#The campaign was thoroughly enjoyable.

[kelpiemomma]

The fact that BT LITERALLY called dibs on Cooper like... that's HIS pilot Briggs, fuck your classically trained pilots, BT trained this one! He's perfect!

[arolesbianism]

Alright boys pack it up no more rain world posting new oni dlc is coming out in less than a week

[crowlore]

hey! you! music enjoyer!

now, while i've got you, please help to circulate this fundraiser!

i've shared ahmed's fundraiser on my blog before, and this campaign is thoroughly documented. you can find it linked on line 163 of el-shab-hussein and nabulsi's spreadsheet, line 79 of the butterflyeffect project spreadsheet, and listed as family #76 featured by paliliberation. funds remain low nearly 2 months after my first sharing his fundraiser, sitting at only £9,860 of the £81,000 goal.

@ahmedkhabil needs help to provide for himself, his parents, his wife, and their two children until they can evacuate to egypt. his father is terribly injured and their child is sick. they need far better medical treatment than is currently available in gaza, as the cost of medicine continues to rise. the campaign has just been updated today (october 5th) with this photo, describing the ever increasing cost of food:

please, even if you cannot donate, reblog this post!

[captainofthetidesbreath]

As the World Wizard Entertainment tournament finalists attempt to fireball their way to victory, I think it is not too early to announce the winner of a special award. The title of Archmage of Congeniality is given to the wizard who has most made this competition enjoyable.

Given that these wizards are fictional characters who are not literally participating in a tournament and interacting with one another, this title actually recognizes a contingent of fans who have dedicated themselves to enthusiastic fannish participation, passionate fandom fun, and positive engagement in the course of campaigning for their chosen wizard.

With maverick strategy that highlighted her prodigious bust size, called on the legacy of Exandria's greatest mage slayer, leveraged the relationship with her opponent and arcane mentor, and created many delightful new fanworks, the supporters of this wizard exemplified the spirit of campaigning for one's fave to win meaningless polls in a way that was constructive and uplifting and that brightened our dashboards with whimsy and passion.

In recognition of the spell of joy and delight that this wizard's supporters cast on this small corner of the fanspace during this silly series of polls, I bestow on Veth Brenatto the title of Archmage of Congeniality of the World Wizard Entertainment tournament.

Congratulations to Archmage Brenatto and especially (with all the loving sincerity in the world) to her fans and supporters who made this competition surreal, unexpected, and more enjoyable than it had any right to be.

One level in wizard goes a very, very long way. Live, Love, Veth.

To break character, though I have done quite a bit already in this post, and at the risk of repeating a lot of a post I made earlier today: I am full of genuine love for all of you who contributed to #VethSweep posting and made this tournament incredibly entertaining. I am also so excited for the Veth fans amidst this outpouring of support and shenanigans in her name—I hope some of this energy sticks around and adds to your ranks. All that I've said in this grandiose speech is all so very sincere, and my heart is full of joy and delight this evening.

Veth is not the grand final winner of the tournament, but she is absolutely and thoroughly the winner of our hearts.

[utilitycaster]

anyway this is obviously a wild shift in the topic of conversation, but I was talking about it in the group chat last night as a distraction and would like to continue the distraction if I am being honest, so, with the caveat that this is based off of Fandom Osmosis Observations and a few reads of reviews and I have at this time played neither of these games, some thoughts about BG3 vs. Veilguard and what I've seen. many thanks to @captainofthetidesbreath for actually knowing things about video games and answering my many questions.

also just putting this up front with all said caveats: if you disagree that is great, I am very open that this is an outside observation and I could be very wrong but I am going to block people who get hostile without warning, and make this nonrebloggable if too many people get hostile. You are always permitted to disagree but like, I don't really care about your opinion if you're not someone with whom I have a pre-existing rapport unless idk you're like, actually a BG3 or Veilguard official story writer who happens to be on Tumblr. If you're a player? You have all of your own biases and they are not mine. Save it for someone who wants to get in a fight about this; I am not that person.

Essentially, what I've seen in terms of criticism from Veilguard that isn't just rampant transphobia comes down to the following:

why am I not playing my previous character from Inquisition again

why am I limited to a fairly consistent through line for the story

But first, I'm going to talk about BG3. What's funny is I seem like a much more obvious candidate for playing BG3, as a longtime D&D player who has come around on Forgotten Realms as a setting. However, while I looked at it for a while, I eventually lost interest for a couple of reasons. One is that apparently all the characters are WAY too eager to romance you which is like, a fun fantasy for 10 minutes but would probably annoy me in the long run. Another is that everyone who watched early reviews and kept abreast with the game told me that there was a clear favorite companion (Astarion) and that many of the characters had most of their interesting flaws sanded down (eg: Wyll was apparently much cockier originally; Shadowheart even more petulant; and as these are perhaps the two characters I was most intrigued by, reducing them to something blander destroyed much of the appeal). But perhaps the most interesting one is that as a boring goodie two shoes sort of person, my thought back when I was like "yeah, perhaps I will play this" was "oh, I do not want to have a murderous urge within me."

It became very apparent, through watching people play through and post on my dash, that if you didn't specifically play as the Dark Urge, and didn't specifically resist that urge, the story didn't really cohere. I have to admit, I know the premise of BG3 very well (tadpoles), and I know a lot of shipping trends (put a pin in that), and I know some of the more obvious points within it (Astarion is a vampire, Gale and Karlach both have bombs in their chests somehow, Shadowheart bleaches her hair) but I don't really have a great sense of the ending, and I did not avoid spoilers.

It feels like BG3 is designed for people who have one of those massive spreadsheets of D&D characters they haven't had a chance to play that are meticulously kept and thoroughly realized...and don't really leave room for modifying to fit the campaign you will actually be playing in. It feels like an OC sandbox simulator unless you do actually pick the choice the writers actually wrote for (Durge), and while it's not technically playersexual...it kinda is. I mean, I am a big fan of the trend in video games towards making it possible to romance anyone because it conjures up the idea of a world of high-powered bisexuals running around, which is very enjoyable for me, but the criticism of the Mary Sue archetype originally was never "how dare you fantasize about being cool." It was "wow, the characterizations are all warped beyond recognition solely so that everyone is in love with this character, and that makes for a dull and unsatisfying story." If you're everyone's type, and it's for romance and not just sheer lust, then either everyone around you is boring and wants the same thing, or you are sort of bland and inoffensive, or else the story is bashing characters together without a good basis for a compelling romance. This is also compounded by the fact that the companions can't get together with each other if you're playing your own character and not an Origins character.

None of this is to say it's bad to like BG3 and again, I didn't play it; but it is why I ultimately said "you know, given the effort involved to play it for me, a person without a gaming system, it's not worth it."

Veilguard has specifically intrigued me for going against a lot of this. You have a lot of choices in your character build, but they're all fairly thematically consistent: you did something within your faction that was well-intentioned but upset higher-ups and so you need to step away for a while. This establishes a personality for you! We know why you're part of a faction but also something of a free agent at the moment. We know why you're here and why you might be a good candidate for the current mission.

I'm not going to go into detail for the choices because while I'm not avoiding spoilers I don't want to spoil a relatively new game for others, but a lot of choices are fairly parallel, not in an "illusion of choice" way - they have consequences - but in terms of hitting similar themes. You can only save one city and both are places you have seen and places your companions have connections to; while the exact details may differ you are telling a consistent story.

I also think the fact that the companions can romance each other in your absence is important too! They exist even when you're not there. They are not just here to woo you, and indeed, they might be a better match for each other. I've been informed this is true in Inquisition as well, and I think it's a much more rich world if you, as the player, as the person who can ultimately decide the fates of your companions, aren't the center of their personal life. I also think it prevents the ability to sand down companions to be more agreeable to you as a player if you have to make an NPC/NPC romance compelling (and I will freely admit that, in a move that is not at all like me, I was pretty well sold by a potential in-game NPC/NPC romance, which is usually not the thing that gets me into works of fiction).

I'm not the right person to speak to the Inquisitor not being a significant character because I did not play DA:I, and I get that 'well, this is a new game with a new protagonist, as there has been for every Dragon Age game' is still not necessarily an adequate explanation. Nor is "hey, maybe it's good to attract new players" even though as someone who is highly attracted as a new player that is my opinion. However, I want to go back to the point about Resist Durge being the strongest option in BG3 in terms of story by a long shot. When I was trying to learn more, I said "ok, so just like how you're Tav in BG3 and Rook in Veilguard, you're Lavellan in Inquisition, right?" and was told that you are not - that's just the elvish Inquisitor option. Obviously this is anecdotal, but the fact that one option was far and away the most popular and thematically resonant is an indication that perhaps bringing forth the Inquisitor is carrying over some of the limitations of that game, whatever they may be. The true argument is "they are trying to tell a specific story here, and it is about a different POV than the one you previously had."

And that's really my point. I know I'm not an expert here - in fact I'm usually quite hesitant to write meta about things in which I'm not highly steeped, and very critical of those people who do - but I think an outsider perspective is useful here. The thing that is drawing me to video games is a new way to experience a fictional narrative (the other game I have been meaning to play - and even own on Steam- is Disco Elysium). That's not what everyone wants! But it is what I want. And so I want to be put into a developed, thoughtful narrative, and I don't mind if my choices are restricted in order to support it, and if I am playing a person I did not entirely choose. In tech, there is a saying of "make it easy to make the right choice (and hard to make the wrong one)" and so if you need your protagonist to hit certain beats, you should make that the required protagonist.

I think a story is stronger if your choices matter but if there is something of a foregone conclusion because it gives the writers thematic throughlines. This might sound a little silly given that this blog is largely dedicated to Actual Play but the thing is, most actual play does have, if not a foregone conclusion, at least a strongly intended conclusion of "work towards uncovering this mystery and achieving this goal", though the success of said goal is not guaranteed. I would argue that when a campaign lacks that, it tends to suffer in all aspects. RPG video games almost always have a foregone conclusion, but that's its own liability. In actual play, lacking a forgone conclusion means you spin off in any direction and it's anyone's guess if it's coherent. In an RPG, having this conclusion but not supporting it through the rest of the game will make it feel contrived. I feel a lot of Veilguard criticism is focusing on small contrivances early on that really mostly matter to a highly specific subset of potential players that prevent much larger and less forgiveable contrivances later on.

Anyway. Again, I am an outsider here, and I'm not here to say that it's bad to have a more open-world, sandboxy game with a self-insert-y OC type; but I have to be honest, I'd rather explore that in a true sandbox of fanfiction or original fiction, which is significantly cheaper and in which I can actually tell the entire story I want to tell. I don't want to be given more choices if a lot of them will be profoundly unsatisfying as a narrative. I don't want to cut through the world like a hot knife through butter. I want to be affected by it, and that's very hard to do with a character whose only trait is "self-insert whom everyone wants to fuck" or "guy that already carries the baggage of years of personal headcanons and highly variable choices that are hard to account for for every single person who ever played the previous game."

[darkenedurge]

Alright BG3 fandom, it’s time we sat down and had a chat.

I doubt this is going to influence anything, or anyone, but I have to say my piece.

.

I am so, so sick and tired of people being attacked, insulted, and berated for the way they enjoy characters, or play the game. People are ALLOWED to ascend Astarion, they are allowed to indulge in and enjoy playing with that side of him, romance that side of him. I, personally, do prefer spawn Astarion – however, I thoroughly enjoyed my ascended Astarion playthrough, as I was romancing him with ‘ascended’ Durge. How somebody else decides to play THEIR campaign should not effect you. This belligerent defending of the fandoms perception of Astarion has got to relax. I understand that he is a very important character to a lot of people, myself included, but everyone’s perception, interpretation, etc. is singular. It is unique to you, and people do not have to agree with it.

Secondly, for all that is HOLY, stop attacking people for liking Gortash too. People are entitled to have villains as their favourite characters. Gortash is an extremely well-written, and complex, character. That is why I love him. I’m not excusing what he did to Karlach, not that it really, entirely matters – considering both of them are fictional. But, people can love, and find villainous/morally corrupt characters attractive without coincidently supporting their actions or morals. That is what fiction is for.

This fandom is honestly becoming unbearable on certain platforms. The community I’ve built here, of course, feels safe. We’re all here for durgetash, and you’re all so incredibly wonderful and supportive. But, it breaks my heart to see my friends and mutual being torn to shreds for their own personal enjoyment of the game, it’s narrative and it’s characters.

[flecks-of-stardust]

A summary and analysis of my thoughts on Rain World: Downpour

Since I've beat the game pretty thoroughly now, I can actually do this. The short version:

Campaign whose gameplay I enjoyed the most: Artificer, by a long shot Campaign whose lore I think fits into the preexisting world best: Gourmand Most interesting story concepts: Saint Heaviest hitting story: Three way tie between Rivulet, Saint, and Artificer, all for different reasons. Honorable mention to Spearmaster Cool specbio possibilities: Spearmaster

I definitely enjoyed Downpour as a whole, both as a DLC and for the additional lore it provides even if some things may not be objectively canon; some things have more wiggle room than others, but considering Downpour is essentially Videocult endorsed, I'm willing to put stock into certain aspects. The new mechanics were fun to learn and mess around with, the stories were overall very interesting, and I had a lot of fun losing my god damn mind over these slugs. There are some major issues I have with Downpour though, one of the most major being how some campaigns diverge explicitly from the core theme of the vanilla game. I appreciate what Downpour added, but this is definitely not going to be all cheers and praise.

The rest of this will be going under a cut cause it's gonna be long.

This will be split into sections for easier reading and for easier writing for my poor sleep deprived brain. Saint's campaign broke me, yall. I've been operating on 5 hours of sleep all day.

Raw gameplay enjoyment

This one definitely goes to Arti. Her movement is practically unmatched; while Riv goes really fast and Saint lets you climb a lot of surfaces, Arti's bomb jumping combined with her permanent spear pulling ability makes her able to traverse almost anything. This is the first time I've ever dared traverse the Underhang, one of my favorite areas, without bringing a grapple worm with me. It was honestly amazing.

Her whole campaign is also just really, really fun for me. I like fighting things, but being forced to learn how to fight scavengers was honestly a delight. This is the most fun I've ever had repeatedly dying in a game, and it was for a multitude of reasons too, be it a stupid platforming death (happened a lot while I was learning how to use her bomb jump), getting overwhelmed by enemies, or just cackling at some wild lucky hit by a scav. And even beyond scavengers, fighting other things that would normally make me shriek and run away as other characters just became... average, really. I took down my first king vulture in Arti's campaign, and all it really took was an explosive spear (and the KV wedging itself into the wall, but shh).

Mechanically she's just... fun. She's so fun. And! You have basically no consequence for dying anyway! You have food EVERYWHERE and it's extremely easy to kill things to eat, explosives thrown at point blank range do little more than stun you, and aggression is encouraged. So even if you fuck up and die 200 times (literally my count was 200+ in 27 cycles LMAO) there's like... zero bearing on your progress in the game. And I really like that. It was still brutal, don't get me wrong. I think around three quarters of those 200 deaths, probably more, were from scavengers. But part of Rain World's original difficulty was that losing karma would lock you out of traversing regions eventually, and Arti kind of... removes that restriction. I will say it's really fucking annoying to have to look for karma 5 scavengers if you're trying to pass a karma 5 gate, but I really only had to do that twice and that was because I wanted to explore. It's kind of just... natural, I guess, for the structure of her campaign. I'm not good enough at combat to really do it cleanly myself, but I imagine people who are even more confident in their ability to go full on warpath mode with scavengers had less of an issue with this.

Gourmand quite easily takes second place after Arti, with almost as much combat ability as her if you use their abilities right and the added benefit of being able to make like half the game's items if you have the right things. Their food requirement was kind of daunting at first, but I was almost always able to eat up to full food, and it really wasn't that much of a challenge. Mechanically, too, their body slam move is really fucking funny, and I will forever be sad they patched out the tendency of Gourmand launching enemies across the map when rolling into them. Shoutout to that one white lizard on the wall that I landed on and totally crushed the spine of without me even seeing it, because I was trying to go fast and was not expecting an enemy one screen down. The exhaustion mechanic didn't bother me too much and honestly made me more confident with the starving mechanic, which I'm grateful for; that was probably the only reason why I even tried to starve on Arti when I had to shelter because of the rain. And overall, Gourmand's campaign was pretty chill, a nice middle ground of difficulty between Survivor and Hunter. It was a good stepping stone after finishing my Hunter run.

Least favorite mechanically was Saint. It got really irritating really fast to not be able to throw spears, and not even to kill things. I can stun things with rocks, sure, but that doesn't help me if I'm in a narrow space (which Saint has a lot of) and the place I want to go to doesn't have alternate paths (which Saint has a lot of). It got so, so fucking tiring to have to wait for enemies to fucking move, especially with the ridiculous abundance of spiders and spitter spiders everywhere I went. This campaign was the one I used dev tools the most on because I genuinely just got sick of waiting, because not only did that mean I wouldn't get anywhere when exploring, I would also waste time that would otherwise be spent eating food—which is also harder to get because Saint is strictly vegetarian!—or finding a shelter so I didn't freeze to death. You can only get spawn camped so many times before you get annoyed and all. Except instead of spawn camping you get the same fucking enemies camping the same fucking pipes forever. Good luck trying to get anywhere if you don't have karma 10. My god. The tongue was fun, but again, it does Not help if you're in a cramped space.

Spearmaster and Riv were... eh. Average. Fun in that I enjoyed them, average in that they didn't invoke any particular feelings in me. Definitely irritating that they introduced Spearmaster's dual spear wielding gimmick and then. Took it away from you. Lmao. What the hell honestly. But I had fun with all the campaigns overall.

Vanilla Lore Compliance

Gourmand takes this one easily. I like it because it's one of the most removed from the iterators' stories, similar to Survivor and Monk's campaigns. While that's a little sad, I'll admit, it fits a lot better with the core theme of the game. You're not the protagonist. You're a slugcat, trying to survive in this hostile world that was never designed for your existence. You can stumble your way into the lives of beings truly godlike in comparison to you, but you're not even a speck of dust in the grander scheme of things. You're nothing.

But you are you, and Gourmand embodies that very well. Literally too fat to give a shit, good for them. Their whole journey is just to eat well and sleep well and that translates so well to both gameplay and lore, and it's lovely. Lore wise, I also really like that ascending Gourmand gets you almost nothing, and doesn't even count as a proper game clear, because Gourmand is so so removed from anything to do with the ancients as a whole, which is actually something i had a bit of an issue with even in the vanilla lore. Who gives a shit about ascending? You're a slugcat, god dammit. The only things you think about are food, shelter, and danger. And maybe shiny pearls. What does the cycle matter to you? You're just trying to survive. So I really like Gourmand's true, Outer Expanse ending, especially the story implications of the ending cutscenes if you also finish their food quest. You're just exploring this new land, looking for food and safe places to rest in, because you're a slugcat with a family. What more could you want as a slugcat?

Arti is also fairly lore compliant, mostly because she. Uh. Has like no bearing on the lore lmfao. Her story is the most isolated from those of the iterators; she would have done what she did regardless of Pebbles' input. (Gourmand too, but that's not relevant here.) But her story also doesn't really tie back into the original theme of the game, so I can't really comment much on her campaign in terms of lore compliance. Still loved it though! Really liked the reasoning behind letting Pebbles read pearls for you.

Riv and Saint are terrible in terms of lore compliance, and it's a big issue I have with both their campaigns. I'm sure everyone's thought along these lines already, but both of them go directly against the core theme of the vanilla game, which again, is that you are not the protagonist. Riv is probably worse than Saint in this regard, because the events of her campaign require her direct input to occur, while Saint, you can argue they're just an observer of the world in the distant future. But they're both really really bad on this. I still enjoyed the story, but seriously? You're going to tell me someone purposed a slugcat to intentionally go inside an interator to retrieve possibly the most dangerous item in this world to date? And apparently, according to dev notes, Riv wasn't created by an iterator. Which makes no sense and I've elected to ignore that piece of information considering Riv spawns in with the mark of communication and a pearl with schematics of the inner workings of iterator cans. This is peak protagonist behavior. It's nice to get character development on Pebbles, but this really is just... bad. Lol. For canon lore. I really don't take anything Riv does in her campaign as objective fact.

Spearmaster is kinda just there. Not implausible by any means, given Hunter's campaign, though there's some timeline inconsistencies with Moon's collapse if you look through the vanilla pearls and compare the years. It's not that big of an issue though.

Story Concept Execution

As much as I have issues with Saint's campaign, I have to give this one to them. From start to finish it's just shock after shock, blow after blow after blow of oh god, the world's so different. Every change was at least interesting, even if I don't approve of some of them; I liked piecing together that the rain cycle doesn't exist anymore, and rather it's now based on whether you're freezing or not. The little details in how the world has changed are really charming too, especially in how lots of things are now fluffy because it's bitterly cold. Though Riv, Spearmaster and Arti have marked world changes, none are quite as striking as those found in Saint's campaign. It's truly like exploring a new world, except you can still see the old one in it, and it's a strange, somewhat bittersweet, somewhat melancholy feeling to go through the various areas, especially when Saint's campaign naturally takes you through most of the regions. The Undergrowth as a whole, where it used to be Drainage System, really hammers it home I think. You're witnessing the world reclaim itself from what the ancients did to it, for better or for worse, and though it's sad to see the old world go, it's kind of a relief to see it start to push back.

The layout of the world on a more meta sense is also really, really cool. I loved the detail of the old Underhang-Five Pebbles The Region gate now being the link between Silent Construct and Frigid Coast. I loved seeing, despite how horrifying it is story wise, how Pebbles' can has decayed and changed after all these years, and how life has reclaimed his arrays and chambers. I also really really loved the fact that each area has been renamed to reflect its current state; going through Sky Islands (Windswept Spires) to Farm Arrays (Desolate Fields) to Outskirts (Suburban something, I missed the second word) and beyond... it's very haunting in a way I thoroughly enjoyed. It felt a lot like picking through shattered pieces of glass and trying to piece them back together into a coherent shape again, while also knowing that it's never going to be what it once was.

Additionally, I absolutely adored the monologue changes of the already existing echoes, just mentally comparing the differences between what they say in Saint's time and what they say to the other slugcats. And the new echoes too! I keep thinking about the Undergrowth echo, how they mention they never wanted to ascend. It hits you so so hard with how the old world the ancients built is nothing but rubble and ice now. How they, too, were just people, trying so hard to do what they thought would bring them peace, and some of them not finding it even after what they thought would be an eternal rest. It just adds to the overall melancholy feeling of Saint's version of the world.

I don't think I have a clear second place or last place campaign for this category. They all held up on story execution in their own right, but none stood out quite as starkly as Saint's campaign did. They did well to force you to play Spearmaster and Rivulet first before Saint would be unlocked; without the context of both Spearmaster's pre-collapse time and Riv's post-collapse, heavily Rot infested time, Saint's story wouldn't have hit as hard.

Story Impact

It's really hard for me to pick one definitive favorite for this category because all the Downpour cats have such good stories for such different reasons, but Arti, Riv and Saint's campaigns definitely gripped me really, really hard. Spearmaster's did too, but a little less so, and not for Spearmaster himself; I was in it for Moon.

Arti held my interest from the start. It's no secret I'm an avid tragedy and horror enjoyer, and Arti's whole campaign is painted in the blood of her pups. Besides just being mechanically fun, I found myself constantly on the edge for more of her story, always wanting to find out more about what happened to her, what happened to her pups, what happened to make her hate scavengers so much she committed to killing them all. Though the final execution of her actual story felt a little flat, I still really loved the ideas behind her story, and she was the first one to make me destroy my sleep schedule to try and finish her campaign. The whole concept of a mother's rage extending so far that it locks her out of a true release is so so sad and I love it. I love her rage, I love her grief, I love her ceaseless violence that only perpetuates the cycle further, I love how hard it hits when you kill the Chief Scav and how little you get out of that. Her story is an exercise in futility and yet you will root for her. It's gutting and it's beautiful. I also know most of what happens in her other ending, and that just drives it home even more, I think. That her love and her grief is so strong that it prevents her from obtaining a true rest, forever separated from her pups after fighting for them for so long. It's heartbreaking and yet it fits so well. Very fitting for Rain World's overall melancholy world.

Riv and Saint both went for my throat with Pebbles' state, but in different ways. With Riv you get to see the horror of how much the Rot has overtaken his can. It was a fun and horrifying moment to enter via the wall and drop down, and then get stunned by the fall to finally realize that wait, the zero gravity is broken. And then seeing the proto daddies at the end and then encrusted over the pipe that would normally lead to GSB, and also the gaping hole in the side of his chamber and him just sitting on the floor, dejected. He sounds so defeated from the start, so frustrated but in a way that's more just tired than angry, or angry at himself rather than at the world. How desperate do you have to be as something so powerful, wielding so much knowledge, to ask some random critter that flopped into your chamber to save your long time friend (whose state you yourself caused)? And to ask them to go deep into your systems and remove the power source keeping you alive, no less? It drives home the passage of time between Monk's campaign and Riv's, and really nicely shows how Pebbles has changed as a person, even if it took everything literally falling to pieces around him to finally get there. I really get it, though, the fear of yourself and your actions and knowing you objectively messed up, but being too afraid and ashamed to ask for help. It's very brave of him to even ask Riv to do what he did, when he spends the last six campaigns telling slugcats to fuck off in no uncertain terms because he's so certain he has to fix this on his own. And the post game too, when you go back to his chamber and he just looks sad and finally agrees that he doesn't have to do this alone? Gut wrenching. They really went for everyone's hearts with Riv.

Which is just driven further home in Saint's campaign, when you find him sitting out in the snow in the remains of his can, his chamber not even a chamber anymore, and with barely enough of himself together to greet Saint when they stumble into him. He has only his music pearl left, and even that is distorted by time, and if you take it to Moon she pleads you to bring it back to him because it's all he has left. Any of his former bite is gone, replaced only by stuttering curiosity and confusion, and he even thanks you for keeping him company if you return enough times. You spend so long seeing him as this unreachable, untouchable presence that gives you some directions in an aloof way and maybe helps you out a bit, just to see him in this state of ruin, barely alive. I've never had a more visceral reaction to seeing him than I did in Saint's campaign, nor have I ever been more determined to find him. Like, stepping into what used to be Shaded Citadel, finding the Husk and realizing Pebbles collapsed because of course he did, he tells you that when you play as Riv, realizing why it's not shaded anymore, and seeing the state of his can... it's heartbreaking. The fact that there's so little of him left is heartbreaking.

And then on top of that, you get to actively choose to end his misery. To grant him the one thing he spent literally his whole life toiling for. And to me, it felt cruel, almost. It didn't even feel like mercy. And you can choose to do the same thing to Moon, too. It's all framed in such desolate but clear terms: the old world is dying, and a new one is emerging. Is it better to leave Moon there and allow her to slowly decay? But is ascending her a good option either? Is Pebbles truly more at peace like this? And it just makes me think about how both iterators may have felt watching Saint start glowing and flying, and then suddenly their souls are wrenched out of their bodies. And then after you reach the end of Rubicon, if you ascended either one or both of them, you can find them at the end, talking to you and telling you, perhaps a bit vaguely, that none of this is real. That none of what you did has lasting impact, that Pebbles is likely still out there in the snow, that Moon is still going to slowly decay like he did, that Saint, despite it all, is still trying to do this over and over and over again, because that is what an echo does. I haven't cried this hard at a game in a really long time, and I immediately started sobbing when I poked my head into the chamber and saw both of them there, the way they looked when in their prime, just to be told that my actions meant nothing in the end. It was absolutely devastating, but that really just cements how powerful Saint's story is. And here I realize that probably means Saint has the most powerful story impact, but it's truly hard to compare to Arti's and Riv's because the impact is different for all of them.

Then you have Spearmaster, where you get to explore Moon before she collapsed. I sobbed when I got to Neural Terminus and saw Moon's gorgeous blue and pink interior with Reflection of the Moon playing, just mourning all that she lost, all that Pebbles took from her, and despite it all, somehow, she's still kind and patient. Getting to see her as powerful as we will ever see her, while also knowing how much she loses and that this is not even close to what she would have been like in her prime, was just so so gutting. We're never going to know what Moon was like before it all happened, but this comes close to it, and it hurts. In a sense, it's a nice juxtaposition to what Riv and Saint show of her and Pebbles, and also just draws on an objective fact. Before and after the events of the vanilla game, Pebbles and Moon were or will be different. We only get to see glimpses of it.

Gourmand really doesn't have any stock here. Their ending is sweet, for sure, I cried twice at their ending, but the impact of knowing how Moon and Pebbles change and also the impacts of Arti's grief and rage really stuck with me more.

Uh, a section just for Spearmaster?

As you may have been able to tell from the analysis and summary above, I kind of didn't really think much of Spearmaster's campaign. I personally did not find it too hard (though I had experience dragging around two pups before that, so I was used to only having one active hand by then), but it's just frustrating to be introduced to a cool mechanic and then have it removed from you if you give a shit about the story. I do, however, thoroughly enjoy the concept of them as a purposed being. Why do they have no mouth? Why are they able to secrete spears? How and why do they have to eat from these spears? Why did Suns choose to create this creature? Wouldn't it have been easier to just take an existing slugcat and modify it like Sig did? So many questions. Their biology is funky and I enjoy it.

That's sort of it, though. While I did like Spearmaster's campaign overall, it really doesn't hold up to any of the other campaigns. Which is a bit disappointing, but oh well.

Downpour Overall

The concepts and stories introduced here were absolutely stunning, and I had a blast playing through all the campaigns, even if I did employ the use of dev tools a fair bit in certain campaigns (mostly Saint and a bit in Riv tbh), and I also turned on 'keep key items on passage' to speed things up. I do have a little bit of an issue with how certain parts of some campaigns cough Spearmaster and Saint cough felt very much like you'd need your karma to be high to be able to effectively traverse the map, while also really limiting your options for actually gaining karma, but maybe that's a bit of a problem on my end for not being a good enough gamer lmao. I dunno. I just don't enjoy karma grinding on something so story focused. On Survivor and Monk it's whatever, but I know the world and the story by now. I really hated having to just eat and sleep just so I could move on in the story, and eventually I just resorted to spawning food in with Beastmaster here and there so I could actually fucking save my progress. But overall? It was so so fun.

I am a little miffed that some of the campaigns directly go against how the vanilla game was structured, but I'm also delighted that we pretty much have dev approval for character development of characters like Pebbles and Moon, and to some extent Sig(!) and Suns. I personally work with the iterators a lot with stories, so I'm just piling up all of this information and shoving my face into it. I'm so happy about this asdkfgkklsdkl and generally, I think I'm just going to take the different timelines you can see with the various campaigns as snapshots of different moments in time. Do I honestly believe Riv could have achieved what she did? Do I genuinely believe Saint could or should have helped either iterator ascend? No, not really. Spearmaster I could believe more, but he's really a footnote in the broader story, an observer to this world that he really has no say in. I think that would capture the nature of Rain World better. You may not be the main character, but you can still view this world through the lens of something that exists in it.

Difficulty wise, it was okay for me personally, and mostly the dev tooling and assists were to help with me getting irritated more than objective difficulty I'd say? Like, I definitely could have done it legit, but it would take about three times as long and I just wanted to explore, for fuck's sake, and I wanted the rest of the story. Saint and Spearmaster were definitely harder in some respects, and Arti is a difficulty Cliff for some people, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't enjoy the game, especially with remix options now.

Remix is definitely something I really really love though. For the longest time, I could not securely recommend Rain World to people because of the glaring accessibility issues it had. It still has some, but it's a great deal improved from what it used to be, and I'm very glad about that. Rain World's never going to be an easy game, but it's a really great one that deserves to be enjoyed by more people, and Remix is a great option for those who need more help along the way.

Some of the new creature concepts are really neat, honestly. I loved caramel lizards, these goofy little red x green lizard mixes with six (six!!!) legs, and also tiny cute pretty strawberry lizards. The Miros Vultures, as much as I fucking loathed having to deal with them, are so so cool conceptually. I just wish they didn't chase you across rooms :/ and, while terrifying, MLL was cool. I like the progression of the Rot. It's just cool details overall.

Would I recommend Downpour to people? Absolutely, but definitely play the base game first. Downpour is, as other people have put it, sort of its own game that shares mechanics and certain aspects of lore with Rain World. It was a mod originally, after all. But I think the MSC team deserves the money for the sheer amount of work they've put into this. It was an experience that was well worth the price and more.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Writeblr Positivity Tag

OK, so 3rd time's the charm with this. Godsdamned life stuff getting in the way. Thank you to @captain-kraken for the tag.

Tags: whoever wants to complete this honestly, not sure who among my mutuals has done this already.

1. What motivates you to write?

Motivation to write is mostly an intrinsic thing and comes and goes depending on what is going on in my life. It has become a bit more consistent since I started treatment for ADHD though. Getting comments on my work helps a tonne as well since I like to keep my readers relatively happy.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

This one is tough because I have a lot of snippets I'm very proud of. Let's go with one from Striking the Anvil:

Morag nodded in satisfaction again and set about damping down the fire while Meredith gulped down her drink. By the time the fire was out, Meredith was already getting up to head back to bed. Morag hugged her daughter tightly,

“If ye need anything’ else, hen, just shout. I don’t mind getting up.” She said, ruffling Meredith’s hair.

I love the close relationship Meredith has with her mother, and I'm thoroughly enjoying getting to show it off. For a character that was originally created for a d&d campaign, Meredith's family are very wholesome and somehow lived through the whole campaign, beginning to end.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

The OC that makes me smile every time is definitely Meredith. As much as I love and cherish Selene for being my first roleplay character ever, I got to play Merri from level 1 all the way to level 14/15 before I had to retire her to the role of npc when I took over as GM of the Destiny's New Servants campaign. Since Merri is everything I still aspire to be as a person, it's hard not to smile when thinking and talking about her.

As for what Merri is like: she's a forthright, loyal and devout woman. She will be the friend who will stand by you no matter what's going on, but will also be the first to call anyone out on their bs when it's needed

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy visualising the various scenes or pieces of a thing I plan to write. Sharing my work is the bit I enjoy the most, though. Knowing that whatever I've written will, hopefully, make others feel the way I did while writing is a big dopamine hit.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I think I'm pretty good at dialogue exchanges. I do need to work on the actions and tags in between the banter, but I do love having a spiel where it's just two or more people talking back and forth. I prefer to write more naturalistic dialogue and it's fun to read it back to myself.

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

The most enjoyable aspect of the writeblr community is getting to know other writers and geeking out over all our OCs and the situations we get them into. I also enjoy the tag games because I get to see other peoples' thoughts and feelings about their work, worlds and characters, as well as their processes for writing.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I'll give shout out to text to speech programmes, because they do help sort out where I've gone wrong in the grammar department better than just reading through the document does.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I like all the worldbuilding tidbits that crop up in the stuff I write, but my favourite, by far, is the concept of cridhe-dàime. It comes up fairly often as a phrase that Meredith uses with regard to Elowyn and is a word that describes a type of queer-platonic relationship in universe. I came up with it after realising that Merri and Elowyn had a much closer friendship than most other characters even during the campaign the two were a part of. After said campaign ended I wanted to keep that closeness between them, and so came up with a word to describe a platonic relationship that was nonetheless as important to Meredith as her marriage to Yoruk. I didn't find out about QPRs until much later.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

If you're having a rough patch, it's ok to walk away from a project that's frustrating you. You can always come back to it later with a fresh pair of eyes and/or ears. I would advise that, if you do this, that you read other things, write other projects or just keep up with some form of general creativity because getting back into the saddle will be much harder if you don't.

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

My biggest supporter is @druidx, who is the creator of Elowyn and was my roleplay partner during the Destiny's New Servants campaign, which almost all my writing is currently based on. I love the comments you leave on my stuff, and I hope it still brings you joy to read about the characters' exploits despite how long it's been since we last played together.

I will also shout out @blind-the-winds for their encouragement about the Fangthane stuff. I'm glad you're enjoying all the dwarven worldbuilding I've had to do to explain the culture and politics of the setting and hope you're enjoying the Fangthane's Folly series (I will get back to that and A Circle None Can Break really soon, I promise).

Other shoutouts go to @ashirisu, @odysseywritings, @asher-orion-writes, @mariahwritesstuff, @freedominique and @thesorcerersapprentice for their support.

[future-dregs]

I watched Dungeons & Dragons last night (thoroughly enjoyed it, good film, probably will buy it), and I have some thoughts.

Personally, I would've like it if Hulga was a little more muscular, her being the tank and all it would've been nice, but that's just a small thing.

I get why they did this, quicker, not so much time in costume and makup, but it would've been neat if the party had more fantasy characters in it. They do have a tiefling, but I was kinda hoping for orcs, or beast people. They do show some fantasy races just milling about doing things, which is really nice, and the world does feel fleshed out and lived in, but idk. (And if they'd give Chris Pine a different hairstyle from his typical one, but perhaps there was a reason for that).

There is one particular scene which looks very Avengers to me, but that may have been intentional.

No gay people. Not even anybody that feels queer.

Also, we not need that assault threat at the very beginning of the film to prove that Hulga is a badass. Have the guy pick on the mittens or something. It was just icky and the "bad guy is always a rapist" bit I dont think is hardly ever necessary to get a point across and prove how dangerous or vile a character is, and just seemed like a cheap gross ham-handed way to do that.

And I think that's it. It was a good, fun movie, pretty well acted. The CGI looked good and the magic effects were decent. The characters were quippy, but each had their own style of joking and it worked.

The found family/created family aspect was lovely.

The costume/clothing department did a really nice job dressing everybody (personally I think the paladin was perfect, and I liked the little touch of the lute case, he wasn't just carrying it around unprotected), and everyone's little bobbles and affects fit in with personality and character type.

And I liked that they were thieves and didn't feel bad about it. Moral quandary came from other areas. It was refreshing.

There were many parts that seemed liked they'd been plucked right out of a campaign or DM session and it was to recognize them.

It was also incredibly funny.

I think the cast did well, everyone fit their parts and played off of each other nicely.

All in all highly enjoyable film, definitely recommend it. It'd been awhile since I'd seen a true, full fantasy movie, it was a good time.

[evergreenalice]

Hey so since you’re my main source of Madoka content that I thoroughly enjoy I thought I’d ask, how do you think a dnd session of them all would play out?

wow! this was a really surprising ask as this is actually something I've thought about on many occasions!

also, I am honored to be your main source of Madoka content

the first thing to answer here would be who the DM would be, the lyrics of Magia we know that Homura was a bookworm who really liked fictional settings, a trait that does not necessarily mean she'd be interested in DMing, I don't think it's hard to imagine she'd at least partially want though, though the issue is that early timeline Homura would be far too nervious to be a DM, and late timeline Homura wouldn't care enough. as such I assume Mami would be the next option, simply because she's the oldest and viewed as the leader and no one else particularly fits the role of DM any better

as for if everyone would be willing to play, I'm sure that Madoka and Sayaka be willing to play, and Homura would probably be willing to play just to make Madoka happy

as for Kyoko I'd say it really depends heavily on the timeline, though that kinda goes without saying

I imagine Madoka would be very happy to draw all of her friends' characters

as for the game itself, I'll start with Homura, early timeline Homura I would imagine would probably like roleplaying, but would be very embarrassed about it, trying to act in character but also being worried she might be overdoing it. late timeline Homura however would probably play very dry with pretty much no roleplaying as she's exclusively there for Madoka. for some reason I really easily imagine her playing a spellcaster, either wizard or sorcerer, I don't know why I think this, it just feels right.

Madoka, I can't really imagine being too much of a roleplayer, her characters probably wouldn't have too much personality for them, and she'd functionally just play herself. she could easily play any class though I can easily imagine Madoka picking a support class in hopes of being helpful

Sayaka would easily be the biggest roleplayer of the group, probably lawful good, I don't think I need to explain this take, she's pretty much playing a role for a lot of the anime. she'd probably be a paladin

Kyoko, if anyone would be a problem player, it would probably be her, probably playing a rogue, and often acting in ways that antagonize other players, though I imagine in most timelines she'd be willing to hear her friends out and play in a way to maximize enjoyment for everyone involved

and now Mami, the DM. considering the way she acts a role much like Sayaka does, and has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, I can easily imagine her settings being fleshed out, and having a great story planned out for her campaign, I can actually easily imagine her over planning her campaign, and watching as her players do something that completely derails everything she planned out and having to go back to the drawing board after some sessions

thank you for the question, always happy to answer questions about headcanons

[blogchaindeveloper]

How can generative AI improve the customer experience?

A fast-developing technology, generative AI has drawn much interest from companies worldwide. This cutting-edge technology is making a lot of noise for a good reason—it has the power to change the way businesses interact with their clients thoroughly.

Comprehending Artificial Intelligence

A subset of artificial intelligence called "generative AI" creates original content without human intervention. It uses technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) to learn from pre-existing data and techniques. Businesses are increasingly embracing generative AI to improve efficiency and cut expenses. It provides countless opportunities for innovative uses.

The Key is Customer Satisfaction

Satisfying customers is a crucial component of every successful organization. Every company wants to provide its clients with enjoyable experiences. Understanding your clients and developing individualized marketing tactics are essential in today's customer-centric market. With the help of generative AI, marketers can create highly focused campaigns by utilizing computers' increasing processing capacity.

In addition to providing precise consumer comprehension, generative AI aids in creating information, goods, and services tailored to each client's wants.

How Generative AI Improves Customer Experience

Automating Processes to Improve Customer Understanding

Customizing experiences requires an understanding of the customer's needs and pain points. Compared to traditional surveys, generative AI improves data collection and analysis by automating customer surveys. Examining customer interactions provides insights into consumers' perceptions of goods and services. Formulating fresh inquiries in response to the comments and behavior of the customers also enhances comprehension of their wants. Businesses can use this technology to learn more about why some customers interact with them more than others.

Better Customer Information

Because generative AI can understand intricate patterns and provide more detailed insights into client profiles, it can completely transform marketing today. Identifying groups with similar interests helps firms respond appropriately to shifts in client demands.

Targeted Segmentation of Customers

For a customized experience, accurate consumer segmentation is essential. This is made more accessible by generative AI, which gathers and analyzes data from several sources to identify distinct patterns in the behavior of various client categories and new trends. Marketers can develop segment-specific tactics with the use of these insights.

Tailored Product Offers

Generative AI produces intelligent solutions catering to individuals' or groups' requirements and pain points. Based on contextual and consumer data, it provides marketers with insightful information to create personalized offerings. These services improve consumer happiness, engagement, and brand loyalty.

Better Development of Products

Generative AI helps businesses build innovative products using data-driven judgments. It streamlines current processes, automates the design process, and makes virtual experimentation and prototyping easier for creative product development. This effectiveness shortens the time to market and improves the clientele's experience in general.

Increases Retention of Customers

Generative AI helps companies cultivate lasting relationships with their clients by providing customized recommendations based on individual client requirements. To accommodate changes in client demand, it forecasts trends in consumer behavior and offers insightful information based on current user behaviors.

Successful Marketing Initiatives

Numerous marketing tasks are automated using generative AI, which increases efficiency and precision. Businesses can create targeted strategies that increase sales by using the pertinent data they provide to make well-informed judgments in areas like content production. In generative AI, machine learning algorithms can simulate human tasks, including content production, optimization, and image development.

Enhanced Client Assistance

Generative AI uses machine learning and natural language processing to produce real-time, personalized responses to consumer inquiries. Based on comments, customer responses, and ticket data already in existence, it understands consumer needs and routes complex questions to the proper departments for resolution, considerably improving customer service.

Realizing the Potential: The Importance of Certifications in Generative AI Courses

In this changing world of customer-centric organizations, becoming a generative AI expert is becoming increasingly essential. Enrolling in a technology course is the first step towards gaining the knowledge and abilities to utilize generative AI properly. 

It gives experts the know-how and resources they need to improve customer analytics, automate surveys for deeper insights, comprehend consumer behavior, and develop highly customized marketing campaigns.

A generative AI expert certification verifies one's competence and opens up many job prospects, as generative AI is rapidly used in multiple industries. Nowadays, companies are aggressively looking for generative AI specialists who can use this technology to improve consumer experiences and increase brand loyalty. Generative AI courses are an excellent resource for professionals looking to succeed in the customer-focused market. This skill is crucial for AI-driven content production and customer contact.

Therefore, taking a generative AI course is a wise investment in one's future if one wants to stay at the forefront of the generative AI revolution and significantly increase customer engagement and pleasure.

In summary, generative AI is not merely a fad; instead, it is here to stay and has the potential to change how companies engage with their clientele ultimately. This state-of-the-art technology helps forecast future behavior and provides accurate insights into customer behavior.

Marketing professionals can create plans customized explicitly to their client's needs with the help of these invaluable insights. It will be interesting to watch how generative AI develops and how it affects customer experiences in the corporate realm.

Blockchain Council provides the most significant AI prompt engineer certification to individuals who want to learn more about generative AI and advance their expertise in the field.

The Blockchain Council is a recognized association of subject matter experts and enthusiasts dedicated to promoting blockchain technology, applications, goods, and information for a better society. Staying on the cutting edge of this quickly evolving field is crucial as blockchain technology continues to advance, and earning a certification from the Blockchain Council gives you the expertise and credibility you need to succeed in this futuristic environment.

[brownoliv]

How to Build an App from Scratch: A Comprehensive Overview

Learning how to build an app from scratch is a mix of creativity, technical skills, and strategic planning. It's like embarking on an adventure where you start with a spark of an idea and transform it into a fully functional app that can solve problems, entertain, or offer valuable services to users. But how exactly do you go about creating an app from scratch? Let’s dive into the key elements involved.

 Concept and Research

Every great app starts with an idea. It could be a solution to a problem you've faced or an innovative way to entertain people. The first step is to flesh out this idea and do your homework. Understanding your target audience and their needs is crucial. Research helps you see what’s out there and how your app can stand out.

 Design and User Experience

Design is where your idea starts to take shape. It's not just about making your app look good but ensuring it's easy and enjoyable. Think about the screens, buttons, and overall flow. Sketching out wireframes and creating prototypes can help you visualize this. Tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD are great for bringing your design to life.

 Development Process

Now, it’s time to build your app. You have a couple of paths to choose from. You can go the native route, creating separate versions for iOS and Android, which often results in better performance and a more polished feel. Or, you might opt for cross-platform development with frameworks like React Native or Flutter, which lets you build for both platforms simultaneously, saving time and effort.

Don’t forget about the backend – this is where data is stored, users are authenticated, and server-side magic happens. Cloud services like AWS or Firebase can make this part easier and more scalable.

 Testing and Refinement

Before your app hits the market, you need to test it thoroughly. This phase is all about finding and fixing bugs and ensuring everything runs smoothly on different devices and operating systems. Start with internal testing, then expand to beta testing with real users to gather feedback and make necessary tweaks.

 Launch and Marketing

Launching your app is a big milestone. This involves submitting it to app stores and making sure it meets all their guidelines. But launching is just the beginning. A solid marketing strategy is crucial to attract users. This might include social media campaigns, blog posts, and engaging with your audience through various channels.

 Ongoing Maintenance

Your journey doesn’t end with the launch. Keeping your app up-to-date is essential. Regular updates based on user feedback and new technological developments will keep your app relevant and functional. This includes fixing bugs, improving performance, and adding new features to keep your users happy.

 Conclusion

Building an app from scratch is a thrilling journey that blends creativity, technical know-how, and strategic thinking. From the initial idea and design to development, testing, and ongoing maintenance, each step is crucial for creating a successful app. By focusing on delivering real value to users and staying adaptable to their needs, you can turn your app idea into a reality and make a meaningful impact in the digital world.

[safeplayground12]

Ensuring Playground Safety: A Guide to Creating Safe Play Environments

Playgrounds are vibrant hubs of childhood joy and exploration, where children learn, grow, and socialize. However, ensuring playground safety is paramount to prevent accidents and injuries. From equipment maintenance to supervision guidelines, creating a safe playground environment requires attention to detail and proactive measures. This comprehensive guide explores essential aspects of playground safety and offers practical tips for parents, educators, and community members alike.

Understanding Playground Risks

Playgrounds, while fun-filled, can pose various risks to children if safety measures are overlooked. Common risks include falls from equipment, entrapment, trips over uneven surfaces, and collisions with other children. Understanding these risks is crucial in implementing effective safety protocols 안전놀이터.

Designing a Safe Playground

Equipment Selection and Installation

Choosing the right playground equipment is foundational to safety. Opt for equipment with rounded edges, sturdy construction, and non-toxic materials. Ensure installations adhere to manufacturer guidelines and safety standards, including proper anchoring and spacing considerations to prevent entrapment.

Surfacing Materials

The playground surface significantly impacts safety. Opt for impact-absorbing materials like rubber mulch, pea gravel, or synthetic turf to cushion falls and reduce injury risks. Regularly inspect surfaces for wear and tear and promptly address any issues.

Maintenance Protocols

Regular maintenance is essential to uphold playground safety standards:

Inspections

Implement a routine inspection schedule to check for wear, damage, and potential hazards. Inspect equipment, surfacing, and surrounding areas thoroughly, addressing issues promptly.

Repairs and Upkeep

Promptly repair damaged equipment, replace worn-out components, and maintain adequate surfacing depth. Keep an inventory of spare parts and tools for quick repairs.

Promoting Safe Play Behavior

Encouraging safe play behavior among children is crucial:

Educating Children

Teach children playground safety rules, such as using equipment as intended, taking turns, and avoiding rough play. Empower them to recognize potential dangers and seek adult assistance when needed.

Supervision

Ensure adequate supervision at all times. Designate responsible adults to monitor children actively, intervene in unsafe behaviors, and provide assistance when required.

Community and Stakeholder Involvement

Creating a safe playground environment requires collaboration among various stakeholders:

Community Engagement

Engage community members in playground safety initiatives. Encourage volunteer participation in maintenance activities and safety awareness campaigns.

Partnerships with Authorities

Collaborate with local authorities and experts to ensure compliance with safety regulations and access resources for playground upgrades and inspections.

Addressing Accessibility and Inclusivity

Ensure playgrounds are accessible to all children, including those with disabilities. Incorporate inclusive design features such as ramps, adaptive swings, and sensory-rich elements to accommodate diverse needs.

Educating Parents and Caregivers

Empower parents and caregivers with knowledge on playground safety:

Information Dissemination

Distribute safety guidelines and tips through community centers, schools, and online platforms. Provide resources on recognizing potential hazards and promoting safe play habits at home and in public playgrounds.

Conclusion

Playgrounds play a pivotal role in childhood development, fostering physical activity, social interaction, and imaginative play. By prioritizing safety through thoughtful design, maintenance, supervision, and community involvement, we can create playgrounds that are safe, inclusive, and enjoyable for all children. Together, let's ensure that every trip to the playground is filled with laughter, exploration, and above all, safety.

[windsandwaves]

Winds and Waves - DND

Profile artwork of Coral by @simbalvr123

Banner artwork by @doodlebriggs

When six adventurers coincidentally all find the same strange coin, they learn that these six coins serve as a random lottery to find adventurers worthy of retrieving The Heart of the Sea: an ancient artifact rumored to hold the cure for the princess of Maya's curse… However, when the princess herself finds one of these coins, she is accidentally chosen to become a part of her own rescue mission... The group must face the undead legions of an ancient demigod known as The Lich King, uncover the mysteries shrouding a forgotten organization, and follow the ashen memories of their own traumatic pasts…

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the Winds and Waves Campaign Blog! I’m very excited to be sharing this story and our characters with all of you. Before we begin though, a few housekeeping rules:

i. If at any time any of my players become uncomfortable with the content in this blog, it will be deleted.

I cannot stress this enough, the privacy and consent of my players matters most to me, first and foremost. I always try to do a vibe-check with them before posting any of our content online, and will continue to do so. This campaign is for our enjoyment, and if they ever become uncomfortable with anything that I release publicly it will be removed immediately. Which brings me to article II…

ii. We will NOT be releasing the campaign in full. Please do not share content without express approval.

Once again to respect the privacy of my players, we will NOT be releasing the DND Campaign in its entirety at this time. Some of the players are still minors, and others do not wish for their likeness to be shown online. All video clips or artwork involving my players have been thoroughly vetted and approved by them FIRST. For the privacy and safety of my players, please do NOT save or repost any of the content that you see here on any other platforms.

iii. AI is art theft and identity theft, and is not allowed whatsoever.

As stated before, many of my players are minors and do not wish for their personal identities to be made public. Please respect their personal privacy and do not attempt to recreate their characters, artwork, writing, or voices using AI. Furthermore, any stolen content will be reported and blocked.

But fanart is welcome!

If you wish to create fanart for us that’s fine, as long as you are not directly tracing or using our artwork without permission. Please have the human decency to ask us for permission before you create art related to the campaign or our characters, and most likely we will say yes!

iv. No NSFW content whatsoever.

Once again. Many of us are minors or greatly uncomfortable with NSFW subject matter. PLEASE DO NOT CREATE NSFW ARTWORK OR FANFICTION FOR WINDS AND WAVES.

v. Please keep this a safe space and don’t be an asshole.

Please show respect to myself as the Dungeon Master, all of my players, and all of my friends that enjoy this campaign. This blog is meant to be a safe-space for everyone involved, and any hatred, violence, bigotry or slander against any of the members will NOT be tolerated here. Do not attempt to doxx us, or interact with us in any inappropriate ways. If you have any issues with the campaign or its content, please kindly leave. This campaign is entirely homebrewed, and we are all a bunch of new players just enjoying the game and the story we are creating together. Please don’t be an asshole by telling us what we did “wrong” or that we aren’t “playing the game correctly.” DND has never truly been about following rules to the letter, and if we all did, there would have to be an entire college course before we ever got to play. The Rule of Cool trumps all, the DM is always right, and if the dice allow, The Fates allow.

With all of this in mind, I hope that you will enjoy this blog, and the story that we have to share.

💛 - Cove / Simbalvr123

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Other important stuff:

Rules and Regulations for Asks

All DND Characters and NPCs

[wamatechblog]

The Ultimate Guide to Mobile App Development Process in the USA

Introduction

In today's digital age, mobile applications have become an integral part of our daily lives. From communication to entertainment, shopping to banking, there's an app for almost everything. As the demand for mobile apps continues to soar, understanding the development process is crucial for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to tap into this lucrative market. In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you through the entire mobile app development Company in USA, from concept to launch.

Understanding the Concept

Research and Ideation

Every successful mobile app starts with a great idea. Before diving into development, it's essential to conduct thorough research to identify market needs, trends, and potential competitors. This phase involves brainstorming sessions, market analysis, and user surveys to validate the concept and ensure its viability.

Defining Goals and Objectives

Once the concept is solidified, it's time to define clear goals and objectives for the app. What problem will it solve? Who is the target audience? What features are essential for its success? Setting measurable goals will help guide the development process and ensure alignment with the overall business strategy.

Planning and Design

Wireframing and Prototyping

With the concept in place, the next step is to create wireframes and prototypes that visualize the app's layout, navigation, and functionality. This iterative process allows stakeholders to provide feedback early on, leading to a more refined design and user experience.

User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design

UI/UX design plays a pivotal role in the success of a mobile app. A well-designed interface not only enhances usability but also creates a memorable and enjoyable experience for users. From color schemes to navigation patterns, every aspect of the app's design should be carefully crafted to maximize engagement and retention.

Development and Testing

Frontend Development

Frontend development involves translating the design mockups into code using programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This phase focuses on creating the visual elements and user interactions that make up the app's interface.

Backend Development

Behind the scenes, backend developers work on building the server, database, and application logic that power the app's functionality. This includes setting up APIs, handling data storage, and implementing security measures to protect user information.

Quality Assurance (QA) and Testing

Testing is an integral part of the mobile app development process, ensuring that the app performs as intended across different devices and platforms. QA engineers conduct various tests, including functional testing, usability testing, and performance testing, to identify and fix any bugs or issues before release.

Deployment and Launch

App Store Submission

Once the app is thoroughly tested and polished, it's ready for submission to the App Store or Google Play Store. This process involves preparing assets, writing compelling descriptions, and adhering to store guidelines to increase visibility and downloads.

Marketing and Promotion

Launching a mobile app is just the beginning. To attract users and drive downloads, effective marketing and promotion strategies are essential. This may include app store optimization (ASO), social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and targeted advertising to reach the right audience.

Post-Launch Support

Monitoring and Analytics

After the app is live, ongoing monitoring and analytics are crucial for tracking performance, identifying areas for improvement, and making data-driven decisions. Analyzing user feedback, app usage metrics, and revenue trends can help optimize the app and ensure long-term success.

Updates and Maintenance

Technology is constantly evolving, and so are user expectations. Regular updates and maintenance are necessary to keep the app relevant, secure, and bug-free. This includes addressing user feedback, implementing new features, and staying ahead of emerging trends in the mobile app landscape.

Conclusion

From concept to launch, the mobile app development process is a multifaceted journey that requires careful planning, creativity, and technical expertise. By following the steps outlined in this guide, businesses and entrepreneurs can navigate the complexities of app development and bring their vision to life successfully.

[diveseo]

How to hire the best and affordable SEO services in London

Are you looking for a reliable and affordable SEO service provider in London? If yes, then you’re in luck. London is home to some of the best SEO companies in the world, offering tailored services to meet the needs of all businesses.

But with such an abundance of options, it can be difficult to decide which company to choose. To help simplify your decision-making process, we’ve put together this guide on how to hire the best and most affordable SEO services in London. Keep reading to find out more!

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization, or "SEO" for short, is a set of techniques that can be used to improve the position of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs). It is a part of most digital marketing campaigns and is considered one of the most important factors in achieving online success.

The main goal of SEO is to increase the visibility of a website so that it will attract more visitors from organic (unpaid) search results. In other words, SEO is all about making your site easier for potential customers to find when they are searching for products or services like yours online.

What are the benefits of SEO?

It is no secret that SEO can be extremely beneficial for businesses, large and small. After all, SEO is designed to improve visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can ultimately lead to more website traffic, brand awareness, and conversions.

But what are the specific benefits of SEO services in London that make it worth investing in? Here are just a few:

1. Increased Visibility & Traffic

As mentioned above, one of the main benefits of SEO is increased visibility in SERPs. This means that your website is more likely to appear as a top result for relevant searches, which can lead to more clicks and web traffic.

2. Improved User Experience

SEO can also improve your website’s user experience (UX). This refers to how easy and enjoyable it is for users to interact with your site. Good UX can help reduce bounce rates and increase time on site, both of which are good indicators of website quality that search engines take into account when ranking websites.

3. More Credible & Trustworthy Website

When potential customers see that your website is appearing high up in search results, they will be more likely to view it as a credible and trustworthy source of information or products/services. This can help you win over more customers and convert them into paying ones.

4. Greater ROI Compared to Other Marketing Channels.

Since SEO focuses on improving organic visibility (i.e., free), it ultimately leads to lower marketing costs and higher.

How to find an affordable SEO service in London

There are many SEO service providers in London and finding an affordable one can be a challenge. However, there are a few things you can do to help make the process easier.

First, it is important to understand what services you need and what your budget is. This will help narrow down the list of potential providers.

Next, research each provider thoroughly. Read online reviews, talk to other businesses that have used their services, and get a feel for their reputation.

How to hire the best SEO services in London

There are a number of things to look for when hiring an SEO service in London. The most important thing is to find a company that has a good track record and can show you results that they have achieved for other clients.

It is also important to make sure that the SEO services in London you choose is transparent in their approach and pricing. You should always get a detailed proposal from any potential SEO partners before making a final decision.

Finally, it is worth considering using an agency that specialises in local SEO if your business is targeting customers in London specifically. This will ensure that you get the most effective results possible from your campaigns.

Conclusion

Overall, hiring the best and affordable SEO services in London can be a difficult task. With these tips, we hope it has become easier for you to make an informed decision when hiring such services. Always remember to thoroughly research your potential service providers before making any commitments, as this will ensure that they are skilled and experienced enough to provide quality work at an affordable price. Good luck!