#Initial impressions

[snagyeon]

zuho is constantly fighting the beat and the beat is winning

INSEONG SINGERS WHO SING whenever i looked up the colour coded lyrics i found that he sang my favourite parts

youngbin and taeyang also stand out to me! taeyang’s tone is very pretty

[gloriouspiratenacho]

An Update

On Character AI:

Nobunaga is currently in progress. So far the bare bones model is doing pretty well! I still need to sit down an flesh it out more. See if I can capture some of his mannerisms.

Kicho is also seemingly doing pretty well? I'm going to leave him as a Work in Progress until I get further in his route, so some minor changes may happen. But he is currently available, regardless.

I've also been testing on other sites.

Character AI is great: it's free, and the characters really do feel very humanlike sometimes. But AI technology is new, and I feel it's worthwhile to check out the competition periodically, and make sure there isn't something better.

Reviews for new sites below:

Poe.com

Pros:

The bot builder can pick which LLM (ai model) is running the bot, as well as adjust the temperature. (Temperature controls how faithful and boring the responses will be vs how creative and possibly nonsensical.

Depending on the model, there may not be a filter.

Cons

Not free. You do get a fair amount of free daily messages though. But depending on the Ai model, you may run through them fast. I've picked a lower token model to get more messages from my bots, which also happens to be filterless.

Not meant for roleplay. Less rp bots, not as easy to build a rp bot.

Bots have to have unique names. So the naming on this site can get really nutty.

I've copied over Mitsuhide and Motonari from character Ai to test. Motonari has been absolutely fabulous. The behavior is there. He takes initiative to come up with new things. The replies are a bit long sometimes. Mitsuhide hasn't fared as well. The personality is just not where I want it. Character AI definitely has a better conversational model. I'll go ahead and make Motonari public if anyone wants to explore. I'll keep working on Mitsuhide.

Figgs.ai

Pros:

Completely and utterly free.

No filter.

Feels pretty close to character Ai in the way it works and replies.

Made for characters and roleplay.

Bots are more faithful to their programming.

Cons:

No filter. (which means it's full of horrifying porn bots)

The site is brand new, like only a couple of months old. They have a lot of things they are still trying to figure out. The site isn't as streamlined as it could be. They are working on it.

Can't delete bots you tried on a whim (yet)

When viewing your previous chats, you can't tell which is which. (no preview)

Not quite as conversational as character Ai. Bots seem like they do better with more direction.

I can just copy things directly from character Ai and drop them in the appropriate fields, it's super easy to build here. They don't have a character building guide yet, but luckily, I don't need to change anything. Unfortunately, my perfectly SFW character Ai bots are getting flagged as NSFW for some reason, so... In order to find my bots, be ready for some porn bots. 😅 As for behavior, I'm also not pleased with how Mitsuhide came out on here either. I'm still working on him. I moved over my OC Yandere Assassin, who is working very well, and two of my banned bots that were some of my favorites on character Ai. They are also working pretty well. The thing I have discovered is that you NEED a scenario for the bot to work well. All 3 that do okay? They have a mission. Mitsuhide does not, because I was leaving it up to the user to create the scenario, or not, and just have a fun chat with him. So I might have to give him a scene to work with. No scene, and the bot just keeps politely asking what you want to talk about, what you want to do, and about the weather. Just like Poe, Figgs isn't as good at conversation, and Mitsuhide's personality just isn't where I want it yet. Still working on it. WHAT FIGGS IS GOOD AT: slow burn romance. I put Motonari on there to test, and it was INCREDIBLY HARD to get him to fall in love with you.... Which is exactly how it should be. I had to work very hard to earn his trust. So if you get mad that all the characters at character ai fall in love after 2 interactions, this might be a better alternative. And lastly, it's a really new website. They are still working on it. There's no character guide, and some (most) of the bots are very, very badly built. If you try one out and it's awful, it probably isn't the website's fault. It's just a badly built bot. The Gale from Baldur's Gate 3 I tried was excellent. My bots are pretty good too (though Mitsuhide needs some work.)

I'm considering trying Yodayo.

Not free, but the bots seem decent, and you get a pretty good amount of free daily conversations, and I think it was actually even pretty affordable if you wanted to pay. I haven't built on there yet. You'll want to pick "Tavern" to chat. Unfiltered, so beware of porn.

If you know of any character Ai alternatives I should try, hit me up!

[bioticgoddess]

Dragon Age Veilguard Initial Review (Spoiler Free)

For context: I've only made it to the first major decision. If you've gotten there you know exactly what I'm talking about.

1. It feels like most of the dialogue options except flirting or the "happy"/thumbs up are in the sarcastic tone. For me that's mostly fine because I'm playing my Rook as a "Purple" or Sarcastic Hawke type. But there's definitely times when I've chosen the angry, sad, or confused answers and they lacked a real tonal change.

2. This character creator is wonderful and the hair physics make me so happy. There's maybe one NPC hair style I saw that I don't remember seeing in the character creator but that may be a function of having started my game on Steam Deck.

3. Combat is fine. I don't have any real complaints about it honestly since outside DA1 I didn't ever take tactical control of other characters. Note: I'm playing a mage (which reviewers apparently panned). I very much enjoy having 2 weapons as a mage right now (which if not a new class feature is a Crow faction feature).

4. Lack of navigational intuitiveness on the map - specifically between levels. How do I get to that spot over there that I've clearly been to or a bunch of chests wouldn't be highlighted. Crap.

5. The appearance changer (for armor) is great. Cosmetics are minor but the fact that I can look like a member of my chosen faction without having to farm armor pieces is fantastic. It's super minor but sometimes minor changes make all the difference.

Overall I'm enjoying it. Am I concerned that EA front loaded things in Act 1? Absolutely. Are there lore things ik concerned about getting pay off on? 100%. But at about 30hrs or play time, it's enjoyable enough.

[generalluxun]

Miraculous: The Movie

This is not a full review, I feel like I might pull one together in the coming days but for now my immediate response is:

I Loved it!

There are nitpicks, but that's all they are. It was loads of fun. I haven't smiled watching this show in a long time, but this movie? This made me smile.

[rabidhiss]

Oh my my my…. First hour notes! Terrifier 2

If you enjoyed the first Terrifier, you’re going to enjoy this. Some things: 1. I still have no idea how Art has been resurrected. 2. I’m not really into the subplot of the victims late father being tied somehow to Art by drawings? I shouldn’t say “not into” I’m actually not clear on this aspect either. 3. The gore is unbelievable. 4. The guy that plays Art is exceptional and even a little endearing. 5. So far most of the performances have been serviceable, although something about what appears to be our final girl leaves a more competent actress to be desired. (Initial thoughts, of course) 6. I had to make a conscious effort to pull myself away from the tv. That’s the best compliment I can give a movie like this. Pt. 2 doesn’t seem interested in one-upping the first film. Instead it’s paying fan service delivering on the standards set by the first. Excited to have some questions answered! Have at you!

[netscapenavigator-official]

I’m trying not to be a negative Nancy (pun intended) about Mystery of the Seven Keys. I feel like I’m still early in the game, so I’m reserving myself until I finish it to conclude my opinion. Mostly because MID started off rocky too, but I ended up not hating it by the end.

I was also on the optimist side, and unlike a lot of the longer time fans, I actually somewhat enjoyed Midnight in Salem, with it placing in the middle of my ranking spreadsheet. So with all that being said, I’m gonna give my initial impressions of the game in the form of a compliment:

It takes real talent, effort, and skill to create a game with a worse point-and-click system than both 2019’s Midnight in Salem and 1998’s Secrets Can Kill…

[chatterkat]

Trapdoor is indeed so interesting. It’s all about Ruby’s isolation and her wanting to let it go, but can’t help but hold on(to freeze). Also apologizing if I get some of these lyrics wrong. It’s kinda hard to hear them.

The pain keeps invading

After all the things I’ve said and done I don’t feel like the chosen one

How will they see me if I lose my faith?

Ruby is feeling as we saw like she wasn’t enough, but that she couldn’t show the weight she felt to her friends because she feared their reaction.

Watch it all unfold as I cascade below

That might be alluding to her running away at the end of the episode and then drinking the tea, which lead her to cascading below swallowed by the tree.

Frozen in the darkest moment

I can’t bear the weight I hold

I definitely feel like this moment in the show represents that

, but also

This was her real lowest point when she drank the tea.

[invisiblegarters]

Hidden Agenda Ep 1

Well here we are. This isn't one of the offerings that I was really looking forward to this year, but I love the type of plot. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the tropiest shit, and I'm past the point where I feel like making apologies for my tastes.

I do wish it were coming out later though, because we have at least two messy, messy shows coming at us within the next couple of months (Dangerous Romance and Only Friends), and I could use what I expect will be a bit of mostly plotless fluff (I am getting very SIMM vibes already and that's exactly what that one was) to cut the tension from one (or both? Surely GMM wouldn't give us both at the same time, that'd just be madness and of course now that I've said it I want it desperately) of those.

Ah well.

Anyway, without further blathering, initial impressions:

Aw Louis. I missed his face. I didn't even know I would miss his face but it's good to see him on my screen again.

Heh, it sometimes just doesn't feel like a GMM BL without one of the J's. I love how they just tend to show up in everything. Or maybe we just tend to gravitate to the same projects - them for acting, me for watching. :D

Oh okay, so we're going right into an antagonistic sort of thing. I am not one of the people who dunks (heh) on his acting, but I hope Dunk loosens up as we go because he is way overdoing it here. He is more natural with the friends but every time he has to act annoyed it just sort of falls apart.

I kind of love AJ and Louis (I swear I will learn these character's names at some point) being the Bad Advice Duo. I think I'm going to enjoy this friend group.

The flashback to freshman year was very disjointed. At first I thought it was a preview for next week lol. Granted it might have been a watcher error.

Joong's Joke is like the dude from SIMM. Like, exactly. I guess he's comfortable in that kind of role but I was hoping for something a little different. For all I've said about Dunk thus far I do think Zo is at least a different character than the one Dunk played in the last drama. At least this time he's not manic pixie dream...was it a nerd in that one? Hell if I remember, all I know is that everyone wanted him and it annoyed me a lot. Worst trope. And thankfully this one doesn't seem to be heading in that direction.

Next week we're gonna get even more tropes. Including a pratfall because Thai BLs love their pratfalls. And I will learn all the character's names. Or at least the friends.

I'm probably going to stick with this. It's not doing anything revolutionary as of yet but the tropes it's using are all tropes I enjoy, so. And I'm a little interested in the whole debate club backdrop. Hopefully it will bring up some interesting things. Plus I want to see Aou and Boom together. I've been waiting for this pairing since Midnight Museum, dammit.

[critical-skeptic]

Artificial Intelligence: A Tale of Expectations and Shortcomings

When I recently had a chance to test out Google's Bard, a language model conversational interface powered by their LaMDA AI, I was hopeful for a satisfying user experience. However, I was left wanting. My anticipation was rooted in the belief that if any other organization could achieve comparable results to OpenAI's GPT-4, it would be the once AI behemoth, Google. However, the reality was starkly different.

Just like Bing Chat, which runs on the GPT architecture, Google's Bard offers a conversational experience with internet access. But, unfortunately, the similarity ends there. The depth of interaction and the contextual understanding that makes GPT-4, as experienced through ChatGPT, a fascinating tool, was glaringly absent in Bard.

To test the waters, I presented Bard with what I call a 'master prompt', a robust, detailed piece of text designed to challenge the system's understanding and response capabilities. What followed was a disappointing display of AI misunderstanding the context, parameters, and instructions. Upon encountering the word 'essay', Bard, much to my dismay, decided to transform the entirety of the prompt into an essay, completely disregarding the nuanced instructions and context provided. Even the mockup bibliography structure included in the prompt for structural guidance was presented as a reference within the essay. The whole experience felt like an amateurish attempt at understanding the user's intention.

Despite this, it is important to acknowledge the general advancements in AI and their impact. As humans, we have achieved a level of software sophistication capable of emulating human conversations, which is nothing short of remarkable. However, the gap between the best and the rest is becoming increasingly clear. OpenAI's GPT-4, in its current form, towers above the rest with its contextual understanding and response abilities.

This has led me to a facetious hypothesis that OpenAI might have discovered some alien technology, aiding them in the development of GPT-4. Of course, this is said in jest. However, the disparity in quality between GPT-4 and other offerings like Bard is so stark that it does make one wonder about the secret sauce that powers OpenAI's success.

The field of AI is fraught with possibilities and limitations. It is a space where expectations often clash with reality, leading to a mix of excitement and disappointment. My experience with Google's Bard is a testament to this. As the field progresses, I am optimistic that we will see improvements and advancements across the board. For now, though, the crown firmly sits on OpenAI's GPT-4.

In the grand scheme of AI evolution, I say to Bard, "Bless your heart, little fella." Even in its shortcomings, it represents a step towards a future where AI has a more profound and transformative impact on our lives.

[cfserkgk]

Lahan introduces Maomao to his roommate (who is popular enough that everyone but Maomao knows of becuase Maomao thinks chemistry is much more attractive than some mortal man).

SPOILERS: I feel like Zuigetsu would be his real name, but I think he would do some sort of modelling/ acting job on the side with the name "Jinshi", so everyone calls him that. But neither Maomao nor Lahan really look at media much since they both don't really know how to use tech, so the siblings know him as Ka Zuigetsu.

Jinshi might be doing some sort of economics/ finance/ stats degree, but I can also see him being a history or social sciences student of sorts. The poor humanities student just getting dragged into the business of the stem siblings.

Of course, Lahan is obsessed with Jinshi's looks (and may or may not be actively pushing his sister and his roommate to get closer).

[alkalamity]

Hear me out. Ratiorine AU where Aventurine is a mer captured by a group of researchers and Ratio is the scientist brought on board to teach him how to speak and access his intelligence levels.

[jergals-favorite]

Two things remain irretrievable: time and a first impression.

-Cynthia Ozick

[kingofattolia]

Quinlan and Aayla are the original Anakin and Ahsoka. Quinlan being Obi-Wan's age, and Aayla being seven years older than Anakin, Quinlan is only NINE years older than her. Legends Wookieepedia says he took her as his padawan when she was 10, which is patently ridiculous. Even if we age her up to a more new-canon-consistent age, that still gives us 23yo Quinlan and his 14yo padawan. Disaster duo. Terrifying gremlin pair.

[protectorcraft]

important that you remember that mirabelle and siffrin both think the other person is one of the coolest people in the world. and don't seem to realize that the other feels that way. very important. remember this.

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: death mention / family death mention / ]

Mhmm I sure love thinking of the reality where we did get more time to really know Karai and her dynamics with the bros. Losing her hit hard in the finale, but it would’ve hit much, much harder had we known Karai longer and really saw her relationships develop with everyone.

I especially would have been interested in her dynamic with Leo, as past iterations often have the two of them clash in ideals and the like while still sharing many characteristics. Two sides of the same coin, and all that. Her specifically being the bros’ Gram-Gram also adds a whole new dynamic as well.

Imagine how interesting it would be, to have Karai start off on Leo’s side for once, showing wholly just how alike the two are at their cores and bonding as family without the worry of betrayal or animosity that other iterations suffer through, only to have Karai die anyway. Their parting hug and the desperate look of horror Leo wears later on would have hit that much harder, I feel.

[skyberia]

i'm tired of video games whose only art direction is "make it look indistinguishable from real life" like yes yes hyperrealism requires a lot of work and it's very impressive and a huge achievement or whatever but after like five minutes the gimmick wears off and my eyes start glazing over looking at it. I see the real life every day with my eyes. can i get something more interesting to look at please. PLEASE