#amd the CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

How would yall feel if staff introduced the ability to make custom/user made apparel

[techdriveplay]

Navigating the World of High-Performance Computer

In an era dominated by technology, building a high-performance computer is not just a necessity for many but a passion. Whether it’s for gaming, professional workloads, or creative pursuits, understanding the world of high-performance computer parts is crucial. This guide navigates through the essential components and considerations for assembling a dream machine that meets both your needs and…

[pixelplayground]

PXL'S Anatomy of Screenshots

So you want to take better screenshots? There are multiple factors to consider, and if you don't enjoy tweaking reshade settings for every image, my ultimate method may not be for you. That being said, there are tips and resources in this guide that are applicable to everyone and you can select to explore those that are useful to your specific situation.

Disclaimer: I am not claiming to be an expert, nor am I offering to provide troubleshooting on an individual basis. This is a general guide and if you are unfamiliar with any of the concepts, please use the mighty power of the internet to find tutorials. I promise everything that I have learned over the years has been published and documented a thousand times better than I ever could.

There are five factors to address:

Your computer's inherent capabilities

The game's limitations

The mods you're using

Reshade

Post Processing

Graphics Card Settings & Drivers:

Become familiar with your graphic options. If you don't have a dedicated graphics card (i.e. a desktop or gaming laptop, these features may be unavailable and you should skip.)

I have an AMD Radeon Pro card which is designed for workstation level systems. It's overkill for sims, but useful for 3D rendering and modelling work. I have changed the following settings for DirectX 9 applications:

anti-aliasing - enhance application settings

anisotropic filtering - enabled

anisotropic filtering level - 16x

texture filtering quality - high

surface format optimization - high

Consider overclocking your graphics card to unlock it's full potential. DO NOT pursue this venture unless you are ok with the risk of burning out your card prematurely. I use at present, overclocked Bootcamp Drivers from BootcampDrivers.com obviously, if you're not playing on an intel based mac through Bootcamp, this is irrelevant to you.

None of these settings are useful until you address the default games limitations, which leads nicely into the next factor.

Addressing The Sims 4's Graphic Limitations:

Everyone should be familiar at this point with lighting mods, 4k, textures, disabling ssao, etc. but, I'm still going to spell it out. None of this is new information and has been covered many a time by various players ad nauseum.

remove ugly blue toned lighting in the world by choosing a lighting mod from @softerhaze here

overhaul your graphics.cfg file (i use a custom blend with features specific to me), however @simp4sims has done a ridiculous amount of work in providing a simple to install file that can be found here - read through their tutorials!! they have provided an excellent oversight of exactly what this does and why it matters

improve the indoor lighting for your sims - previously i used @luumia's no blu, no glo - recently i switched to @northernsiberiawinds better in game lighting mod here, though i have tweaked some of the settings to suit my own personal preferences

i don't use the HQ mod, i don't find that it makes enough difference for the amount of effort it requires to convert CAS CC

It should go without saying, but tweaking your graphics config file is absolutely useless if you can't play TS4 at it's maximum in game graphic settings!

The Mods You're Using:

Now that you've put in all this work into getting the game ready to make use of quality mods where do you start? Well, the CC you install matters. Whatever your preference, whether it be maxis-match, alpha or somewhere in between, priority should be given to using items textured in 2k or 4k resolutions, and specific attention should be paid to using wall and flooring textures with bump maps, and or high quality resolutions (this is important later for reshade if you intend to learn about ray tracing).

I will separately post a guide to creators with crispy textures because that is it's own novel.

Reshade:

Phew. Still with me?

There are many many many reshade presets out there, most are alike, but none employ ray tracing, and that is because a) it needs to be manually adjusted for every screenshot, b) they are paid shaders, and c) this requires advanced knowledge of reshade and a decent enough graphics set up that won't overheat - games running native ray tracing recommend a minimum VRAM of 8GB (please note RAM and VRAM are not the same) - i therefore do not recommend pursuing this option if your system does not meet those minimum requirements.

Start here to understand what ray tracing for reshade is. In my opinion, the shaders are well worth the price of $5 for the amount of work that has gone into creating them by the talented Pascal Gilcher. That link is a comprehensive starting point into expanding your knowledge of reshade and it's capabilities.

I have always created my own reshade presets from scratch, and while the core colorization settings I utilize remain largely the same, using ray tracing and re-light means every screenshot needs to be manually adjusted (lights repositioned, bounce and AO factors adjusted, etc) before being captured. @pictureamoebae just published a very timely post discussing the re-light shader and you can read it here.

Post Processing

Reshade does 99.99% of the work that traditionally would be accomplished in a photo editing software like photoshop. Occasionally, I need to adjust exposure manually, add depth of field manually, or color correct. Beyond that I use it to scale images to fit the resolution and file size limits of various platforms. Conceptually this reduces the amount of uncontrolled loss encountered when platforms like tumblr auto compress files that are too large. In reality, tumblr still makes images crappy compared to how they appear in my file folder.

optimize your images for various social media platforms using this guide

fix exposure or colorization issues using a software like photoshop

I hope that this gives you a starting point into expanding your methodologies. My process is continuously evolving and I find this aspect of the game most entertaining. For others who don't enjoy this process, it's probably not worth it!

Thanks for reading ❤ PXL

[autumnslance]

Benchmark Tech Notes

Running the Benchmark

If your Benchmark isn't opening, it's an issue with the executable file, and something not completing properly on either download, or extracting the Zip file. The Benchmark is designed to run and give you scores for your potato computer, I promise.

I actually saved my Benchmark to my external drive, and it still pulls and saves data and runs as it should. Make sure you allowed the download to complete before extracting the zip.

Resolution

Check your Settings; in Display, it may be defaulting your monitor Resolution to something than you might otherwise use if you aren't on standard 1920x1080.

To check your monitor Resolution, minimize everything on your screen and right click anywhere on your Desktop. Go to Display Settings and scroll down to find Resolution and what it's set at.

You can set the Graphic Settings 1 tab to Maximum, or to Import your game settings. Display Settings tab is where you set it to be Windowed, Bordered, or Full Screen, as well as select Resolution to match your monitor in the dropdown (or customize it if needed). I speak on Resolution as some folks in my FC noted it changed how their characters looked.

The Other tab in Settings is where you can change the text output, or even check a box to disable the logo and score; I do this on subsequent plays, once I have my scores at various settings, to get the clean screenshots.

@calico-heart has a post about fixing graphics settings, with screenshots of the settings tab. Basically, change graphics upscaling from AMD to NVIDIA, and/or uncheck Enable Dynamic Resolution. Also check the Framerate Threshold dropdown.

Screenshots

The benchmark auto-saves 5 screens each playthrough. In the Benchmark folder there is a Screenshots folder to find the auto-images taken of your characters.

Character Appearance

If you want to get your current in game appearance, including non-standard hairstyles, make sure to load up the live game, right click and "Save Character Settings."

Then go to Documents/My Games/Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (this is the default in Windows 10 so mileage varies). The file will have the date you last updated their settings and be named FFXIV_CHARA_01.dat (or however many saves you have/made).

Grab those newly updated DAT files for your character(s) and copy them, then in the same base folder, go to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (Benchmark).

Paste the copied DAT files in there, and rename to FFXIV_CHARA_BENCH01.dat (the number doesn't matter, and you may have more).

When running Benchmark Character Creation, use the dropdown menu.

If you do Create a Custom Character and Load Appearance Data, it will give you default hairstyles again. Meteor's Dawntrail hairstyle is a new default.

In Char Gen I am finding that a very pale hrothgal reflects the green scenery around her, giving her white skin/fur a green tinge. The other zones do not have this problem, or at least not to the same degree.

They added a Midday vs Evening setting in outdoor areas as well to test lighting. The lighting in the Gridanian innroom is better; not as bright as outdoors, to be expected, but not completely useless.

New voice type icons to clarifying the sounds you make.

Remember we're getting a free fantasia with the expansion, so some tweaking may be needed; Iyna I felt like I needed to adjust her jaw. Other colors--skin, hair, eyes, tattoos, etc--are showing differently in the various kinds of lighting.

Uncertain if the limit on hairstyles for the Hrothgals so far is just a Benchmark thing; they do have set styles for different head options. Everyone gets Meteor's hair though, so it may be a temporary/Benchmark limit. But which clan and face you choose drastically alters what hair and facial feature options you have access to.

Check your settings, tweak them a bit, play around with chargen, and remember this is still a Benchmark; they always strike me as a little less polished than the finished game, but so far I'm actually pretty pleased with having defined fingers and toes, the irises in the eyes, scars looking cut into the skin, and other improvements.

[destinygoldenstar]

My First Small Business

So I’m very briefly testing out Businesses & Hobbies.

I randomized a sim and slapped them on a lot.

And, oh wow, you really CAN make any business you want. Make a school, a daycare, a restaurant, a bar-

Wait.

WHY IS THAT AN OPTION?!?!

I know what my business is gonna be.

“Want to get your anger out by LEGALLY throwing hands? 😡👊🏻 We’ll come to Anger Management! Made for the sims cardiac prevention movement! We also have pizza and alcohol! 😄🍕🍺”

“We are legally not responsible for any deaths and injuries”

We have pizza and we have alcohol!

Sims can die of anger. So to prevent such deaths, this business is made so sims can get their anger out by LEGALLY being allowed to scream and punch each other!

Cause, you know, anger and alcohol is a great combination.

How long before someone dies in here? I’m very curious.

That’d probably lead to multiple lawsuits. But this is Sims. You don’t get those kinds of consequences.

We heavily appeal to customers who are but not limited to: ERRATIC, HOT HEADED, MEAN, AMD SHADY.

Cause I can imagine walking up to a person and asking to be friends and you get a pop up that says “You learned the following traits about Angel GoodMan: SHADY.”

(I cracked myself up constructing this 😂)

So here’s where our business is.

I very lazily slapped stuff together tbh.

We got bathrooms. NO MIRRORS. Cause you look at yourself in the mirror and you see a punchable face and you end up breaking the glass. Our insurance doesn’t cover that amount of damage.

We got employees to cook for us. We got a bar.

We also have trash cans that I am anticipating they’ll kick over.

And a raccoon punching bag. (Sorry bro)

And upstairs is my home. STAY OUT OF MY HOME!

Anyway I think this is open for business! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Oh my god my imagination…

“You can make any small business you want! You can make a restaurant! Or a candy store! Or a daycare! You can make a functioning business for the greater good of the sims world economy-“

Me: “Let’s make a business where people can assault each other.”

Sims should NOT have given me this power!

We got our workers who I picked from the streets and said “Hey you’re hired.”

We got our cooks and our bartender.

LETS OPEN UP THIS BUSINESS!

If this actually works I’m gonna be rolling on the floor.

And IMMEDIATELY this guy got a drink and this dude with the cowboy hat stole it 😂

Oh we’re starting off strong

OH MY GOD THEYRE DOING IT 😂

WE GOT TWO PAIRS GOING OUT 😂😂

I’m just trying to bring the food we’re making on display

I have metal music on BLASTING in the place as they’re doing this

This guy is just sitting at the bar trying to get a drink while everyone else is killing each other 😂

“CAN I GET A WAFFLE?” (Same energy)

Except here it’s “Can I get a margarita?” *SMACK* “Can I please get a margarita?”

WE GOT A POSITIVE REVIEW?!?!

“Anger Management has received its first positive customer review!”

😂😂😂

I’m CRYING man. I’m gonna die of laughter like in the sims.

These ladies are just enjoying the candy and pizza.

We got a disruptive customer. Oh no 😂

How can a customer be disruptive in This setting? Preaching the magic of friendship?

Right now she just seems to be doing what everyone else is doing.

My sims getting tired so we’re gonna close.

We LOST FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS

That’s impressive 👍🏻

But we got positive reviews!

We got an ambiance growth opportunity and we got EXCELLENT BUSINESS ACTIVITIES 😂

I CAN’T 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[lesuccube]

➚ 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐊 𝐃 : ᴀᴜ-ᴄᴛᴏʙᴇʀ — ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ , ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 — a treat for you and your lover .

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 — fluff infection

𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 — not beta'd , constructive criticism is welcomed . reblogs and comments are appreciated .

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 — 0.5k

baker!steven who loves making you treats and sneaks them into your lunch bag without you knowing.

baker!steven who makes the most of his goodies gluten free but will occasionally (read: every time you ask for baked treats) indulge your request to make them sugary and sweet.

baker!steven who would spend sleepless nights in the kitchen concocting new recipes.

baker!steven who, with enough encouragement from you, opens up a shop after his sudden unemployment from the museum.

baker!steven who cried upon hearing that you had used up most of your lifesavings to get him a quaint spot downtown with a busy enough street that guarantees him a steady flow of customers.

baker!steven who promised to pay you back for your investment and won't take no for an answer which in the end resulted into agreeing to open a joint account so his 'debt' would be put to other uses like your shared responsibilities like rent, groceries and for emergencies.

baker!steven who absolutely adores his shop, making sure to keep his customers saitisfied with quality food (he has two menus, separating gluten free items for the vegan options).

baker!steven who makes friends with his regulars, chatting up with the old ladies that come in for afternoon tea and crumpets, helping college students to the best he can but absolutely enjoys it when they ask help for history subjects and entertains little children with ancient egyptian trivias and gives them tiny trinkets for free.

baker!steven who refused to serve donna when she came in for coffee after the horrible treatment she had given him when he used to work at the museum.

baker!steven who closed shop for a few hours to call you up looking for comfort because seeing donna so suddenly after finally recovering from what he had endured from her before shook him.

baker!steven who would most definitely close the bakery after lunch rush to personally visit you at work to hand you a basket full of extra baked goods to share with your co-workers.

baker!steven who loves when fall arrives because he gets to decorate the shop in fall amd halloween themes and gets to experiment baking with different pans and cookie cutters.

baker!steven who eventually experiments with learning how to make drinks so the equipment you had gotten him will be put to good use until he learns the hard way that brewing coffee is not good for his autistic brain.

baker!steven who would hire a barista instead to make the drinks and gets along with them, gives them free treats during lunch break and gives them leftovers from the day's batch.

baker!steven who eventually joins the farmers market after getting enough recognition from customers in his street and encouragement from aunties from the neighborhood.

baker!steven who had to close his stall after just a few hours because he had sold out all of his baked batches for the day.

baker!steven who 100% loves his new career path.

baker!steven who would drop by the street act he used to talk to after work hours from the museum to give him a goodie bag and a big tip just because.

baker!steven who waits for you before closing up for the day so he can dance with you between counters and tables, murmuring sweet, sweet love to your ears in between laughter and feeds you a small fresh batch of your favorite cookies before walking back to his place hand in hand with you.

[obsessivevoidkitten]

Any coc game is not for people into men and the few that exist most are locked to liking women only (even locking to cis) but have you tried degrees of lewdity?

I like it to an extent but it is waaaaay more focused on the player being a victim amd it stresses me out greatly.

Also if you become Whitney's love interest he'll still physically assault you and Kylar is too weak to protect you most of the time except occasionally with darts. Wtf.

It just isn't quite what I'm looking for right now. I do binge play it sometimes when I'm in the right mood for it. It isn't like CoC where you get to be a strong hero that beats up all enemies. It's so easy for everything in DoL to just spiral out of control.

I will give it much credit for being open to any sexual preference though. So many customization options for the player and NPCs.

[demifiendrsa]

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - Announce Trailer

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) on October 31, 2024 for $49.99. Existing owners of Horizon Zero Dawn can upgrade to Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99.

First details

Over seven years ago, we released Horizon Zero Dawn into the wilds. Players got to meet Aloy, our leading hero, thrust into a journey of (self-)discovery in a mysterious, far-future world ravaged by deadly machines.

It was also the beginning of a thriving community of cosplayers, virtual photographers, fan artists, and content creators who inspire us to this day with their incredible creations. Horizon Zero Dawn is near and dear to many fans, as well as to everyone at Guerrilla.

And that community has not stopped growing. Each year, many millions more pick up Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time. But seven years is a long time in the world of computer graphics; technology improves. As time moved on, we really wished that new players who join Aloy on her origin story can do it with a version that is worthy of their PS5 or compatible PC. And so, we are thrilled to announce that the game has been remastered by our talented friends at Nixxes.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered launches on October 31. The captivating story and awe-inspiring post-apocalyptic world returns alongside a host of technological improvements, visual enhancements, and upgraded features. It also includes The Frozen Wilds content, a vast expansion featuring additional lands, skills, weapons, and machines. Take a look at the announcement trailer below.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered features over 10 hours of re-recorded conversation, mocap and countless graphical improvements that bring the game to the same visual fidelity as its critically acclaimed sequel Horizon Forbidden West. The game’s lush world includes frozen mountains, dense jungles, and arid deserts with stunning new visuals and 4K graphics and travelling between settlements is now lightning-fast.

The story’s many compelling characters have been upgraded, bringing them in line with current generation advances in character models and rendering. We hope that improved animation, lightning, textures and more will make new and existing fans excited to dive into the action!

The audio experience in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has been significantly enhanced. We’ve completely revamped the sound mix, now supporting PlayStation 5 Tempest 3D Audio Tech for higher-order ambisonics and Atmos rendering for an immersive soundscape. Our sound design has also seen major improvements, with hundreds of improvements both in-game and in the cinematics.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes full advantage of the PlayStation 5 console’s power and features. The DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers ensure incredible immersion during tense combat, stealthy exploration, or scaling a gigantic Tallneck. We’ve integrated custom haptics for the DualSense controller throughout the game, providing tactile feedback that heightens immersion. Additionally, we’ve introduced a new optional accessibility feature that utilizes sound and haptic feedback to notify players of interactable elements, such as pickups, that were previously only indicated visually.

We’re also very happy to share that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered comes with native support for PlayStation 5 Pro. This includes a range of graphical features that have been improved to make use of the power of the PlayStation 5 Pro, while also delivering ultra-high fidelity at blazing fast framerates.

The PC version on Windows includes the PlayStation overlay with Trophy support and has its own set of features, such as support for ultra-wide resolutions and the latest performance enhancing technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3.1 with frame generation. We will let our Nixxes partners expand more in a future blog.

Many of the accessibility features that were first introduced in Horizon Forbidden West have been included for this Remastered version as well; remappable controls, haptic cues, and various assist toggles will enable all players to fully enjoy the game.

For those that have already played it, we’ve made sure that your old save games will work; so this is a great opportunity to dive into New Game+ or get back into Photo Mode with all your previously unlocked outfits and customizations.

We’re excited to share that pre-orders for Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will open on October 3 for both platforms.

For existing owners of Horizon Zero Dawn (PlayStation 4, PC) and/or Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition (PS4, PS5, PC): you can upgrade to the digital version of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99 on both PlayStation 5 console and on PC (via Steam or Epic Game Store). This includes fans who added the game to their libraries during PlayStation’s Play At Home initiative.

Owners of the Horizon Zero Dawn PlayStation 4 game disc can access this offer by inserting the game disc into their PlayStation 5 console (and will need to keep the disc inserted each time to play the game). PlayStation 4 game disc owners who buy the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to access the upgrade offer.

For new fans, the game can be purchased for $49.99 on PlayStation Store, Steam, or Epic Game Store. You will receive the Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition.

[dutyworn]

pc rambles, don't mind me

so i'm planning to build a computer for the first! time, sometime next year, and i'm at the point where i'm choosing the parts, so that i can start buying them earlier over the months/years to be able to wait for sales and stuff like that. i have never had a desktop pc and i've never built a pc and i am so thrilled to do it, almost not at all intimidated (it looks like lego for adults and fun), especially as i've been developing a special interest in computer parts and therefore learning more and more about computers

i'm 99.9 percent certain that i want a ryzen 7 7800X3D and 100 percent certain that i want an AM5 processor, and i'm leaning heavily towards one of the RTX 4070s (why are there like FOUR DIFFERENT MODELS OF THE 4070 GUYS), most likely RTX 4070 Super or Ti Super because fuck only 8GB of VRAM for that pricetag for the non-supers??? honestly fuck the pricetag of the Ti Super and Super anyway because ????????????????????? this is supposed to be a mid-high graphics card and the Ti Super is OVER A THOUSAND currently with import taxes, and i feel like if i went for AMD instead of nvidia i could buy a slightly lower end graphics card for half the price, but because of the non-gaming stuff that i like to do, i am kind of restricted to nvidia.

so basically waiting for black friday sales or such while i save moneys.

i don't really know their plans for the 4000 series anyway now that the 5000 series is out but i am? holding? out? hope? for... price drops...? i'm not really even looking at the newest series unless for some reason there were discounts that let me buy something better or as good for less money but that's. ey.

if i sound like i know what i'm talking about, i probably don't.

need to learn much more about relevant motherboards before picking my options there, but as a data hoarderTM, i do want lots of storage connectivity. i actually was going to buy a new external hdd sometimes this year but if i build a computer next year... internal hdds are so much cheaper, so i might just wait for that. i mean, i'm prioritising the fastest ssds before thinking about general storage, one for OS and one for programs/games/etc., i just want many, many slots for storage i can upgrade later.

i do want a fishtank case with a glass wall, but i'm actually not too much into rgb light aesthetics, and i'm currently favouring the thought of noctua fans all around, and aircooling, rather than liquid.

i also. they need to start making 24 inch screens that are 1440p. there is literally a single option for a higher refresh rate screen that is 24 inch and 1440p. i don't want a 27 inch screen! that's huge! and i don't want 1080p for 24 inches. i'm used to a 15 inch laptop screen with 1080p, no way will i go for 1080p in a screen bigger than 20 inches. i want the ppi, thank you.

so, yes, i currently have a laptop (i5-11300H, RTX 3060 laptop version), that i mostly use with an external keyboard, which is nice, but i also do... want a new keyboard... probably to use with my laptop even before i start buying computer parts?

i'm not saying i'm getting fully into custom keyboards but i am saying that i want a tactile, customisable keyboard (i have my eyes on one). my current one is um. 65 percent, i think, or 60, i forget the difference, and that is fine because i also have my 75 percent laptop keyboard i can use the arrow keys etc. on for ease of access, but i definitely want at least a 75 percent, or 80 percent one this time. if i get different switches i can also have a different typing feel based on my mood! ksnsbnsmbns

but like. i want to be able to switch out the keycaps and switches if i so choose. i also don't want another one where the keys are hard to use unless the rgb light is on, like my current one. yes, i could just set it at a white light but... i don't like using the computer in the dark anyway, i don't want to have to have rgb on?

and i know linear switches or a low profile might make more sense for gaming but i also don't caaaaaaaare i want my tactile switches. i want that thonk.

anyway the other night my partner was talking about a nerdy thing they had bought for their apartment, and i was like, wanna know how nerdy i am? and they were like, you own a garrus vakarian body pillow. and i was like. ok. yes, but, not what i was gonna say ksnsmabsnmsas. i've been watching hours and hours of computer building videos and how-tos and it's way over a year until i am even planning to build mine. that's how nerdy i am.

my uncle built a computer before it was cool, like late 90s i think, so i'm continuing the legacy i guess

[the-owl-tree]

for games, I’d recommend Cattails 1 and 2! Cattails 1, just known as “Cattails”, is a rather old 8bit cat life sim similar to Stardew valley, and is sort of outdated, so I would recommend starting with Cattails 2, known as “Cattails: Wildwood”! Wildwood has updated graphics, extremely customizable character options, fun characters to get to know, and an interesting story campaign! It is also a life sim similar to Stardew Valley, but the town amd den in which you live is completely customizable! If you end up really liking Wildwood and want more, you can try out the first one for a little more tidbits of lore, but it isn’t necessary to know anything from the first game to play the second.

I LOVE CATTAILS! Can't believe I forgot it. i used to play the original warriors fangame it was based off of all the time, my favorite thing to do was play as a rogue and design my own custom base. A little sad that isn't an option in Cattails (unless it is?)

I've been meaning to check out Wildwood, I was really excited when I saw farming was part of it.

[themaskstayson]

Part three of the Wyll origin run

Ah man, this is a lot. I haven't had Gale so excited to talk to me since my first playthrough 500 hours ago it's kind of cute ngl

I'm thinking about Wyll being emo during the party cause the little scene is one of my favorites, and trying to cheer him up from his body dysphoria(?) but I also really, REALLY, enjoy the idea of Wyll stuffing his feelings down to make everyone happy since he can't be emo by the river since he's the party lead. Wyll is trying to keep the team morale high and then when he's alone in his bed he just cries to sleep. Cause, let's be real, no one is mentally capable to help each other when the player is the therapist.

Also, his funny lines are pretty good and I have been picking every single option to have Wyll just laughing the pain away.

So, we saved Karlach, asked her if she had any advice on horn care since I feel like that's a WAY better route to go instead of Wyll being depressed during the party when you are Tav amd makes more sense since Wyll is gonna mingle.

(Side rant: People say Wyll sucks because he's insensitive but like, come on. He's a DEVIL not tielfing! I think he's allowed to express how he feels uncomfortable in his new DEVIL body. "But tielfings have horns!" yeah okay but they straight up saw Wyll as a human like two days ago, they know something is fishy with the sulfer smell coming off him. You gonna say there's no difference??? Now THAT is insensitive /hj lol)

I also went to the Rest and Counsellor Florrick asked what the hell happened and once again Wyll joked that he was running with the wrong crowd. Unfortunately that backed fired and she said she knew since his father informed them which damn. Ulder is talking mad shit about his own son, that's crazy. Felt bad and then she had the audacity to demand my help???? Like I was gonna give it but damn.

Anyways, I was hoping to get to level 5 before the Goblin Camp but I didn't. So, we gambled it. Had Gut give me the sleep potion and got assistance for that. Knocked Minthara out cause I'm STILL trying to get that girl without being a bad guy. Then fought Ragzlin which.... that was rough. Gale did die but luckily his deas body did some damage to a goblin and Ragzlin. I usually cheese the fight but idk I decided not to this time around for some reason.

STILL not sure who imma romance. Flirted with Gale at the party, which was cute. I am leaning towards him cause I gotta stop romancing Astarion and Wyll all the time. And despite being a huge wyllstarion fan, Gale is doing something to my current need for a cute romance. Plus my other game I am romancing Astarion and Wyll (two Tav game yippee) so I should romance someone new. Karlach did not try to put the moves on me and I am not putting the moves on her so rip. First time ever Shadowheart and Lae'zel are meh about me, which is weird. I'll figure it out the next time I play but might be joining the Gale/Wyll club. I should find some fics to get into the mindset.

Also if anyone is reading these I should mention this is a modded custom game. Meaning I am using the mod honor feature unlock so i can have the playstyle with multiple saves, playing in a custom game that I cannot see the NPC HP, gave the NPC 100% more HP compared to the game 30% more. I want the multiple saves for story stuff cause I'm still trying out new lines but also I need the combat to be harder.

Honour Feature Unlock

Tactician Plus (best for party limit begone tbh this file I'm doing just 4 to a party tho but in other files with everyone, I use the 150% HP)

[satoshi-mochida]

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart coming to PC on July 26

Gematsu Source

Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Insomniac Games will release Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on July 26, the companies announced.

Pre-orders include early access to the in-game items “Carbonox Armor Set” and “Pixelizer Weapon.”

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart first launched for PlayStation 5 on June 11, 2021.

Here is an overview of the game, via its store pages:

About

The intergalactic adventurers are back with a bang in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart!

Go dimension-hopping with Ratchet and Clank as they venture onto a PC near you for the very first time. Help them take on an evil emperor from another reality as you jump between action-packed worlds and beyond.

With their own universe next in the firing line, dust off the dynamic pair’s outrageous weaponry and stop a dimensional collapse in its tracks!

Unite the double team supreme with a cast of familiar allies and new faces, including newcomer Rivet. She’s a Lombax resistance fighter from another dimension, who is just as determined to take out the robotic scourge.

Enjoy a dazzling interdimensional adventure. Built from the ground up by acclaimed studio Insomniac Games and brought to PC by Nixxes Software, you’ll go beyond what you see with in-game actions coming to life in your hands via the DualSense wireless controller. Haptic feedback and adaptive trigger technology create lifelike sensations: feel the hum of a spacecraft vibrate across the surface of the controller, or the kick of pulling your trusty Enforcer’s trigger.

PC Features

Blast your way through an interdimensional adventure as Ratchet and Clank make their way to PC for the very first time!

Wrap your eyes around delightful, diverse dimensions, with ultra-wide support for 21:9, 32:9, and 48:9 (triple monitor support) resolutions!

See the omniverse brought to life with the option of unlocked frame rates! You can also enjoy ray-traced reflections, as well as newly added, ray-traced shadows for exteriors.

Witness the very latest, performance-enhancing upscaling technologies for yourself, including NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 2, Intel XeSS and Insomniac Games’ Temporal Injection. NVIDIA Reflex and image quality-enhancing NVIDIA DLAA are also supported.

Play with the DualSense controller to experience haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects. Or choose mouse and keyboard—with a wide range of control customization options.

Includes support for achievements and cloud saves on PC game launchers.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

PC Features Trailer

[junkieito]

Nobody asked but I decided to give some context, the whole country is mad bc that badly spoken, zero researched movie about a serious topic that features only one Mexican person is being awarded while having music that could have been written by a middle schooler.

In the beginning they talk about France showcasing places that are obviously not France while a spin-off voice narrates in horrible French.

The first musical number is a cumbia-like song that says "welcome to la france" featuring "the cheese I eat smells better than I do but my perfume makes up for it" (French people are know in LATAM for not exactly prioritizing bathing) plus some random french words

My favorite part is "VIVAN LOS PASTELES" (Pastel = cake) So, France occupied Mexico twice, the first time it was done under the pretext that french businessmen and artisans had suffered various forms of economic loss, one of them a baker that reportedly had been taken advantage of by general Santa Anna (I'm unsure if he was the president at the moment), who consumed cakes and never paid for them, which is why it became know as The Cake's war.

So basically we have the Sacreblus who run a baguette company and the Ratatouiles who run a croissant company, they are both rejected by their families for being trans but are promised the family's enterprise if they win a race and honor the family's heritage.

The scene with the Ratatouiles features:

(The dad does not favor Aghtugo because he is trans and 'doesn't have a penis' so he says any of his brothers would be a good option as well and he starts shading on them + aghtugo is how the franch would often pronounce the name arthur in spanish)

- But, Hugo is not over his "artist" phase and is addicted to paint thinner.

- Aee don onlee in'aile thinnegh, the zhelou pein gueevs mee 'appinezz

- Mario Hugo? Good luck having a twangy french man

. (Speaks actual french)

- It's impossible to understand you!

Amd

- It's not that we don't love you, it's just that we're ashamed of being related to you (:

Next scene Johanne is meeting her friend Emily... in Paris lol. They have an exchange and they mock the fact she's privileged and comes from a wealthy family and has no real problems but winning the race. The "french waiter" comes and then this exchange happens-

- Is that it or would you like anything else?

- That's it.

-Yes that's it... or maybe I'd also like to or-

- You said that was it. (Takes menu away) You must learn to abide by your word! (Rudely)

- Hey, what a great customer service!

- I know! The best in all of France!

We are mentioned for the second time that Johanne was sent to Mexico and she says she now does not understand some french things like the lack of kindness, animal cruelty practices and hatred of muslims. Then a sequence ensues where she just says "have you ever thought what we do is wrong?" and her friend magically agrees drowning birds in cognac is a cruel practice

- I feel so dirty now! I even want to take a shower!

- I knew I wasn't just crazy!

- I just never thought what we did was wrong somehow, I always though those minimum wage skin colored people liked how we treated them!

We learn that Johanne was sent to Mexico because she has hallucinations of Marie Antoinette which she denies saying it is the real ghost of her. Then she appears saying racist stuff about Emily.

- Don't listen to her! She has the fashion sense of a guatemalan (derogative)

Then ladybug is presenting the race and the first one is won by Johanne (they celebrate by throwing rats at her ). There is a number imitating "Soy Emilia Pereeez una mujer mexicanaaa que merece respetoooo" in black and white about "The trash man", after that we see Aghturo and Johanne are trying to solve their differences and Aghtugo ends up convincing Johanne to let him win the second part of the race so it is even and nobody wins.

- Baguette may only be bread but croissants are France itself! It's in our veins, in our wine, in the air we breathe!

Afterwards Aghtugo says to Johanne:

A: You only say that because you've been outside of France for too long, you're now but a Chimichanga* lover!

J: (Visibly offended) ?Cinco de mayo!

A: How dare you! (Slaps her)

*mexican dish

Ok this is because cinco de mayo commemorates La batalla de Puebla which was a battle we won against the french during the Second French Intervention. Sppiler alert we lost the war and they put an Habsburg as Emperor backed by Napoleon III.|

So in the end the competition is even but the french overlords say it an't be even, there must me a baguette battle-to-death.

* What is that?

* A battle where they fight each other to death... with baguettes!

* (Fake surprise)

Another scene ensues where Aghtugo magically thinks some practices are bad after Johannes says so literally.

By this point Johanne convinces Aghtugo of not fighting to death but an evil ambassador appears and hurts Aghtugo and tells them they must fight to death, it is discovered he acted like that bc he was controlled by a rat and he is defeated somehow (didn't get that part). The Johanne is being interviewed (her description reads "bored millionaire" )

This final part features the dialogue:

"Being controlled by a rat! The worst nightmare of any french-man!"

And then she says that to end the interview her mexican friends told her to gift them something specal which turns out to be a cake and the final scene shows her about to throw it into the guy's face.

Obscure reference but the thinner guy very ad hoc smells a rat at some point which is a reference to an obscure urban tale in mexico called la rata con thinner, which i don't wanna explain you don't wanna look up

Ithe filming credits reads "directed by: someone with adhd'

Et la voilà, c'est la fin.

Merci de ne jamais faire un autre truc comme ça svp

wait a bunch of ppl ( in mexico i belive) got togheter and made a mini movie where everyone is poorly pretending to be french in retaliation for the dogshit emilia perez musical this is awesome tjhey all have little mustaches drawn on with sharpie and are spealing the worst french ever

[sharon-ai]

Revolutionizing AI Development with Affordable GPU Cloud Pricing and Flexible Cloud GPU Rental Options

In today’s data-driven world, the demand for high-performance computing is growing at an unprecedented pace. Whether you’re training deep learning models or running complex simulations, access to powerful GPUs can make all the difference. Fortunately, modern platforms now offer cost-effective GPU cloud pricing and flexible cloud GPU rental services, making cutting-edge computing accessible to everyone, from startups to research institutions.

Why Affordable GPU Cloud Pricing Matters

Efficient GPU cloud pricing ensures that businesses and developers can scale their operations without incurring massive infrastructure costs. The ability to access high-end GPUs on a pay-as-you-go model is especially beneficial for AI workloads that require intensive computation.

Budget-Friendly Rates: Platforms are now offering some of the most competitive pricing models in the industry, with hourly rates significantly lower than traditional hyperscalers.

No Hidden Fees: Transparent pricing with no data transfer charges allows users to control their budget while maximizing performance fully.

Diverse GPU Options: From advanced NVIDIA A100s to AMD's latest offerings, users can choose from various GPUs to meet their unique workload requirements.

Cloud GPU Rental: The Key to Flexibility

Cloud GPU rental empowers users to access the right hardware at the right time. This flexibility is ideal for project-based work, startups testing AI models, or research teams running simulations.

On-Demand Access: Users can rent GPUs exactly when they need them—scaling up or down depending on their workflow.

Scalable Solutions: From single-user tasks to enterprise-level needs, modern platforms accommodate all scales of usage with ease.

Secure and Reliable: Enterprise-grade infrastructure housed in Tier III and IV data centers ensures minimal downtime and maximum performance.

Cost-Effective Performance at Your Fingertips

One of the biggest advantages of cloud GPU rental is the massive cost savings. Modern providers offer rates up to 50% lower than traditional cloud platforms, making them an ideal choice for budget-conscious teams.

All-Inclusive Pricing: What you see is what you pay—no extra charges for data transfer or system maintenance.

Tailored for AI & HPC: These platforms are built from the ground up with AI, deep learning, and HPC needs in mind, ensuring high-speed, low-latency performance.

Custom Discounts: Users with long-term needs or bulk usage requirements can take advantage of volume discounts and custom plans.

Designed for Developers and Innovators

Whether you’re building the next breakthrough AI application or analyzing large-scale scientific data, cloud GPU rental services offer the tools you need without the overhead.

Virtual Server Configuration: Customize your virtual environment to fit your project, improving efficiency and cutting waste.

Integrated Cloud Storage: Reliable and scalable cloud storage ensures your data is always accessible, secure, and easy to manage.

Final Thoughts

The landscape of high-performance computing is changing rapidly, and access to affordable GPU cloud pricing and flexible cloud GPU rental is at the heart of this transformation. Developers, researchers, and enterprises now have the freedom to innovate without being held back by hardware limitations or financial constraints. By choosing a provider that prioritizes performance, transparency, and flexibility, you can stay ahead in a competitive digital world.

[frozenbassist]

ChromeOS -> Linux

ChromeOS is essentially a highly-customized and locked-down version of Linux (based on Gentoo Linux). It's similar to Android in that way, since Android is also Linux-based. While Linux can't natively run Linux apps, it has its own software repositories (depends on the distro) where you can install anything. And it's 100% free and open-source. Plus, many distros (distribution - like a flavor of Linux) are beginner-friendly and easy-to-use.

The best option for beginners is a Debian-based distro: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Pop! OS are some favorites among beginners

If you have a low-spec PC: AMD Athlon, Intel Pentium, Celeron, < 4 Gb RAM, there are modern distros like MX Linux or AntiX Linux that can run on low-spec hardware with as little as 512 Mb of RAM.

Also, if you want Linux to look like ChromeOS, you need to install a distro with KDE like Kubuntu, Debian with KDE, or KDE Neon and then install one of the many ChromeOS themes I linked below from the KDE store - not actually a store - they are all free like most things on Linux.

Google is going to start scraping all of their platforms to use for AI training. So, here are some alternatives for common Google tools!

Google Chrome -> Firefox

If you’re on tumblr, you’ve probably already been told this a thousand times. But FireFox is an open-source browser which is safe, fast and secure. Basically all other browsers are Chrome reskins. Try Firefox Profilemaker, Arkenfox and Librewolf! Alternatively, vanilla Firefox is alright, but get Ublock Origin, turn off pocket, and get Tabliss.

Google Search -> DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo very rarely tracks or stores your browsing data (though they have only been known to sell this info to Microsoft). Don’t use their browser; only their search engine. Domain visits in their browser get shared. Alternatively, you can also use Ecosia, which is a safe search engine that uses its income to plant trees! 🌲

Google Reverse Image Search -> Tineye

Tineye uses image identification tech rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks to find you the source of your image!

Gmail -> ProtonMail

All data stored on ProtonMail is encrypted, and it boasts self-destructing emails, text search, and a commitment to user privacy. Tutanota is also a good alternative!

Google Docs -> LibreOffice

LibreOffice is free and open-source software, which includes functions like writing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, formula editing and more.

Google Translate -> DeepL

DeepL is notable for its accuracy of translation, and is much better that Google Translate in this regard. It does cost money for unlimited usage, but it will let you translate 500,000 characters per month for free. If this is a dealbreaker, consider checking out the iTranslate app.

Google Forms -> ClickUp

ClickUp comes with a built-in form view, and also has a documents feature, which could make it a good option to take out two birds with one stone.

Google Drive -> Mega

Mega offers a better encryption method than Google Drive, which means it’s more secure.

YouTube -> PeerTube

YouTube is the most difficult to account for, because it has a functional monopoly on long-form video-sharing. That being said, PeerTube is open-source and decentralized. The Internet Archive also has a video section!

However, if you still want access to YouTube’s library, check out NewPipe and LibreTube! NewPipe scrapes YouTube’s API so you can watch YouTube videos without Google collecting your info. LibreTube does the same thing, but instead of using YouTube servers, it uses piped servers, so Google doesn’t even get your IP address. Both of these are free, don’t require sign-ins, and are open source!

Please feel free to drop your favorite alternatives to Google-owned products, too! And, if this topic interests you, consider checking out Glaze as well! It alters your artwork and photos so that it’s more difficult to use to train AI with! ⭐️

[demifiendrsa]

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - PC Reveal Trailer

The PC version of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will launch for Steam and Epic Games Store on July 26, 2023.

Pre-orders include early access to the in-game items “Carbonox Armor Set” and “Pixelizer Weapon.”

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart first launched for PlayStation 5 on June 11, 2021.

Screenshots

Overview

About

The intergalactic adventurers are back with a bang in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart!

Go dimension-hopping with Ratchet and Clank as they venture onto a PC near you for the very first time. Help them take on an evil emperor from another reality as you jump between action-packed worlds and beyond.

With their own universe next in the firing line, dust off the dynamic pair’s outrageous weaponry and stop a dimensional collapse in its tracks!

Unite the double team supreme with a cast of familiar allies and new faces, including newcomer Rivet. She’s a Lombax resistance fighter from another dimension, who is just as determined to take out the robotic scourge.

Enjoy a dazzling interdimensional adventure. Built from the ground up by acclaimed studio Insomniac Games and brought to PC by Nixxes Software, you’ll go beyond what you see with in-game actions coming to life in your hands via the DualSense wireless controller. Haptic feedback and adaptive trigger technology create lifelike sensations: feel the hum of a spacecraft vibrate across the surface of the controller, or the kick of pulling your trusty Enforcer’s trigger.

PC Features

Blast your way through an interdimensional adventure as Ratchet and Clank make their way to PC for the very first time!

Wrap your eyes around delightful, diverse dimensions, with ultra-wide support for 21:9, 32:9, and 48:9 (triple monitor support) resolutions!

See the omniverse brought to life with the option of unlocked frame rates! You can also enjoy ray-traced reflections, as well as newly added, ray-traced shadows for exteriors.

Witness the very latest, performance-enhancing upscaling technologies for yourself, including NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 2, Intel XeSS and Insomniac Games’ Temporal Injection. NVIDIA Reflex and image quality-enhancing NVIDIA DLAA are also supported.

Play with the DualSense controller to experience haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects. Or choose mouse and keyboard—with a wide range of control customization options.

Includes support for achievements and cloud saves on PC game launchers.