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thydungeongal · 4 months ago

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hi, hope this is a no-brainer for you, so it won't clog up the asks as much: what are MC-moves and fronts doing in PbtA-games?

I've been looking into a few, cause I'm curious about that operation on several levels you talked about, but something about the MC moves just doesn't seem to click, while I understand the players' just fine. they read to me as an abstract "do whatever"-sort of thing, while very insistent that you do them, and some idea behind it all that I can't fully grasp. the game seems to want the world to move in certain ways, for certain outcomes to emerge, but also indifferent as to which ones, and I'm not sure what to do with that... I can have the landscape Disgorge Something, or Announce Badness, but what then?

did you encounter similar struggles before or know what the games are being opinionated about there? It feels like the answer should be obvious but I keep missing it, and like my issue somehow relates to the system's scalability. hope you can help!

So, this might be stating the obvious, but the key thing to understanding the MC Moves is that PbtA games have asymmetric mechanics. Players and the MC use different sets of mechanics to interface with the fiction, and this has to do with the game being structured as a back and forth between the players and the MC but also with the MC having control of more things, so the game has simplified mechanics for the MC. This stands in contrast to most traditional RPGs where the same set of mechanics formally applies to every character, whether PC or NPC, in the fiction.

In D&D when the GM announces that Goblin Steve (an NPC) is attacking Gonad the Barbarian, that's simply an announcement of an attack roll being invoked, and that mechanic is utilized by Goblin Steve identically to how Gonad the Barbarian would use it. In PbtA the MC announcing that Goblin Steve is attacking Gonad the Barbarian would be them making a move (Announce Future Badness, Goblin Steve's attack), and according to their principles they would then turn to the player and address Gonad with a "what do you do?"

That's an example of a "soft" move, a division that doesn't exist formally in most PbtA games, and that is how MC Moves work normally: the MC is always making Moves but never actually saying their name (in the above example the MC simply described Goblin Steve attacking Gonad in the fiction, they didn't say "I am Announcing Future Badness!") and most Moves will simply throw the spotlight on the character and prompt them to react. However, the MC is always at liberty to make a move that follows, and if the only move that follows from a character's action is "Make them Eat Shit and Die" then that's the only move the MC can make. Usually that move would probably only happen when a player rolled a 6- on a move, because that is one of the specific circumstances where the game asks the MC to make the hardest move they can.

In terms of the fiction and the mechanics, in D&D Goblin Steve is a medium through which the GM can make attack rolls at the player characters (using the same set of mechanics as the players); in PbtA Goblin Steve is a medium through which the MC can make their MC Moves (using their own set of mechanics).

Anyway so that's a really top down view of the structure, but MC Moves are really important to understanding what kind of things the game you're playing cares about, and a good, thoughtful set of MC Moves is as important to a PbtA game as a good set of basic moves and playbooks. They are effectively a checklist for the MC to the effect of "this is the sort of stuff that should be happening to the PCs in this game."

Apocalypse World has a really good example in it: it has an MC Move called "Make them buy it." Apocalypse World is a game about scarcity and Barter as a resource is not something characters can count on to be able to top off all the time. The game is telling you that if a character needs something, they should never just have it at hand, but they should have to purchase it. Can't afford it? Tough luck. What do you do?

Similarly, Dungeon World is a dungeon game, so of course it cares about resource attrition. This is why it has "Use up their resources" as a move.

Fronts are a bit more complicated a topic but to understand them you need to understand that PbtA games are insistent on the MC being as much a member of the audience to the story unraveling in front of them and not a singular person telling the story to everyone else, and as such it wants the MC to take part in keeping the story feral and unpredictable. Fronts are one of the few prep tools the game offers, with the point of them being that they are effectively a toolkit for the MC to draw badness from so that when making moves they will still be drawing them from somewhere.

They are a prep tool but a minimalist one for the sake of making sure the MC doesn't overprep and put the story on a set of rails: they have multiple ones to remind them that even if the characters might be singularly focused on a specific danger, there are others waiting in the wings.

Fronts and dangers are usually supposed to be established based on the first session: if the first session involved a gang of raiders, then the game is basically nudging you to say "hey remember those raiders? Wouldn't it be cool if they were, like, a part of your ensemble? So then when you use them again the players will be like holy shit, it's those raiders again!"

In some ways they are a tool for the MC to limit the focus of the story on those things that have turned out to matter for the player characters during the first session, to keep the cast relatively small. And they're a very effective tool for making sure that while the specific events of the story are still unpredictable, the cast at least stays within reasonable bounds.

Or you know that's how I see them. Anyway I hope that helped at all.

#thydungeongal answers

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taradiddled · 2 months ago

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"Money doesn't mean shit."

"Oh, it sure fucking does, babe."

"Not if Lucifer were to decide, tomorrow, that the monetary value of the Hellbuck was zilch, and that Hell will now operate on a trade and barter system."

"The system can still be exploited. Just amass all the fucking shiny shit and gold and jewels and you've got the perfect recipe for Greed, right there!"

"And if those things were made to be constantly available, without expectation needing to be returned? Things that aren't backed by the incentive of growing profit? And things that can help satisfy basic needs without creating an immediate desperation for more when it is readily available for free use?"

"Fucking impossible. Would never work."

"Even if we were to seize the wealth of the most filthy rich of Hell's citizens and use it to fund programs that lower the emphasis on wage labor, and prop up a focus on Gross Domestic Happiness, compared to general GDP?"

"...still wouldn't fucking work."

"Dismantling the corporate monopolies, refining the level of care going into product production where sustainability and lasting use is held above ensuring an inevitable replacement with something more costly, and just as replaceable?"

"You'd be putting a fucking LOT of poor fuckers out of work by doing that."

"When they will be receiving the support and necessities to enable them to survive without committing to hard labor?"

"And just WHO will be supporting them? It sure as fuck won't be ME!"

"Why would we need your support, when the dismantling of monopolies, the seizing of noble wealth, and investing of that wealth into programs to help support the populace, will inevitably drain your own accounts, since you'll no longer be receiving a cash flow from the now de-nobled elite you used to increase your capture rate?"

"...you're fucking with me. You're full of shit. There is no FUCKING WAY that I'd let that happen."

"You can whine and bitch all you want, but I know, FOR FACT, that your power is connected to Lucifer's, and by default, that means he has some definite fucking say on how you operate. It doesn't take a genius to figure that, if Lucifer were to one day decide to cut you off COMPLETELY, you'd be deep in the shitter. And while he let you run your ring and your stooges as you fucking pleased for the last thousands of years, I've got the King of Hell's favor in my corner."

"Favor? What FAVOR? You're just some whore that can easily be replaced by any of the other MILLIONS of whore in Hell! You're not special, bitch, and don't fucking delude yourself into thinking you are. You might have Lulu's dick in your hand now, but anyone else can EASILY do the same."

"I'll be sure to let His Majesty know your feelings on this matter, as well as your confidence in his inability to decide things for himself. I'm certain that will go over well. ESPECIALLY with the implication added that you think you know better than the King of Hell, and are suspected of gunning to supplant him on the throne."

"I said NO FUCKING THING, you bitch!"

"But you ARE implying that the King of Hell cannot think for himself, implying that YOU believe YOU know better."

"You're twisting my fucking words. Putting words in my fucking mouth."

"But they taste just about right, huh?"

"...he could never totally repress me."

"It's not just Lucifer you'd need to worry about, Mammon. I've also got the future Queen of Hell interested in this solidarity economy, and she's already making moves that are sending ripple effects throughout the rings. I'm sure you've felt them."

"Kid's good, but she's not up to snuff just yet. There's still a lotta push-back. Talk about taking her out--."

"From who?"

"What?"

"Who has been talking about 'taking her out'? That's a threat on the life of the Princess of Hell, the future Queen of Hell, and should be treated with extra fucking scrutiny."

"It's just general talk. The kind of shit that ALWAYS gets thrown around in Hell."

"But you heard it from SOMEWHERE. And as a recipient of His Majesty's Hellish power, and ally to Hell's Royal Family, you are duty-bound to inform the King when you hear, or suspect, there is a threat to the Royal Family. If you're found to have had information PRIOR to an attempt made on the Royal Family, you will, by Hell's legalese, be found culpable of advantageous ignorance, and probably even some High Treason for funsies."

"..."

"SO! About those programs the Royal Family would like you, and your corporate wealth, to invest in..."

#from adam to ada #to be added

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mitigatedchaos · 2 months ago

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Hey man, you know more about economics than me, are you familiar with the Prosperity Certificates introduced by Alberta's Social Credit party? they seem like your kind of deranged.

I've heard of people propose the idea of money that gets taxed if you don't spend it before, but I've never heard of this particular variation.

People have also tried local currencies based on hours worked.

I'm half-asleep, so hopefully I'll get this right (and I may not), but this is difficult to explain...

So, you're not actually supposed to hoard cash.

Cash is basically a distributed accounting system so that we don't have to do labor bartering. With cash, you don't have to negotiate to mow your dentist's lawn 10 times to cover a dental visit. You might work, say, replacing brake pads for other people instead. Those people give you cash, representing the unredeemed value of that labor, you give the cash to the dentist, the dentist hires a lawn guy.

The cash is kind of this bump that moves through the system.

If you absolutely refuse to spend it for some reason, what will happen is that eventually everyone will figure out that there are fewer dollars in circulation relative to the amount of stuff, and then change their prices. It will take them a while to notice this, and also a while to actually update their prices, and not everyone will notice at once, so this will disrupt sales, planning, and potentially production.

There is a theory that this can cause a spiral - a company notices a fall in sales, doesn't realize it's just because a miser is hoarding cash (and thus changing the ratio of dollars to stuff), and cuts production. The guy that gets fired from the production line cuts his spending (because he's unemployed), causing other firms to cut their production, until the information about the shrinking money supply makes its way throughout the whole economy. In the long-run it'll eventually self-correct, but in the short run, beneficial deals are not being made.

If you then decide to spend the cash 20 years later, you haven't actually moved the productive capacity that the cash would normally represent 20 years into the future. Instead, suddenly there will be more dollars relative to the amount of stuff, and this will throw people off again.

What you're supposed to do for long-term storage of value is hold some asset like real estate (that will still be there 20 years in the future), or buy shares of productive enterprises (that will continue operating over time).

You save up money from replacing brakepads for people. You give that money to Albertsons Loblaws. They use it to buy a forklift. They use the forklift to sell groceries for 20 years, paying for the upkeep and eventual replacement of the forklift. When you go to sell the shares 20 years after buying them, representing the Albertsons Loblaws forklift, you effectively have shifted the productive capacity 20 years into the future, so the ratio of dollars to stuff doesn't change as much.

As I understand it, the point of governments targeting a small, but stable rate of inflation is to prevent people from hoarding dollars. They're supposed to put their money into a bank (which will pay interest), and then the bank will find real estate to invest in.

#asks #garmbreak1 #the invisible fist

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autumnslance · 2 years ago

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Do you have the werlyt screenshots? 👀

This is only because I love you, Nonny.

I also took time to transcribe these under the "Keep Reading" cut, cuz this is a lot of text and cannot always be read clearly. These images were taken with my tablet. Errors in said transcript are probably just mine. These are pages 120-121 and 169-170 of Encyclopedia Eorzea volume III. The timeline's a little weird (especially the Gaius to Valens handover), but Werlyt was an Imperial province for over 50 years.

There's also pages specifically about the Weapon project and how the Garleans tried to have a system similar to soul crystals in legatus armor, but they were behind the curve on such magic-technology and so the data's incomplete (as we saw in those fights). If there's interest, I may do a follow up with those pages, but this is long enough and I have FC things to do tonight.

Werlyt

Following in the footsteps of its neighbor across the Ghimlyt Dark, Ala Mhigo, this small nation in the far western reaches of Ilsabard recently liberated itself from the Garlean Empire.

Flag: The flag originally bore the crest of the royal family. However, as their bloodline has long since run dry, and the nation now aspires to become a republic, the interim government has organized a committee to decide on a new design.

Motto: --

Government: Werlyt is presently led by an interim government. After careful deliberation, it has decided the nation will be rebuilt as a republic.

Leader: Talbot Hunte

Ruling Body: The interim government is formed of representatives from several rebel factions that fought against the Garlean Empire.

Racial Distribution:

Ilsabardian Hyur: 80%

Near Eastern Au Ra: 15%

Other: 5%

Religion: Though religion was largely discouraged under Garlean rule, the people of Werlyt were polytheistic, believing in thirteen gods. Their religious practices are said to be largely influenced by the traditions of their western neighbors in Eorzea and its teachings of the Twelve, as well as Corvosi mythology from the east.

Industry:

Livestock: The tending of cattle is a longstanding profession of Werlyt, made possible by its lush, far-reaching pastures. A knack for livestock breeding is evidenced by the myriad varieties of both beef and dairy cattle they raise, the latter including an especially rare breed said to number only one hundred.

Dairy: In tandem with their livestock industry, the people of Werlyt excel in the production of dairy products, including butter, yogurt, and milk-based beverages. They are well known for their high-quality cheeses, which became a mainstay export to Garlemald.

Fishing: The southern edge of Werlyt touches the sea, allowing for a bustling fishing trade in coastal towns. Its many steep cliffs, however, ensure their efforts are focused on but a few major ports.

Mining: In the northern mountain range of Werlyt, one can find four mines wherein copper, zinc, tungsten, and several other rare metals are extracted. The process was refined under Garlean rule with the introduction of magitek, and while the equipment remains, the country wants for the ceruleum to operate it. To that end, Werlyt has begin negotiations with Ul'dah to barter for fuel so they may resume their mining operations.

Beliefs: While the Au Ra who migrated from the Corvos region have ostensibly been welcomed in Werlyt, there yet remains a strong sense of social incohesion in this predominantly Hyuran nation. It remains to be seen if these disparate peoples can overcome their differences to flourish in this burgeoning republic.

Diet: Werlyt is perhaps best known for its stewed dishes made using local beef, dairy, and seafood. The intermingling of native wheat-based cuisines and rice dishes brought by the Au Ra also help distinguish Werlyt cooking. Dairy enthusiasts insist that milk produced in Werlyt is indispensable to strengthening one's muscles when training the body, and it is thought to be high in protein and effective in reducing muscle inflammation.

History

A Contentious Foundation

In ages past, the western reaches of Ilsabard, known today as Werlyt, were home to myriad Hyuran tribes. There was no harmony to be found between them, however--the ceaseless cycle of war and peace was no different than the changing of the seasons. Some brave few tribes thought to flee from this war-torn land, crossing the Ghimlyt Dark to pillage and plunder on Eorzean soil. They would inevitably return home, richer for their efforts, but these ventures westward would come to a halt when the leadership of Anshelm Cotter united Gyr Abania, Ala Mhigo becoming a shield from further incursion.

With dreams of pushing farther west dashed, and the Hyuran tribes growing weary of conflict, Au Ra outlanders hailing from Corvos saw this pall of languor as an opportunity. They formed an alliance with a handful of local tribes, and together they quickly subjugated the territories that would come to be Werlyt. Despite their pivotal role in its formation, however, the Au Ra would not seek the throne of this fledgling kingdom, knowing their alchemical knowledge and mastery of the mystic arts would prove no match for the sheer numbers of their Hyuran allies. Thus did they concede kingship to the Hyuran elders. With this, some Hyurs came to see the Au Ra as powerful allies, but others would continue to cruse them as ruthless invaders.

The Garlean Occupation

Unfortunately, the newly founded nation of Werlyt would not last. The advent of magitek and transformed Garlemald into a heretofore unseen military power, allowing them to take Corvos with ease and subsequently draw Werlyt under the Garlean yoke.

The province was charged with supplying foodstuffs and mineral resources to fuel the burgeoning empire, and in some ways the dissemination of magitek would prove a boon. The mechanization of mining, for example, was momentous, but any such innovations as the Garleans would bring ever remained beyond the reach of the subjugated. For thirty years the people of Werlyt toiled thus, but they would eventually be offered a glimmer of hope. The Empire had begin the second phase of its incursion into the Far Eastern territories, a campaign requiring a considerable portion of their military force. Even the occupying force in Werlyt had been greatly diminished, affording rebel factions the leverage needed to reclaim their home.

Their dreams of freedom were fleeting, however, as a young Gaius van Baelsar led imperial forces back to assault the capital of Werlyt and restore Garlean order. As the previous viceroy had been killed by the rebels, Gaius would assume command of the newly reclaimed province.

Two Sides of Governance

Reflecting on the plight of the Werlytian peoples that drove them to rebellion, Gaius, the newly appointed viceroy, well knew that drastic measures were needed to prevent a second uprising. He began by recruiting individuals he deemed competent and capable, paying no heed to their station, race, or place of origin. Indeed, no few Werlytians were sought out for their extensive knowledge of the land, serving in various bureaucratic positions. Over the next twenty years, Gaius would also oversee a more even distribution of the province's wealth; new infrastructure in the form of roads, ports, and harbors; an a compulsory education system that would substantially increase literacy rates throughout Werlyt. But the peace and order he established there was short-lived.

The invasion of Eorzea and its consequences, naturally, left van Baelsar unable to fulfill his duties in Werlyt. The man who would take his place was Valens van Varro, an otherwise unremarkable civilian who had somehow risen through the military ranks. After losing his position amidst political turmoil in the Empire, he was given command of a newly reformed VIIth Imperial Legion. The grim shadow he cast over Werlyt would undo all the good Gaius had achieved and so much worse. Forced labor, imprisonment, and executions quickly became normalcies of day-to-day living. So much so, that it was said one could only find rest under the mortician's roof.

The Treasonous Five

Rather than subjugate the enemy, Valens was satisfied with bleeding both their resources and people dry--a tyrannical approach to governance often said to be heinous even by his fellow countrymen. It was a path that would lead to ruin for the province of Werlyt. Yet despite appearances, he was an exceedingly brilliant engineer, and there was a method to his madness.

Emperor Varis had been assassinated, and as various parties vied for the throne, Garlmald's aristocracy was in the throes of chaos. That is why Valens labored to complete his Weapons project, that he might make a triumphant return to Garlemald, wielding the ultimate tool of war. He well understood the need for urgency, and was more than willing to bring ruin upon Werlyt if it meant assuring his place as emperor.

For all his genius, however, Valens remained ignorant of his coming downfall until it was too late. The orphans he intended to use as test pilots for his project were plotting to use his Weapons against him, and the fruition of their plan would bring the VIIth Legion to its knees. One must not overlook, of course, the significance of Gaius's contributions to their efforts, as well as the rebel factions that also conspired to overthrow the Garleans. Even so, it was ultimately the bravery and sacrifice of five orphans that would spell the end of Valens, and earn Welryt her freedom.

Faces of Werlyt

GAIUS BAELSAR

"I see now that true strength is not granted by others, but resides within us. Strength of character, of spirit, of resolve."

With his defeat at the hands of the Warrior of Light in Castrum Meridianum, this former legatus of the XIVth Legion realized that he had long been a mere pawn in the Ascians' plans. He swore revenge against them for his fallen comrades, taking up the mantle of Shadowhunter, and though his quest for vengeance would claim the masks of Altima and Deudalaphon, the hunt for Ascians was quickly set aside when he learned of the Empire's plans to produce the noxious weapon Black Rose.

En route to Garlemald, Gaius crossed paths with Alphinaud, forming an alliance to halt production of the deadly gas--and this was not his only unexpected encounter with the Scions. As he infiltrated the capital, Gaius chanced to meet Estinien, and together they breached the imperial palace. There, they witnessed the assassination of Emperor Varis at the hands of Zenos. The rogue prince swiftly departed, and not moments later, imperial guards found Gaius standing over the late emperor's corpse.

His relationship with his home nation soured further when he discovered the previously abandoned Weapon project had been revived by the reformed VIIth Legion, who planned to deploy their prototypes in an assault on Eorzea. Gaius set off for Ghimlyt, hoping to warn the Eorzean Alliance before it was too late. There he found the Warrior of Light at the ready--this time, to stand with him against their common for. In a tragic twist, the orphans Gaius once fostered would also be caught up in the conflict.

Now, at the age of fifty-six and with Werlyt freed from the imperial yoke, Gaius has joined hands with its interim government in efforts to restore the region.

VALENS VAN VARRO

"As they say, 'to err is human, to forgive, divine.' And you know how forgiving I can be. When it suits me..."

Legatus of the reformed VIIth Legion, Valens joined the army following the completion of his studies at the Magitek Academy. Known for his ruthless and innovative magitek-based battle tactics, it seemed nothing could stop his ascension through the ranks. Those who served under him, however, knew well his unethical practices and penchant for sacrificing allies to serve his ambitions. Moreover, despite his achievements, he never escaped the shadow of Gaius, who was ultimately chosen to command the XIVth Legion. Believing the position stolen from him, Valens developed a deep hatred for the legatus even as he toiled to recreate Ultima Weapon under Nero's direction. This selfsame spite is what inspired him to later resume work on the Weapon project, believing that, by succeeding where Gaius had previously failed, he might at last prove himself the superior military officer.

Valens has ever been a staunch believer in Garlean supremacy. This was made all too apparent by his heinous decision to use villagers from the provinces as test subjects, believing them to be expendable. In the wake of the Emperor's death, he had hoped to take advantage of the chaos in Garlemald to assume the throne, but his dreams of grandeur would remain unfulfilled. The Weapon pilots, whom he had treated with such disdain, rebelled and eventually proved his undoing. After losing in a duel against Gaius, the fifty-six-year-old Valens met his demise at the hands of the Diamond Weapon.

SEVERA SOUTHER

"All that hatred, festering away...Nothing good could ever come of it."

Daughter to a citizen of Werlyt and a Garlean soldier, Severa joined the army in the hopes of deterring those who would cast scorn on her family. Even as she served, however, the Garleans denied Severa's mother the medicine she needed to maintain her faltering health. Though Severa deserted in the wake of the XIIth Legion's defeat in Ala Mhigo, she returned to Werlyt too late to save her mother and could do little but flee once more, eventually finding herself in the company of Gaius. Now twenty-three, she can often be found offering counsel to young Allie.

VALDEAULIN GANATHAIN

"It's taken me a long time--too long--but I've finally found a reason to live for the present. For the future."

Until Ala Mhigo fell to the Empire, Valdeaulin had made his home in the Black Shroud. As the Garleans continued their expansion, he lost not only his village, but his wife and daughter as well--his family abducted as test subjects for the fatal gas known as Black Rose. He later joined the Order of the Twin Adder, intent on exacting vengeance agains the invaders. The forty-eight-year-old Duskwight would have his chance amidst the ruin of the Praetorium, where he found a wounded Gaius on the verge of death, but ultimately chose to spare the Black Wolf and aid him in his hunt for Ascians.

ALFONSE AAN BAELSAR

"If it is the duty of the strong to lead the weak, we will become strong and protect those who cannot protect themselves."

An epidemic claimed the life of Alfonse's parents when he was still a child, leaving him and his sister Allie living on the streets of Werlyt. The two were adopted by Gaius, and Alfonse soon became an elder brother to all of the children in the Black Wolf's care. Wishing to be of greater help to their adoptive father, the Auri siblings joined the military, serving in the XIVth Legion/ During Operation Archon, they remained in Werlyt on a supply mission, but were soon transferred to the VIIth Legion, where they were coerced into becoming pilots for the Weapon project. Faced with a dire situation, they plotted to take advantage of their position and use the Weapons against the Garleans to liberate Werlyt. Although inextricably fused with the core of the Diamond Weapon, Alfonse managed to kill Valens and secure a future for his home and sister both. He was twenty-one summers old at the time of his death.

ALLIE AAN BAELSAR

"The days we spent together were the happiest of my life, and no matter what happens, nothing can take that away from me."

Allie and her brother were adopted by Gaius and given the surname Baelsar. When they were reassigned to the Legion, the name caught Valens's eye, and he wasted no time in selecting them as candidates for the Weapon project.

The youngest of her foster siblings, Allie was dearly loved by them all. She wanted nothing more than to have their portrait painted together as a family, but it was not meant to be, as she alone would survive the Weapon project. Despite having experienced so much loss by the age of sixteen summers, Allie works dauntlessly at Gaius's side to realize her siblings' dream of a free and flourishing Werlyt.

REX AAN BAELSAR

"This is our way of upholding the ideals Father instilled in us. Our lives are a small price to pay for Werlyt's freedom."

Though he too was tragically orphaned, Rex's cheery disposition always brightened the spirits of his foster siblings. He cared deeply for his adoptive family, and would do anything to shield them from harm, even should it mean defying his superiors. He placed complete faith in his brother Alfonse, whom he held in particularly high regard, seeing the elder brother's dreams as his own. Tragically, the eighteen-year-old's life was cut short when he took the helm of the Emerald Weapon, his essence overwritten with combat data modeling his beloved father Gaius as he merged with the machine's core.

RICON AAN BAELSAR

"You all made me happier than I had any right to be. And now...I've finally found my purpose. I have no regrets."

Though timid by nature, Ricon would not hesitate to lay down his life to save his adopted siblings. Upon joining the XIVth Legion, his skilled hands earned him a place working under Nero to hone his skills as an engineer, and the wealth of knowledge he gained from his training was readily applied to the Weapon project once he was permitted to assist with maintenance. Although determined to help correct the mistakes of past prototypes, he well knew they lacked time to fully prepare the Sapphire Weapon. This did Ricon elect to pilot the Weapon in place of his brother Rex, and the life of another brave youth was snuffed out by the Oversoul system. He was seventeen years of age.

MILISANDIA AAN BAELSAR

"Father still needs you. Please take care of him...in our place."

One of several orphans taken in by Gaius, Milisandia had hair of crimson, though it was not always so kissed by fire. When they still lived in an orphanage, the young lady believed that Alfonse was enamored with one of the institution's matrons and, perhaps hoping to win his attention, dyed her hair the same color as the woman who captivated him. This youthful infatuation would remain unspoken unto her dying day, when she passed away aboard the Ruby Weapon at the age of only twenty summers.

AVILINA AAN HORNE

"There's a way I can make a difference. I know there is."

Ten years ago, Ternclif-born Avilina was conscripted to serve as a magitek engineer in the XIVth Legion. These she met Milisandia, and the two became close friends. After the XIVth's defeat at Castrum Meridianum, she fled back to Werlyt, but with her experience working on the Ultima Weapon, it was inevitable that she would be assigned to the Weapon project with the VIIth Legion. Though the liberation of Werlyt granted her her freedom, she still carries the guilt of having assisted with the Weapon project, knowing that it claimed the life of her one true friend.

#final fantasy xiv #shadowbringers #Sorrow of Werlyt #encyclopaedia eorzea #lore #Weapon Project #Gaius Baelsar #Valens van Varro #Severa Souther #Valdeaulin Ganathain #Alfonse Baelsar #Allie Baelsar #Rex Baelsar #Ricon Baelsar #Milisandia Baelsar #Avilina Horne #this post brought to you by a slow day at work #that Valens saw the kids names was Baelsar and so grabbed them for the project is another level of awful on his part #Gaius really does just want to be a dad & a decent government leader he's just bad at the former & worked for an evil empire for the latter #I started to like the old wolf cuz of abuse of players who don't grasp character roles and also #abuse from his own writers in what coulda shoulda been a better handled arc and story #I'm still kinda mad about it cuz I enjoyed hating Gaius as an antagonist but he is also made of Tropes I Like #thanks formative years reading Roger Zelazny and other old school new wave scfi authors

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st-armand · 2 years ago

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Hobie Brown & Anarchism: A Discussion Pt 1

Authors Note: This is my dissertation for the discourse about Hobie’s politics being misrepresented as your friendly community radical leftist

Warnings: Political Ideologies, mentions of violence and oppression

Hobie Brown is an anarchist, he would be considered a radical leftist, not just by the ideological title of anarchism but by his own actions, he has killed cops, fascists, not just one, probably many considering the Oscorp and V.E.N.O.M worldbuilding where the police and military are symbiotes.

One of the primary bases for a fascist regime is a overly abundant police force, and the police worldwide are authoritarian figures meant to protect wealth and property not people.

Anarchists can go 70/40 on the violent revolutionary means discussion, but Hobart Brown is definitely pro revolutionary violence (we will define this later on), he doesn’t like violence in his everyday life but sees it as a measure to protect people, he also understands that not everyone’s place in the revolution is through armed liberation, but that all roles in the revolution violent or otherwise are all valuable to the end goal.

That being said a very contested discourse around radical leftist politics is the divide between Marxists/Maoists/Leninist etc vs Anarchists because Anarchists believe in a non-centralized, organizational systems, some anarchists can be anarcho-primitivists; they believe in a post-revolutionary society without the heavy industrialized civilization we have now I don’t think Hobie is, he enjoys technology too much to do so but he does believe in a social organization that is communally centralized, but regardless of his ideas of the organization of people post revolution he happily shares space and works in solidarity with leftists of other thinking and practices in the struggle and fight.

What is armed revolution and revolutionary violence? Armed revolution is the act of taking arms through guerrilla warfare, community protection, clandestine operations. Revolutionary violence is pretty self-explanatory, but these two interconnects as an understanding that liberation won’t come from within the systems that oppress us, and to instead arm the people towards liberating themselves from fascism, and state sanctioned violence.

I head canon that Hobie as Spiderman works within a clandestine underground armed forces with mixed ideologies and skillset, they’re all civilians who act as an unassuming threat who focus on assassinations and bank robberies, through those victories they help Spiderman redistribute funds.

Hobie’s praxis doesn’t just extend to revolutionary violence, but he puts labor into community gardens, refurbishing abandoned lots and buildings to be used as clinics, or schools, or housing, his skills especially are shown through his engineering and technical capabilities, like siphoning electricity from higher class neighborhoods for their buildings for free, fixing heating systems, or adapting heating and water systems so that they’re controlled in the community rather than by heating and water conglomerates.

He's also a part of a group of boosters who donate and barter clothes, food and other necessities, they sell their spoils in the middle of the people’s market.

Hobie is also the best comrade during protests, he’s a human shield whether as Spiderman or as a civilian, he’s the kind of person to go head to head with five police officers to de-arrest people who get snatched during protests, he’s returned with so many broken bones and large purple bruises from being wailed on by cops, but however much they hurt him, he can return much worse, especially with his enhanced strength, its actually a pretty cool sight, he’s more likely to kills cops while masked as spiderman, he’s almost entirely focused on defensive and evasive methods as an alternative since he has many warrants out for his arrest as Hobart Brown, but Spiderman has a list of federal and international offensives that he can easily navigate with the obscured identity.

During protests he’s evacuating people to safe zones, distracting cops from looters, defending people from being arrested, creating evasive plans to destroy or disable V.E.N.O.M. technology and weapons, he’s especially adept at guerilla warfare, navigating the skyline, sewers, and alleys of New London to gain a territorial advantage because the cops can’t traverse the projects and slums as easily as someone who lives in the grime of New London.

Books I think Hobie would’ve read;

Anarchism and the Black Revolution – Lenzo Ervin

A Soldier’s Story – Kuwasi Balagoon

Black Jacobins – CLR James

Conquest and Bread – Kroptokin

Anarchy & At the Café – Malatesta

More in the next parts! Platonic, Romance, Racial and Cultural

#hobie brown x reader #hobie headcanons #hobie brown x black!reader #across the spiderverse #miguel o’hara x reader #atsv #atsv hobie #armands sanctum

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therealslimshakespeare · 1 year ago

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Grim Reader here ☠️

That whole little portion where Rosie's talking about the Brass paying the men to never talk about it? I'd love to see some expansion on that. Is there anyone out of the men that actually WOULD talk about it and the Brass would try to enforce a policy of silence? Statistically speaking, there oughta be at least one man who's unafraid to speak about it, at least to Rosie and Ida. And how do the Brass respond? If he's a military man, are they trying to stifle his career because it's not a good look? Are they trying to pay him off or find ways to buy his silence? Where's the support system for this person who is so willing to talk about it but no one will listen? Just a thought haha.

Holy smokes you’re over the target.

Because, not only are the brass both angry over it and have the leverage to damage and suppress his testimony of the same, I feel that the support group is indeed non existent. Becasue who the fuck wants to bond over that? Hell no, they wanna go home and get jobs and enjoy hamburgers and marry women and have kids and never be suspected of ever being less than a man ever again.

So not only do you have the brass being pissed over this, I think his fellow servicemen would as well. Like, just shut up already so this stops being a subject, ya know?

It gets even hairier when you start digging and learning much of this abuse took place in a extortioned bartering sort of scenario, which in military jargon that immediately gets categorized as an event with a certain amount of complicity. Although we’d all recognize it for what it is, this isn’t the same as sexual favors for a nice room at the Ritz, putting yourself in a position between your men and an abuser is not an act of compliance. But try telling that to a society that doesn’t operate from the same presupposition.

Ok but who is this brave and irrepressible whistleblower? Thats a fascinating idea and im not sure i have someone I’m sold on. To be honest i can see Howard Hamilton having the guts and the moral fiber to not give a shit about the nature of things but only their wrongness or rightness. Maybe not a massive disrupter so much as just someone who won’t not say shit, even if it’s not something applicable to himself. Even if it’s about others he witnessed he cannot be bought off and will to his dying day maintain that “that shit was fucked” and say it at a squadron reunion while the clatter of cutlery comes to a dead silence and his pilot gives him those betrayed eyes from across the white table cloth.

I’m also side eyeing Crank for a similar gentle and morally driven rebellion in this way -even if it’s for the cause of others and not his own experience. But I think he’s also discreet so if the victims want it mum? He might stay mumm.

But I think we are all thinking of one guy. Already bucks the system over and over and fights from the heart and not the head, decades ahead of his time in how much emotional expression he gives and demands… John Egan may have not personally experienced a damn thing beyond a black eye but as he sees it, the men and women under him were abused, and they all belong in the same pot, don’t matter if some were attacked or others were forced to trade themselves for their due rations, that don’t matter at all. It is what it is.

And this makes it interesting to think about how the men respond to this. Because they’d want anyone else to shut up already, as mentioned, but they respect the hell out of Bucky so they’d be slower to abandon him than they would one of their own rank and file.

#grim reader #those who can #tw: sa #angst sessions apply here #blame the fact I helped a professor write a whole ass medical study on this my first year and while it was mainly Vietnam centric?? I was 🤯

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darklordabigail · 9 months ago

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I can has ozempic?

Yeah so you need to go to this website called https://churchofshrek.yolasite.com/

I know the URL seems weird it's just so the Authorities don't catch us

Anyway it's gonna ask you for some personal info (age, gender, weight, a quick essay about feminism, mothers maiden name, social security, credit card info, list of previous addresses, list of organs donated, etc. etc.) and then we can get you some ozempie girlypop

Once you receive it in the mail we're also gonna need you to complete a lil survey but there's a coupon attached for a free curderburger at Culver's once you finish it it's just customer satisfaction shit we gotta do. Haha gotta give the people what they want amirite

Anyway typically costs are a little odd because we operate on a trade and barter/odd favors system and it really depends on what shalesman we pair you with like if you get paired with me I typically ask for either my chemical romance tickets and some cash for travel expenses or a set of Turkish flutes but my buddy Shreven tends to go the first born child route. Some people just wanna be written into your will or to go out for drinks or like go on an ice fishing excursion it is all over the place my guy

But yeah that's pretty much everything I think um it's kinda an off brand ozempic we like to call it bozempic around these parts mostly because Shreven has a hard time like making the "o" sound and he has to put a b in front of it so he'll say like bovary instead of ovary like madame bovary which actually gets pretty confusing for his customers because he has ovaries on his barter list but when you speak to him on the phone he'll ask for a bovary and customers will send him copies of madame bovary so he's actually got quite an extensive collection of copies I think he's gotten every edition published

Anyway we are knock off so we have a couple odd side effects nothing too major though LOL like sometimes people grow wings but they only work about half the time and typically were talking like moth wings but they still are fairly large whether or not you can actually fly has more to do with your bone structure than anything. Another thing is um like there's been a couple instances where customers report seeing like little house elves or brownies around their place after purchase but we're not sure if that's related or not. One guy actually has a leprechaun which was weird cause he was Portuguese but who knows. Anyway I'm most people don't really mind their little visitors but if you want them gone just contact customer service and they'll give you some spells to rid your house if their presence.

Ok so I think that should be about it please eme time know if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer any questions if you have any questions and if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them if you have any questions! Stay safe out there! I hear lots of porcupines been dying lately 😬

#ozempic #bozempic #bozo #shreven #shrek #church of shrek #brownies #leprechauns #spells #wing #how to grow wings #ovaries #firstborn children

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unpluggedfinancial · 9 months ago

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Bitcoin: The Renaissance of Money

I. Introduction Bitcoin is more than just a digital currency; it is a revolutionary force, akin to the great cultural movements in history like the Renaissance. Just as the Renaissance transformed art, science, and human perspective, Bitcoin is reshaping the very fabric of money, finance, and trust. This transformation challenges the status quo and introduces a paradigm shift in how we think about value and freedom.

II. The Historical Context of Money Throughout history, money has continually evolved. From the early barter systems, to the use of precious metals as coins, and eventually the introduction of paper money, the story of money is one of constant change. Each shift has responded to the needs and technologies of its time, but these systems have always relied on central authorities. With the advent of Bitcoin, a new chapter in the history of money is being written—one that removes the need for centralized control and hands power back to individuals.

III. Bitcoin: A New Dawn Bitcoin represents a new dawn in the evolution of money. It is decentralized, meaning that no single entity, government, or organization has control over it. This is in stark contrast to traditional fiat currencies, which are controlled by central banks and governments, subject to manipulation and inflation. Bitcoin offers an alternative: a peer-to-peer network that is open, secure, and verifiable by anyone, providing a financial system that belongs to everyone.

IV. Cultural Movement of Bitcoin Bitcoin is more than just a currency; it is a cultural movement. It embodies the ideals of freedom, sovereignty, and the democratization of wealth. For many, Bitcoin represents the ability to take back control of their finances—away from banks and traditional financial institutions that often operate without transparency. It aligns with values of fairness and empowerment, giving people the opportunity to participate in a global economy without intermediaries or unnecessary barriers.

V. Financial Sovereignty and Trust One of the core promises of Bitcoin is financial sovereignty. By holding Bitcoin, individuals gain full control over their money, free from the risks of bank failures, currency devaluation, or government interference. The blockchain, Bitcoin’s underlying technology, plays a key role in building this trust. Every transaction is recorded on a public ledger that is immutable and transparent, ensuring that the system remains trustworthy and accountable.

VI. Inducing a Moral Shift Bitcoin’s principles of sound money have the power to induce a moral shift in society. When money is fair, transparent, and unmanipulated, people’s behavior changes in response. Bitcoin encourages values such as delayed gratification, responsibility, and the creation of real value. By moving away from an inflationary fiat system—prone to manipulation and benefitting a select few—Bitcoin inspires a societal shift towards greater honesty, accountability, and long-term thinking. It fosters an environment where hard work and responsible stewardship of resources are rewarded, rather than undermined by inflation and financial manipulation.

VII. Blockchain: A Foundation for Honesty and Transparency The blockchain technology that underpins Bitcoin extends beyond currency—it is a foundation for honesty and transparency in numerous sectors. Blockchain can be applied to industries like supply chain management, where it provides end-to-end visibility and ensures the authenticity of goods. It can also be used for decentralized data management and verifiable public records, eliminating the need for blind trust in opaque institutions. At a time when public confidence in traditional systems is at an all-time low, blockchain offers a powerful solution for transparency and integrity, allowing individuals to verify information for themselves.

VIII. Breaking the Chains of Traditional Finance The traditional banking system is riddled with inefficiencies, high fees, and a lack of transparency. It often operates to the benefit of a few, leaving many underserved. Bitcoin addresses these issues by offering faster, cheaper, and more transparent transactions. It removes intermediaries, reduces costs, and creates a more inclusive financial environment. Bitcoin empowers individuals to take control of their financial destiny, bypassing the limitations and bureaucracy of traditional finance.

IX. Impact on the Future Looking ahead, Bitcoin has the potential to play a significant role in a more sustainable, fair, and decentralized economy. The integration of Bitcoin with clean energy solutions can create a harmonious relationship between financial innovation and environmental stewardship. Bitcoin mining can drive investments in renewable energy, transforming how we produce and consume power. A future built on Bitcoin is one where financial systems are fairer, more transparent, and aligned with sustainable practices.

X. Conclusion Bitcoin is more than a technological innovation; it is a transformative movement that has the power to reshape our understanding of money, value, and trust. Just as the Renaissance challenged old paradigms and ignited new possibilities, Bitcoin is doing the same for the financial world. It invites us to rethink what is possible and to be part of a revolution that champions fairness, transparency, and individual empowerment. Join the movement and help shape the future of money.

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🌐 Blog: Unplugged Financial Blog Stay updated with insightful articles, detailed analyses, and practical advice on navigating the evolving financial landscape. Learn about the history of money, the flaws in our current financial systems, and how Bitcoin can offer a path to a more secure and independent financial future.

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mortul · 11 months ago

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introducing the general information about one christoph dowell-- this will be a post detailing what the public knowledge on him is, and it'll also talk semi-public/private aaand private details, as well! please consider this post in a state of perpetual development.

PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ON "JOHN ROE": (this is knowledge anyone can access, learn, andor know.)

do not call him by his actual, government name while he's on the job-- anonymity is of the utmost importance in his line of work. for this reason, christoph'll most likely introduce himself to others as john roe. personally, i don't really care too much what the narration refers to him as (this is mostly to avoid confusion.) but, in terms of what the actual muse knows, they'll know him as john roe only.

you can employ him on the deep web, while using the ever-popular tor browser. there is an entire network of assassins that christoph is affiliated with, and he's usually one of the first faces you'll see.

if you are in need of his services, be prepared to pay a hefty amount. he is not cheap, doesn't accept any kind of bartering, and always takes cash before the hit. the process itself is pretty simple; all you do is fill out the provided form and wait for a response. christoph usually establishes contact in a day or two, after the information is processed by and communicated through his info broker. by then, payment is required before the job, done through an external service his broker graciously "offers".

the network he is apart of is known only as the assassin's bureau, and it does have a base of operation. somewhere. it's underground, at least.

he is exceptionally hard to kill. and even more-so, he is obnoxiously and deeply resourceful. anything that is within reach, he can and will turn into a weapon-- this is one of many reasons he's a popular choice.

loves smoking luxury cigars as a civilian but smokes cheap, gas station cigarettes while on the job.

as a civilian, he's comfortably rich and acts accordingly. while not outright flaunting his luxury and privilege, christoph is the proud owner of more than just a few gucci-brand accessories-- these primarily revolve around lighters, cigar cases, shoes, and a random spread of clothing. with that in mind, yes, his favorite luxury brand is gucci. his second favorite is versace. honorable mentions include dior, hermès, and fendi.

resides in dallas, texas. feel free to say hi if you see him!

SEMI-PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ON "JOHN ROE": (this is information those within the bureau, be it as an employee or employer, would know.)

his first name is christoph, but assassin etiquette dictates that nobody refers to their fellow assassin as their actual name. their code name/alias suffices, unless they happen to cross paths within the underground circuit.

his first hit was an absolute fucking disaster, and it's a miracle he managed to kill the guy in the first place. many consider it a fluke, but christoph's more than managed to prove that he is, in fact, the guy.

there is no real "ranking" system within the bureau, but christoph is considered a top contender within the circuit regardless. the website automatically filters based off of perceived popularity, with "john roe" being spotted in the first-to-second rows on the first page consistently. however... if you were to filter based off of affordability, he's going to be in the waaaay back. his fellow assassins love giving him (sometimes playful, sometimes legitimate.) shit about this, and he always has a snappy comeback such as, "i make it worth it, though! my client always get th'results they want."

SEMI-PRIVATE KNOWLEDGE ON CHRISTOPH DOWELL: (this is generalized information, disregarding the assassin world, that certain individuals would know about christoph, within reason.)

those supernaturally inclined are capable of gathering that christoph simply isn't human. to what extent, however, depends on their own perception skills and what amount of "tells" christoph himself chooses to give. most of the time, the default assumption seems to be zombie or reanimated.

anyone who is aware of what a ghoul is will most likely be aware of how one is made: somebody fucked up a satanic ritual somewhere, somehow. ghouls are a byproduct of a ritual gone awry, always being killed after the intended sacrifice was already brought forth and killed first.

hey, why the hell can he still walk around with his head cut clean off of his neck? and oh my god, why is he asking me for some duct tape and to "come help him for a sec"?

john roe obviously isn't his real name, but he'll take a while to actually reveal his name. and when he does, he refuses to be called "chris"-- it's a long story, weigh down by some heavy baggage and that's as much as he'll disclose.

he likes men. this will seem redundant, but he loves reminding people. in addition to this, he's also married and wears the wedding ring proudly, flashing it occasionally should the opportunity arise.

he prefers smoking luxury-brand cigars, sitting out in his private suite's pool, and losing five of the ten rounds of a video game he's supposed to be really good at. he does, in fact, have a high-end gaming computer, and he maintains regular upkeep on it. tallying up its current worth, it's somewhere in the 4000-to-5000 american dollar range. he loves that machine.

speaking of said suite, it's actually an apartment on the topmost floor of the complex. it's one of those places that as soon as you set foot inside, you just know the owner is made entirely out of nothing but money.

actually has a semi-decent landlord, but it's mostly because said landlord is a bit of an eccentric guy and christoph matches his energy quite well.

he occasionally dabbles in drag as an art form, every so often performing at nearby nightclubs under the pseudonym scab. his style mostly resembled that of genderfuck and embraced said nature. his performances are normally well-received, being noted as high-energy and crowd-focused. in spite of this, he rarely stayed after the show and would only linger behind-the-scenes for as long as he was required before leaving. this is something both the regulars and club has simply accepted about him.

PRIVATE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRISTOPH DOWELL: (this is information those christoph trusts fully would know, including his family, husband, and similar. if this wasn't discussed between us privately or revealed to your muse personally, there will be ZERO access to this information.)

he struggled with commitment, with his marriage to one leontios dowell (he took his surname, isn't that just the sweetest thing?) being christoph's first, real committed relationship in, well, years. christoph, prior to, would partake in the occasional one-night stand and ensured it stayed as casual as possible.

his first concert was an avril lavigne concert. second was for christina aguilera. he actually loved both experiences and would go again if ever given the chance.

fought for his absolute goddamn life against his husband's sister, aelita, over one of the weirdest misunderstandings ever (long story.) and involved her smashing a tv over his head. he still hasn't forgiven her for that.

with regards to his trauma, only his family (and this does include his husband.) are aware of the details. but even then... christoph is still stingy on the full story, only recently revealing it in full to leontios and only leontios.

#＊🌐 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥∶ lore

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sekhithefops · 2 years ago

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Sekhi's Zombie Survival Guide for 7 Days to Die!

Step 1: Do the Tutorial!

It seems obvious, but its a damn good idea. When you first appear in the world of 7 Days to Die you'll start out with a few quests to get you to understand the systems. Even if you already know the gist, its best to do them anyways as doing them gives you FOUR skill points right from the word go, as well as some beginner gear.

Speaking of skill points...

Step 2: Whatcha Good At?

Are you a sharpshooter? A big burly brain-basher? A sneaky stealth-killer? A rigger who makes all sorts of crazy tools? In 7 Days to Die you have five stats that govern your abilities, and this is how they work.

Perception

How good you are at being observant and noticing details. The abilities you can get from this are how to make proper explosives, use a rifle, track animals, and find more loot and other treasures.

Two skills I highly recommend from this are Lucky Looter and Salvage Operations. Lucky Looter makes you more likely to find better loot overall and Salvage Operations gives you more resources from breaking down other things (which we'll go over later.)

Strength

How big, burly, and head-bashy you are! Strength is used for weapons like shotguns and clubs, and also for things like increasing how much you can carry without becoming encumbered as well as your ability to cook (gotta be able to take the heat in the kitchen!) Also heavier armor proficiency is measured via strength.

This also has the Miner 69'er and Mother Lode talents, which govern how fast you can cut down trees and mine metals and other precious materials, as well as how much you get from doing so. Very useful to all builds!

Fortitude

How beefy are you? Fortitude governs unarmed weapons like knuckledusters, as well as the use of machine guns. It also manages traits like Huntsman and Living off the Land which govern how much food you get from harvesting animals and plants respectively.

The big ones for any build are the Recovery Perks though: Healing Factor, Iron Gut, and Rule 1: Cardio. Healing Factor gives you health regeneration, Iron Gut makes you get hungry and thirsty slower, and Rule 1: Cardio makes your stamina regenerate faster.

Agility

Gottagofast! Agility is how fast you are, how good you can handle weapons like bows, handguns, and knives, and other things.

Light armor is governed by this stat, as are things like firing guns from the hip.

The big skill here for all builds is Parkour. It governs jumping ability, but also how far you can fall without getting injured. A fall from a height may not kill you in this game sometimes, but it can result in a broken leg! This, combined with a nearby zombie horde, will likely spell doom if you're not prepared (or very lucky.)

Intellect

SCIENCE!!! Intellect governs weapons like the shock baton, which can send enemies flying with a blast of electricity, as well as automated turrets and the creation thereof.

It also manages most crafting skills such as Advanced Engineering (workbench crafting for weapons, armor, etc,) Grease Monkey (making and maintaining vehicles,) and Physician (medicines and other remedies.)

The really useful one however is Better Barter, which lets you sell for more and buy for less from Traders (which we'll get into soon.)

Step 3: Home Sweet Hellhole

You can build your own bases in this game! You can... but its time consuming, takes a lot of resources, and will provide slow minimal protection.

Instead, take a lesson from the noble hermit crab and do what I did!

Find a good house in a suburban area, preferably near a city or shopping district with lots of good resources nearby.

Go inside the house and kill the everloving hell out of everything inside.

Punch a hole in the wall near the middle and put your land claim block (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!) in there, thus generating a 'zombie no spawn here' field in all directions and claiming the house as your own!

(Insert your favorite joke about the American Housing Market here.)

Whats neat too is that you can use the Land Claim Block to show where the boundaries are for the safe zone it creates, thats how I know where to set up my defensive walls around the building.

You can toggle that on and off so you don't have giant neon green lines hanging around, but it can be useful for spotting your base at a distance as you get used to your new neighborhood.

Once you have it set up, just toss your bedroll on the ground in one of the rooms to mark a spawn point and get to building some defenses. Congrats, you are now surviving! Round of applause.

Step 4: The Post-Apocalypse Economy!

You're not the only survivor in the world. Trader Joel and his buddies have set up shop in every city in the world and will sell you all sorts of useful goodies if you have the coin.

The literal coin that is. Dollars are basically toilet paper in this world (literally sometimes) as the US Government collapsed when Joe Biden's infection progressed too far and he tried to eat the brain of one of his aides.

Funny enough it took the Secret Service about fifteen minutes to realize something was wrong, then another five to finish arguing over who was going to shoot him.

Instead, the post apocalypse uses Dukes, a casino token, as it's currency.

I recommend setting aside a spot in your base for stuff to sell to the traders. Anything you're not planning on using, mods that you have a lot of, medicines you don't want to bother with like steroids in my case, etc.

This is important as some stuff you can ONLY get from the traders! Early on you learn how to make a dew collector to gather drinkable water, but only the traders have the water filters you need to actually build the thing!

Speaking of water...

Step 5: Feed me! Feeeeeeeeeeeeed me!

Food is a concern in the post apocalypse. The local grocery stores ain't getting a resupply anytime soon and McDonald's is right out. You gotta learn how to cook buddy!

Cooking skills are governed by the Strength ability Master Chef and you can learn how to make everything from basic water and grilled beef up to hot coffee and fine tea along with meat stews and other wasteland delicacies. Infact, the better you eat the more health and stamina you have, so get cooking!

To cook you need some fuel (wood, paper, coal, etc) and the right tools. You slot the tools into place (see the upper right there) and it lets you craft the food if you know how. The tools are as follows:

Cooking Pot: Lets you boil murky water to make it safe, as well as making stews and other useful things.

Cooking Grill: Lets you grill meat, corn, and lots of other things. Tasty!

Measuring Cup: Lets you make things like glue from water and bones, and other useful but non-edible stuff.

Pick your foods, turn it on, and let it go and it'll grill you up a feast... but remember to turn it back off once you're done or else you're just wasting fuel... and something might notice the heat from the fire...

But of course to make dinner you need ingredients! Food can be hard to come by as I said above... but you have options. You can hunt animals such as rabbits, deer, chicken, and the like for meat. Kill one and take out a knife or other cutting tool, then butcher it into cuts of meat, cooking fat, and other useful things!

As for veggies you can raid ruined restaurants and storefronts, root through the ruins of people's kitchens, and the like... or you can just grow the stuff!

To grow you need two things: seeds and a farm plot. The farm plots are tricky as you need four things to make one:

Potassium Nitrate

Rotten Meat

Clay Soil

Wood

The Clay Soil and Wood are easy, just need a shovel and axe and a bit of wooded area. Five minutes of work and you're set.

As for the others... well potassium nitrate is something you can mine if you find large white deposits of it in the ground (they look like white crystals) but there is... another way...

Welcome to the Post-Apocalypse kids. Harvesting the bodies of those who didn't escape the zombie horde gets you potassium nitrate and rotten meat for fertilizing your new farm plots! Yummy!

Well, I'm sure the corn thinks they're yummy anyways.

But to make the seeds and food you need to know how to do it... and as for how that works...

Step 6: Read, or the Zombies Will Eat You

Books! There's two types of books in this world.

One time use trait books that give you a big bonus in one go, but you can only benefit from once, and magazines that you can use to learn tidbits of information that unlock tiers of knowledge for making... well... everything!

The magazines are the important ones, and I'll detail a few examples here:

Home Cooking Weekly: Yep, gotta know the recipe before you can make the pie! Reading this unlocks all sorts of cooking tricks. It starts simple with grilled corn and baked potatoes, but the more you read the more you unlock all the way up to things like homemade beer and pasta!

Forge Ahead: Be a Do-it-Yourself-er! This teaches you how to make things like the all important Dew Collector for gathering drinkable water, as well as forges, workbenches, and other things for making everything you need to survive.

Handgun Magazine: Do ya feel lucky, punk? Learn all about the crafting and maintenance of handguns from this book. Early issues give you the knowledge to make better scrap metal guns out of pipes and other found materials, moving up to crafting pistols, magnum revolvers, and even SMGs!

As for the other type of books, those all unlock one of several tiers of knowledge, each specific to a specific volume. But if you manage to unlock them all you get a special bonus for doing so! These include:

Batter up!: All you ever wanted to know about the Great American Pastime (or what was that before, yanno, zombies) Baseball! While this knowledge won't help you much with winning in the big leagues, it will let you know how to swing a baseball bat or club with devastating results for whoever is on the receiving end! Stuff like "Do 10% more damage with clubs," and "craft chain mods for bats and clubs to give them better knockdown chance" and the like. If you manage to find them all, you get a perk that makes power attacks give you back your stamina if they kill a zombie!

Wasteland Treasures: A series of handwritten notes by another survivor who endured after the bombs fell and the dead rose. These include tricks like how to harvest honey from trees when you chop them down (extremely useful for reasons we'll get into below,) find precious gems and jewelry in coffins, how to weave basic plant fibers into useable cloth, and the like. At the highest tier you learn how to harvest Military Fibers, which are used to create the strongest light armor in the game!

Whats more, if you stumble across a book you've already read the traders will pay good coin for them! Don't throw them out if you can avoid it, save 'em and sell 'em!

But now that you have knowledge its time to put it to use...

Step 7: I'm smelting! SMEEEEELTING!!!

Once you have some forge ahead magazines under your belt and in your noggin, you can make forges and workbenches! These are used to make, well, everything!

The forge works similar to the cooking fire, except that it has different tools. This one uses the following:

Advanced Bellows: Improves airflow in the forge to make resources smelt faster (see below.)

Anvil: You can hammer out iron and steel more efficiently! Crafting speed is faster!

Crucible: The pinnacle of blacksmithing tools. Allows the creation of advanced items such as steel bars and bulletproof glass, among others.

However, its not enough to have the raw materials, you need to smelt them into useable forms! How you do this is fill up the forge with fuel, put the items you want to smelt in the smelting slots, then just turn it on and... well... fuck off for a bit.

It'll convert them over time into useable raw materials, banking them in the forge itself, until it either runs out of fuel or materials.

Once you have them you can then convert them into iron bars, nails, glass, and all sorts of useful things.

From there, the workbench comes into play:

The workbench is where you make basically everything, from repair kits to weapons to armor to decorations. The works. Once you have one of these the game really opens up.

All you need is the component parts in your inventory and to tell the workbench to get working. Then in a few minutes, boom, new toys.

A new feature in Alpha 21 that I really like a lot is being able to track recipes too! Select a thing you wanna make and press A on the keyboard and the game keeps a running inventory of whats left to craft it. Super useful!

But now one of the best things to use that workbench for...

Step 8: Have Wrench, Will Travel

Making vehicles! 7 Days to Die has vehicles in it and they are vital to late game and extremely useful at any time. Each vehicle improves your mobility of course, but they also have the benefit of additional storage letting you make longer and longer treks out into the post-apocalyptic ruins!

There's five of them, and I'll detail them here.

Bicycles: The basic vehicle, a standard push bicycle with a little basket for storing goodies you find in ruins. A nice bonus, but going fast in it still drains your stamina and it can't hold much.

Minibike: A little scooter that uses gasoline instead of your legs to go and has more storage, but its fairly fragile and isn't that much faster. Faster than most zombies though so yay there.

Motorcycle: NOW we're hitting the road! The motorcycle is much faster and can hold quite a bit more, and whats more... once you have this vehicle or the next one you no longer need to be afraid of zombies on the roads... THE ZOMBIES NEED TO BE AFRAID OF YOU!!! Ramming into a zombie on a motorcycle at top speed will damage the bike, but it will do TREMENDOUS damage to the zombie, usually killing it outright! Still, you will want to keep some repair kits handy if you plan on making roadkill of the undead horde.

4x4 Truck: Its mah gahtdang truck Bobby! The pinnacle of land-based transport, the truck is a tank. Its a huge jeep with a ton of storage space and good armor that can travel great distances... but takes a lot of fuel to run.

Gyrocopter: Wendy I can fly! ... but not very well. I'll admit I haven't used one of these in a long time, several patch cycles ago, but when I tried it the thing flew like a drunk housefly. Can't recommend, stick with the truck.

The thing is, everything beyond the bike takes gasoline... and that's a resource you'll want a LOT of if you plan on driving much. So I'm sure you and Max Rockatansky want to know how to get their hands on as much as you can... well, there's three ways.

Refine Oil Shale

This one isn't an option until very late in the game as you'll need a chemistry workbench to make it and those take a while to unlock, but inside desert biomes you'll sometimes see these rainbow-colored rocks. This is oil shale and with a modicum of work with a pickaxe or other mining tool you'll have gas for days once you refine it. Find a good mine for this and you're set for the long haul.

Early on however you have two options:

Go to the Gas Station

Yeah its obvious, but its obvious because it works! Ruined gas pumps can be salvaged for gasoline, and intact ones you can just take gas from. Sometimes they'll have barrels of the stuff laying around or in storage areas too. Also keep an eye out for factories with the "Pass-n-Gas" sign, those are oil refineries. Those have LOTS.

But one other benefit to gas stations is what else is there...

Salvage Wrecked Cars

The cars! Their loss is your gain! Break down the cars to harvest all sorts of useful components such as scrap metal, plastics, mechanical parts, and of course whats left in their own gas tanks! Any car can be salvaged in this way, from family sedans all the way up to construction vehicles and big rig trucks... however...

Beware Police Cruisers!

And not for the usual reasons. These things are abandoned now, but are always locked. Thing is, they have a higher chance of REALLY GOOD loot! This one pictured had two hundred 9mm bullets inside (used for protecting our freedoms I'm sure.) You can pick the lock on them to get inside, but if you don't have the lockpicks or aren't confident you can get in without running out you can just salvage the car with a wrench to break the lock open... however...

Police Cruisers Have Car Alarms!!!

Whats rule number one of any zombie apocalypse kids? Thats right: NO LOUD NOISES!

Breaking into a cop cruiser without picking the lock will set off the car alarm, and this will often spawn several VERY strong zombies nearby! This mob was a bunch of nasty ones, including a cop zombie (think it was his car?) that I then had to fight off before I could loot the car and make my escape.

So yeah, you can loot cop cars, but you better be damn ready when you do... or else.

Which brings us nicely into our next item on the agenda...

Step 9: OH FUCK! ZOMBIES!

The zombies! The walking dead! Those who hunger for your brains, and perhaps any other choice morsels, they're not picky eaters.

The zombies come in several varieties, and I'll detail the nastier ones below.

Feral Zombies: These zombies look like normal ones, but their eyes glow and they move faster. They also hit harder and have more health. Its hard to spot them at first since they otherwise look the same, but if you see one its best to kill it fast.

Radioactive Zombies: Its a bit chicken-and-egg as to whether the bombs dropping caused the zombie apocalypse or the zombie apocalypse was why they bombed the cities in the hopes of containing it... but even nuclear fallout just makes them stronger. These zombies are like ferals, except that they also regenerate health at an alarming rate! You can just sustain fire to outpace their regeneration or, if you have it, install the Rad Remover Mod on a weapon to give it the power to negate this ability for a short time.

Fat Zombies: These zombies are... well... fat. They're very very tanky is all. They can take a lot of punishment before dying, but otherwise are no different from normal zombies.

Biker/Lumberjack Zombies: These zombies are both tanky and VERY strong. They were big burly bastards in life and that carries over into undeath. Not only can they take more damage, they can dish it out too!

Police Zombies: Fuck the police, especially so here. These guys are like the boomer and spitter from Left 4 Dead had a nightmare baby and it went into law enforcement. They can spew a blast of highly caustic acid at their enemies, but the nasty part is when they get low on health they'll try to charge you and explode! This explosion will do tremendous damage and can be instantly fatal at low levels! It may be wiser to run away if you're just starting out.

Spider Zombies: These zombies are easily spotted by their penchant for running on all fours, the exposed bones, the heavily mutated face, and their habit of making loud squeals and clicking sounds. They're faster than other zombies, but their main threat is they can JUMP! These things can leap over barricades with ease and get into your base!

Soldier Zombies: In life these zombies served the US Armed Forces, and in undeath they're one of the deadliest you can face. They're very VERY strong, a result of military training honing their bodies no doubt, and they wear military issue body armor! They take a lot to take down!

Screamer Zombies: These ones are different. They're always female and have heavily mutated mouths and necks, huge fangs too. They don't normally show up on their own, but are attracted to 'heat.' That is to say, the heat generated by cooking fires, forges, and torches and other light sources. They'll spawn near your base once you've caused enough heat and when they spot you... they scream. Loudly. Again, rule number one of zombie apocalypse: NO LOUD NOISES! Their screams summon OTHER zombies! Kill them fast or else you'll be facing a horde!

Lastly...

Zombified Animals: Its not just humans that rose from the dead! Animals became zombies as well and they're even more dangerous sometimes! There's three main varieties that I'll list below:

Zombie Dogs: I call them "Hellhounds" and they're easy to spot as you'll always hear them growling and barking before you see them. That being said, they're fast and VERY dangerous! Their teeth can shred armor and flesh with ease and they attack quick! If you have a gun, use it! Its best they go down before they can get close!

Zombified Birds: Carrion Birds in the most literal sense, they can still fly and they can come from above so they can reach you before you see them... but they're also very fragile. One good hit from a melee weapon or a clean shot from a gun sorts them out.

Zombified Bears: Fuck just run. The zombie bears are among the deadliest enemies in the game. Unless you're well geared and really confident its best to just get the hell away as fast as you can.

... but what about when you can't?

Step 10: The Zombies Got Me! ... now what?

Sometimes you just can't get away fast enough and the zombies will get you. They'll claw, they'll bite, they'll tear, and they'll do some damage! In this game there's several status effects that can do some severe harm to you, and I'll list the major ones here and how to remedy them.

Bleeding: You took a bad claw from a zombie's rotting fingernails and now you're gushing blood from the wound! You'll lose health every second and your screen will go grey as your body tries to process the pain. Any bandage will remove this status happily, so its easily remedied.

Lacerations: OH SHIT! That zombie got you DEEP! You're bleeding BAD! This status reduces your maximum health and makes it so if you get Bleeding it has an increased critical hit chance! This one isn't an easy fix though. You gotta stitch the wound shut! A sewing kit will do it, or a First Aid Kit (which has a sewing kit in it.)

Broken Arm: You took a really bad smack from a zombie and your arm is broken! Your attacks are slower and attacking with guns can actually hurt you now (that recoil is no joke!) You can use a splint or a cast to make it heal faster... but it won't heal it immediately, just faster. If you're not careful it'll re-break!

Broken Leg: Like above, but its the lower half! Perhaps a zombie got you in the leg, perhaps you took a tumble off what was once someone's rooftop, either way your leg shouldn't bend like that. Walking speed is slowed greatly and running or jumping can harm you... but a cast or splint will do the same for it as the broken arm.

Sprained Leg/Arm: They got you... but not as bad as it could be. It hurts, but you've had worse. This is the same as the Broken Arm/Leg but less severe and heals faster, however if you're not careful it can become a full on break! A sprain can't be healed by any tools you can make. All you can do is wait it out.

Concussion: BONK! You took a bad blow to the head and you're seeing stars! All your stats are lowered by one and you'll occasionally suffer bouts of dizziness where ALL speeds drop dramatically! This can be annoying in your base, but life-threatening in a fight! Painkillers will immediately remedy this however.

Dysentery: Look, I get it. Its the post-apocalypse, Wal-mart is closed forever, and you were starving... but that meat was so far past the sell by date it was starting to move. You ate something you shouldn't have and now you've got nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, the works. You become hungry and thirsty faster as your body tries to purge the foul thing you ate. Taking herbal antibiotics, drinking goldenrod tea, or drinking pure mineral water will help.

Fatigued: You're just worn right the fuck out. Good nutrition and rest are hard to find in the post-apocalypse and your body is worn down. All enemies do more damage to you because you just don't have the energy to mount a proper defense! If you manage to get some vitamins in you it'll sort it out though.

And then, the biggest one.

Infection: The Zombie Plague

You done got bit. The zombies got you and the sickness is inside your blood. Through some genetic quirk you're resistant to it, but thats all. Resistant. It won't turn you into one of them immediately, but its a nasty one regardless.

The infection is bacterial and comes in four stages. To remedy it you can use the following medicines:

Stage 1: Honey or any antibiotics. Honey is a natural antibiotic and at this stage the infection is relatively minor. Honey can be found in most kitchens, or by harvesting trees if you have the right perk.

Stage 2: Herbal or regular antibiotics. At this stage honey isn't good enough, you need medicines. Proper ones are best, but homemade will do in a pinch. You'll mostly find these in kitchens or bathrooms, or at ruined pharmacies.

Stage 3: Pharmacy Grade Antibiotics. Only the best will do at this point. If it gets any further you're doomed. These will likely be in either ruined pharmacies or abandoned hospitals.

As for the infection itself...

Stage 1: The infection is minor. You feel a bit gross but can cope otherwise. No major detrimental effects at this point. The infection will slowly get worse though, and attacks from zombies can speed it along! After an hour or if it progresses past 14% it advances to Stage 2.

Stage 2: The infection has gotten worse. You're starting to feel really sick and get tired easier. In game terms, your stamina regeneration is reduced. Lasts for three hours or until it reaches 57%, then progresses to Stage 3.

Stage 3: You're in serious danger and need medical aid immediately. The sickness has spread and is beginning to affect your brain. All stats are reduced and your stamina regeneration drops even more. You have three hours to find help, or until the infection reaches 100%. At this point the Infection reaches Stage 4.

Stage 4: Welcome to the Zombie Horde. You immediately drop dead on the spot and, presumably, will rise eventually as one of the undead.

Its important to note that treating the infection with medicines won't cure it IMMEDIATELY, it just makes the counter go the other direction. Instead of the percentage going up, it goes down. The duration is the same. Honey reduces it by 5%, Herbal Antibiotics by 10%, and Antibiotics by 25%. Once it hits that, it starts going up again, so be sure to have spare doses handy! Whats more, further attacks from zombies can re-infect you and make it start progressing once more!

But yes, thats the gist of 7 Days to Die. For a game thats been in alpha for years its surprisingly complex and a hell of a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing what the devs pull off in the future.

#7 Days to Die #Survival Crafting Video Game #Zombie Apocalypse #Horror #braaaaaains...

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barbatusart · 2 years ago

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Hi I'm back again. This is going to be a weird question so please bare with me.

Is the use of cards in lovos as a form of payment about how popular pokemon cards got in 2020 onward and how popular trading cards have gotten in general because of it, or was it a joke form of payment? Or something else entirely? Thank you very much!!!

OH YES THANK GOD MINUTIA QUESTIONS YESSSSS YESSSSSSSSSSSS

cards are a partial form of payment! desert/outlander/"zone C" operates on a barter system as theres zero currency, so people place value in arbitrary things that shift a bit from generation to generation. there are numberous onscreen & offscreen cultures in zone C but nearly every culture places value in entertainment like books movies & games, as theres Fuck All to do out there otherwise lol. theres also a planned running gag of this completely ridiculous card game that everyone out there likes to play, the rules of which vary wildly depending on the settlement youre playing it in, & so cards wind up being the closest thing to paper money youll find as they have practical use in the form of entertainment & gambling

also for this game it 100% doesnt matter what kinds of cards you use, any card of any kind can be used & theyre divvied up like picture cards vs number cards vs cards with a shitload of text on em vs whatever. i deliberately didnt plan out how the card game works because calvinball the cardgame is funnier to me & also i completely dont care LOL

#q&a #lovos4017

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crazy-pages · 2 years ago

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Yeah I'd also like to elaborate on this, just to make it very clear how sick the system is.

The fundamental concept of capitalism (as in a system oriented around capital, as in liquid money or large valuable assets) is that providing someone's endeavor with capital, with the understanding the capital may be lost or otherwise not returned, is a risk. It's a very important risk for large highly integrated societies though.

When you've got tens of thousands of people living in "small cities", it's kind of impossible to just hold capital in the commons and rely on peer relations and social expectations to ensure that this is distributed fairly and no one abuses it. There are of course all their ways to hold capital in the commons, many governments operate banks, libraries, public transit, disaster relief aid, etc. But of course these are not simple structures and the risks of direct centralized control are non-negligible. Saying that the government should control all capital and distribute it as the people need does not actually ensure that will happen.

Capitalism proposes a simple and straightforward solution to this. If somebody thinks they can make productive use of capital which they don't have, they can go to large coordinated institutions (banks) or those with surplus, and ask for some of their capital, with the understanding that they will pay them back later for that capital and then some if their venture is successful. This incentivizes people with surplus to put it to productive use, in a way that's a net gain. This also gets applied to concepts like housing or guarding against catastrophy. If you can't build a house yourself but need one now, maybe you can pay some amount more than its value at a later date to use it now. Maybe over your lifetime you can pay a bit more than you'd statistically pay for medical care or disaster relief, in exchange for access to relief capital in times of need.

And like that it doesn't sound bad. Okay cool, you give me capital and I pay you back later, and then we're square.

Except this is where the capitalist says, "Hahaha, what? Are no kidding me? No I give you the capital and then you pay me back forever."

Wait.

What?

Where the fuck was that in the premise of capitalism? The fuck? I thought this was about paying down the risk associated with bad capital investments?! Surely those risks are finite???

The capitalist laughs more. "Oh sorry, risk? No absolutely not. See the complex machinery of the commons we're ostensibly making unnecessary? We're going to demand that insure us so we actually can't experience serious losses."

The fuck?!?!

It's a magic trick. One moment you're nodding along to the explanation of mutual benefit for someone being payed back for a loan. And even if you might prefer other systems, you can still acknowledge there's at least some logic to it. Because the concept of fair finite recompense for risk is reasonable.

And the next moment it's an eternal debt. Suddenly this isn't giving someone a loan so they can open a corner store, then shaking hands when they're successful and square up with a little extra. It's becoming a shareholder of a corner store and then owning a portion of its profits as dividends forever. Sometimes the value of the labor being bartered doesn't even belong to the person doing the bartering. A CEO sells shareholders dividends, a permanent right to a fraction of the labor of people who never voted for the CEO and never agreed to give them any rights over their labor except implicitly in where they chose to work (just as peasants once implicitly 'chose' which lords to give taxes and levies to by where they chose to live).

Suddenly It's not a mortgage, paying a bit extra to get access to a large discrete object of value before you've produced that much value in your own life. Suddenly it's rent. An exchange of money which will never convert ownership to you no matter how much you pay. An eternal indebtedness for a finite investment by the capital owner.

Suddenly the amount owed is a percentage, while the amount given remains finite and bounded. And the profits earned by capitalism are the right to make more capital investments. To own an even greater fraction of the pie. A right safeguarded and insured by the very commons which apparently can't be used to grant housing, which can only give limited loans with countless strings to very specific parties.

But where in all of the justifications of capitalism, the mutual net gain, the risk, where in all of that did the concept of trading a permanent fraction of your labor for a finite investment come from? How is that allowed?! How is that not outright forbidden in the same way it's not legal to have someone sign away their human rights? How?!

(The historical answer is simple: The inventors of the modern capitalist market were French nobility looking for a way to maintain noble privilege and taxes in a world that was increasingly hostile to monarchy.)

But the practical answer is even simpler. Desperation and concentration of power. People who need capital, whether that's a business loan or a need for housing, aren't in much of position to withhold that need. People with surplus are by definition in a position to withhold that surplus though. And it's fundamentally easier to organize a few people with a lot, than a lot of people with a little.

Capitalism is rotten to its core because what it is does not even follow from its premise. The concept does not have to be based on infinite growth. The idea of fair exchange of additional later repayment for present risk is not inherently bad. It doesn't have to include infinite eternal repayment that's compounded forever by the profits of that eternal repayment.

But it's impossible to extricate from the on-the-ground reality of the system. Which is that capitalism is a replacement for good complicated democratic stewardship of the commons by an exchange negotiated between those who have resources and those who do not. And those who do not have resources and do not have the safety net of a commons will never be able to negotiate fairly with those who have surplus. It's just not possible!

There's nothing innately wrong with finitely bounded additional payments in exchange for the risk of investment. But there is something fundamentally wrong with it being the foundation of how you negotiate your society's commons. Because if it is, then you have no way of preventing it from becoming something much much worse.

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xettle-technologies · 7 months ago

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How Digital Payment Solutions Are Driving Global Connectivity ?

In today’s hyperconnected world, the way we transact has transformed radically. From the days of barter systems to the advent of currency and now digital transactions, commerce has consistently evolved to meet human needs. At the heart of this transformation lies the digital payment solution, a game-changing innovation that has made financial transactions seamless, efficient, and borderless. Coupled with advances in technology, these solutions are driving global connectivity like never before.

The Evolution of Digital Payment Solutions

Digital payment solutions have rapidly evolved to keep up with the demands of a fast-paced, interconnected global economy. These systems include mobile wallets, payment gateways, peer-to-peer (P2P) payment platforms, and cryptocurrency-based transactions. They leverage technology to enable individuals and businesses to send and receive money with unparalleled ease and security.

As globalization continues to break down geographical barriers, the need for efficient payment systems has grown. Software solutions designed to handle digital payments have become the backbone of this global financial ecosystem, enabling businesses of all sizes to operate seamlessly across borders.

Breaking Down Barriers with Digital Payment Solutions

1. Connecting Global Markets

Digital payment solutions empower businesses to expand their reach to international markets. Whether it’s a small e-commerce store selling handmade crafts or a multinational corporation offering software services, the ability to accept payments from customers worldwide is essential.

Payment platforms like PayPal, Stripe, and Xettle are bridging this gap, providing businesses with tools to accept payments in multiple currencies and ensure smooth transactions. These solutions reduce the complexity of cross-border trade by handling currency conversions, compliance with local regulations, and fraud prevention, making it easier for companies to scale globally.

2. Empowering Underbanked Regions

One of the most significant contributions of digital payment solutions is their ability to bring financial services to underbanked and unbanked populations. In many developing countries, access to traditional banking infrastructure is limited. However, with the proliferation of mobile phones and internet access, digital payment platforms have become a lifeline for millions.

Software solutions tailored for these regions enable individuals to make payments, receive salaries, and even access credit, fostering economic inclusion and development. This democratization of financial services is connecting people in remote areas to the global economy, creating opportunities that were previously unattainable.

3. Streamlining International Payouts

For businesses operating on a global scale, managing payouts to employees, suppliers, or freelancers across different countries can be a logistical challenge. This is where advanced software solutions for payouts come into play. These tools automate and simplify the process of distributing funds, reducing errors and ensuring timely payments.

Companies like Xettle offer solutions that handle complex payout scenarios, such as multi-currency disbursements and compliance with international regulations. By removing barriers to efficient payouts, businesses can focus on growth rather than administrative hurdles.

Enhancing Global Connectivity with Advanced Features

The rise of digital payment solutions isn’t just about speed or convenience—it’s also about innovation. Modern payment systems are equipped with features that enhance global connectivity, such as:

Real-Time Transactions: Instantaneous fund transfers enable businesses to operate more efficiently, whether they’re paying international suppliers or receiving payments from customers halfway across the globe.

Blockchain Integration: Blockchain technology is revolutionizing cross-border payments by reducing costs and increasing transparency. Decentralized systems eliminate the need for intermediaries, making transactions faster and more secure.

AI-Driven Fraud Prevention: Advanced software solutions use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and prevent fraudulent activities, ensuring the safety of users and maintaining trust in the system.

Building Trust in a Digital Ecosystem

For global connectivity to thrive, trust is paramount. Digital payment solutions must offer robust security features to protect user data and financial information. Encryption, tokenization, and biometric authentication are just some of the measures being employed to ensure the safety of transactions.

Platforms like Xettle emphasize security without compromising user experience. By prioritizing trust, these solutions encourage more users to embrace digital payments, further strengthening the interconnected global economy.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite their many advantages, digital payment solutions face challenges that must be addressed to unlock their full potential.

Regulatory Hurdles: Different countries have varying regulations governing digital payments, which can complicate cross-border transactions.

Cybersecurity Threats: As systems become more interconnected, the risk of cyberattacks increases. Continuous innovation in security measures is essential to mitigate these threats.

Digital Divide: While technology is advancing rapidly, not everyone has equal access to it. Bridging the digital divide is crucial for ensuring inclusive global connectivity.

However, these challenges also present opportunities for growth and innovation. By investing in infrastructure, enhancing security protocols, and fostering partnerships between governments and technology providers, the global community can overcome these obstacles and maximize the benefits of digital payment solutions.

The Future of Global Connectivity

The impact of digital payment solutions on global connectivity is undeniable. They have transformed how businesses operate, enabled financial inclusion, and fostered economic growth in ways that were previously unimaginable. As technology continues to evolve, the role of software solutions in driving this transformation will only grow stronger.

In the years to come, we can expect even greater advancements in this space, from the widespread adoption of blockchain technology to the integration of artificial intelligence in payment systems. Companies like Xettle are leading the charge, setting new standards for efficiency, security, and user experience.

By embracing digital payment solutions, businesses and individuals alike can become active participants in the interconnected global economy, unlocking opportunities that transcend borders and create a truly unified financial landscape.

#fintech software #payout solution #artists on tumblr

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rauthschild · 10 months ago

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The Kamal's Secret Connection To The Largest Election Tech Firm

The government is so out of control. It is so bloated and infested with fraud and deceit and corruption and abuse of power. Ted Nugent

I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office. Andrew Jackson, 7 th president of the United States

Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence. Thomas Jefferson

Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reasons. Mark Twain

The following meme popped into my email this morning...

"Kamala Harris failed to disclose her relationship to Sir Nigel G. Knowles, her husband Douglas C. Emhoff's former boss at DLA Piper PLC of London, UK.

"Sir Nigel is co-director of SGO Smartmatic with Lord George Mark Malloch-Brown who controls Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin voting machines from Dominion, Smartmatic, ES&S, Sequoia, Premier, Diebold and Optech machines responsible for the alleged 2020 voting fraud."

Shocking? Yes! I decided to check it out.

And surprisingly, Bloomberg is reporting that Harris' lawyer husband, Doug Emhoff, faces election quandary as Vice President's spouse.

In 2014, Smartmatic's CEO, Antonio Mugica and British Lord Mark Malloch-Brown announced the launching of the SGO Corporation Limited , a holding company based in London whose primary asset is the election technology and voting machine manufacturer. Malloch-Brown became the chairman of the board of directors of SGO since it's foundation . Antonio Mugica remains as CEO of the new venture. They were joined on SGO's board by Sir Nigel Knowles , Global CEO of DLA Piper , and Douglas Emhoff's former boss before his wife was named as Democrat candidate for President of the United States. Emhoff has since left his job as partner at DLA Piper.

Nigel Knowles did not take his father's name; he took his mother's. His father was connected to Cecil Rhodes, Ruskin and others, all early communists.

SGO Smartmatic that controls all election systems, including Dominion, worldwide - the various company names (Smartmatic, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia, Premier, Diebold, ES&S) and all have common Optech software.

SGO is the largest elections tech firm .

The aim of SGO according to its CEO was to continue to make investments in its core business of election technology, as well as rolling out a series of new ventures which should make us extremely wary. Those ventures include biometrics , online identity verification , internet voting and citizen participation, e-governance and pollution control . Can you imagine the possibilities?

As an aside, Peter Comey, the brother of former FBI Director James Comey, is a Senior Director of Real Estate Operations for the law firm DLA Piper. Birds of a feather.

Here is a timeline on Sir Nigel Graham Knowles, as well as his family tree . Knowles appears to be the king of "K" Street, the home of lobbyists and Non-Governmental Organizations in DC. He is the lead Trustee of The Prince's Trust , a United Kingdom-based charity founded in 1976 by King Charles III to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are unemployed or struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.

DLA Piper is most likely the primary law firm for the British Crown.

The Prince's Trust

In 1990, Knowles founded the Prince's Trust International at the Knights of Malta. Then they incorporated in the United States as Prince's Trust America. Another British connection is the fact that Kamala Harris' father was a Jamaican citizen and Jamaica was also a British holding. Jamaica was granted independence in 1962.

Major donors to the Prince's Trust are BAE Systems, BlackRock, CDW UK, Garfield Weston Foundation, HSBC UK, LDC, Marks & Spencer Group plc, and NatWest. Here is a list of Prince's Trust patrons , which includes Barclay's Bank, Dell, Apple, Google, HSBC, Accenture, Capgemini, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Marriott, BAE, Clear Channel, Ricoh, American Airlines, Allianz, Amazon, AT&T, Baillie Gifford, Bloomberg, Boeing, DLA Piper, Facebook, HP, Joules (John Podesta), NBC, Qualcomm, NTT Data, Oracle, Rolls Royce, RBC, TikTok and Worldpay.

Basically, it appears as though Harris may be taking orders from the mother ship, The Prince's Trust of Great Britain.

The Pilgrim's Society

The Pilgrim's Society is the mother lode, operating from the London office of the Privy Council. Those names include the English-Speaking Society, Royal Over-Seas League, Atlantic Council, Club of Rome, Bilderberg Group, Davos World Economic Forum, Trilateral Commission, Aspen Institute, United Nations, Council on Foreign Relations among them.

Knowles is also a member of the British Pilgrims Society and apparent handler for Biden and Harris. The Society was founded in July of 1901 allegedly to bring peace and harmony between America and Great Britain. However, there definitely seems to be ulterior motives behind the society when one examines former members such as Allen and John Foster Dulles, Alexander Haig, John D. and David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, General George Marshall, Averall Harriman, Henry Luce, King Charles III and more.

Sir Nigel-directed companies include DLA Piper (auditor: Deloitte), SERCO/SGO Smartmatic (auditor: KPMG), Prince's Trust America/QintetiQ (auditor: Price Waterhouse Coopers), Wellcome Trust/DLA Piper (auditor: Deloitte), Investec (auditor: Ernst & Young, director Lord Mark Malloch-Brown).

The Pilgrims of Great Britain and the Pilgrims of the United States have reciprocal membership. These two groups are the two oldest and most prestigious Anglo- American organizations on both sides of the Atlantic.

British Colonialism in India

Britain controlled India from 1757 through the East India Company which was initially created in 1600 to serve as a trading body for English merchants, specifically to participate in the East Indian spice trade, and it later added items such as cotton, silk, tea, and opium.

From 1858 onward, the British government directly ruled India and it became known as the British Raj. It had a negative impact on people living in India as many suffered from extreme poverty and famines during British rule. The government as well as British individuals gained a lot of wealth from trade with India which they used in part to fund the industrial revolution.

India gained independence from British rule on August 15, 1947, after decades of nonviolent resistance led by Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 created two independent nations, India and Pakistan, ending 200 years of British rule.

DLA Piper has international trade and customs in India . Why is this history important? Because we have two natives of India in both parties campaigning for president, Kamala Harris and Usha Vance, wife of JD Vance. And that's not to mention two other South Asian Republican candidates who vowed for the top slot, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, the latter a first cousin of Usha Vance.

Usha Vance

JD Vance's wife, Usha is also a member of the Pilgrim's Society. Usha has worked for law firms associated with the Clinton Foundation and Bill and Hillary. She was at Cambridge University as a scholar of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill and Melinda are 2005 knighted members of the British Pilgrims Society who funded with Britain's Pirbright Institute (UK), who is testing new coronavirus vaccines on animals to help combat Covid-19. Usha was on the board of directors at Gates Cambridge, a Bill Gates enterprise. (The Pirbright Institute is a national center that works to contain, control, and eliminate viral diseases of animals through its fundamental and applied research programmes.)

JD and Usha both worked at Sidley Austin law firm, a firm that employed the Obamas and others of their standing.

Usha received both a BA and JD from Yale—classical CIA grooming venues notoriously controlled by secret societies like Skull and Bones. It was business associate and Bilderberg globalist elite Peter Thiel who introduced JD Vance to Donald Trump. The Pilgrim Society strikes again. Some 40 or 50 years ago, Phyllis Schlafly wrote that every vice president is chosen by the Bilderbergers.

The British Connection

Kamala Harris and Usha Vance both have South Asian heritage. The bigger interconnection however, is Great Britain, The Pilgrim Society and The Prince's Trust.

Add all the pieces together...

This gives us a clearer picture of the breadth and complexity of transatlantic thought from the 19 th and 20 th centuries to present day. Behind the scenes, the stealth of the British crown and her hierarchal organizations have wormed their way into America's governmental administrations with their utopian hopes of once again controlling the "colonies."

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