#and the platforms that enable them to take what side

[happycattail]

I think there’s an interesting study to be had about Twitter CR Fandom vs Tumblr CR Fandom when it comes to character conflict and the sides that they choose.

I believe during the whole Ashton and Fearne Shard debacle, Tumblr sided with Fearne while Twitter sided with Ashton and there were once again words of “infantilization” of woman being thrown around.

It’s similar to the current fandom conflict except in the opposite direction now. It’s Twitter on Laudna’s side and Tumblr on Orym’s side and “infantilization” is being used yet again as an argument against siding with the more feminine presenting characters of the group.

Not to mention the way everyone keeps trying ti shift all the blame into one character or even those who says that “both are in the wrong” there’s a very clear emphasis on who is “more wrong”

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

I saw a conservative account that made the claim that Trump supporting Israel will only bring more muslims to western countries.

As a conservative myself, I'm like ???? That's objectively false. mohammad didn't try to take over the world because of the Jews. The islamic caliphate didn't exist because of the Jews, but because the quran is a book that preaches violence, written by a man who preached violence.

I have issues with Israel's government at times, and I don't like how much sway they have in our government, but siding with Israel in this case is objective the right thing to do, IF FOR NO OTHER REASONS THAN BECAUSE hamas HAS AMERICANS HOSTAGES. hamas MURDERED AMERICAN CITIZENS, and we did NOTHING.

Our government failed our people.

(Not me saying all muslims are bad people who want to kill all infidels, but not only are they the minority, but they're objectively not following everything in the quran. And it's hard to tell the difference between the benign ones and the hazardous ones, because the quran ALSO encourages lying when in a position of weakness to infiltrate the enemy. Sun Tzu would consider that an active war strategy!)

You don't need to publish this - I know you'll get a lot of flack giving an "islamophobe" like me a platform. I just wanted to share my thoughts with a sane person, because everything around me feels like a fever dream.

My dude, I regularly call Islam a pedophile bandit religion. Your ask is tame compared to what I think about the """""""religion""""""" of Islam.

But let's take that account at face value and assume that supporting Israel will lead to more Muslims entering the west. Let's further assume the implied inverse, that not supporting Israel will lead to less, or even no, Muslims entering the west. We know that, without US support, there's a very good chance Israel will fall, especially considering the rest of the western world is so eager to abandon them. We know the goal of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and their allies is to wipe out Israel and kill every Jew who lives there. So are they saying that's a price we should gladly pay to keep Muslims out of the west? Why stop there? If that goal is worth the lives of millions of Israelis, then why don't we start carpet bombing Israel? Get it over with faster and hasten the time when no more Muslims come to the west. Doesn't that sound more reasonable than wishy washy half measures?

Or do you draw a line between actively enabling a genocide and actively participating in one?

But yeah, the entire concept is stupid. Muslims come to the west because they want to and we stupidly let them. It has nothing to do with Israel.

Again, the antisemites are not very intelligent.

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4 New Game Patch (January 14th, 2025)

EA has shared the patch notes for an upcoming game update, scheduled to drop today (January 14th) at 10am PST.

If you have auto updates enabled in Origin’s “Application Settings”, the game will auto-update once you open Origin. If you have auto-updates disabled, you will need to manually update by clicking the game in your library.Advertisement

To ensure your game is up to date, check the game version found in Documents > EA > The Sims 4 > GameVersion.txt. Your game should now read: PC: 1.112.481.1030 / Mac: 1.112.481.1230; Console: 2.05.

Hoople Borpna Simmers! Ok, it’s not February yet, but The Sims 25th Birthday is just around the corner and it’s exciting to think about twenty-five years of The Sims!

At 10 AM PST, the first update of the new year will begin to roll out bringing a range of improvements from a brand-new Main Menu to memory and performance optimizations, a refresh of the base game homes, and a few bug fixes.

Thank you for your support and continued reporting efforts via Answers HQ, it really helps us identify the issues you care the most about. If you’re ready to start the birthday party early, come join us in The Sims Discord!

Dag dag!

-The Sims Team

What’s New in The Sims 4 ?

Base Game Updates

Main Menu Visual Refresh

To start off with, we have a brand-new Main Menu visual refresh! We’ve pushed aside the clutter to make space for your Sims! New Game / Resume Game has moved from right to left, as have a few of the other navigation options. Home, Events and Store can be found at the top, along with the Options panel in the far right. It may take a moment to get used to the New Game / Resume Game new location, I know it took a moment for some of us. A few other changes to mention:

The visual update includes a bit of fresh paint, a little less clutter, with the desire to keep information clear and discoverable for you!

The Sims in the center are your last played household Sims, all of them!

And important updates and information from The Sims are focused on the right side.

Speaking of the Main Menu, you’ll receive a message about the upcoming Blast from The Past Event.

Starting on February 4th, this birthday event will feature rewards inspired by iconic items from the 2000s, such as a milk carton, telephone, alarm clock, triple-tiered birthday cake, and inflatable chair and loveseat.Advertisement

Performance and Memory Improvements

Smoother Gameplay

We’ve optimized mouse movements, preventing slowdowns and making gameplay more responsive on PC, Console, and Mac.

Improved Graphics and Performance – On Mac and PS4, we’ve optimized how graphic data is handled, resulting in smoother and more efficient rendering and overall performance.

Memory Efficiency

Various enhancements have been made to save memory across all platforms, helping the game run more smoothly and reducing crashes.

Base Game Townie Home Refresh

New year, new homes! All Townie Homes in Willow Creek and Oasis Springs have been updated and renovated to breathe some fresh life into classic lots.

Willow Creek Homes: Cypress Terrace, Ophelia Villa, Pique Hearth, Garden Essence

Oasis Springs Homes: Sultry Springside, Affluista Mansion, Cacti Casa, Slipshod Mesquite

Both the Legacy and Updated Lots are automatically available in the “My Library” tab.

New Saves

Players who start a New Game will automatically see the updated lots in the world!

Existing Saves

Players who would like to see the update in their existing saves must manually update the homes by placing the new lots from the “My Library” tab.

Bug Fixes

Console

Potion Color Issue on Consoles – Fixed a bug where potion colors in cauldrons would change to gray after loading a saved game.

Texture Reloading Optimization – Improved the texture reloading process on Xbox One to reduce “out-of-memory” crashes, and providing more efficient loading of game lots.

Base Game:

[AHQ] Fullscreen Minimization Fix

We resolved an issue where you couldn’t minimize the game in Fullscreen mode using DirectX 11. Now, key combinations like Alt + Tab and the Windows key will work as expected.

“Work in Off hours” interaction does not clear the Tense buff for workaholic Sim.

[AHQ] Fixed cases of really high Bills. Lot Taxes will now only count the property value and household_net_worth not add value from anything in inventories.

[AHQ] “Try for baby” in shower will now fill the Hygiene motive.

[AHQ] Inspired Sim will no longer mix drinks excessively.

Discomfort Relief Value is no longer missing for Bath tubs.

“Purchase Garlic Seeds“ has its own interaction and should be categorized/available under the “Purchase Seeds“ interaction.

[AHQ] Outgoing and Socially Awkward traits cannot be selected together. If one is selected, the other will appear greyed out and cannot be chosen.

[AHQ] Female frame facial hair on Male Sims will no longer disappear.

[AHQ] Shoes are now replaced with barefoot when a Styled Look with barefoot is applied.

[AHQ] Neon signs no longer break due to rain.

[AHQ] Water puddle VFX animation will no longer appear on the ground floor when Sim is swimming on the second floor.

“Revive” is now available on a dead Cowplant.

Ponds properly display water textures in Map View.

Comfort Value attribute is no longer missing for Toilet objects.

Affecting Multiple Packs

[AHQ] Sims’ weight and muscle levels are now properly affected by Bike Riding, Horse Riding, Jog here and Rock Climbing.

[AHQ] Thumbnails of Guidry and Temperance Sim are visible in relationship panel, Sims profile, Manage HH.

Sim no longer has the option to give the toddler fertilizer as food from inventory.

[AHQ] Sim can now set the waffle/pizza oven/stand mixer for sale in a retail store.

“Invite to Hangout at Current Lot“ interaction is no longer available for Infants in the Sim profile.

Get Together

Clubs are now under the default section under the social groups interface.

City Living

[AHQ] “Play with emotion“ interaction is now greyed out when the piano keyboard breaks.

Cats & Dogs

[AHQ] Dog and Cats with the fire obsession perk are far less obsessed with the fireplace.

[AHQ] Sims no longer gain Fitness skill when cleaning the litter box.

Discover University

[AHQ] Sim with the Gym Rat trait will no longer lose hygiene while juggling a soccer ball.

[AHQ] Frequency of getting electrocuted from Robotic Workstation has been considerably reduced.

Eco Lifestyle

[AHQ] Roaches are removed from the dumpster after Sim successfully performs the “Try to clear roaches” interaction.

Snowy Escape

[AHQ] Seaweed Ramen recipe is now available from the fridge cooking menu.

Sim’s Hygiene motive will now increase when using a Hot Spring.

Cottage Living

[AHQ] Sims can now use Hot Pot with the Simple Living Lot Challenge.

High School Years

[AHQ] When Sims switch from an outfit created in Thriftea to a regular outfit, they no longer revert back to the Thriftea outfit when showering/bathing.

[AHQ] Notification badges no longer displayed when phone is in silent mode and when Social Bunny has notifications turned off.

[AHQ] Bronze prom reward now unlocks correctly in B/B catalogue.

“Hide from Paparazzi“ interaction is available for Sims with Fame level 3 and below.

Growing Together

[AHQ] Fixed an issue where some Life Milestones wouldn’t be achieved when the Sim is off lot,, including milestones for toddlers’ movement skill.

Horse Ranch

[AHQ] ‘Drink an Aged Nectar’ Want fulfils when Sim drinks the aged nectar bottle

For Rent

[AHQ] A serving of Vegetable Chili from the Pressure Cooker will no longer turn into 8 servings.

Spa Day

[AHQ] Applied Pedicure will no longer vanish when a Manicure is requested.

Dine Out

Sparkling Water is now available under the “Fizzy” category.

My First Pet

[AHQ] In new saves Sim will no longer receive “Baby whisked away” buff and TNS suggesting that Rattigan passed away when Rattigan is still alive.

Nifty Knitting

[AHQ] Knitting now counts towards Arts & Crafts for Scouting.

Crystal Creations

[AHQ] Last Exception error will no longer trigger when Ring is placed on the Mystical Moonlight Crystal Grid and the household is reloaded.

[AHQ] Option to order Crystals is now available on the computer.

[queensumomo]

Will I ever get over this drama? I just started rewatching from the first episode on Viki, with comments enabled. But I think it’s good to rewatch coz the first time, I was still overwhelmed by all the information even as I was keeping up with reading the subtitles. I also didn’t have any comments from other viewers on the other platform, which could sometimes help in understanding the context of a scene or dialogue better (especially since I’m not Chinese). Now, I’m more relaxed and able to take in the subtler parts, especially in the dialogues. I have the luxury of not paying attention visually all the time.

One good example of my having failed to catch the nuances during my initial watch is the part when Shen Li in her phoenix form asked Xingzhi (as the mortal Xingyun) what he was going to do in the market. I don’t know any Mandarin and the other platform I first watched this in didn’t give any side notes on such languange nuances so I had no idea of the double meaning behind the words Xingyun used in his reply.

Apparently, the words he used to say that he sells ginseng sounds almost the same phonetically as the words used to mean he was going to sell himself (i.e. prostituting himself). Hence, Phoenix Shen Li’s shock and initial disgust towards him. It made that scene doubly hilarious to me upon second viewing.

I’m also more appreciative now of Shen Li and Xingzhi’s initial interactions in their phoenix and mortal forms, respectively. I’m better able to understand now why Shen Li fell hard for him and how she grew on Xingzhi till she became very dear to him. His beloved, in fact.

As a phoenix in the mortal world, Shen Li was perceived as a chicken, albeit a weird looking one, an ordinary creature with little to recommend it in those days except as food for the people. She was one of the weakest creatures and her life very expendable. What a stark contrast from her life in the Demon Realm, where she is styled Lord of the Azure Sky, wielder of the powerful Red Plume Spear. She is a great general of their army, a princess for all intents and purposes. Here in the mortal world, she’s forced to rely on a sickly and impoverished mortal man for sustenance and protection.

As for Xingzhi, the disparity of his mortal life from his old life is even greater. He is poor and sickly Xingyun, living alone in a house quite far from the center of population. He’s forced to live on meager fare, whatever selling ginseng can bring him. And most of his small earnings go to his medicines. His body is frail so that it seems as if he can die anytime.

Yet in his true form, he is the last of the Ancient Gods in the Sky Above Heaven. He’s the most powerful being in the universe, and the lives of all three realms are in his hands.

As for why Xingzhi chose to live as a mortal in such state, it’s probably because he felt it would give him a more varied and intense experience of humanity and its challenges.

So here were these two beings, reduced to such circumstances, finding themselves living together and depending on each other. They got to know one another without the burdens and trappings of their positions, and it allowed their relationship to grow into something more authentic. In a way, one can say that this brief period where everything started between them was what allowed them to love each other just as themselves, as simply Shen Li and Xingzhi. Not as Lord Of The Azure Sky and The Divine Lord of the Sky Above Heaven and the Three Realms.

This initial arc goes on for several episodes before Shen Li finally returns to the Demon Realm and they meet again, this time with Xingzhi in all his understated glory as Divine Lord Xingzhi, and she as the Lord Of The Azure Sky. I think it was the perfect foundation for the relationship that they developed later on. It was a love so strong that it literally shook all the Three Realms and eventually led to the destruction of the Sky Above Heaven, ending the age of the ancient gods.

Some of the fans complain that the development of some arcs took a chunk out of the series, that some arcs were dragging and they saw little sense in it. For me, those viewers are probably the types who got used to the instant gratification that’s usually seen in Western dramas or those who don’t have the patience to finish reading a book. They always want to skip to the good parts and then they keep pestering other viewers with questions on why this happened or why that is so.

Anyway, whatever else these foolish viewers may say, TLOS will remain one the best CDramas ever. Almost all its characters, especially the ones who portray key roles, were well rounded and developed. And the execution of the story was top-notch, from the first time Xingzhi’s eyes fell on this weird chicken, until the end, when he and Shen Li return to the mortal world to live their life together happily and peacefully in that house where their love first blossomed.

[starryjkoo]

https://www.tumblr.com/starryjkoo/769233955285352448/tkkrs-and-kths-really-going-to-bully-away-one-of?source=share

Taekookers are the downfall of this Fandom lol. and given how they have given feee pass and a big space to tkkrs in the fandom despite knowing how most of them are jimin antis I'd say armys deserve that humiliation. But idt they even care since they do agree with what taekookers say most of the times because otherwise tkkrs wouldn't be getting 10k likes calling jimin abuser would they?

There was a time i used to feel bad/upset/angry that everyone calls armys toxic but it's been long i have accepted that yes it indeed is a toxic Fandom. What's good of this Fandom who lets everyone shit on one member and even hide/defend the people who does so?

Saw them saying that jm solos is because of whom jm gets the most hate as if he deserves getting dea/th threats because of his solos like they're totally justifying the threats and hate he gets so by their logic armys are the reason BTS are getting shitted on with 100k likes tweets every other day it seems? Well should i say deserved then?

I’ll almost always take ARMYs side over general kpop stans because I believe most kpop stans (not the normal ones minding their business) are bitter, hypocritical losers who are always looking for an excuse to hate on and discredit other idols (especially BTS) BUT -

Yeah, I’m never going to fully get over my resentment towards ARMYs for enabling tkkrs and allowing them to grow such massive platforms and have such presence in the fandom. Sometimes I look at how toxic things are and just think, deserved. And I agree, tkkrs are the main reason for the deterioration and division. There are other factors at play, but tkkrs sit at the center imho. And because I’m petty, I’ll admit that I have enjoyed the few times ARMYS were humiliated because tkkrs and their psychotic behavior were put on the jumbotron (like the post-Paris walk tkkr incident).

Anyways, yeah the Tetris situation is particularly upsetting because he didn’t do anything wrong and yet he’s getting mass harassed (literal threats and slurs, hundreds of ppl doing this) and you can tell how genuinely upset he is. And you don’t see a single big or even medium sized ARMY account in the quotes trying to shut that down or sincerely apologize to him (also no hit tweets about how nasty and vile KTHs & tkkrs are…). Maybe things have changed since I last went online (I hope so), but I was only seeing jkkrs, PJMs and some JM-biased in the quotes and comments. And I agree, I think one of the main reasons is because half of this fandom are tkkrs who agree with him getting harassed ngl, or they already dislike him because they think he’s too JM biased and resent him for it. It’s so messed up.

I want to say that it’s easy to miss these things sometimes so I understand why more ARMYs aren’t talking about it, but nah this time I’m genuinely perplexed. I’ve seen ARMYs bring attention to much lesser issues and this is actually pretty horrifying and could have lasting consequences for the group - so why aren’t they all over this trying to clean it up? Weird as hell and inexcusable to me. If he stops reporting on BTS it would be absolutely deserved.

Mind you, he was the one who wrote the article ARMYs were hyping up a few weeks back where he mentioned BTS paving the way. I bet he also advocated for them being included that high up on that list to begin with (greatest pop stars of the 21st century iirc). They don’t like him because he’s visibly JM biased and because he doesn’t fully understand all the insane fandom rules and nuances, but Tetris has actually been a source of such positivity for the whole group and a rare ally in western media. But they’ll throw all of that away because they think he’s too biased (& bc apparently he’s a “jkkr” because his two favorite members happen to be jkk, the two literal most popular members where he's from).

And on your last point, yeah 100%! The cognitive dissonance with some ARMYs and their logic sometimes? The way that literally the same day they were in the quotes fighting for their lives against the kpop stans who were blaming the harassment BTS receives on ARMYs, ARMYs were trying to blame the harassment Jimin receives on PJMs? Like, so which one is it? Don't they see the flaws in their own logic, because they're basically giving the greenlight to hate on BTS then. Even today that same gang of TH biased tkkrs I’ve complained about on here before were blaming Tetris for the hate Jimin was receiving instead of their buddies, tkkrs and KTHs. The hypocrisy of a lot of this fandom is realllllllllly frustrating sometimes.

TBF I have seen ARMYs call this kind of thinking out several times, once even in defense of Jimin, but obviously it’s an opinion that’s still pretty prevalent in the fandom and it’s frustrating and massively hypocritical.

Anyways, sorry for yapping so much. Maybe one day I’ll answer an ask without writing a whole essay 🥴 But today really bothered me, and I feel bad for Tetris. And my usual disclaimer, ofc I know it’s not all ARMYs and there’s plenty of normal ARMYs who love and support Jimin too. But yeah some days I really feel like this fandom is seriously cooked and they mostly have themselves to blame for it.

[lesbianredhoodedmercenary]

wait kromer rant sounds interesting

Ohhhh the Kromer rant.

Nobody in Limbus thus far has been hit with the fandom flanderization "she would not fucking say/do that" beam harder than Kromer. I've seen both absurdly sexualized "yandere" Kromer and woobified to hell and back Kromer. I think a large swath of people just... ignore that the central pillar of her character is that she is an ableist cult leader.

Yes, she is probably only around 23-24 years old, and yes based on the source material she probably came from a much poorer family than Sinclair. But trying to twist that into her being a hapless victim of circumstance leaves a sour taste in my mouth when we're first introduced to her through the fact that she considers anyone with a prosthetic less than human. Like. We can't ignore the violent bigotry here. N-Corp may have decided to give her a platform for it, but it's not like they groomed her into wanting to kill everyone with prosthetics. She was already like that, and N-Corp simply enabled her to do that on a wide reaching scale because they could make a profit from it (N-Corp's singularity is memory extraction iirc, and the nails are able to extract memories from the people they kill, which in turn are sold by N-Corp as "Experiences" and also what they feed to Nagel und Hammer members to brainwash them).

And as for whatever yandere shit I've seen, I think that's just a refusal to engage with the themes of the text. A shipping-brain only reading. Like, the reason Kromer is obsessed with Sinclair is because if she can convince him to join her, that is a powerful talking point for her cause. "Look, the son of a major prosthetics manufacturer is on our side! His family was going to force him to get a full-body replacement. Isn't it cruel to force that on someone who's barely out of high school? Aren't prosthetics cruel. Aren't they inhuman?" It's a game of rhetoric to her. Sinclair was going through the stress of not wanting a cosmetic surgery and Kromer saw how she could use him as a pawn in her anti-prosthetics agenda.

And Lust as a skill does not necessarily refer to sexual desire. I already said this but since greed was replaced with gloom, lust becomes the de-facto sin for desire. Bloodlust, lust for power, lust for revenge, ect. The fact that some people will take the themes of Kromer's story; how a corporation will platform the most violent bigot they can find to increase their profit margins, how inherently hypocritical Kromer's ideas of "purity of the flesh" are, and how if you give someone so violently bigoted an inch they'll take a mile, and just throw all those out the window in favor of her being some kind of evil succubus obsessed with Sinclair because she wants to fuck him is just incredibly, mind-numbingly frustrating.

And the concept of "Vagina Dentata" needs to be put up on a high shelf until anyone who wants to say distorted Kromer has one can pass an elementary level reading comprehension test.

[florvaine]

tbh im losing my will to write bc all the cc's that i used to watch/did watch have been revealed to be terrible people that no part of me can support.

this is gonna be a bit of a rant of everything i stand on during this

support, send love and stand with shelby, alice, caiti, lexie, em, andi, moonzy and others taking a stand and finally showing the true colours of these 'men'. at the same time support, send love and stand with others that came out/were forced to talk about their experiences with this topic before such as cellbit, jack and niki. also show love for those standing up with the victims and supporting them no matter what - aimsy, billzo, max, ranboo, harry, etc. etc.

NOBODY who supports people like wilbur, illumina, george, sapnap, dream, punz, draggie and other 'influencers' who use their platforms for these horrific actions is welcome on my blog. i do not care if youre 'waiting for a response' - you have picked a side by doing that, whether you'd like to hear that or not, and it is not the victims. these 'men' are R4PISTS, ENABLERS, ABUSERS, RACISTS.

THIS ISNT DRAMA. the things these 'men' are saying theyve been revealed of doing - not accused, accused means 'claiming someone has done something wrong' - in this situation it is FACTUAL. the experiences these women have gone through do not deserve to be watered down to just 'internet drama' or 'twitter drama'. these 'men' have done ILLEGAL ACTS and deserve to rot behind bars for getting off on the manipulation, abuse and exploitation of these women, and i hope they get the justice they deserve for their actions.

a common thread between the majority of these cases is the theme of consent and alcohol. seems like the british attackers werent there for the tea video. the moment someone has alcohol in their bloodstream, they cannot consent. whether they have had one drink or 20, or if both parties are drunk, there is not consent. if there is not a clear, uncoerced, uninfulenced and solid 'yes' then there is not consent and it is assault/r4pe. this is not my opinion, this is THE LAW.

it is not your fault if you 'couldnt tell'. with wilbur, yes, he frequently used the 'tragic artist' role in his songs, but at the time it was said BY HIM to be a character, this is supported by his e-girl trilogy and the fact he said himself he was PLAYING an incel character. he is a manipulator, and the rest of the 'men' are liars too. they all sat behind screens showing a version of themselves best suited to gathering fame, and didnt feel bad about flipping completely when the streams or cameras turned off. HOWEVER, it is YOUR FAULT if you still support the 'men'. people saying 'he saved me' or 'he wouldnt do this' - MOTHERFUCKER HE JUST DID?? HELLO?? yes, it can be hard letting go of someone/something you loved, but it has to be done. i didnt want to get rid of a barbie when i was younger because playing with it made me happy, but i did anyways and guess what? i got over it. you do not know these 'men'. YOU ARE NOT LOSING A REAL LIFE FRIEND, YOU ARE LOSING A TOXIC, PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIP.

for the (few) people who might see this and go 'whyre you so pressed' - i have experienced my own trauma in the past and that is all i will say, i do not owe it to you to go into full miniscule detail about what happened. hearing all the people i grew up watching doing the same things that i have and still am effected by today makes me feel sick, that isnt a metaphor either, it brings up bad memories and makes it even harder to detatch yourself from these situations. these 'men' have done irreversible actions. whilst it may have given them a sick minute of pleasure, it has haunted and traumatised these women for the rest of their lives. they are only 'apologising' or 'addressing' their actions because they do not want to lose their platforms. since the start their fans have only been a number, and the second that number drops they get all panicky and try do all the damage control they can. DO NOT SUPPORT THESE 'MEN'. SUPPORT THE VICTIMS. caiti shelby alice lexie em andi moonzy

i think im done with my rant. more might have to be added idk tho. bye bye

[satoshi-mochida]

Action Game Maker launches June 16 - Gematsu

2D action game development toolkit Action Game Maker will launch for PC via Steam on June 16, developer Gotcha Gotcha Games announced.

Here is an overview of the toolkit, via its Steam page:

About

The latest in the long-running Maker series of game development toolkits, Action Game Maker brings 2D action game development to those of all skill levels! Built using Godot Engine, Action Game Maker provides access to professional level functions without any programming required! A collection of samples and assets are included to provide the foundation needed to make your game a reality! Unchain your imagination!

Fully No Coding Visual Scripting

Action Game Maker builds on the node-based visual scripting system created for Pixel Game Maker MV with many improvements. No knowledge of programming is needed. Simply connect up Actions (similar to RPG Maker‘s Event Commands) and see the unique logic for your game come together!

Make Your Game!

Side-scroll or top-down: you choose what type of game to make! From platformers and Metroidvanias, to horror, adventure, shooting, puzzles, and more: it’s your choice!

Advanced Engine Technology With Godot Engine

Take advantage of the excellent 2D functionality provided by Godot Engine, the popular open source engine powering Action Game Maker!

User interface design based on the existing Godot user interface.

Support for GDScript is provided for those who want to move beyond visual scripting.

A complete 2D pipeline.

Tile Map Editor with auto-tile function.

Supports both sprite and 2D bone animation systems.

Access to Godot’s rich particle and shader systems as well as support for dynamic lighting and shadows, enabling a full suite of graphics features!

Sample Assets Included

Everything you need to build your first game is included, from character art to tiles, music, and sound effects! Free yourself from worrying about assets and just get started! The provided samples are intentionally simple and pixel-style so that it’s easy to open them up and make modifications or extensions to begin creating your own original look! Of course, if you already have your own assets it’s easy to import them—and high resolutions are supported!

Watch a new trailer below.

Release Date Trailer

English

Japanese

[goldmanguyperson]

world will become slightly better place once self proclaimed “pro endos” stop trying to pander to the “polite” “anti endos”. Do not tag your posts “properly” for any reason but to keep your mental health fine and signal safety to others. Do not give them special words or communities. Do not actively direct them to communities where they can continue to be assholes with support; where they will be stuck in an echo chamber. Do not give them any ground, and do not “help” them. Do not make them feel safe in their beliefs. what they are doing is bigotry and what you are doing by letting them walk on you is aiding and abetting bigotry. It does not matter what your intent is. Marginalized people who understand the place in society they have been forced into don’t go up and talk to bigots for a damn reason, no matter how “nice” they are about it. A sheep shouldn’t lead a starving wolf back to its pack, and it definitely shouldn’t lead the pack to the herd.

Even regardless of the affect on endogenic systems—their beliefs still uphold a system that continually takes away the self determination of disabled people, injures and traumatizes them permanently, refuses to give actual, personalized, informed aid, and forces children on medication with side effects they were never even told of. Psychiatry is not a pretty branch of medicine for disabled people, literally the most visible group of people it is meant to help.

Not only that, “anti endo” beliefs advocate for refusing to give people help when they cannot be diagnosed, which if done by a doctor for any disorder or illness, physical or mental, is literally malpractice (which yes, is already sadly commonplace, but it should be pushed against, not enabled). Their beliefs are not just harmful to systems that aren’t strictly traumagenic. They are generally ableist and regressive. You should not be giving them any kind of platform, not even to “give them ways to stay away from our communities”.

[black-wolf-spirit-art]

It's okay to have some miscommunication and miss some details on some parts. As long as you communicate further to fix an issue, everything is okay!

Since there is money involved, the matter on the situation is much more important, definitely, and the client is the boss.. but don't beat yourself up for this, okay? Mistakes happens and you went through a rough one...

Just take the time to talk things out and take as much details as possible next time so you can prevent unnecessary comes and goes.

Just please understand the client like the client understands you too so everyone gets a win!/lh

Hi there! I assume this was about the Afreakingdorks post. Thank you that's very sweet. And thank you for reaching out.

There was absolutely some miss communication between the two of us and I adapted to all of her requests as best I could. The issues arose when she requested more than 3 edits past the sketch phase. In my price sheet I state that they are alowed unlimited edits in the sketch phase, then 3 free edits past the sketch stage, but after 3 edits I would need to start charging for my time. This is when the issues began because they were unwilling to pay for edits but insisted, I make them for free. When they were unwilling to compromise, and the conversation was seeming to go downhill I agreed to show them the flats layer to prove I did in fact add gray to their Sona's fur and reduced the opacity in the light layers to make them show more. I also emailed the files to them with the edit function enabled so they could mess with the files any way they pleased since it was not quite what they had wanted. I also offered them a 50% refund for the piece which they refused. I know they were also talking about the file "conveniently appearing" after they harassed me on 2 different tumblr accounts. But they didn't consider that I had sent them 3 high resolution PNG's that take a few minutes to send over. So I guess to her it looked like they just appeared after she started spamming me on her two other accounts.

To be perfectly clear to any of her followers that came to my page due to this altercation. She received several WIP's. She made edits to those WIP's which I then made, and she approved of them/ gave the thumbs up for me to continue the illustration. This happened several times during the sketch phase and 3 times during the line art phase. She then received said finished piece but requested more edits for free. When I told her I couldn't make any more edits for free she got upset. She requested I send what I had to her email which I did, and she received it. The transaction was completed.

She also showed screenshots of our conversation but cut them up and rearranged them to make it look like I was taking advantage of her on her blog.

I've been receiving commissions for over 5 years and never had an issue with a customer. I'm always willing to compromise with the customer as well. But once it was clear she was trying to get more work for free and continued to gaslight me in the conversation, it was time for the transaction to end. They paid for a fully rendered illustration with two characters and two side images. I illustrated the background for free for them. Thats the full image they received. I would share our screenshots as well and the image itself but since It was an NSFW piece and there are minors following me I do not want to expose the imagery to on this platform.

There were several instances where they were directing me to manga/comic style while contradicting themselves and insisting I draw it in my own style and liked where the piece was going which added another layer of confusion.

All and all this has absolutely been an interesting customer experience. If she wants to moan about how I hurt her reputation and sladerd her good name, she has ever right and I certainly won't stop her. It's disappointing to see from a 31 year old adult. But what can you do, I'm not willing to add to her pitty party.

I'm sorry to keep going on about this. That was a long post and I really appreciate the fact her followers are willing to stand up for her so much.

I'm just an illustrator she commissioned to draw her sona having sex with Donnie from ROTTMNT in a bathroom stall. I'm not interested in making this into a whole ordeal.

[originalleftist]

I am conflicted about the protests against the Felon in DC today.

I am, of course, glad to see any protest, opposition, anything denormalizing what is happening, even a little, rather than just meekly accepting it. That's vital.

But there is the presence of a large contingent of "pro-Palestine" (read: antisemitic*) hardliners, including the self-styled "Jewish Voices for Peace"- an organization which instructs its members to falsely represent themselves as Jewish, while pushing pro-terrorist, antisemitic conspiracy theorism and propaganda.

And, this is the same dilemma that I've been facing since the election, which is that there no longer seems to BE a sizeable anti-fascist resistance that isn't hopelessly subverted with elements of just another brand of fascist-aligned conspiracy theorism. Maybe there never was.

A sentiment I've often repeated is the saying that if there's a Nazi at the table and ten people sitting there talking to them, it's a table with 11 Nazis. That logic can be extended to other vile ideologies and organizations. By that reasoning, a protest which allows anti-semitic conspiracy theorists to march along side it are the enemy, just as much as the Felon In Chief is.

Intellectually, I understand that. It makes sense. But I know I haven't lived it consistently in my own life, or in the organizations I support. I'm not part of any overtly fascist groups, of course. But I buy products from companies that donate to them. I use social media platforms they run. I have family and friends who hold such views, to varying degrees, and I haven't cut ties with them all. I've debated it, agonized over it, tried to distance myself- but what it comes back to is that if I did so completely, with absolute consistency (if such a thing were humanly possible), I would be very much alone, and find it almost impossible to live in our world. It's selfish and cowardly and I do not excuse it.

Hell, I'm a citizen of one country run by fascists, and another that may soon be. I have taken no action to renounce my citizenship, which theoretically benefits me. Granted, doing so would also reduce my means to resist fascism in America- just as leaving fascist-run social media platforms would reduce my ability to spread anti-fascist messages and information, for example.

Or, to take another example: I have argued against "Both Sides" rhetoric and protest voting as helping Republican fascists win- yet, there are many Democratic legislators-not all, not most, but many-who are endorsing the new regime's anti-immigrant and transphobic policies, at least in part. And nearly all have meekly accepted the legitimacy of a Constitutionally disqualified insurrectionist.

Yet if I were to say, okay, they're complicit, cut ties, don't vote, vote third party, whatever- what would that actually accomplish, besides making me feel and look righteous? Nothing, but to help MAGA keep winning (and that's before we even get into how third parties are often just thinly-veiled fronts for MAGA/the Kremlin).

I'm not a Nazi. But if everyone who sits with a Nazi is a Nazi, then everyone who sits with someone who sits with Nazis is also a Nazi. And by that definition, pretty much everyone is a Nazi.

But of course, that's broadening the term so much it dilutes it, and arguably renders it somewhat meaningless- to say nothing of how it would label many people who's identities were targeted by the Nazis as Nazis, which is simply vile bigotry.

I know that if you march alongside a fascist, if you are friends with a fascist, or even someone who is friends with fascists, that you are collaborating with them, enabling them, legitimizing fascism. But a harsh lesson of the last few months is that there are very few places to NOT march beside them. Not everyone is an avowed fascist, but fascist sentiments and sympathies and compromising with fascists has infiltrated every major faction and movement, at least in part.

I'm not even sure its always wrong to compromise. Stalin was a totalitarian monster, but the Allies worked with him to defeat Hitler. And yet, the price we paid for that was the Cold War, and all the horror that emerged from it- including arguably the Russia-backed fascist movements taking over today.

I feel very alone, and uncertain, and afraid that I'll give in to the temptation to compromise even more than I already have, for selfish reasons. As a white man, I have that option, that privilege. I probably won't be murdered simply for existing.

Which is, of course, what the fascists want- for us to be divided, and alone, paralyzed with helplessness, and putting our own self-interest first, so they can gobble us up one by one, in silence.

I suppose it is somewhat self-indulgent of me to even write this, whinging about my own indecision while others who are less fortunate are left with no choice but to fight or die- or die regardless of whether they fight or not.

But maybe some other people are struggling with these questions, and it will help them, or me, to find some clarity to see it laid out like this.

*To be clear, I am not saying that everyone who is "Pro-Palestine" is antisemitic- I see no inherent conflict between embracing the rights and dignity of Jews, and those of Palestinians. But the dominant voices in the current "Pro-Palestine" movement (which is actually anything but) are antisemitic.

[ashadowofburnedoutstardust]

So lemme just "connect the dots" here:

So Russia pays for misinformation using bots created by Chinese tech companies creating fake accounts using user information collected from something like Zoom

Managed to help Trump and the GOP "fake news" their way to an election win

Chris ends up a target because he as well as others with a public platform who have spoken out against Trump, who have also been the victim of the same misinformation tactics in their fandoms to undermine their influence on public platforms, Christopher attempts to help debunk this by creating A Starting Point, which honestly seems to be the only thing still running that actually fact checks before publishing unlike mainstream media

His agency that has links to the GOP financially arrange for him to be linked to a racist Nazi (possibly also a scientologist) through the People Magazines sexiest man alive title and resulting PR

Meanwhile the WGA and SagAftra decide to strike and CAA take a massive hit because of the financial involvement and ends up having to sell a massive stake to Pinault to try and cover their losses and to enable the extension of the strike out until 2024 to try and bankrupt the strikers

Rumour spreads about Elon Musk, the guy that owns one of the public platforms secretly collecting info from Tesla vehicle owners to use as leverage and blackmail against famous people who have been filmed in their own vehicles using the tech installed in their cars

Meanwhile they send in the bigger stars like Clooney in with bad advice about what they can use to negotiate with and intentionally make them look like idiots to sow discord within Sag Aftra

(Get your fucking asses on the god damned picket line where they don't want you to be you fucking morons)

In the meantime the Georgia indictments continues while the GOP stalls electing a speaker to try and disable the US govt from being able to do anything meaningful as yet another distraction while possibly paying off a judge to mess things up for them

At this point yet another distraction breaks out in the form of Israel Vs Gaza being instigated by a terrorist group and no governments seem willing to enable a ceasefire agreement despite the continued loss of innocent civilians on both sides and takes over the main story in the media while the GOP continues to stall the speaker election to prevent the US govt from being able to do any more useful work

Meanwhile no one is looking into who is funding the Hamas, because no offence but I've never seen a terrorist group hold a fucking bake sale so somebody has to be funding them

In the meantime no one is looking at what China is trying to do in regards to Taiwan (yes it's called Taiwan, it's what the people who live there call it, it's why my country has two damn names) who also happened to get fucked over in regards to their tech in other countries with selling communication infrastructure

What the fuck am I supposed to do with this information?

I can't even fix my car right now ✌️

I need a new blender and a rice cooker, they both shat themselves last night

The rice cooker fell on the floor and won't cook anything anymore, and the cuff bit holding the blade in place broke on the blender

I like my small appliances

🤍🪽✨

[usafphantom2]

25 Years Ago Today: An U.S. F-117 Stealth Jet Is Shot Down Over Serbia 🇷🇸

March 27, 2024 Military Aviation

F-117 shot down

F-117 as seen through the NVGs (A1C Greg L. Davis, USAF, via National Archives)

OTD in 1999, “Vega 31” was shot down near Belgrade. Here’s how it went.

On Mar. 27, 1999, during the fourth night of Operation Allied Force (OAF) over Serbia, a U.S. Air Force F-117 Nighthawk (#82-0806), flown by Lt. Col. Darrell P. Zelko, was shot down while returning to Aviano airbase, after a strike mission against a target near Belgrade.

The F-117, callsign “Vega 31”, was hit by one of a series of missiles fired by a S-125 “Neva” missile system (NATO reporting name, SA-3 “Goa”) belonging to the 3rd Battalion of the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade of the Army of Yugoslavia, at a distance of about 8 miles.

According to Sergeant Dragan Matić, the soldier later identified as the operator who fired the missiles, the stealth plane was detected at a range of about 50 to 60 kilometres and the surface-to-air missile radar was switched on for no more than 17 seconds.

F-117 wreckage in Serbia.

The pilot successfully ejected and was rescued between 5 and 8 hours later (depending on the sources): AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) dispatched MH-53M, MH-53J and MH-60 aircrew along with Special Tactics Airmen responded to the emergency and, coordinated by E-3 AWACS and supported by several specialized platforms, including an EC-130E ABCCC and A-10 in Sandy role, rescued the F-117 pilot.

While the shootdown of the F-117 #82-0806 marked the first ever and only downing of a stealth aircraft in combat, how the Serbians managed to achieve the then almost unbelievable kill is still open to debate.

On one side, the Serbs claimed they had found a way to detect stealth aircraft by using slightly modified radars: the modifications involved the use of long wavelengths to try to “paint” the target at short range, exploiting the moment when the low observability of the Nighthawk was degraded by the opening of the bomb bay door.

However, this was not true: according to some Serbian sources, the story of the modification was purposely told by the battalion commander and served as propaganda. In the end there was no modification of the P-18 or SNR-125 radar.

What is true is that the Serbians were extremely cautious in operating their SAM batteries, dispatching messages without using cell phones or radios, so as not to risk to be intercepted and geo-located, and relocating the batteries across the country.

F-117 taxies at Aviano AB during Operation Allied Force (USAF)

In the end, besides the successful tactics used by the Serbians, the shootdown of the F-117 was also the result of a series of other contributing factors:

the use of the same route for the third day in a row, making the flight path of the stealth aircraft predictable

the lack of dedicated SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) support

the fact that the F-117 approached the Belgrade area flying at low level, jinking and banking

the Serbs knew that the F-117s were coming, because, they monitored U.S. and allied radio comms on UHF and VHF frequencies, which, at the time, were mostly unencrypted; were also able to intercept NATO plane’s ATO (Air Tasking Orders) that enabled them to put anti-aircraft batteries at positions close to the ground targets; relied on a network of spies who operated outside the Italian airbases spotting aircraft taking off and others, near the Serbian borders, who provided details about the incoming raids.

Anyway, the achievement of Colonel Dani Zoltan, who commanded the SAM battery of the 3rd Battalion and used a SAM system introduced in 1961, is impressive especially considering that, after shooting down “Vega 31”, “Hammer 34”, an F-16C of the 31st Fighter Wing piloted by Lt. Col. Dave Goldfein (future Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force) was also shot down by the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade on May 2, 1999.

Moreover, it has also emerged that another F-117 was damaged by Serbian air defenses during Allied Force.

A Yugoslav propaganda poster, stating facetiously “Sorry we didn’t know it was invisible”.

The F-117 today

25 years after the famous and quite surprising, at that time, downing, the iconic F-117 continue to fly, despite being officially retired in 2008.

As we report quite frequently here at The Aviationist, F-117s are still flying not only for training purposes as adversary aircraft and cruise missile surrogate, but also for research, development, test and evaluation, possibly related to next generation programs.

In accordance with of the Nation Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2007 (PL 109- 364, Section 136), 52 F-117 aircraft were retired and relocated to the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). Under the requirements of the NDAA, the USAF preserved each F-117 aircraft in Type-l000 (T-1000) storage, which maintains the aircraft in a condition that allows recall for future service. On 30 November 2016, Section 133 of Subtitle D of the National Defense Authorization Act repealed the requirement to preserve the F-117 aircraft in a recallable condition and the USAF intended to declassify, demilitarize, and disposition four F-117 aircraft per year.

F-117 Fresno

An F-117 Nighthawk lands for the first time at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Sept 13, 2021, to conduct training missions with the local Air National Guard unit. Two F-117 Nighthawks are participating in dissimilar air combat training missions this week along with F-15 pilots from the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, Calif. (Air National Guard photo by Capt. Jason Sanchez)

The aircraft continued to be spotted, even more than it had happened until then, with the Nighthawks also deploying to several U.S. bases to carry out Dissimilar Air Combat Training with other U.S. types. Then, in 2021, the U.S. Air Force published the first official images of the type still involved in flight operations on the DVIDS (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service) network.

In September 2022 the Air Force Test Center published a Request For Information (RFI) about a possible 10-year contract, expected to start from January 1, 2024, for maintenance and logistics support services for the F-117A fleet at the TTR airfield, acknowledging that the U.S. Air Force is willing to keep the aircraft flying at least until 2034. Interestingly, the U.S. Air Force is about to complete the certification of the F-117s to refuel from the KC-46: a sign that the service plans to keep the Nighthawk flying for many more years.

F-117

One of the two F-117s flying low over the Sierra Mountains on Apr. 21, 2023. (Image credit: @stinkjet)

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

@theAviationist via X

[reddest-flower]

The Communist International struggled to balance the needs of its European members with the members from the countries colonized by Europe. The former represented the countries of the colonizers. They had to fight in their own societies to build organizations of the working class and other allied classes at the same time as they were charged with driving an anti-colonial agenda. The Comintern’s attempt to get them to hold a Colonial Conference spluttered. It was difficult to find out what these European communists – seen as a pipeline to the colonies – were doing in terms of practical work to build alliances between workers in their countries and in the colonies. These European communists found it difficult to work amongst workers in their countries who had been dominated by a labour aristocracy that was often pro-imperialist. It was not easy to push a double agenda – for the rights of the European workers and for the workers and peasants in the colonies. No such difficulty lay in the colonies – from Indo-China to the Gold Coast of Africa. But other difficulties haunted communists in the colonies. They found it difficult to create a precise framework to work with the bourgeois nationalists who also hated colonial rule but who had no problem with capitalism. These contradictions dampened the work of the Comintern. Nonetheless, it was through the Comintern that trade unionists and revolutionary nationalists from one end of the world found out about the work of their peers on the other side. The infrastructure of global communism was created by the Comintern activists, who travelled from one end of China to the other end of Mexico to meet with socialists, anarchists, syndicalists, rebels of all kinds to urge them towards unity with the Communist movement.

Papers such as The Negro Worker allowed unionists across the continents to keep up with each other and to experience the unity that allowed them to magnify their work. The Trinidadian Marxist intellectual C.L.R. James observed the work of his Trinidadian friend George Padmore, head of the International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers. ‘It must be remembered that men in Mombasa, in Lagos, in Fyzabad, in Port-au-Prince, in Dakar, struggling to establish a trade union or political organization, most often under illegal conditions and under heavy persecution, read and followed with exceptional concern the directives which came from the revered and trusted centre in Moscow’, James wrote. This ‘trusted centre’ was the Comintern. It provided the necessary organization to help workers from one end of the world to be in touch with others at the other end. Padmore edited The Negro Worker, which gave ‘hundreds of thousands of active Negroes and the millions whom they represented’ access to the world, wrote James. It gave them insight into ‘Communism in theory and the concrete idea of Russia as a great power, which was on the side of the oppressed’. This, James wrote even as he was critical of the USSR, ‘is what The Negro Worker gave to the sweating and struggling thousands in the West Indies, in Nigeria, in South Africa, all over the world’.

Platforms such as Internationale Arbeiterhilfe (Workers’ International Relief – IAH) emerged initially to help draw attention to the struggles inside the USSR with hunger – to enable Europeans mainly raise funds to help prevent famine. But the work of the IAH would eventually widen outwards, building solidarity campaigns from Japan to Mexico, from Argentina to Australia. The IAH worked from Germany, but turned its energy outwards towards the ‘oppressed and exploited’ peoples of the world. It enabled communists and their allies to forge connections across continents and deepened the relations of radicals within their own countries. It allowed words like ‘solidarity’ to take on a tangible meaning. This would not have been possible without the active support of Moscow.

From one end of the planet to the other, Comintern agents such as Mikhail Borodin carried instructions and methods, wondering how best to help along the revolutions. Alongside them were men and women of the colonies who came to Moscow, studied revolutionary theory and then found their way back home to build communist parties against all odds. These people led colourful lives, dangerous lives, going from factory gate to printer’s shop, from prison to exile. Their journeys were unpredictable – the Indian revolutionary M.N. Roy becomes a founder of the Mexican Communist Party, while the Chilean socialist Luis Emilio Recabarren becomes a founder of the Argentinian Communist Party. Dada Amir Haidar Khan (1900-89) leaves his remote village in Rawalpindi for the merchant marine, becomes an activist of the American Communist Party and then goes to the USSR to train at the University of the Toilers of the East, which sends him to India. Yusuf Salman Yusuf (1901-49) – known as Fahd – met a Comintern agent Piotr Vasili who helps him go to the University of the Toilers of the East, which sends him back to Iraq after a sojourn in Europe. Tan Malaka (1897-1949), who leaves the Dutch East Indies to study in Holland, returns to become a popular educator and communist, finds himself in exile and then in Moscow for the Fourth World Congress of the Comintern. Hồ Chí Minh (1890-1969), meanwhile, works on the ships and the hotels in France, the United States and on the Atlantic Ocean. He becomes a founder of the French Communist Party, goes to the USSR to study at the University of the Toilers of the East and then returns to Indo-China to lead his country to revolution. Each of them was born close to 1900 and each lead a colourful life, marked by the October Revolution which occurred in their teens. These were the people who lived along the circuits of the Comintern, for whom the USSR was a crucial node to develop their own ideas and to build their own revolutionary theories and networks.

Red Star Over the Third World, Vijay Prashad, 2019

[blackjackkent]

After picking up the last umbral gem, Shadowheart got an inspiration and some very excited dialogue: "That's the last one! The inner sanctum is within reach now!"

And a soft whisper from the sacrificial bowl of blood as we went out: "You have triumphed at every turn. Seek out my inner sanctum - the final test awaits."

So uh. I guess it's time to find out whether Shadowheart is going to have to sacrifice Hector to Shar or something. Back we go up to the main level to get on the traversal platform.

Also a rat tried to bite Hector, completely unprovoked:

OK, let's do this thing.

Riding the now-enabled platform down, we arrive at what is, presumably, the inner sanctum.

This altar requires three umbral gems, which is exactly what we have left over after activating the previous platform. And after placing all the gems in place...

There it is. The inner sanctum of the gauntlet of Shar.

-------

"At this rate," Hector mumbles to Karlach in an undertone, "I'm going to get smited by a moonbeam as soon as we get out of here."

"If Selune's any god half worth worshipping," Karlach mutters back, "she knows you're helpin' your friend. And that's worth plenty."

"I hope you're right."

-------

Once again I'm letting Shadowheart take the lead here since she is the only one actually comfortable with this situation.

"This must be where initiates undertook their final preparations," she says excitedly as we approach a platform with a waypoint labeled "Verge of the Shadows" on it. "The end is near!"

A voice - the soft voice that has followed them through all the trials, which Hector can only assume is Shar herself - echoes her. "The end draws near. You show great potential - do not falter now. One more test awaits. Descend to the Nightsong. Make a sacrifice. Rise again a Dark Justiciar."

"Almost there," Shadowheart whispers, her voice trembling with righteous energy. "I will not fail you, my lady!"

-----

"Shadowheart..." Hector hesitates, looks at her worriedly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course," she snaps back. "I told you. I have wished for this all my life - to stand at the Lady's side and be her sword."

"And the sacrifice?"

A moment's hesitation, quickly covered. "I told you - I am sure the days of a human sacrifice are long past. It is no doubt some monster that must be slain."

He looks at her steadily. "If you are certain, I stand with you."

A long pause. "I know. And I know what it costs you, Hector," she admits quietly. "Thank you."

[vanillabunnymilk]

The Dark Side of Gaming: Why Female Players Can't Catch a Break from Toxic Masculinity

As the popularity of online gaming continues to soar, so does the prevalence of toxic behavior among its male players. Specifically, the community has become a breeding ground for toxic masculinity, where women are often subjected to harassment, sexism, and objectification.

But it's not just the toxicity that's the problem – it's also the way men in the gaming community view and interact with women. Many female players have reported that it's nearly impossible to maintain genuine friendships with male players, as their advances are always laced with ulterior motives. In fact, it seems like men are more interested in "winning" women over than actually building meaningful relationships with them.

One female player, who wished to remain anonymous, shared her horror story: "I joined an Overwatch team with a group of guys who seemed cool at first. But soon, they started making inappropriate comments about my appearance and constantly trying to 'flirt' with me. I was like, 'Hey guys, I'm here to play some games, not to be objectified!' But they just didn't get it."

Another player, ToxicTokki, echoed similar sentiments: "I was part of a team with a guy who was really good at the game, but he would constantly make jokes about rape and tell me I was 'lucky" I was on his team. It got to the point where I just didn't want to play with him anymore."

It's not just the players themselves who are the problem – the community at large seems to enable and even encourage this kind of behavior. Online forums and social media groups are filled with threads about "getting a girlfriend" or "scoring points" with female players. It's as if winning over women is seen as some kind of ultimate achievement.

The reality is that female players are often forced to navigate a toxic environment just to enjoy their favorite hobby. They're subjected to constant harassment, catcalls, and condescending attitudes from their male teammates and opponents alike. It's no wonder that many women feel like they can't even show their faces online without being bombarded with unsolicited attention.

But what's even more disturbing is that these behaviors are perpetuated by people in positions of power within the gaming community. Professional players and streamers often use their platforms to make sexist jokes or comments about female gamers, normalizing this kind of behavior and giving it a stamp of approval.

As long as this kind of toxic masculinity continues to thrive in the Gaming community, it's going to be hard for women to feel like they belong. And until we see some real effort from game developers, streamers, and community leaders to address these issues, female players will continue to face an uphill battle in trying to enjoy the game without being harassed or objectified.

It's time for us all to take a step back and remember that gaming is supposed to be fun – for everyone. Let's work together to create a community that values respect, inclusivity, and good old-fashioned sportsmanship.