Last year my husband and I moved 1 hour away from where I currently work. I have been with that company for almost 6 years now. They are good people and I enjoy working there. However, I believe it is time for me to move on.
That being said, I would like to add to my current set of skills by getting a certification or even going back to school if needed.
For context: I am currently a mid level manager with my company. I would like to add some additional administrative skills to my toolbelt, though I have always been fascinated with the idea of working in project management or marketing( perfect world scenario, I would work in project mgmt. Or marketing).
My problem is that I do not know what line of education from what university or what certifications to go for. When I do my research the majority of the ones I find are either borderline scams to get your money, or useless certs and degrees that give you 0 competitive edge in the job market. I am extremely cautious these days for that reason. There are so many scammers out there, and people content to take your money only to give you nothing in return.
I don't want to waste my money or my time. I want to learn new and valuable skills that will not only benefit me but also my future employer. Any advice?

Heroes they say? This world doesn't need heroes, that's what got us all killed in the first place. They'll tell you the monsters did it, that the gateway to the beyond plagued this world with a disease we could not help but succumb to...but that's bull. It was a heroic bunch of fame seeking, thrill seekers that touched something they shouldn't have, opened a door best left closed. One year later and the world was in ruins, just a few cities left against the unrelenting perils of the "Beyond," or so we now call it. You head outside these walls, kids, and the Beyond will eat you alive...unless you're ready. That's what we at the Red Lotus do! Our foresworn venture into the unknown so you don't have to. Need some goods delivered to another settlement? Red Lotus can do it. Heard a monster is ravaging convoys and need it killed? Red Lotus can kill it. Found an old map with some long forgotten ruins? Red Lotus can search it.
We're not heroes, because like I say: the world doesn't need those. No. We're pragmatists and professionals, we get the job done or die trying. That's the Red Lotus way.
-----------------------
Hi there
My name is Wiggy, I'm a professional DM and writer, with two decades of DM experience in a multitude of systems. I will soon be starting a new D&D homebrew campaign and there are 3 seats remaining.
If you're interested, or have any questions, follow the link at the end of the post.
Foresworn of the Red Lotus is a homebrew post-apocalyptic, gritty, steam punk fantasy game using the 5e Dungeons & Dragons rules in which travelling and survival are as important as surviving the next encounter. Where magic is the stuff of legend and spellcasters, of which players could be a select few, are feared and revered in equal measure; known as the 'gifted.' The world of Foresworn of the Red Lotus is reduced to a few sporadic cities, and the Beyond: a ravaged wasteland of varying biomes overrun with monsters and their ilk.
Players take on the role of Foresworn, professionals in service to the last guild brave (or foolish) enough to send parties outside of the safety of settlements. Foresworn are equal parts investigators, survivalists, warriors, and lore masters, carrying the skills to survive for long periods of time outside city walls. All D&D 5e classes are available to play, with most subclasses as viable options.
Details, and how to join: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cliafhc6c000c08mfga0o4ytf

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 49%. (I'm a bot)

OTTAWA, June 6 - Authorities in New York, Toronto and Ottawa on Tuesday warned residents about the health risks from air polluted by smoke from unprecedented early summer wildfires in eastern Canada.
The Canadian capital of Ottawa, which neighbors Quebec, was covered in haze on Tuesday morning, with air quality in category 10+, the worst level on Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index, indicating "Very high risk".
"Smoke plumes from local forest fires as well as forest fires in Quebec have resulted in deteriorated air quality," Environment Canada said in an air quality alert for Ottawa.
Wildfire smoke can harm health even at low concentrations, and people with lung or heart diseases as well as older adults, children, and pregnant women were at higher health risk from wildfire smoke, Environment Canada said.
Wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year flames have been mushrooming rapidly in eastern Canada, forcing home evacuations and the federal government to send in the military.
"I want to highlight that people need to continue to listen to local authorities on how to stay safe, including in places like Ottawa that are affected by smoke from wildfires," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.

Summary Source FAQ Feedback Top keywords: Canada^#1 wildfire^#2 air^#3 health^#4 OTTAWA^#5
Post found in /worldnews.
NOTICE: This thread is for discussing the submission topic. Please do not discuss the concept of the autotldr bot here.

What do you think of when you hear the term ocean? Do you think of sitting on the beach, watching the waves hit the land and just feeling good? How you stand in the water and the tides gently enclose your feet and the sunlight reflects on the wide water surface?
Or are you thinking further ahead? Are you thinking about what is really beyond the shore? Are you thinking about what you can't see? Of what lurks deep in the absolute darkness of the sea?
I thought until recently that the ocean was a fascinating place. The sheer size made it, in my eyes, a wonderful place for sea creatures and a whole other world is down there that we can't see with the naked eye.
Originally, I was also planning on doing a job that had to do with the ocean. Not boring jobs like fisherman or captain of a cargo ship, but much more something along the lines of marine biology. After all, I wanted to explore things myself and not just swim around bored on them. I don't have to have a profession for that. I could do it that way, too. However, this desire disappeared long ago after I found the message of my recently deceased grandfather.
He was also a "sailor". At least that's what my parents always called his profession. At some point, he had suddenly stopped doing that and seemed extremely afraid of the sea. We suspected that his long working hours on the high seas simply had a negative effect on his psyche and caused an actually unfounded fear in him. He had also never explained to us why he was so afraid of the sea.
You must know that the house I live in is not a new house. It is the house of my great-grandparents. They built it and we have lived in it ever since. My mother, my father, my little brother and me. The original plan was that the house would be passed down from generation to generation. And we still had tons of old junk lying around in the attic that had probably already taken root there.
Anyway. My mother had persuaded my father to move out of this house. I didn't care if we moved out of that house, because our new house is closer to my friends and to my school. It would only make things easier for me but otherwise not change anything.
On the day of the move, I entered the attic and we moved some of the stuff stored there into the moving truck. My brother had just put away a bag of weird stuff and a small inconspicuous box caught my eye. Since I needed to know if the box and its contents were relevant to our move and should be saved, I opened it and looked to see what was inside. However, I could not find more than a dusty envelope.
Without giving it much thought, I opened it. When I read the first line, I was puzzled.
"My dear family, if you are reading this letter, either I have died or you have actually gone through with leaving this house..."
I didn't read any further, as the "dear family" confused me a bit. My eyes wandered to the foot of the letter. Signed by my grandfather was "Love, your grandfather."
I started to grin and looked behind me to make sure no one saw me. I suspected they were just my grandfather's farewell words prepared long before and wanted to be the first to read them. I folded the paper and put it in my pocket. I brought the rest of the things from the attic downstairs and we drove off to our new home. In the evening I fell into the bed that was in my new freshly decorated room, completely exhausted.
As I threw myself on the bed, I noticed the folded paper in my pocket. I pulled it out and noticed that it had become somewhat crumpled in my pants pocket over the course of the day. Fortunately, it was still easy to read everything. So no big deal. I rubbed my eyes again, yawned, and then turned my gaze to the unfolded page.
"My dear family, if you are reading this letter, either I have died or you have actually managed to leave this house. Or both.
I have left it up to fate when this information reaches the light of day. Once the information reaches the light of day, it should be ready to be received. I want to emphasize at the outset that none of what I am telling you here are figments of my imagination. I am tired of these confused looks from my children and I just need to somehow get rid of what happened to me. Writing this down currently feels like the only solution.
Where do I start? I was the assistant officer of a large transport ship in 1957. Our goal was to transport toxic substances such as sulfuric acid, cyanide, nitroglycerin and many other substances. We stored these substances in a special storage room on the ship, which could only be entered with protective suits. The cargo was very dangerous, so three times a day someone had to check the situation in this room. It had to be ensured that the substances did not come into contact with each other and that no substance escaped uncontrolled.
Although I was second officer, my help was seldom called upon because the chief officer always emphasized that he had everything under control. This did not bother me. On the contrary! It gave me the opportunity to perceive this transport as a real vacation. I could lean back and let the first officer do his job. And yet I still had authority over the rest of the crew. No, not that I would ever abuse the power I had. But I felt powerful nonetheless.
I spent most of my time in my cabin, attending to isolated crew matters, but otherwise didn't have much to do. I finished my daily work so early that I could relax early in the afternoon, and even before the night when everything went downhill, I went to bed early. I only got rid of my shoes. I left the rest of my uniform on. I closed my eyes and shortly thereafter sank into the realm of dreams.
I was rudely awakened by a member of the deck crew. He was visibly in stress. Bathed in sweat and with a worried expression on his face, he shook me awake.
"Wake up! There's an emergency!" he stuttered. I exhaled a little annoyed.
"How can I help you?" I said in a slightly annoyed voice.
"We're not alone on the ship. I went down earlier to check on the cargo. There I found that it had disappeared!" he explained in a somewhat shaky voice.
"When I tried to find a lead for the disappearance, I found a body in the canteen."
I looked at him in disbelief.
"You what? Show me that body immediately!"
I straightened up, put on my shoes and asked him to take me to the corpse in the canteen. Once there, I saw the body of one of the security men. His limbs were stretched out. He was lying on his back. His eyes were staring at the ceiling and his mouth was painfully wide open. It looked so unnatural. I checked the pulse and found that the sailor was right. He was dead. I tried to gather my thoughts and instructed him to sound the alarm.
After he disappeared, I checked the rest of the body. I saw deep scratches on the chest and a black liquid oozing from the body openings caused by the scratches. I did not dare to touch the liquid. Shortly after, the deck crew member came back, breathing heavily. He told me that he found the body of the chief officer on the command bridge when he tried to sound the alarm. Furthermore, he said, something had devastated the command bridge and disabled the alarm.
I asked him if he had sent out a distress call to surrounding ships while he was on the bridge. He replied in the negative. I got angry and yelled at him why he didn't do it right away when he was already there.
"Where is everyone else anyway?" I asked him as I grew louder, visibly overwhelmed with the situation.
"I'm sorry, officer. I was already on the lookout for other members of the crew. The doors of all the cabins were open as I made my way through the sleeping quarters. But nowhere could I spot anyone on the way to the bridge," the frightened young man said in a shaky voice.
"What's going on sailor! I demand answers!" I shouted at him.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened either. When everyone was already asleep I was simply completing my patrol when I noticed the missing cargo and the body. And then I immediately came to you because your cabin was the closest. I don't know what happened either." he answered me intimidated.
"Then we must assume that we are not alone. Someone must have stolen the cargo and caused the death of our comrades" I said while pulling my pistol from the holster on my belt.
"We go to the command center and send out a call for help. After that, we'll go to a lifeboat until we know what's going on."
The young sailor nodded, slightly uncertain. We walked toward the top deck and finally arrived at the hatch. I lifted the hatch a bit and peered outside. It was pitch black and extremely quiet. The lights on the deck were off. I heard nothing except for the restless waves of the ocean crashing against the wall of our ship. I squinted my eyes, hoping to make out anything, and I could dimly make out a human-looking figure that seemed to have its back turned to us.
Relieved, I was about to open the flap when the figure turned its head to the side and I noticed the extremely wide open mouth of the creature, which was equipped with strange protuberances, one of which I thought was the tongue. At that moment, I can tell it like it is, I almost shit my pants. I was shaking all over and felt like my heart was stopping.
"What's going on officer?" asked the sailor.
"There's something out there!" I whispered in a frantic voice and immediately closed the hatch again.
"We don't enter the command bridge through the main entrance by the top deck, but through the stairs behind the cabins. There's something up there and I'm not going out there under any circumstances," I explained to the sailor.
"What's out there, officer?" the sailor asked in an anxious voice.
"I'll explain as soon as we're safe," I replied, stuttering slightly.
We were making our way to the command bridge when we heard footsteps in the immediate vicinity. And they were getting closer. I wanted to be careful after seeing that thing on the top deck and peeked cautiously around a corner. My breath caught in my throat when I saw what was below deck with us. A strange creature that had taken over the human body of a comrade was walking in this guise towards the canteen and thus, fortunately, past us.
The creature had a human body, but its eyes were blacker than night, on the neck of the human body it had gills, and on its hands it had webbed fingers and regular claws. The mouth also had these disgusting protuberances and the tongue was considerably long. The skin was chalky pale and this strange black liquid was dripping from this thing onto the floor. Along with the footsteps, the thing was making sounds that sounded like a cat hissing. I tried to stay calm and we stayed still and quiet until we couldn't hear the thing anymore.
We then crept to the command bridge and carefully locked the door behind us so that the thing could not follow us. I immediately went to the radio to send a call for help. I paid no major attention to the officer's body.
"Hello? This is Deputy Officer Harper reporting, we need assistance immediately. We found bodies aboard the ship. One in the mess hall and one here on the command bridge. We..."
But at that moment, the lights went out, as did the radio, and my heart began to beat faster. Something had cut the power. My eyes wandered to the sailor who was looking at me worried and scared.
"It's all right sailor, they've probably still heard the most important part. We'll just get to the lifeboats and then everything will be fine," I said in a calm voice, even though I was freaking out inside. I took a deep breath, knowing that we would now have to go outside to get to the lifeboats. We suddenly heard a bloodcurdling scream that I guessed was coming from the lower levels of the ship, and it was clear to me that whatever was on the ship could not have been human.
I opened the door a crack and peered out. I couldn't see anyone. Presumably the things had mostly retreated inside the ship. I made my way outside and pointed my pistol in all directions. Nothing.
I instructed the sailor with a wave of my hand to come out and follow me. He followed my instruction and we tiptoed to one of the lifeboats. But there I remembered that lowering the lifeboats makes a big noise. I instructed him to get into the boat and when he had both feet in the boat, I lowered the boat down. As the boat approached the surface of the water, I heard the screaming again. This time louder and closer and I realized that they had noticed us.
Without hesitation I jumped over the railing into the lifeboat which was about halfway to the surface. Just as I landed on the boat I heard the screaming from above and the windows as well. It was a miracle that my landing in the lowered lifeboat did not seem to have any serious consequences for the boat. The sailor helped me up and we saw the creatures pressing their ghastly grimaces against the window panes and trying to break the glass with their bare hands. When I looked up, where the screaming was also going on, I saw two of the things climbing on the railing and getting ready to jump.
I raised my pistol and fired a few shots at the creatures. The first shot hit one of the creatures in the head, whose lifeless body detached itself from the railing and fell next to us. At that moment our boat reached the surface of the water and we immediately loosened the chains that lowered it and began rowing for our lives. A few of the creatures broke through the glass and crawled through the broken windows.
But we had already been able to put distance between us and the ship as the waves came to our aid somewhat. I breathed a sigh of relief in the hope of having escaped, but when I turned around the sailor looked at me with a broad smile. His eyes were black and gills had formed on his neck. I backed away, startled. He jumped at me and we started a scuffle on the small lifeboat. I tried to grab my gun, but the thing had learned and tried to snatch it from me. A few scratches it landed on me. Thanks to my martial arts training, I managed to overpower the thing, level my weapon, and kill it with a well-aimed shot to the head. Shaking and exhausted, I fell to the ground as the shot cleared and the thing tumbled over the edge of the boat into the sea.
I felt a nauseous feeling come up inside me. I threw up into the ocean and I could feel myself slowly going black. I was about to lose consciousness. I can't quite describe what happened next. It may have been my imagination, because I was about to faint. But shortly before I lost consciousness, I could see two huge white eyes in the water, which opened under the water surface and looked directly at me. Those eyes were gigantic and looked somewhat reptilian. My eyes went black.
I awoke on another ship and received medical attention. When I regained consciousness, the officer of the ship asked me what had happened. I tried to explain it to them. But he just looked at me in confusion and explained that his crew had already searched the ship and they didn't find anyone there. I know I didn't imagine any of this. The scratches I still had were real.
I made this clear to the officer, who looked at me with a very serious look.
"Whatever you saw on the ship. You will tell no one about it. Do I make myself clear Officer Harper?!"
I just nodded. I realized that the officer on the other ship knew something I didn't. I was taken home and made to understand once again that I was not to tell anyone about this incident. This time when I asked why not, the officer stopped, turned his head to me and said in a calm voice, "You saw it yourself."
After that, two of the men took me off the ship. Since the time I am writing all this down, it has been many years and by the time anyone reads this I will probably be dead and then it won't matter if anyone reads this.
So dear family. I know Anthony likes to deal with the ocean, but if you find this letter before he does, which I assume you will, try to talk him out of it. The ocean is an evil place we know too little about.
And I myself would call myself a strong man. And yet it took me years to come to terms with what I saw.
You are now warned. With love, your grandfather."
Thereupon his letter ended. An extreme uneasiness spread through me and I could not believe what I was reading. I think it is unnecessary to mention that I did not sleep that night and also the following nights it was difficult for me to fall asleep. I decided to keep the letter a secret and not show it to my parents. I didn't want to scare them. The dream job of a marine biologist was also out of the question.
Even though what my grandfather experienced at that time seems surreal to me, I see no reason not to believe him. The ocean is a place that is extremely little explored, so I do not think something like this is unthinkable. I believe that my grandfather was telling the truth here and therefore I would like to publish his letter to warn all people about the depths of the ocean.
You never know what might lurk beneath the surface of the water.

There is no "normal" for systems. The only thing that's ubiquitous across systems is the feeling of being more than one person in one body. But this feeling can manifest in any number of different, individualized ways, none of which are wrong or invalid.
Some systems have hundreds of parts and scores of fictives, all of which are self-aware to varying levels of activity. Some systems have both self-aware headmates and NPC fictives. Some systems have just two members.
Some systems can only communicate externally, through writing notes, talking out loud, or otherwise leaving each other messages outside the body. Some systems have perfect internal communication, like a telepathic bond. Some systems have some headmates who can communicate internally and some who can't.
Some systems have expansive, detailed innerworlds which they experience in first-person. Some systems have vague, void-like innerworlds which feel superimposed on the outer world. Some systems experience their innerworlds in third-person, or lack an innerworld entirely.
Some systems consist of members who take turns driving the body. Some systems have one main host and have others co-front. Some systems have members who never front or co-front, and are only experienced in the innerworld.
Some systems can visualize their headmates. Some can only hear them.
Some systems have blackout amnesia and don't remember their life before the age of 14. Some systems have partial amnesia, with foggy memories and memories detached from emotional processing. Some systems thought they had no amnesia until later realizing that their brain was hiding it from them. Some systems really don't have amnesia at all.
Some systems have members who fit neatly within common roles. Some members resemble more than one role. Some members don't want to be associated with a role at all.
Some systems have entire government structures, with decision-making councils, votes, and arbitration. Some systems function more like an anarchist commune or family structure, with less rigidity and more trust-based governance. Some systems are a chaotic, disorganized mess.
If you're a new system, don't worry about whether you're monoconscious, polyconscious, endogenic, parogenic, polyfrag, or whatever. These labels can be helpful for established systems to better express themselves, but this isn't a multiple-choice test. These are not the only ways (or 'correct' ways) to be plural. It's more important that you listen to your brain and figure out what you are first.

So I believe, based on global conditions and economic climates, in the USA, possibly also Europe, we will see a resurgence of marriages and monogamy, with a down turn in hookup culture and high earning single people. Allow me to explain:
The first is artificial intelligence. The thing artificial intelligence does very well, without much fail, is writing content and doing text based work. This is already taking over many content based jobs . Many of these jobs are held by women. Writing, journalism, documentation, text based research and more will be over taken by AI . The same with replacing only fans , instagram, tiktok, or any form of digital modeling, AI will be able to do it better than any real woman. Similar with fashion modeling. Why hire models when you can take a virtual copy of clothing and wear it on a virtual model ? So in short, any field where women had a gender based advantage will be gone, thus equalizing women and men.
The other big change will be a reduction in high earning employees. What this means is that, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc will see much lower salaries . This has been happening for physicians for years and is starting to happen to tech engineers. A lot of places and jobs people used to think set people for life, aren't that way anymore. Even software engineers are increasingly being hired in cheaper places like Eastern Europe. In the research sector, things not tied to national security or in high demand will not get grants.
What we will see is a resurgence of both manufacturing and trade skills jobs, as well as people opening their own small businesses. Manufacturing is being decoupled from China and other risky countries in terms of geopolitics. Trade skills and manufacturing jobs will be more or less require two incomes in a family to thrive. Small businesses are generally run in families. I know a number of software engineers where their SO converted from being a doctor or an IB analyst to making their own online company. The engineer does the tech side, the other one does the business side. Many many new small businesses started in the pandemic.
My view is that, we are entering a phase where education doesn't lead directly to a high earning career as an individual, less jobs that give an advantage to a single gender, and an environment where theres more money to be made in running your own business. Thus, I believe this will encourage marriage and monogamy. We will be seeing less of the "women in STEM" and more of the "men and women running a business"
Also, the rise of passport bros will increase due to developing countries being hammered by the loss of globalization. This will further increase marriage and monogamy, guys previously without a woman will find one elsewhere.

I have been playing Rumble on PBE 13.12 for the last few days since the login issues were resolved. Game quality is very low so I wont talk to numbers balancing at all, only how the new play pattern feels. I hope to convey what I imagine a lot of us feel (or will feel when it is released). Ideally to me he would still get top lane/jungle adjustments but no heat changes.
While 150 is fine for your initial over heat (hover at 100 instead of 50), getting to the second overheat from 0 feels incredibly bad and it is incredibly important in laning duels (especially top), turning a 1v2 gank, tower pushing while keeping some tempo, doing jungle camps and objectives, etc.
Phreak wants us to spend more time casting abilities (with danger zone) and less time overheating. However the less time we spend overheating (say starting at 50/150 heat), we actually spend that lull time doing 0 dps waiting for the extra rotation. [Say goodbye to omnivamp/bruiser builds here, consistent dps with sustain will always beat us]. He said he wanted to move us away from sit in a bush and burst someone play style, but he is actually pushing us further into it by reducing the time we can spend auto-attacking with the heat changes, and more reliant on a hit-and-run one combo doing something useful. Moving HP and base damage to scaling also reinforces this - less emphasis on laning phase and skirmishing (lower damage period, better for immobile melee ranges especially mid lane), and more on burst/relying on camping a bush to assassinate squishies mid-late game.
Phreak actually noted he thought this was a buff, but I think he just doesn't understand the decisions Rumble has to make as a low range, squishy, immobile, no sustain, ability based carry (aka burst mage, aka inconsistent damage, aka periodically 0 dps, etc). Yes we have received some %HP Q damage which is great for top lane, but nothing else important has changed, there is no world we can stand in front of enemy front line in a teamfight and Q them like he said he wants without dying to their engage. [What we already do if we don't have front line is a variation of poke them and bait their engage, R something, survive using Zhonya's, and Flash Q overheat onto the backline, hoping it's a won fight].
So that's the part that feels incredibly bad, the gameplay pattern with 150 heat, now for the clunky part of that.
To go immediately from 0 to 100 heat you cast a variation of QW, E, E, QW for 40 + 10 + 10 + 40 = 100. No ability goes to waste, movement/kiting/spacing fills the first rotation cooldowns and all in overheat autos fill the second rotation cooldowns. [Like many champs you poke and then all in, except here we are melee and have to commit like an assassin without an escape ability or like a bruiser without sustain and durability scalings, literally just a small shield we use more for heat management.]
So Phreak wants to fill the second rotation cooldowns with more spacing (I think he imagines something like Lillia who does it with 1 ability instead of 3) which doesn't actually work as we need to face the opponent in short range as much as possible for 3 seconds for Q to do damage, unlike literally everyone else who gets instant gratification or a full AOE like Fiddlesticks, except ASol and Velkoz who are balanced around standing still during their aimed channels. Then overheating in the third rotation cooldowns (which is the major nerf above, especially outside of PvP). It feels like 150 heat was chosen mathematically/symmetrically to achieve this without any extensive play testing, especially with the harpoon heat change affecting the underlying 50 heat pattern.
Noting again this is about going from 0 to overheat after the first overheat, especially during the events mentioned in the second paragraph.
Already due to harpoons being 20 heat there is already a wasted ability (an ability that comes up but you already just overheated, doubling the effective cooldown) in the intended new pattern. You'd think it would be QW, E, E, QW, E, Q (wasting W) for 40 + 20 + 20 + 40 + 20 + 20 = 160, but through actual testing of extended heat management you find the following:
With near equal Q W E cooldowns (either through buying CDR or normal max Q scaling) E becomes out of sync with Q+W (I think because the 2nd harpoon is recharging before you cast, so it is up sooner and sooner the more rotations you do), you always end up with 140 heat (2 x Q+W, 3x E), then have to wait a full rotation at 0 dps, and then only get to cast one ability, say Q, wasting both W and E which just came up as well.
Just noting again, this still eventually happens if you go the normal MPEN / low CDR build, but is extremely pronounced with CDR items. You only have 3 choices now and they all waste time/cooldowns/dps throughout every part of the game: the above, purposefully spacing abilities longer than their cooldowns/normal combos, waiting another rotation to dissipate heat in the middle of a fight as a 'carry'.
In conclusion it just feels awful having more cycles of 0 dps/vulnerability with Rumble's many limitations and then only using 1 ability with the second overheat. I feel like the heat changes are actually pushing away from Phreak's stated Rumble goals in his video.
Phreak said we would need to do some learning and adjusting which is true and fine when thought out and tested, but it's just a lazy excuse when it's either untested or even worse, clunky on purpose.
Regarding optimal builds, Rumble only scales with AP (W %HP is not worth a tank/bruiser build, especially because we use it firstly for heat management and CDR doesn't work well). For Q %HP to be useful against frontline/bruisers with any HP and MR (read: tanks that do damage), you still need MPEN. So the build is still Sorcs/maybe Swifties, Rocketbelt, Shadowflame (or Zhonya's if behind or tanking the start of [winning!] fights), Rabadons, Void Staff, Zhonya's. With a Dark Seal/Mejai's somewhere if you're not dying for the won fights.
​
All in all
The %HP is great and means we don't have to sometimes do really very sub-optimal builds (Liandries/Demonic), especially when toplane.
I feel the build is still full AP + MPEN with Ultimate Hunter so we can lean into the schtick even further and delete squishies especially with the slightly better mid-late scaling. I'd say we should do better against bruisers with the Q change, but with the fight lasting longer (less overheat, 0 dps issue) they will out sustain or just walk away if we are spacing instead of autoing on top of them.
I really don't think Bruiser Rumble is viable with his lack of utility, sustain, and resistance scalings. So many better 'tanks that do damage'. Rumble does not ramp up effectiveness during a fight like Conq/AtkSpd champs, it peaks and troughs which is not good enough.
Haven't even mentioned how bad the wave clear feels with less Q damage, fewer overheats, fewer early R's. Top lane, we will be even more vulnerable to ganks and poor wave states into bad matchups/early fights. Midlane might just have to give up more CS for roams. With less early durability/dmg and no overheat kill at level 2->3, maybe unplayable at high ranks due to the risks?
Please revert the heat changes, it flows perfectly as is, hence the uproar at 7 second W last year. If you want longer fights/less burst and random auto attacks from Rumble, start with his abilities and scalings to add durability/outplay etc.
At the very least change max heat to 140.
​
Random 200 Years Rework Ideas
Play Style - More ability focused, but the same overheat heavy autos of old. Add some creativity. Most damage to tanks and utility strength should scale with own tankiness, normal damage with AP.
Passive - Remove attack speed but keep original slow hard hitting autos, no longer the uber kill threat. %HP damage on auto now scales with own total HP.
Q - Same with %HP damage (scales with levels), but Overheat-Q applies a Shyvana-like burn to the ground (with more than just a flicker of Q), make DoT viable but also outplayable.
W - Same shield (AP scaling) and small movement speed after a short jetpack dash (dash length scales with AP) which can only pass very small walls at base. Maintains current direction champion is facing before the hop for normal Q or creative Overheat-Q usage. If shield dissipates it should heal (effectiveness scales with bonus HP).
E - Same damage and MR shred with AP scaling (AP Rumble must land EQ to do damage to bruisers, but HP Rumble should use Q + overheat auto), but splash the slow (bonus HP scaling) in a cone behind the detonation with small splash damage (for Demonic bruiser builds to proc a little), should help with farming/trading past minions in bad matchups and kiting 1v2 rather than relying on OP overheat attack speed to kill everything.
R - Width scales with R level (1x, 1.5x, 2x, it's currently so skinny people can just instantly walk off it unless the situation is very good) but reduce the base damage and range. Damage should still scale with AP, but slow with bonus HP. Then it is worth of a 'team fight ultimate' cooldown imo.
​
TLDR
Rumble relies on overheat autos for lane and jungle tempo and now has less, wave clear was nerfed alongside it. 150 heat is clunky due to the 20 heat harpoon and harpoon recharge desyncing with QW, leads to wasting abilities, it feels even worse with more CDR which makes the overheat nerf even worse.
Tank/bruiser Rumble is pointless due to his kit (only scales with AP, no utility). Changes lean towards jg/top lane but still for full AP + MPEN build to delete squishies on first overheat.
​
I am a serial lurker and last posted to complain about Dynamic Queue on my normal reddit account. I think the new gameplay loop is clunky and if these changes go through I am very worried about his agency to carry games. Very happy to be wrong about these changes/ideas and for any feedback.

Hello, I’m new to playing Skyrim and although I’m a big fan of open world games, I’m feeling thrown in the deep end by how absolute zero guidance there is. I’ve figured you have to chat to npcs a lot to get quests or any lore info, but as someone who does enjoy a little structure in games, play wise and narrative wise, im struggling to connect with it.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me to help me run through? Any bits of lore that may help me understand what’s going on (aside that your a dragon born, nords seem to hate everyone but themselves, im playing as a wood elf and can’t see where they fit into the world at all yet.
Most importantly if anyone knows of any decent guides or can suggest a quest order (outside of the main quests ive found separated into 3 acts) that would be super helpful.
Also, regarding the guilds (thieves, companions etc) can you only choose one of these? Would a wood elf generally align with the Legion or the Rebels?
Honestly, anything you can throw at me could help at this point. Thanks in advance! (Playing on ps5 so no mods available.)

Currently I'm a C level sales and business development leader in the for-profit world. Most of the work I do is in collaboration with non-profits so my personal network has scored me an interview for a Sr. Dev Director role at a really cool org in my area.
I've led and scaled diverse sales teams for a smallish company (30+ employees). I've never written a grant, but I think I have a good handle on how it works. I've produced hundreds of galas and events, successfully managed B2B and B2C sales operations for a very niche experience based products. And I serve on a local non-profit as a volunteer board member, so I have first hand experience with board relationships, etc.
Any hiring managers or ED's have suggestions on how I can put my best foot forward? What skills have you seen that are the most transferrable and should be highlighted? Would you ever hire from outside the non-profit world? Why or why not?

Pt4
It was a long week to wait. Kay was still pretty upset with me for ruining the first night. So I did my best to make it up to her by taking care of all the house chores. That way she didn’t have to worry about it. It worked a bit too. She was able to spend her free time relaxing on the couch. And she went from telling me how I was doing everything wrong to talking about how excited she was for Friday. So I knew if I kept up the extra chores I could get back in her good graces.
She was very strict about seeing her naked. I didn’t get a glimpse of anything the whole week. Whenever she had to change she would send me out of the room. The closest I got to anything was folding her panties when I did the laundry.
On Thursday night she woke up grinding on me. I thought we were about to go at it but then I remembered the rules that were set and I got an overwhelming need to follow them. “Honey we need to stop. I am not supposed to”
“I am just so horny. If you want to follow the rules you are going to have to sleep somewhere else.”
“What. I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Oh I think it is” she said as she but her hand down her pants. “You can go make up the guest room and sleep there.”
“Ok”. Just a couple more days of this. I could play along for a while longer.
——
Friday night came and it started off pretty much the same way as last time. I helped Kay get dressed. Though this time she wasn’t on the phone and she made me wear a blindfold so I didn’t see anything I wasn’t supposed to. After I was done I took off the blindfold to her dressed in the sexist purple lingerie. “Is that new?”
“Yep. I think I deserve it”
Just then there was a knock at the door
“Yeah! He’s here”
When we get to the door I find that I am really nervous not because I am scared of the embarrassment to come. But because I find that I don’t want to disappoint her.
“Hi Jason” my wife says as she lets him in and give him a big embrace. “Glad you came back”
“Me too” he says “you really are stunning.” Looking down at me “did follow all the rules”
“Yes sir” I said as though I was proud about it.
“Good. So Kay did he give you any trouble?”
“Not at all” she says as she goes in for a kiss. And just like that it’s like I am not even there anymore. So I decided to go get them drinks before they even ask and when I get back they are in the living on the couch all over each other. He has his hands down her panties and she is rubbing her hand over his crotch. When they stop to come up for air I give them the drinks
“Look at this. Didn’t even has to ask” Jason says. “So tell me Kay how was your week?”
“It was rough. Dealing with Jay isn’t easy. Plus I was horny all week. I think it was the most I have ever pleasured myself”
“Well I say we go upstairs and take of that. Both of you head up to your bedroom. I will be right there.”
Once we get up there I try to ask how she is doing but she just waves me off. “Not now. This is really it.” She says excitedly.
Once he enters to room he has us stand in front of him.
“Before we continue I want Jay to acknowledge his new role. Jay state for us why we are here tonight.”
“So you and my wife can have sex”
“Try that again!” He says sternly
I hang my head.
“You are here sir because me and my small penis cannot satisfy my wife in bed.”
“That’s better. Now undress you wife for me. And as you do tell her how pathetic you are.”
First I untie her robe and slowly pull it off her. “I am sorry you have had to put up with my small dick for so long.”
Then I unclasp her bra and take it off “I am not man enough for you.”
Then I kneel behind her. Place a hand on each side of her panties. “You deserve a real man. Not someone like me” Then I start pulling them down. I thought I was just playing along but things changed I think in that moment. Undressing you wife for another man is something that cannot be undone. I was really committing to this change in our relationship. I didn’t see all that at the time, I just thought about doing a good job and trying to make my wife happy.
After I pulled the panties off I held them in my hand and I could feel that they were soaked through. I stood up and started to back away.
“Come over here and undress me”
I did as I was told though a bit faster. I took off his shirt to reveal a chiseled chest. Then undid his pants and pulled them off. When I went to lower his underwear he pushed me down by the shoulders so I was eye level with his crotch. I found I didn’t even resist as I wanted to see it up close.
As I pulled his boxers off his enormous cock sprang out and hit me in the face. It’s was the closest I had ever been to another man’s dick. I was transfixed just staring at it. I was about to reach out and touch it but he pushed me to the side so he could embrace my wife. I back away and undressed myself as I wanted to be a part of this event too in someway.
What happened next will be seared in my memory forever. They began a long hug with the two of them pressed together exploring each others bodies with their hands. Next he guided her to the bed and laid her down. He then began kissing her all over. Teasing her and he would move across her pussy then kissing down her leg. Finally when she couldn’t take it anymore he moved to put his cock in her. “What do you want?”he asked.
“I need your me cock in me now” she said.
“Why is that?”
“Because you are a real man with a real man’s cock”
“Tell you husband to come over here a guide my cock into you”
“Jay come here”
I went over to the bed with my tiny dick about to explode.
“Grab his cock and put it in me. I need this so bad. I need to feel what it’s like to have a real cock in me.”
“Ok” was all I could mange to say. Was he going to put a condom on? I think she would want him to. “Sweetie should he put on…” was as far as I got before being cut off.
“Jay! Just do it! I need him now!”
I reached out an grabbed his cock and I almost cam right there.
“That’s it. Put it in me… oh yes! Oh my God!!
With one hand I pushed my wife legs open and then guided his cock into her. I found myself feeling good for being able to help. The sound she made when he entered her was like nothing I had ever heard before. Like pure ecstasy. In an instant I was invisible so I back away and just watched.
With each trust her moans of pleasure got louder and louder. And she said things she never said with me
“Fuck me” she screamed “fuck me hard”
Thrust after thrust.
“Oh my god! I’m cumming!!”
She had her fist orgasm as she grabbed on to Jason with all her might. But he wasn’t done. He kept going until she can again and again. I had never she her or any women every have multiple orgasms like that. I really was inferior wasn’t I.
“Who does you pussy belong to now?” Jason asked
“It….oh…god…..it belongs……so good…..to you” she said as she gasped for air.
“Jay!”
“Yes sir” I said as I watched on in amazement.
“Who does your wife’s pussy belong to?”
“It belongs to you sir” I said and I agreed with him too. I could never to that to my wife. It was clear I was not the better man in this situation.
“Damn straight.” He said as he pulled out and cam all over my wife’s stomach.
“Jay come over here” he commanded
“Yes sir”
“You have been a good boy so far so I have a deal for you.”
“Ok”
“I want you to stand over your wife and start to jerk off. If you can last for 1 minute I will let you have sex with her.”
“And if I can’t?”
“Then you clean up all this mess I made on her.”
“Ok. I think I can last at least that long” I said a little too smugly.
I started to rub my dick with my index finger and my thumb.
“Oh god” my wife laughed. ”that’s right. he doesn’t even need one whole hand. Haha”
And that comment was all it took to put me over the edge. I cam all over her as well. There was a lot to clean up.
“How long did I last?”
“Haha. About 10 seconds.” Jay said with smile. “Get cleaning”
I kneeled down beside her and leaned in but then I hesitated. I was less the an inch away I could smell it. I have never tasted anyone’s cum before not even my own. Just then Jason’s hand pushed my head into the cum. “Get started”
And I did. After a second of shock to get over the fact I was licking up our cum off my wife I started to get into it.
“Look at him go” Kay said. “ he really is into this?”
“Yep. I told you he would be. Guys like this are all the same. Give them a taste of being controlled and they will fall right in line.”
I didn’t hear any of that though because I was so engrossed on finishing my job. “Finished”
——
He spent the night in bed with her as I slept on the floor. The next day I made them breakfast and I finished cleaning up I met up with them in the living room.
It was amazing how normal it all felt. Kay and snuggling up with Jay on the love seat as I sat down in the recliner across from them. “So are you ready to go out?” Jason asked.
We then had really fun day. Jason was really easy to get along with as long as I listened. It was just like we were a group of friends hanging out.
Once we got home I was told to go make dinner so I head into the kitchen. I could hear them kissing in the next room and almost went to take a look but decided not too there would be time for me to be involved later.
After dinner was down we all sat down together in the living room.
“So Kay” Jason began “how do you feel now that you have had a real cock”
“Umm that I want more of course.”
“And Jay how do you feel about that?”
“Oh he wants it too” Kay said before I could speak. “You can see his tiny dick is hard already. “
I just nodded.
“It’s been long enough” Kay said as she pulled down Jason’s pants and started going down on him.
I went over to get a closer look. I wonder if I could touch it again? But when I got close Jason got up.
“Let’s move this upstairs” he said. We all head to the stairs. “Don’t you have chores in the kitchen?” Kay reminded me as we reached the steps.
“Yes …but can’t they wait until…”
“I’m sorry no. You have to have all you chores done or you can’t come up with us.”
“Ok I finish them be right up”
“No tonight dear. Since they aren’t done in time your not allowed to come into the bedroom at all tonight.”
“Wait. What?”
“I know your disappointment. Me too. I would love to have you clean off Jason’s seed off of me again. Maybe if you finish everything tomorrow you can join again. But for tonight once you are done you can sleep in the guest room.” She the gave me a kiss on the head. “Goodnight honey.”
And she walked up the stairs. I couldn’t believe it. I had fallen so far and now I was not even going to get to watch.
After is finished all the cleaning I headed up to the guest room and laid in bed. All I could hear were Kay’s moans as she was getting her brains fucked out. I pulled out my dick and jerked off as imagined what was happening in the next room. It’s didn’t take line for be to finish. I spent the rest of the night listening to the sounds of two people having amazing sex.
Tomorrow I would have to do a better job so i could be in there with them.
….

I'm looking to start a new Pathfinder campaign running the Blood Lords adventure.
We'll be using Discord and Foundry for tools.
Schedule is Thursday nights starting at 5:00 PM PST.
Send me a chat request if you're interested!
"The undead nation of Geb gains most of its trade from the export of food grown on zombie-worked farms, but one farm has been the site of a series of strange occurrences. The Blood Lords Adventure Path, is a six-part, monthly campaign in which the characters rise from skilled troubleshooters to join the Blood Lords who rule a land of the dead."
https://paizo.com/store/pathfindeadventures/adventurePath/bloodLords

Full dislcaimer below. TL;DR: We're not Bethesda staff, this is an automated post.

Filthy Casual Links

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From Bethesda.net

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is now live on PC/Mac and Steam.
This new Chapter in The Elder Scrolls Online saga introduces two new zones to explore, a brand-new class to master and a sinister plot to uncover that threatens reality itself.
If you play on consoles, don’t worry. You can dive into Necrom on Xbox One, Xbox Series SX, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on June 20.
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This release also includes the free Update 38 base-game patch, introducing new fixes, additions, balance changes, and improvements.

Necrom Chapter

In The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, you can delve deeper into the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure, explore the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha zones, and master an all-new class, the Arcanist. Necrom continues the story that began with March’s Scribes of Fate DLC, but you do not need to have completed the previous DLC to experience everything this Chapter has to offer.
Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha Home to the cunning mages of House Telvanni and the city of Necrom, the Telvanni Peninsula’s towering mushroom forests might feel familiar to those who have ventured to other parts of Morrowind. However, in addition to the city itself, this new zone contains a host of unique encounters for you to discover in your explorations, including new side quests, world bosses, delves, public dungeons and more.
NCRM Trophy CityOfTheDead Necrom city
Necrom also allows you to explore Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha. While this mysterious part of Oblivion contains knowledge untold, be warned—many mortals have lost their souls while navigating its endless libraries.
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In this Chapter, you can explore an all-new part of Apocrypha called Chroma Incognito, a region comprised of fates that never came to pass. This new area is unlike anything you have experienced before, including myriad hazards and secrets for you to discover. Learn more about Necrom’s two zones in this preview.
The Arcanist Helping you tackle these new worlds is the all-new Arcanist class. The first new class added to ESO since the Elsweyr Chapter’s Necromancer in 2019, the Arcanist wields the forbidden powers of Apocrypha to deal damage, absorb incoming blows and heal yourself or your allies.
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In addition to three skill lines that allow the class to perform any role, the Arcanist introduces a new combat mechanic: Crux. When activating specific Arcanist abilities, you generate Crux, which you can then spend to empower other abilities. How you utilize this unique resource in combat can have a major impact on your effectiveness as an Arcanist. You can read more about the Arcanist class in this preview—use these new powers wisely!
Group Challenges If you’re looking for a challenge, Necrom also introduces new group activities. Sanity’s Edge is a 12-player trial which tasks you and your allies with defending the fractured mind of a stricken member of the Mages Guild.
NCRM Trial SanitysEdge AnsuulTheTormentor Sanity’s Edge trial
In addition, Bastion Nymic is a new kind of world event where groups of up to four can help the Prince of Fate reclaim one of his lost fortresses from mysterious invaders. However, even getting access to this hidden part of Apocrypha requires special items found only on roaming Seekers. Read more about these two PvE activities here.
New Companions & Rewards As you venture throughout both zones, you can encounter new allies including two unique Companions, Sharp-as-Night and Azandar Al-Cybiades. Both Companions can be recruited, leveled up, and equipped in this new Chapter, and each brings their own stories, combat skills and quest lines for you to unlock.
Necrom also features a host of in-game rewards you can earn as you explore and complete the game’s various quests and Achievements. This includes a series of new item sets (via crafting or earned from monster drops) and unique collectibles (such as the Berylglow Nix-Ox Steed mount or the Shroomtender’s Garb style).
NCRM Zone Rewards TelvanniCaravan Necrom zone rewards
You can also dig up new Antiquities throughout both zones (including three mythic items) and unlock a Tales of Tribute deck (Almalexia) that introduces an all-new patron ability and cards.

Purchase Details & Requirements

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is available to buy now in four editions:

• The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Collection: Necrom
• The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Necrom
• The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Upgrade: Necrom

If you are a brand-new or lapsed player, both Collection editions include the base game, the Necrom Chapter and all previous Chapters. If you already own ESO and its previous Chapters, both Upgrade editions grant you access to the Necrom Chapter. Note that to run Necrom on PC/Mac, your machine needs to meet the game's requirements here: PC, Mac.
In addition to the game, both versions of Necrom are also available in Deluxe editions, which feature a unique mount, pet, memento, outfit style, and emotes.
NCRM Deluxe Edition Items Necrom Deluxe Edition items
To find out more about Necrom and its editions, check out this blog.

Update 38

Launching at the same time as the new Chapter is Update 38, a free base-game patch for all ESO players that adds quality-of-life improvements, fixes, and new features to the game.
Collectible Favorites With Update 38, you can now designate favorites among your collectibles, moving them to the top of your Collections UI. You can choose up to 100 various collectibles with no limit on mounts, but some categories do not support this functionality at this time.
Random Mounts Update 38 also allows you to set your active mount to either “Random Favorite Mount” or “Random Mount.” When either one of these options is toggled, activating your mount in the world then summons a mount from either your selected favorites or from your entire collection—mix it up!
Filleting Multiple Stacks of Fish Tamriel’s many fishers can now fillet multiple fish simultaneously with Update 38. This can be done by visiting any Provisioning Station and selecting the new tab. You can still fillet fish one at a time from your inventory, but if you’ve got a huge catch, you will be casting more lines in no time.
New PvP Keep Messaging Finally, Update 38 also introduces improved messaging for when a keep and its resources are claimed. If your guild owns a keep, the owner will be notified when its resource guards are killed.
These are just some of the new features and changes coming with the new base-game update. You might notice changes to the reset timers for Cyrodiil and Tales of Tribute campaigns and that the indomitable Stuga is less fanatical when it comes to chasing you down in the streets of Daggerfall, Davon’s Watch, and Vulkhel Guard. To review everything coming with this base-game patch, be sure to check out the patch notes on our official forums.

Become an Agent of Mora

The Prince of Knowledge is under siege and needs your help defending a long-held secret. Become an Arcanist and master the power of Apocrypha, explore two new zones, recruit new allies, uncover unique rewards, and continue your Shadow Over Morrowind saga in The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom. Are you willing to become an agent of Hermaeus Mora? Reality itself stands on the precipice! Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
For more details about the Necrom chapter and Update 38, check out the full feature on elderscrollsonline.com.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and is now live on PC/Mac and arrives on June 20, 2023, for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

Previous Posts

Title	Post Date
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom Zone Preview	2023-05-19 13:50:04
Get Ready to Return to Morrowind	2023-03-03 17:20:20

From FC Mods

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Fargo

TLDR: AI is replacing my special interest as an artist and I believe AI programs are going to plunge us into an even worse dystopia. I am feeling dead inside.
I want to preface this all by making it clear that I will NEVER end my own life. Yes, I may feel like doing it, but I ultimately never will as there are far to many people in my life who would be destroyed if I did.
Introduction
Who am I? I’m a 20 year old lady with mild autism. I am an artist and have known since I was little. I have been working to improve my skills for so many years and am currently in university studying animation. Art and animation are the only things I am really good at. My autism makes life mostly unenjoyable. My art has been the one thing keeping me going all these years.
The Problem
You have all definitely heard of AI art generators by now. I was shocked when Dall-E 2 was unveiled in April last year. We all thought AI could never be creative or make art. Yet all these creative AI’s pretty much came out of nowhere in quick succession last year. Mid journey, chatgpt, stable diffusion, text to video programs, you name it. It just happened all at once.
My concerns should be obvious. These AI systems can make art and even write stories. They can do it at lightning speed and at the cost of electricity. This puts anyone who writes or draws for a living in a terrible position. Companies and individuals will surely go for the quicker, cheaper option. Even if it is slightly worse in quality.
My autism would make getting any other job an actual nightmare so I have been incredibly disheartened by these developments. Not to mention that many creatives are like me and are on the spectrum too. They are often socially awkward and find regular life difficult. Many of them will have their entire future’s ruined by these systems.
I still find it hard to believe that art of all things is getting automated. Art, writing and more. All the creative tasks are getting taken from us. Sure, they can still be hobbies. But that just leaves us with more soul crushing work. And not to mention that future generations will have it even worse. Why would anyone want to bring kids into such a depressing world where all the things we enjoy are monopolized and automated?
A Dystopian Future
Not to mention the other, possibly worse side effects of this new technology. AI voices, videos and images are getting better every week. Imagine how easy it will be to generate a fake video of someone doing or saying something horrible that they didn’t do. And the technology will likely be so good in just a few years that we will have no way of knowing if it’s fake or not. Sounds like the worst kind of dystopia. Some people may doubt that the tech will ever get that good. Well we never thought that AI would be able to creat art, yet here we are. Just look at how much AI images have improved since April of last year. Or heck, 3 months ago!
But back to job/purpose loss. This worries me just as much as the paragraph above. Art is the only thing I have really ever excelled at. And I am now realizing that I probably won’t be able to make it my career. Yes, I do animation so that probably has a while longer. But at the rate the tech is progressing I wouldn’t be surprised if AI takes over animation and VFX in under 10 years.
Where I’m At
I am not exaggerating when I say I am crushed. Truly this time though. I have been through many things that destroyed my spirit, it’s pretty much guaranteed for people on the spectrum. I was bullied my entire childhood, denied being able to be in a relationship due to my sensory issues, isolated from society and more. Yet the one thing that kept me hopeful was being able to show the world my art and make a living off it.
And now it’s gone.
Now anyone can have top tier skill. Anyone can generate anything in any style. Even if I make a new style, someone can just feed my drawings into a machine and infinitely clone them. My skill doesn’t matter anymore. The one thing I truly had going for me is basically worthless. And if not now, in a few years. I have no purpose anymore. I feel worthless. Even though I have more friends and family that love me then most people, I feel worthless now. Even if there is still room for human artists, we simply can’t keep up with the speed AI produces stuff. We will be drowned out by AI works.
I knew I would likely never make big bucks by pursuing art and animation. Unless you run a massive studio you don’t get mega rich. But I knew I could earn enough to comfortably live off my work. With things like YouTube and Patreon it seemed feasible as long as I worked to become good enough. I wanted to start doing commissions online. I wasn’t expecting to get rich, but I was so excited and happy to get started. Then this all happened. I already see many artists online talking about how they’ve lost their jobs or how nobody commissions them anymore.
People often ask the question "Where would you be and what would you be doing if money didn't exist?". Well, the life I had planned out WAS what I would be doing if money had no value.
To be honest, I don't like where the world in general is going. We're spied on every moment of our lives, people are being increasingly fake and we can't provide for our families. Then there's cancel culture, political correctness, wokeness, decaying attention spans and instant gratification. All of which didn't really exist just a few years ago.
Questions You May Have
I want to dedicate a section to answering some questions I can see people having for me as to clear up any confusion.
“You’re Being Dramatic”
I can see why someone might think that. But imagine if you’re entire purpose and passion suddenly became pretty much worthless and you had to face the rest of your life without it. Seriously, imagine it. You’d be devastated. Also, all the things I’ve mentioned here either already have happened or are likely to happen.
“AI will never be as good as human artists”
Maybe it will never be as good as the top 1% but it’s already better then most artists out there. And if it’s this good now then imagine where it’ll be in 5-10 years. Not to mention that even if it is slightly worse, most people will chose it over a human artist simply due to the speed and cost.
”You Must Adapt And Use The AI’s In Your Workflow”
I will. I will do anything to keep my dream alive. I’ve played around with various AI tools to enhance my workflow. But in doing so, the enjoyment is gone and my original visions destroyed. Not to mention that AI will dramatically devalue all creative works, so I may not be able to earn enough to keep doing art as a career.
“These Are Just New Tools”
Maybe now, but they’re already replacing tons of artists, voice actors and more. Also, the end game for these ‘tools’ is to completely remove the need for any skill or talent. An AI image generator makes all the decisions for you, while you type in a text prompt. These systems are replacements, not tools. If you were a brick layer you wouldn’t see a brick laying machine as a tool. You would see it as a replacement.
"You Only Care About Making Money"
Read the part where I went over this. Yes, I am afraid of not being able to make a career off art. But I'm also scared of not being able to get noticed and having my work devalued. If everyone's an amazing artist, nobody is. Also, my parents are wealthy enough to be able to comfortably support me and my two siblings for the rest of our lives. But I don't want this. I WANT to work hard and feel accomplished for doing so. And These AI systems take that away.
“We Can Fight The Companies Developing These AI’s”
Sure, but what will that achieve? The technology is out there and it won’t go away. Even if every government in the world banned these AI’s overnight then they would still be developed in secret. I know some people are suing AI art generators over copyright infringement for using their art to train the AI’s. I personally do not see the court systems ruling in favor of the artists. It will most likely be seen as fair use.
“There Will Always Be A Place For Human Made Art”
I do agree on this. One tiny positive is that physical art such as paintings and sculptures may have a resurgence due to digital art being devalued. But this will likely be a tiny niche.
“This Is Just Like NFT’s”
No it’s not. Everyone knew from the beginning how stupid NFT’s were. We knew they were a pyramid scheme destined to collapse. And they did. AI art and their similar tools are not something that’s going to go away. They are rapidly developing and getting better. They’re going to be more and more widely used in the future.
”You Only Care When Your Own Job Is Being Replaced”
Not true. I have felt very sorry for those who’s jobs have or are being automated. When I first heard of self driving cars I immediately felt dread for truck drivers and anyone in a similar position. I actually will go out of my way to not use the self service checkout in order to help keep the store employees employed.
”Do You Hate AI Bro’s?”
No. I don’t hate anyone who uses or is excited about this new tech. I can totally see their perspectives and we shouldn’t dogpile them. My issues lie with the developers of this technology and the people online saying “LOL GO DIE IN A FIRE ARTISTS! YOU’RE WORTHLESS NOW!”. You’re allowed to love this tech, but actively routing for someone’s downfall is very horrible and childish. I wouldn’t think anything bad of any group of people who were about to have their professions made obsolete.
Conclusion
I am truly broken this time.
I don’t see this getting better. We are entering into an even bigger dystopia then before. I have never felt more hopeless then I do now. I’m only 20 and I’m tired. My spirit has officially been crushed. And yet I’m meant to stay in this game for another 60+ years.
I have been depressed before in life, but this has made me completely suicidal. Never before have I actually felt like ending my life. Yet this has pushed me over the edge. Though I will ultimately never do it.
I want nothing more then to wake up and for this technology to be gone. I would do anything to go back to even just 2021 when it seemed like these systems didn't exist. How I wish technology wouldn't have 'progressed' past that point.
All of us now just happened to be unlucky enough to be born into the most boring dystopia. I have no idea how to find happiness or purpose in any of this. But I will continue living because what else can I do?
If anyone has any questions or wants to discuss things then I will answer them.

Seems like ReddX enjoyed the last story he narrated, and people here seem to want more... Far be it from me to deny you that all-too-enticing hit of cringe, so we'll get after is again today. Before we do though, I'd like to invite you into my head. It might help explain my reaction (or lack of one) to the previous dating nightmare. I was young, I was raised by alcoholic parents, and I was taught that speaking up about anything only brings trouble.
I don't need pity, I've been to therapy and moved past it for the most part, it's simply to shed some light on why I remained so passive through these events. Truth be told, this series of strange and awful dates slowly helped to bring me out of the shell that I'd built for myself, so it was all happening for a reason I guess... but we aren't there quite yet.
Dean was the worst date, but he wasn't the first date that I subjected to myself from Tinder. No, that honor belongs to Ben the Bellybutton Boy. Cast lists are unnecessary, TLDR is at the end. Let's get the cringe-train rolling.
Ben's profile wasn't very intricate. A single line about wanting something meaningful, which doesn't hold much water for me anymore... but I was 18 and naïve. Some might say that I was also fairly shallow. In one picture he was drinking a Natty Ice, in another he had on a backwards hat. I was close to swiping left on yet another bro-dude and carrying on... But then I got one look at Ben with his shirt off and I was hooked.
It might be a catfish, but for a body like that? I was more than willing to take my shot. Suffice to say, that he was a gorgeous human being. I should've been looking more than skin deep though, because Ben had some deep dark secrets. He did match with me though, and I was super flattered. We had a meandering conversation. I learned that he loves his mom, and is absolutely terrified of horror movies. Those things will come into play later. He didn't seem to have much to say that was interesting or clever, but I let it all slide. Ben's abs were blinders, a 3 pack on each side.
He seemed to push for a meetup rather fast, which usually made me go ghost in the few Tinder conversations I'd had before... But I thought to myself that now I was finally ready for an actual date with an internet stranger. Maybe he was way more interesting in person. (He was interesting, but not in the way that I'd hoped.) The fact that his body was chiseled from granite-turned-flesh had nothing to do with my decision. Again, isn't it funny the lies that we tell ourselves?
Ben wanted me to come over to his place and stupidly, I agreed to do so. We'd only been talking for about a week, and now I was going to deliver myself to his front door? Walk right into the wolf-den and hope for the best? God... I swear, I'd love to shake the living shit out of my past-self... but I truly didn't know better at the time. Maybe we would actually watch some Netflix and chill? Could he actually be looking for something meaningful?
Ben's place was in a lower-middle-class section of the LA outskirts. At the time, I thought it looked pretty busted but compared to some of my later encounters? It wasn't the worst house. Sort of non-descript and uninteresting, but well-maintained... much like Ben himself, I suppose. I scoped it out for a few minutes. Surfboards on the porch, a few potted plants, a bench-seat out front. It seemed very normal, so I collected myself, headed up to the front door, and knocked.
Ben answered and he was all smiles. He lifted my arm above my head and I gave him a little twirl. After a wolf-whistle, he commented that he'd like to see something that showed a bit more of my midriff. He gestured for me to show my stomach to him, and I did. I didn't mind. I put work into it. A strong body starts with a strong core. Ben seemed satisfied. Maybe a bit more than that in hindsight. His eyes devoured me, but he was a hunk. So I didn't mind. His predatory nature would soon be revealed to me, but I had no idea what I was in for quite yet. Instead, I let him scoop me up into a hug before he invited me inside.
The house was sort of bohemian. Lots of incense holders and dreamcatchers. Definitely not the sort of thing I'd pick, but he was a stoner-surfer bro-dude. Maybe all of this stuff was just evidence of a more sensitive side to him? I asked about some of the knick-knacks, just trying to initiate idle conversation and maybe dig past the surface level. It worked a bit. He ended up telling me about spending time in India. He seemed to harbor a lot of disdain for the country. Said people were shitting all in the streets and he couldn't find clean water anywhere. "It's like Mexico with way more poop and a few less beheadings."
I laughed. The line wasn't that funny, but the laugh also served to diffuse some of the tense atmosphere that had been created after endless jabs about everything from the caste system to the "dirty" street food and everything in between. He didn't overly-focus on a lack of attention from women, but it was mentioned. I made a mental note. Ben definitely had some entitlement issues, and with that rage simmering below the surface? It could be an explosive combination. I made a note to mind my P's and Q's and shifted the subject, asking what he had planned for Netflix.
He led me to the couch without answering and handed me the remote. "I'll leave that up to you. I've gotta finish preparing the feast." There had been a couple of red-flags so far, but nothing that would make me go screaming into the night. At least, not yet. I hit 'surprise me' on Netflix, and Ben came back into the room with a platter covered in fish. They were sardines. Even before my seafood surprise from part 1, I wasn't a huge fan of fish. Ben saw the look on my face and presumed that he should explain his dining choices. I really wish that he hadn't.
"I try to eat sardines and pineapple almost exclusively because I'm load-maxxing." he said with a nod.
I thought it was a weight-lifting term, and I just sort of nodded... but my face must've still look quizzical because he continued.
"You know how some male porn stars can shoot like the biggest loads of jizz? I think that's super hot, and I wanna be able to do that... But also have it taste good too. Not that I'm gay or anything, I don't eat my own cum like some [redacted] but I just think it's super sexy when a girl is enjoying herself. I'm also taking selenium supplements and it's totally working. I can fill up a whole shot glass now. Before I started load-maxxing it was just like, this sad little poot of semen... But now I'm shooting ropes of the stuff! I might show you later, if you're lucky."
I frowned and shook my head, but I don't think he took much notice of it as he went to work obliterating those smelly, oily little fishies. I didn't speak up, but like any sane person... I knew that I had to make my escape. However, due to the constraints of the social contract that we've all unwillingly signed, I'd need to bide my time and find the proper strategy. I definitely didn't want to have this jizzed up meathead explode in my face, if you'll excuse the pun. You don't just declare war, y'know? You prime the press, you square things with the UN, you make up your reasons.
The 'surprise me' movie that I can't remember rolled on, and he offered me the fish-plate. I politely declined. My brain was occupied with the perfect exit, and hunger is a decent motivator even aside from the unpredictable meatball that I was seated next to. Truth be told? I should've just blitzed the front door and not bothered to explain myself. He might get upset, but I'd be safe in the car... But then I wouldn't have this story to share.
Eventually, the sardines all went to meet poopoo-Jesus and he leaned back on the couch. He snaked his hand onto my shoulder and pulled me backwards. I wasn't in the mood to cuddle so I'd scoot away, then he'd inch closer. I hated every second of this awkward little dance, but the strangeness got turned up to 11 when he started running his oily unwashed fish-fingers around my bellybutton. I squirmed away and stood up. I told him that this was all getting to be a little bit too much, too soon... but Bellybutton Boy wasn't about to let me escape that easily.
He stood up in that same moment and blocked the walkway to the front door. He asked me to please sit back down while at the same time 'guiding' me by the shoulders. He was far too forceful for my liking. It was a gentle pull into his arm, a gentle push back into the couch... But this was our first date. I've seen things like this before between my own parents. This toolbox is one bad argument away from throwing a cinderblock at the back of my head. I took a deep breath and used my go-to tactic of avoiding conflict at that time: submission.
As I sat back onto the couch, he dropped to his knees. I was expecting the worst to happen, but instead he started to baby-talk me... Which is still pretty fucking bad.
"Does wittle Dawnie want to see baby Ben's tongue? I can wick your wittle bewwybutton. Then maybe we can go pway wiff somefing ewse. My woad is about to expwode..."
I still wonder if he meant for it to rhyme. It was effective, in a way. I still remember those words many years later. The thousand-yard stare I had adopted as my defense started to gaze through time and space. Trying to find any reality that wasn't this one. Just because my body was stuck there, didn't mean that my brain had to be... So I disconnected as much as possible, but even Terri Schiavo would take notice of the horror that would befall me next.
I suppose baby Ben the bellybutton bully boy took my silence and disaffected staring at the ceiling as consent, because he lifted my shirt enough to expose my bellybutton. The first this he did was give it a really deep sniff before letting out a satisfied "ohhhh yeahhhh". Was he looking for a good scent? A bad one? Was he just THAT excited to unveil the mysterious allure of a teenage navel? The debate rages on until this very day. It doesn't matter much, because he didn't stop at smelling it.
His tongue slipped into that umbilical scar and started to explore. I never wanted this. I didn't consent at any point, but I didn't outright say "NO" either. I've unpacked this experience with multiple therapists. I think what I remember most vividly was looking down and seeing his oily fish lips. They were sucking on my stomach like my navel was the last source of oxygen on the planet. I recall seeing his tongue, covered in the desiccated and masticated remains of a sardine meal, fishing around for whatever the hell it was he wanted. He kept muttering to himself between spelunking expeditions, weird shit like "ooo baby wike your bewwy" and "mama make benny's peepee so hawd".
The cringe-meter was redlining, and I finally realized that he wasn't going to stop unless I made him stop. I told him that I had to pee, and that he should PLEASE drink some water. I was hoping it might wash away some of the sardine leftovers, if I really did need to come back. At this point, my plan was to bail out the bathroom window. Until I got to the bathroom and saw that the window was only about 6 inches tall. Just enough to air out sardine-and-selenium-laden ploppers, but not enough to do me any good.
I must've stood in that bathroom for 20 minutes or so. There was no escape. If I wanted out, I'd need to go through. Just as a reminder from the universe, every once in a while I'd hear Ben let out a large belch. At least he was washing his fishy mouth out. I steeled myself and headed back into the living room. I lied that I had a text from my mom and had to leave, but Ben wrapped his arms around me and begged to finish. I could clearly smell beer on his breath. Memories of dear old dad must've kicked in, because I found myself agreeing to sit on the couch again.
He continued rubbing his stale-beer-smelling mouth all over my stomach, except this time there was the added benefits of pauses to burp every so often. "Doesn't dat sound wike a echo mama?" I truly did want to die in that moment. I had to find some way to at least pump the brakes, if not bail out completely. I squirmed away from him, again. I told him this was moving too fast, again. He didn't ignore me this time. So I suggested that we watch a new movie. This time I chose a Chucky movie. Either he would get scared and give me an out, or I'd pretend to be scared and make the exit for myself.
If I knew how he'd actually react, I might not have taken this measure. The moment the movie started Ben was immobilized. He had stopped trying to molest my bellybutton. All he did was apply a nervous death-grip the arm of the sofa. I asked if he was OK, but he insisted he was fine. He was not fine however, and after the first murder I looked over to see tears rolling down his cheeks.
This was my moment. It was either act like a cold-hard bitch, or continue being assaulted. I asked incredulously, "ARE YOU CRYING??" He nodded and started his whining baby-talk, but he didn't follow me as I leapt from the couch, called him a sissy, and flung the front door open. I quickly walked to my car. My brain had second thoughts, but I started the ignition. I legitimately wanted things to work with Ben. I would've been mommy. Whatever. But he didn't ask for consent at any point and was overly-pushy about everything he wanted.
While I felt bad about doing that to Ben, and piling an insult on top of it... I felt much more delight than despair. This situation was headed for a place that I didn't want it to go, and I was able to scratch and claw my way back to freedom. The bellybutton boy had unveiled his Achilles heel as a silly talking point, and I thanked my lucky stars that I was able to use that to my advantage. He could've flown into a rage over it, but he didn't. The guardian angel on my shoulder was working overtime on that day, I have no doubts about that. Looking back, should I have called the cops and reported him? Probably. Instead, I just thanked my lucky stars and tried to move past it in my own way...
You'd think that would be the end of this tale, but there was a follow-up to the bad date. Remember when I mentioned that Ben was close to his mother? Well, she charged into battle in defense of her little bellybutton man... I answered the first time she called. I wouldn't make that mistake again. She accused me of abusing her special boy, she threatened me with everything from death to lawsuits, she slung every curse under the sun at me. After 5 minutes, I realized I was trying to talk sense into a lunatic and blocked her number.
Bellybutton matriarch wasn't done yet though... I would get sporadic VOIP calls for weeks afterwards. She contacted my job to report me. She attempted to harass MY mom and every other contact she could find. I suppose that's the unfortunate part of social media. I explained to everyone what had happened and they all agreed that she was completely unhinged. Luckily, it seemed like her harassment was confined to the internet. I went dark for a month, and I guess she found a new target. Ben wouldn't have trouble getting more dates, even if he was a certified navel-gazer.
It was at this point that I swore off of Tinder for the first time. That wouldn't stop me from meeting up with maniacs though. My therapist says that I demonstrate a concerning amount of thrill-seeking behavior, and that these encounters are a manifestation of that. While I don't disagree 100%, I still think I overanalyze and avoid uncertainty in a lot of other areas of my life. Maybe the comments will let me know how they feel about that diagnosis?
Speaking of therapy... In hindsight, I can absolutely see how that insane woman could've produced a self-absorbed, baby-talking dunderhead. If you look at it through that frame then the tale of Ben the bellybutton boy takes on a much more depressing tone. He's like a modern-day Frankenstein, but he does still bear some responsibility for his actions. At least, that's what I tell myself when I start feeling guilty.
I did manage to stay of Tinder for a while, but in our next installment we are headed to Craigslist. Be afraid. Those are tales for another day though... Thanks to ReddX if he reads this. Please subscribe to him on YouTube if ya haven't. I'll see you again next time my little Tinderlings. -Dawn
TL;DR Lunatic lugnut baby-talks my bellybutton with his fish-lips.

Summer is cancelled and Icewind Dale is screwed unless you can figure out what the hell is going on...

Hello, my friends! My name is Alex. I've run this campaign twice before and I'm pretty excited to see what kind of horrible wackiness we can get up to this time around! This will be an above average experience if I can help it and I hope to make tons of friends along the way! If you're into roleplaying, jokes, subversion of expectation, mystery, whimsy, or simply "clownin' around", if you like Dimension 20 or anything Brennan Lee Mulligan or Emily Axford does, or if you're looking for a D&D game with a mix of goofy, weird, stupid, and serious with a splash of storytelling pizzazz, then this is the game for you!!!I recognize that this is supposed to be an overall serious campaign, and it is, don't get me wrong! But I'm a pretty wacky guy and this game will lean less on the harsh atmosphere and more into the interconnected story threads, personal plots if they arise, and the fear that something more powerful than you could be hiding around any corner. Utilizing Foundry VTT, I've been able to enhance the adventure with musical themes and sound effects for most scenes, automation, and animations for tons of spells, quest tracking, and several leveled maps with dynamically changing walls, lighting, and 3d vision calculation!
Icewind Dale Player Commercial
Let me tell you a bit about myself, though...
I come from a writing, directing, and video production background and have been putting these skills to good use at my digital gaming table for over 3 years now. I'm hoping I can apply the skills I'm good at to provide an above average experience to new and experienced players alike. I love to get into character and on top of accents here and there, I have my video feed switch to show images of significant NPCs when possible, not to mention all the music I have picked out for each unique encounter. I spend time picking from backstories and integrating fun easter eggs/story content for each player.
Overall, I'm a goofy guy, looking to land a joke whenever possible, but I have a knack for narrative thread and always set out to weave an interesting tale.
"...The overall value on your end was worth it, 100%. You ran an engaging, entertaining game and I enjoyed being one of your players." - Previous Player
"...This has been one of the best roleplaying experiences I've had!" - Current Player
"...You are a great and creative DM. I appreciate the effort you put in." - Current Player
Read more reviews on my StartPlaying profile
To get a sense of my style, feel free to check out episodes of my previous Witchlight campaign where two of our players will be joining us from. The Wild Beyond Playlist

Game Details and Extras

• Open to players of all experience levels.
• I lean heavily on the concept of "yes, and..." I like to go with the flow of what you're putting down and tend not to "no, but..." unless it conflicts with existing world elements...
• I'll work with you outside (and inside) of the game to build a character that fits into the setting and story line. I like to spread bits of information out across players so they can roleplay to put them together.
• Character creation will be done on dndbeyond and you will have access to a vast majority of the sourcebook bundle to choose from, as far as races and classes go, for as long as you remain in the game.
• Previous games have been 60/40 roleplay/combat with the potential swings in either direction depending on the chapter, but the ending chapters do lean into combat much more.
• Although I'll be running the main essence of the module, I'll be adapting bits as necessary to help with story flow, mystery, and suspense, as well as incorporating character backstory here and there.
• We will be running the official Rime of the Frostmaiden module with all the included maps and artwork (that I've digitally enhanced), including a number of extra maps and NPC art I've collected or created personally. All of these with dynamic lighting effects and.
• A number of maps have been expanded utilizing Forgotten Adventures beautiful assets.
• Due to the voice and video content, our game will be played with voice and video through discord. Please have a decent microphone.
• We will be using Foundry VTT for play, but you will still create characters in dndbeyond to be imported over. Foundry has outdone Roll20 in my opinion and has a large number of modules to help with combat automation, attack animations, music, sound effects, lighting effects, time tracking, etc. Additionally, there are a number of per-user settings you can customize such as choosing your own on screen 3d dice, picking animations for the summoning of your various beast or familiars, turning down the music, etc
• I have collected a large number of sound effects, music, and ambiences that I incorporate into each scene. I like to hand pick songs to accompany each unique encounter, with variations depending on possible outcomes.
• I try to change my voice to imitate various monsters and NPCs and utilize imagery in my webcam for all significant characters who have art in the book.
• Foundry has the potential to be processor intensive and a decent computer is recommended, but there are settings that can be lowered to allow for some lower end machines.
• Sessions are streamed live on Twitch and then archived on YouTube.
• $15 per session.

How to Apply

Quick google form, post here, or DM me if you have questions.
Player Application

Summer is cancelled and Icewind Dale is screwed unless you can figure out what the hell is going on...

Hello, my friends! My name is Alex. I've run this campaign twice before and I'm pretty excited to see what kind of horrible wackiness we can get up to this time around! This will be an above average experience if I can help it and I hope to make tons of friends along the way! If you're into roleplaying, jokes, subversion of expectation, mystery, whimsy, or simply "clownin' around", if you like Dimension 20 or anything Brennan Lee Mulligan or Emily Axford does, or if you're looking for a D&D game with a mix of goofy, weird, stupid, and serious with a splash of storytelling pizzazz, then this is the game for you!!!I recognize that this is supposed to be an overall serious campaign, and it is, don't get me wrong! But I'm a pretty wacky guy and this game will lean less on the harsh atmosphere and more into the interconnected story threads, personal plots if they arise, and the fear that something more powerful than you could be hiding around any corner. Utilizing Foundry VTT, I've been able to enhance the adventure with musical themes and sound effects for most scenes, automation, and animations for tons of spells, quest tracking, and several leveled maps with dynamically changing walls, lighting, and 3d vision calculation!
Icewind Dale Player Commercial
Let me tell you a bit about myself, though...
I come from a writing, directing, and video production background and have been putting these skills to good use at my digital gaming table for over 3 years now. I'm hoping I can apply the skills I'm good at to provide an above average experience to new and experienced players alike. I love to get into character and on top of accents here and there, I have my video feed switch to show images of significant NPCs when possible, not to mention all the music I have picked out for each unique encounter. I spend time picking from backstories and integrating fun easter eggs/story content for each player.
Overall, I'm a goofy guy, looking to land a joke whenever possible, but I have a knack for narrative thread and always set out to weave an interesting tale.
"...The overall value on your end was worth it, 100%. You ran an engaging, entertaining game and I enjoyed being one of your players." - Previous Player
"...This has been one of the best roleplaying experiences I've had!" - Current Player
"...You are a great and creative DM. I appreciate the effort you put in." - Current Player
Read more reviews on my StartPlaying profile
To get a sense of my style, feel free to check out episodes of my previous Witchlight campaign where two of our players will be joining us from. The Wild Beyond Playlist

Game Details and Extras

• Open to players of all experience levels.
• I lean heavily on the concept of "yes, and..." I like to go with the flow of what you're putting down and tend not to "no, but..." unless it conflicts with existing world elements...
• I'll work with you outside (and inside) of the game to build a character that fits into the setting and story line. I like to spread bits of information out across players so they can roleplay to put them together.
• Character creation will be done on dndbeyond and you will have access to a vast majority of the sourcebook bundle to choose from, as far as races and classes go, for as long as you remain in the game.
• Previous games have been 60/40 roleplay/combat with the potential swings in either direction depending on the chapter, but the ending chapters do lean into combat much more.
• Although I'll be running the main essence of the module, I'll be adapting bits as necessary to help with story flow, mystery, and suspense, as well as incorporating character backstory here and there.
• We will be running the official Rime of the Frostmaiden module with all the included maps and artwork (that I've digitally enhanced), including a number of extra maps and NPC art I've collected or created personally. All of these with dynamic lighting effects and.
• A number of maps have been expanded utilizing Forgotten Adventures beautiful assets.
• Due to the voice and video content, our game will be played with voice and video through discord. Please have a decent microphone.
• We will be using Foundry VTT for play, but you will still create characters in dndbeyond to be imported over. Foundry has outdone Roll20 in my opinion and has a large number of modules to help with combat automation, attack animations, music, sound effects, lighting effects, time tracking, etc. Additionally, there are a number of per-user settings you can customize such as choosing your own on screen 3d dice, picking animations for the summoning of your various beast or familiars, turning down the music, etc
• I have collected a large number of sound effects, music, and ambiences that I incorporate into each scene. I like to hand pick songs to accompany each unique encounter, with variations depending on possible outcomes.
• I try to change my voice to imitate various monsters and NPCs and utilize imagery in my webcam for all significant characters who have art in the book.
• Foundry has the potential to be processor intensive and a decent computer is recommended, but there are settings that can be lowered to allow for some lower end machines.
• Sessions are streamed live on Twitch and then archived on YouTube.
• $15 per session.

How to Apply

Quick google form, post here, or DM me if you have questions.
Player Application

Rotten Tomatoes: 69% (16 reviews) with 6.90 in average rating
Metacritic: 58/100 (24 critics)
As with other movies, the scores are set to change as time passes. Meanwhile, I'll post some short reviews on the movie. It's structured like this: quote first, source second. Beware, some contain spoilers.

The early word on The Flash calling it one of the greatest superhero movies ever made was pure hyperbole. But in the bumpy recent history of the DC Extended Universe, it’s certainly an above-average entry.

-David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

Miller's the Flash goes back in time to change the future and connects with Michael Keaton's Batman. But the movie, after a smart and playful first half, gives itself over to comic-book bombast.

-Owen Gleiberman, Variety

In its best moments, “The Flash” touches on something new and exciting, but too often, its the past that tugs on, keeping it from speeding ahead.

-Kate Erbland, IndieWire: B–

The Flash is an ambitious superhero movie that largely pulls off its tale of two worlds, two Flashes, and two Batmans. The superhero fan service is strong with this one – perhaps too strong at times – but it never fully overshadows Barry Allen’s genuinely tragic and heartfelt story of grief. Though the visual effects aren’t always the best and the third act is a bit overwhelming, strong performances and a refreshing earnestness keep The Flash on track and running circles around many of the recent DC Universe movies. If this is the truly last stop on the Snyderverse express, then it’s a respectable way to go out.

-Joshua Yehl, IGN: 7.0 "good"

What it amounts to is a movie that spends all its time racing from one poorly-thought out story element to another, from one only modestly satisfying nostalgia shout-out to another, and with only questionable results. How fitting, yet how disappointing: “The Flash” has the runs.

-William Bibbiani, The Wrap

This is not a movie with any new ideas or dramatic rethinking, and – at the risk of re-opening the DC/Marvel sectarian wound – nothing to compare with the much-lauded animation experiment in the recent Spider-Man films. The intellect in this intellectual property is draining away.

-Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian: 2/5

The hype is real. DC’s The Flash may not be the greatest comic book movie ever made, but it comes damn close. Easily the best in the genre since Spider-Man: No Way Home, this fresh, invigorating, and hugely entertaining summer treat is as good as it gets when it comes to cinematic takes on superheroes.

-Pete Hammond, Deadline

The Flash ends on a purposefully open note (and a pretty good joke), so that if the film succeeds at the box office, Miller's Barry can run again another day. If it doesn't, the precedent is set for a full continuity reset. Whatever DC movies await us in the future, let's hope they avoid multiverses. It's well-trod territory at this point, even for a speedster.

-Christian Holub, Entertainment Weekly: C+

Merging Looper and Looney Tunes makes for some jarring transitions between time-travel melodrama and power-mishap shenanigans. That’s never more clear than in the movie’s tail end, wherein Muschietti, who seems like a slick Spielberg-acolyte crowdpleaser in the J.J. Abrams mode, struggles with whether The Flash is an emotional cautionary tale, a universe-resetting franchise play, or just a zany sci-fi farce, subject to channel-flipping multiverse gags. You can feel The Flash wishing it could steal a glimpse into the audience and revise itself on the fly accordingly; no wonder early screenings apparently hedged on an ending until the last possible minute. Fandom has created a culture where a fun, zippy movie can’t stop looking back over its shoulder.

-Jesse Hassenger, Paste: 7.0

While I have a few complaints and there are a couple of head-scratching loose ends, "The Flash" is still a funny, emotional, action-heavy crowd-pleaser that ranks among the best DC movies ever made.

-Ben Pearson, /FILM: 7.5

This much-beleagured cinematic universe has finally hit upon a winning film, and one that will be forever tainted. It’s not the most tragic thing regarding the person whirling at the center of it all — not by a long shot. But it is a reminder that you can make a superhero movie that seeks to unite all worlds but can’t quite reckon with the one outside the theater. And it’s proof that you can always run as fast as your superhuman intellectual property can manage, but there are things that you simply aren’t able to hide.

-David Fear, Rolling Stone

The Flash clearly wants its audience to get caught up in the excitement of multiverse adventures, returning superhero favorites, and fun antics of Barry Allen, to the point that they never consider that the time travel aspects make absolutely no sense, and only hurts the larger story in the way that it’s handled here. Thankfully, those antics are enjoyable and hard not to get excited about, but unfortunately, this isn’t a story that holds together on a narrative level. Cameos and fan service are fine to have, but the story has to be there to back them up, and it’s not quite there with The Flash.

-Ross Bonaime, Collider: C+

Discussion of all reviews and reactions for The Flash go here.
Rotten Tomatoes
Critics Consensus: TBC

	Tomatometer	Number of Reviews	Average Rating
All Critics	69%	16 reviews	6.90/10
Top Critics	TBC	TBC	TBC

Metacritic: TBC
Verified plot summary of advance screening
​

Sample reviews

THR - Positive

The early word on The Flash calling it one of the greatest superhero movies ever made was pure hyperbole. But in the bumpy recent history of the DC Extended Universe, it’s certainly an above-average entry.

Variety - Positive

Miller's the Flash goes back in time to change the future and connects with Michael Keaton's Batman. But the movie, after a smart and playful first half, gives itself over to comic-book bombast.

Deadline - Positive

The hype is real. DC’s The Flash may not be the greatest comic book movie ever made, but it comes damn close. Easily the best in the genre since Spider-Man: No Way Home, this fresh, invigorating, and hugely entertaining summer treat is as good as it gets when it comes to cinematic takes on superheroes.

IGN - 7/10

The Flash is an ambitious superhero movie that largely pulls off its tale of two worlds, two Flashes, and two Batmans. The superhero fan service is strong with this one – perhaps too strong at times – but it never fully overshadows Barry Allen’s genuinely tragic and heartfelt story of grief. Though the visual effects aren’t always the best and the third act is a bit overwhelming, strong performances and a refreshing earnestness keep The Flash on track and running circles around many of the recent DC Universe movies. If this is the truly last stop on the Snyderverse express, then it’s a respectable way to go out.

The Wrap

What it amounts to is a movie that spends all its time racing from one poorly-thought out story element to another, from one only modestly satisfying nostalgia shout-out to another, and with only questionable results. How fitting, yet how disappointing: “The Flash” has the runs.

Paste - 7/10

Merging Looper and Looney Tunes makes for some jarring transitions between time-travel melodrama and power-mishap shenanigans. That’s never more clear than in the movie’s tail end, wherein Muschietti, who seems like a slick Spielberg-acolyte crowdpleaser in the J.J. Abrams mode, struggles with whether The Flash is an emotional cautionary tale, a universe-resetting franchise play, or just a zany sci-fi farce, subject to channel-flipping multiverse gags. You can feel The Flash wishing it could steal a glimpse into the audience and revise itself on the fly accordingly; no wonder early screenings apparently hedged on an ending until the last possible minute. Fandom has created a culture where a fun, zippy movie can’t stop looking back over its shoulder.

SlashFilm - 7.5/10

While I have a few complaints and there are a couple of head-scratching loose ends, "The Flash" is still a funny, emotional, action-heavy crowd-pleaser that ranks among the best DC movies ever made.

IndieWire - B+

In its best moments, “The Flash” touches on something new and exciting, but too often, its the past that tugs on, keeping it from speeding ahead.

Rolling Stone - Positive

This much-beleagured cinematic universe has finally hit upon a winning film, and one that will be forever tainted. It’s not the most tragic thing regarding the person whirling at the center of it all — not by a long shot. But it is a reminder that you can make a superhero movie that seeks to unite all worlds but can’t quite reckon with the one outside the theater. And it’s proof that you can always run as fast as your superhuman intellectual property can manage, but there are things that you simply aren’t able to hide.

Collider - C+

The Flash clearly wants its audience to get caught up in the excitement of multiverse adventures, returning superhero favorites, and fun antics of Barry Allen, to the point that they never consider that the time travel aspects make absolutely no sense, and only hurts the larger story in the way that it’s handled here. Thankfully, those antics are enjoyable and hard not to get excited about, but unfortunately, this isn’t a story that holds together on a narrative level. Cameos and fan service are fine to have, but the story has to be there to back them up, and it’s not quite there with The Flash.

Hello CS grads on pakistan. I have some questions to ask if you don't mind answering them. Will be much helpful.
•How much time after graduating did you get your first job?How much were you paid for your first job?
•Did you get promotions quick or did you get railed by the higher ups for very low pay for years?
•How many hours do you put in your job? Better chance of increasing your pay if you work overtime?
•What do you do now and what is your pay currently?
•Did you work hard during your university years or partied instead and realized late? And is gpa more important or the skills which you learn?
•Should I aim for a reputable university like NUST, FAST,etc or does it not matter when going job hunting?
•Did you also start freelancing? And if yes, for how many years and since when? When did you get your first client and how long did it take for you to earn something alright from freelancing?
•Do you regret doing CS and wish you changed your career to something else?
•Are finding jobs abroad hard? Do you need some level of experience in the field being very underpaid or you can have a chance to apply for a foreign company if you work hard and have the necessary skills?
•Is it true many people after doing CS remain unemployed? Even those who have the required skills are unemployed? Or is it very rare those with skills more than their peers are still unemployed?
•What is considered good pay for an above average skilled CS grad for their first job?
•On average, after how much time do you decide to learn something new to go toe to toe with the changing trends?
I know these are quite a bit of questions and I do apologize. Thank you for your time. Also, I'm sorry if some of these questions offend you, I want every bit of information I get. Also do add more points if you can, it'll be appreciated too!
[I'll get kicked out the subreddit with the amount of posts I make about the same subject because of my anxiety 💔]

Brought to us by the awesome spooks of the Dragonia Den Guild!
This event will run from Tuesday, June 6 until 19:00 GMT on Friday, June 9; to participate you will need version 10.3.0 or later, at least 100 dragon power, and a high quality, stable internet connection.
Please keep event questions and discussions in this thread; good luck and happy merging!
 

Special Notes

• The Life Flower Sprout key is on a healed, grey-colored tile, not dead land.
• Deleting a Mushroom has been known to lock players out of finishing the Event Quests in past events.
• The Wishing Star is located near the top of the map, a few tiles below and to the left of the 2x2 Great Pumpkin.
• Two of the Consumable Harvestables yield lower level point items than usual; the Large Pumpkins give L2 Chocolate Truffles, and the Medium Pumpkins give L1 Candy Eyeballs.
  • Players may need to harvest from the Haunted Houses to earn enough points to complete the event.

 

Image Guide

Tap this link to open the Image Guide as a savable Google document, or use the links below to see individual slides.

1. Cloud Key Map - Shows the location of every cloud lock with its key item, and egg locations.
2. Cloud Key Chart - Shows what items are needed to open each cloud lock, and if there’s any dead land, additional locks, or any important items behind the lock.
3. Tile Healing Map - Shows the healing power needed for each tile.
4. Infinite Harvestables Map - Shows locations of all Infinite Harvestable items.
5. Event Quests Chart - Full list of all the Event Quests.
6. Event Rewards Chart - Lists the number of points needed to reach each prize level, and shows the full chain for the event point items and how much each is worth.

 

Important Event Items

(Cloud Keys are in italics, links go to wiki pages)

• Creepy Treats are points items
• Haunted Houses are Infinite harvestables — L6 Haunted Manor
• Pumpkins are Consumable Harvestables
• Halloween Chests are event chests
• Autumn Trees — L0 Autumn Leaf, L3 Young Autumn Tree, L5 Mystical Autumn Tree
• Forgotten Flowers — L1 Lost Bud, L5 Moonflower
• Life Flower — L1 Life Flower Sprout
• Mushrooms — L2 Hero Mushroom
• Mystic Potions — L6 Wishing Star
• Spirit Lanterns — L3 Foxfire
• Spirit Roses — L2 Dark Rose
• Tanzanite Mystery Nest
• Golden Capsule
• Fallen Star

 

Event FAQs

• The Event Shop and Capsules appear after you’ve healed 30-70 tiles; after that a free Bronze Capsule can be collected every 3 hours.
• It takes 5x or 6x level 9 Life Orb of the Heavens to clear all the 5k+ land, depending on how much you heal by merging items off dead land.
• 29,950 points are required to collect all the main prize items; this equals roughly 1x level 9 points item plus 2x level 8 points items.
• Key items can all be made via 3-merges, if the item is not already in its final form.
• Caves must be tapped to spawn a Zomblin; only one event Zomblin lives in each cave, and it turns into Stinky Cheese when killed.
• The Gold Capsule, Tanzanite Nest, and Fallen Star are on tiles requiring 50k energy to heal, with locations shown on Slide 1.
• Infinite Harvestables:
  • There are 9x level 1, 3x level 2, 1x level 3, 2x level 4, and 2x level 5 Haunted Houses on the map, with locations shown on Slide 4.
  • As always, you can delete 1x level 1 and 1x level 2 of your Infinite Harvestables and still make a level 6, if you 5-merge the remaining lower level items.
  • WARNING: An L6 Haunted Manor is used as a key in this event, but there is no dead land or required items behind it so it can safely be skipped; however, check the warning in the Special Notes section before deleting all Infinite Harvestables.
• Consumable Harvestables:
  • Each 1x2 Large Pumpkin can be harvested 25 times; 75 total harvests are needed to complete Quest 1.3.
  • Each harvest of the big 2x2 Great Pumpkin at the back of the map yields a 10% chance of spawning an extra Large Pumpkin.
  • Once all available Large Pumpkins and the Great Pumpkin are gone, there is no way to get more.
• Only 2 dragons at a time will harvest when left on their own; having more than two will drastically slow down idle play. If you want extra dragons for active play, the Prism Flower method is a good option.
• More event strategy advice (active vs passive or idle play, etc) can be found in threads here, here, here, and in the Community FAQ.
• Halloween Event theme’s main wiki page.
• Similar previous events:
  • October 2022
  • June 2022
  • March 2022
  • October 2021

 

Featured Reward Breeds:

• Wlizzard Dragon - primary event trophy breed, should be available in camp store after unlock
• Werewolf Dragon - NEW! premium trophy breed, introduced as cash-only last Fall
• Deer Dragon - four eggs spawned by the Great Pumpkin Event Trophy
• Toadstool Dragon - coin breed

 

Event Troubleshooting

If the event is not showing up or glitches are affecting your play:

• Check your version meets the requirements.
• Try hard closing and then relaunching your game.
• If your device is running hot, stop playing and allow it to cool down.
• Try rebooting your device (ie, turn it completely off, then back on and allow it to fully boot up before relaunching the game).
• Try rebooting your wifi router (if you have access).
• Try switching to a completely different internet source.
• If you’re suddenly experiencing multiple issues like lagging or error messages, close the game and try again after an hour or two; events are server-based, and sometimes activity on that end can cause temporary problems.
• If nothing here helps, contact Gram Games Support through the in-game link or the official website for help figuring out what’s wrong.

General Technical Warnings:

• Cloud Save is still unreliable: according to the developer, it is not safe to be used and should be left turned off.
• Saving your Progress: Make sure you travel to the World Map screen before closing your game to save your progress; saving immediately after earning or making high-value items is also recommended.

 
^{edits are on-going}