.
“Quiet, or we’ll get caught!” I hissed.
Lashayu, the owner of that voice, recoiled and shrunk to a quadrupedal stance, his long, bushed-up tail tucked between his legs and his ears lowered and pinned back in submission. Though I couldn’t help but notice that those ears were a rather dark shade of orange. Almost as if he were… flustered? No, that couldn’t be right; he was a child – and one that I’ve been nothing but cold to at that.
Our hunt chief, Hwoy, sent Lashayu to help me with this hunt. He had jumped down from a higher branch – one of many this treetop village was built upon – so that he landed right in front of our prey. With Lashayu’s presence as a distraction, it was easier for me to sneak up from behind and make the kill. Though a one-to-one fight would have been fairer and thus more honorable, we could not afford to care about such abstract values when the survival of our tribe depended on the success of this hunt. And apparently, even though Lashayu was armed with both a hunting knife and a rather long stick, our prey would have kicked his ass had I not been there to swiftly dispatch him before he could do so. Hence his earlier comment.
I really couldn’t blame him for his incompetence though, as he was so young and so new to the Pack. A, he was younger than I was when I joined, and barely older than Kolas was now! And unlike me, he didn’t even want to be here! Most boys are excited when it comes time for them to be drafted; having had it drilled into their heads from a young age that “it’s your sacred duty!” and “an honor to go out into the wilderness to provide for your tribe!”. But some, of course, are unpersuaded. The wilderness, after all, is a dangerous place. For one, we weren’t the only hunters out here. There were quite a few creatures higher on the food chain than us; losing a hunter was the most probable end to an encounter with them. Even those below us on the food chain could be dangerous; a hunt gone awry could spell disaster. On top of having to face such perils, Lashayu was forced to enact decisions that no 7 La-cycle old [11 y.o.; 15 y.o. human maturation equiv.] child should. To take any part in murder, even if it was for your own survival, would surely cause some lasting emotional effects. All things considered, perhaps I shouldn’t be so hard on Lashayu; he was dealing with a lot and didn’t deserve my criticism.
Besides, I couldn’t complete this hunt without him; I would need another person to help me carry out the body swiftly so that we wouldn’t be caught. Otherwise, an all-out war between our peoples could occur. Though we were obviously not above murder, we wanted to avoid such excessive bloodshed as war; it would just be a waste, really.
So, Lashayu pulled out two small lengths of rope from his pack, which we used to tie the wrists and ankles of our prey to the long stick Lashayu carried. That way, it would be much easier to transport the body. Now that I think about it, it was kind of fitting that Lashayu be the one to carry the stick we would use for this since his name literally translated to “stick”. The humorous play on words coaxed a small smile and tail flick from my previously stone-cold countenance. But I digress.
As we set off to bring the body back to the group, I returned to my musings about my sister. I tried to imagine Kolas as a hunter taking the kill, and couldn’t help but huff in amusement, for the sheer implausibility of her ever committing such an act was almost laughable.
No, she would not join the Pack. Even if it would bring us together, even if it was her best chance of escaping the constant harassment she faced back home, she would not do it.
“What’s so funny?” Lashayu inquired once we reached a distance where it was unlikely anyone would hear us as long as we remained quiet. “I- if I may ask, sir,” he quickly added, stumbling over himself in awkward, overexaggerated deference. It was honestly kind of cute. Not in a weird way of course, more like the way a small animal is cute. And not that I could tell him that anyway; a friendship between us could prove messy; it was for the best that our relationship remained strictly professional.
Processing his question, I heaved a wistful sigh, tail and ears lowered, a sad smile on my face. “Oh… it’s…” I stopped myself before I could get too personal. Could I really let him know just how worried I was about my sister?
He might think I’d gone soft. He might think I was weak. And I couldn’t, ever, be weak.
No, I must maintain my uncaring façade. So, I put on that mask of aggression that never failed to hide what was going on underneath; I pinned my ears back, gave my tail a good thrash, and snarled through gritted teeth: “It’s… it’s none of your business.”

Due to questions and comments regarding:
the Battle Pass

• D4's Monetization
• Pre-Orders
• Crossplay and Cross-save (playing / save-files across several platforms - PC, XBox, PS - including "do I need separate / individual copies for each system?")
• System Requirements / Technical Questions
• Launch Date + related questions (e.g. Preload)

...being asked very frequently on the subreddit, please post them in this thread so they can be compiled in one spot, which makes it easier for the community to oversee and to respond to them.
​
Short Questions that may not require a whole thread to be answered or Less Frequently Asked Questions that are more niche / very specific (like "What is the Tick Rate of Bleeding Effects?") also belong in this thread to not over-saturate the front page of the subreddit with such threads.
​
- Please read the brief FAQ below before posting! <---
Basic Information on D4 and some of the most frequently asked questions are quickly answered there!
================================================================================

Quick FAQ and Basic Information on D4

• Launch Date: June 6th, 2023 (and June 2'nd for those that pre-purchase the Digital Deluxe or the Ultimate Edition)
• Global Release Times: the exact Regional Release Times can be found here <--.
• Preload Date: nothing announced yet.
• Collectors Edition: does NOT INCLUDE the Game (neither a physical copy, nor a code), only physical collectible items! The game has to be bought separately.

​

• Beta Progress: Character Progress will NOT transfer over to the Game once it is launched, but Cosmetic Rewards from participating in the Beta will transfer.

​

• System Requirements: See image here <-- for official information on D4's System Requirement.
• General Suggestions to make the game run better: the game may run better for some people on lower settings. Remember that you can also choose to download lower texture pack, which reduces the amount of disk space you may need to have available.
• Ultrawide Screen Support? Yes
• Offline Mode: No Offline Mode. Online-only, including for Consoles (so unlike D3 on consoles, no offline mode for consoles with D4).
• Local Co-op / Couch Co-op / Console Co-op: No couch co-op on PC. Yes on consoles, but only for up to 2 Players (same for all Home Consoles).
• Crossplay: is available across all platforms.
• Is progress, cosmetics, etc shared between PC, Xbox, PS5, etc? Your Progress, Cosmetics, etc are saved on your Battle.net account, so yes, they are shared between your PC, Xbox, PS, etc copies of the game you may have, provided you are logged in on the same Battle.net account.
• Do I need to buy a copy for each platform separately to play it? Yes. In order to play the game on PC, you need a PC copy. To play it on console, you need a copy for the particular console.
• Controller Support for PC? Yes
• WASD Movement Support for PC Keyboards? No, but maybe later down the road in the future.

​

• Start of the 1st Season: A few weeks after launch, but the exact time is unknown at the moment.
• How Dark is Diablo 4? Yes.
• Cow Level: there is no Cow Level.

​

• Infos on the Battle Pass: There is a Free Battle Pass and two Tiers of a Premium Battle Pass. Premium BP (Tier 1) cost 10$, gives access to unlock cosmetics only and Premium BP (Tier 2) costs 25$ and gives accelerated access to the cosmetic of the Tier 1 Premium BP + additional Cosmetics. The Free & the Premium BP's last for one season (one season lasts ~3 months) and all of them will take ~75 hours to complete.
• Is D4's Premium Battle Pass pay2win? Short Answer: NO!
• Is D4's Premium Battle Pass pay2win? Long Answer: The Premium Battle Pass does NOT give an XP Boost. There is an XP Boost in the FREE Battle Pass. Buying the Premium Battle Pass does NOT unlock or accelerate the pace at which you get the XP Boost of the Free Battle Pass. XP Boosts only apply to your OTHER seasonal Characters, AFTER one of them has fulfilled certain requirements, like reaching a certain Character Level (evtl. Max Character Level ?), so it will only make it faster to level seasonal Alts, not your seasonal Main Char. (based on currently publicly available information).
• D4's ingame Shop: only sells cosmetic via Premium Currency, but not power (based on currently publicly available information). Premium Currency can also be gained by playing the game.

​
[Gameplay] - Does D4 have...

• ... a Skill Tree? Yes.
• ... Skill Points? Yes, D4 has Skill Points (these are shared by Active and Passive Skills)
• ... Skill Runes like in D3? No, but there are ways to modify Active Skills further (both via Items and via the Skill Tree)
• ...a Paragon System? Yes, but it is very different than Paragon from D3. Unlike D3's Paragon, D4's Paragon is NOT account-wide and you do NOT have unlimited Points for it (gained from Level 50 to 100 + via some other objectives). It is "Paragon in Name-only" so to speak.
• ... Respecs? Yes, but they cost Gold. You can respec individual Skill Points. Due to the Gold Costs for respecs increasing with Character Level, you can't respec High Level Characters too much each day.
• ... Trading? Yes, but only Normal, Magic and Rare Items (+ Gems, Gold & Elixirs) can be traded, but not Legendaries or Uniques. Rare Items can be enchanted further, but then can no longer be traded.
• ... an Auction House like D3? No Auction House in D4.
• ... Bald Occultist from the Trailer? Check!
• ... Succubi? Check!

​
================================================================================
​
Question not answered? Ask your question in the comments or join the D4 subreddits discord!
Any further comments regarding these any of these topics? Post them in the comments!

I don’t want to be a Karen but there’s no way to avoid it… I live near State and Main in Pleasant Grove, been here for about 8 months. One nagging constant is obnoxiously loud cars revving their engines up and down state street at all hours of the night. Don’t particularly care about it in the middle of the day, but it’s a really regular occurrence that I get woken up past midnight by someone’s car(s). Don’t know if they’re just joyriders, one or a few collective of people, or generally ignorant/inconsiderate, but it’s really killing living here.
I’m curious if anyone else in the area has any insight. I’m from the main valley originally… I’ve lived in Murray/Taylorsville area and North Salt Lake/Bountiful area and NEVER had this issue before. Do we just have a lot of people down here with the intelligence of cavemen? Have people in our community complained to the police or city authorities but there’s something impeding change?
I’m probably gonna get ridiculed by people because it’s Reddit and there’s always that one person that likes loud cars so they get offended reading about someone equating loud car people to morons, but I thought I’d give it a try. Kinda just venting too; people are really inconsiderate and suck. Never had people blasting their stereos and revving their engine at 2AM until I moved south of the point of the mountain. Kinda makes me want to move back up north when my lease is up.
In reality, can our community do anything about it? Or am I just going to see the nasty side of Reddit make fun of me for not wanting to tolerate smooth brains who are too ignorant to consider their noise level in the middle of the night.

I have had issues with sleep for a very long time. In college I was regularly abusing over the counter sleep meds just to function and I was unwillingly staying awake for over 24 hours constantly. I took ambien once a long time ago and I only slept for 2 hours and was wide awake afterwards, plus I wouldn't be interested in taking it anyways after hearing about all the sleepwalking stuff. I have extreme difficulty falling asleep and I wake up many times during the night. I sleep in a totally dark and comfortable room and try to be consistent about times I'm trying to sleep. I have heard the usual things about getting out of bed when you can't sleep and removing electronics etc. To be honest I dont have the energy to do that a lot of the time right now. When I hit the bed I just want to be able to sleep.
I have been prescribed trazodone which worked a few times but it soon stopped working completely. I was recently prescribed Doxepin, it does absolutely nothing. I've learned that it does have some sedative properties but I think unless it is a true dedicated sedative that serves no other purpose, I won't sleep. It feels so frustrating that I have to somehow "prove" my sleep issues to get something that works. I'm going to tell my psychiatrist next week that it does not work. I want to be able to sleep without medication eventually, but I'm going through a lot right now and really really need to sleep. I'm really pissed off about it now so I probably won't be able to sleep for a while.
So what helps you go to sleep and stay asleep?

Spawn on each end and head to the middle to fight it out. The most fun I’ve had on that map and a pleasant surprise.
I really didn’t see that coming.

I don't regard myself as an expert at this game but I play almost exclusively on Lethal now.
I rarely pull any crew from my Legacy Pool, but I do "lean" on the Legacy Pool to overcome problems (call it spamming or savescumming or cheesing I don't mind) with getting from "launch" to having the Infirmary built - as you will see it is not in my gameplan to do that "super early" and I have typically eliminated 5+ hearts before establishing the Infirmary.
I don't use things like the firework gun thing and generally I avoid calling in the Impaler.
Below is Drucker County. This is at "pre boon mission" - and I will probably restart the map rather than do the Boon mission, as I have already done them all and they are boring.
For reference at the end of the game, I have survived 12 days: less than 2 weeks. That means killing 2 or 3 hearts a day. I'm pretty sure this time around I had no community deaths, although I did exile a couple of people and I think one might have been plague effected after getting a heart to a phase.
Here is my community having just killed the last heart. Nobody has maxxed all 5 stats yet, and only 2 have maxxed anything at all - Vasquez was recruited with Automechanic already maxxed... I have finished the game occupying Wallys Bar and Grill (the cafe type place in Santa Maya, the centre of the map). None of my characters are Sheriffs - so I have not been able to "finish" the Lounge.
https://preview.redd.it/hjvz1vywhw3b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=d59849abd43974f355e47c58267c9d1210876d51
For this walkthrough I used Builder and Sheriff boons. I find Trader and Warlord dump a bunch of stuff on you at the start which simply amps the starting difficulty without particularly providing a long-term benefit.
https://preview.redd.it/14fbilv8gw3b1.png?width=1611&format=png&auto=webp&s=b2d385d3482ceab405dd4578c4c444852aa90c7b
The image below shows what I do before I claim the Vogel House. Note I do make a fair bit of use of...

1. A known location for a jerry can
2. Using my whole team as pack mules
3. Finding cars to load Rucksacks into, BEFORE claiming the base.

The new update has decreased item 3 quite a bit: I have learned through trial and error that waking a heart before claiming the starter house is a Bad Idea (tm).
Pre claiming Vogel
The diagram below shows the circuit I do before I claim Vogel House. But first, Ferals: I have found that with Update 33 I am running into more ferals than previously. My answer to this is in three parts:

1. Honestly if it happens as soon as you start, go straight in. They seem easier to kill with 3 newbies who are not tired even if all they have is pipes.
2. At the gun shop give your two partners whatever gun you can find, ideally a shotgun stuns a feral and that can solve a lot of problems when there are 3 of you.
3. At least one of the characters having a Blunt heavy weapon.

When there are 3 of you these 3 tactics seem to get the job done.
Also, prior to update 33 - the hearts were the hearts. I am now finding I need to be a lot more timid to avoid things like screamers or killing plague zombies waking hearts up during this part of the game.
​
https://preview.redd.it/bfv5tby9jw3b1.png?width=1138&format=png&auto=webp&s=fb711387971f17271996f6bc0e02f7651c0b1469
A: the starting makeshift camp where you can access your Command Centre, and drop off items which fit in a backpack.
1: where the car is at the start of the game. 2: by this point you should have found a petrol can. 3: a campsite where you can usually find something useful. 4: generally you will find one or two ranged weapons and maybe a workshop mod in the gun store in town. After clearing these out you will go to the makeshift camp. From the makeshift camp you return to your car. Note: the earlier you find a car then your journey might not change much but your approach to rucksacks WILL change. You want to have "all cars full" plus two of your 3 beginner characters carrying a ruck. In your car travel to 5. Here you can pick up fuel - both a jerry and a ruck - and materials. You should also be able to find one or two plague locations.
Don't hang around!
Travel to 6. Between 5 and 6 you should be looking for hearts while avoiding doing anything that will wake them up.
If you find a car, drop off the rucks you're carrying.
Go via 7 - if there is a chance, loot one or both the food locations here.
Back to the makeshift camp. Empty all backpacks. Reallocate rucks.
Head off to 8. I like to secure but not loot on the way north to 9.
9 is a checkpoint. More weapons and an ammo ruck. You might prefer to leave the ammo ruck behind because you will return to 8 where you will probably find more rucks than you can carry.
This is when I finally claim Vogul House.
Then the Materials World mission starts. Ideally by now I have found 1x heavy weapon - even a driveshaft club is good enough.
https://preview.redd.it/2o3qy490hx3b1.png?width=1060&format=png&auto=webp&s=16a8b988bd33fe43fe7a66815d1ba126592ad537
Generalyl there will be about 5 hearts in this south-west portion of the map. You need to be a bit cautious to work out which one/s you can do without waking any of the others. With each of your 3 characters - the goal is, pick up anything that isn't a material ruck from the previous step, while killing 2 hearts per character. Chances are if you are as bad as me you will get at least 50% plagued "by accident" - if this happens, head home. As soon as you can - call in an enclave. You need them for fuel, toolboxes, maybe stim items, maybe a weapon.
Don't hang around and loot if it seems dangerous: go back with the healthy character, and do it without taking risks, to manage fatigue.
By now you can think about...
the rest of the plague hearts on the west,
https://preview.redd.it/snxf3vgthx3b1.png?width=1138&format=png&auto=webp&s=6a2312787fb21f5855390cd06a09c32ce7d8dd57
you probably have 2x heros,
and you should be thinking about claiming the cell-phone tower near Vogul House to manage crowds / prevent accidental waking of plague hearts.
Those hearts on the South of the map are usually close enough to trigger a chain reaction of wakening. What you really don't want is to accidentally trigger the ones clustered in the centre of the map near the hospital up there.
From there I went and did the isolated heart in the medical centre in the middle of nowhere.
I actively used the (new to release 33) Disruptor feature of the cell-tower, as well as, relocating which cell tower I claimed all over the map, to use the (new to release 33) "land mine" feature.
I moved my other outposts periodically as well, for the same reason, and to simplify character change-over while taking out hearts.
All this was done without accessing anyone from the legacy pool, or any military recruits.
I did recruit from enclaves to disband the ones with the sucky benefits.
I did recruit from the mechanics enclave, and wound up with a champion auto-mechanic (plus someone to exile).

Hey guys. I'll be quick and simple. This subreddit will be joining with videos and thousands of other subreddits to stand up against Reddit's effective banning of third party apps.
There are currently many ways to read Reddit, whether its on the official site, official app or through a third party app, it has been this way since the beginning of Reddit for you to have the choice to decide.
I've been here for coming up on 9 years and used a third party app and RES (Reddit Enhancement Suite) for almost as long.
For more information I direct you to videos crosspost: https://www.reddit.com/videos/comments/13zqcua/rvideos_will_be_going_dark_from_june_1214_in/
Posting will be disabled from the 12th to 14th, if you have a story just save it for after.
I hope Reddit will see the right path as they have done before and we wont have to go dark.
Thank you for your time.

First
Prev
Corva fiddled with an empty medicine bottle, he looked at the labels and peeled them, only to stick it on the bottle again, he would screw off the cap and screw it back on repeatedly. It was an old habit of his, just looking at random things and playing with them like a fidget toy, he only does it when he has nothing to do, ever since he got a job that habit disappeared, but now, all he can do is lay down on the bed of a hospital tent, and he's also technically currently unemployed. Since no company is going to recruit anyone in the middle of an invasion from killer robots. He thought back to what happened yesterday, when Lavoss came into the tent and confronted Kawl.
"You're still awake?"
"Hmm?"
He was still curious about it, what did Lavoss mean by traitor? Did Kawl kill someone? He doesn't look like someone who would do such a thing, whatever it was that he did though, it was significant enough for Lavoss to hit him in the head with the stock of his gun knocking him out cold. It was shocking to see, he was awfully calm up until the point he said something about the traitor part and not a moment later Kawl was on the ground unconscious with a gun stock shaped dent on the chitin protecting his head. Everyone gasped, except Mari, the nurse, she looked like she expected it for a long time and stayed calm.
"Do you have trouble sleeping?"
She asked as she came back with another box of medical supplies.
"No, just… didn't feel like it"
"What do you mean you don't feel like sleeping?"
She put the box down and walked up to him.
"Well… i got plenty of sleep yesterday, spent the rest of it sleeping, didn't i? And most of today as well"
"With all due respect that doesn't justify staying up until the middle of the night, besides, you need rest"
"Same thing can be said about you… I haven't seen you take any kind of break, even the doctor's not here, why are you?"
"The downside of being the only qualified nurse left around, not the only one in the camp of course, just the only one left for this tent, besides… it's my duty to watch over the patients, and make sure they have enough sleep…"
She raised her voice a little on that last word, as well as throwing a glance at other patients that were already asleep.
"Subtle…"
"Right i am, now sleep"
"I've tried, i don't think i can"
"So you do have trouble sleeping, hold on, i think i have something for that in stock"
"No thanks, can we just… talk? It's been some time since I've had a friendly talk with anyone, just… Not about anything in particular, you know? Just talk"
"Hmm… fine, when was the last time then?"
"Right before the invasion… right before he lost his life…"
"Let's… not talk about that…"
"Wise…"
"Uhm… What's your job?"
"QC, for quality control, in an arms factory"
"A factory worker? You looked way cleaner than i thought you would"
"If i were working in the assembly i think you would change your mind about that, but no, QC's don't get their hand dirty often, maybe once in a while when a weapon explodes on them"
"Huh… ever had one?"
"Personally? No, have I seen it? Yes, funny story, when i first got accepted i had this instructor, telling us how to check the quality of products, the first rifle he picked up to show us how to check the pulse had a faulty wiring on it, too much energy, it blew up on his face while a group of new QC's was watching, safe to say he doesn't like it when some of us laughed"
"Poor guy, Reminded of someone"
"Who?"
"My sister"
"Oh i…"
"Oh don't worry, it's nothing sensitive, it's like your story, she's a teacher, been one for a while even before she got here, so when she got here to Rosan she was considered a senior teacher, and when new ones needs a tour of their workplace and know how to handle the kids they relied on her, now one day she was guiding a new teacher…"
"Mhm?"
"And she was like… maybe she wants to show off a little bit, I don't know, but from what she told me, she said to this new teacher something along the lines of: 'look at these children! So behaved! If you want to do that you have to learn from me' or something like that… and… not a second after that, one of the kids who were playing threw a wet ball of paper and it hit her right in the back of the head"
Corva had to spend some willpower trying not to laugh, remembering that he was the one who laughed when his instructor blew himself up along with Kasso didn't make it any easier.
"Oh the look of embarrassment on her face, didn't see it myself, but i wish i did, i can feel her esteem crumble every time i mention it, it was cute to see her just shrink and try to hide her face"
"Oh… you'll like it when you see how my friend acts around girls, Kasso, he…"
Mari was a bit confused why Corva suddenly fell silent, why he looked at the ground with a frown, until she remembered what he said, and it clicked on her.
Right before he lost his life
"I'm sorry for your loss"
"It's fine, i'm sure he's in a better place… much better than this… hellhole"
She wanted to comment on his sudden pessimism, but decided that won't be so wise considering he's not wrong, no matter how many times she tries to ignore it, she has to admit, their current situation is a hellhole.
"I suppose that's enough talk for now…"
"...."
"I advise you sleep now, you'll get tired"
He didn't respond, and just went to sleep without another word, and an unchanged expression of sorrow. She sighed and returned to her work, sorting the type of medications into different containers.
"When will it all end?"
—-~----
It was calm… and black… that is about all Schen can think about regarding his current state, he can't tell if he's dreaming, or if he's asleep or awake, it's just that he is aware. It was a strange feeling, like being asleep physically but not mentally, he feels like he's floating, without a body, like there's nothing that can limit him. And yet at the same time he can't do anything, he was just aware, and drifting away in this weird state of half dream. For some reason, he thought of those tales of people who 'died' , people who experienced long comas, and the tale of their supposed journey to this place between the mind and the world.
Ridiculous stories, barely believable, and uninteresting if you ask him. And yet, here he is now, aware of what's happening, he remembers everything, he passed out from blood loss, after fighting one of those things. He wants to wake up, check on his men, maybe meet up with Captain Vaiya and make up a plan on what to do next regarding their situation. But you can't wake up when you don't even have control over your eyes, so it was more of a waiting game, an annoying one, knowing what's happening and yet can't act on it. He'd rather be actually dead over this, at least if he's dead he doesn't have to worry about anything. The problem is, he knows he's alive, it's just that his body is not responding to him, nor can he feel it.
It took what felt like hours, since he wasn't actually asleep, he was paralyzed but still conscious. After an agonizing few hours, he felt the first bodily sensation, his finger, it graduated to the feeling of his hand resting on a soft surface, probably some sort of bed, he can feel his breath as well. He started feeling his body, little by little, unfortunately, now that he feels his body again, he can feel what his body feels, and that is pure unadulterated pain. On his head, on his leg, his back, his arm, everywhere, he doesn't remember getting hit that much, but apparently he did. His back arched from trying to suppress it, and he let out a grunt that was too loud for his standard.
"Calm down! Don't move just yet…"
A voice, good, that means he should be in a friendly area now. He opened one of his eyes with a considerable amount of struggle, and saw the face of an Enovian with a waterproof paramedic hat on through his blurry vision.
"I've had worse…"
What a word for him to say before his back gave up on him and suddenly went limp, triggering pain in many areas of his body.
"Aergh…"
He grunted with some exasperation and regret. Maybe he shouldn't be showing off at this kind of age, it's not good for his bones.
"Where's our painkillers?"
—-~----
"Captain?"
"Yes?"
"He's awake"
"Just? or?..."
"For awhile, he needed some time to actually get up, thought we'll just wait for him before telling you"
"Alright, thank you, i'll be there, a wonder he survived though, and to wake up this early"
"It is, his wounds were near fatal, he was essentially one light tap away from a fractured skull"
"Tough little guy… you can go now, there are others no?"
"Oh…yes, sorry ma'am"
Vaiya turned off her personal datapad, and stood up from her command seat. She dusted some metal dust off her uniform and made her way to the recruitment office turned into a temporary medical bay. She walked through a collection of the remaining crew of the ship, some simply threw a glance at her, some greeted her, and some gave her a salute. She noted the look of despair in their eyes and sighed, but kept on walking as that isn't her goal right now. She arrived at a door with a plate next to it that says: 'recruitment', the plate had an electrical tape with a writing on it that says: 'medical bay now' stuck haphazardly on top of it.
It isn't a neon sign, but it works. She opened the door manually with her hand as most of the doors in administration are now unpowered, inside was simple, four 'beds' laid on the floor, with most of the desks removed, the remaining medical crews stay here now, treating anyone they can. Including the new security captain, Schon, who she spotted sitting on his bed half awake wrapped in blood caked bandages, while clearly struggling to drink from a glass cup. He looked oddly… calm, like he's not surprised he's here at all. Granted, she did rescue him from becoming minced meat, and it's only logical to assume there are survivors holding out somewhere, but he looks absolutely unfazed, as if he had this happen before.
"SC Schon?"
She walked up to him, he gave an unsurprised look and went back to doing his best to drink.
"Captain…"
"Nice to see you awake already, i figured it would take a long time but you prove me wrong…"
"Uh-huh…."
"About that status report you ask for-"
"I already know, stranded, no engine, almost all crew dead, ship's practically scrapped, light's dying, and surrounded by killer machines chewing on the hull, and Rosan IV isn't so lucky either"
"Yes… unfortunate is it?"
"Yes, but right now I don't care, how's my men?"
"Your what?"
"My subordinates"
"Ah… they're… few, 50… down to you and two others, i'm sorry"
"I see… who?"
"Koern, and Ayuna"
Schen wasn't paying much attention to the captain, he simply stared off into the distance, but hearing the young Caevit's name roll off her tongue took his attention.
"Really?... Thank you, but you're not here just for that right?"
Now that he actually pays some attention to her, he noticed her face change, a bit more tense.
"You read my mind, come"
"I can barely move my lips and you want me to walk?"
She looks around for a minute before looking back at him.
"I don't mind carrying someone"
"Huh?"
—-~----
"If i have credit for every time a Tekit lady carries me in her arms while i can barely move, i'll have two"
Schen commented on his current position, it earned him a confused and curious look from the captain. She took him to an uninhabited room to talk, as it turns out most of the administration has been turned to some sort of holdout for whoever's left alive in the ship. She set him down on a chair and followed suit, sitting right in front of him.
"So what is this? Is there something you want to know? If it's about this whole thing then you're talking to a wall"
Her behavior was odd, Schen noted, she seems… agitated, not angry, just stirred, like something's bugging her. He can understand being scared, but the way she moves suggests whatever's currently happening isn't the case.
"Nothing much… i just want… confirmation"
"Go ahead…"
"So… I heard that Koern asked you for help, is that so?"
"Yeah? Got to me after he said you can't help"
"Do you know what his issue was?"
"Yes, random images and voice recordings from his cousin"
"Okay… where does his cousin lives?"
"In Rosan IV and from what i heard, it's about as messed up as this ship"
"That is correct, do you-"
"Wait, can we just get to the point here? What's the issue? Why are you suddenly interested in Koern's problem?"
"I… because…"
"Hmm?"
"...Because i've been having the same problem, what you said, random images, and voice recordings, now i know it's exactly the same, that is what i want to know"
"Huh… okay… so?..."
"There's one difference… his problem started today, during the jump, my problem has been going on for the last five cycles"
"....."
"And I want to know one more thing, please, answer this honestly… do you see it?"
He can feel her agitation increase tenfold as she asks the question. She was normal, now she's visibly shaking.
"See what?..."
"The shape…"
"Shape?"
"Please tell me you saw it too, i… I've been thinking about it… for a long time… ever since I've peered into those images, there's a shape stuck in my eyes, it's burned itself into my mind, and I feel it…. Everyday i think i see something in the corner of my eyes, i hear noises that aren't there, closer and closer every time!…. It… it was getting closer… the shape…"
Her stare became intense, like the stare of a crazed person.
"i… don't know…"
"Oh but you know! You saw it!... Just as I did… it sees you, but you can barely see it, it's there… watching… First it stays in the image, then it creeps into you, haunts you, then you see it hide everytime you turn your head… it follows you, everywhere you go… in your sleep… when you work… all the time…"
Her breathing was rapid, almost uncontrolled.
"Perhaps… that's just you, i do not experience these"
"It may not now, but it will…. Because it has to me, it's like a tumor, and it won't go away, no matter how hard i try… it's still there…"
She calmed down slightly, her breathing was normal again, sort of, and she's no longer shaking, but the stare is still there, the stare of true fear, striking deep into his soul. As she calmed down more and thankfully finally averted her gaze elsewhere, Schen took the downtime to process what he just listened to, and his conclusion was: what the ////?
"Sorry… i… i just… i needed to know… i need to know if i'm not the only one… now i know it's in you too, not now, but soon, t-thank you"
"Your… welcome…"
"Should we return?"
"We…"
He pondered about asking her to take him to the bridge, so he can look out and see what's happening outside the ship, but now he's reconsidering it, because of that… experience.
"...Yes, we should"
She let go of his arms, he didn't even realize it, but she was holding on to him tight the whole time.
"Of course… of course, let's make this quick…"
—-~----
Schen observed Captain Vaiya as she left the medical room, he noted her sudden return to her previous well mannered behavior, he can still see a tinge of anxiety in her eyes and movements however, and realized how similar it was to Koern's behavior. Anxiety, unease, massive discomfort, moving around constantly, and eyes snapping to random positions as if they're trying to catch something on the move. It was unmistakable, Schen recalled back to his conversation with Koern, about something he said.
'it's… distressing'
Koern did look at the images before coming to him, and it was clear the images caused it, if Vaiya had something similar or identical happen, he can assume the cause for her distress is the same. But one question remains that still baffles him: how? How do random images do that? Implanting irrational fear into someone, making them see things that aren't there, what is happening? And now that he considers it, he did see the images, is he going to fall victim to the same thing? Why hasn't he felt anything if those images can do that to someone through just a mere look at it?
One question leads to another, and it all gets more complicated the longer he tries to solve it. He wanted to ignore it, maybe they were just unstable and he misjudged the whole thing, but he can't help but feel there's something to it, it's clear those images and recordings somehow were sent by the creatures currently roaming the ship, he sees the connection, but why? And how? Psychological warfare? Maybe, that was the most rational answer he could come up with. With their clear situation of being in the middle of an invasion, he can only assume such an answer, but applying it to only a few specific targets seems beyond strange.
He pinched his snout in frustration, before taking a deep breath and exhaling it as slowly as he could. Perhaps he shouldn't think of it too much for now, maybe that's how it gets into you, the shape… whatever it is. He looked around his surroundings, a 'medical' room, previously an office, he watched the doctors treat the wounded as he thought of his next step. Looking outside the ship should be a good idea, he had asked a nurse about the whole situation before Vaiya showed up, they told him the entire star system has fallen, Rosan IV was silent, any attempts at communication and call for help were futile, the other planets around the system, some are yet to be named, are the same.
That means those things have been here for a while, and somehow stayed out of the union's radar. He remembered the emerging stories of Rosan IV, how it became a ghost, how communications were far and few between, how many ships that traveled to its system went missing and ones that returned had signs of heavy damage on them, and how their crews looked 'lifeless'. If Rosan's system has been like this for some time, wouldn't that mean any ship that comes here would suffer the same fate as his ship?.
Why would some return and look 'fine' was beyond him, but a thought nestled itself in his mind, a terrifying thought, it made his blood run cold, the thought that these things have spread beyond this solar system, spread silently, in cargo ships that travel to every corner of union space. Suddenly people seeing shapes and hearing sounds after they look at an image doesn't sound horrifying anymore.
"////…"
—-~----
Faen sat in his office, for the millionth time, he stared at his computer, for the millionth time, he opened the files containing the Qrid military spending, for the millionth time, he looked at the reports file, for the millionth time. It has always been like this, being a general wasn't all about giving orders and making war plans, most of his time was spent in front of his computer, looking at the passive activity of his army, and its spendings, receiving calls or calling someone to see if he can learn something new about someone else's army. Look at pirate reports, raiders, terrorists, radicalist, sometimes cultists, it has always been like this, looking away at the computer, looking at files, always has been.
He wouldn't say he couldn't make wartime decisions, if one were to ever occur, he's always confident he can, after all he has learned from both his father and many mentors. He trained for it, for war, he trained how to control an army in such a situation for pretty much his whole life, he doesn't have to, but it's better to know how to fight than not at all. You never know when it'll come, maybe now, maybe in years during your old days, maybe never, but if it ever does come, he knows what to do, whether he likes it or not. It's a part of his pride, his identity, though he couldn't say much about his son, and everyday he worries about not having a successor, not having someone to pass the torch to, and as time marches on indiscriminately, his worry can only grow.
Sometimes he wondered if should've been harsh, and not fulfill his wish to go to university so he can learn computer science, and put him in the very school he himself went through to become what he is now. But that's not a good father, isn't it? It would be against his wish, and he would've needed to force him, it's what his son's grandfather did… to him, he still thinks about it, about his original dream. A singer, a far cry from a supreme general, he remembered the angry face of his father upon learning what he wanted to be, it felt like it happened just yesterday. He never liked it, not once, despite managing to prove himself worthy as a leader of an army in the end of everything.
And to think, he was almost like that, to his own son, he couldn't handle the thought. Faen took his eyes off the screen, just for a moment, and looked at another one, a camera display, showing his son's room. Rana was sleeping, as usual and as he should be at a time like this, he looked at him through the screen, at his arm, and thought about his latest conversation with the woman he loved.
"Disappointment, huh?"
He felt a subtle pain in his chest out of nowhere, he opened the drawer on his desk through a motion that tells of excessive habit, and absentmindedly took his medication without looking. With a sigh, he looked at a small button to his right. There was a screen above it that had a list of people considered significant enough to be contacted by him directly, which ranged from the supreme generals of other species, to the head maiden that cleaned his and his son's bedroom. He looked for a specific one that he recently added, the surgeon that is the head of operation for the trials he had put Rana through for the last few cycles, the trials that he and his mother show complete disapproval to.
He found it and clicked the button, it was answered after some time and he entered a call with the surgeon.
"A pleasure to speak with you general"
"Hrm…"
"Is there something you wish to ask of me?"
"Yes… we should stop, no more trials"
"If that is what you want, then I will gladly comply, but may I ask why for the sudden stop? You seem invested in this when you first called me to arrange it"
"Family issues"
"that is-"
He cut the call short, and continued his work. Looking at the files, looking for differences every so often, making sure everything is stable and taken care of, and glancing at his son's monitor once in a while, and for the first time since his son graduated university, he smiled. Perhaps that's the right thing, to be a father, not a general. At least… for a moment, his smile disappeared as he received a call, it was marked as urgent, and was displayed on his screen instead of just a sound notification. He dusted his uniform and fixed any creases as he noticed the call wasn't just any call, it was a notice for him to join a discussion between supreme generals of each species and their respective leaders, that includes the matriarch.
It is odd he wasn't notified of this earlier, oftentimes these kinds of things have their own schedule that was discussed beforehand, a sudden meeting like this can only mean one thing. He accepted the call, and his screen changed to the display he's all too familiar with, a digital conference room, two lines of camera display, the bottom for the generals, the top for the leaders, they were all present, which is to be expected. The matriarch of Qrids, the Tekit queen, the Caevitan allfather, high empress of Enovia, and the Civean president, the current roster of union council, below them was him, and other generals, including general Cynte of the Civeans.
He still remembers his little offer to make an accident to highlight Rana's name, after the reveal of the Goels and the incident it was kept as a private thing between them that didn't really go anywhere. He doesn't want to talk about it, neither does Cynte, so it was technically a win-win situation, despite the unexpected and frankly out of their favor results. The call was oddly silent, no one was saying anything even the loud ones like his mother, they seemed to be waiting for something, or someone. Faen didn't question it, it would be considered stupid, so he too followed the silence. It was a strange and awkward few minutes of staring at each other not saying anything, up until what they waited for arrived in the call.
Another screen appeared above all ten screens, and on it was something he dreaded to see, the collection of red revolving rings, Cain. Practically every general present felt tense, including him, the leaders couldn't care less, except maybe for the Civean president who expressed the most worry as they all waited for Cain to speak. Sudden meeting, all members, and Cain, and considering their latest development with the Goels, this couldn't be good. The red rings assemble into the shape of a solar system like it did when it appeared on the monitors of his warship, and Cain spoke with his usual low pitched synthesized voice that everyone in the room knew quite well.
'it is no doubt all of you will question why I requested this urgent meeting, i apologize if any of you found it to be too sudden, but what I have to tell you will change your mind, and I will not waste your time, as we are in a race against time itself… the union has been breached by an invader, you are under attack, and in a process of galaxy wide invasion'
No, definitely not good.
"What do you mean by this?"
Faen immediately asked, as much as he distrust Cain, he must agree with his mindset that no time should be wasted. And it seems his question stopped a particular set of leaders trying to speak, stopping them from blurting out what are probably4 going to be pointless sarcastic remarks, so that was another benefit of speaking first.
'your union is currently under the invasion of a race that is arguably similar to me, we call them Shakran'
The display of red rings changed to a scrolling collection of images, images of… Faen doesn't know how to describe it, bipedal creatures, made of metal, and grossly disfigured bodies, with sharp claws and many eyes. Every single thing varies, some of the things in the images looked small and only had claws, some were massive and had what are clearly cannons as a weapon. He noted a certain detail about the images, they were blurry, and not straight, and some strange things were staring at the camera, while looking elsewhere. Something tells Faen these images were taken in the middle of active combat.
'They are a hivemind of machines, their sentience and sapience is debatable, but that does matter currently as their only goal is to destroy and conquer'
"Lies! If we were under an invasion from them, we would've known already! Besides… we already have an invader… we're talking to them right now"
The Tekit queen spoke with clear passive aggresive energy in her voice. Faen sighed in annoyance but kept it to himself.
'i understand the distrust, but it is no reason to make a sarcastic remark, however, you need to trust me on this matter, because their return can only mean danger to the union, and the universe as a whole, they are-'
"Wait, what do you mean… their return?"
'you all must've wondered how and why i and my brother ended up the way we did on that desert planet, what you are seeing on my screen is the answer to your question'
It didn't click for any of the leaders, their annoyed expression stays the same as Cain finished his sentence, but it clicked for every single military leader in the room, and it horrified them.
'my kind have encountered them before, my creators, it led to a war, a million year war, between me and them, they are what wiped my creators out of existence, and soon will be the cause of extinction for every single species in this union if we don't take any actions, since you refused, i have personally tracked every ship that left Rosan IV for the last six cycles, here is the data'
The scrolling images turned into a detailed map of the galaxy, with every single star system currently under union control included in it, there were red lines all over the map, they were all traced back all the way to one specific system, Rosan IV. A heavy weight rested itself on Schen's mind as he realized how far the lines have gone, to a point it crosses itself, wrapping around the galaxy in a circle, like some sort of a chaotic web.
'Rosan is lost, it is highly likely they have turned it into a staging ground, i know that we all have strived to avoid this, but war is inevitable, i have send a complete data regarding the Shakrans to all of you, please review it as fast as you can, and take your moves, as i will mine right now, alert your fleets, if they see my fleet entering a system, tell them they are here as an ally, i have been defeated once, i will not repeat the same mistake again, i hope you can catch up and help me, because there is no telling of what they will do once their setup is complete, and there is no telling whether or not i can do this alone'
"Wait! What should we do?"
'search and destroy, hunt down every ship that left the system, check every station, scan every inch of space, detonate stations, evacuate every planet they have visited then purge the cities and hammer the surface with orbital strikes if you might, but by all means… do not let. them. develop. That is all i have to say, my reinforcements are coming, but i do not know if there is enough time, act now'
And with that, Cain left the conference room, and at that very moment, it shattered, every world leader was either furious or dead silent with a look of horrific realization, his fellow generals went into a panic and contacted their fleets. Except for him, he simply sat there, unmoving and very still, staring at the galaxy map Cain had brought up, looking at one particular star system, crossed several times by the red lines, and surrounded by it, Sheneae XI, isn't that?... The solar system his wife is visiting to look at a newly opened hospital?.
(a TON of RIC's)

I am in an early game server (1mo old) and am playing mainly carrier, is Golden Venom worth spending on to run with Dark Giant or Slim Arched and Shikaree Master? Is it long term playable?

I love this game but generally i'm getting tired of future dystopias. That isn't realism as some might call it. We had this "star trek" business a long while ago where it showed us o nice vision for a good future of humanity for a change and it had been called unrealistic for being so optimistic.
Well we managed to postpone all the bad things that would be happening in trek's "past". No eugenic wars, no third world war up until now. No collapse of the world's economies leading to worldwide malaise as i've seen predictions for since the eighties. Instead we feed more people then in the eighties with less environmental impact. I've seen many ways the world would end. But then it didn't.
I've seen many ways in which the world we know ended in games and movies and oftentimes they rush past the massive changes that must've happened to create the world in which the story takes place in.
And i'm getting tired of it. Getting tires of future dystopias being called "realistic" because they aren't. Our Culture seems to have a depression problem or something. We seem to like seeing our depictions of our descendants suffer.
But i've seen quite enough of that. If you like future dystopias, do i have some good news for you. They're everywhere and even star trek has taken the dark and gritty road now because it's apparently "realistic" to have political development slide backwards a few centuries for no reason.
I hope the Cyberpunk genre is done. "Cyberpunk2077" would be a beautiful swan song to the genre and i hope it doesn't create a wave of imitators until we're all sick of it.

Having tonnes of fun on the game, real banger in the making, I just want to air a few grievances I had in the early game. Keep in mind this is based on my experience so you might have had it different.
-medical supplies. Medical supplies were a scarce commodity with the crafting recipes for bandages and medkits locked at the start of the game. This, combined with crafting bandages being impractical for people without a bottomless pit of money to buy and scrap items with, makes the only avenue to get meds to buy them. But, bandages are for some silly reason locked until you level up the traders a few times (and long before that point you've lost all your meds on your first raids) and I still haven't unlocked medkits even though I have a trader at level 5.
This could lead to newer players being unable to heal as they don't know where to find meds in raid, and will probably loose many fights with other players to being damaged by ai beforehand. Leaving a sour taste in their mouth in the critical "is this game worth my time" period.
The solution I can think of is to make bandages available from the get go at at least one trader. The fact I can buy submachine guns from people I supposedly don't know but I can't buy a few strips of cloth doesn't make any sense.
-unclear jobs I gotta turn on the capital ship transponder? Where's the capital ship? Do I have to breach it with an escape pod or can I dock? The merchant ship's custom's manifest- what now?
Not knowing where jobs are can seriously affect a newer players experience. I basically learned them all from trail and error, and I'm still surprised I managed to find the forklift on my first raid after accepting the contract.
My solution would be to add a compass or radar map on the top of the screen when piloting a ship, having the factions logos represent the directions I'd need to go to complete them. This shouldn't effect gameplay much except give newer players the pointers they need.

Hi all. I'm a long time JRPG fan...but I tend to chew on my favorites rather than try a wide variety of them. I like games for the usual reasons: fun storylines, great music, interesting battles/character growth, fun world exploration, etc. I get turned off my too many cutesy tropes, but I can fight through some if the game is otherwise good. I'm OK with both turn-based and active battle and OK with both new and "new to me" old games. I tend not to like western RPGs which I view as gritty to the point of being un-fun and repetitive.
My favorite games are still ye olde FFTactics, Star Ocean 3, FF6-10, Dragon Quest 8 & 11. Yes, they're all 20 years old...except for DQ11, which has the spirit of a 20-yr-old game.
Do I need to try a Tales game? If so, which? I think about it sometimes but I always get turned off at the last minute because they strike me as just a bit too lightweight/trope-y. Same thing with Persona, but I don't get as close to giving it a chance...I like the grand adventures as opposed to the pick the GF games. (Although I'm sure I'll be told there's more to Persona)
Do I need to play Bravely Default or Octopath? I think about it sometimes but they look sort of sterile to me...like old FF without Nobuo or the anything-can-happen fun element. (I liked Triangle Strategy, for the record)
I've played Xenosaga and (recently) -gears: fun storylines, but that gameplay...! Xenoblade looks like it has industry-standard battles as the cost of storyline darkness/depth.
I might give something like Yakuza, Like a Dragon a chance, but given the obvious jokiness I don't really feel like I want to pay full price for it...I'm not sure that's my style. I like "lighthearted" in games that are otherwise rather serious about their themes.
Soo...what should I play? Feel free to recommend something I mentioned...or otherwise. New or old. I'm OK paying for something I'm sure I'll like, but I don't really want to roll the dice on a $50+ game...

As recently as a few weeks ago and I think I had it as long ago as middle school: I’m inside a large building like a mall or airport, either on the upper level of an open air walkway or perhaps an escalator. It’s daytime, very quiet, and lots of sunlight coming in through large skylights. Everything looks normal, no signs of anything dangerous or unusual. I feel safe, and I want to look around. There’s also a single person with me whom I don’t recognize. Regardless of how old I am when I have the dream, she’s always the same age, probably 25-35 years old. I can’t really see her face, but I somehow know she’s very striking, with a dark complexion and hair, and wearing casual clothes. We don’t talk during the dream, and it doesn’t last very long, but she stays by my side the entire time.
That’s pretty much it. I’ve never had any reference for where it came from or what it means.

Here are mine:
Map Expansions: Hong Kong/Slovakia/Taiwan (either announced as launching that day or coming later in the year), Greece, Denmark, Mexico (a combination or something else)
DCE (Detailed City Experience): Houston, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis, Dallas, Phoenix, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Milan/Como, Paris (a combination or something else).
Features I think most likely will be announced: AR enhancements, Transit upgrades/updates, improvements to MapKit
Features I would love to see but am unsure of right now: Significant Look Around or DCE expansion in the US, Offline Maps
I will say that no matter what Apple announces, they will close the gap with Google Maps to some extent. Depending on what they announce, however, will determine whether it's a large or small extent. Offline Maps will be a massive addition by itself, in my opinion. DCE will be great as well. It won't be long before we find out what officially gets added!
*Nothing here should be taken factually until at least after Apple announces what's coming

What do I tell the colorist?
I have long, straight, very dark hair (natural black). I usually keep it back for work. I like braids but they look so flat because I have no dimension or color in my hair to make them stand out. I don’t want to go too much lighter (caramel browns) because I have medium-dark brown skin and it just doesn’t look good on me.
What’s something I could do to add depth but still keep my hair color overall black so it’s low maintenance?