#These bigger ones with a bunch of alts will be probably about $12-$15 I think

[squishescommishes]

March's creature and base have been finalized! This base has a couple of alt forms too 83c Next month I'll be getting these up somewhere to buy, too, but for now it's just available for patrons!

We are currently deciding on what next month's base will be, so far it's looking like Kobold will win 83c

-open adopts--patreon--tip jar-

[pedronfriends]

Gif-making process!

I have no fancy graphics for this post, just a run-down by request.�� Keep in mind:

There are probably 10000000 ways to make gifs, this is my way.  It’s not the best, but it works for me.

I’m using Photoshop CC.  I wish I could use PS6, but it doesn’t have the mp4 import ability.  There are other programs that can edit/chop a movie file, but I’m too lazy to learn a new program so PShop CC it is.

I don’t have set rules, because each gif is different and special since the lighting and pacing is always different and special.

I use a PC not a Mac

Work with the largest files you can!  It’ll make for better quality when you size them down.

If any part of this is confusing/needs more detail, let me know!

Okay, process with screenshots under the cut!

ACQUIRING THE GIFFABLE MEDIA

I import the movie into PS.  Again, there are free programs you can do this on, this is really just about slicing and editing, like chopping a film reel to get the parts you want.  All very technical.  

Below I have the timeline showing, and you can see it’s still in video and not frames just yet.

I want to chop this for all the giffable Pedro Parts, so I use the little scroll nub and the scissors too, which I highlighted in yellow!

[click for bigger]

Then it’s really just scrubbing through the video, and chopping it up into little bits and pieces.  (God I hope this isn’t illegal). Using the scissors tool, and scrubbing to a place I want to cut, you can see what happens to the video when I cut it.  Also, you can see on the right, it creates a new layer in the layers box.

[click for bigger]

I delete chunks of video that have no Pedro, leaving me with a set of little sliced up chunks of video that are all-Pedro. A bunch of little chopped up video, each one a different layer.  Like so:

[click for bigger]

This part is tedious and your computer needs to be able to scrub through video, which can get laggy and gross.  Just fair warning (again, probably an easier way to do this on a program made to chop videos up).

The next part is also tedious - 

SAVING THE VIDEO AS ANIMATED FRAMES

Now I have a bunch of video bits.  Some super-long, others iddy-bitty but that’s okay.  As long as when you save each bit, the frames don’t exceed like 200+ frames, then you can still work with it without your computer kerploding.

Here is the tedious part 2 in steps:

Delete all clips except the one you want to save first.  

Alt-Crtl-Shift-S - to Save for Web

Switch to gif format, with whatever settings you like best for you.  Play around, honestly.  (my settings screenshot is below)

If you lose detail due to millions of colours, don’t save yet. Go back to the file and use the crop tool to crop the video to the particular thing you want (in my case, close up on Pedro). This is the nice thing about having a big file; even if you crop, you still have a big file to work with.

Save the gigantic ass, raw gif

Then Crtl-Z EVERYTHING until you return to having all clips.

Repeat the above process for each clip, until all clips are converted/saved as gifs.

Here are my initial gif settings.  Please note the size - I cropped this clip to focus on Pedro, but the file is still fairly big.

Do not play the gif in this window! It’s too big and your computer will cry. 

[click for bigger]

EDITING EACH GIF

So now you’ve done that above process over and over...and over...and over and you have a bunch of raw gifs! Yay!  This to me is the fun part.  When you open each gif, it is unique and needs its own care.  Sometimes if you’re in the same scene, then you can use the same settings.  Other times, it takes heavy filters to make it look right.  

Things you want to play with:

The lighting

The colouring

The frame count

The pacing

Open up a gif in PS:

[click for bigger]

FRAMES:

As you can see above, it’s all frames, and each frame is on a separate layer.  At this point, you can start figuring out how many frames you want in this gif.  The rule is: LESS IS MORE.

So if I can get away with 15 frames, awesome.  But I’ve gone up to about 70 frames depending on the scene. The longer the gif, the bigger the filesize.

One way to keep a scene but eliminate frames is to delete every second frame, or every third frame.  If I have a super-long scene (over 100+ frames) then I delete every second frame.  If it’s only like 80 gifs, I’ll delete every 3rd frame.  

I also edit the scene to its core ‘moves’.  No wasted frames of Pedro staring meaningfully at something before he moves!  No matter how ‘important’ I think his staring is! Ultimately in a gif, no one will care.  

So yeah, less is more.  Keep a gif from 12 - 70 frames.  

[click for bigger]

FILTERS:

There is absolutely no set way to do this. Use an RPHelper’s PSD filter file if you like (I’ve downloaded a few), or try your own experiments.  Filters I like to use, but I don’t use all of them at the same time:

Exposure

Colour Lookup (check out the preset settings in the 3DLUT File)

Colour Balance  (or Curves)

Vibrance

Just hit that little button on the layers toolbox, choose one, go to town. Have fun playing!  Find the filters you enjoy using and perfect them.  Do what you like.  Everyone has their own preferences and process, it’s artistic creative license.

JUST MAKE SURE to put the filters at the TOP of all your layers!!  Or else you’ll be left with a mess of trying to switch layers/filters on and off midway.

RESIZE:

Make is as small as you want.  This is self-explanatory.  Since I use these for RP, I size them down to 270px x ~150px.  

[click for bigger]

Now you can see how your filters look at the gif’s intended size!  If you don’t like it, Crtl-Z and play around with your filters until you’re satisfied.  Remember once you get some filter settings you like, you can always drag those preset filters into your other gif files!

And finally -

[click for bigger]

PACING:

Select all your frames and hit that little ‘v’ to set your time.  Depending on the gif, my times vary from between 0.05 - 0.1 seconds.  The shorter the gif, the slower it needs to be.  The longer the gif (ie more frames) the more you can speed it up.  

The only way you’ll be able to test pacing, is when you save it.  If you play it and don’t like the pacing, then go back and fuss around with the frame timing.

This is my settings for the final gif save.  Remember this is where you can play the gif to check for pacing.  Make sure the looping playback is set to ‘Forever’!

Do the Alt-Crtl-Shift-S to save for Web and you’re done!

Here are my save settings for the final gif.  Again, play with these settings to account for gif size, etc.  

[click for bigger]

And here’s the final result. 47 frames, at 0.1 seconds per frame.  I used filters Exposure, Vibrance and one of the Kodak presets in Colour Lookup. It’s kind of grainy but I don’t really care because these are for my own use (and anyone else who wants to use them).  I’m not winning any prize or award for this lol!

Good luck!

[fly-pow-bye]

DuckTales 2017 - “The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks!”

Story by: Francsco Angones, Colleen Evanson, Bob Snow, Madison Bateman, Christian Magalhaes

Written by: Colleen Evanson

Directed by: John Aoshima

Storyboard by: Mark Garcia, Matthew Humphreys, Tanner Johnson

Not really that infernal.

The episode starts with Scrooge McDuck and Glomgold in the Billionaire's Club, doing what they call a "test of vision". Dewey says it’s a staring contest, which they both deny. Neither do the animators, as Glomgold clearly blinks about three times.

Even to people who are watching this show for the first time, the episode establishes clearly that these two hate each other's guts. They even sit in what seems like a room split between them. Is there anything these guys can agree on, even including myself? Huey and Dewey are escorted outside due to not being a part of the super elites, but not before a super elite walks in, looking at his smart phone.

Huey: Is that...

Mark Beaks: (practically in response) Yup.

Enter Mark Beaks, a Mark Zuckberg-like young tech CEO. He’s about to become a billionaire thanks to people investing in his upcoming product, Project Tah-Dah. He is definitely trying to be a more modern billionaire than Scrooge or Glomgold, and this show makes this very subtle!

Mark Beaks: Allow me to take you to the future...(hits playlist)...RE-MIIIIIIX! (loud dubstep music, airhorns)

Considering this guy may be a villain according to the intro, this may be ironic. It turns out that hating the guy trying to date the show is something McDuck and Glomgold can agree on. It’s true what they say, you don't get to be a billionaire without making a few enemies.

Someone who will disagree is Huey, who is a huge fan of him to the point where even breathing the same air causes him to. Dewey isn't nearly as enthusastic, though the thought of being a young billionaire isn't exactly deterring him.

Mark Beaks shows up, muttering about how Scrooge and Glomgold do not have social media presence, and see two kids saying things that stroke his ego. As a reward, he offers them an after-school job. We haven’t even seen them go to school in this series yet. It's not important.

After the title sequence that implied that this guy is not exactly nice, Huey and Dewey go to Waddle to apply for their after-school job. We pass by a few advertisements for his company, one with a slogan not too far off from Apple's, and, of course, more stuff about Project Tah-Dah. I can think of several things that logo looks like. Like an upside down seagull drawing! Or a big bu...well, let's get going.

After giving them a tour involving It turns out, there’s only one spot for an internship. Yup, it’s one of those "two people fight for the one ticket" episodes. As for Louie, it's apparently Louie’s turn to get left out entirely. Dewey is the only character that appears in every episode so far, though it'll be his turn soon.

Mark Beaks is gloating while watching his fortunes rise and rise, until we see a falcon in a suit beating up a bunch of his security guards. He introduces himself as Falcon Graves, and he's been hired to steal Project Tah-Dah. He never reveals his employer. His first reaction to this? Do a selfie.

The main joke is that he takes this super calm, despite the fact that he’s clearly dealing with someone violent. No matter what Falcon Graves does. He even breaks his cell phone several times, only for him to pull out another one. That's pretty much it for this running joke, and it almost gets old. Not to say I didn't enjoy watching Falcon Graves get annoyed at everything, so there's that.

Meanwhile, Scrooge and Glomgold decide to have a meeting on how to take care of Mark Beaks. It may be a poor lapse of judgment on Scrooge's part to make a deal with a guy who has tried to kill him multiple times, but their hatred of Mark Beaks runs that deep. We cut back and forth between Huey and Dewey trying to get that sweet internship, somewhat literally as at least the stapler is made out of candy, and this.

One of the highlights is Glomgold telling him what his plan is, while Scrooge rolls his eyes at the unnecessary spending. Glomgold does this through a blueprint, picturing himself with giant muscles. This is the highlight of the episode. I do appreciate that they're trying to feature as many villains as possible, but scenes like this really make me look forward to more episodes with Glomgold.

There's even a twist with these scenes, and anyone can see it coming. Let the fact that Scrooge was not drawn with huge muscles be a clue. Not that anyone would imagine that.

Going back to the Huey and Dewey plot, we get a montage of them trying their best at doing their job in their own way. This shows the contrast between their new characters, the more serious and organized duck does things the more serious and organized way, and the fun-loving duck does it the more fun-loving way. For example, when trying to take lunch orders, Huey asks each person what they want, while Dewey just gets pizza for everyone, which causes a "Dewey" chant. What can I say, pizza always wins.

We learn another thing about Beaks: he is all about his schedule. He will complain when his 2:15 pm coffee comes at 2:12, giving one of the few times he doesn't react with his usual uncaring personality. He even has time for a dance break randomly in the episode, because a modern cartoon has to have at least one scene where a character shakes his butt at the camera. Yeah, I feel like I have to least mention that one. Not as bad as certain scenes I'm still trying to forget.

Thanks to that aforementioned coffee timing, Mark Beaks awards Huey with the golden cap of internship. Unfortunately for Huey, Dewey also gets rewarded for a technicality: having a briefcase with him. He decides to make Dewey the Vice President of Fancy Business, a far better reward than just "internship". No gold hat, but still better. Huey takes it very well.

Or not, as he goes coo-coo at the thought that Dewey managed to get a better position than him, ripping up papers and starting to eat the desk. I've gotten at least one ask mentioning if this reminded me of a certain other reboot, but I don't really see it. There's clearly some buildup; it's not just "how dare someone other than me win something better than me."

This is all interrupted by Falcon Graves, who is getting rather impatient. I know the feeling. We finally get to learn what Project Tah-Dah really is, because Falcon Graves is giving his new Vice President of Fancy Business no choice in the matter. I'm not going to spoil it, but if you want to know, just ask the host of Wheel of Fish. His statements may echo Mark Beaks' feelings on everyone else but him.

It's a little more than that: this was all a part of his plan to be a billionaire without having to do anything substantial. This ends up being the turning point for both Huey and Dewey, if his general jerk personality wasn't any indication. They never really make him an outright villain, despite him being a part of the rogue's gallery in the intro.

It's a turning point for different reasons, of course. While both of them know this guy is a, it seems like Dewey tries to defend him more by saying that he's just a guy who relies on smart people. It seems like more of a Louie position than a Dewey position, and it feels really odd to say that about a trio that used to be so alike that even people in the show and comics make jokes about how alike they are.

Falcon Graves decides enough is enough, and hangs Mark Beaks off of Waddle's rooftop. Mark Beaks isn't worried at all. For one, there's trampolines. His mood immediately changes when Graves takes his last backup phone, so you know what his priorities are.

Of course, because he’s only in the "slimeball" category, they decide to help him out of this situation. This doesn't come without some, especially from the duck who idolized him at first.

Huey: I'm sure your bestest friend will just fake his way through it like everything else!

Just a reminder that Mark Beaks is currently being hung over an at least five-story fall, and that doesn't seem to come up in his head. Maybe he's still that mad for not being the Vice President of Fancy Business. Dewey decides to take a note from Huey and does his own checklist. Said checklist involves asking Huey for help. A good non-Glomgold non-Scrooge joke, more rare in this episode than the usual.

Huey just throws Dewey right in front of Graves, and all he can do is try to swing his briefcase at him. As seen previously, Falcon Graves is definitely a fighter, and that briefcase ends up in his hands. After another decent gag where Dewey keeps guessing briefcase combinations, another move I would associate more with Louie, the force of the briefcase opening and a bunch of money falling out. Clearly stolen, another Louie movie.

He manages to save Mark Beaks, and he repays them by firing both of them because they know too much. Even if they did tell anyone, nobody would believe them. He is such a jerk, and not a loveable one. Glomgold is an outright villain, but at least has a likeable character. Mark Beaks has, well...

Mark Beaks: RE-MIIIIIIX! (loud dubstep music, airhorns)

That. Your mileage may vary, and maybe future episodes will make him grow on me.

But not before Dewey tweets out an embarrassing tweet, or whatever this show's equivalent of Twitter is, and throws out his last backup phone. He jumps after it, and 2030s parents have to explain to their children what #YOLO used to mean. Both Graves and Mark Beaks live thanks to his genius idea of having trampolines outside of his office. I'm glad that seemingly random jokes have an actual point in DuckTales 2017.

Falcon Graves just gives up, and Mark Beaks gets away scot-free. Though, again, it's for the best he doesn't get punished as there's more to this story. The episode ends with something that appears to be a last minute teaser, which will not be continued in the next episode. We were spoiled with the double dose of that Lena plot. And those first few episodes, come to think of it.

How does it stack up?

Much like Terra-Firmians, this is a case where the more minor part overshadows the major part. Unlike Terra-Firmians, that minor part takes up about a tenth of the episode.

It’s good to see Glomgold outside of a cameo. Honestly, I could say the same about Scrooge at this point. It's a highlight in what is a very by-the-numbers plot and not-that-funny "modern jokes" that were probably intentional. They got the young businessman down with Mark Beaks, for better and for worse.

This is the closest this show has reminded me of another reboot, though I can kind of see their tongue in their cheek. Some good scenes prevent this from being an outright bad episode, and I still found some enjoyment out of it, but it's not one of their best. Hopefully that teaser suggests this is just the calm before the storm.

That's it for the catch-up week. I'll be honest, I'm surprised I even managed to make this happen. I still have an review planned for Monday. After that...I'll think about my plans for a month with no new Puff or Duck.

← The House of the Lucky Gander! 🦆 The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra! →

[eldritchsurveys]

1o9.

-How long have you been together? >> Time is fake, I don’t even know anymore. She says 6 years, so I go with that. I think I was late to the “we’re together” party anyway, as often happens when a situation isn’t made clear to me right away. -Do you have any children together? >> No. -What about pets? >> She has a cat. I refuse to adopt it, lmao.  -Did you go to the same school? >> No. -Are you from the same hometown? >> No. We’re not even from the same part of the country.

-Who is the smartest? >> I don’t know how that could possibly be measured. We each have our distinct strengths and weaknesses brain-wise, but that has nothing to do with intelligence in my understanding. -Who is the most sensitive? >> I don’t know. I’m much more prone to sensory overload. She’s probably more prone to like... certain emotional responses, I guess, and anxiety. -Where is the first place you went to eat as a couple? >> I really don’t remember... might have been the Mongolian grill place. -Do you wear matching clothes? >> Sometimes we wear shirts that complement each other, like yesterday we both wore Dark Tower shirts (but they had different designs on them). -Where is the furthest you have traveled as a couple? >> From here to NOLA.

Who has the best group of friends? >> Neither of us has many friends to speak of, and certainly nothing like a group. -Who has the craziest ex [s]? >> I guess I win that contest. -Who has the worst temper? >> I’m not sure. Neither of us really gets outwardly angry all that often. Sometimes I get flash-in-the-pan angry and kick an oven or something. -Who does the cooking? >> She does most of it because she enjoys it more (and can deal with the small kitchen, lol). -Who is more social? >> I am, I guess. I don’t think she really cares about socialisation, lmao; her best friend and her husband live 10 minutes away but we rarely ever see them. Wild. -Who is the neat-freak? >> Me, but I’ve pretty much given up at this point. -Who is the most affectionate? >> Her, by far. -Who is the most stubborn? >> I don’t know. I guess it depends on what the situation is. -Who hogs the bed? >> Oh my god, she definitely does. If I was any bigger than I am, we’d be literally unable to share the bed she has right now. Hopefully we’ll be getting a queen-size when we move, because god. -Who wakes up earlier? >> She does, because she works 8-5 or something like that. -Where was your first date? >> I don’t remember. -Who said I Love You first? >> That sounds like something she would have done first. -How did you spend your 1st anniversary? >> Damn, I really don’t even know if we did anything. We weren’t living together at the time so it’s not like we could have done anything anyway, but I mean, I don’t remember if we acknowledged it at all. -Do you give/get flowers often? >> No. I sent her flowers once for V-Day, but that was because I had the money and I wanted to know what it’d be like to do a stereotypical thing like that. -How do you spend the holidays? >> At her parents’ house. ————– How well do you know your significant other?? Be honest!!! ……..20 Q’s 1.They are watching TV….What are they watching? >> Something that can be watched without paying a whole lot of attention -- like a cooking competition show or an HGTV-type program. 2.You’re out to eat what kind of dressing do they get on their salad? >> Italian, or a vinaigrette. 3.What’s one food this person doesn’t like? >> Vegetables LMAO. Nah, she likes broccoli and she’s coming around to brussels sprouts, but a lot of vegetables are a pass. 4.You go out to the bar. He/she orders…… >> The least alcohol-tasting thing on the menu, usually by asking which cocktail I think she would like (since I know what most of them taste like and I know what she likes). White Russians and Mudslides and things like that are also a favourite. Or a cider, if they have that. 5.Where did he/she go to high school? >> The one in Wayland. 6.What size shoe do they wear? >> I don’t remember. 7.If this person were to collect anything, it would be…… >> Fuckin’ anime/JRPG figmas, lmao. 8.What is their favorite type of sandwich? >> Turkey and cheese with mustard. 9.This person could eat_____everyday. >> Potato chips, apparently. xD 10.Favorite cereal? >> Lucky Charms, Frosted Mini-Wheats. 11.This person wouldn’t be caught dead wearing… >> Something not-cute, I’d imagine. A pleated skirt, maybe? LOL. 12.Favorite sports team? >> She defaults to MSU for college sports, but otherwise she doesn’t care. 13.Who will he/she vote for? >> Whatever Democrat there is to vote for. 14.What is their sign? >> Libra. 15.What is something you do that he/she wishes you didn’t? >> I don’t know. 16.How many states has this person lived in? >> One. 17.What is he/she’s heritage? >> All I know is that one-half of her family is descended from Mayflower pilgrims or whatever. 18.You bake them a cake for their birthday. >> Well, I wouldn’t, and she’d prefer a Nothing Bundt Cake anyway. 19.Does he/she have any piercings? >> No. 20.This person could spend hours…… >> Playing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Heh. ————– 1. How long have you been dating your girlfriend/boyfriend? >> Oh, so this is a bunch of surveys pasted together, innit.  2. Do you love them? >> Uh, sure. 3. Do you see yourself being with them for a long time? >> That’s the plan. 4. What do they eat a lot of? >> Chicken. (That’s the first thing that popped into my head after potato chips, which I already mentioned.) 5. What’s their favorite sport? >> She doesn’t have one. 6. What kind of music do they listen to? >> The kind of fare that plays on Alt Nation on Sirius XM. Indie, pop/pop-rock, a little hip-hop. 7. Do you have a nickname for them? >> No. 8. Are they older or younger than you? >> A few years younger. 9. How often do you talk to them? >> Daily, since we live together. 10. Do you see them every day? >> Yes. 11. If you could tell them one thing what would it be? >> I don’t have anything pressing to tell her. 12. How comfortable are you with him/her? >> Pretty comfortable, except for a couple of things that are more about my brain problems than anything she’s actually said or done. 13. Do you keep secrets from him/her? >> I don’t tell her things not to keep secrets, but because I don’t think she wants or needs to hear them. (Whether I’m wrong about that or not isn’t something I’m making a point of finding out, either, lol.) 14. Do you think he/she keeps secrets from you? >> I don’t know, maybe. I’m not gonna obsess about it. 15. What do they usually smell like? >> Aveda products and shit.

[beta-blue-eyes]

65 Questions you aren't used to.

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?--------Nope! Life is so much bigger than just me.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? ------ Solid 3.5. If I can't see my own hand in front of my face, expect a panic attack from me!

3. The person you would never want to meet? --------- Kanye West

4. What is your favorite word? -------- Cheesecake!

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? ---------A willow tree.

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought? ------ "Oh hey."

7. What shirt are you wearing? ------- Blue v-neck.

8. What do you label yourself as? ------- Human?

9. Bright room or dark room? ------- Sunlit room!

10. What were you doing at midnight last night? -------- Reading!

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? ---------- 21.

12. Who told you they loved you last? ---------- My bestie!

13. Your worst enemy? ---------- Procrastination.

14. What is your current desktop picture? --------- The Crab Nebula!

15. Do you like someone? ------------ Not currently.

16. The last song you listened to? --------- "My Way Home is Through You" by My Chemical Romance

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? ----------- Trump.

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? ---------- TRUMP.

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? --------- TRUMP AND I WOULD MAKE HIM FIX THIS WHOLE FUCKING MESS OF A COUNTRY.

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional) ---------- My hurr!

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? ---------------- I'd probably be built like a linebacker on an american football team and DUDE, helicopter dick all. Damn. Day.

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?---------- I have hyperextension in my hands to the point where I can make it look like my thumb knuckles have disappeared.

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? --------------- Not that unique, but centipedes.

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal. ------------ Rare roast beef on a Hawaiian roll with lettuce, tomato and mayo!

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? ------------- At a Voodoo shop in New Orleans!

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? ------------ New Zealand!

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? -------------- Captain Morgan Sherry Oak Finish spiced rum.

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? ------------------- Don't be a fucking dick.

29. What is your favorite expletive? ----------- Fuck!

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno? ----------- My scrapbooks/photo albums.

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? -------------- The love of my mother's life passing away.

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! ----------- Canada, here I come!

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? --------------- My mom's fiance.

34. What was your last dream about? ------------- Eating at a Cheesecake Factory, I think?

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]? ------------ Listener.

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? ------------ Nope!

37. Have you ever built a snowman? ---------- Of course.

38. What is the color of your socks? ------- Blue and white stripes.

39. What type of music do you like? ---------- Alt-rock, pop, classic rock, etc. I'm pretty open to most anything.

(Mobile tumblr stinks and won't let me freaking backspace...)

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? ------------Sunsets.

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? ------------ Banana/anything!

42. What football team do you support? (American football or soccer) ---------- Green Bay Packers!

43. Do you have any scars? --------- A bunch, actually. Perks of being a butcher.

44. What do you want to be when you graduate? ------------ Welp. I wanted to be an actor or a zoologist but......oh well.

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? ------------ Sucks to say but, my body. I'm tired of feeling unhealthy.

46. Are you reliable? ------- Yep! Always keep my word.

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? --------------- How long are we stuck for?

48. Do you hold grudges? -------------- Oh sure.

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? ------------- Lizard/Bat! Dragons, here we go!

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? ----------- Had a solid 2+hr convo with six friends about how I would take over the world, their roles in my political cabinets, where I'd set up as my home country, how I'd change literally EVERYTHING, military strategies, etc. Y'know, the works. :D

51. Are you a good liar? ---------- Yep.

52. How long could you go without talking? ----------- A day or two.

53. What has been you worst haircut/style? --------- This terrible looking short bob I had in college. I had BANGS too, ugh.

54. Have you ever baked your own cake? -------- Yep! Plus a bunch more, since I love to bake!

55. Can you do any accents other than your own? ---------- Yeah, some. My British is okay, some others are passable, but my North Midwesterner in spot-on!

56. What do you like on your toast? -------- Butter and cinnamon sugar. Or butter and jam!

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? ------------ Probably a cartoon version of myself.

58. What would be you dream car? ---------- Jeep wrangler!

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. ------------- I don't just sing, I PERFORM.

60. Do you believe in aliens? ---------- Oh heck ya.

61. Do you often read your horoscope? -------- Every now and then.

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? ------------ Q because no other letters sounds like it.

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?-------------- Aren't they almost that same thing????

64. What do you think about babies? ---------- Cute as long as I can hand them back!

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of. -------------- Isn't a brusselsprout just a tiny cabbage?

Ta-da!

[yhhim21-blog]

Revolutionary iRobot Roomba 980 Kubang Semang

Just in time for the Holiday Season, iRobot released their prized Roomba 980 vacuum cleaner. With adversary Neato lately releasing their Botvac “D that was marginally enhance ” set, it was supposed that iRobot might be following suit. However, it is a relatively long time since the Roomba 880 and 870 debuted. I honestly didn’t understand what to anticipate. Undoubtedly, iRobot isn't thinking about ceding any market share to competitors, and rightfully so.

As with all preceding Roomba’s there are things to like and things that I don’t enjoy. It ’s going to be difficult for me to not gift a couple Roomba 980’s this year.

At the base, I’ll make an overall recommendation and suggest a number of choices.

Key Attributes –

The following are some of the new, upgraded, and noteworthy features on the 980:

More Battery Charge Life: The Roomba 980 is capable of running fro a complete 2 hours before needed to recharge. It’s still not Lithium-ion (for those who like that), but it is an improvement.

iRobot HOUSE App: For me, this is the game changer. I’ve been waiting for robot vacuums to become completely integrated into the home encounter that is smart. iRobot is the first robot hoover company – to my knowledge – that has a program similar to this. You can press on “Clean” from anywhere and the 980 will start/stop as wanted. This can be perfect for individuals who are on the go (like me). If I’m at work or out of the home, I will get while I’m away things began. The program is simple enough to use and basically functions as an innovative remote control. On the Roomba’s that is older you could have a pre determined program to run every day, but not immediate control in this way!

It’s actually more of an upgrade. In addition to the conventional “fender” detectors, the Roomba 980 now features the “VSLAM” (Visual Simultaneous, Localization, and Mapping) technology. That is a big deal. Essentially it allows the visual localization map the room and enables the Roomba to “look” out and up to help browse. This is the kind of groundbreaking improvement that vastly improves the 980 over previous versions. What does this mean practically? Less bumping into things randomly and a more organized efficient and – – cleaning course.

More Suction Power: Thankfully, iRobot wasn’t content with just a couple new features. They also upped their game in the power department. The AeroForce cleaning system is exactly the same base technology, but 2 times far better at picking up debris per cleaning cycle. Additionally, it has “carpet boost” which maximizes air power when it detects a carpet or rug underneath. The end result is a traditional vacuum that is thorough clean, duplicating a greater level.

Improved Virtual Wall Lighthouse: Roomba uses these small towers to signal where to clean (and where not to clean…acting as an invisible wall impediment). The 980 has stepped up lighthouse game is ’sed by it. They have been now smaller and require AA batteries (in contrast to the hulking “D” batteries for preceding series). Because who has spare “D” batteries this is a fine progress?

Matters I like and Things I Don’t

Pros

The Program is Amazing: It’s straightforward and reasonably easy, but it means everything to me. Being able to control my robot from my phone means the Roomba is now part of my smart home family. Picking up on where tools like Ecobee smart thermostats and the Nest have left off, iRobot has actually produced on a smart, web-connected, roomba vacuum. I considering the possibilities for future integration with controllers and my various smart house programs.

App Helps Monitor Maintenance: There's a really trendy “diagnostics” portion of the app that tracks different parts of the Roomba and uses straightforward bars to tell you when things need to be changed or serviced (believe emptying the bin, changing extractors, filters, etc…). Additionally, it tells you exactly the way to perform the care demand that is desired.

Better on Carpeting: Robots vacuums constantly tend to perform better on hardwood floors and hard flooring options (tile, etc…). The newly redesigned motor is particularly good at adjusting to carpeting surfaces as well. Once detected, the 980 will engage a bit more muscle to thoroughly clean carpeting the way they should be cleaned. In a side by side test with my Roomba 880 (and a bunch of spilled crushed cheerios), both “appeared” to clean the same at a distance, but the 980 truly was able to pick up more of the crumbs that had filtered down to the bottom of the carpeting. It was a subtle difference, t that is difficult tell from standing up even, but an important difference nonetheless.

The new app, the battery that is stronger and the automatic recharging/resume attribute makes the Roomba 980 even more hands free than the competition and both previous versions. Slowly but certainly, house robotics is living up to it’s promise. If you hate vacuuming – or physically cannot do it this is the solution that is outsourced that is quintessential. Short of hiring cleaning help, the Roomba 980 is the smartest choice out there.

Navigation is Plainly Improved: I will scarcely tell the difference and Sometimes new features are added. Not so with the new navigation technology. In the past, Roomba’s have had the knock for cleaning in a randomized, haphazard pattern. While the ending result was clean floors, how it happened wasn’t rather. Nevertheless, it was also a little wasteful. This was one of the contrasts I liked about most Neato models. The 980 is much more organized, methodical, and efficient.

It bumps into things to gain its impacts, particularly in rooms with tons of furniture. Just not nearly to the amount it did previously. On careful observation it even seems the 980 will remember these “lumps” for future cleans and WOn't keep doing it with precisely the same wild abandon.

Smarter Algorithm: For all you geeks out there, this robot is actually smarter than it’s forerunners and the competitors.

Powerful Secondary Components Marketplace: Unlike other robot businesses, the Roomba has a deluge of after market businesses specializing in creating components and better replacement accessories. For example, I’ve been able to locate replacement batteries that are not worse in relation to the factory default ones. This is only somewhat accurate for firms like Neato (smaller market share) and this market is virtually non existent for the other small players.

Outstanding Customer Service: iRobot continues to be the leader when it comes to customers service. This more of a general “ace” and less unique to the model, but worth noting. Every time I’ve needed to replace a Roomba, I’ve had no issues. They may be also good at walking you through diagnosing issues.

Better Suction Total: My two quasi scientific ways of quantifying this are that A) I can sense a lot more wind/air coming from the unit and B) those bigger particles of grit that only high powered vacs often get are being caught in the dust bin.

Cons

Use Could be More: This isn’t really a legit gripe, because I’m thrilled with the new app. I’d like to completely incorporate my Roomba with the remainder of my smart dwelling. It'd be pleasant in order to manage everything from one program (and one control like the SmartThings Hub and others). It probably wouldn’t be hard to do and it may be something iRobot plans to do anyway.

Not “Perfect”: It’s a definite improvement, but it not perfect. It occasionally gets confused by power cords and can have problem with sizable brinks. Once in a while it'll get stuck, but once you find out the problem areas, it’s not difficult to “Roomba proof” your house. It’s not quite like a human….yet.

Competition on the Way? Both the Neato Botvac Joined and the Dyson Eye are rumored to be coming out “ soon. How? I can’t really tell. The Botvac Connected (which features similar app controls) will likely be out occasionally in 2013, but no firm release date has been set. I haven’t heard much lately about an anticipated release date, although the Dyson Eye was rumored to be in the works for years. It could still be 6-12 months away. What this means is the Roomba 980 could have some harder competition on the horizon. At the moment, the 980 is the greatest robot on the market, but that could change. Especially if the price points are more affordable, Roomba could be severely undercut. UPDATE: The Dyson 360 Eye has been released. Generally, it has a vacuum that is more powerful, but less room that is competent -to-room navigation. You'll be able to read my complete review for more details.

Doesn’t Work in Complete Darkness: As long as there's some light i.e. you can see your way around, the 980 should work good. However, for pitch black rooms you'll necessarily get an error code. My simple alternative would be to keep night lights on in every room that needs it.

Don’t plan on sleeping in the exact same room.

Just Available in One Area: So far as is frequently true for new releases – the Roomba 980 is ONLY accessible via the iRobot store here. This really is likely because they would like to control pricing. As soon as it’s released to other markets like Amazon and box retailers, I’ll be sure to update this post. UPDATE 10/8#158/15: It’s merely been released to Amazon (see here for the listing)!

Price: As always, iRobot is the price leader. All their robots usually are marginally to moderately more expensive as opposed to contest. The 980 is distinct. In fact, it’s not fairly darn cheap! At RM 4850 per unit, this can be probably not something that’s easy to spring for. It is possible to take a look at this listing for more detailed pricing info. In this instance, you do get what you pay for. Many features that were significant really HAVE improved. Hands down, this is the best robot vacuum currently accessible. Still, if this is your first robot, you may want to look into some less pricey – but still qualified – alternatives (see below)

Other Roomba 980 Alternatives to Contemplate

If the price is too much of a sticking point, not to worry. There are other great hoovers with contemplating.

Roomba 880

Occasionally last years model is the best value. Until the 980 was released the Roomba 880 WAS the cream of the crop. It's possible for you to check out my review of it here. At some time, it was the best robot vacuum cash could buy. The AeroForce cleaning system that is patented is 50% more effective at cleaning up debris than the 700 series. This, joined with a larger dust bin, a much better battery, and a remote control made it the most hands free device at the time. It ’s the 2 nd. It doesn’t have the app that is revolutionary, but it has all the other essential features for a runner that is true up. Most significantly, it’s a full cheaper compared to 980 (check this listing for even steeper discounts). Still costly, but a lot.

Botvac D80

Some helpful advancements have been made by the new “D” string, although I wasn’t too impressed with the initial Botvac release. Notably, they’ve repaired a problem with the brush (by shifting a bearing) to ensure it is less susceptible to getting tangled (particularly with human and pet hair, in my experience). The Botvac D80 doesn’t merely look better, it also functionally performs better than previous Neato models. The suction power is the greatest yet and arguably comparable to the new Roomba 980. It’s still relatively easy use and to schedule, although still, you won’t get the program controls. The patented laser navigation technology means more organized courses and it normally works quite nicely. Where it usually sells for less compared to the top line Roomba’s, it's possible for you to see this listing here.

Roomba 650

It’s been around for a while, but it’s still trusted. It MUCH cheaper. It is possible to read my full take here. Attempt the 650 out if it enough for your own needs to see if budget is your top concern. Yes, it’s missing a group of “extras” that is pleasant but the cleaning technology that is core is till there. The 650 is perfect for people that have flats, little houses, or only a small area they want consistently cleaned. Generally, this is a terrific robot for those just getting started, curious to see if the technology works because of their needs. I still have mine running to this day after 3 years (and a couple of replacement batteries). On top of that, you are able to find the 650 for a really affordable price at this listing.

Believing Cleaner Faceplate

I was somewhat skeptical of this “work-around” at first, but it actually works pretty well. Presuming Cleaner was the effect of a successful Kickstarter campaign. It functionally adds or 600 series robot and WiFi capability together. Disbelieving? I was too. Essentially, you attach a “faceplate” that modifies your Roomba. It’s easy enough to attach. You can do most of exactly the same functions in a polished” and intuitive manner, only as the Roomba 980 WiFi. The program is quite stable and will let you schedule remotely, alert you when your Roomba needs help and plays a song if you need certainly to locate your lost Roomba. It’s accessible for just a fraction of the price of a new Roomba here.

I’ll caveat by saying that 1) it’s still “laggy” 2) reduces typical run-time by about 10-15% and 3) it’s not native to iRobot (third party program). Believing Cleaner is working on a brand new faceplate for the 700/800 series, but as of yet it only as a Kickstarter project here.

Who's this a good option for? 1) Existing owners of a 500 or 600 series Roomba. 2) Prospective buyers who need WiFi ability, but can’t afford/don’t desire to spend too much on the 980. For instance, buying Believing Cleaner Faceplate and a brand new Roomba 650 will run you no more than $500 total.

New Robots on the Horizon?

As I mentioned previously, the long rumored Dyson Eye is officially under development. Who knows when it'll be released. They still have but as of this stage it'll be unlikely to strike before the 2015 Holiday season. The new attributes on the Roomba 980 may really cause them to delay launch until they're able to fit the core attributes.

The option that is fascinating is the the Neato Botvac “Joined” robot which aims to add similar WiFi ability to the Roomba 980. You are able to read more here. They’ll have to do it soon to capitalize entirely, although it would seem sensible for them to release it prior to the 2015 Holiday season.

UPDATE: The Botvac Linked has formally been released in early Novemeber 2015! See my complete review.

Roomba 980 vs Botvac Connected

I needed to touch on this briefly because I’ve been getting lots of questions about it, although I’ll be writing the full comparison up shortly.

Both the Roomba 980 and Botvac Linked attribute WiFi enabled management. This really is definitely the headline characteristic for both. I personally favor the Roomba app but both are similar when it comes to attributes/utilization.

What are the Crucial Differences? 3) The Roomba 980 has “carpet boost” and the Botvac doesn’t. 4) The Roomba uses virtual wall’s (invisible beams to feature the robot) whereas the Botvac still relies on laying down “magnetic tape” to define borders around your house.

UPDATE: You're able to read my full comparison (recently completed) right here.

Final Call – Is the Roomba 980 Worth it?

The brief answer: Yes! The longer reply? This really is arguably the greatest robot vacuum cleaner on the market if you've the money. At the very least, it’s surely the greatest roomba version to date. Whether or not it is “worth it” comes down to what your unique needs are.

The 980 is the greatest robot for the occupation if you've got a larger home or office/business that must be cleaned often. It can cover the earth and recharge on it’s own as needed. The 980 has the finest cleaning technology of any robot and the most power/suction if you'll need a vacuuming occupation that closely resembles a conventional upright vacuum clean.

[mechagalaxy]

Sten Hugo Hiller - Holmes Havoc Including interview with Kyra Mainer (#672650)

Mountain Climbing Mecha Combat

Brought to you by ANN, A News channell for Mecha Combat

Highlighting the July 3326 Holmes Havoc

Including interview with Kyra Mainer (#672650)

Holmes on K2. I wondered if I should bother, The normal grades to join up was way above mine. But I had gotten special invitations, so I could sneak over and take a look. The worst that could happen was I ended up getting nothing, but I might get a Bronze if I was lucky. Bruno had my Holmes formation ready, two Novum scouts to keep over watch and see ahead was attached as usual. Arriving early at the mountain I parked at the top so my crew could enjoy the view. I had to return to the compound to keep abreast of the paperwork.

When I came back to the mountain slightly over two hours before scramble my crew hung grimly to the slopes. How had they accomplished such a feat? Most of the competition had twice or even three times my mass! Then it dawned on me, they were still in their main formations. In fact there were just 3 of us who had gotten into formation yet. xZydrex from Defenders of Bunny had less than a quarter of my tonnage. But Melissa Powell from HF: Mecha Pirates was another story. She held the top and had 38 grades, 265 ton and 7 mechs on me. The job seemed impossible, but just for laughs I launched some attacks. They weren’t effective, but I had nothing else to do. Opening my supers I continued. If I couldn’t budge her, having supers to do so later was meaningless. My 23rd attack went through her defenses, and I settled on the top. I admired the view, but expected the opponents to start changing into correct formations and blow me off the top any moment. I kept expecting that right up to when the light flashed and it was over. Those who was at the tops when it ended, and received Gold, Nephilax and invitations to harder climbs were:

Div 1 (26 players): Bernard Johnson, Juggernaut (23m,53s) Div 2 (13 players): Sten Hugo Hiller, Star League (2h,34m) Div 3 (25 players): Able Hunter, Star League (1m,11s) Div 4 (27 players): Kyra Mainer, Defenders of Bunny (3h,15m) Div 5 (17 players): Darryl Proctor, Red Comet (46m,5s) Div 6 (26 players): Yusuke Paul Okabayashi (5h,53m) Div 7 (18 players): Ila Mari Anthonsen, today and tomorrow (24m,52s) Div 8 (29 players): Paul Michael, Renegades (33m,14s) Div 9 (15 players): Stug Hill, Behemot (43m,50s) Div 10 (12 players): Borg Queen, Summer Break (5h,21m) Div 11 (13 players): WaspIIC, Hammer`s Stallions (2h,57m) Div 12 (26 players): Jordan Belifart (1h,20m)

Total Participants: 247, Total Medals: 173 (of 180 possible)

3+9(2s)+4+3+6(1s)+0+9+0+2+2+0+0=35 Bronzes and 3 Silvers went to players who had at least point mech overweight. Total Participation was reduced by 22 since the 20 ton, and 7 Bronzes were sent for resmelting.

My timepiece showed 28 elapsed minutes when the light flashed. Only three Gold medals changed ownership during that time, although the Div 3 Gold changed hands plenty of times between Colin Toenjes (Heroes) and Able Hunter. Five of the Gold’s were held for over two hours. We had two unaligned winners this time; Yusuke Paul Okabayashi in div 6 and Jordan Belfart in div 12. Only clan to claim two Gold this time were Star League. Sten Hugo Hiller and Ila Mari Anthonsen repeated their Gold performances from the 20 ton.

I was elated. When a teammate wins, the odds of getting an interview is much better But as I started to make my way over to Able to get a blow by blow account of his epic struggle vs Toenjes, perhaps even a glimpse at the Battle ROMs, I was blocked. Normally I am not that easy to intimidate, but the looks I got from the gang made me wonder if I should worry. One of them gave a signal to follow and the rest fell into a circle around me and forced me to come along.  I knew who they were, anyone in my business knows the Ten Who Were Taken. But why their mistress, Kyra Mainer, wanted me was unknown.  Perhaps she wanted me to pull out Boris and Keikko while she still had a lab? Then she better talk to her dad, contract was his to cancel.

But it turned out to be another purpose. The mysterious Lady of pain had decided to give me an interview. I quickly reviewed what I knew. First appearance in the Climbs in `77, First Gold In the Triple Rainbow Baconary `89, this was the sixth triumph. Been with Defenders of Bunny for all the time, one Gold and plenty of Silvers there.

Sten Hugo Hiller  Congrats on the win in the KOTM. Is it the sixth win?

Kyra Mainer  This is just my sixth

Sten Hugo Hiller  Your first medal was in the laser Chrono in march `77. Are Chronos something you prefer, or are you of the once a year is too often crowd?

Kyra Mainer  I Like the limited Chronos, you know like rainbows. That way you can make up with preserverance and focus what you lack in raw niode power. Unlimited you just can`t beat the spenders, because they don’t have to choose between being in their KOTM formation or their main. But Chronos get old in a hurry though, like Marathons. You don’t run a bunch of them in a row

Sten Hugo Hiller  I get your drift. Your first Gold was in Triple Rainbow, are they a favorite of yours?

Kyra Mainer  I used to love the Rainbow style, but as my base got bigger my tonnage got smaller compared to the spenders

Sten Hugo Hiller  General problem for us poor folks. When it comes to limited, do you prefer Mecht ype like this event, or tonnage like in the 20 ton we just had?

Kyra Mainer  I like the Holmes Havoc and iMech tournaments because they allow those of us without a ton of Niodemechs to get competitive. So Mechtype where you take the bought Beasties away and let the Warriors fight on even terms. I like war because you have to combine unlimited and specialists, but I can’t compete unlimited With many Warriors at my grade who have all Niodemechs. You need to level the field somewhat. I have been adopted by two Novum, and they helped my Holmes lineup here. But the limit was two non Holmes and some used heavier machines.

Sten Hugo Hiller  Novums are called the best mechs ton for ton, I think that is grossly underestimating them. If you were to design a new KOTM, what would Your favorite be?

Kyra Mainer  I would love to see an Icecapades. All except two freons, and no Mechs over 70 ton. Like the upcoming Ratman, but With less blowing yourself up. Seventies tend to be ruled by Niodes, so why not do a Crystal Version?

Sten Hugo Hiller  Sounds great. From your mouth to the Developers ears. Were you in the Metaverse, and how did you do at the Birthday party?

Kyra Mainer  I was not wary lucky during the Birthday party, and After hearing the rest of the family swearing about the bugs in the Metaverse. Tipping point for me was no snackbar, life is too short to manually return every gift. I love that return all button. I mean, games should be play, not work. Oh, and the Equipment was kind of bunk. I had a look at what was offered, and the crystal stuff was missing some of the best cheap options. Kind of like this universe, just favoring spenders even more.

Sten Hugo Hiller  Yes, took a lot of work to get anything in the Metaverse. How are you set up for resorces when it comes to upgrading. Affluent or in desperate need of MOAR?

Kyra Mainer  I am ok for basic upgrades, but getting the niodes to equip bigger Mechs are hard. To be fully competitive you need the big machines, but the gear is stupidly expensive. They need a lot of it, and perform so poorly using Crystal that it seem the Developers want the gap between spenders and free players to Widen as you rise. It’s OK, it’s their game, but it limits the amount I play outside of war. I don’t want to be a big and thin high-level pushovers. I don`t want to camp either, if I don’t play regular I will probably just find something else.

Sten Hugo Hiller  Got to look at what you have. In many cases a good 70-75 tonner can defeat a not so good 85-100 tonner. You have been around almost as long as me. What advice would you give to green Warriors just joining up?

Kyra Mainer  Grind through the campers! Seriously, there is a hump you have to get past of the ten thousand faces of Bob Goetz, and the old RND crowd. The alts having all the Niode Machines. Once you hit that wall, you think you are done, but if you keep leveling at a reasonable pace you rejoin actual players, With only a few camping trolls to worry about. Play KOTM, fight in the wars, watch for the days when your Crystal weapons outpace your niode ones, then cash in big. Turn your Liquid Torches into equipment to make one Mech at a time into a champion Machine

Sten Hugo Hiller  Good advice, but I was thinking more along the lines of favorite Mechs, Weapons and Equipment

Kyra Mainer  Crystal mech, look for ammonite; good Critical killer and critkill is what allows Crystal David to take out Niode Goliath, You can’t outpunch them, so out snipe them instead. Use freeze and Critkill to stop them from shooting back or even shooting at all. Don’t try to damage stack against all Niode enemies, they are going to beat you all the time.

Sten Hugo Hiller  Sound advice. Do you have anything else to add?

Kyra Mainer  Yes. I have seen some of our newer clan mates do this mistake, because you can get away with it at lower grades, but it hurts when you get higher. If the cockpit don’t have a good precision, sell it. I don’t care what else it does, if you can’t hit, all it does is Waste a cockpit slot you could use for something that help you hit opponents

Sten Hugo Hiller  Again essential advice. Thank you for the time and have a nice celebration. Oh, you probably know already, but don’t let Boris and Keikko give you any of their Hard Liquor.

Kyra Mainer  No Kidding!! Do they even have blood in their alcohol supply?

Sten Hugo Hiller  Never been measured to less than 68% blood

Kyra Mainer  Good thing Mechs have limited self driving modes... Thanks for the interview, time to try out my new Nephilax.

She rose, and her crew surrounded her as she went for her newest prize. Any fresh winners who want to give a piece of their mind and earn a handful of Niodes can try to get in touch after the

Upcoming event: Reverse Ratman (Namtar/80ton) Again we have a split format. Consider it a max 80 ton, but in div 1-6 all but two Mechs must be Namtars. In div 7-12 you can use Namtars, but no need. Weapons and equipment is supposed to work as normal.

Event ends August 25 between 2000 and 2030 New York Time.