#and three jumps combo synchronized to on and on and on???

[starseedfxofficial]

RSI Tactics for GBPJPY: Unlock Hidden Forex Opportunities The RSI Playbook for GBPJPY: Ninja Moves That Even the Pros Miss Imagine walking into a boxing ring blindfolded. That’s what trading GBPJPY without the Relative Strength Index (RSI) feels like. One minute you’re up; the next, you’re down for the count. But don’t worry—we’re about to unveil the RSI’s secret sauce and help you spot knockout opportunities before they hit you in the face. Why GBPJPY Is the Wild Card of Forex Dubbed the “Dragon Pair,” GBPJPY isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s volatile, unpredictable, and perfect for traders who love a challenge. With great risk comes great reward, and that’s where the RSI steps in like your ringside coach, helping you dodge the jabs and land the perfect hook. RSI: Your Crystal Ball for GBPJPY Trends The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is like the mood ring of Forex. This oscillator measures the speed and change of price movements, scoring between 0 and 100. A score above 70 means the pair’s been partying too hard (overbought), while below 30 suggests it’s nursing a hangover (oversold). But here’s the catch: most traders stop here. To truly master GBPJPY, you need to dig deeper. Ready? Let’s go underground. 1. “Hidden Divergences”: The Secret Sauce Let’s start with something most traders overlook—hidden divergences. Unlike regular divergences, which signal a reversal, hidden divergences scream “continuation.” Spotting them is like finding a $20 bill in your old jeans. Here’s how: - Look for higher lows in RSI paired with higher lows in GBPJPY price action during an uptrend. - Or find lower highs in RSI with lower highs in price during a downtrend. Pro Tip: Use hidden divergences to hop on trends early. It’s like grabbing a front-row seat before the crowd even knows there’s a concert. 2. Timeframe Sync: The RSI Multi-Timeframe Method GBPJPY loves to fake out traders, so here’s a ninja trick: synchronize RSI signals across multiple timeframes. Think of it like checking the weather forecast—one source might say rain, but when three agree, you grab an umbrella. How to Execute: - Use a higher timeframe (e.g., 4H) to confirm the overall trend. - Switch to a lower timeframe (e.g., 15M) for entry signals. - Align the RSI’s overbought/oversold zones across both. 3. The RSI + Fibonacci Combo: Match Made in Forex Heaven Remember that feeling when you pair the perfect wine with a meal? That’s what happens when you mix RSI with Fibonacci retracements. Step-by-Step: - Identify a trending GBPJPY move. - Plot Fibonacci levels. - Watch RSI at key retracement points (38.2%, 50%, 61.8%). If RSI confirms an overbought or oversold signal at these levels, you’ve struck gold. 4. “RSI Zones”: Beyond the Standard 70/30 Who says you have to stick to RSI’s default 70/30 levels? For GBPJPY, try customizing: - Set overbought at 80 and oversold at 20 during high volatility. - Tighten to 60/40 during calm market conditions. Think of it like adjusting the thermostat in your house—personalize it to your comfort (or, in this case, the market’s temperament). 5. GBPJPY’s “Golden Hour” Every pair has its prime trading hours, and GBPJPY is no exception. Thanks to overlapping London and Tokyo sessions, the best time to trade is 7:00–10:00 AM GMT. Combine RSI analysis with these hours, and you’ll spot trades before most traders even have their morning coffee. Real-Life Example: Turning RSI Insights into Profit Last October, GBPJPY hit an overbought RSI on the 1H chart at a major Fibonacci resistance. Instead of jumping in to short immediately, a savvy trader waited for confirmation on the 15M RSI. The result? A 100-pip drop in hours. Avoiding Common RSI Pitfalls - Ignoring the Trend: RSI is not a stand-alone tool. Use it with moving averages or trendlines to avoid getting blindsided. - Chasing Every Signal: Not every overbought/oversold condition leads to a reversal. Be selective—quality over quantity wins the race. - Overcomplicating Settings: While tweaking RSI can help, stick to what’s effective. Fancy doesn’t always mean better. Advanced Bonus: RSI + Smart Trading Tool Want to supercharge your RSI strategy? Use a Smart Trading Tool like the one available at StarseedFX. Automate RSI alerts, optimize lot sizes, and streamline order management. It’s like having a trading assistant that never sleeps. Mastering GBPJPY with RSI Trading GBPJPY with RSI is an art and science. From hidden divergences to multi-timeframe sync, the tools are at your fingertips. But remember, every trader’s journey is unique. Start small, test strategies, and let the RSI be your guiding light in the Forex jungle. Your Next Step: Expand your skills with these resources: - Latest Forex News for market insights. - Free Forex Courses to refine your techniques. - Community Membership for expert analysis and live trading insights. Start trading smarter today—and don’t forget to share your success stories below. After all, trading is better when you’re not flying solo! —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated Read the full article

[scarytheory]

My 10 favourite programes of 2021–2022 (women)

5. Yuhana Yokoi – Queen Medley (FS)

[spark-translations]

Translation: Project Sekai Missions

So project sekai finally released!! Haven’t seen the mission translations around yet so I decided to do them. Translation under the cut!

Important Note: I have translated all the missions that I have currently have + the one I remember. If there’s one that doesn’t seem to be on this list, please let me know by sending in an ask or messaging me!

Live missions are just get ___ amount of points

*Regular Missions:

Complete 35 lives ��ライブを35回クリアしよう。

Complete 45 lives・ライブを40回クリアしよう。

Complete 60 lives ・ライブを60回クリアしよう。

See someone’s self introduction from their profile・プロフィールから自己紹介を見る*

Watch the first half of someone’s side story ・メンバーのサイドストーリー［前編］を一回見よう。

Watch the second half of someone’s side story・メンバーのサイドストーリー［後編］を一回見よう。

Make a rare costume from the costume shop・衣装ショップでレア衣装を一着製作しよう。

Complete one challenge live・チャレンジライブを一回クリアしよう。

Take part in a virtual live once・チャレンジライブに一回参加しよう。

Use a virtual item once・バーチャルアイテムを一回使おう。

Change the costume of your virtual live avatar・バーチャルライブのアバター衣装を一回交換しよう。

Set three title achievements・称号を合計３つ設定しよう。

Rank up someone’s master rank once・メンバーのマスターランク を一回ランクアップしよう。

Level up someone’s skill once・メンバーのスキルを一回レベルアップしよう。

Select alternate vocals for a live and clear it・アナザーボーカルを選択してライブを一回クリアしよう。

Set up data transfer with a non-password method・パスワード以外でデータ引き継ぎ設定をしよう。

Title Achievements:

39! - Clear 39 lives・ライブを39回クリアしよう。

3939! - Clear 3939 lives・ライブを3939回クリアしよう。

Fully Qualified - Raise your player rank to 50・プレイヤーランクを50まであげよう。

Perfect Attendance Award - Log in for 30 days straight・30日連続でログインしよう。

Been Here for a Long Time - Log in for 365 days in total・累積で365日ログインしよう。

The Other Voice - Unlock 10 alternate vocals・アナザーボーカルを１０曲解放しよう。

An Everyone Stan - Get the unit rank for all units to level 20・全ユニットのユニットランクを20まで上げよう。

Item Master - Raise the level of 5 different area items to level 10・エリアアイテム５種類をレベル10まで上げよう。

I Love Everyone - Raise every character’s character rank to 5・全員のキャラクターランクを５まで上げよう。

Perfectionist - Complete 5 songs in every difficulty level・全難易度で５曲クリアしよう。

Initiation** - Full combo 30 songs on Master difficulty・難易度MASTERで３０曲フルコンボでクリアしよう。

True Initiation - All perfect 30 songs on Master difficulty・難易度MASTERで３０曲ALL PERFECTでクリアしよう。

Safety Comes First - Clear a live with your life bar at 2000・ライフ2000でライブをクリアしよう。

Never Give Up - Use the continue option 5 times in a live and clear it・一回のライブで5回以上コンティニューしてクリアしよう。

Tenosynovitis - Clear a live with a combo over 1000・コンボを１０００以上繋いでライブをクリアしよう。

Millionaire - Collect 1 million coins in total・コインを累積１００��ン獲得しよう。

Full Combo with Everyone! - Have all 5 people in a multi live full combo the song・「みんなでライブ」で五人全員がフルコンボでクリアしよう。

Synchronicity - Have all 5 people in a multi live select the same song・「みんなでライブ」で五人全員同じ曲を選択しよう。

Doppelgänger - Have all 5 people in a multi live have one or more of the same title achievements・「みんなでライブ」で五人全員が同じ称号を１つ以上つけよう。

Greetings are Important - Send 1000 stamps in total through multi live・「みんなでライブ」でスタンプを1000回押そう。

Meetings and Farewells - Have had 100 members in the waiting room in total・控え室のメンバーを累積で１００人迎えよう。

Stamp Collector - Collect 30 different stamps・スタンプを３０種類集めよう。

I Know Everything - See 500 different Area Talks・エリア会話を５００種類見よう。

Reading Properly - Read 100 story episodes without skipping・ストーリをスキップしないで１００話読もう。

First Year High Schooler - Complete 100 lives with a team of 5 first years・1年生キャラクター五人を編成して100回ライブしよう。

Second Year High Schooler - Complete 100 lives with a team of 5 second years・２年生キャラクター五人を編成して100回ライブしよう。

Miyamasuzaka Girls Academy Student - Complete 100 lives with a team of 5 Miyamasuzaka Girls Academy students・宮益坂女子校キャラクター五人を編成して100回ライブしよう。

Kamiyama High School Student - Complete 100 lives with a team of 5 Kamiyama High School students・都立神山高キャラクター五人を編成して100回ライブしよう。

Boys Master - Complete 100 lives with a team of Tsukasa, Akito, Toya, Rui, Len or KAITO・司、彰人、冬弥、類、レン、KAITOのみで編成して100回ライブしよう。

MVP - Become the MVP in multi lives 100 times in total・「みんなでライブ」で『MVP』に100回なろう。

SUPER STAR - Become the SUPER STAR in multi lives 100 times in total・「みんなでライブ」で『SUPER STAR』に100回なろう。

Fashion Leader - Collect 50 different costumes・衣装を５０種類獲得しよう。

Leo/need Cheer Team - Get your cheer points at a virtual live where Leo/need members perform to reach 5000 in total・Leo/needメンバーが出演しゅるバーチャルライブで応援ポイントを累計5000達成しよう。

MORE MORE JUMP! Cheer Team - Get your cheer points at a virtual live where MORE MORE JUMP! members perform to reach 5000 in total・MORE MORE JUMP!メンバーが出演しゅるバーチャルライブで応援ポイントを累計5000達成しよう。

Vivid BAD SQUAD Cheer Team - Get your cheer points at a virtual live where Vivid BAD SQUAD members perform to reach 5000 in total・Vivid BAD SQUADメンバーが出演しゅるバーチャルライブで応援ポイントを累計5000達成しよう。

Wonderlands x Showtime Cheer Team - Get your cheer points at a virtual live where Wonderlands x Showtime members perform to reach 5000 in total・ワンダーランズxショウタイムメンバーが出演しゅるバーチャルライブで応援ポイントを累計5000達成しよう。

25-Ji, Night Code de Cheer Team - Get your cheer points at a virtual live where 25-Ji, Night Code de members perform to reach 5000 in total・２５時、ナイトコードで。メンバーが出演しゅるバーチャルライブで応援ポイントを累計5000達成しよう。

Virtual Singer Cheer Team - Get your cheer points at a virtual live where Virtual Singer members perform to reach 5000 in total・バーチャル・シンガーメンバーが出演しゅるバーチャルライブで応援ポイントを累計5000達成しよう。

Notes:

*finished the mission so I’m not 100% sure about the japanese. 99% sure it’s not correct so please let know what the correct one is!

**thank you to rose from the project sekai discord for helping with this!

[bishie-haven]

Dreamy Aquarium: What Should You Play?

Hey, Princesses and Princes! Hope you're having a great evening...or morning...or aftern-WHATEVER you have right now, I hope it's good! It'd better be, because we're about to dive into Aipocalypse 3.0 Ai's first Collection Event!

NOW, there is a LOT to go over with this 2nd edition of “What Should You Play?”, as KLab has made my life a living hell both in the past month and at this very moment. From the addition to Crowd-Pleaser songs in each half of the event to a change in points needed for certain rewards, calculating the most efficient plan for success to get the crazy little android has been a bit of a challenge. Even though I’m not planning on tiering myself (Tokiya kinda put me through hell and back last week...), I know a lot of you in the Royal Court ARE, so I want to help you in any way I possibly can! So, if you are aiming to get 2/3 of the Kawaii Team, listen up!

IMPORTANT REMINDER

While I did say that there were a few things that are changing, there is one thing that remains the same: If you do not have enough Collection Points over the event period to afford more than 7 Event Song Passes... DO NOT PLAY THE EVENT SONG MORE THAN ONCE A DAY!!

I will repeat this until the cows come home, please do not make this mistake. As much as you like Synchronism, do not fall for its charms and wait instead!

SO, before I discuss Plans A and B of attack for this event, I will discuss the two things I mentioned in the intro that affected my calculations:

Crowd-Pleaser Songs

In each half of the event, three selected songs have an increased rate of gaining Event Points and Collection Points. In this event’s case, it’s Triangle Beat, Haru Hana, and The New World for the 1st half, and Quartet Night, Innocent Wind, and Andromeda de Kuchizuke O for the 2nd half. While I cannot say exactly how many points you will gain by doing Crowd-Pleasers, I can give an estimate of the percent increase.

To do this, I took two songs of the same attribute, one as a normal song and the other as a Crowd-Pleaser (Maji Love 1000% and Triangle Beat). Then, I created a team that would be almost identical in terms of Leader/Singer bonuses, and I played both songs back-to-back, Ultimate Comboing them both. And by using the number of Event Points and Collection Points obtained from each song, I calculated that a Crowd-Pleaser song gives an estimated 10% more Event Points, and an estimated 15% more Collection Points.

Now, while that may seem like a signal to go “Let’s just do Crowd-Pleaser songs the whole time!”, don’t jump to that conclusion. I will explain later in the post as to why that’s not always the best option.

Point Adjustment

KLab has decided to do a few things when it comes to the Event Point Exchange. You can no longer exchange for Event Story chapters, as they are now given as rewards for clearing point missions, you don’t have to go to your present box to get bonus corsages and passes, and...the amount of  Event Points needed to unlock the UR has changed.

Yes, they are making it even harder to get through the Aipocalypse’s third round in one piece, as instead of needing 190,000 points to unlock the UR, you now need 200,000 points. Why they have done this is not 100% provable, but it is something we now must work around, nonetheless (I understand not shifting the number down to make up for the Event Story passes, but why move it UP?!).

So with these points out of the way, let’s move on to the Plans of Action!

Plan A: Two for One

While Tokiya and Ranmaru’s event left us up to dry in this aspect, Ai and Natsuki’s hands it to us on a silver platter! Both of these boys are in one of the fastest songs in the game, Triangle Beat, at only 1:16! And along with this, it is a Crowd-Pleaser song for the first half of the event, so take advantage of this as much as you can!

Plan B: Separate and Swift

While Plan A is ideal, I will also offer a Plan B for those getting really bored of the unit song. For Ai, like any other Quartet Night member, it’s best to go for Poison Kiss (at 1:15). Although, another possible option is Tsukiakari no Dearest, with a time of 1:33. In Natsuki’s case, two good ideas are Andromeda de Kuchizuke O (which is also a Crowd-Pleaser in the 2nd half!) at 1:31, and Maji Love 1000% at 1:40. 

Crowd-Pleaser Disclaimer

I had said earlier that I would explain why immediately pouncing on the Crowd-Pleasers to get your points is not wise, and now is the time. While an increase of points sounds nice on paper (and it usually is), sometimes it can be inefficient if you measure how long it takes to do a song. To explain this, let me give you an example:

I play a normal song and a Crowd-Pleaser, say for this example Tsukiakari no Dearest and Haru Hana (as they both have the same attribute and serve the same purpose of completing a song with Ai as the singer). I complete the first on 3x Pro and get a total of 2000 Event Points and 1500 Collection Points (this is just an example of a possible number, this is not the amount you would get for this song). Using the 10% and 15% increase estimate, I would get 2200 Event Points and 1725 Collection Points for the second. That seems fine and well, but here’s the thing...Haru Hana takes 2:17 to complete, while Tsukiakari no Dearest uses 1:33. In a little over 11 minutes, you could play five rounds of the Crowd-Pleaser, but seven rounds of the normal song. Following these numbers, you would gain 11,000 Event Points and 8,625 Collection Points for doing Haru Hana...but if you chose Tsukiakari no Dearest, you would gain 14,000 Event Points and 10,500 Collection Points in around the same amount of time! Now do you see why I care so much about time?

So because of this, I will be doing two things from now on:

I will be listing the time it takes to do the Crowd-Pleaser songs in the post, so that it can be shown what is a viable option and what is an effective time-waster.

If there is a possible change that is more efficient, I will split up my Daily Efficiency section into two halves, to cover each part of the event.

With this in mind...

“Dreamy Aquarium” Crowd-Pleaser Songs 1st Half

Triangle Beat-1:15 (Play!)

Haru Hana- 2:17 (DO NOT Play!)

The New World- 1:40 (Play!)

2nd Half

Quartet Night- 2:03 (Don’t Play...)

Innocent Wind- 1:34 (Play!)

Andromeda de Kuchizuke O- 1:31 (Play!)

With these factors in play, if you want to get as many lavender corsages as possible, here is what you need to achieve daily efficiency!

Daily Plays

Day 1-Day 4 (1st half) (Plan A) Triangle Beat: 8 times Synchronism: 1 time (Plan B) Poison Kiss/Tsukiakari no Dearest: 7 times Andromeda de Kuchizuke O/Maji Love 1000%/The New World: 8 times Synchronism: 1 time

Day 4 (2nd half)-Day 7 (Plan A) [Same as 1st half] (Plan B) Poison Kiss/Tsukiakari no Dearest/Innocent Wind: 7 times Andromeda de Kuchizuke O/Maji Love 1000%: 8 times Synchronism: 1 time

If you are still with me after reading this novel, then congratulations! You now have the survival tips and tricks to getting through the changed, treacherous seascape and snagging some new cards as painlessly as possible!

While I wish Ai had the voice of a siren that allows us to come right to him, it does not work that way. For many of us, he has been proven to make us work to be in his company. So, I hope that I have given you all the clearest map possible for you to swim away on your journey. 

Good luck, and I hope to see you Princesses and Princes again soon!

[reuska]

Reuska’s FEH Headcanon Time No.2: Geir (Book II Finale edition)

Gathering energy to draw something bigger, let me explain why I hyped so much about the final chapter and throw another piece of my HC at you.

First, let’s sum up some info about Geir.

Geir of Dufansdarl is an OC of mine.

He is the original Summoner from approx 2 millenia ago.

Askran nobility, born to a couple of Askr and Embla bloodlines (but neither of his parents was the main royal line).

This union happened to bless him with a unique skill - to travel between worlds at will (aka open and close gates - combo of Askran and Emblan abilities). His special ability had one unparalleled bonus: he could actually travel to the mythical, unreachable “magicless” realm, Earth.

Scholar, blue mage, smart jerk. Arrogant, selfish, pleasure-hunting womanizer.

He sworn his loyalty to Askran king but when called for help during an emergency, he betrays his oath - as he takes his time to come (= Loki aka Lady Mischief came to seduce him to prevent him from going and he gives his bed priority). His absence has terrible consequences which result in the king’s death and the curse of Embla bloodline. (Details to be shaped)

The queen performs a rite to call Askr’s wrath on Geir. The dragon curses Geir and turns him into Breidablik, puts him to sleep in a shrine until the right time comes for him to undo his mistakes. He also seals Geir’s castle Dufansdarl near the border with Embla and generally erases all but vague knowledge of his existence. He keeps Geir’s cape in the shrine and through prophets creates a myth of the Summoner who would come in the time of need.

The curse re-shaped Geir’s abilities (since they came from an original gift of the dragons, Askr could manipulate them at his will). When Geir is awoken at the beginning of FEH story, his mind travels to Earth and he handpicks Reuska because she can use a gun, she has decent strategic mind and at the same time appears as a chicken Geir would be easily able to control.

Reuska is vulnerable in many ways but she certainly isn’t the type to get herself manipulated. Quite the opposite. Geir finds himself in a mind connection and constant presence of someone he collides with in pretty much everything. The two getting along is a long journey but it has invaluable moral impact on Geir.

He IS feeling guilty for his failure back in his time. At first he is in a state of denial and just wants Reuska to get the job done asap to set him free. He refuses to communicate with anyone else and tries to avoid any thoughts on why. But as the Order grows on him, especially the royal siblings who inherited the burden of his betrayal, he is less and less reluctant to admit his errors, to himself at least. He begins to change.

But he keeps his identity to himself - he would probably never tell anyone. Reuska has to figure out his identity herself and he forces her to promise she wouldn’t tell anyone. Alfonse eventually figures out Breidablik has a conscience due to him overhearing Reuska “talking to herself” several times. Upon him asking, Geir allows Reuska to introduce him but he doesn’t speak to Alfonse himself (guilt). And he never tells them his backstory.

Now to the point.

Geir functionates thanks to Reuska’s energy (that’s how Askr set things up anyway). They have no idea about this for months because he uses only little of it as he’s just “mental energy”. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t digest, nothing - he just thinks and “scans” the sorroundings in approx 30m diameter. Reuska does suffer from light chronic weariness but they both always connect it with her not being used to this new lifestyle.

Eventually Gunnthrá starts visiting Reuska’s dreams. She reaches for the part of Reuska’s mind where Geir resides - he actually protects Reuska from having nightmares, she would certainly have them otherwise. Geir can’t stop Gunnthrá even though he tries (he has no idea who she is). But seeing her reflection and listening to her voice, he platonically falls in love with her. It is a different emotion than he ever felt for a woman, genuine affection instead of lust which was his drive back in his time.

When Surtr kills Gunnthrá (the first time they physically encounter her), Geir gets furious (a mix of pain, hatred and all the other emotions connected with the terrible event). Reuska is experiencing her own share of strong negative emotions and the two synchronize through these in a way they haven’t before. Geir gets an access to more of Reuska’s energy and uses it to (sort of) materialize into a weird, translucent, glowing humanoid object that manages to buy the group some time so they can retreat. Geir can’t get hurt in this state but his consumption of Reuska’s energy multiplies several times so he can keep it up only as long as she has enough energy to fuel him. Which is not long. Any hit he takes eqeals to even more energy taken from her.

This form fades out soon enough for Reuska to not faint but it still leaves her exhausted, barely able to move. From that event on, Geir uses this ability to shield Reuska from physical danger he can detect (he can’t detect long distance shots as the shooter is far from his “scanning” range - and magic just goes through him) which is very relieving to anyone in the Order as it gives her an extra protection. However, everyone must adjust to the drawback - which is exhausted and even more vulnerable Reuska afterwards. She usually falls asleep within minutes. One of her guard trio has to get her away asap, on horseback usually, where she sleeps in front of them.

So what happens in the finale?

Alfonse goes to face Surtr. Surtr can be killed at the time but he remains a mountain of muscle fueled by the Flames of Múspel. He’s a terryfying foe, much much larger than Al. But it’s the Flames that are a real problem. Combined with Surtr’s hits, they put immense heat + force load on Fólkvangr, a load the sword can’t take and it starts to crack.

Another hit would shatter it and kill Al but Geir prevents it. He uses his “immortal object” ability but instead of materializing, he jumps at Fólkvangr and covers it with a thin layer to keep its sharpness. Plus he still carries the Nífl blessing which dulls the Flames. Fólkvangr appears to glow with a blue light. The sword is shielded from damage, which, however, means the whole load shifts to Reuska. So Al and Geir have only tens of seconds to finish Surtr off.

Reuska tries her best to hold on as long as possible but Surtr’s first hit literally sends her down to her knees. She starts sweating immediately, breathes heavily and her pulse jumps up at the verge of heart attack. She manages to force the connection to stay up longer than usual which is enough for Al to finish the job. But she faints right after and sleeps for four days. She wakes up again on a cart they prepared for her transportation, already back in Askr.

(I came up with the Folkvangr enforcement idea just like three days ago and I was trying to pick a proper situation for it to happen. I was tempted to go for the final battle against Surtr but the chapter just confirmed everything including Alfonse being most likely the one to take Surtr down. And no further fighting after his death so Reuska would be safe. All the pieces just came together perfectly ♥)

[truemedian]

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Preview: The First 3 Hours, Tifa And Aerith Combat, And More

All aboard for Seventh Heaven.

By Edmond Tran | @EdmondTran on March 2, 2020 at 3:36PM PST GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. Seeing the reimagined opening of Final Fantasy VII Remake for the first time really is something special, if the original is something you're familiar with. The establishing shots of Midgar, the train, the first couple of battles--there's definitely an unavoidable nostalgia, no matter how reserved and wary you're trying to be. I'd certainly been very skeptical about how Remake was going to turn out, and that's partially on me--I generally avoid watching pre-release coverage of things I know I want to experience myself. But after getting the chance to spend somewhere between three and four hours playing the first two chapters and some mid-game stuff, I'm feeling much better about letting myself be very excited about Remake's impending release.You're likely already aware that Square Enix is blowing out the Final Fantasy VII saga to encompass multiple releases. The first part is set solely in the corporate-owned slums of Midgar, ending when your party leaves the city, and will extrapolate greatly on the beats of the original. Having started a replay of the PS1 FF7 shortly before I dove into the first few hours of Remake, it's a little shocking how much more detailed the new game feels. The original Final Fantasy VII was in no way a small or unambitious game, but if I were to imagine the same kind of treatment being given to the rest of VII--well, I hope I live to see it all happen.A big part of the joy, of course, is simply seeing a more realistic depiction of a Midgar you likely know, and from all angles. There's a big nostalgia factor, naturally--jumping off the train for the first time is pretty cool. But there's a lot more about the setting that was never present in the original, and that certainly brings a feeling of curious wonder about something completely new. You can look up and see the plate far above, which physically separates the city's rich from poor. The streets are populated with people, shopfronts, and ads for hair gel, giving the city a kind of character I never thought about it having.Similarly, scenes that fly by in a minute in the original are expanded on for almost an hour. We encountered a handful of 'slow walk' scenes where the game spends time fostering a particular tone and atmosphere as it forces you to take a closer look at the aftermath of events through the city, listen to the citizens, and delve into Cloud's fragile psyche. Speaking to Yoshinori Kitase, a producer on Remake and director on the original Final Fantasy VII, he pointed out that this would be the first time fans will see a greener, more unsure and inexperienced Cloud in this kind of realistic detail, and that's something they paid a lot of attention to--the Cloud we saw in Advent Children and other supplementary Final Fantasy VII material in the years after the original release was far more hardened after the dramatic events of the game.But the most notable example of expansion I saw in Remake was the entirety of Chapter 2, wherein Cloud, Barrett, and the rest of Avalanche split up, agreeing to rendezvous back at the train. Fans are used to seeing short scenes of Cloud running through the city streets, nonchalantly bumping into a seemingly inconsequential flower girl, and quickly being backed into a corner by Shinra guards before making a daring escape.In Remake, a lot more focus and attention is given to that seemingly inconsequential flower girl. Cloud converses with her for longer, the two get into a bit of trouble with the guards, and there's a very curious and unexpected wrinkle complicating things. Kitase mentioned that the development team did some research into scenes fans found particularly memorable from the original game, wanting to make sure they had some extra consideration in Remake. This feels like one of the results, but personally, the expanded flower girl scene was one of the points in the demo where I was left feeling a bit unsure--something I'll only be able to resolve once I see where it goes in the full game.Following this scene, Cloud's originally quick escape from guards is extended out into an exploratory segment where you're asked to move through the streets and rooftops of Midgar, trying to find your way to the meeting point. It feels primarily like a chance for you to get a better feel for the new tactical real-time combat system with more challenging enemies. The defacto 'boss' enemy of this area is a named elite unit called "The Huntsman," an incredibly defensive shield unit who forces you to get used to dealing positional damage--you either have to distract him long enough to hit him from behind, or do what I do and perfect your parrying and countering skills to stagger him. At this early stage, and in my short time with the game, I was more than happy to spend time exploring every nook and cranny I could, finding out-of-the-way chests with equipment and Materia upgrades for Cloud, and just marvelling at a Midgar I hadn't seen before.

But my biggest worry comes from wondering about the full game's pacing, and the ifs and whens of whether roaming around expanded city streets and Mako reactors for the sake of a seamless Midgar will get tedious. These worries crept into my mind a few times during my hours with the game--when I was asked to wait for laser grids to momentarily come down before dashing across, when I had to hunt for keycards three different times before progressing, after climbing up my 20th ladder. I expect some roadblocks and puzzles, and the sequence where Cloud has to pull levers synchronously with Tifa and Barret was nice to see again (with additional unbridled enthusiasm from Barret), but I really hope there isn't too much busywork placed between major beats.But the thing that I just couldn't get enough of, the part of Remake I'm dying to go back to, is the tactical real-time combat system. It's accessible. It's complex. It's flashy, it's challenging, and best of all, it has a good heft to it, a good feel.If you've been following the reveal, you know have some idea about how it works: There's a lot of focus on blocking and dodging, regular attacks are mapped to the Square button, and when you're using melee characters like Tifa or Cloud, individual strikes are linked to discrete button presses. Characters with long-range weapons, like Barret's gun arm or Aerith's magic staff, require you to hold down Square for sustained fire. Sustaining attacks will build up segments of your ATB meter, at which point you can spend the segments on abilities and spells (which still require MP).You can activate spells and abilities in two ways: the first by assigning them to shortcut commands (L1 in tandem with the face buttons), allowing you to trigger them instantaneously, which allows you to seamlessly combo into them from your regular strikes. Played this way, Remake's combat can feel closer to a character action game, ala Devil May Cry. The second method is to hit a button to slow down time to a crawl, allowing you to more casually peruse a menu in order to weigh up the option available to you, and target them more specifically.

Even given the game's huge focus on action in combat, I found that when playing some of the mid-game content, at which point your characters have dozens of skills, spells, and items under their belts, the tactical pause option is vital to make the most out of your assault. Slowing down time lets you squeeze out advantages without faltering for a second--taking advantage of elemental weaknesses, piling enough pressure onto enemies to lock them down, and making sure your positioning is optimal. To me, it evokes the same kinds of feelings of playing an intense FTL scenario.This is especially true in boss fights. Those familiar with FFVII might recall the Air Buster fight, which takes place in Chapter 7 of Remake, where your team of Cloud, Barret, and Tifa are separated by the boss itself. I had to constantly switch between characters to make sure they were mitigating as much damage as possible when they were being targeted (with abilities like Barret's Steelskin and plenty of heals) while pressing the advantage when they had the opportunity to attack Air Buster from behind. Your party members will behave of their own accord when you're not directly in control, but they won't be as effective, and won't build up their ATB meters as quickly. During regular battles, I found it was usually okay to just stick to my preferred character (Tifa, of course), but making sure you're optimizing your plan of attack during boss battles, where the dynamic can change dramatically on a dime, is a tense and welcome challenge in Remake's combat. Summonable creatures (like Ifrit, Shiva, and Leviathan) act like extra party members when called upon, attacking of their own accord for a limited time. Anyone who has ATB meter to spend can use it to trigger one of the summoned creature's special abilities, and once time is up, the summon will perform their big, cinematic attack before disappearing.I was pleasantly surprised by how different each character feels to use. Not just because of melee vs. ranged weapon preference and abilities, but also the innate secondary skills each one has. Pressing Triangle with Cloud will switch his sword stance, for instance, giving him access to stronger hits and the ability to counter at the cost of his dodge. For Barret, however, Triangle is a single charged shot that does a huge amount of damage but has a long cooldown. Tifa has a Whirling Uppercut with a short cooldown that becomes a frequent part of her combo toolkit as she gets in close, and Aerith has a ranged ability called Tempest that gets more powerful the longer you hold the button to charge it, at the cost of, well, doing anything else.

The short time I did get to use Aerith in battle was the most divergent experience of the four. The last portion of the game I got to play was the fight with Abzu in the sewers, which takes place in Remake's 10th chapter. Abzu is ferocious, pouncing all over the arena and unleashing huge area-of-effect attacks. Focusing your efforts as Aerith during this fight felt necessary because of how devastating Abzu can be. Staying far away from danger zones and repositioning when necessary, I spent most of my time laying down buffs, debuffs, and regular heals to avoid having to frantically throw Phoenix Downs around to revive everyone one by one. When things were generally okay, it was a matter of working out how long I could charge my Tempest ability for a big hit without getting interrupted. This supporting role is the kind of action that can really stall the momentum of a fight in a turn-based scenario, but with the constant dangers of Remake's real-time combat, even the act of keeping everyone alive can be thrilling.And with all that Remake experience now under my belt, it's the constant thrill and excitement of combat that makes me happy to charge headlong into any and all battles the game wants to throw at me. I may have come away with some hesitations about how the structure of Remake's first part might shake out in the full game, but so long as the fights keep coming, I think I'm going to have a buster of a good time.Have any questions about the Final Fantasy VII Remake content we saw? Leave it in the comments below and we'll answer what we can. For more coverage, read our interview with Yoshinori Kitase, director of the original Final Fantasy VII and a producer on Remake. Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can't access this content! Now Playing: We Played 4 Hours of Final Fantasy 7 Remake | Here's What We Saw Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com Read More Read the full article

[lenaglittleus]

How to Do a Bear Crawl, Plus 4 More of SHIFT SHOP’s Toughest Moves

SHIFT SHOP has been getting people dramatic results since its launch, promoting not only weight loss, but also  strength, muscle growth and endurance, agility, and coordination. But it doesn’t come easy. Chris Downing‘s progressive three-week ramp-up program doesn’t just demand effort, it demands a complete understanding of its movements to maximize results and minimize the risk of injury.

We’ve rounded up five of SHIFT SHOP’s most difficult moves, demonstrated by Chris personally.

How to Do a Bear Crawl

Crawling on all fours isn’t just for babies (and bears). Not only is the bear crawl a strength and endurance challenge — particularly for your shoulders, chest, and triceps, which probably haven’t supported you in this position often since you were a toddler — but it also mobilizes your hips, shoulders, and ankles, improves your balance, and increases your core strength.

The bear crawl also enhances contralateral coordination, which is the synchronous movement of opposite limbs (i.e., right arm and left leg, left arm and right leg). Such movement also trains your core to work anti-rotationally to prevent excessive twisting in to your spine: that’s the king of spine-saving support you need in athletic activities like running, throwing, and jumping, and in day-to-day actions like carrying heavy objects, shutting heavy doors, and climbing stairs.

In addition to the aforementioned upper-body muscles and core stabilizers, the bear crawl also fires up your glutes, quads, back extensors, and, to a lesser extent, your hamstrings and calves.

The bear crawl is easy to get wrong. Done correctly, you’ll maintain a rigid core and a flat back as you perform the exercise. But if you get too fast and loose with it, you’ll lose that stiff, stable core and get all bendy-twisty, increasing the strain on your spine instead of minimizing it. The video below will show you how to do a bear crawl with ideal form.

HOW TO DO IT:

Assume an all-fours position on your palms and balls of your feet with your back flat, your hands below your shoulders, your knees bent 90 degrees below your hips (don’t let them touch the floor). This is the starting position.

Crawl by moving opposite limbs (right arm and left leg, left arm and right leg) simultaneously.

Consider crawling in more than one direction (forward, backward, left right) to increase the challenge.

HOW NOT TO DO IT:

DON’T round your back.

DON’T raise your hips above shoulder level.

DON’T allow your knees to rise more than a few inches off the floor.

DON’T extend your legs too far behind you, or reach too far forward with your arms — take small steps, and keep your arms and your thighs roughly perpendicular to the floor.

How to Do a Baby Hop

Don’t let the name of this exercise fool you into thinking it’s easy. By holding a low-squat position as you hop, you’re not only going to maximize “time under tension” in your quads’ (a key muscle growth stimulus), but also how much they burn. It doesn’t matter that the hops are tiny — your legs are going to be on fire by the time you’re done.

Other muscles worked include the glutes, hamstrings, an calves. As with any exercise, good form is essential — stay low, and keep your knees wide, elbows up, and chest high.

HOW TO DO IT:

Assume a wide stance with your feet slightly beyond shoulder width, toes turned slightly outward.

Cross your forearms, raise your elbows to shoulder height, and keep them there.

Keep your chest high, your gaze forward, and your back straight.

Squat down until the tops of your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor (or as low as you can go without lifting your heels off the floor or rounding your back).

Maintain the low squat position as you hop forward about six inches each time. Be sure to land softly to minimize the impact on your legs and spine.

Hop forward and backward.

HOW NOT TO DO IT:

DON’T perform the move from a standing, or partial-squat position. Drop as low as you can without having to round your back (keep it flat).

DON’T bend forward at the waist or drop your elbows towards the floor. Keep your chest up and elbows high.

DON’T let your knees collapse inward.

How to Do a Catcher’s Crawl

Also known by various animal-inspired names — including the frog squat, and the animal crawl — the catcher’s crawl is a forward-hopping move that mobilizes your hips, strengthens your thighs, and fires up the extensor muscles that flank your spine and support good posture. Practice the move enough and you’ll have an easier time getting into a full squat — which in turn helps build a stronger, more shapely lower body.

HOW TO DO IT:

Drop your hips low and lift your chest high in a catcher’s position.

Look forward in the catcher’s position.

Keep your back flat as you reach forward, placing your hands on the floor, and then hop forward with your feet.

HOW NOT TO DO IT:

DON’T round your back.

DON’T forget to assume the “catcher” position at the end of each rep.

DON’T keep your head down throughout the move.

How to Do a Lateral Shuffle

A foundational movement in many sports, including baseball, tennis, and basketball, the lateral shuffle is an athletic drill performed from the classic defensive stance: legs wide, knees bent, chest up, arms forward, gaze straight ahead. As you alternately shuffle left and right, you’ll improve your agility, mobility, core strength, and muscular endurance (especially in your quads and glutes).

HOW TO DO IT:

Stay in an athletic stance with your knees bent.

Move explosively in each direction.

Keep your back flat the entire time.

HOW NOT TO DO IT:

DON’T keep your legs straight.

DON’T cross your feet.

DON’T shuffle forward instead of sideways.

How to Do a Broad Jump Pogo Hop

You might remember the broad jump from gym class — an explosive, two-footed forward leap that starts and ends in a wide-stance squat. But you’re probably not familiar with the second part of this combo move: pogo hops, which are small jumps that, in this case, are performed in reverse to bring you back to your starting point. Together, these two movements build explosive power and enhance muscular endurance while helping to improve dynamic balance.

HOW TO DO IT:

Jump forward as explosively as you can.

Swing your arms to help propel yourself.

Land softly.

Move backwards with small hops.

HOW NOT TO DO IT:

DON’T allow your knees to collapse inward at any point in the movement.

DON’T leave your arms out of the action.

DON’T broad jump in both directions (forward and backward)

from News About Health https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/how-to-do-a-bear-crawl

[theposersclub-blog]

Stretching with Priscilla

Confession: I was totally that kid in gym class.  The one who flinched at all the dodgeballs and struck herself out on purpose to avoid playing.  The kid who somehow got whacked with every rogue round object known to man, whether it be from ten feet away or clear across the fieldhouse.  Who bruised black and purple attempting to serve volleyballs, and who stood counting literal butterflies in the outfield during a failed foray with little league softball in the third grade.  

That's not to say I didn't admire athleticism, though.  I found myself obsessed with gymnasts, figure skaters, synchronized swimmers, and UCA cheerleading competitions on ESPN.  Oh, and Priscilla Patrick's various Hatha yoga programs that aired every weekday on public broadcasting.

Starting the summer of my half-hearted stint in the outfield, I began to practice yoga in my grandparents' bedroom.  Just me and Priscilla, a beloved routine that lasted for years.  Looking back, this was the first of many yoga experiences for me, and I can honestly say it was love at first stretch, even back then in all my juvenile glory and squirreliness.

I had a legit dedicated routine going on, guys.  I'd clear the bedspread of my grandfather's bed, which acted as a makeshift ginormous exercise mat and pop on PBS a few minutes early, sitting through the last ten minutes of some other dated exercise program in anticipation of Priscilla.  I'd practice right there along with her for both 30-minute episodes every day, mimicking each pose to the best of my limited skill.  

This was yoga at its most hilarious and raw.  There I was, a pudgy eight-year-old, ready to rumble in yellow denim shorts and a variety of tie-dyed tee shirts.  Contorting myself into sloppy pretzels all over a shabby California king with reckless abandon, foodbaby gut out and proud.  I even ate the exact same post-yoga lunch each and every day: an apple, a tuna sandwich on buttered toast, chicken noodle soup and three Chips Ahoy cookies with milk for dessert.  This was in the food-pyramid-is-God-90s, where a meal like that felt wholesome and well-rounded.  I was doing my body right, dammit, and I was proud of it!  The whole ritual of yoga and lunch made me feel accomplished, grown-up, and in control.

But the best part?  

Nothing about that yoga was formal.  There was no pressure or expectation level, and practicing never made me feel less-than.  In a stark contrast from the multitude of my past PE embarrassments, it actually provided me with some self-esteem.  Priscilla's instruction was inclusive and gentle, and I took comfort in her encouragement and soothing ASMR-worthy voice.  Who knows?  Maybe the freedom I found in those early practice sessions created a lasting positive outlook towards yoga, maybe not.  But what I can tell you is that over the years, I've fallen away from the practice, jumped back in, fallen away, jumped in, rinse/repeat, rinse/repeat.  Until very recently, I never even took it all that seriously, but no matter what, I found myself returning to yoga time and again.

I'm now a 33-year-old student yogi practicing 3-5 times a week in a combo of studio classes and at home.  This time I've re-discovered yoga as a means of self-therapy.  And I’ve never been more serious or consistent with my practice.  It calms my anxiety, helps with depression, and has taught me so much about satisfaction, moderation, organization, and so much more.  Practicing asana is fully-integrated into my lifestyle now more so than ever, and I have ambitions to keep learning more every day, to engage fully into the practice, all 8 limbs or bust!  Like a boss, as they say.  But I started small, and TBH if not for those early PBS TV dates with Priscilla Patrick, I truly doubt I'd have given yoga the chance to save my life like it has.