#faffing about with no mods

[azuhrasims]

Nancy, what?! We’re only friends because of Social Bunny! I hardly know you in real life! This is weird. Please stop.

[finalfrontierpublishing]

Happy Fanfiction Writers Appreciation Day!!!

For FFWAD, Renegade Bindery runs an event where we bind copies of fics for their authors, and I was super excited to participate and help mod for the event this year.

I had the great pleasure of binding A Great and Gruesome Height for @moku-youbi this year. I had initially bound a copy for myself sometime last year, but had done so in the early days of my fanbinding experience and oh boy, there were so so many flaws with the construction of that book.

I was so excited to be able to update it and make a nicer, fancier copy for the author.

I decided to go with colibri graphite instead of white this time - i had a terrible experience with the white cloth and I was very excited to do this version entirely in black. For the usage of the thread design on the cover - i used a thinner, less waxed linen thread this time and kept up the tension of the thread as I was stitching the design on the cover, and it looks much better now.

I have also gotten significantly better at doing endbands - and the crowning glory of this bind are its venomous snake endbands (not entirely intentional, but I AM GOING WITH THE VIBES WITH THIS ONE). they look really fucking great with this bind, I love them so so much. I used Crepaldi endpapers from hollanders (with a design that felt very reminiscent of a blood film so i was very excited to use it) and I foiled some of the chapter headings for the additional added-on fics at the end.

All in all, I think the bind turned out well and i faffed about minimally with it, so I was proud to be able to give this copy to an author as an example of my work. I was definitely very thrilled that the author enjoyed the copy and as always, I am absolutely enthused to be able to preserve someone's beautifully written work in a physical form.

[profoundlyfaded]

Thanks to the inclusion of mods for BG3 on Console now, including new hairstyles and unlock to level 20, I’ve been faffing around with Ayressa Aedihle again.

Cue obligatory screenshot of said Bard and her wizard puppy.

One thing I loved about having twenty levels to build her was I was able to do it closer to what I envisioned her to be outside the usual constraints of the game - 12 Lore Bard/3 Archfey Warlock/5 Champion Fighter for a level 20 character.

With Phalar Aluve as her Pact Blade, she can chop her way out of a difficult situation if she needs to but would rather stay on the outskirts of battle, picking off problematic enemies with Hideous Laughter or Irresistible Dance by the end of the game.

Admittedly, this wasn’t a particularly effective build for an Honour Mode -it’s a purely CRPG build but it was still a lot of fun.

[medicalgradezine]

not a question, just giggling and kicking my feet waiting so patiently for this zine to start production then shipping. kinda forgot i had ordered it until i went to tfcon and saw the table with the qr code for the shop (really bad with remembering people so i'm so sorry i can't remember who was tabling off the top of my head but y'all were so nice) and now i haven't stopped thinking about it ever since

so yeah. just here waiting so very patiently while filled with excitement and anticipation

DarlsDraws was tabling, but all the mods (save for Dazzle) were at TFCon Baltimore just faffing about as regular guests.

Can also confirm that we've very excited to start full production and tally the final donation amount for you all!

[sihmie]

realising that nraas story progression was the cause of literally all my lag and switching to simler90's gameplay core mod has made playing the sims 3 so much more enjoyable i think i've finally put together a permanent mod folder and i can stop faffing about with stuff - hopefully will get round to producing a master list of everything i use to help others with a similar play style

[benpaddon]

I've spent the last few days faffing about with mods for Fallout: New Vegas, a process which has somehow become more convoluted and complicated in the five-or-so years since I last tried.

Everything seems to have shifted over to something called Fallout Mod Manager which, despite my best efforts, doesn't seem to bloody work. The New Vegas Script Extender also seems broken, and throws up an error message whenever I try to use it. Lovely.

Vortex is somehow worse than it used to be, refusing to load any mods because it believes they were installed on an entirely different drive from the game. Which, haha, isn't actually true.

So... sod it. I'm going into New Vegas on my PC, vanilla. It's fine. I don't need HDR lighting or better textures or any of the other tweaks. I have the game, the DLC, the original version of the JSawyer patch, and I'll figure it out from there.

Christ. What the Hell happened to the Fallout modding space to make it so impenetrable to newcomers and returning oldies?

[sapphim]

told myself I was going to finish all the import fixes and get the updated version of the mod published FIRST, BEFORE I would start tackling the problem of letting people change their vault variables without resorting to save game editing—because, you know, a lot of potential for things to go wrong there—but then I was struck with a bolt of inspiration and realized how exactly I should handle it, and now guess who's ~~faffing about in my fucking code when I told myself I wouldn't be~~

[miniar]

OH NO MY BG3 MODS!!

Patch #4 is out, the patch notes look like they are written by a human that fondly remembers ye olde Sims patch notes.

Some much desired updates have been implemented and I'm very pleased.

Except... my auto-loot aura that is a very large quality of life improvement for my neurodivergent NEED TO OPEN EVERY CRATE impulse is no longer working... so...

... I guess I'll do normal hyuman activities today.... like... get groceries... and maybe even shower... Who knows... I might go absolutely buck wild and load up a different game, like FFXIV or something... or better yet... ACTUALLY WORK ON SOME CROCHET I ACTUALLY NEED TO DO!...

Who knows...

All I know is I realize now how big a difference my autoloot aura does... and I don't think I can carry on without it.

I'm on... like... my 5th full run...

I've finished the game as dark urge twice, once as a tiny bard, and once as Gale. I was having some localized crashing issues due to mod conflicts and so I've played to about 70% completion with three other characters until I wizened up and fixed it properly.

Currently I'm playing as Lae'zel, and I'm trying to do her justice, none of this faffing about, chasing side quests and bullshit. The Mission Comes First.

As a result, after being finally served a helping of humility, at the start of act two I'm now turning around to backtrack to look for the drow so I can take her instrument.

I've only recruited one companion and I have not saved anyone from anything.

It is feeling a little like a semi-speedrun and I'm having a time choosing not to do the things.

[belladovah]

Hiya! This is definitely a silly question, but I'm a bit confused as to how exactly you use apthack/reduced deposits, halved apartment rent, and Apartments at Uni together. I know you take certain ones out/put certain ones in during Uni, but which ones are used during Uni and which ones outside of Uni? Do you need the edited (i.e., Claim Suite BHAV deleted) and unedited version of aparments in Uni to do this? Thank you and sorry if this is silly! <3

Hello, its not a silly question at all, I assume this is based on my mod list which I've just gone back and read and I'm struggling to even understand what I meant myself😂 To be honest, its been a very long time since I've tried using apartments in university so I'm not completely sure. I think those workarounds I was suggesting at the time was mainly to preserve the rent being cheaper in the university hood than it is in the main hood and come to think of it now, I'm not so sure that would be something I'd be bothered about anymore. So, I really like the deposit feature added by apthack and wanted to preserve that (by not letting the claim suite part of apartments in uni overwrite it), but since it can be a bit expensive, I currently use the mixed option of No or reduced apthack apartment deposit, as well as halved apartment rent at all times. I think if I were to try using the apartments in uni mod now, I would simply add it to my game, let it load after apthack but delete the Claim Suite BHAVs and leave it like that, which would effectively just use the same deposit and rent price as the main neighborhood. I think a suggestion I was trying to get at is that you could use a version of apartments in uni without the claim suite bhavs for when your student sims actually buy the apartment, but then use the unedited version once they've bought it and you're playing with them, to get the benefits of both having to pay the deposit initially but then getting the reduced rent rate, and then either take it out or put the edited version back in when not playing with them, seems like a lot of effort though lol. Or alternatively what you could do is keep the edited version at all times and only put the halved apartment rent mod in your game when playing with students in an apartment but then take it out when playing apartments in the main hood, simulating cheaper rent for students. Again, seems like a lot of faffing and a lot to remember. I hope that clarifies things, sorry it not!

[coldau]

I'm playing Beyond Reach, a skyrim mod, as a backstory for my character who I just restarted after a whole lot of faffing about doing nothing and getting my mods straight.

This mod honestly is so... nostalgic feeling? I've NEVER played it before, but gods it really reminds me of Dragon Age Origins vibe wise. Something unsettling in a fantasy world. It's the condensed essence of all the fade parts and the darkspawn parts in vibe.

It's dark and gritty and I feel like your character is going to come out of it traumatized as hell.

[vitaminwaterreviews]

IU - Modern Times

Let’s start off with the average because I want to see how this compares to Pink Tape. Average of 8.4 both with and without Voicemail. Pink Tape was 8.3, but it’s actually 10. But yeah, by the average quality of the songs, this was definitely the best kpop album I’ve ever listened to, there is no doubt about that.

First, I’m amazed by the quality of the production. Everything was so clean - the vocals, the instrumentals, just absolutely gorgeous production. SM in 2013 was still faffing around with whatever their old sound used to be, meanwhile Loen was not fucking around with IU’s music. And speaking of instrumentals, the genre choice was brilliant. Who would’ve thought that this 20 year old girl would be able to pull off jazz so well? Maybe I need to do an IU deep dive to see what her earlier stuff was like.

The features were fantastic, too. I was super impressed by the talent of Choi Baek-ho and Yang Hee-eun, neither of whom I’d heard of before, both of whom are absolutely incredible singers. But more importantly, they fit their respective songs so well! Hearing IU harmonize with such great vocalists was definitely one of the highlights of the album. The Jonghyun feature wasn’t as vocally demanding, but it was still such a pretty song. I didn’t even realize that Gain was a separate vocalist until I checked the credits; maybe that’s a good thing, because it means their vocals blended well? Either way, it happened to be on my least favorite song on the album, so she was kind of screwed over there.

This album wasn’t an experience in the same way that Pink Tape was, but it was full of some ridiculously high-quality songs. It certainly made me appreciate IU as a vocalist even more than I already did. I’m so glad I finally got around to this album.

Love IU’s music so much, but I only know a few songs! So let’s give this one a listen, I hear it’s pretty good.

Love of B

Haha what

Okay, I think I’m on board with this sound

It sounds very … tavern

I can’t tell if she actually sounds younger or if I’m just imagining it

This song is super stripped back. Her vocals are super super clean, no doubling or harmonies or effects. Kind of a bold choice

Love the scatting

Haha that outro

9/10

Everybody has secrets

Oh okay, now we’re all quiet and sultry

It’s a lot faster, more upbeat

Super latin

This style of percussion and the violins, honestly not a sound I’ve always enjoyed

7/10, it’s a Good song, not totally my type

Between the lips (50cm)

Now we’re like, classy restaurant jazz

Haha this is super sensual, I think I like it

Wow that was Such a cool moment

Super intense and now we’re quiet again

8/10

The Red Shoes

MV time

EIGHT MINUTES?? Welp, here we go, impress me

Moody piano, moody scenes

Who’s this filmmaking gentleman, I wonder?

Is that IU? Jesus she looks like a kid

Nah, just younger than I’m used to seeing her

Haha okay, proper big band vibes here

oMG she outs on the red shoes and now its all Colorful

It is genuinely disconcerting how young she looks though. Kinda like … Jessica? Nayeon? I dunno

Why does this kind of remind me of the Lilac MV?

Yo the shoes themselves are dancing that’s wild dude

I dunno if i buy the song itself tbh, it feels kind of-

She looked EXAcTLY like Jessica right there for a second lol

Haha the shoes are making her dance, that’s such a cool effect actually

Great acting on her part

Yo are they gonna make her jump?

Oh no they’re just gonna make her disappear into the black and white world of film again

Lol a credits roll? I mean fair enough, this was a Proper MV with a plot and actors and shit

They credited MR SHOES haha

9/10, the song was alright but the MV was SO excellent, what a fun experience. One of my all time favorite MV’s, no doubt

Modern Times

This is the literal title track, but it is not the title track

Oh my god the clarinet

The background harmonies

This album is actually SO good, like the default sound of this album is so good

It sounds like a person from the 1940s’ conception of Modern Times haha

Or maybe just someone from Paris

Haha the background vocals are so cute

Why do I feel like this part should be in cut time?

8/10, solid song, the background vocals are so good

Bad Day

Ballad time?

Lyrics and music by IU, that’s neat

Super super simple so far, just piano and vocals

Here’s a violin

Here’s something lower than a violin

Is there a woodwind back there? Hard to hear

And now the beat comes in

Wow this is actually Super good

Her voice is so pretty

Wow, this song is all over the place and I really appreciate that

9/10, really really good song. I won’t listen to it much but What a good song

Obliviate

Like the Harry Potter spell?

Electric piano

Super Latin

Actually this whole album feels like music we’d play in Jazz band haha

Dude this horn riff is popping off

Does it sound like she’s saying “Maria” to anyone else here?

9/10 wtf dude

Walk with Me, Girl

Oh he’s a SINGER alright then

This is so good, I’m laughing. Kinda like Toy in Pink Tape haha

Not crying yet though

I know I’m not typing much, it’s because I’m vibing too hard

9/10, what a talented vocalist

Havana

Strings, are we classical now?

Nope, no we aren’t

Her voice is so good

Kinda getting Disney vibes from this for some reason?

What are they singing here? Spotify just has an eighth note

8/10

A Gloomy Clock

Jonghyun, you’re our inspiration~

This doesn’t feel nearly as jazzy, that synth is kinda messing with the vibe for me

Mmm but now that it’s a duet and the synth is gone it’s way prettier

Oh my god Jonghyun’s background vocals are everything

8/10

Daydream

Oh my god her voice, who IS this

Why did kpop just stop being interesting?

The duet here is SO pretty wow

8/10

Wait

And now we’re fast again

I vibe with this, this is an interlude? An outro? Not sure which one it is, because there’s also a bonus track

Oh she does sing, that’s neat

9/10

Voice Mail (Korean Ver.)

I certainly don’t know the Japanese version so I guess I’ll listen to this too

The vibe of this song is Totally different to the rest of the album haha

That guitar is so electric

This feels more like a ballad and less like a jazz ballad

Mmm nice and warm tones now

Well, nobody can ever say IU is a bad vocalist, her “ah”s are so good

8/10 I guess, not my favorite but she’s just So good

[azuhrasims]

Welp, little Starling aged into an infant without my consent. Somehow, briefly, we have both a toddler and an infant at the same time and I am NOT AMUSED with my Robin’s choices right now!

That said, holy crap the toddler blowing a raspberry on the infants tummy is the cutest thing ever!

[bstu]

No College Time Progression On Community Lots

I really enjoy the idea of the college experience in TS2. However, it really seems like it was tailored for the partygoing type of college-attending Sims, with plenty of time in each semester for faffing about and socializing, while your introverted knowledge Sims get stuck with the short end of the stick. Meanwhile, the player gets tired of playing too for what is essentially the length of an Adult lifespan.

Since I've installed shorter Semester mods, I then found I had the opposite problem - in a wants-based playstyle no Sim had enough time to both socialize and pass!

My solution is imo what should have been there to begin with, and suits my own playstyle the best.

More details and download faoin gearradh. 

This mod will prevent the college timer from progressing on community college lots and allow it to progress on all residential lots. This lets your students crash nightclubs and cafés as long as they want, or, if you want your Sims to get the college experience over with - stay home! This also allows for roleplaying out active classes on community lots without a massive time penalty which is also something I wanted to do. It comes with an additional benefit of not desynchronising your Sim with your other students if only one Sim leaves for a community lot.

This is actually Pescado's collegeclock turned into a global controller, edited, given a unique GUID and stripped of other functions. I'm lazy and do not have the foresight/desire to put it down everywhere myself. That said, it will detect if you *have* put down Pescado's clock on a community lot and if you have, it will stop freezing time and Pescado's clock's settings will take precedence. Therefore you can set up some college community lots to not have college progression frozen if you wish. Also, this mod is compatible with both college length-altering mods linked above.

Download at Simfileshare

[neproxrezi]

after much faffing about i've decided on a shirt to mod in for my playthrough

[writemyaceattorneys]

Mod Miles, I think your art style looks reeeeally good and I like it! And... it's an honor that you went out of your way to draw for my previous ask ☺🙏 I myself love drawing AA characters so seeing a variety of art styles is refreshing. But it gives me a thought: If s/o also drew them and saved their art works in their electronic devices... then sentient characters would certainly see them! Yandere sentient homies would simp so hard there'd be no escape for s/o 👁 (Suzume Anon).

Aaaah thank you!!!!!!!! I appreciate it a lot :D

I was just faffing about a little bit really but it was good fun to do! Drawing AA characters is so fun!!!

:O that's such a cool idea!!! The sentient characters would DEFINITELY start trying to one up each other based on how many saved photos S/O has of each character.

(In my case uh....*cough cough* Miles Edgeworth wins, I have a good 200 saved images of him in my phone)

If S/O happened to be an artist, then each character would absolutely lose their mind if S/O drew them, they'd be so flattered but if S/O drew anyone else it would frustrate them to no end!

Cue sentient character wars, may the best fictional character win

[retphienix]

Eh, daggerfall is neat. Not 100% that I'll return and beat it, but I mean I've done dumber stuff.

It's not the aesthetic (love that), or the simple combat (I loved Morrowind's take so that's fine), it's kinda just the gratuitous scope for the sake of a gratuitous scope that has me lacking interest.

Well, that and talking and quests feel lame to me. Morrowind is like the limit of what I'm willing to accept in terms of outdated dialogue engines, this wasn't fun and felt like pulling teeth / entirely pointless to interact with at all.

The world is ridiculously large for the sake of it; In just a couple hours of faffing about I successfully saw endless waves of pre-generated land with nothing of interest inside, and I had mods that help alleviate that emptiness!

I know there's dungeons (pretty random ones from what I'm lead to believe), and towns but it kinda feels like a big empty space for the bragging rights, and the gameplay felt like "Worse Morrowind" at a glance, so I think I might not fully return for a full playthrough of Daggerfall.

Neat though, and I really dig the aesthetic. But I think when I want old elder scrolls fun I'll just make a new character in Morrowind, a game I now love, rather than dragging my feet through Daggerfall but that's me.

Edit for fun:

Like I'm aware of what that land in Arena and Dagger actually consists of, and that you're not actually expected to walk it or even explore much of it, but that's kind of the point.

It's big for no reason, which means a good portion of exploration is null and void and not intended for no reason. (funny to use Skyrim as a positive example but it's true here)