#Galactic Planner

[futurefatum]

Danger for those born 1946 to 1948 (Tone: 310)

Prepare for Mars retrograde! Individuals born 1946-1948 should be vigilant about health. #VedicAstrology #HealthWarning

September 3rd, 2024 by @JoniPatryVedicAstrologer ABOUT THIS VIDEO: The video “Danger for those born 1946 to 1948 🚨 Vedic Astrology News: Mars Impact!” by Joanie Patry discusses potential challenges that people born between 1946 and 1948 may face due to upcoming astrological transits. The focus is on the retrograde motion of Mars through the signs of Cancer and Gemini, which is predicted to…

[youhavereachedtheendofpie]

Looking up star wars travel times again

[gffa]

Casual reminder that, yeah, the Jedi train a lot with their lightsabers, but that they're also incredibly well-educated for the kinds of missions they take on, like Mace is just easily slicing into the power grid of this world here to find the person he's looking for and does so casually, this is the kind of thing that Jedi just know how to do as a matter of course. Sure, everyone has specialties, some Jedi are better at some things than other Jedi, but in general they are trained to be extremely capable in a wide range of capabilities because their work needs them to be. You drop a Jedi in the middle of nowhere, they're not helpless, they have missions to complete, like those are skills that are valuable. I think a lot about the argument on how Jedi aren't prepared for any kind of life outside of the Temple if they choose to leave and how that just doesn't track for me. We see Jedi being trained in a wide variety of skills, we see them in advisory positions to various people, politicians, students, rebels, farmers, city planners, etc. You have to learn a whole lot of skills--skills that could easily be used in the wider galaxy even not as part of the Jedi--like if Mace wanted to leave the Jedi, he wouldn't just have to bounty hunt, he was a theater actor, he knows how to slice, he knows how to organize groups of people, he knows galactic history, etc. Jedi are trained to know how to do really valuable things, that's why people ask the Jedi to help them!

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: The Long War

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

War’s often did not last long when fought between warring galactic powers. They often fell within one of two categories.

The first would be a short but brutal war in which one side had overwhelming superiority over their rival and would decimate them within a short period of time either resulting in the defeated offering concessions for peace or being incorporated into the victors realm as a new territory.

The second and less frequent of the two would be a drawn out conflict that would reach a stalemate at some point due to the near equal power of the opposing sides resulting in a peace treaty or more likely a cease fire that would last for a few years before resuming hostilities.

These two outcomes were the most frequent as with the age of space travel often came great leaps and bounds in other forms of technology; many times said technology being diverted to respective military industrial complexes.

Weapons that could carve up continents from orbit or snap starships in two like twigs left little in room for anything else.

Humans did not share this notion.

In quite a contrast to the standard norm human military planners also considered lengthier drawn out conflicts. Data sheets and computer banks were filled with projections for supply consumption, industrial production capacities, troop conscription rates, and even the designated planetary ration levels that would be acceptable before general population revolts within their own territory.

This practice was first demonstrated when conflict broke out between the Drumengi and the Terran Republic after a series of trade disputes resulted in the Drumengi seizing several dozen human trade vessels and demanding a ransom for their return. This was a grave insult and the Terran Republic responded the next day with an open declaration of war.

While the Drumengi did not have a sizable fleet, they had invested in a wide range of defensive orbital installations that dotted their territory in what was known as the “Halo of Iron”. No fleet had ever been able to breach the defenses of the Halo and so previous wars had gone for little more than a year before a peace treaty was negotiated. The Drumengi expected as much and planned to force humanity to the negotiation table.

It was unfortunate no one had informed the humans of this plan as the terran’s had already devised a plan to crack the halo.

 Establishing a vast network of relay stations, automated satellite weapons platforms, and mobile fleet waystation’s that were brought in and placed along key trade routes into Drumengi territory, humanity established an iron halo of their own. Once the human ring was completed warning beacons were activated and a message was broadcasted in every language declaring the territory an active warzone and refused passage for any ship to try and cross through it.

Initially the Drumengi were inclined this was the prelude to a massive invasion fleet and prepared themselves, but as the months turned to years still no attack came. Human fleets patrolled the surrounding systems and intercepted all ships that tried to breach their lines with the help of the relay stations that were constantly scanning the surrounding space for ships.

Three years passed and soon every ship learned to avoid Drumengi space for fear of human retaliation; and that is when the Drumengi learned the true plan of humanity.

They never intended to besiege their defensive ring in some full frontal do or die charge. Instead they had formed a blockade that now was choking the very life of the Drumengi economy month by month.

It was never intended for the war to last more than a year, two at max, but now humanity was still showing no signs of relenting as the war dragged on to the fourth year. Critical supplies had not been stored in sufficient quantities for an extended war and while the public was assured of an eventual victory, Drumengi planners were beginning to panic. Worlds within Drumengi space were reporting that their stockpiles had dropped 32% since the war began and were increasingly demanding to open negotiations with the humans.

With little offensive capabilities the Drumengi were forced to sit behind their iron halo and continue to wait out the humans. Several delegations had been sent to other powers to open up channels and begin laying the ground work for peace talks, but each time they were informed that the talks were stalled by human counterparts who proceeded to drag their feet over every minor detail. One delegation went so far to report that a human diplomat would not accept any document unless it was written with a “Ballpoint Pen, color blue”. No one had any idea what that was exactly and even after researching it the device took another three weeks to be shipped in only for the human to reject it again saying that they had imported red pens instead.

The war dragged into the fifth year and supply levels had reached critical across the entire Drumengi domain. Supply levels had decreased by 67% for most worlds while fuel levels now were at a critical 13%. Travel was limited to military personnel, government officials, and what limited transportation still remained. Food riots had broken out in several major metropolitan areas on numerous planets and were becoming increasingly difficult to put down. In some cases the magistrates sent to neutralize the riots switched sides and joined the rioters, beckoning the military to get involved as well. That did little to settle the matter however as then the government worried how long it would be until the military switched sides as well.

With heavy hearts and empty bellies the Drumengi leadership finally came to humanity directly and offered to surrender. No terms were asked for save the resumption of trade and the dismantling of the human ring of iron.

The humans agreed to the first measure, but denied the second. Their ring of iron would remain, as a reminder of how easily humanity could cripple them again should the Drumengi ever show their hand again. They also insisted on reparations for maintaining such an extensive grid and exacted a high sum of credits as well. The Drumengi were outraged at this. They were told not only to surrender but to also pay for their imprisonment? The government would be overthrown within a fortnight when the general population heard the news.

Their pleas fell on deaf ears as the humans reiterated their demands once more.

As they had planned ahead for their long war, so too had they planned for the end result. They had changed the nature of the war and had steered it to the point where either outcome would be in their benefit. If the Drumengi agreed to the terms the current government would collapse in on itself as the general population railed against humanities demands, but if they refused their supplies would run out at the general public would once again violently rise up across their entire domain and their territory would become nothing more than mere pocket kingdoms for despots and criminals.

Regardless of the choice, the long war would finally be at an end.  

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Snippet of Euclid Mission’s Cosmic Atlas Released by ESA

With contributions from NASA, the mission will map a third of the sky in order to study a cosmic mystery called dark energy.

ESA (the European Space Agency) has released a new, 208-gigapixel mosaic of images taken by Euclid, a mission with NASA contributions that launched in 2023 to study why the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Astronomers use the term “dark energy” in reference to the unknown cause of this accelerated expansion.

The new images were released at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan on Oct. 15.

The mosaic contains 260 observations in visible and infrared light made between March 25 and April 8 of this year. In just two weeks, Euclid covered 132 square degrees of the southern sky — more than 500 times the area of the sky covered by a full Moon.

The mosaic accounts for 1% of the wide survey Euclid will conduct over six years. During this survey, the telescope observes the shapes, distances, and motions of billions of galaxies out to a distance of more than 10 billion light-years. By doing this, it will create the largest 3D cosmic map ever made.

This first piece of the map already contains around 100 million stars and galaxies. Some 14 million of these galaxies could be used by Euclid to study the hidden influence of dark energy on the universe.

“We have already seen beautiful, high-resolution images of individual objects and groups of objects from Euclid. This new image finally gives us a taste of the enormity of the area of sky Euclid will cover, which will enable us to take detailed measurements of billions of galaxies,” said Jason Rhodes, an observational cosmologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California who is the U.S. science lead for Euclid and principal investigator for NASA’s Euclid dark energy science team.

Galaxies Galore

Even though this patch of space shows only 1% of Euclid’s total survey area, the spacecraft’s sensitive cameras captured an incredible number of objects in great detail. Enlarging the image by a factor of 600 reveals the intricate structure of a spiral galaxy in galaxy cluster Abell 3381, 470 million light-years away.

“What really strikes me about these new images is the tremendous range in physical scale,” said JPL’s Mike Seiffert, project scientist for the NASA contribution to Euclid. “The images capture detail from clusters of stars near an individual galaxy to some of the largest structures in the universe. We are beginning to see the first hints of what the full Euclid data will look like when it reaches the completion of the prime survey.”

Visble as well are clouds of gas and dust located between the stars in our own galaxy. Sometimes called “galactic cirrus” because they look like cirrus clouds at Earth, these clouds can be observed by Euclid’s visible-light camera because they reflect visible light from the Milky Way.

The mosaic released today is taste of what’s to come from Euclid. The mission plans to release 53 square degrees of the Euclid survey, including a preview of the Euclid Deep Field areas, in March 2025 and to release its first year of cosmology data in 2026.

NASA’s forthcoming Nancy Grace Roman mission will also study dark energy — in ways that are complementary to Euclid. Mission planners will use Euclid’s findings to inform Roman’s dark energy work. Scheduled to launch by May 2027, Roman will study a smaller section of sky than Euclid but will provide higher-resolution images of millions of galaxies and peer deeper into the universe’s past, providing complementary information. In addition, Roman will survey nearby galaxies, find and investigate planets throughout our galaxy, study objects on the outskirts of our solar system, and more.

More About Euclid

Euclid is a European mission, built and operated by ESA, with contributions from NASA. The Euclid Consortium — consisting of more than 2,000 scientists from 300 institutes in 15 European countries, the United States, Canada, and Japan — is responsible for providing the scientific instruments and scientific data analysis. ESA selected Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor for the construction of the satellite and its service module, with Airbus Defence and Space chosen to develop the payload module, including the telescope. Euclid is a medium-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision Programme.

Three NASA-supported science teams contribute to the Euclid mission. In addition to designing and fabricating the sensor-chip electronics for Euclid’s Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument, JPL led the procurement and delivery of the NISP detectors as well. Those detectors, along with the sensor chip electronics, were tested at NASA’s Detector Characterization Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC (ENSCI), at Caltech in Pasadena, California, will archive the science data and support U.S.-based science investigations. JPL is a division of Caltech.

TOP IMAGE: This mosaic from ESA’s Euclid space telescope contains 260 observations in visible and infrared light. It covers 132 square degrees, or more than 500 times the area of the full Moon, and is 208 gigapixels. This is 1% of the wide survey that Euclid will capture during its six-year mission. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, CEA Paris-Saclay, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

CENTRE IMAGE: This section of the Euclid mosaic is zoomed in 36 times, revealing the core of galaxy cluster Abell 3381, 470 million light-years from Earth. The image, made using both visible and infrared light, shows galaxies of different shapes and sizes, includin… Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, CEA Paris-Saclay, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

LOWER IMAGE: This image shows an area of the Euclid mosaic zoomed in 150 times. The combination of visible and infrared light reveals galaxies that are interacting with each other in cluster Abell 3381, 470 million light-years away from Earth. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, CEA Paris-Saclay, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

BOTTOM IMAGE: The location and actual size of the newly released Euclid mosaic is highlighted in yellow on a map of the entire sky captured by ESA’s Planck mission and a star map from ESA’s Gaia mission. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA; ESA/Gaia/DPAC; ESA and the Planck Collaboration. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

This section of the Euclid mosaic is zoomed in 600 times. A single spiral galaxy is visible in great detail within cluster Abell 3381, 470 million light-years away from us. Data from both the visible and infrared light instruments on Euclid are included. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, CEA Paris-Saclay, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

[tabswrites]

OC Interaction Tag

Tagged by @willtheweaver here!

Gently tagging: @revenantlore @galactic-mystics-writes @sunset-a-story and an open tag!

Your OC: Hesper is the long-serving guard captain for Lord Halley of Loftperch Lookout. He has few ambitions outside of serving his liege. Proud and quick to anger, he will respond to any threat with overwhelming force. As well as being a skilled fighter, he is also a strategic planner, preparing for any and all scenarios before committing his soldiers to battle. For someone who has dedicated their life to the art of war, Hesper is surprisingly cultured. He fancies himself as a war poet and has composed songs and ballads recounting tales and battles of old.

My OC: Oliver is the former lieutenant of the High Guard and the disgraced descendant of his city’s founding father. He is described by some as charismatic, handsome and talented with a sword. He is described by others as a lazy, arrogant drunk. After trading the love of his life for a shiny new title, he became a cold and bitter person whose only passion in life was the desire to feel nothing. These days he’s just trying to make up for his mistakes and find a purpose, but the part of him that loves to raise hell and drink his problems away is still very much there.

Hesper and Oliver: I think that Hesper would strangle Oliver about five minutes after meeting him—if he even lasts that long. Ollie loves to provoke people and he loves a good brawl. He’s really good at finding the right buttons to push.

However…I think if the fools can manage to avoid concussions, they would find that they have a lot in common. Skilled fighters, both of them are/were guards, and they both have an interest in music.

Do I think they could be best friends? No. Would they live through the encounter? 50/50 chance (my money is on Hesper). Would it be fun to watch? 100%.

[galacticrambler]

Shōgun came to a conclusion with the 10th and final episode “A Dream of a Dream”, and it continued the show’s greatness. Everyone involved should be proud of what they accomplished in this series.

I was dreading watching this final episode. Not because I thought I wasn’t going to like it, because it meant that the show was ending. I love a lot of television, but I truly believe this is one of the best shows of all time.

The performances that we received from the main three in this episode of Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), and Yabushige (Tadanobu Satō) were tremendous.

The lynchpin for this episode was Toranaga. We finally got his plans laid bare, and he fully revealed himself as the master planner. Sanada plays the character in the finale with an air of confidence and finality in knowing that everything has worked out exactly as he planned. He had the title that he’s been hunting forever directly in front of him: Shōgun.

Finally, we also have revealed Toranaga’s master plan with Blackthorne. “He makes me laugh.�� HE MAKES HIM LAUGH! What an outstanding line after everything that Toranaga has put Blackthorne through in the show. Again, as I’ve said repeatedly throughout, Cosmo Jarvis is definitely an acquired taste, but I think he nailed this episode. His pain over losing Mariko was well acted, and I don’t think I could’ve asked for more from him.

“Why tell a dead man the future?”

Tornaga to Yabushige

However, the relationship to focus on in this episode was clearly Toranaga and Yabushige. We learn pretty quickly that Toranaga has learned about Yabushige’s betrayal, and he orders him to come seppuku. The conversation on the hillside between the two old friends was one of my favorites of the entire series. Satō was fantastic throughout the show as Yabushige, and he shined again here.

Shōgun is an utterly brilliant show. I can’t speak highly enough of what they’ve created here. They should win all of the awards.

[darexirepublic]

Hello, friends! I am your host Zedko and here is our latest edition of Republic News Update!

First on our agenda is the traveling Historical Exhibit and it's success within the @elepharchy ! Turn out was "well more then expected" said the exhibit's organizers, and even the number of virtual visitors - owing to the Elepharchy's virtual society - was nearly triple that of expectations.

As such, the Ministry of Galactic Affairs has announced that it's in talks with the @phlaalu, @pactargent and @guildsre among others to sponsor another Exhibit visit to their space. I am told those talks proceed well, with only minor details of routes and hyper-lane paths being behind the delays.

Secondly, of course, is the continued work on the Laxtara City expansion. While current expansion has been halted until the recent archaeological excavations are finished and cataloged, city planners say that the existing expansion tract is now being built upward, with "several dozen new districts already being completed" within the last solar week, so says one of the @elepharchy supervisory minds.

The Chancellor's Office expects the expansion will result in nearly 1,000,000 new hab units being finished within the next two months, well ahead of schedule even with the archaeological delays.

Last but never least, the @elconsystems crisis - it still remains a shadow over our nation and our Galaxy, indeed. The Ministry of Defense has confirmed that another few dozen ships have made it through @thylakindustrial borders to safety, carrying several hundred cramped but healthy Thylak evacuees.

Our friends in the Nocle Commonality - a splinter nation of the Elcon Systems - have been reporting on opportunities to free captured Thylak where possible, and have earned them the esteemed thanks of the Thylak emergency government on Marta II.

Minister of Defense Ka'plet held a meeting with Nocle officials today to discuss the ongoing efforts. "Our espionage efforts are of course, classified." he told reporters, "but I can confirm that our friends continue to supply us with interesting information on the Elcon's inner workings, including their own brutal suppression of their people."

Patrol Fleet officials say that the fleet alert condition will remain unchanged until the crisis is over, but will give all personnel ample leave time and in conjunction with working laws, will ensure rotations of shifts in a fair and standard manner so as not to encourage exhaustion.

That is the news for today, friends. It's a sunny and crisp day here on Laxtara. I am your host, Zedko, and I hope that you all have a wonderful rest of your day and a restful weekend full of friendship and kindness!

[johnlocsin-johnyakuza]

Star Wars/Omori AU ideas

Don’t know if you want everyone as a Jedi but I wanted to try to come up with random idea for a galactic civil war era background.

Prologue: The galactic empire was formed by The Emperor after a long period of war. Early on the galactic citizens welcomed the empire, if brought an end to a lot of major warlords, slave trade, and saved a collapsing economy. Many politicians also sided with the empire either out of being given incentives or truly believing in the security the empire could bring. Some people of both the political and common workers knew that the empire would eventually become a rope around their neck, the “security” would soon become an iron fist. Empire reveals its true colors and so on.

Mari and Sunny were both born to a imperial senate family, they had a lot of money and were taught to respect the empire, they didn’t really question it. That was until the day Mari was 18 and Sunny was 15 they come across two runaway boys (Hero and Kel) who apparently had parents who spoke out against the empire and were killed for it, leaving Hero to raise Kel mostly on his own. The two groups despite different home lives soon became best friends, eventually Mari’s father found out and was planning to rat them out, her and Sunny knocked him over the head, grabbed Hero and Kel, then stole their father’s personal starship which acted as the group’s home until they joined the rebels.

Mari and Sunny were field agents that usually handled hit and run tactics and common mission objectives. The people around the rebel base tend to call them “the dynamic duo” as they are always doing things together, and often cause extra damage.

Hero mainly acts as a planner, he typically works inside a safe spot and gives overview of the situation, lots of cameras, listening devices for nearby troopers, he is ground control for this group of rebels, though he also does get more involved in the field when needed.

Kel is the best pilot of the rebels, he’s been flying since he was a young child, and has only gotten better over the years, he typically handles rescues, dog fights, and on the field he’s usually the distraction with his super friendly attitude and social abilities.

Aubrey and Basil both come from tatooine, one the few planets the empire is still working their way into, both were orphaned and did odd jobs for most of their lives, even working for smudging groups and criminal groups. By the time they were 15 they became their own bosses as smugglers, it was always the two of them against the world. Initially they worked for anyone who paid (though they had restrictions such as no helping Hutt Slavers or Bounty Hunters) but that changed when they were hired by the rebels and met the others, they got along so well that Aubrey wanted to stay, she wasn’t sure if she believes the empire can be beaten but she is tired of working for scumbags. Aubrey typically handles ground mission direct combat and specializes in heavy weapons and explosives. Basil is a lot lore subtle he’s a slicer and can get into any system without even trying, he is horrible in direct combat though, so he is usually always with a group for protection.

Sunny and Mari are force sensitives, eventually Mari began to train as a Jedi with a mysterious figure who only introduced himself as “Stranger”. Mari soon enough barely had time for non mission time with Sunny and the gang, but why mostly understood, a bit of a drift occurred between the siblings as Sunny was worried about the attention having the force will bring, which is why he hasn’t spoken up about his force sensitivity. Eventually a mission happens that gets Vader involved, Mari is believed to be dead, and Sunny is kidnapped to be broken down into an inquisitor known as Omori. After enough drugs, being kept awake, force mind tricks, and torture sessions Omori emerged with his memories repressed and was made to be the lead inquisitor.

Mari secretly survived her fight, but lost limbs and organs from her fight, after being in a bacta healing coma and getting a lot of cybernetics, she finds out the the group kind of drifted apart after her and Sunny were reported KIA. Aubrey and Basil had a falling out, Basil refused to believe Sunny was dead and left to search for him, Aubrey went back to smuggling and has a whole new crew of “hooligans” as the rebels call them, Hero left field work and become a doctor for the rebels, but Kel remained a pilot becoming the lead fighter in dog fights.

Woah, I really like this! I’m looking to expand this even further

[messier45-suporte]

Arcturians

Place of Origin: A planet of the star Arcturus 36.7 light years from us.

Dimensional Perspectives:  Exist from 4D to 6D

Appearance: Arcturians are humanoid, but have different features than us. I see the 6D Arcturians  as tall white glowing figures with angled and intense eyes. These Arcturians may be what have been termed Tall Whites.  Others who have contact with lower dimensional 4D forms describe them as short with wider faces and denser stature. These could be a different race of Arcturians or simply be their 4th dimension appearance.

Evolution:  Not yet aware of Arcturian evolution, other than they evolved to become a highly spiritual species and are considered to be among the most technically advanced in the galaxy. They may actually have come from Andromeda originally.

Qualities:  Precise intellect, telepathic, alchemists, analytical, scientific, reserved, deep structured thinkers, code breakers, mathematical, healers, interdimensional travelers.  

Abilities:  Experts in use of geometry, color and sound vibrations for altering time, space, atmosphere, and states of being.  Energetic alchemist, architects, builders and healers. They see beneath the surface of things and use precise methods to create and alter environments including the health of a vessel.

Specialties: Using sacred geometry to move through space and time and shift realities. Their methods of interdimensional travel and communications are used throughout the universe. They are also called upon to create geometrical sound and color forms to alter or transmit to developing worlds.  Arcturians are often the master minds behind the crop circle signatures. They create amazing ships of light that can traverse many dimensions and are sought after.

Basic Needs: Appreciation and being needed. Arcturians know they are good at what they do, and like to be admired for it. They enjoy using their abilities for constructive purposes.

Focus: Designing and implementing their brilliant ideas to be of service in the universe. Involvement with Earth: The Arcturians are our neighbors and at one point a group inhabited Earth, long before humans became sentient and before Lemuria and Atlantis.  It was decided by galactic councils that there would be other experiments to help local species develop on Earth, so they left.  But they still retain an interest in Earth’s progress and today they make contact attempting to open humanity to new thought, especially via their use of sacred geometry.  They design crop circle forms to input new evolutionary frequencies into Earth and her inhabitants.

Guide for Humanity: El Ectarus (6D  Ambassador to Earth)

Star seeds: There are many million Arcturian souls born on Earth and a good portion are among the younger generation.  It is felt that these starseeds can play an important role as ambassadors to the neighboring 4D Arcturians and also elevate humanities capabilities in their areas of expertise.  These starseeds will be the planners and builders of a new society through their innovations.  They not only see beyond the present structures and systems, they can also add an understanding of the frequencies inherent in form.  They can be cutting edge mathematicians, physicists, geometry artists, architects, community planners, system designers, technology wizards, musicians that have a talent for precise use of tones for affect, and energy healers that use geometry and sound to heal specific organs and mental states.  These souls like nothing more than to experiment and see their ideas in action.

* Amariah assembled this information from her telepathic contacts with Arcturians, including guides for individual starseeds.

[fggmedia]

Best Strategy Games for Critical Thinkers

Where strategy games keep a player intellectually agile and reward careful planning, they stand at the top of such games. Strategy titles are a playing field for critical thinkers where they can test and practice decision-making skills in a dynamic, often unpredictable environment. Be it city-building adventures or military campaigns, the top-rated strategy games can surely engulf you for hours continuously. From new options at places like playgama.com to revisiting old favorites, this top-of-strategy-games list is sure to inspire your next gaming adventure.

What Makes Strategy Games Appealing?

What strategy games do differently is they challenge players on other levels beyond simple reflexes: tactical thinking, long-term planning, and adaptation. More often than not, decisions have to be made that are not easy; risks need assessment, and resource management must be conducted to best achieve set goals. This genre appeals to:

Critical Thinkers: Games like these challenge the brain and improve powers of analysis.

Planners: If you enjoy predicting results and preparing a plan of action based on them, this genre is a treasure trove.

Creative Minds: Many strategy games reward innovative solutions to problems.

Below, we showcase some of the best options for lovers of strategy games. From casual players to more advanced tacticians, there is something for everyone.

Best Strategy Games for Critical Thinkers

Civilization VI

Every decision will influence your empire's rise or fall through the ages, whether it be managing resources and research, or diplomacy and warfare. Arguably, Civilization VI is one of the most recognizable turn-based strategy games, placing you in the shoes of a leader to shape the fortunes of your civilization through the ages.

Key Features:

Extensive, historical gameplay.

Variety of strategies: military, cultural, and scientific victories.

Great replay value with a variety of leaders and scenarios.

XCOM 2

XCOM 2 teems with tactical combat and high-stakes missions to satisfy even the most spoiled fan's tastes. In a dystopian world where aliens rule Earth, you lead the resistance to win freedom for humanity.

Key Features:

Adds tension through the permadeath mechanics of soldiers.

Deep customization of troops and equipment.

Variety provided through procedural generation of missions.

Stellaris

Stellaris is a perfect pick if your fantasies involve commanding galactic empires. A real grand strategy game, where exploration combines with deep diplomacy and warfare, entailing complex decision-making.

Key Features:

Huge, procedurally generated galaxies.

Intricate politics and alliances.

Miscellaneous alien species, each with unique features.

Gameplay Comparison

FeatureCivilization VIXCOM 2Stellaris Gameplay Style Turn-based empire building Tactical combat Galactic strategy Focus Historical development Team-based strategy Exploring and conquering Skill Required Long-range planning Micro-management Macro-strategy

Crusader Kings III

If you enjoy the drama and intrigue of interpersonal politics, then Crusader Kings III offers a great blend of rich storytelling and strategic management. As the leader of a dynasty, you will juggle alliances, rivalries, and wars to secure your family's legacy.

Key Features:

Deep character development and roleplaying.

Dynamic relationships that may affect gameplay.

Real-time grand strategy.

Into the Breach

This indie darling packs strategic depth into a minimal, accessible package. In Into the Breach, players guide squads of mechs as they defend Earth against an alien invasion, calculating every move with great care.

Key Features:

Simple mechanics with complex layers of strategy.

Minimalistic design with a focus on tactical planning.

Replayable campaigns with unique challenges.

Starcraft II

A true classic in real-time strategy, Starcraft II pits players against each other in fast-paced, competitive gameplay. Whether it's commanding the Terran, Zerg, or Protoss armies, quick thinking combined with long-term strategy is required to emerge victorious.

Key Features:

Balanced factions allow for varied strategies.

Rich lore and campaigns.

Strong multiplayer community.

How to Choose the Right Strategy Game for You?

When choosing a game, be guided by your needs and playing style. Some questions to consider:

Do you prefer turn-based games, or ones in real time?

Solo campaigns, or multiplayer competition?

How much complexity are you willing to embrace?

Into the Breach, for example, offers simple mechanics for beginners, whereas those who enjoy more detailed mechanisms might prefer Stellaris or Crusader Kings III.

Advantages of Strategy Games

The important thing about strategy games is that they are not only fun, but they also yield several cognitive and emotional benefits, including:

Problem-Solving: Improved critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Patience and Focus: Rewards careful planning over impulsive actions.

Relief of Stress: Immersive gameplay that offers relief from daily stressors.

FAQs

What is the simplest strategy game for a beginner player?

Games like Civilization VI and Into the Breach have very forgiving learning curves and accessible tutorials, making them ideal for new players.

Do strategy games really improve one's thinking skills?

Yes, studies suggest that strategy games enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Are there any good free strategy games?

Absolutely! Games like Empyrean Mode from Warframe or Hearthstone Battlegrounds are free-to-play strategy games.

Which of the two strategy games has better multiplayer?

For competitive and cooperative multiplayer, Starcraft II and Age of Empires IV are standout options.

Can I play strategy games on mobile?

Yes, games like Plague Inc. and Clash of Clans bring strategy challenges right to your fingertips.

Which is one of the most complicated strategy games?

Europa Universalis IV and Crusader Kings III are renowned for their depth and complexity, offering rich, challenging experiences.

Conclusion

Strategy games tease the brain, try your patience, and reward creativity. Whether it's leading a civilization to glory, fighting off alien invaders, or conquering galaxies, your game is out there. Visit playgama.com for your next epic adventure—your next great challenge awaits!

[wilygryphon]

ML + Ben 10 + Kingdom Hearts II

Wu Fei became a street urchin following the death of her father, and she resents being forced to steal to survive.  Her life’s trajectory changes when she discovers the Omnitrix.  She uses her new powers to interrogate the black market fence Cash on who killed her father, and when she learns that it was him, she tries to kill him but is forced to defend herself and people around her from the Heartless, which then consume Cash’s heart.  She was forced to flee when the Omnitrix timed out on her, and she was saved by Sabine and Marinette.  She becomes fast friends with Marinette, and Sabine offers to let her come with them so they can learn the secrets of the Omnitrix, an offer which Fei is hesitant to take up until Vilgax’s drones attack and they realize that she is not safe where she is.

Alien forms: Horrificator; Fourarms; Sahagin; Diamondcrust (Petrosapien); Grey Matter; Senri (Coeurl); Ladydragon (Dragon); Sapoti (stand-in for Ditto, name taken by a remark from Alya when she first transformed); Big Chill; Crabclaw (Mantavor); Mei Shi

Sabine Cheng is a Keyblade Master who is training her daughter in the discipline.  She fought the Heartless across numerous worlds when the beings of darkness were consuming their hearts a year before (separate from Sora actually vanquishing the threat and saving the day), and now takes Marinette with her as she investigates Organization XIII.  On Fei’s world, she rescues Fei from Heartless and teams up with her when her Omnitrix recharges, then invites her aboard their ship so they can explore the secrets of the Omnitrix and keep Fei safe from Vilgax’s drones.

Mei Shi is a guardian who was tasked by Azmuth with carrying the Omnitrix on his ship.  When he was attacked, he was forced to eject the Omnitrix, and after adequately repairing his ship, set out to locate the advanced device.  Discovering that someone already found it, he tracked it and challenged its wearer, Fei, on multiple occasions to test her and determine if she was a worthy keeper of the Omnitrix.  Frustrated by her fury, he falls prey to the Heartless and is turned into the monstrous YanLuoShi, but after being defeated and returned to normal, he accepts that Fei is indeed worthy.  He unlocks his DNA sample in the Omnitrix and activates the AI copy of his mind stored in the device before sacrificing himself to protect her from Vilgax.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is apprenticed to her mother Sabine as a Keyblade wielder.  While she is clumsy and still learning, she has a lot of love and determination, and she is clever and a good planner.  She becomes fast friends with Fei and is happy to have her traveling with them, and also bonds with Sora when they meet. (Could there be more to those feelings of friendship with them?)

Sora is the Keyblade wielder who saved and restored the worlds that had been threatened and consumed by the Heartless a year ago.  He is now on another adventure with Donald and Goofy to stop the threat of Organization XIII.  He crosses paths with and befriends Fei and Marinette on multiple occasions and learns some techniques from Sabine.

Vilgax is one of the main antagonists and Fei’s personal enemy.  The galactic conqueror seeks the Omnitrix in order to create an army of transforming soldiers, and hunts Fei relentlessly.  After she and her friends fend him off and escape a few times, he allies with Maleficent to gain the allegiance of the Heartless.

Allying with Sora and other friends across the worlds, Fei, Sabine and Marinette clash with Organization XIII, which is currently comprised of: Xemnas; Xigalber (Gabriel Agreste’s Nobody with the power to trap anything in the dimension of his book); Saïx; Xochen (Enoch’s Nobody); Demyx; Luxord.

Fei battles Cash’s Heartless, Silver King, and furiously seeks to destroy him in revenge, resulting in Mei Shi determining that she is not fit to wear the Omnitrix.  Fei and Marinette defeat the Heartless, but Silver King infects Mei Shi with darkness before he is struck down, turning the guardian into YanLuoShi.  After the hearts are freed from Kingdom Hearts and the Organization is defeated, Fei finds a recompleted Cash and has him arrested for her father’s murder, refusing to continue her pursuit of revenge.

Take ML, the last show you watched and your favorite video game and smash them together to make a crossover AU featuring Sabine, Mei Shi and Fei as Horrificator

[cosmicfunnies]

Starry Facts Planners are available in the starry shop!

This is what I've been working on for the past 2 1/2 months...whatever little energy I had, I used it to make these. They’re available in both soft and hard cover just like last year’s planner but this time there are three versions: Galactic Facts, Stellar Facts, and Exoplanet facts. 

https://www.cosmicfunnies.com/accessories-and-apparel/starry-facts-2020-2021-planners-17-month

If you can pass this to anyone that would like to purchase these as a form of support (so I don’t starve..) I would greatly appreciate it. 

I am currently working on uploading facial masks so look out for those tonight and I hope to start working on starry scholastic month comics since I really....really want to go back to that..

Thank you all for your comfort and support. I really appreciate it. 

Have a great week. 

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

documenting the current state of the lair bc i will miss this place, the office will be one of the last things to be packed but i realized almost nothing in this weird office nook was bought new on purpose. bolded is shit i bought new. if u keep ur head on a swivel and beg borrow and steal eventually you will have a serviceable patchwork workspace. i need a wider and longer desk but that’s a problem for future me

chair + PC + webcam + headphones + air purifier: scammed out of work

chair + PC + webcam + headphones + air purifier: scammed out of work

enamel top table: craigslist, same sale as the kitchen table and chairs ($50?)

dented pink garbage can: stolen from my housemate two houses ago

black fake anglepoise lamp: stolen from same housemate

filing cabinet that holds tools: salvation army ($10, i don’t want to talk about how much the tools inside cost)

brass fake anglepoise lamp: amazon ($40?)

pillow: friendsmas gift

milk crate foot rest: stolen from my dad who stole it from my mom when they got married, my grandpa probably stole it at some point from a local dairy

spider plant: stolen cutting from umass

birdsnest fern, air plant: Home Depot ($6 total?)

baby Boston fern: gift from my sister

carnival glass goblet: uhhh idk probably a thrift store in high school?

my diplomas and a postcard from the museum of sex are usually hanging up but they’re packed bc i would prefer not to dox myself, did have to buy new frames so they all matched (i don’t want to talk about how much my degree cost)

posters, out of sight of webcam

maplesoft, APS: freebies

space tourism, think galactic: justseeds ($20 total?)

desktop

moon map keyboard mat: Etsy ($25)

blue apple keyboard: fished out of a dumpster at umass

drawn and quarterly hardcover serving as a monitor stand: goodwill

round brass enamel-topped stag box what holds my dice for ttrpgs: goodwill? along with the carnival glass this is something ive had since high school

planner: moleskine; stickers; Etsy ($30 total?)

mug: gift from a friend i dropped and glued back together bc im a sentimental bitch

mouse, monitors, backlights: scammed out of work

out of sight, a little 3D printed clippy thing that keeps charging and headphone cords up off the floor, scammed out of the makerspace

the step-button extension cord that turns on and off all the backlights and the black anglepoise lights at once: did have to buy this one myself ($10)

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Lunar ice deposits are widespread

Deposits of ice in lunar dust and rock (regolith) are more extensive than previously thought, according to a new analysis of data from NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) mission. Ice would be a valuable resource for future lunar expeditions. Water could be used for radiation protection and supporting human explorers, or broken into its hydrogen and oxygen components to make rocket fuel, energy, and breathable air.

Prior studies found signs of ice in the larger permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the lunar South Pole, including areas within Cabeus, Haworth, Shoemaker and Faustini craters. In the new work, “We find that there is widespread evidence of water ice within PSRs outside the South Pole, towards at least 77 degrees south latitude,” said Dr. Timothy P. McClanahan of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and lead author of a paper on this research published October 2 in the Planetary Science Journal.

The study further aids lunar mission planners by providing maps and identifying the surface characteristics that show where ice is likely and less likely to be found, with evidence for why that should be. “Our model and analysis show that greatest ice concentrations are expected to occur near the PSRs’ coldest locations below 75 Kelvin (-198°C or -325°F) and near the base of the PSRs’ poleward-facing slopes,” said McClanahan.

“We can’t accurately determine the volume of the PSRs’ ice deposits or identify if they might be buried under a dry layer of regolith. However, we expect that for each surface 1.2 square yards (square meter) residing over these deposits there should be at least about five more quarts (five more liters) of ice within the surface top 3.3 feet (meter), as compared to their surrounding areas,” said McClanahan. The study also mapped where fewer, smaller, or lower-concentration ice deposits would be expected, occurring primarily towards warmer, periodically illuminated areas.

Ice could become implanted in lunar regolith through comet and meteor impacts, released as vapor (gas) from the lunar interior, or be formed by chemical reactions between hydrogen in the solar wind and oxygen in the regolith. PSRs typically occur in topographic depressions near the lunar poles. Because of the low Sun angle, these areas haven’t seen sunlight for up to billions of years, so are perpetually in extreme cold. Ice molecules are thought to be repeatedly dislodged from the regolith by meteorites, space radiation, or sunlight and travel across the lunar surface until they land in a PSR where they are entrapped by extreme cold. The PSR’s continuously cold surfaces can preserve ice molecules near the surface for perhaps billions of years, where they may accumulate into a deposit that is rich enough to mine. Ice is thought to be quickly lost on surfaces that are exposed to direct sunlight, which precludes their accumulations.  

The team used LRO’s Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) instrument to detect signs of ice deposits by measuring moderate-energy, “epithermal” neutrons. Specifically, the team used LEND’s Collimated Sensor for Epithermal Neutrons (CSETN) that has a fixed 18.6-mile (30-kilometer) diameter field-of-view. Neutrons are created by high-energy galactic cosmic rays that come from powerful deep-space events such as exploding stars, that impact the lunar surface, break up regolith atoms, and scatter subatomic particles called neutrons. The neutrons, which can originate from up to about a 3.3-foot (meter’s) depth, ping-pong their way through the regolith, running into other atoms. Some get directed into space, where they can be detected by LEND.  Since hydrogen is about the same mass as a neutron, a collision with hydrogen causes the neutron to lose relatively more energy than a collision with most common regolith elements. So, where hydrogen is present in regolith, its concentration creates a corresponding reduction in the observed number of moderate-energy neutrons.

“We hypothesized that if all PSRs have the same hydrogen concentration, then CSETN should proportionally detect their hydrogen concentrations as a function of their areas. So, more hydrogen should be observed towards the larger-area PSRs,” said McClanahan.

The model was developed from a theoretical study that demonstrated how similarly hydrogen-enhanced PSRs would be detected by CSETNs fixed-area field-of-view. The correlation was demonstrated using the neutron emissions from 502 PSRs with areas ranging from 1.5 square miles (4 km2) to 417 square miles (1079 km2) that contrasted against their surrounding less hydrogen-enhanced areas. The correlation was expectedly weak for the small PSRs but increased towards the larger-area PSRs.

IMAGE: This illustration shows the distribution of permanently shadowed regions (in blue) on the Moon poleward of 80 degrees South latitude. They are superimposed on a digital elevation map of the lunar surface (grey) from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument on board NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Credit NASA/GSFC/Timothy P. McClanahan

[sixamese-simblr]

Sims 4 Sixam Challenge

This variant is adapted from the version of this challenge for TS2. The original idea of the challenge was to play the aliens on their home planet, but since TS4 doesn’t allow you to create your own worlds or have more than one lot on Sixam, we’ll have to slightly revise that part. Instead, the aliens from Sixam have found a habitable, though strangely empty new world. There, they seek to establish a new colony.

Getting started

This challenge requires only Get To Work, but features from any packs can be incorporated if you want. Start a new game and create 3 households of young adult alien Sims to start with. They can have any features you like, the only important part is whether they can get pregnant or not:

One queen, a Sim who can get pregnant

Two drones, Sims who can get others pregnant

Three caretakers, who can neither get pregnant or get others pregnant

Remove all premade Sims from the save. If you want, you can keep some of your favourite male premades to get abducted later, but that’s not a necessity. Pick a world to start your colony, and move your three households into 3 empty lots. Build a nursery for the caretakers and a house for the drones. For the Queen you have a choice: the Queen may have a palace on this planet, or you may cheat to acquire an Electroflux Wormhole Generator, and build a palace on Sixam where she spends most of her time by using bb.enablefreebuild on Sixam. If you have City Living, give the lot where the Queen spends their time the on ley line lot trait. If not, you may cheat to give her (and any queen after her) the fertile reward trait.

After that, play rotationally. The task of the drones is to woo the queen. The task of the queen is to have as many babies as possible with the drones. Move any of her babies into one of the nurseries. The task of the caretakers is to take care of these babies until they become teens. If the number of Sims in one nursery ever grows too large, move one caretaker and some of the younglings out, give them $18,000 and let them establish a new nursery. 

Castes

Once the younglings become teens, you may roll to assign them one of five castes: Reproductive, High Councillor, Technician, Caretaker or Worker. If their caste is anything other than Caretaker, they move out of the nurseries and into a household with other aliens of similar age and the same caste. The caste determines what their tasks are, whether they can reproduce and what jobs they can get. The rules are as follows.

Reproductive

This caste consists of two subtypes: Drones and Queens. Queens are the only aliens with the ability to get pregnant, and Drones are the only ones who can get others pregnant. All other Aliens get the “neither” setting. There may only be one active Queen at a time: if there already is a Queen, the next eligible aliens have to sit out their turn until the current Queen becomes an elder. If you don’t have a mod to age your pregnant Sims, your Queen needs to age up at the moment she would have aged up anyway.

The Drones do not stay with the colony they were born with, and will be shipped off to a new colony to serve a new Queen when they become Young Adult. When that happens, create a new Drone in CAS (or download one from the Gallery) and move him in. The Drone born in your game becomes unplayable: either delete them or turn them into a townie. If a friend is playing this challenge as well, it can be really fun to exchange your drones with them, and have them live out their lives in each other’s colony.

A Note on Gender

While I generally refer to the Queen as she/her here, Queens and Drones may be of any gender and any agab. As with any of the other aliens, how you want to play their presentation and gender identity is completely up to you, the player. However, I consider it to be not in the spirit of the challenge for the player to be able to pick and choose which Sim gets to be your new Queen. Therefore, at the start of the challenge you may decide whether you want to roll for the ability to get pregnant regardless of agab for reproductive Sims. The rest of the gender customization is up to you.

Caretaker

These Sims live in the nurseries and take care of the Queen’s spawn. They may not take jobs, taking care of the young aliens is their job. 

Technician

The smartest aliens, these aliens are focused on building their skills and collecting things. If you have Discover University, they will go to University as well, and are invested in building robots.

Available careers: Astronaut, Criminal (Oracle Branch), Freelancer (Programmer branch), Secret Agent, Tech Guru (Start-up Entrepreneur Branch), Doctor, Scientist, Gardener (Botanist branch), Military (Covert Operator Branch), Conservationist (Marine Biologist Branch), Education (Professor Branch), Engineer, Civil Designer (Green Technician Branch), Salaryperson (Expert Branch)

High Councillors

The richest and most powerful aliens, these aliens are focused on getting rich, having the most lavish houses and getting ahead in their careers. If you have Get Famous, they are also focused on fame.

Available careers: Business, Criminal (Boss Branch), Painter (Patron of the Arts Branch), Style Influencer (Trendsetter Branch), Critic, Politician, Social Media (Internet Personality Branch), Actor, Military (Officer Branch), Conservationist (Environmental Manager Branch), Education (Administrator Branch), Law, Civil Designer (Civic Planner Branch), Salaryperson (Supervisor Branch).

Workers

The common folk, these aliens are focused on arts, crafting, gardening and running their own businesses. If you have Dine Out, they may also start their own restaurants.

Available careers: Athlete, Culinary, Entertainer, Freelancer (All branches but programmer), Painter (Master of the Real Branch), Style Influencer (Stylist Branch), Tech Guru (eSports Gamer Branch), Writer, Detective, Social Media (Public Relations Branch), Gardener (Floral Designer Branch).

Human Sims

If there is currently no Queen available, you may abduct a single young adult male human Sim. He is moved into a house on his own, and you may cheat to get the satellite dish to attract aliens and get him abducted. His task is to get abducted as often as possible, and raise the resulting babies himself.

Finances

The rules in this section are entirely optional; if you prefer to play with unlimited funds then that is totally fine.

The economy functions in two phases: the first ends when the first Sims born in-game become Young Adults. During phase one, the nurseries, queen and drones subsist on grants from the Galactic Colonization Initiative. This grants the Queen and Drones $500 each per baby. The nurseries each receive $1000 per birthday. During phase 2, the High Councillors, Technicians and Workers owe taxes to the other castes. The amount they owe is determined by their weekly bill amount: High Councillors owe an amount equal to their bill amount each to the Queen, a nursery of their choice and a Drone household of their choice. The Technicians and Workers owe an amount equal to half their bill amount to the Queen, and an amount equal to half their bill amount to one of the Nurseries.

When establishing a new household on an empty lot, Sims receive an $18,000 grant. If there is a house built for their caste that is uninhabited because all inhabitants have died, you may choose to forgo this grant and establish a new household on that lot with freerealestate.

Rich aliens may donate to nurseries or humans in need on top of their taxes. Additionally, they may leave their current funds to a nursery when they die, but they may not sell their house to get more funds to donate.

End Condition

The challenge ends when a Queen whose birth mother was born in game dies of old age.