#(I just cannot take it higher speeds until I get the front end bolted up better)

[kifu]

Y'all. My family is a fucking blessing.

[the-odd-job]

A primeverse drabble of Sideswipe confusing Jack with genders (I guess the kids haven’t yet learned Cybertronians have no concept of genders) and being kinda overpowered, on account of being a Shockwave made supersoldier and all that. Written while half dead and not proofread so I apologize for any and all weirdness and errors.

“I just landed on Earth. I would really appreciate it if you could tell me where the local Autobot base is, before the ‘Cons find me.”

There were some confusing signals here. On one hand the red Cybertronian down on one knee in front of them, smiling an easy, friendly smile, had a high, young, feminine voice, thin waist, and wide hips. But on the other, their facial features weren’t altogether fitting for a female, and their shoulders were broad. It was a confusing dichotomy, when so far all the mecha they’d met had fallen pretty easily in one of two camps: mech, or femme. Male or female, as it was. This one—Sideswipe, they’d introduced themselves—broke the norm set by everyone else, and Jack felt a lot like he shouldn’t even try to fit them to a specific box because really, gender was a complicated thing and not everything fit into neat boxes– “You don’t have the Autobot insignia,” Raf pointed out, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose. Jack focused back on the rest of it at that and quickly scanned the red mech’s frame. And it was true, there was no insignia to be found anywhere on her (his?) frame, only an empty space at the center of her chest that looked like it should’ve held an insignia. That was… A little odd. The femme glanced away at that, shifting uneasily. “There were some… Circumstances that forced me to get rid of it. You know, to save my skin,” she shrugged. “What kind of circumstances?” Miko asked, taking a step closer. There was challenge in her voice, demanding answers, an explanation. “It’s war out there,” Sideswipe sighed in answer, looking weary despite her youthful voice. “And you’re not always in the position to fight. I had to pass off as a Neutral for a while, so… Bye bye markings of the faction I actually belong to.” Seemed… Reasonable enough, at least to Jack’s very lacking knowledge of what interstellar politics were like. Or was it intergalactic? He wasn’t quite sure how far their friends had actually come from. Miko frowned, but she didn’t have too much of an argument either. Other concerns existed, though. “How do we know you’re actually an Autobot?” Raf asked. To their surprise, Sideswipe outright laughed at that. It was a pretty pleasant sound. “What else would I be?” she asked, giving them a lopsided smile. And it was true, her bioights and optics were blue, like Autobots’ were, and like Decepticons’ really weren’t. Jack shared a glance with Raf and Miko. They’d still need to talk to their ‘Bots before they could just tell a stranger where the base was, but– A sudden roar of engines was followed by the sounds of three different transformation sequences. “Jack! Raf! Miko! Get away from him!” Bulkhead’s voice rang out behind them and they all turned to look to see their guardians running towards them. Urgent, almost… Fearful? Him? Sideswipe? A soft hiss of pistons had them glancing back at the red mech, who rose back to his pedes. And it was only now that they could really appreciate how tall he was. He towered over Arcee, even over Bumblebee. Only Bulkhead could match his height. All of this… Probably meant Sideswipe wasn’t an Autobot after all. That suspicion was confirmed when the color of his optics suddenly changed, bleeding from blue, to purple, to red. Starting from his helm the color bled along his biolights, blue slowly draining to give way to devilish red. This was bad. “Run. Run!” Jack yelled at his two human friends, urging them both into motion ahead of himself, and together they bolted towards their guardians. And then behind them, coming to a stop only when Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead were all securely between them and Sideswipe. But the red mech didn’t even try to pursue them, merely straightened himself… Lifted his chin. A smile was playing on his lips, and he looked utterly unconcerned with the fact he was outnumbered three to one. “Ha! Sideswipe doesn’t stand a chance! Better run, ‘Con!” Miko whooped. Jack wasn’t so sure, and from the look on his face, neither did Raf. “What are you doing here, Sideswipe?” Arcee asked, snarling. Sideswipe shrugged, closing his optics demurely. “I heard Megatron was here on Earth. Figured the action would be with him.” “Well, you’re not welcome here,” Bulkhead growled, and it was really, really getting to Jack how relaxed Sideswipe remained. He had no right to be in the face of three warriors as skilled as their guardians were. They kicked ‘Con aft on the regular! “That’s just rude,” Sideswipe sighed, deigning to look at the lot of them again. “I think Megatron would disagree.” Three engines revved before the Autobots on the scene attacked. Arms transformed into blasters; Bulkhead went to close the distance for some good old melee pummeling. Sideswipe’s smile never wavered. And yeah, Sideswipe was as tall as Bulkhead was, but he was considerably lighter built. He was no Breakdown. Despite that, the red mech moved to meet Bulkhead’s charge, and… Swords extended from his arms. And kept extending. And kept extending. And kept extending until they almost brushed the ground. It wasn’t the quick shink that the blades of ones like Optimus and Arcee came to play with. This was slow, methodical—for show, almost. Sideswipe deftly avoided the blaster fire aimed at him, reached Bulkhead, and then they clashed. Except, it wasn’t the epic smashdown it was supposed to be. It wasn’t two titans coming to blows. Bulkhead undoubtedly had brute strength on his side, but Sideswipe moved like quicksilver, always staying two steps ahead of Bulkhead’s attacks, always evading every crippling blow he should have taken. And those swords he had… Slag, you’d have thought their length would be a problem, make them unwieldy. But their slow introduction into the battle was nothing but show, he was sure of that much now. Sideswipe proved well enough that he could both extend and retract them in seconds by doing just that. Every time his swords should’ve gotten in the way, they suddenly disappeared, only to reappear a moment later. And more often than not, that ended with cuts on Bulkhead that the green mech couldn’t block because of the unpredictability and sheer speed Sideswipe employed. Arcee joined the fray, and that should have tipped the scales. Arcee was a fast fighter too, and together her and Bulkhead should have had well enough destructive prowess to bring down any common ‘Con. Except Sideswipe wasn’t common, was he? He was like a dancer when he moved between Arcee and Bulkhead, smooth in every motion—blocking, moving out of the way, attacking to a devastating effect. Bumblebee couldn’t get shots in without risking hitting his comrades, so he went melee also. Three on one. For real, in close quarters. And it never stopped looking like Sideswipe had the upper hand. How was he that fast anyway? It looked almost unnatural—until Jack noticed the bit of heated air that accompanied every particularly fast motion.

Could a mech have jets built into them to enhance their movement speed..? Sideswipe never once lost his smile, despite cutting bleeding gashes into their guardians with his blades that appeared and retracted at a punishing pace. Bumblebee’s leg was almost severed. Arcee got a deep cut across her abdomen. Bulkhead was littered with wounds even his armor couldn’t protect him from. Miko didn’t look so confident anymore. In fact, he was pretty sure horror was reflected on all their faces as they watched the slow obliteration of their friends. He wasn’t… Slag, he wasn’t even sure Sideswipe was all that serious. He made it all look so effortless, like he wasn’t even trying.

He was seriously getting worried they were about to watch their guardians get killed, or at the very least, severely incapacitated, but then, a space bridge opened behind them. They glanced over their shoulders to see Optimus walk through the spinning portal, and relief flushed his veins. There was no way even Sideswipe could stand up against Optimus Prime. Right? “Sideswipe,” Optimus rumbled with a clear note of displeasure. The fight broke off, their injured friends retreating a few steps away as the Prime approached. Sideswipe didn’t try to continue the fight and straightened back to his full height, carelessly flicking some energon off the end of his left hand sword. “Optimus. Long time no see,” he smiled, and could he not freaking stop smiling?

“Does Megatron know you’re here?” Optimus asked, coming to stand beside his comrades. The red mech just shrugged, glancing away and rocking on his heels—not answering. What did that mean? That the Decepticons didn’t know about him? Could that mean he could be captured without the ‘Cons being none the wiser to it? Or killed, even? “Sideswipe, I cannot let you harm my soldiers, or the humans,” Optimus said. “I believe you are a threat if left be.” Sideswipe made an amused sound. “Can’t really disagree with that,” he said with a wry grin, and now Jack could get a good look at his fangs. Definitely a Decepticon through and through. How had they gotten fooled even momentarily? “But,” the red mech continued, inspecting his swords, “I can’t just go quietly, can I?” A shiver ran up Jack’s spine at the words. Sideswipe lifted one of his arms, pointing his sword at Optimus. The threat was clear as day. Did that mean Sideswipe was powerful enough to challenge even Optimus? No, not just Optimus, but Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee? That couldn’t be. There was no way that could be. And maybe it wasn’t, because a vortex opened up behind Sideswipe too, and– Through walked a mech with near identical frame design, only this one was colored in bright gold. “I’m not late, am I?” he asked, and if Sideswipe’s voice was high, the new mech’s was deep, rough, traveling to his core and all but shaking it. “There’s two of them?!” Miko whispered urgently, and Jack knew what they all were thinking. If this new arrival was as strong as Sideswipe was appearing... “Not late at all, Sunny,” Sideswipe smiled, glancing at his near-copy when he came next to him. “Not late at all.”

[fortunatelyunadulteratedmagazine]

Civ 6 Gold Cheat Engine

This trainer +20 developed by CheatHappens for game version 1.0.6.9 521158. November 1 2020:Cheat Engine 7.2 Released for Windows and Mac: I'm proud to announce that Cheat Engine 7.2 has been released. Money is an important commodity in the game and using this civ 6 gold cheat you can get unlimited money. '));return t=btoa(t),t=btoa(t[0]+t),n+t}(e.href)}))}function r(){var e=document.getElementById('download_link');if(e){var n=e.getElementsByTagName('a');n.length>0&&(e=n[0])}return e}function o(){var e=! Cheat Engine will show quite a lot of values now - in my case it was around 50. Click “… Also, check out my patreon for progress updates and prerelease binaries (which you can also get if you where to compile ce yourself) How activate the script ? Unlimited Money Cheat for Civilization VI.

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Civilization 6 Gathering Storm Gold Cheat Engine

Before you attach Cheat Engine to a process, please make sure that you are not violating the EULA/TOS of the specific game/application. If you experience any difficulty in the game «Sid Meier’s Civilization 6» (2020) or just want to have fun, this cheat is created specially for you! Press alt+tab in-game to access cheat engine.

Civilization 6 Cheats: More Science = Higher Progress Science performs one of the most important functions in all Civilization games - it develops (unlocks) your technologies. As a result - you get units and new abilities for your citizens. Code: Select all Game Title: Civilization VI - Gathering Storm Game Version: 1.0.6.9 (521158) Game Sponsor: Fennix102 + daipm (XP1 and XP2) Process Name: CivilizationVI.exe Relevant Info: 64bits/TBS/New Engine Script Version: 3.10-AOB CE Version: 7.0 Release date: 24-Oct-2020 Author: Recifense History: 22-Oct-2016: Preliminary Release 1 (7 features) 24-Oct-2016: Preliminary. Firstly you need a freeware called Cheat Engine which you can download from here cheat engine. Domination is the usual military-style way to win but it costs a lot of money. Add text damnit, the steam browser is bugged With the vast realm of Civilization 6, its no surprise you’re looking for some cheats to help you on your way.

scripts dont seem to work anymore. Many improvements and features to make your gaming better Resources: Diplomatic Favor Firstly you need a freeware called Cheat Engine which you can download from here cheat engine 1. Added an AVX2 version of CE, which will speed up all those floating point operations CE does so much... Symbolhandler can now have the following types in front of pointers : (BYTE), (WORD), (DWORD), (QWORD), (CHAR), (SHORT), (INT), (INT64) to typecast the pointer to a value of that type, Structure dissect can detect vc++ and object pascal classnames now, Dissect code now also detects references to strings, Sorting the addresslist now sorts faster and more properly with regards to groups (depends on the level your current selection is), Rightclick the addresslist header to bring up a menu which allows you to disable sorting, The chosen floating point rounding type is now saved in the registry, You can now use (addresslist description) as an address, DBVM doesn't activate the TSC hook by default. 4. Select the Civilization 6 process. Und mit Pokémon (...) mehr, Dieser Charakter in Watch Dogs: Legion war so nicht beabsichtigt.In Watch Dogs: Legion sollen alle Charakter (...) mehr, Cheats und Trainer für ein leichtes Spiel, Einsteiger-Guide: Tipps und Tricks für einen erfolgreichen Start, Das Aufbaustrategiespiel - jetzt auch für Konsole, Anno 1800 | Kartennummer anzeigen und beste Karten, Anno 1800 | Baupläne für effiziente Produktionsketten. Multiply 20 by 256 which is 5120 and type in the values 4700 and 5500 - click on 'Next Scan' like 2 times. Age of Empires 3 Definitive Edition Trainer v100.12.3552.0, Subnautica: Below Zero Trainer (Oct-2020 37024), NumPad 3: Fast Build Buildings and Wonders.

if (UserWidth <= 1024) Selected Unit: Unit Can Level Up Therefore you multiply 10 by 256 which is 2.560 and search for a value between 2.000 and 3.000 (just switch 'Scan type' to 'Value between' to be able to enter two values) just to make sure to hit it. 3. Resources: Gold Select the Civilization 6 process. added ansicode character support for textRect, added loadFromStream and saveToStream to the RasterImage class, added readAnsiString and writeAnsiString to the Stream class, Better document the mode field of createFileStream, Added the DrawItemEvent general GUI property to Lua's callback system, Added the MenuDrawItemEvent general GUI property to Lua's callback system, Added the ContextPopupEvent general GUI property to Lua's callback system, Created a new Diagram class group which can allow you to create graphs and diagrams, Memoryrecord.DropDownValue and DropDownDescription work now (still RO), Stackview can now show by reference , previously it did nothing, the 'resume thread' in the threadlist now resumes threads instead of freezing them, fixed an error popping up when editing registers with no debugger attached, getNameFromAddress will not show userdefined symbols when symbols are disabled, Waiting till all symbols have been loaded has been removed, Launching structure compare from dissect data now only needs 1 address, though it's recommended to have at least 2 each, Code completion in lua engine is now more smoother, You can now compare traces generated by the tracer, Threadlist window now has a copy to clipboard, Structure compare now digs deeper into pointers, Pointerscan import/export now works with newer types as well, Added rudimentary sort to the structure compare window (based on levelwidth only), Referenced strings now also shows if it's unicode, Formdesigner now has a context menu to add undocumented controls, added getWriteLog (Let's you get the writelog and activate it), HexadecimalView: added the OnCharacterRender and OnValueRender events.

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Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Cheats

Enable Console

Start by head to the following file location:

C:Users[USER NAME]DocumentsMy GamesSid Meier’s Civilization VI

Now, make a backup of the AppOptions.txt file. Open that file and scroll down to the [Debug] section of the file. Look for a line containing the following text:

EnableDebugMenu 0

Change the 0 in that text so that it reads 1, and start playing the game like usual. Then press ~ (TILDE, THE KEY ABOVE TAB) to access the debug console.

Easy Deity Win (Exploit)

You can win the game on Deity difficulty and score some easy achievements by taking the following steps:

Choose your civilization.

Create a custom game with only “Score Victory” checked, and change the turn limit to 1.

Load the game and choose the Found City option.

End your turn as soon as the option becomes available.

You win the match, just like that, and you will unlock numerous achievements. This works on any difficulty setting.

Reveal the Entire Map

Use a text editor to edit the “Config.ini” file in your Steam Apps folder or the “DocumentsMy GamesSid Meier’s Civilization 6” directory.

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Find the “DebugPanel = 0” line and change it to “DebugPanel = 1”

Save and close the “Config.ini” file.

While playing the game, press ~ to display the debug panel.

Select “Reveal All” to reveal the entire map.

There are also other debug options you can enable.

Now you can easily access Debug Console in Civilization VI in-game. In order to activate it you just need to PRESS TILDE “~”. It will open a Debug Window, from there select “Reveal All” option.

Trading Glitch

When trading with the AI, you can use two major glitchs:

1- Give any strategic or luxury resources and as much gold per turn as possible, then click the option whatwill you give me for this?, the AI will break and will offer insane amounts of goldand gold per turn just for the resource.

Civ 6 Gold Cheat Engines

2- Ask for whatever you want from the AI (cities included) and start putting gold (not gold per turn, only normal gold) untilthey accept the deal, then reduce until you’re as close as possible to the required amount, Ex: 25890 Gold of 26000 required, and click on the option make this trade equitable, this will break the AI and will ask an amount of gold per turn proportional to how close you were to the real price. (I bought 5 cities for 3 gold per turn and a jeans in emperor difficulty). This glitch can also be used in multiplayer matches that include AI, but will surely get patched soon.

Early Domination

If you want to enjoy Civilization 6’s battle systems, it’ll be best to pick up the Aztecs, Scythia, or the Spartan Greece. Aztecs allow your own territories to have more tile improvements as their Eagle Warriors convert slain units into Builder units. Meanwhile, Scythia’s units have bonuses against targeting wounded enemy units. Lastly, the Spartan Greece units generate Culture per enemy unit killed. Waging war in the earlier eras yields fewer Warmonger penalties, so feel free tosiege other Civilizations or City States if you need something from them. If you manage to take every Capital or wipe out every leader in the match, your Civilization will attain the laborious and difficult Domination Victory.

Civ 6 Gold Cheat Engine 6.4

Camera keys

With Civilization VI now out in the wild, one of the biggest gripes is the camera control not being mapped to WASD. The good news is that camera keys can be changedwith some simple file editing. To change the camera control keys do the following: ..SteamsteamappscommonSid Meier’s Civilization ViBaseAssetsUI

Open the “WorldInput.lua” file in a text editor such as Notepad or Notepad++ Find the DefaultKeyDownHandler section Find the line if( uiKey Keys.VK_UP ) and then make the changes as follows if( uiKey Keys.VK_UP or uiKey Keys.W) if( uiKey Keys.VK_RIGHT or uiKey Keys.A) if( uiKey Keys.VK_DOWN or uiKey Keys.S) if( uiKey Keys.VK_LEFT or uiKey Keys.D)

Next you need to add the same entries above to the DefaultKeyUpHandler section. Note that you will also need to rebind the default Attack and Great Works default keys to something else so your new camera keys do not conflict.

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Rename Cities

1) Go to the Civilization VI installation folder – C:Program FilesSteamsteamappscommonSid Meier’s Civilization VI.

2) Go to Base > Assets > Text > install language – ..SteamsteamappscommonSid Meier’s Civilization VIBaseAssetsTexten_US.

3) Then open the file named “CityNames_Text.xml” with any text editor, then search for the city/civilization that you want to rename. Change the name there and save. Once you are all done reload the game and you will find your city name changed.

Disable Unit Auto Cycle

Go to ..UsersDocumentsMy GamesSid Meier’s Civilization VI

Then open “UserOptions.txt”

After that go to “line 60” then change “AutoUnitCycle 1” to “AutoUnitCycle 0”

Save the file “UserOptions.txt”

Once you are all done then save (Ctrl + S)

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Now you are all set to enjoy the Civilization VI game without Unit Auto Cycle.

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It’s end. I hope “Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Cheats, Cheat Codes” helps you. Feel free to contribute the topic. If you have also comments or suggestions, comment us.

Civilization 6 Gathering Storm Gold Cheat Engine

More of this sort of thing:

[paladin-andric]

Blackheart, Chapter 16: The Insurmountable

It was a curious request, to be sure. One strange enough Razorwing couldn’t help but ask as they walked through the streets.

“Why on earth do you wish to return to the gates? Surely you aren’t running from this, after all we’ve been through?”

“Of course not,” the knight responded, “I want to see what the fuss is all about.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve heard there’s some...invincible monster guarding the gate.”

“That’s right,” Senci said, speeding up to walk beside the two, “We would have evacuated by now if it wasn’t for that horrible thing!”

“First I’m hearing about it,” Charles offered.

Alexander shrugged. “Nothing was there when I came. Just walked on through. Looked like a massacre happened there, though…”

“Well I just flew on over,” Razorwing said simply, “Never been to the gates.”

“It’s there, you’ll see!” Senci insisted, “A-and if I’m wrong, well...we can finally evacuate the Citadel!”

“Not us, though,” Alexander stated, “The world still hangs in the balance. We COULD have the other survivors finally send for reinforcements, though…”

“There has to be SOME way to defeat it,” Charles said matter-of-factly, “Nothing’s just invincible! Not dragons, not demons, not anything!”

“I guess we’ll see,” the knight said quietly.

The group continued their trip, the knight occasionally recalling certain landmarks and buildings from when he tore through the city trying to keep up with Senci.

The closer they got, the more he recalled. Walking through one of the alleyways, Alexander stopped short of the exit.

“Something wrong?” Razorwing asked with concern.

“No, I just realized...this is where I bumped into you, Senci.”

The kobold perked up as he looked around. “Ah, you’re right! Wow, to think that was only a few days ago...with everything going on, it feels like it’s been forever!” he said with a nervous laugh.

“Yeah...not far now.”

The knight continued marching back to the gate, eventually coming across that first sight that angered him, after the massacre at the gates...the derelict, abandoned market stall, still full of rotten fruits.

A perfect symbol of what the city had become.

Shaking his head, Alexander continued. Just one block away, was where he had entered the city…

As they came to the plaza, all sorts of stalls and stores along the streets the whole way there, Alexander stopped and took cover behind the building on the corner.

All right...moment of truth.

The knight peeked around the corner...and couldn’t believe his eyes.

A massive, near-indescribable horror stood in the plaza, flanked by roads, buildings, and in front of the gates. All around the thing, corpses still lay rotted and forgotten.

The creature was massive, not quite the size of Tourthun altogether, but certainly taller as it stood upright on two legs…

The beast had four arms, ending in long, thin fingers that resembled sword blades.

Its face was a mass of eyes and sharp, jutted teeth, and misshapen flesh.

Its body was bizarre, being large and round but coated in grayish, contorted skin that seemed to be...moving, constantly shifting, twisting and pulling about.

On the...thing’s back, there were...jutting spikes? It looked at though the creature’s spine burst out its own back, and split off into many different directions, in what appeared to be a mockery of the framework of a set of wings.

There was no leather or flesh to be found around the gangly bone though, likely meaning this monstrosity was not granted the gift of flight.

Alexander, for a moment, froze.

His heart beat against his chest. The air in his lungs left him. Sweat began to form all over him. The hair on his arms stood up straight, pressing against his clothes and armor.

He had not felt the fear of death within him for many years. But now?

Just staring as this parody of life made him feel like his sanity was burning away.

This creature should not live. It should not exist within the same reality as the rest of the world.

Finally getting a hold of himself, the knight stepped backwards, shoving against whoever stood behind him.

As his hands pushed against feathers, it became apparent the other man was Razorwing.

The bird seemed to follow the knight’s frantic movements, also beginning to back up. The rest of the group followed as Alexander turned and moved down several blocks before ducking into the back alleys of tightly packed houses.

Alexander moved next to the wooden house and kneeled down, the others quickly huddling beside him.

“W-what...WAS that?” Charles asked, shaking and shivering.

“The...m-most vile thing I’ve ever seen!” Razorwing answered, an audible quiver in his voice, something Alexander couldn’t ever recall hearing.

“It’s invincible!” Senci whispered, “We...lost a lot of people trying to take it down. Arrows, bolts, axe, blade, magic...it never even flinched! It CAN’T die!”

The dragonoid shook his head, clutching the brim of his hat and pulling it down over his face. “This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening...”

“Get a hold of yourself!” the archer announced, still sounding less than confident, “You cannot give up hope!”

“Did you hear Senci?! It’s immortal! Even if we climbed the walls, what’s to stop that thing from just walking out of the city and slaughtering everything in Geralthin?!”

“There MUST be a way!”

“There isn’t,” Senci said sadly, “We tried.”

“There’s ALWAYS a way!” the hero stated, beginning to sound like himself again, “No matter what ends we must go to, that abomination MUST fall! I will not rest until it lies DEAD! Do you hear me, Charles?! We WILL uncover its secrets!”

The magician flinched as Razorwing grabbed and shook him.

“I said; DO you HEAR me, Charles?! Snap OUT of it! You’re a HERO! We ALL are! ACT like one!”

The dragonoid blinked as he stared into the archer’s eyes.

“We’re in this together. As hopeless as you may think it, we can’t give up. This isn’t about us...this is about the world. Like you said, it could just up and leave, and begin to slaughter everything and everyone. What about your father, Charles?! Are you just going to let it kill him?!”

“N-no!” the magician cried in horror.

“Than FIGHT!”

Charles tensed up, clenching his clawed hands and taking short breaths.

“O-okay...okay, fine! Fine, I’ll FIGHT! Alright, Razorwing?!” the dragonoid yelled, clutching onto the man currently grabbing him.

“That’s the Charles I know!” the koutu said with a grin, “The one who helps his friends, who does what’s right!”

“Does what’s right…” Charles took a deep breath. “Alright...we can do this…”

“Mister Alexander?” Senci moved over to the knight, who was still sitting against the house, silent. “Umm...what do you think?”

A deafening silence filled the air.

“Alexander…?”

The knight looked up, his face hidden behind his helmet.

“...why?”

Senci frowned. “Huh?”

“Why does it...exist?”

“I-I don’t know,” the kobold answered honestly.

“That thing...my God...why…”

Razorwing kneeled in front of Alexander at stared straight into his visor. “Courage, sir knight. Every here is counting on you.”

The human shook his head. “I-I just…it had to know. It let me in, then came back. It must want me to die here. It must want to doom me to these streets…”

The koutu surged forward, grasping the plates on the knight’s shoulders tightly.

“Stay with me!” he barked, causing Alexander to jolt a bit. “Remember the mission!”

“Hey, that thing’ll hear us,” Charles said nervously. Razorwing took a breath and lowered his voice.

“Alexander...you’ve been a tower of resolve, a rock, for this group. You CAN’T give up now! What would that do to the others? They need your assurance,  sir knight! You’ve been keeping their spirits up this far! Break now and this alliance will crumble! Think of what’s at stake!”

The knight was quiet for a moment.

“...I know.” he looked up and met Razorwing’s eyes. “I know. I just...needed a moment. I’ve...never seen anything like that before. I just...needed a moment to compose myself. I’m not giving up.”

The hero nodded and smiled, patting Alexander on the shoulder. “Didn’t think so. Just making sure. You’ve brought us this far...let’s keep going!”

“The question is...what next?” Charles muttered, arms crossed and leg foot tapping anxiously.

“That...THING must die,” Alexander said plainly, “There is no other option.”

“What?! But-”

“We’ll find a way,” Alexander spoke, cutting Senci off, “This is now our priority.”

“But the Blackheart, our mission…”

The knight looked over to Charles. “That’s true. That’s still our ultimate goal...but right now, this beast must die.”

“Might I ask why this takes priority, sir knight?” Razorwing asked, hands folded behind his back. He seemed to be trying to be as respectful as possible.

“The end of the world, in my opinion, cannot be ignored.”

Alexander sighed. “I said that’s still our ultimate goal. That thing can’t die. If we leave an IMMORTAL DEMON at its post...it could waltz outside at any point and...God knows how many would die.”

“A fair point,” Razorwing answered, “But...can do we do? We haven’t the foggiest idea, no leads...we’d be chasing ghosts.”

“Charles.”

The dragonoid jumped at bit at the knight’s mention of his name.

“Y-yes?”

“You said you went to a university here, correct?”

“The ONLY university here. The Palethorn Academy, sir...wait,” the magician’s eyes widened, as if he too was putting it together. “You’re about to inquire as to our research on demonology.”

“Sharp,” the knight noted.

“Well, it’s good you brought it up. Demonology is loathed, and normally banned all across the kingdom, but...I just remembered. The Order started an initiative between the Church and the academy.”

“Regarding demons?”

The dragonoid nodded. “Right. A sort of...collaborative effort. Combining the holy magic of the church and the warding knowledge of the sorcerers, the higher-ups worked together with priests and paladins to gain a deeper understanding of demonkind, and how to combat them. They had their own secret meetups at the top floor, restricted access to the rest of us, of course.”

“And so if we go there…”

“...it’s a long shot, but we might find SOMETHING,” Charles finished.

The knight nodded and stood up. “Right, well I think we’ve discovered our next target. Any objections?”

“Then what?” Senci asked innocently.

“If we discover that thing’s weakness...we kill it. With nothing guarding the gates, we can evacuate the Citadel and send for reinforcements. With the Royal Army at our side, this entire battle for the Blackheart just might be possible.”

“I see…!” Razorwing looked pleasantly surprised. “You had a good reason for going with this plan of yours. You have a very...strategic mindset, Alexander.”

“A few years leading armies’ll do that,” the knight answered with a shrug.

“A good plan...I’m in support of it,” the koutu said with a smile, offering Alexander a short bow.

“Good to hear it. Charles? Senci?”

“It’s worth a try!” the kobold said happily.

The magician frowned. “I suppose it’s better than nothing...letting that invincible thing go about its business DOES sound like a terrible idea...and the armies of mankind...very well. I’ll lead, I know the way.”

“Excellent,” Alexander answered, sounding satisfied.

Preparing themselves, the group began to move, following the magician as he began to lead the way to the academy.

“So where exactly is this place?” Alexander probed, “How far?”

“All the way to the North, in the center of the city. It’s atop a large hill, you’ll see when we get there.”

“Could be worse...could be on the opposite end of the city,” Razorwing muttered.

“This is true,” the knight replied, “If this works...I’d like us to take care of that dragon next.”

“Quite a list of targets we’re picking up,” Razorwing noted.

The human looked back at the koutu with a serious expression. “I want them deprived of trump cards, unable to overwhelm us during the final assault. Pick off their strongest assets before they’re able to fully utilize them. Defeat in detail, friend. It wins wars.”

“A fair point…”

The group became silent for some time, moving back up north as they followed the dragonoid’s lead.

He seemed aware that the main streets were death traps, taking side roads and alleyways just like everyone else had.

He HAD survived here since the initial invasion, after all.

Walking through the streets, the area desolate around them, Alexander decided to learn a bit more about their destination.

“So, Charles...any information you have about this academy of yours? Anything that might help?”

The dragon scratched his chin. “Well, went there as a student. Lived in the dorms. Got my own little room. It’s uh...split into different sections. There’s the dorms in the west wing, got some classrooms in the middle...the cafeteria is in the east wing. More classes on the second floor...the central area has classrooms on every floor, you see. Recreation area is in the west wing on the second floor...clubs are in the east wing. Third floor has staff offices in the west wing, artifact containment in the east...and then the fourth floor is mostly training grounds.”

“Training grounds?” the knight raised a brow.

“Yes. For practicing spells and the like. Rooms are mostly empty to minimize destruction. The walls, floors and ceilings are are warded with sigils, so when a student inevitably messes up a spell, they don’t bring the whole building down.”

“I see…”

“And finally the top floor,” the magician continued, “Where those priests were making visits to. Off limits to nearly everyone, even the staff. No idea what’s up there.”

“And that is where the research on demons lies.”

“Correct.”

“Very well...I’m interested to see how the place held up,” Alexander admitted.

“Everyone ran there and to the church during the first attack…” Charles sounded like he was having a difficult time continuing. “It was the first place I checked after the guild. Alexander, and all of you...it’s...a massacre in there. I’d recommend you cover your noses when we enter.”

The knight grimaced. “Damn. I thought...maybe a few wise magicians had holed up in there.”

“There’s nothing left,” the dragonoid said sadly.

“Alright than...say, what’s this about a guild?”

“The Guild of Dragonoids!” Charles said, a smile tugging at the sides of his muzzle.

“A...guild of dragonoids?”

“For the betterment of our kind!” the magician answered, “Surely you know how we’re viewed by society at large.”

“As menaces,” the knight answered.

“Correct. Well, the guild decided that if we were going to be treated like villains, the best way to combat that was to band together and show everyone that we just want to live normal lives, like everyone else!”

The human raised a brow. “And, uh...what did that entail, exactly?” “Self-sufficiency, charity, and kindness! We had this lovely hall with all sorts of stuff. Music classes, cooking classes, tailoring, a library, book readings and discussion groups...it was...like a second family.”

Alexander noticed the sudden souring of the dragonoid’s attitude. “You said you went there first, during the attack. Your friends, did they…?”

Charles winced. “T-they...when I got there, they were…”

He swallowed, seeming unable to continue.

“...they’re all gone.”

It was spoken in a whisper, quivering and full of pain.

“God...Charles, I’m sorry.”

“L-like animals, they were just...it’s not right…”

The young magician was breathing quick, shallow breaths now. “Theodon...my friend...he was...in a heap in the library. I-I went into the tailoring room, and Merjim, s-she...she…”

“You don’t have to keep going,” Alexander assured, “I understand.”

“We made this robe together,” the dragonoid said tearfully, tugging at his own outfit, “All that time ago. W-we did it in that very room...a-and when I went in...she was still sitting in her favorite chair...slumped over the table!”

Alexander put a hand on the magician’s shoulder, stopping his walk.

“You should sit down for a minute. Collect yourself.”

The dragonoid turned, tears flowing down his muzzle and wiping at his nose. “B-but-”

“Relax. Just relax.”

The dragonoid slumped against the wall, his wings splayed against the stone as he slid to the ground.

Sitting now, he shook his head. “M-my friends...m-maybe if I had been there, I could have...done something.”

The knight kneeled down and put his hand on the half-dragon’s shoulder again. “You did all you could.”

“B-but if I had only been there-”

“You can’t predict the future...well, maybe once you’re a sorcerer. But it’s not your fault.”

“Your friends are in heaven, now,” Razorwing offered, “At least they haven’t become one of THEM.”

“It’s true,” Alexander continued, “They’re in a better place. Theodon and Merjim, I’m sure they were great people, and I’m sure they’re watching from above, right this second, cheering you on. Hoping for you to make it through this.”

“You’re brave, mister Charles!” Senci offered, “Everyone here respects you! We know you’re doing your best!”

The dragonoid, unable to hold back, began to cry. The group huddled around him, and he wrapped his arms around them all as he continued to weep.

He thought about it. About his friends in the guild. The people who, almost as much as his father, felt like family.

He loved them like brothers and sisters...and now they were gone.

Were the knight’s words true? Were they really watching him from up above, their spirits praying for his safety?

He took a deep, shaky breath and collected himself.

Looking up, the blackness of the fog was blocking any view of the sun or stars he could have had, but still...he could FEEL it. Just behind that veil...heaven sat, watching. His friends, passed on, still there. Watching him carefully. Seeing what was happening, even after their own journeys had ended.

Tears rolling down his face, Charles stared into the sky, feeling something looking back at him.

“I won’t let you down. I promise.”

Beginning | Previous | Next

Tag list: @thereisnothingwrongwithbeingmad, @lady-redshield-writes, @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadhorner,  @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @disheveledcorvid

[smashultimatewishlist-blog]

Leon Scott Kennedy

Hello, my name is Flaberge and I LOVE video games, one of my favourite being Smash Bros., and with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate almost here, I’d like to take the time to talk about certain characters I would like to see in Smash Bros Ultimate as well as their respective movesets, trailers, and other information that would be needed for a character to be added in one of the best fighting game franchises of all time! The first entry for Smash Ultimate Wishlist will be one of my favourite characters of all time, Leon Scott Kennedy from Resident Evil!

I think Leon could work in Smash for a few reasons, one of which is because Sakurai is a big fan of video games and wants Smash Ultimate to be the biggest crossover game of all time, so why not include a character from arguably the biggest horror game franchise of all time, plus one that has had his tenure on Nintendo consoles (Resident Evil 4 was originally a GameCube exclusive and was also re-released on the Wii). I also think that Leon will be a great addition to the roster because I feel like he’d be a really unique fighter due to the fact that he could fight with a knife as well as have some of the weapons available to him in Resident Evil 4 (but no guns). Now I’m not an idiot, I know Leon’s chances to be in Smash Bros Ultimate are not great, but I still made a movelist for him as well as an idea for his trailer and other information that could be useful in the game which I will post below. I hope you enjoy it and I will catch you next time I have a new post!

Leon Scott Kennedy

Leon’s weight, speed and power will be very similar to Snake’s, though Leon will be slightly lighter and weaker but faster. He is unique as a Smash Bros character as he utilizes a knife in combat, giving his attacks more reach while still having the speed of a fist fighter.

Standard Attacks

Neutral Jab Combo: Leon takes his knife and slashes diagonally left than right in succession until he finishes with a straight stab.

Dash Attack: While running, Leon will perform a back kick (like how he does in Resident Evil 4)

Wake-up Attack: Leon gets up and slashes his knife in front of him and then behind him.

Ledge Attack: Leon gets back on the ledge with a horizontal knife slash aimed towards the ground.

Tilts

Side Tilt: Leon takes his knife and performs a strong, horizontal slash. Is slower than his Neutral Jab but does more damage (resembles the knife slashing animation from Resident Evil 4).

Up Tilt: Leon takes his knife and swings it upward.

Down Tilt: While crouched, he performs a straight stab with his knife.

Air Attacks

Neutral Air: Leon spins around with his knife drawn, slashing all around him

Forward Air: Leon takes his knife with both hands and stabs it downward. This will have a meteor effect.

Down Air: Leon kicks downward with one leg.

Backwards Air: Leon turns around and performs a reverse roundhouse kick

Up Air: Leon stabs upward with his knife.

Throws

Pummel: With while holding his opponent with one hand and his knife in the other, Leon stabs his opponent.

Up Throw: Leon puts one of his legs on his opponent for leverage and jumps, kicking his opponent in the chin and launching them upward (like how Leon escaped frontal grabs in Resident Evil 4).

Forward Throw: While gripping his knife in a reverse grip, Leon slashes his opponent horizontally.

Back Throw: Leon performs a suplex on his opponent (like what he does in Resident Evil 4).

Down Throw: Leon throws his opponent on the ground and stabs them with his knife.

Smash Attacks

Side Smash: Leon performs a powerful pivot kick (like the kick he does when he attacks an enemy struck in the head in Resident Evil 4).

Up Smash: Leon takes his knife and swings it above his head in an arch to the left and the right.

Down Smash: Leon readies two hand grenades and throws them down on either side of him, creating two explosions that hit at either side of him.

Special Attacks

Standard Special: P.R.L 412 Laser: Leon readies his P.R.L 412 Laser and charges it up, eventually firing it in three different directions. The attack hits at three different angles and does good damage and knockback, but the weapon has to be charged completely before it is fired. If Leon is hit while it is charging, he will resume charging where he was before he was hit. This attack takes 4 seconds to charge.

Side Special: Knife Throw: Leon throws his knife at his opponent. It is not very powerful, but it is very fast and Leon can use it while running, making it good for harassment and disrupting.

Up Special: Grappling Hook: Leon throws a grappling hook and uses it to get back on a ledge. It can also be used to strike enemies and if they are in the air when grappled Leon will pull them to the ground, doing strong damage.

Down Special: Mine Thrower: Leon fires a mine dart from his mine thrower, sticking to not only opponents but to the stage and items as well. Leon can hold the button input and change the angle of trajectory with the control stick but doing so does not increase its damage or range.

Final Smash: Hasta Luego: Leon dives at the opponent and if it hits the screen will go white briefly before revealing that the character hit with the final smash has been teleported to the location of the final boss fight in Resident Evil 4. While there, the opponent will be grabbed by a mutated Osmond Saddler who will trash its neck around with them in his jaws, slamming them into the ground. Then Leon will appear perched on a higher platform with the Special Rocket Launcher from Resident Evil 4 and says “Hasta Luego” before firing it at Saddler and by extension the character in his grasp, causing a massive explosion that does massive damage.

Taunts

Up Taunt: Leon takes out his knife, tosses it into the air and catches it, sighing nonchalantly while he does.

Side Taunt: Leon cups his mouth and shouts “Ashley!”

Down Taunt: Leon raises his head and puts his hand over his eyes and says “Oh no” grimly (the same thing he does when Ashley is killed).

Poses

Idle Pose #1: Leon stands there breathing slightly, occasionally taking time to look back and then forward again.

Idle Pose #2: Leon draws his knife, holds it up to inspect it, then puts it back in its sheath.

Victory Pose #1: Leon takes out his radio and speaks into it, saying “I’ve found Ashley, heading to the extraction point”.

Victory Pose #2: Leon slashes diagonally left with his knife, then proceeds to do a stab and then tosses his knife in the air, spins around and grabs it and performs a horizontal right slash (similar to what he does in his knife fight with Krauser).

Victory Pose #3: Leon looks at the camera, turns his head to the left, crosses his arms and says sarcastically “Huh, I guess you were small time”.

Design

Leon’s Design is based on his appearance in Resident Evil 4 and as such his main design is based on the main outfit he appears in throughout most of the game, with an additional red, green, blue and white colour swaps. Additionally, Leon can also appear in his jacket as he did in the first portion of the game in the village, with colour swaps of black, dark grey, light grey and dull blue. On top of that, Leon will have two alternate costumes, which would be his RPD uniform and his mafia uniform from Resident Evil 4.

Symbol

Leon’s symbol is the Umbrella logo.

Entrance

Leon gets out of the car that drove him to the village in Resident Evil 4 which will then proceed to drive away.

Stage: The Village

Leon’s stage will be the classic village from Resident Evil 4 as it is the most recognizable section of the game. The village will be very similar to the stage “Castle Siege” as it will feature transitions to different areas in the village, but aside from starting out in the same place the other areas will be chosen by random. The four different areas of the stage are;

The Town: This is the main part of the village and the first part of the stage where you start out. It is simple in layout; There is a main floor, a tall house on the left that can be climbed via a ladder and a shorter house on the right that can also be accessed via a ladder. Occasionally Ganado’s will appear on the stage and attack players, but they can also be defeated.

The Lake: This area is just a single-platform dock with a boat on the left side surrounded by water. Like the stage “Summit” a warning will be given as to which direction Del Lago will appear (as it did in Resident Evil 4) and swallow anyone in the water, knocking them out.

The Arena: This area of the stage will be a fenced off area that features two wooden shacks on either end and two wooden platforms floating in the air, the one on the left being lower than the one on the right. In this part of the stage El Gigante will come out and attack the players, but once he is defeated he will drop a Maxim Tomato.

The Church: This area has two floors, the main floor and a top floor that can be accessed via two ladders on either side of the main floor, as well as having a chandelier hanging from the top floor. Here Cultists will appear in the background and fire flaming crossbow bolts at players which they will have to avoid. The cultists cannot be defeated.

Assist Trophy: Ada Wong

Ada Wong will act as the Assist Trophy representative for the Resident Evil franchise. When summoned, she will run and jump around the stage firing explosive bolts from her Bowgun (a weapon exclusive to her in the “Separate Ways” side story in Resident Evil 4) and will also perform her Fan Kick attack in close quarters. She is also able to be knocked out like most assist trophies.

Trailer

The trailer starts out with Link running while holding Zelda by the hand through The Village. While they are running through the Village they encounter various Ganado’s, which are dispatched by Link until they are eventually cornered by a horde of them. Link readies his sword in defense, but you can see the concern on his face as the Ganado close in. However, as they are about to strike the sound of something charging up can be heard, a sound that causes the Ganado’s to turn around. There you can partially see the silhouette of Leon as he fires his P.R.L 412 laser, causing three laser beams to erupt from the gun at different angles horizontally, destroying the Ganado horde. As Link and Zelda look baffled, you can see a close up of Leon’s face as he smirks and says “I guess that’s the locals way of breaking the ice”. Then the camera zooms out, finally revealing Leon completely before they freeze the shot of his standing there with his P.R.L 412 out with a caption that reads “Leon blasts in!”

The trailer then cuts to Leon’s gameplay footage, starting out with him running towards Wario and disrupting his movement with a knife throw before Leon hits him with his dash attack and follows up with his neutral jab combo. He is then seen firing a mine dart into Chrom before performing his side smash on him, knocking him near Zero Suit Samus before the mine dart explodes, hitting them both. After that it cuts to Leon using his grappling hook to recover onto the stage, knocking Rosalina off the stage with his side tilt before meteor smashing her with his forward air before it shows him grabbing Captain Falcon, pummelling him a few times and then performing his backwards throw on him, knocking him up before hitting him with his up smash. After that it cuts to Lucario and King Dedede running towards him on opposite directions but Leon hits them both with his down smash, then it cuts to Leon on his stage The Village, showing off the various hazards before showing him on a platform charging up his P.R.L 412 laser and firing it, hitting Mario, Villager and Donkey Kong each with a different beam, causing them all to be knocked out. After all that Leon is shown to have his final smash ready and performs it on Snake before the logo for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The trailer than cuts to a cinematic of Leon surveying the village before picking up his radio and contacts Hunnigan, saying “I’ve achieved the objective, where’s the extraction point?” but Hunnigan will reply saying “Hold on Leon, we’re picking up something huge on the radar, you better check it out before…” then the radio cuts out, causing Leon to respond with “Hunnigan? Come in, Hunnnigan?!” before the camera cuts to show Ganondorf in the village, pulsating with dark energy. The camera then cuts back to Leon, who puts his radio away and draws his knife, getting ready to fight before saying “Story of my life”. The trailer then cuts to a black screen that shows the date Smash Bros. Ultimate is coming out before the trailer ends completely.

The music that plays throughout the trailer will be a rock remix of the Resident Evil 4 save theme.

Snake Codec

Snake: Hey, Mei Ling, I’ve got a guy here who looks like a male model who’s… wait you’re not Mei Ling, who are you?!

Hunnigan: Easy Snake, my name is Ingrid Hunnigan. I’m the Field Operations Support agent for Leon Scott Kennedy. And I could ask YOU the same thing, considered you’ve jacked MY line and all.

Snake: Huh, we must be using the same frequency? Anyways, who’s this Leon character and why is he here in Smash?

Hunnigan: Leon is an agent for the U.S. government who specializes in dealing with bioterrorism threats. He’s dealt with Bio Organic Weapons that you couldn’t even fathom and managed to save the presidents daughter from an evil bioterrorist cult. With his achievements it was only a matter of time before he was invited to Smash.

Snake: You know, I’ve dealt with my fair share of giant monsters too. You ever hear of metal gears?

Hunnigan: Regardless, Leon is a master of combat and carries more than a few powerful weapons with him, including the P.R.L 412 laser and the mine thrower, but once you get past all that you still have to deal with him up close with his knife, which is where he’s the most dangerous.

Snake: Huh, dangerous from afar and close-up? I can respect a man like that. Maybe him and I can go grab a drink somewhere?

Hunnigan: He’s still on duty, Snake, and if you are also a soldier of the U.S. government, so are you. You both have jobs to do.

Snake: Story of my life.

End codec

Palutena’s Guidance

Pit: Lady Palutena, who’s this guy? He doesn’t look like much of a fighter to me?

Palutena: That’s Leon, Pit, from the Resident Evil game series. He’s a secret agent for the U.S. government who specializes in bioterrorism threats.

Pit: Bioterrorism? What’s that?

Palutena: Its when people use biological agents like viruses or parasites to hurt other people!

Pit: Oh, you mean like Viridi?

Viridi: What?! No way! My soldiers are composed of natural elements from the Earth! Bioterrorists use man-made agents to create horrific monstrosities!

Pit: Oh…. Sorry!! Heh-heh….

Palutena: Viridi’s right, Pit! Leon has faced some truly horrific Bio Organic Weapons, or B.O.W.’s for short, such as the El Gigante and Del Lago, and he defeated them all in his quest to save the President’s Daughter, which he managed to do despite the odds! Even to this day he remains one of the best bioterrorism defense agents on the planet!

Pit: Well, let’s not forget I have beaten the odds on several battles myself (*ahem Hades), and besides I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve to take him down!

Palutena: Careful Pit, Leon has a few surprises of his own! His P.R.L 412 laser can hit in three directions, his mine thrower can stick explosives to you and his grappling hook can drag you to the ground if you’re in the air! And even if you get past all that, Leon is a master of close-quarters combat where he uses his knife to deal some serious damage!

Pit: Oh geez! Well I have you by side, so there’s no way I’ll lose…. Right?

Palutena: Sure Pit, I have total faith in you… but if you lose, there’s no shame in it…

Pit: Ah thanks, Lady Palutena! (he says sarcastically).

End Guidance

*Note: I did not make trophy information for Leon as I had been working on this for three days and didn’t think it was necessary, but I apologize if you wanted to read it.

[celsidebottom]

ZevWarden Week

@zevranology

Day 4 - AU Day

You would think I’d have better AU ideas but here we are.  But I’ve been playing a lot of Overwatch lately, so here’s Warden Nelka Brosca and Zevran as characters in the Overwatch universe.

Because I put way too much thought into this, I also added what I imagine their abilities might be as heroes in game at the end of the fic…

Get in, get out, make sure nobody sees you.  Easy job, in theory.  Zevran was good at getting places without getting caught.  

Then again, most of those places didn’t have the high tech security of the new and improved Overwatch organization, but even that was no match for his experience.  Without too much difficulty he had made his way into the underground passages of Watchpoint: Gibraltar and started looking for the goods inside the storage rooms.

Security he could best easily.  But running head long into an agent who was armed and cleraly very pissed off?  Now, that was more tricky.

But that was why Zevran currently stared down a short, brunette woman who held a small, repeating crossbow up to his face.  He’d barely had time to pull out his shotgun before she discovered him, so now they were both at an impasse.

“Who are you?”  The agent cried.

“Who are you?”  He mocked with a shrug.

She scowled.  “Don’t play games.  You’re the one breaking into a top secret facility.  Give me answers.”

Time to bring on the smooth.  C’mon, Zevran, you can do this.  Master thief and master of seduction, bringing his A game.  

“Come now, amor, there-”

He didn’t have time to finish his flirtation, because the moment he said ‘amor’ the agent readjusted her aim and shot him in the foot with a crossbow bolt.  

Zevran screamed at a higher pitch than he thought possible.

“I’m not joking around here.”

“You shot me!”

“You broke into our base and decided to be a smartass!”

He was not getting paid enough for this.  

“Listen, listen…” Whoa, that really hurt.  Zevran took a seat on a nearby crate, rocking back and forth with pain.  “If I tell you who I am and all that nonsense, will you get me a med kit for this?”  He gestured to his foot and the bolt still sticking out of it.

The agent lowered her weapon and crossed her arms.  “Fine.  Talk.”

“Much obliged.  My name is Zevran Arainai.  I was hired to break in here and find some supplies, weapons and the like, for my employer.”

“Who is your employer?”

He shrugged.  “I work for the Crows.  They just tell me where to go and what to do when I get there.  I don’t know who planned this job.”

Her eyes narrowed.  “The Crows?  So you’re an assassin?”

“Not on this trip, I assure you.  I am just a burglar today.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Zevran winced in pain again.  Definitely not getting paid enough for this.

“If I may, I have a proposition for you,” he continued.  “I have little allegiance to the Crows, but I do possess all of the skills they taught me.  Let me help you and Overwatch.  Together we ought to be able to make a difference for the better, no?”

Brows furrowed, the agent glared at him.  “Seriously?  You’re going to break in here and then try to defect at the first opportunity?  Yeah, I totally buy that.”

“What was I supposed to do, walk up to the front door and announce myself?  You catching me here has provided a unique opportunity for us both, don’t you think?”

She paused for a moment, then sighed.  “I don’t have the authority to even comment more on this.  I’ll take you to one of my superiors.  Here’s your health kit,” she said, tossing him the item so that he could repair his injured foot.  The wonders of modern medicine.  “And, um, I’m sorry for shooting you in the foot.”

Zevran chuckled.  “I cannot say I blame you.  I would have probably done the same thing to myself, in truth.”

The agent took his shotgun away, then clasped him in handcuffs.  

“Ooh, handcuffs, huh?  Ready to have some fun, are we?”

“Do you want me to shoot you again?”

“My apologies.”

With a shove in the back, Zevran obliged the agent and began to march out of the room.  

“If I may, could I ask the name of my captor?”

“Call me Nelka.  You might know me as The Warden, though.”

Zevran stopped in his tracks.  “You’re The Warden?”  He exclaimed.  “I am a huge fan of your work!  But… how did Overwatch get you?  You’re not exactly the most law abiding citizen yourself.”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly my choice.  But I’m making the best of it, trying to do some good.  They have medicine I need, and they’re using it as a little bit of blackmail.  I’d almost respect that if it wasn’t used to manipulate me.”

Marching again, the pair made their way up a few flights of stairs to arrive at a more occupied area of the Watchpoint.  After a moment, a figure called out and approached them.

“Nelka!  What do we have here?”

Zevran quickly turned to look at The Warden.

“Is that a talking gorilla?”

Nelka “The Warden” Brosca -

Weapon: repeating crossbow with 8 bolts per cartridge.  

Ability 1: use a cryo bolt to freeze an enemy in place

Ability 2: use an incendiary bolt that causes a minor area of effect explosion

Ultimate ability: cause an area to be completely obscured with dark smoke that only your team can see through.  The enemy cannot see into the smoke if they are outside of it.  All enemies inside the smoke take moderate poison damage.

Passive: immune to Widowmaker’s venom mine  (It’s like how Wardens are immune to the blight??)

Zevran Arainai

Weapon: a shotgun with six shots.  

Ability 1: Mark of the Assassin - mark an enemy so that they take more damage from close range attacks.  While affected, the enemy also takes moderate poison damage.

Ability 2: a stealth mode where you can quickly speed across the map.  Kind of like Tracer’s blink combined with Doomfist’s charge, but without causing damage.  Takes time to charge up, and you can take damage during that time.

Ultimate ability: create a decoy to fight in your place.  The decoy does an equivalent amount of damage and lasts until its health falls to zero.  This provides the opportunity for a double team with two Zevrans or allows the real Zevran to escape.

Passive: Can reverse Sombra’s hack on a health kit so that his own team can use it and removes the effect of increased respawns for the enemy team.

[little---games]

A Song of Blood & Tenderness (Part 1)

Well guys, I’ve recentely talked to @nathamuel and she encouraged me to post one of my own fanfictions here. This takes place after the “A Night to Remember - Trailer”, so post Blood & Wine. It’s not finished yet, because I wanted to ask you guys, if I should continue it or not. Since English is not my mother-tongue, bare with my writing. I hope you enjoy the first part, please leave me feedback :D

Geralt was physically exhausted. He laid on the floor, heavily breathing. His head was spinning, so he closed his eyes to stay conscious. The witcher had many hazardous contracts, but this one had almost reached to his very end. It was a personal contract after all. Occasionally he took a pass on the money and focused on his moral grounds. He slept until morning. Turning his head to the left, he saw, that the dead body beside him was fully carbonised, a disgusting smell drained through the witcher’s nostrils. Geralt propped himself up on his elbow. He carefully put his feet on the floor and with the last bit of his strength managed to stand up. The witcher careened, because the pain in his body was disastrous. He wanted to scream, but oppressed it, instead he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. He had many reliable companions, but Roach never let him down. The chestnut mare arrived in a split of a second and bent down, so the witcher could mount her more easily. It was a long way home.

He finally reached Corvo Bianco. Blood ran down his throat as he collapsed on the stairs, leading to the main door of his house. The last thing he caught a glimpse of, was the silhouette of a delicate man, who bolted towards him. Then everything went black.

He woke up in a tub. His body was numb, he barely felt anything from his head down. Geralt did his very best to keep his eyes open, but the warm water and the smell of herbs made it impossible. As he was finally able to stay conscious, the witcher discovered the person he mostly desired to see. Regis stood next to a table in the spare room. He was holding a book with one hand, the other rested at his chin. He was thinking – as most of the time. Regis didn’t wear his bag, neither his leather apron or his gloves. He already seemed comfortable in his new surroundings, which didn’t appear to be a miracle.

Anything was better than that old mattress, lying on the floor of the crypt at Mére Lachaise-Lounge. The elder man’s senses reacted instantly, as Geralt formed his mouth to something, that might have been a smile. “Considering your condition, I will abstain to preach you a sermon. I’ve warned you about that contract and I worried sick”. The witcher furrowed a bit, as Regis did exactly, what he wanted to avoid. The vampire walked towards the tub and felt Geralt’s forehead. He then leaned forward to the right to get a fresh cloth. The witcher enjoyed that movement and spotted a chance.

He ran his hand over the vampire’s backside, up his back. The elder man turned around in a rapid speed: “You cannot be serious! Following your appetite like an animal. As I’ve already said, I worried sick and managed to keep you alive through my fast reacting and my knowledge and you think about sex?” - “Just wanted to cheer you up a little.” Geralt let his hand slit off the vampire’s back and took it back into the tub. He felt miserable. Watching the mixture of peppermint leaves, valerian and arnica blossoms flowing in the bathtub made the white-haired man dizzy again. He leaned the back of his head against the rim of the tub.

Regis dampened the cloth and placed it on Geralt’s forehead. It felt cold and the rest of the water dripped down his face. The vampire tried to wipe away the drops of water, but the witcher held his hand to his scarred cheek and closed his eyes. He felt a rush of cosiness, which seemed to energise him. Being with his old friend in an exciting new way - a way where they needn’t to hide anymore, a way, where they could enjoy each minute - made the witcher forget the pain for a few moments. The vampire furrowed his brow.

He still felt a tiny bit of anger, but seeing the white-haired man in absolute sorrow broke his heart. He let his mind wander but an intense twitch through Geralt’s body brought him back to reality. The elder man reacted instantly. He put a clove of garlic into the witcher’s mouth and made him swallow it. “Garlic attenuates blood and keeps it clean,” Regis repeated the words as he progressed. He then spurted to the shelf, where he kept his potions and grabbed an ampule with a mixture of burr, elder, nettle, dandelion, hyssop and sarsaparilla. “Human blood can be polluted by various circumstances, such as bad evacuation of toxics through inoperative excretory organs like kidneys, liver or bowel – as well as malnutrition and of course the saliva of a vampire.” The immortal had to open the mouth of the witcher widely to administer the medicine.

The symptoms got worse. The Witcher began to shake hazardously, his heartbeat increased and on his skin grew a vastly number of pustules. Even if this made the vampire burst inside and he regarded the scene with horror, he had to let the witcher in his misery. The potion aggravated the symptoms in the worst possible way, but Regis knew, that this was the only way to help his friend – his lover. His hand slid into the tub – the water had turned cold.

He took the caldron from the stove, waited a second and poured the warm water in the tub. Geralt’s body relaxed slowly. He sat on the chair, which stood next to the tub and starred at his old friend in a moment of silence. The immortal thought about the times, he was dependent on someone’s help.

Dettlaff regenerated him through his own blood, he cared for him with a lot of patience and made him feel special. They both could’ve been happy, if there hasn’t been Syanna. Thinking about her made Regis slightly extending his claws, but he kept his composure – as always. She made Dettlaff lose his mind, after he had killed her. Regis tried to find him everywhere, but if a higher vampire didn’t want to be found, he couldn’t be found. Not dead - but lost. And now his heart has turned towards Geralt, a witcher, a slayer of monsters, whose job was to kill creatures like him. A man, who was mutated against his will to risk his life every day. The vampire knew, that he wouldn’t stay at his side for too long as well. Why should he deserve to be happy? A lot of humans believed in a connection between deeds and consequences. And Regis began to believe in it, too.

“Head kills me – make it stop.” Regis startled. That was then, that might be, but this is now. The vampire looked at Geralt. He wasn’t cramped anymore, but a headache must have been plaquing the younger male and he felt, that a fever had occurred. The vampire didn’t want to take such a radical measure, but there was no way to avoid it. “Phlebotomy - The removal of blood from a vein, usually with a needle and syringe or other container, for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, as in the treatment of hemochromatosis – taken from the thump, it mitigates headaches and the worst kinds of fever.” He grabbed his bag, which leaned against the leg of the table and reached for a syringe.

“I don’t want to do this.” He trembled slightly as he inserted the metallic needle into Geralt’s thump. After all these years, he still couldn’t cope with his addiction. The witcher’s blood wouldn’t taste well, but a small amount would be enough to satisfy the craving. He brought the tip of the needle towards his mouth, stick out his tongue, ready to enjoy the drop of warm blood. Suddenly the syringe was whipped out of his hand. The witcher seemed to brace himself to do so. “You were gutted about me and now this.” There was a peeved undertone in Geralt’s voice.

The vampire looked down at his feet. “Don’t get me wrong Regis, not that I blame you, but I want to care for you, like you care for me.” The white-haired man tried to smile as heartily as he could. “Now help me get out of this tub, I’m waterlogged.” Regis took a large towel from the settee, held it in front of him and turned his head towards the book shelves in the corner. Geralt smirked “Couldn’t avert your eyes from it the last time and now you turn around?” “Geralt, I’m not really hellbent on talking about this highly sensitive issue.” The tip of his pointy ears began to turn red, which was a sign for absolute embarrassment. The witcher took the towel out of his hands, still smirking.

[wildwandererblog]

Mountaineering – The Freedom of the Hills 5th Edition (notes)

These notes were taken in order of appearance.

Many of these points I already knew but thought pertinent to remind myself

I did not include much technical rock climbing information, as I don’t believe I’m ready for that yet.

 P. 29 – the 10 essentials

Map

Compass

Flashlight / headlamp with spare bulbs and batteries

Extra food

Extra clothing

Sunglasses

First aid supplies

Pocket knife

Matches, in a waterproof container

Fire starter

  P. 60-61

  P.77 – Good navigators are never truly lost – but having learned humility through years of experience, they always carry enough food, clothing, and bivouac gear to get them through hours of even days of temporary confusion.

P. 83 – walk in a single file to protect trail-side vegetation

P. 85 – Screeing – shuffling your feet to start a minor slide of pebbles and riding it down, in a standing glissade.

P. 86 – When crossing a large stream / river, cross at the widest part, as it will be the shallowest.

P. 92 – Rope Care:

A rope used daily should be retired within a year

A rope used during most weekends should give about 2 years of service

An occasionally used rope should be retired after 4 years

After one very severe fall it may be wise to replace your rope.  New ropes are often certified to take 5 falls, but if your rope is not new, consider all the factors affecting its condition. 

  P. 96 -97

  P. 107

  P. 119

  P. 124 – Mϋnter Hitch – the only traditional belay method that provides sufficient friction regardless of the angle between the ropes entering and leaving 

  P. 125-126 –The Hip Wrap – It’s main advantage is the speed with which you can belay a follower who is moving rapidly over easy ground.  It can be set up quickly and requires no hardware.

  P. 135 – The three factors a belayer can control are

Strength of hand grip

Choice of belay method

The angle of the ropes

  P. 139 – Proper and improper positioning of gates on double carabiners

  P. 147 – To gain stability while rappelling, your legs must be nearly perpendicular to the slope.

  P. 149 – Potential Problems – Shirttails, hair, chinstraps from a hard hat, and just about anything else that can get caught in the braking system.  Keep a knife handy in case you have to cut foreign material out of the system.

  P. 162-167

Mantel – Down-pressure technique.  Place both hands flat on a ledge at about chest height, palms down, with the fingers of each hand pointing toward the other hand.  Then raise your body up on stiffened arms. 

Counterforce – is the use of pressure in opposing directions to help keep you in place. 

Stemming – A counterforce technique that lets you support yourself between two spots on the rock that may be of little or no use alone. 

Undercling – The hands, palms up, push up beneath the lip of the rock while the body leans out and the feet push against the rock.

Lieback – Another form of counterforce, uses hands pulling and feet pushing in opposition as the climber moves upward in shuffling movements. 

  P. 174 – Dihedrals (inside corners) may be climbed by pure stemming. 

  P. 187 – Ethics –

Preservation of the rock is paramount

It’s almost never justified to add a bolt to an existing route.  If you feel you can’t safely climb the route as it is, don’t try it.

Keep other climbers in mind while climbing, both in your group and of other groups

  P. 213 – Determining the fall factor: dividing the length of a fall by the length of rope run out from belay.  The higher the fall factor, the greater the force. 

Fall factor is lower when the length of rope run out from belay is relatively great because a long rope stretches more and absorbs more energy than a short length.

  P. 227 – Hauling packs – You may decide to shed your pack sometime because you can’t fit inside a chimney with it or because the weight would make a pitch too difficult.  Then you’ll have to haul the pack up after you.

Trail a rope behind you as you climb, tied to the pack down below.

  P. 259 – All ropes should be different colors

  P. 286 – Self Arrest

The hands hold the axe in a solid grip, one hand in the self-arrest grasp with thumb under the adze and fingers over the pick, the other hand on the shaft just above the spike

The pick is pressed into the snow just above your shoulder so that the adze is near the angle formed by neck and shoulder.

The Shaft crosses your chest diagonally and is held close to the opposite hip.  Gripping the shaft near the end prevents that hand from acting as a pivot around which the spike can swing to jab the thigh.

The chest and shoulder are pressed strongly down on the ice-axe shaft

The spine is arched slightly away from the snow.  This arch is crucial:  it places the bulk of your weight on the axe head and on your toes or knees, the points that dig into the sow to force a stop.  Pull up on the end of the shaft, which starts the arch and rolls weight toward the shoulder by the axe head.

The knees are against the surface, helping slow the fall in soft snow.  On harder surfaces, where they have little stopping power, they help stabilize your body position.

The left are stiff and spread apart, toes digging in, but if you have crampons on keep them above the snow until you’ve nearly come to a halt.  A crampon point could catch on hard snow or ice and flip you over backward.

  P. 301 – Couloirs – Safe passage through a couloir is usually depends on time of day.  They can be safe in early morning when the snow is solid and rocks and ice are frozen in place.  It’s often a different story later in the day, when they can turn deadly.  Gullies are the garbage chutes of mountains and with the arrival of the sun they begin to carry down such rubbish as well as avalanching snow, rocks loosened y frost0wedgin, and ice blocks weakened by melting.  Most of the debris comes down the center.  But even if you keep to the sides, listen for suspicious sounds from above and keep an eye out for quiet slides and silent falling rock.

  P. 303 –

  P. 306 – Four out of five avalanches strike during or just after a storm. 

  P. 312 – Traversing snowy slopes - After you’ve checked your avalanche beacon, put o mittens and warm clothing.  Get set to jettison your gear so it can’t drag you down in the event of an avalanche.   Loosen the shoulder straps and undo the waist and chest bands on your pack. 

When the route lies up a slope, head straight up the fall line instead of switchbacking (which undercuts the snow).  Only one person moves at a time, and everyone else watches from safe places, ready to should if a slide starts.  If the climber is on belay, don’t tie the rope directly to the belayer, who would risk being pulled in if it proves impossible to stop a climber hit by a wet, heavy avalanche. 

  Avalanche Rescue:  The rescue effort starts even before the avalanche has stopped.

Someone must pay attention to where a victim is first caught, where the person disappears beneath the snow, and where the point of disappearance on the moving surface of the avalanche finally stops, and be able to relate these three points to fixed objects, such as trees or rocks.  With this information, the search area is immediately reduced in size. 

Then mark these three points and search. DO NOT GO FOR HELP.  This is a critical principle of avalanche rescue.  The chance of a person surviving depends on everyone staying put, searching efficiently, and digging the victim from the snow.  You can go for help after all search efforts prove to be futile.

Select a search leader so the operation will be thorough and methodical.  Approach the scene carefully, posting an avalanche lookout in case of another slide.  Start with a quick scruff search of the snow surface, looking for someone partially buried, castoff equipment, or any logical spot the victim might have come to a stop against a tree or rock. 

The next step is a thorough search with avalanche beacons, or snow probes.

A probe is anything you can use to pole into the snow in hopes of finding the victims’ body.  Set up a probe line, probing at every step. 

  P. 323 - Crevasse Rescue –When the climber in front of you suddenly disappears beneath the snow,  Do not stop and think.  Your immediate reflex must be to drop into self-arrest (facing away from the direction of the pull)in the snow and hold the fall.

  P. 397 – Expedition Philosophy – Members of an expedition need a common code to live by during the weeks they struggle together.  A good one is summed up in three promises you and your teammates make:

To respect the land

To take care of yourselves

To come home again

  P. 403 – Leadership – Leadership starts with each individual. 

Individual leadership means being aware of the group and its progress, whether or not you’re the formal climb leader. 

The complexities of leadership grow as a party size and trip length increase. 

The leader cannot do everything, nor is that desirable.

A leader is also a teacher.

Leaders prepare carefully to meet any major disaster that could befall their party. 

  P. 427 –

  P. 438 – Lightning facts:  Current flows because of a voltage difference between two points along its path. A person bridging two such points with some part of his or her body presents a second and probably better path for the current.

Avoid moist areas, including crevices and gullies

Span a small distance (occupy as little area) as possible.  Keep the feet close together; keep the hands off the ground

Sit, crouch, or stand on insulating objects if possible – a coiled rope or sleeping bag, preferably dry.

Stay out of small depressions; choose instead a narrow slight rise.  A small detached rock on a scree slope is excellent.

Stay away from overhangs and out of small caves.  Large caves are very good if one keeps clear of the walls and entrance.  However, a cave might well be the lower terminus of a drainage crevice, and should be avoided. 

When on a ledge, crouch at the outer edge, at least 4 feet from the rock wall if possible.  If there is danger of falling off in event of a shock, tie in crosswise to the prospective flow of current.  Make the tie short and avoid placing the rope under the armpits.

Rappelling when lightning is imminent should be avoided, but may be a valid calculated risk if it is the quickest way to escape a danger zone.  Dry synthetic rope presents the minimum hazard.

Contrary to popular belief, metal objects do not attract lightening as such.  However, in the immediate vicinity of a strike, metals in contact with one’s person may augment the hazard from induced currents.  Induced currents usually are quite small, but when added to ground currents may mean the difference between life and death.  Thus it is best to set aside all metals, but to keep them close by (don’t worry about an article buried in the pack).  A metal pack frame might well be positioned to provide a more attractive path for ground currents beside and past one’s body.  At distances greater than 100 feet from a possible strike there is no need to divest oneself of metal objects. 

[chloeandgregoztravels]

The West Coast involved a lot more driving than the East, some days that was practically all we did as we didn’t want to do too much driving at night due to the threat of kangaroos, cows, goats etc wandering around aimlessly with a death wish. A kangaroo over here is much like the irritating pheasant in England except it weighs 14 stone and moves a lot quicker, so it’s quite scary if they jump out at night. After 5 hours of driving we finally arrived at Tom Price, the nearest town to Karijini national park where we would be staying for 2 nights, we stocked up on food and petrol and made our way into the red sandy desert.

Sunset in Karijini

Ten minutes away from our campsite was our first gorge, we weren’t going to have long until the sunset so we scrambled down the rocks to the lake at the bottom for a swim. The water was freezing, looking at photos of people in gorges and waterfalls always looks great but I could hardly bring myself to jump in after dipping my toes. The scenery was stunning and we were the only people around which made it all the more special. After the others played around in the water, Jo eventually persuaded me to ease myself in and once I was swimming around I did warm up.

  Hamersley Gorge

Back at camp we tried to make a fire but the whole area was cleared out of firewood we played a few card games like we had done on most nights on the road.

Possible King Brown Snake

I had a lot planned for the next day as I knew we only had a short time in the national park, most people spend a week there! We took our AWD out as the roads were so bumpy, the camper wouldn’t of made it in one piece so it was definitely worth bringing a car that could handle it. Suddenly we spotted a black snake sunbathing on the road and pulled over to take a closer look, even after two years travelling Australia this was the first wild snake Spencer had seen! I couldn’t believe it.

Cold legs

First stop was Hancock Gorge, famous for its Spider-Man walk, named after the thin passageways through the pass that you clamber through with your hands and feet on either side. The rocks in the area are made up of thousands of horizontal layers that result in areas of platforms to walk across or just sticking out enough to be a foothold above a meter of water. The walk quickly descends into the gorge down two steep, metal ladders, following a red path until you are halted by a river, we realised there was no way around and we would have to wade through hoping desperately that none of us would fall on the slippery rocks which were scattered between the sharper, hard rocks. The water was icy cold, halfway across I felt like I was getting pins and needles my feet were so cold!

Spider Man

  After that ordeal The valley opened up into an area called the amphitheatre as semicircular layers are carved out of the rocks, following the bend of the river. Finally we arrived at the Spider-Man walk where you have to spread yourself either side of the tight Gorge and hope you don’t fall into the rushing water below. It was great fun, although I wasn’t sure that my short legs and arms would reach through some sections, and I felt super proud when we reached the end.

  Flowing river into the Amphitheatre (left) 

        Kermit’s Pool

The four of us received all sorts of looks for just doing the walk in flip flops or thongs as they call them, some people even saying “Ohhh I’m not sure you’ll make it through there in those!” But we just took them off going barefoot which I’d say gave us more grip than those in walking boots. The end of the walk is at Kermit’s pool, it was such a brilliant blue colour but none of us fancied a dip as we knew how cold it would be.

As with many walks through gorges in Karijini it is one way in so we repeated our journey in reverse and ventured to Weano Gorge to tackle the handrail pool. I felt like we could do anything after our first adventure and it wasn’t long until we were scaling the edge of towering red rocks until the narrow alleyway dropped down and opened up into a huge open pool, a convenient handrail had been bolted into the rock face and foot wells carved out as there is no other way down. Jo and spencer enjoyed a swim, while I opted to stay dry and sunbathe with Greg.

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Clambering down Joffre Gorge

After we made it back to the car we headed to Joffre Gorge, this was more of a clamber than a walk, the car park is on the far side so the walk loops you around the Gorge and you descend via giant steps that are handily sculpted into the side of the Gorge. You are rewarded with a beautiful waterfall but the climb back up is probably the hardest part of the entire walk!

We finished our day taking in the view of Knox Gorge and gathering firewood elsewhere to build a more impressive fire and sharing a few drinks before a well earned rest.

Waking up refreshed and raring to go we headed to Dales Gorge as I’d seen there were a few waterfalls there that we could swim in, of course we had fun taking silly photos at our campsite before we left.

When a flip flop jumps higher than you…

First up we went to Fortescue Falls just a short walk to the beautiful waterfall, Jo was straight in for a swim but I was once again reluctant because I hadn’t brought a towel and I knew it wasn’t going to be the boiling bath temperature I wanted. I settled for paddling my feet and enjoying the view of the cascading water over the red rocks.

Fortescue Falls

Cockatoos

We wandered over to the Fern pool a little further away, another waterfall which is considered a sacred place to the local aborigines so they ask you to be respectful whilst you enjoy your time there. Jo jumped in first of course and this time I had the urge to join her for a swim, it was surprisingly deep and a long swim to anywhere to stand or hold onto but it wasn’t too difficult for us. It was such a laugh and Greg noticed these cockatoos having fun swinging on the trees, some were hanging upside down like bats!

Fern Pool

It would have been great to spend longer enjoying Karijini but with our small time frame we needed to head back to Perth so we made our way back to the town of Tom Price. After 3 days exploring, walking and swimming around this dusty, red National Park we were in desperate need of a shower, lo and behold the visitor centre had pay as you go showers. Now anyone who knows me, knows I love/ need a hot shower. When it came to my turn, would you believe it, all the hot water had run out. I was fuming. I phoned Greg from the cubicle to get someone from the visitor centre and it turned out the whole system had broken, and she would have to call someone out but it wouldn’t be a quick fix, so I grumpily endured the freezing shower.

Time to leave the red sands of the Pilbara region, we celebrated over the walkie talkies as we made it over the last bit of rocky terrain and hit tarmac again. I soon noticed we could no longer see Jo and Spencer behind us and tried the radio again with no response, so we pulled over to wait.

Slow moving from here…

After a couple of minutes we made a U turn and headed back around the corner to see them pulled over at the side of the road, we couldn’t believe it, after three days of driving the AWD we had a puncture minutes before we hit solid road again. The boys changed the tyre, covering themselves in the red sand we’d thought was behind us, the worst thing was the spare tyre limited us to just 60km an hour…. so slow!

After a long day and lots of driving we pulled over for the night near Carnarvon where we had booked to get our tyre changed. In the morning we lounged by the sea soaking in the sun, bought a new tyre and jumped back in the car to tackle another large portion of driving, feeling exceptionally happy that we could finally drive at a normal speed.

Look at that roaaaaaad

The landscape changed outside our windows but our catchphrase “look at that road” never tired, as the endless grey line rolled out in front of us, 400 kilometres and a million Disney singalong songs later we arrived at the stunning Hutt Lagoon in Port Gregory famous for its marvellous pink lake. I had read about it but wasn’t expecting it to be so pink on what turned out to be a cloudy day, well we must have been lucky because it was very pink! Almost bubblegum at some angles as we drove passed it. I believe the lake gets its wonderful pigment from a certain type of algae, you cannot swim in it as it harmful to people and animals.

Hutt Lagoon

A quick snack and we were on the road again, celebrating our evening after a long journey with a few drinks and card games at a place called Lake Indoon. We enjoyed a lie in, as it was only a 2 hour drive from our campsite to Lancelin sand dunes where we rented boards for a couple of hours to try our luck, we’ve tried this before but this time we would be standing up on the boards! I couldn’t believe the wind, it whipped across the dunes and when you reached the top it felt like you were stood in front of a sand blaster, there would be no need to exfoliate after an hour up there! I had a few goes but couldn’t get the knack and got fed up of having a face full of sand so I took over as chief photographer, I was really impressed with everyone’s efforts and Jo was definitely the champion, and proud of it.

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Camera shy Joey

Our last little adventure together was spent at Yanchep national park a short drive outside of Perth where there are lots of free roaming kangaroos and a small koala sanctuary. As we wandered around the boardwalks we noticed a lot of bees, looking around we spotted a swarm amassing near a koala, the poor thing. He scratched his head and body until he realised they weren’t going to leave and he started to bolt down this tree, I couldn’t believe how fast it moved, when he reached the ground he broke out into a run and up another tree for safety! After watching this unusual energetic encounter from a koala that many people know spend 23 hours of the day we were asleep, we informed a ranger of the bee swarm and ventured back to the car ready to end our journey in Perth.

I’m off!

What a fantastic experience the West Coast was, my only regret was that we didn’t have longer! Thank you all for reading and to Jo and Spencer for making our adventure that extra bit amazing! Photos for the last part of our West Coast adventure HERE!

Sand and Sunshine The West Coast involved a lot more driving than the East, some days that was practically all we did as we didn't want to do too much driving at night due to the threat of kangaroos, cows, goats etc wandering around aimlessly with a death wish.

[totallymotorbikes]

2017 Honda CBR1000RR and CBR1000RR SP Review 2017 Honda CBR1000RR Editor Score: 87.0% Engine 18.5/20 Suspension/Handling 14.0/15 Transmission/Clutch 10.0/10 Brakes 7.0/10 Instruments/Controls 5.0/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 8.0/10 Appearance/Quality 9.0/10 Desirability 9.0/10 Value 6.5/10 Overall Score 87/100 Cresting the top of the steep incline leading onto Portimao’s main straight, I’m committed to keeping the throttle on the new 2017 Honda CBR1000RR to the stop. With fifth gear clicked, the front wheel starts to reach for the sky. Unfazed, the throttle stays pinned, ready for the wheel to eventually come back to earth. The wait feels like forever, and my view is increasingly filled with sky instead of tarmac. I can’t wait for the Honda’s wheelie control any longer, so a click to sixth gently brings the front Bridgestone back to the ground. The Fireblade flexes its muscles, tickling 180 mph down the straight. Then it’s time to scrub speed down the hill before hitting the dip signaling the apex of turn 1. The short chute to reach turn 2 is quickly gobbled up before a moderate amount of brakes are applied to navigate through the hairpin. From there, it’s another flick to the left, and we’re driving uphill towards the crest of turn 3, knee on the ground, rear tire spinning ever so slightly. And so describes one of the many exciting sequences at the Algarve International Circuit, better known as Portimão. Due to its extreme elevation changes and blind-crest corners, it’s the closest track to a rollercoaster I’ve ever experienced. And it’s an ideal testing ground to put the new Fireblade through its paces. Here, in this extreme environment, the new Fireblade definitely displays some of the traits we’ve loved about the CBR lineage – particularly the engine and chassis – but as first-timers (and late bloomers) to the sportbike electronics game, the 1000RR is a bit unpolished. Twenty-five years on and the 2017 CBR1000RR is a quantum leap from the original 1993 CBR900RR. Nonetheless, the concept of Total Control surrounding the design of the 900RR has carried over a quarter-century on. Wait, what? Trust me: for a company like Honda, that’s as unbelievable for me to write as I’m sure it is for you to read. But more on that in a bit. First, let’s shift our mindset slightly. To better understand the CBR, we need to understand where the engineers designing it were coming from. Unlike the other players in this highly competitive liter-class sportbike category, Honda’s objective wasn’t to chase that elusive 200-hp mark. Yes, the new ’Blade is claimed to make more than 10 hp over the outgoing model, but the overall design focus has gone back to its roots, the CBR900RR, and centers on the concept of Total Control. Putting control back to the hands of the rider means pairing modest power gains with significant weight loss, revised suspension, and chassis tuning to create a motorcycle that’s easy to ride while providing excellent feedback. The finishing touch, of course, is a sophisticated electronics package – centered around a Bosch IMU – to help you stay upright and as safe as possible, whether you’re track riding or blasting in the canyons. What was strange, however, was that throughout our time with Honda’s staff and engineering personnel, Honda’s Total Control ethos was never mentioned in relation to achieving outright lap times. But does that mean the new CBR isn’t a track weapon? No way. We, the motorcycling public, have been clamoring for a new ’Blade with more power and an electronics suite just like its competitors. And for the most part Honda’s latest version of the CBR1000RR delivers. Making More With Less With motorcycles as it generally is with humans, when the goal is to lose some weight, having a target to meet helps bring focus to the task at hand. In Honda’s case the magic number laid forth for the new ’Blade was 195kg, or 429 lbs. To achieve the weight drop, every single piece of the motorcycle had to be looked over with a fine-tooth comb, including small items like nuts and bolts. Meanwhile, solutions to bring down weight for big items like fuel tank, exhaust, and chassis involved employing some creative thinking. In the end, items like shorter and lighter bolts were used where possible, along with a titanium exhaust, titanium fuel tank (for SP models), magnesium engine covers, aluminum subframe, smaller radiator, and thinner frame walls are just a few of the techniques Honda engineers used to meet that ambitious weight target. But here’s just one more example of Honda rethinking every component: the fairings on the new CBR are now just 1.8mm thick, versus the 2.0mm plastics seen on the predecessor. All in an effort to shave precious grams. About the only exotic materials you can see in this picture of the SP are the titanium exhaust canister and magnesium crankcase cover. But the quest for weight savings go far greater. Don’t forget the titanium fuel tank (steel on the standard model), aluminum subframe (which, granted, is partially visible), hollow transmission shafts, and even thinner fairings compared to the old bike. Engine-wise, the CBR’s Four is 4.4 lbs lighter than before, thanks in part to magnesium covers and hollowed-out transmission gears and shafts. There’s a jump in power over the old bike via new pistons, higher compression ratio (13.0:1 vs. 12.3:1), a new crankshaft, new valves, a re-worked cylinder head and revised camshafts with increased lift. Valve timing is also revised to suit the engine’s new 13,000-rpm redline, 750 rpm higher than before. The ’Blade becomes the first inline-Four from Honda to receive ride-by-wire technology. Conveniently for us, we don’t have to wait until we get a unit home to put it on the scales because Honda had a set of scales available for us to measure the pair of new CBRs. Ready-to-ride and with a full tank of gas the base model, fitted with the standard Bridgestone S21 tires, came in at 425 lbs; while the SP model, fitted with Bridgestone V02 racing slick tires specially for this test, weighed 427 lbs. The cockpit of the standard 1000RR greets you with an informative and clear TFT display. In front of that is the familiar sight of Showa’s Big Piston Fork. To the right sits the starter, encased in the housing for the throttle position sensor. Lastly, to the left lie the buttons to toggle through the menu settings to make changes. According to Bridgestone staff on hand, the V02 tires weigh a combined 24.6 lbs, while the RS10 that would normally be fitted on SP models weigh a combined 23.0 lbs. Take the weight of the tires into consideration and the standard and SP models weigh the same and are both under the original target weight of 429 lbs. Remember, too, that the measured weight for the SP model includes the Ohlins electronic suspension and the associated hardware it carries, making its identical weight measurement to the Showa-suspended standard model rather impressive. MO historians might be scratching their heads because, as we noted in our street portion of the 2015 Six-Way Superbike Shootout, the CBR1000RR tipped our scales at 444 lbs, making the 19-pound weight loss for the new model slightly less spectacular than the claimed 33. Before you get too disappointed, remember the standard and SP models I personally put on the scales were both Euro-spec models, and the 33-pound weight difference cited by Honda is compared to the Euro-spec 2012 C-ABS model the manufacturer itself claimed to be 465 lbs. Nonetheless, Honda says the new Blade improves its power-to-weight ratio over its predecessor by 14%, while jumping a huge 65% in the power-to-weight department compared to the original 1993 CBR900RR. Whiz-Bang Electronics There’s a lot to cover with the 2017 Fireblade, so to help get you up to speed, click these links to get a run down of the changes applied to the standard and SP versions of the CBR1000RR. After reading both those stories, it’s worth delving more into Honda’s electronics package for the CBR, as the concept of Total Control, while simple in theory, is quite complex in application. Honda has long made inspiring chassis, and the new CBR1000RR carries on that tradition. It made refamiliarizing myself with a track I hadn’t seen in several years that much easier. At the heart of it all is a Bosch IMU sending signals from five axes to the bike’s Honda Selectable Torque Control (Honda parlance for traction control), ABS, and on SP models, the Ohlins Smart-EC semi-active suspension system. Calculations are happening 100 times per second, using algorithms and software settings developed in-house by Honda. Based on the system used on the RC213V-S MotoGP bike for the street, the HSTC processes inputs from the IMU, wheel-speed sensors, and throttle-position sensor to determine and manage rear-wheel slippage depending on the level chosen from the rider. The levels range from 1-9, with 1 providing least intervention and 9 the most. The system can also be turned off altogether. Wheelie control is tied to the traction-control system, with its three levels directly linked to the HSTC setting – least intervention in the lower three TC levels, moderate intervention from levels 4-6, and maximum intervention from levels 7-9. To make matters slightly frustrating, traction and wheelie controls cannot be adjusted independently other than turning the HSTC system off entirely. Don’t mistake the Honda Selectable Torque Control (a.k.a. Traction Control) as a highside-proof rider aid in the lower settings; you can still get the rear to slide if you get greedy on the throttle. Toggle up to the higher settings and the ’Blade is nearly idiot proof. Nearly. Oddly, despite the CBR coming equipped with an IMU, none of the information it receives is used to detect a wheelie. Instead, the CBR relies solely on wheel-speed sensors to detect lift, determining that the front is off the ground once it spins slower than the rear wheel by a certain predetermined rate – a rather draconian way of going about things considering many of Honda’s competitors employ more sophisticated methods using very similar hardware, mainly by incorporating data received from the IMU to manage the wheelie while maintaining optimum drive. Honda’s electronic control engineer, Satoru Okoshi, genuinely looked confused when asked why the new 1000RR only uses wheel-speed sensors to manage wheelies, noting the CBR is still a road-going motorcycle and not a racing machine. The confused look wasn’t an act, as I asked several different ways why IMU data isn’t used before Okoshi-san finally responded by mentioning the HRC race kit ECU. Still, the language barrier proved too much to overcome in this case, as he noted the obvious in that it would employ different algorithms dedicated to racing, though he did suggest that IMU data would have a greater role in those strategies, including with wheelies. Of course, the HRC ECU is not an item one can simply buy, as it’ll be distributed by Honda directly to race teams it deems worthy to have the unit. But that’s another story… The Portimão track is a wheelie-lover’s dream, as its extreme undulations are perfect for hoisting the front in the air. That is, unless you’ve got the Honda’s wheelie control. Sometimes the front will crawl upwards controllably, other times it would shoot up faster than you’d expect before abruptly cutting power. Other times it won’t come up at all. What the IMU does supply input for is Honda’s ABS, which sends IMU information to the Nissin control unit to identify whether the motorcycle is upright or leaned over, and then, depending on how much braking pressure is applied, it can adjust accordingly. This means that, yes, the CBR1000RR does feature lean-angle-sensitive ABS, allowing the rider to apply the brake mid-corner and, instead of the bike tucking the front, will instead help the rider maintain control. Honda has also employed rear-lift control on the ’Blade, which uses the IMU to send information on the rate the rear is rising, as well as the rate of acceleration in the direction perpendicular to lift. With those two variables, the system operates ABS intervention accordingly. ABS and rear-lift control are integrated with each other and can’t be adjusted independently other than turning the ABS off entirely, which also disables rear-lift control. Because the new ’Blade gets ride-by-wire throttle for the first time, the CBR now is able to employ distinct power modes – five in this case. All five levels give the same initial response on throttle opening, but level 1 gives full power, level 2 slightly reduces power in the first three gears, with levels 3-5 reducing power in the first four gears, while also limiting peak power. Selectable engine braking is also a new feature, with three different settings available: 3 providing the least engine braking effect, 1 the most. No surprise the Brembo calipers on SP models (seen here) are quite good, but equally impressive are the new Tokico squeezers. Both provide good stomp and feel at the lever, making it easy to trailbrake into corners. Just when you thought that wasn’t enough to talk about in regards to electrons, we haven’t even begun to discuss suspension. Standard models receive a completely analog 43mm Showa Big Piston Fork, while the rear sees the Balance Free Rear Cushion shock, also from Showa. Both ends get full adjustability, but you have to adjust the clickers the old-fashioned way – with tools. SP models get the latest in semi-active electronic suspension, called the Ohlins Smart-EC (Electronically Controlled) System, using a 43mm NIX30 fork and TTX36 shock. At the heart of the matter is the Suspension Control Unit (SCU) which processes readings from several sources including the IMU, but also works in conjunction with both wheel-speed sensors, throttle-position sensor, ABS modulator, and the suspension pieces themselves to adjust the attitude of the bike in real time. Squeeze the brake lever too hard and the ABS/rear lift control will kick in to keep the rear from getting too high off the ground. It’s an annoying trait, but at least the slipper clutch and excellent quickshifter help you focus on getting the bike slowed. Now here’s where things get a little complicated. Encapsulating the Total Control ethos, the electronic suspension has two user-selectable modes: Manual and Automatic. Within each mode are three more user-selectable sub-modes: M1, M2, M3 and A1, A2, and A3. Manual mode and its three sub-modes feature pre-defined suspension settings depending on whether you’re track riding (M1), canyon riding (M2), or simply street riding (M3), with a bias towards handling or comfort depending on which direction you choose. Further fine tuning of the rebound or compression damping in either of the three modes apart from the factory presets is possible by the rider with a few button presses on the dash. However, since suspension tuning is considered a black art by many, Honda and Ohlins together set out to create a new way of thinking about motorcycle suspension without needing to know the vocabulary associated with it. Under this new paradigm, suspension tuning is thought of under three objectives: acceleration, braking, and cornering. Different things are required in each condition and sometimes analog suspension tuning compromises one area for the other. With the S-EC, Ohlins is claiming to offer a suspension setup with no compromises: the support you need under braking, the optimal turn-in geometry, stability at max lean, controlled weight transfer at the start of corner exit, and maximum grip as power is applied while finishing a corner. SP models get the upgraded Ohlins S-EC suspension and Brembo caliper over the standard bike’s Showa BPF and Tokico caliper. Wheels are the same cast units between the two, except standard gets black, SP gold. Forged wheels are saved for the limited-edition, SP2 race homologation version. Note also the Bridgestone V02 slick tire seen here. Pay no attention to it as the SP will be sold with B-Stone’s RS10 tire instead. Like the Manual suspension modes, the Automatic mode also has three sub-modes, each with their own default settings for track riding (A1), canyons (A2), and street (A3). The difference is that you can change the settings for each mode based on the bike’s overall attitude instead of just adding or subtracting rebound or compression damping. There are four areas of tuning the user can toggle through for adjustment: General (overall firmness character), Brake (nose dive character), Cornering (turning character), and Acceleration (pitching character). A1 mode allows the user to adjust all four parameters in individual increments numerically. For example, +5 (firmer) and -5 (softer) are the furthest deviations you can make from the standard default settings. A2 and A3 settings only allow General and Brake parameters to be changed. Unlike Manual mode, adding or subtracting from any of the four categories doesn’t change one thing, like compression or rebound. Changes are electronically made at both ends depending on the selection(s) you’ve requested. All changes are navigated through from the full-color TFT display. With so many options and sub-options to choose from, ironically the idea of Total Control seems anything but. Quickshifter comes as standard equipment on the SP (optional on the base model) and works flawlessly, especially during downshifts. With it, the only need for the clutch is at a stop. Honda says wall thickness of the frame has been reduced not only to save weight, but also to provide optimal chassis flex characteristics. From where I was sitting, all I could tell was the new chassis felt as agile as ever. What’s It Like In Anger? During the track portion of our 2015 Six-Way Superbike Shootout, the Honda was admired for its sublime chassis, but it was ultimately roasted for having the least power by a significant margin. A couple years on and we have a new year, a new administration, and now a new and heavily updated CBR. Horsepower is up by more than 10, according to Honda, while weight has also gone down. Both are ingredients that make for a good sportbike, and in that regard, the Fireblade is worlds better than before. Granted, it’s been some time since I rode the previous CBR, but the new bike hasn’t lost a bit of the old bike’s midrange, while it definitely pulls harder up top with very nice over-rev. For the first two sessions of our day at Portimao, we were sent off on the base CBR fitted with the standard Bridgestone S21 tires. A street-oriented tire more so than a track tire, its profile helped highlight the light and flickable nature of the 1000RR chassis; it almost felt as easy to toss around as the 600RR. It’s a comparison made often when comparing sportbikes, but in this case, the distinction between the two is getting as close as it’s ever been. Even with the standard Bridgestone S21 tires, as fitted to the standard CBR seen here, the ’Blade is able to lap a racetrack very quickly. In fact, I’d estimate it’s a perfectly suitable track tire for all but the fastest track riders out there. The V02 slick tires fitted to the SP models have a different rear profile than the RS10 tires normally fitted to the SP, so its turning characteristics don’t exactly apply here. However, its slightly heavier steering feel was more than made up for by the grip the slicks provided. The factory quickshifter is, without doubt, the best unit I’ve sampled so far. An option for the base model (which the bikes at the launch were fitted with) and standard on the SP, it’s adjustable on three levels depending on the amount of load you prefer to place on the lever, and it operates both up and down changes, rev matching quickly and perfectly every time you ask it – which is not something I can say for some of the Honda’s competitors. A redesigned slip-assist clutch is 10% lighter than before and also works well, keeping the rear wheel under control and allowing little mini supermoto slides the few times I accidentally backshifted to first while setting up for Portimao’s downhill turn 3. Ergonomically, the new CBR is noticeably slimmer than before – especially between the knees. There’s plenty of room front-to-back as well. For my 5-foot, 8-inch stature, the bars felt a little too far forward for my taste, but the taller riders on the launch seemed to like it. Another minor quibble: the windscreen forms a V shape at its apex, and in a tuck I noticed an unusual amount of wind buffeting atop my helmet. Were it mine, a broader, or double-bubble screen would be one of my first modifications. So far, anyway, the CBR has been what I expected from the updated machine – lighter, faster, more powerful, without any lost handling abilities. The road block comes once the electronics are called into action. Earlier, I mentioned how the CBR1000RR and CBR1000RR SP felt a bit unpolished. Now that you have a better understanding for the machine’s electronic components, I can better explain what I mean. The scenario explained at the opening of this review, about the wheelie floating before shifting to sixth and bringing it back down, was a one-time occurrence. The wheelie itself happened lap after lap, but the motorcycle reacted inconsistently in its attempts to tame it. Once the wheel sensors detect a wheelie is occurring, it’ll drastically close throttle butterflies to bring the tire back to the ground, and it’s far from a smooth retardation of power. Instead it’s almost as if you’ve run out of fuel for a moment. It seemed odd that Honda would opt not to incorporate IMU data when factoring wheelie control, and the result on track proved it. Sometimes big wheelies were allowed, other times the front hardly lifted. As far as controlling rear tire slides go, the HSTC seemed to operate as advertised. With the traction control in its lowest setting, I was able to get the standard bike’s S21 rear to slide a little with too much throttle coming out of a tight hairpin. It was to the point where a highside would have occurred had I not backed off the gas. Conversely, experimenting in setting 8 of 9, whacking the throttle open in any turn while leaned over meant you weren’t getting any power until the bike was upright. On the SP fitted with soft-compound slicks, slides weren’t an issue, so TC didn’t get much of a workout except when wheelies were involved. I got caught up behind some old guy with “Spencer” written across his Honda-branded leathers. They tell me he was pretty good back in the day. Electronic frustrations continue when it comes to braking, as the Tokico calipers on the base model and Brembo units on the SP provide excellent stopping power. However, in the confines of a racetrack, where hard braking is a regular event, the rear lift control feature intervenes far too often. The result is a pulsing brake lever similar to ABS activation at points where it wasn’t warranted. This isn’t just my own opinion, as nearly all the other journos within earshot were commenting about the same thing. More than one tester, myself included, blew a corner while braking because the pulsing ABS activation to control rear lift meant there were moments where the pads weren’t squeezing the disc even though fingers were firm on the lever. The answer would be to simply turn off ABS, but that wasn’t something we had time to test. We were short on time because Honda really wanted everyone to sample the Ohlins S-EC on the SP models to get a feel for the differences each A1 change can make. In reality, there were far too many setting changes available for the time we had allotted, so the plan instead was to experience extremes. After riding a few laps in the default settings, the General A1 settings were changed to +5, the firmest setting. The result was a bike that felt stiff as a board, diving what felt like a minimal amount under braking and squatting a minimal amount on corner exit drive, too. Ohlins S-EC gives the SP rider a multitude of options to adjust their bike to their liking, but we might have reached a point where we’ve got too many choices. Conversely, switching to the opposite extreme, General -5, gave predictable results. The CBR suddenly felt like a Cadillac in comparison. Both ends were too soggy; the front providing zero confidence while leaned over and the rear squatting quite a bit under acceleration. So much so I had to give less throttle than I normally would have exiting certain turns. From there, none other than 500cc Grand Prix legend Freddie Spencer dialed in the A1 settings he liked on his bike over to mine. It involved some slight deviations from the default settings in the various categories, but the resulting feel from the bike was noticeably better than even just the default settings. All with just a few toggles and button presses. No more bloody knuckles. In the end, the suspension tuning experiment was an eye-opener to the systems capabilities, but we hardly scratched the surface of the system’s functions. We simply ran out of time. 2017 Honda CBR1000RR + Highs Much improved engine power Light and nimble chassis All the ingredients for a real contender – Sighs Draconian wheelie control Annoying ABS/rear lift control The ingredients are there, but the recipe isn’t perfect Two Steps Forward, One Step Back Coming into this First Ride review of the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR I had really high hopes. The premise of the CBR we know and love, now rid of the power deficit it had before, was drool-worthy. Add some IMU-based electronics and the might of Honda developing it, and it was sure to please. The reality was that, while certain areas of the CBR are much better than before, its electronics aren’t at the same level as the rest of the motorcycle. That said, I’m a fan of the new bike’s engine and chassis – both are really good – and aesthetically I think the new ’Blade is one of the best looking sportbikes out there. Who knows, if an aftermarket tuning company can reprogram the ECU to incorporate software that uses the full might of the IMU, I think the CBR could be completely transformed. As it stands, however, I’m perplexed by the ’Blades few shortcomings, as it detracts from an otherwise solid track missile. A short summary of the CBR1000RR and CBR1000RR SP: they are great motorcycles with a few glaring flaws. Thankfully, those flaws come down to software and not hardware. Meaning some rearranging of the ones and zeros has the potential to transform Honda’s flagship production sportbike. Pricing for the 2017 CBR will start at $16,499 for the base model sans ABS. Adding ABS, the total comes to $16,799, while the SP model can be yours for $19,999. Now that the new CBR1000RR is here, and the new Suzuki GSXR-1000 (and GSXR-1000R) will be ridden by the world’s press next week, it seems to me like another literbike shootout is in order – and we’ll be sure to bring it to you as soon as we can. Stay tuned. 2017 Honda CBR1000RR and CBR1000RR SP Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com.