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systemrestart · 10 months ago

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Took me a while, but I've finally finished writing my thoughts on all 22 Touhou games I've played!!!

I tried to keep it brief but uhhhhhhh it ended up being insanely long anyways ;; Whoops. Maybe someday I'll be able to make full-on video reviews for each of them, there was a Lot I glazed over and a lot that's hard to describe without footage.

But regardless, here it is, my thoughts on Touhou 1-19, plus 9.5, 12.5, and 18.5! (Warning that this may be incomprehensible to a non-bullet hell player 😅)

[TOUHOU 1: HIGHLY RESPONSIVE TO PRAYERS]

The obvious black sheep of the family, HRtP isn't a bullet hell shooter, it's an arkanoid-style breakout game. But even so, I LOVE it. HRtP is very precious to me. It's definitely Hard, VERY hard, and the stage layouts can be a little unfair in places lol, but the controls are tight and responsive, and it's incredibly satisfying to improve.

Or even just to play purely for fun! For a decade, I honestly didn't expect to ever 1cc it, I just enjoyed playing casually, and HRtP is very friendly to that approach, with infinite continues, the ability to max out your starting lives, and a shorter time to complete than the other games. It's almost 30 years old now, but if you like breakout style games or old arcade, I still think it's worth a try! Maybe someone else out there will come to love it as much as I do

[TOUHOU 2: STORY OF EASTERN WONDERLAND]

Touhou's first proper shmup/bullet hell, and it is unquestionably the roughest in the series ;; That's not to say it's bad, just that it's aged a little poorly.

I try not to hold future QoL stuff against the older games, but man, not having a focus option, or health bars for the bosses, is Painful. This game also has some of the worst visibility issues in the series (like, bullets being the same color as the background, with no outline), and also an awful glitch that hurts gameplay (dying SHIFTS YOUR HITBOX. considering that knowing where your hitbox is is VITAL to survival……. yikes), so yeah, I understand why it's not fondly remembered.

But it has its charms!! There's the infamous (gay) conversation in Stage 2, this is the only game in which Genji (Reimu's pet turtle who helps her fly in the PC-98 games) speaks, I think the low cap on lives+easy score 1-ups is an interesting combo, AND this game introduced Marisa!!! Even if her design is very different now

I don't play this one much. If I were to rank all the games this one would probably be second lowest. But it's an okay time and you can still get some tense battles!!

[TOUHOU 3: PHANTASMAGORIA OF DIMENSIONAL DREAM]

The first VS shooter of the series!

Basically the idea is that you clear waves of enemies to both send bullets/attacks at your enemy, and charge your gauge to send even more powerful attacks, or even a boss. First to lose all their health loses the round.

The VS shooters are very chaotic, and the enemy AI can absolutely be unfair ;; But the high energy back-and-forth of a match is extremely thrilling!! I also really adore the final boss of this game, Yumemi Okazaki……. a human college professor from the real world, who came to Gensokyo to try and capture someone to prove magic is real to her school…… and she fights with, science? I find her super charming and fun, one of my favorite final boss characters

Now that I've played other VS shooters, including the game that apparently inspired this one, I can say that PoDD is very rudimentary. But sometimes you don't need a lot of fancy bells and whistles to have fun! Now if only it didn't require button mashing, I would play it more often……..

[TOUHOU 4: LOTUS LAND STORY]

LLS was my favorite Touhou game for a long, long, long time.

A big reason it was a favorite is because it's one of the most beginner friendly games by far. No cap on lives (plus 1-ups are granted by score, one of the easier systems), a free bomb after every stage, you can increase your starting lives significantly, there's a "slowmode" option to help you train, most of the patterns are either exploitable or designed around having no visible hitbox…… etc. It was first game I beat on Hard, way back when I was a teenager and could normally only play Easy mode. That's still a precious memory.

LLS also has one of the best overall soundtracks in the entire series. The fun, dream-like Lotus Love, into the tense and foreboding Sleeping Terror, into the calm anticipation of Dream Land, into an explosive heartpounding finale with Faint Dream ~ Inanimate Dream………. absolutely killer.

LLS has aged a little, it doesn't have much of the "flashy", colorful danmaku Touhou is known for. And despite being GENERALLY pretty easy there are a couple insanely difficult patterns that aren't balanced well. Aside from that, it's a little Too easy for me now (at least on Hard and below), but, I still play it regularly just for fun, and will always have a very special place in my heart for it.

(plus, side note, LLS was the introduction of the Stage 4 gimmick, where something is unique about the 4th Stage, boss, or both. I love Stage 4 gimmicks and miss them dearly in the newer games,,)

[TOUHOU 5: MYSTIC SQUARE]

God I love MS. I love MS so much. Probably my second favorite in the series at time of writing.

MS truly is the Greatest Hits of the PC-98 era. Mima and Yuuka come back as playable characters, the danmaku patterns are fun and unique (so much so that ZUN reused a few of them in future games!!!), it has most of the QoL features LLS had besides the free bombs, it introduced one of my favorite characters (Alice), and this is one of the few games where I actually find the faster characters easier/more fun to play as!! Both due to the bullet patterns themselves and because the 1-up system (point item collection) is especially suited for fast characters.

MS is much harder than LLS, but a lot easier than some of the later Touhou games, so it's a great middle ground in terms of difficulty. I only have 2 major critisicms; 1) while the 1-up system and patterns make fast characters more rewarding, there isn't good balance for the other options, so if you wanna play Yuuka you're kind of screwed. And 2) Stage 4. I actually love the Stage 4 gimmick (dual boss that's followed by a solo fight after you take one of them down), but Lord. Stage 4 has two awful glitches that can happen to you, and bullets that are the exact same color as the background. ZUN why

Besides that though, I think MS just naturally caters to my preferred playstyle (chaotically weaving and dancing through bullet spam), so it's a top tier entry for me :)

[TOUHOU 6: EMBODIMENT OF SCARLET DEVIL]

If MS isn't my 2nd favorite in the series, this one is.

I will say this. EoSD has Aged. Imo, it's aged more than MS has. Being ZUN's first Windows game it's a little rough around the edges; muddy graphics, rough soundfonts, heavier reliance on RNG and bullet spam over intricate patterns, and it's missing certain QoL features that it Feels like it should have (like, the PC-98 games were missing stuff, but those games felt like they were built around the limitations, EoSD has a lot of areas where it FEELS like it was designed with future QoL in mind, but it's just….. missing). It also sucks that EoSD is one of only 2 games that locks you out of the final stage if you play on Easy (LLS is the other one),,

But. EoSD is still beloved for a reason. One of the most solid soundtracks in the series, a fun Stage 4 gimmick (different spellcards for different shot types), score-based 1-up system, the introduction of the Point of Collection line, some Iconic boss battles, etc. AND, one of those weaknesses is actually kind of a Strength for me, because again, my preferred play style is well suited to bullet spam!! Stages 5 and 6 are SO fun for me, even though they're commonly cited as things people DISLIKE about EoSD.

EoSD is definitely unpolished, but it's still one of my top favorites, both for its general strengths and for how it caters well to me personally lol.

[TOUHOU 7: PERFECT CHERRY BLOSSOM]

PCB is my current favorite!!

Of all Touhou games, I feel PCB strikes a perfect balance between being accessible, but also still having challenges for those that want it. The patterns are really a step up from EoSD; with the introduction of a visible hitbox, ZUN could make them both more dense and more complex/unique, but they're designed to still be easily understandable. Other QoL features were added that also help a lot (like the enemy tracker, spellcard indicators on the healthbar, success/fail counters, you can save practice mode replays, etc). There's also good variety in the playable characters, each has their own advantages and disadvantages, and one of the best shot types in the entire series is here (SakuyaA lol).

I feel like just saying that doesn't express my love though, there's truly nothing like weaving through a dense maze of beautiful bullets, and PCB is one of THE best for that feeling. I also love this game's 'special feature'; the cherry borders. Not only are they fantastic for survival and training (the border acting as a shield allows you to try new things and take risks where you otherwise wouldn't/couldn't), you can also utilize them in various way; break them on purpose at optimal points to maximize score, keep them as long as possible to milk graze points, use them to clear difficult patterns and stage sections……. it's just a great system that adds depth without overwhelming the player!!

And of course, I must mention something unique to this game; the Phantasm stage! PCB is the only game that has this. It's basically just a 'hard mode' version of the Extra stage, but, the patterns are both exciting to face and gorgeous to look at, the boss herself is genuinely Iconic, and her theme may be even more so.

PCB is pretty much the full package, and is also my recommendation to new players starting out, 100%.

[TOUHOU 8: IMPERISHABLE NIGHT]

This is the last of Touhou's "holy trio", so to speak, alongside EoSD and PCB. There's not much I can point to that's "wrong" with it, or "worse" than the other two, but idk, I don't feel as positively towards IN. I do still really enjoy it though!

There's a lot of great things about IN; the introduction of Spell Practice, there's two different final stages/bosses, the really cool concept for the playable characters/shot-types (character fight in teams, and once you beat both Finals with all teams you can play as each character individually, for a total of 12(!!!) shot-types), the Stage 4 gimmick is a callback to LLS (you fight Reimu or Marisa depending on your character!!), and of course there's some great bullet patterns in there (Keine and Marisa are standouts to me).

There's a LOT of content, more than most Touhou games, which is great!! But there's definitely some aspects that don't feel well polished, which brings it down a bit. The 'special feature' of this game, the Youkai gauge, is not only insanely confusing and complicated, and it's also not fun OR worthwhile to engage with,,, Maybe if I was a hardcore scorer I'd find some value in it, but…… eh. At least it's not obtrusive or anything. Then there's the solo shot-types….. while it's cool they're there, I don't know if ZUN playtested the solo Humans ;; They are very clearly not designed with solo play in mind and if you like to clear ALL shot-types like I do, this can make it an arduous experience to get through all 12

I think it's mostly these things, plus me feeling kind of neutral on the soundtrack and cast, that make IN not stand out, despite all the content. Still a great game, I play it a lot, just not as often as some other entries.

[TOUHOU 9: PHANTASMAGORIA OF FLOWER VIEW]

The 2nd VS shooter in the series!

Mostly the same exciting, chaotic gameplay as the first one PoDD, though with a few key difference. You can now use Focus, which also ties into a new mechanic, the 'scope', which allows you to freeze falling spirits (helps with setting up combos and crowd control) when they touch it. And, using your spell/special attack gauge causes a 'wave' to ripple out and clear bullets around you. I think overall these are excellent addition and that add fun strategy to gameplay.

However, I'm not great at keeping track of combos or purposefully placing spirits during the constant barrage of bullets,,, And some of the character's scopes are……. not fun to utilize. There's also the same problem I had with PoDD, how rapidly pressing the shoot button hurts my hand over time, and while PoFV actually has an alternate control scheme, that alternative FORCES you into focus mode as you shoot. I want to be able to not think super hard about when and where I shoot, so I can focus on dodging, but this just makes the problem Worse because it hampers my movement ;;

I do like the bullet clearing wave though! Plus, this game introduced one of my favorite characters, Aya, AND brought back Yuuka from the PC-98 era!! It's not a bad game and I've had fun with it. I'm just not crazy about the Touhou VS shooters overall. If I wanna play a VS shooter I'd rather pick something like Twinkle Star Sprites.

[TOUHOU 9.5: SHOOT THE BULLET]

This is the first of the 'photo' games, and I have a soft spot for this one. It can be extremely rewarding to clear a difficult scene, and the whole photography thing is a SUPER interesting take on bullet hell. The one thing that sucks is that there's little incentive to go back to scenes once you've managed to clear them. But I guess that's not the point, it's to slowly conquer the challenges each level throws at you and clear as many as you can.

Very solid game, something you can chip away at over time, if you like bullet hell and like interesting challenges give it a try!!

[TOUHOU 10: MOUTAIN OF FAITH]

MoF is the start of a new era. It's pretty stripped back in terms of gameplay because ZUN wanted to focus on making a basic, polished shmup, and he certainly achieved that. The new engine feel smooth as butter, the graphics and sound are crisp, and the bullet patterns and stages are solid. Some of the core gameplay mechanics have been changed though, and it's a little mixed.

For instance, the bombs have been changed in 2 key ways; there are no longer unique bombs for each shot-type, and using a bomb costs you some of your Power instead of an item. Not having unique bombs takes away an element in picking your shot-type, but I don't mind the bomb itself since it's both effective and powerful. Losing Power can be frustrating, and you can end up in a horrible loop if you lose too much at once, but, MOST of the time I find MoF is very generous with Power, and that combined with not being restricted to bomb items can actually be a really sweet deal.

Most of the other changes are similarly mixed, but ultimately I think they work well together! There's only 1 thing I have major critism of, and that's the removal of practice and accessibility features. There's no more extra starting lives from here on out, which I understand, but it does make me sad, as extra lives allows new players to see more of the game (and allows old players to relax on just-for-fun runs). He also removed Spell Practice, which sucks :( But, by far the most egregious change, is that using a continue starts you over from the beginning of a stage….. and just seeing a stage is NOT enough to unlock it in Practice Mode. This is a HUGE hit to the game's accessibility for new or unskilled players, not even allowing them to practice the stage they're stuck on, or prepare for anything beyond it. If you die on a stage so much you have to continue, what the hell made ZUN think starting the whole stage over with almost no lives would help??

Thankfully, I don't need that accessibility much anymore, and there IS a fanmade practice patch out there. MoF is definitely among my top favorite games of the series, it's just a great basic shmup and great start to the new era. Also shoutout to my favorite final boss theme, Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field. Loved it so much as a kid that I would mod it into other games LMAO

[TOUHOU 11: SUBTERRANEAN ANIMISM]

SA is considered the 2nd hardest game in the series, and there is good reason for that. Beyond the patterns and stages just generally being pretty difficult, the lives, bombs, and continues system are very punishing in this entry.

The continue system is exactly the same as MoF, which is to say, brutal and unforgiving. Bombs are also tied to power like in MoF, but unlike MoF, Power only goes up to 4.00 instead of 5.00 (with MarisaA as an exception) meaning less bombs overall and leading to the same issues there were in MoF. And, you don't earn full lives, you need 5 life pieces to gain a full extra life, and the one and ONLY way to earn life pieces? Is through clearing boss attacks without bombing or getting hit. There is not even a SINGLE free live in the entire game, you must earn every single one with flawless performance.

This leads to a scenrio where, high skilled players are rewarded with lives they don't need, and less experienced players are basically walled from even practicing. All this, combined with two other factors (some of the weirdest/most difficult to utilize shot-types in the series, and the fact that the actual bombs either suck ass or are also difficult to utilize well), makes SA one of the most "unfriendly" games in all of Touhou project. If not THE most unfriendly.

I have a lot of criticisms of this, and even now I can't say I feel "comfortable" playing through SA. But, (most of) the unique shot-types CAN be rewarding, once you learn how to wield them, and this game has some of the most exciting and challenging bosses. So many fun spellcards……… Satori and Okuu are standouts. Satori's gimmick is also really cool, where her spellcards change based off your shot-type, nearly all of them being alternate version of past spellcards in the series. And of course, this game's cast is absolutely iconic, pairing well with one of the best overall soundtracks in the entire series.

SA is one of those games where I have a lot of fun with it and think it's stellar in terms of music, cast, and bullet patterns, but certain systems and mechanics prevent me from recommending it whole-heartedly to others. There's just a lot of frustrations with it. But it's still fairly high up in my rankings, and there's some value to having a game focused on Skill and skill alone, rather than other gimmicks or resources management or whatnot.

[TOUHOU 12: UNDEFINED FANTASTIC OBJECT]

UFO was the first Touhou game I got to see the release for. It's one of my happiest memories, so my feelings towards UFO may be very biased. Just a warning lol

UFO's "gimmick", the UFOs, is how you engage with basically any other system in the game; you MUST engage with the UFOs if you're going for anything other than a NMNB clear. And ho boy is the UFO system contentious. Not without reason, either. Mid-Bosses and Bosses destroy summoned UFOs which is frustrating, it's super easy to make a mistake with gathering the small UFOs and ruin your combo, if there's small UFOs you don't want on screen they basically act as bouncing projectiles you need to dodge ON TOP of the actual bullets……. etc.

However, while I share a few of those frustrations (damn UFO destroying bosses…..), I find the UFO system to lead to a good combination of routing and room for improvisation. You can memorize when and where certain colored UFOs will drop and plan ahead for them, and if you miss what you need or make a mistake you can still think on the fly and re-route mid playthrough. It's also fun that you can specialize your routing and gameplay towards a specific goal, like stocking tons of bombs to skip difficult stage sections/spellcards, or optimzing for score, or stockpiling lives.

The overall difficulty of the stages and patterns is decently high in UFO (this game is often ranked 3rd hardest in the series), but it can be somewhat mitigated with good planning and resource management. And I personally find a lot of these stages and bosses a Blast to play! Helped again by, of course, having one of the best overall sountracks in the series…. imo at least. The UFO cast is also my personal favorite, AND they get some of ZUN's cutest sprites/artwork :)

The only other real criticism I have is that it shares it's Continue system with MoF and SA. Thank god this is the last game that forces you backwards for continuing ;;;;

While the UFO system has it's downsides, UFO is just a really fantastic entry into the series and a personal favorite of mine. We'll see how I feel once I start tackling the higher difficulties seriously though…… lol.

[TOUHOU 12.5: DOUBLE SPOILER]

Basically the sequel to Shoot the Bullet. There is very little difference, just a new set of characters and cards to face. I personally find this one a LOT harder than StB, and I don't enjoy it quite as much, but it's still a solid game I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed StB.

(EDIT TO ADD: Sometime after I wrote this part, I found an old blog entry from when I was 13, and apparently ZUN explicitly stated DS was meant to be much harder than StB. So, there ya go?)

[TOUHOU 13: TEN DESIRES]

The key phrase for this game overall, imo, is RESOURCE STRANGLEHOLD.

TD is far and beyond the most punishing game in the series, both in terms of resources and the Spirit Gauge/Trance mechanic. The requirement for the amount of pink spirits you need in order to earn an extra Life is brutal right from the start, at 8, and every time you earn a new life this requirement goes up. This doesn't reset when you die, or even when you CONTINUE. That would be brutal enough, but even with OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE, literally no mistakes and perfect utilization of Trance, you earn less lives in this game than in any other. Speaking of pulling of a perfect performance, good fucking luck, because the spirits you need to gather stay right where you killed the enemy, disappearing Quickly, so you have to either have your Trance meter full and ready, or you need to risk your precious few lives to dash up to the top of the screen, in the middle of an absolute clusterfuck of bullets, just for a FRACTION of an extra life.

And of course, there's the real kicker; getting hit causes your entire Trance meter to be used up, and it takes a quite a bit to refill it, especially because again, spirits Do Not Fall the way items do, you have to seriously risk your life for them.

Basically, TD is a very, VERY routing-heavy game, and if you make even ONE mistake it can cause your entire playthrough to unravel. It's super frustrating. There are only 2 saving graces here….. 1) you at least get to keep any extra bombs you had in stock after you die, and 2) TD has some of the easiest boss fights in Touhou. I actually find the spellcards super fun, so by sort of-kind of routing the stages and doing well against the bosses, I was able to find some joy in TD. But that is obviously in spite of the mechanics, not because of them ;;

I will say, though, that it's interesting to have a game designed to make you "boss graze", ie stay dangerously close to the boss and move around them to catch spirits. Interesting concept and it helps train you on a high-level skill.

TD was my least favorite Touhou game for a long, long time. I've softened on it a bit, fun bullet patterns are fun no matter what, but goddamn. This one's ROUGH. And sadly, the OST is pretty middling for me, though it DOES have a few standouts (Desire Drive, Youkai Shrine Back Road, Small Desire's Starry Night Sky)!!

[TOUHOU 14: DOUBLE DEALING CHARACTER]

Ah. DDC. My nemesis.

I actually don't mind this game's special mechanic; using the point of collection line to earn life and bomb pieces. I actually think it's fun and rewarding, though that could just be because I already go to the PoC line as much as possible anyways lol. No, my problem is not with the mechanic, or the life and bomb pieces. This game commits the most fatal of all sins in bullet hell; the bullet patterns are Not Fun.

So many of the patterns in the this game have 'gimmicky' movements, sometimes bordering on Random, and this is often used in combination with one of my greatest weaknesses, bullets coming at you from both above and below, at the same time. This makes them an absolute nightmare to read. There's also a ton of a bullets that are either oddly shaped with confusing hitboxes, or made huge which also makes their hitboxes confusing. And unfortunately, the stages and bosses that don't suffer from this generally have pretty bland forgettable patterns. I can't think of a single attack in DDC I would describe as "fun", and that's unheard of in the rest of the series.

Worse yet, the shot-types themselves……. half of them are 'gimmicky', kind of like SA shot-types were, but the SA shot-types had special extra mechanics that could be mastered and were rewarding to utilize, if uncomfortable to get used to. These shot-types are just plain Uncomfortable, or are underwhleming ;; MarisaB has a bomb that makes it possible to milk life and bomb pieces like crazy and basically cheese the whole game, but that's not fun either :( I wanna be able to PLAY the game and enjoy it…… but I can't.

And the final nail in the coffin…… DDC also happens to have my least favorite soundtrack and, imo, a very bland and unmemorable cast. I feel so sad saying that because I think there's some unique youkai here, but MOST OF their designs don't stick out/are pretty plain, and they feel very disconnected from Gensokyo at large. Maybe if I saw them in print materials I'd feel different, but as it stands…… :/

I want to say some nice things though, so here's what I've got. Wakasagihime has a great design (it's just…. y'know, she's a Stage 1 boss, so there's not much of her. Super sad considering I desperately wanted a mermaid Youkai). Raiko also has a cool design, AND she has the best theme in the game. Uhh…… the PoC line mechanic giving you an extra life piece instead of a bomb if you collect enough point items is a good feature that rewards smart planning and risk management. The Stage 2 boss has lasers you can avoid by staying completely still which is hilarious.

I…. think that's it. Let me say for the record, I'm open to changing my mind!! I softened on TD as I got better, found things I could enjoy in it despite my issues, so that could happen someday with DDC. It's just right now, nearly everything about DDC bounces me right off it, so it's the only Touhou I genuinely don't enjoy playing,, Hopefully someday that will change……

[TOUHOU 15: LEGACY OF LUNATIC KINGDOM]

LoLK is a bit of an odd ball, for sure. While you can play it like a regular Touhou game (using "Legacy" mode), the main mode of LoLK is "PointDevice", which plays very differently. It's focused on "perfection", and very precise movement and dodging, making you retry to same sections and attacks over and over again til you do them right.

You also earn Life pieces (Legacy) and Bomb pieces (PointDevice) via grazing, which requires you to risk your life getting super close to the bullets. All that, in combination with very dense and overwhleming bullet patterns, makes LoLK the hardest Touhou game by a long shot. Especially in Legacy mode, where you can't just retry over and over.

I honestly don't care for PointDevice much, especially because if there's a section/attack you CANNOT pass no matter how hard you try, and you've already used all your bombs, you're kind of fucked and Have to restart the entire thing ;; But, I still find Legacy mode fun, and as someone who loves to graze when I can, being rewarded for it feels good, AND allows for some really creative and interesting patterns/routing. On the higher difficulties, there's way more bullets to milk for graze, too. On one hand it's a little frustrating that it's HARDER to earn resources on Easy and Normal, but on the other hand you can argue that the extra resources help balance the insane pattern difficulty of Hard and Lunatic.

I'm not good enough to beat LoLK on Normal yet (it's the last one left for me), but I still think it's a pretty solid game overall, and I like to replay certain stages (2, 3, 5, and 6) on Easy just for fun.

[TOUHOU 16: HIDDEN STAR IN FOUR SEASONS]

Wasn't a huge fan of this one at first, but I've warmed up to it! Mostly

While this is not the first game with bullet erasers, it is the first to feature them so prominently, aside from maybe PoFV. It comes in the form of the Release system, which basically allows you to massively power down your shot type in exchange for clearing bullets (how much you power down and how many bullets are erased/for how long depends on your sub weapon choice). I think the way it can be utilized both for survival and for scoring is pretty cool. It can also be really broken if you know exactly where to use them, adding another element to routing and memorization. But it can also be handy during my casual play…… if you remember it exists. lol. I admit that I struggle to use any C key function properly ;; But that's a personal issue

The shot types are definitely interesting in this game. Instead of the standard fare, you pick a character (who always has the same shot) and then pick a "sub weapon" based on one of the other character's shots (or you can pick your own to make it stronger). This results in there being a whopping SIXTEEN COMBINATIONS, each with slightly varying properties. Lord. While I think I prefer having a smaller pool of unique and optimized shot types, this is a neat concept, if a bit overwhelming if you're like me and want to clear EVERY combination ;; But still, it allows you to sort of customize to what you're most comfortable with, or what will help you the most (for example, the Cirno/Summer sub weapon gives you short releases you can use repeatedly, but the weapon itself sucks ass as a tradeoff. So pairing it with a faster/more powerful character balances things a bit!), which is pretty cool.

My major complaints about this game are the 2 difficulty spikes; the Stage 5 bosses, and Okina's final spellcard(s). The Stage 5 bosses use the dreaded "random and erratic" bullet behaviour I hated so much in DDC, though thankfully only for SOME attacks. They're still a big spike compared to the rest of the game, even compared to Okina's fight……. until the end. Okina's final cards are super cool in concept, stripping you of your sub weapon and forcing you to just Dodge Or Die…….. but in practice it is PAINFUL, especially since it's the last obstacle before victory. She even has a bomb shield………. wtf. Brutal. All 4 variants are bad, but the Summer version is by far the worst, in my opinion one of the hardest final spellcards in the entire series.

There's also the extra stage, which is mostly spent dodging stuff coming from behind you (my nightmare), but that's more of a skill issue on my part ;; Overall, while the cast is very disconnected and don't leave a strong impression, the music is pretty damn good, the stages are fun, and the mechanics are interesting, even if they're a bit shakey and abusable. Not a top favorite but I like HSiFS :)

[TOUHOU 17: WILY BEAST AND WEAKEST CREATURE]

This game has a similar special mechanic to UFO, but I think it's a little better implemented here.

There are no "shot types" as it were; your choices are whether to power up your unfocused attacks, your focused attacks, or your bombs. This kinda makes it hard to have a preference, as each attack is better at different points in the game, so it's really up to you what's more important. I kind of like this, even though I still prefer variety, it means I can use other characters more freely.

I also like this version of the 'collect stuff on screen' mechanic, there's more leeway for mistakes (you can still activate "Roaring/Hyper" mode without having a perfect collection of matching spirits) AND the benefits are better (it protects you from hits while active, just like the cherry borders in PCB!! and you get either a massive boost to damage or a bullet eraser)! Like with UFO though, there is risk with chasing the Spirits all over the field, and it can lead to some frustrating deaths and distractions. But that's just part of what you have to manage, I think it's a fun system overall :)

What is Not Fun is an issue that actually started back in TD, but I haven't mentioned it yet, because WBaWC has it the Absolute Worst; VISIBILITY ISSUES. Your own shot, ESPECIALLY in Roaring/Hyper mode, can become so dense and flashy that it is near impossible to read the bullet patterns. Or see the bullets At All. Which is, yknow, a problem in a bullet hell game. On top of that, the whole game is tinted red, and full of red bullets, which is sick as hell on paper, but in practice makes a huge portion of the game become slurry to the eyes. And the Enemy tracker, which had its text removed back in TD, is more a problem in this game than in any other because the color of the tracker matches the color of the window border, so you may as well not even have it.

There's also a major problem in the Stage 5 boss (and in one final boss spellcard), with the stupid statues that are summoned……. I already don't like these kinds of "familiars", they''re always a pain no matter what, but WBaWC takes it to another level, as they soak up so much damage that very few of the shot types can kill them before you get body slammed or completely overwhelmed.

WBaWC is really fun and cool and has some great music and designs, but it feels…… almost like ZUN didn't fully playtest it before release. An issue that is going to persist into the final entries………. but it's still enjoyable overall, at least.

[TOUHOU 18: UNCONNECTED MARKETEERS]

I have a lot of fondness for it, but MAN is this game unbalanced lol

There's the obvious, which is the card system. I think the card system is a cool idea and can be fun to play around with, it's exciting when you get exactly the card you wanted, but there are certain cards/combinations that can kind of break the game, and it can be BRUTAL if you get nothing but trash cards on your run, and there are a Lot of 'trash cards'. And once you figure out your favorite card combo it's likely you'll never mess with anything else. Not strictly a bad thing, just a thing.

But then there's the real kicker…… Marisa. People are 100% right when they say this game is "anti-Marisa". I've tried not to mention the shot types I dislike (like most Youmu and Sakuyas), because that's a very personal/skill based issue, but here, the way this game is designed feels actively Hostile towards Marisa. It's hard to describe, but both bosses and stages are set up to have you fly all over the screen, or move off the sides a lot, and her range is EXTREMELY narrow………. AND both the shots and her bombs have been massively nerfed??? She's no longer the most powerful character, so there isn't even a trade off for picking the harder option. Seriously why the hell did ZUN nerf her AND make almost the entire game hostile to straight-forward shots?????

Well, whatever the reason, it makes her PAINFUL to play as. But, if you play as one of the fun shot types……. this game is pretty fun!! The first half a Little plain with it's boss patterns but the second half is a blast!!! If MAYBE a bit unfair (Megumu…….) ;; And the OST is fantastic all the way through. Plus, I just love the characters that were introduced, especially the 'masterminds', Megumu, Tsukasa, and Chimata. Very fun additions to the world of Gensokyo, I really hope we get to learn more about Megumu as the Crow Tengu chief.

If you're looking consistent play, look elsewhere, but for a fun time with light luck based elements this is a great game (if you don't play Marisa. Or Sakuya. lol)

[TOUHOU 18.5: 100TH BLACK MARKET]

Now this is an unique one! You go through stages that are split into semi-randomized sections, and along the way you gather money to buy cards. Bullet money buys cards during a run, and regular money lets you buy cards out of a shop so you can equip them from the start. So it's like….. a rouge-like shooter? Kinda?

I personally had fun with this. It's a little simple, and it can get repetitive, but it was nice because if I didn't have much time but wanted to mess around with bullet hell, I could boot this up and play a couple rounds to gather money for cards!!

Once you buy all the cards and earn all the achievements there's no reason to ever come back, which is sad, but idk, I had a good time milking bullets for money and slowly filling my collections. It shares some of the randomness issues with UM and is a little half-baked but I would still recommend giving it a shot, especially because it gives Marisa her time to shine after getting shafted in UM!

[TOUHOU 19: UNFINISHED DREAM OF ALL LIVING GHOSTS]

The final one so far!! I'll be honest, I've beaten it 21 times now I STILL don't understand how most of the mechanics work. Things just Happen and I either dodge or die. But what I can speak on is the downright bizarre balancing issues and the plethora of missing features.

The difficulty and balancing is wack. The vast majority of the characters feel underpowered already, and to top that off, only a small number of characters have bullet-clearing abilities, which is an absolutely MASSIVE advantage in this game, meaning that some characters are just objectively better than others. The story routes each character takes can also vary wildly in difficulty, making some paths a breeze and others nearly impossible even for the best players in the world.

But the most concerning thing for me is the missing features. No score? No "clear" achievement or signifier for different difficulty levels?? NO REPLAYS????? I can deal with the lack of score since I'm not a score player (yet), but having no indication or reward for 1ccing, and having no way to save or share your run without recording every single play session………. god. Idk, maybe it's silly, but that stuff is VERY important to me :( I'm still so sad about it, and it makes anything you achieve in the game feel….. hallow.

That being said, it's not all bad!! I love the new characters and their designs, there's some really interesting experimentation going on in the OST, I think the 'shield' mechanic adds a fun layer to gameplay (trying to make sure you're ready to restore the shield if it breaks while also trying to send over attacks and dodge)…… and I mean, dodging bullets is dodging bullets, so it's gonna be fun at least some of the time!!

Honestly, I just wish ZUN has balanced it more carefully, gave other characters more power or bullet-erasers, had more people play test it………. and of course, I wish it had replays and a way to track 1cc's :(((

And that's it! If you read any of that, thank you, I know it was long ;;;;; But I had fun, I'm glad I got to talk a lot about my favorite game series :^)

#ask #varjojentuomio #remi plays touhou #idk if i wanna put this absolute behemoth in the actual touhou tag LOL #also if theres any weird grammar/spelling....... IM SORRY I TRIED MY BEST

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therealchoreanese · 5 years ago

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Ch. 1 - As Luck Would Have It

A/N: fanfic in progress inspired by @kceedraws‘s prompt & art about this lovely crossover ship, gonna put it up on ao3 soon hopefully

The penthouse was absolutely gorgeous. Wide windows that faced San Fransokyo’s bustling streets on the north wall, a balcony with a table and two chairs overlooking the bay on the opposite side. The tub in the restroom had twenty options of different flower-infused waters and whether or not you wanted bubbles, and the kitchen came with a fridge that could list recipes based on your taste, personal health, and whatever was inside it. Not to mention the flat-screen in the living room, or the marbled coffee table and fancy-looking leather couch, and the bedroom’s silk canopy bed and massive walk-in closet and -

“I can’t possibly accept, sir!” Marinette protested. “This is all too much. I’d be fine at the institute’s dorms, they’re cozy and with enough space for my designing-”

Gabriel Agreste tsked and waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t make a fuss. You’re here on my scholarship, and this is simply a benefit of it. Besides, a dorm is not inconspicuous enough for Ladybug activities. Here, you’ll have all the privacy you’ll need.”

“He’s got a point, Marinette,” Tikki agreed. “On-campus would be the worst place to transform, there are so many things that could go wrong and - oh, there’s even a little bed for me!”

Marinette sighed. If Tikki thought it well, then she definitely wasn’t getting out of it.

“One more thing,” Gabriel Agreste said. “Follow me, ma chère.”

Marinette fell in love the moment they stepped inside - it was a fashion designer’s dream come true. It was the least fanciest room in the entire penthouse, with only five blank mannequins and a worktable and empty racks where fabric rolls were supposed to be. But Marinette could make the space hers, fill it with life and love and all her ideas. And for a moment, she couldn’t speak.

So she threw her arms around Gabriel Agreste and squeezed him tight.

Mr. Agreste blinked rapidly, and he awkwardly patted her shoulder, but he seemed to understand. “Well, then. I’ll leave you to get settled. Keep me updated, yes? If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask.”

After Mr. Agreste left, Marinette fluttered around the suite, doing her best to make it feel like home. She taped pictures of her friends and family next to her bed, unpacked her things - even with three whole boxes of clothes and accessories, the closet still wasn’t full - and spent a weirdly unnecessary amount of time exploring the restroom amenities. She emerged from the tub hours later, the grime of the airplane washed away by a lavender bubble bath.

“You smell lovely, Marinette,” Tikki complimented. “You know, it really is so kind of Mr. Agreste to do this for us.”

“I know!” Marinette’s voice was muffled by her rummaging through the closet. “Who would have thought that one year after defeating him we’d be here - in America, on a scholarship in his name, and him being a Ladybug supporter. My supporter. It feels almost like a dream.”

“A dream in which Ladybug leaves Paris.” Tikki sighed wistfully. “I wonder how Adrien will do without us?”

“That silly kitty will be fine. He and Master Fu have the other Miraculouses to help them out. Besides,” Marinette added, “’Ladybug’��is looking forward to meeting San Frasokyo’s superhero team on a night patrol. When do you think we’ll get to see them?”

Tikki fixed Marinette with a stern glare. “Not until you’re settled in. You need to adjust to the time zone, and get ready for school, and make some friends who have your back before anything else. I can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt because you feel out of place.”

“Okay, okay.” Marinette wriggled on a jacket. “Done! Let’s go exploring then, Tikki, we can see what’s around. I want to find a good bakery as fast as possible.”

“Homesick already, Marinette?” Tikki teased.

Marinette glanced at the photos on the wall and smiled. “Something like that.”

A bell jingled as Marinette pushed the door open to the Lucky Cat Cafe. The large cat above the doorway had reminded her of home - her mother had a statue similar to it next to the cash register. There weren’t that many customers in today, it seemed; but Marinette’s attention was caught by a curious white balloon-looking thing holding a tray of buns. To her surprise, it waddled up to her, and - were those two black dots supposed to be eyes? - it spoke.

“Hello. I am Baymax. Would you care for a red bean bun?”

“Um, sure.” Marinette plucked a golden-brown pastry from the tray. “Thank you. Are you a waiter, or. . .?”

“I am Baymax,” the balloon repeated. “A personal healthcare companion. I am responsible for the wellbeing of patients assigned to me. Anyone who comes through that door is now my patient. You are my responsibility. Please, follow me.”

Baymax waddled towards an empty table and, with the pace of a snail, dragged out a chair. The scriiiiiiiitch made Marinette wince, but she sat when Baymax looked at her expectantly. It didn’t seem like it could smile, but Marinette thought she detected pride in its voice for successfully taking care of her. She had to admit, it was kind of cute.

“Please take your time to browse the menu. I must report that a new patient has arrived, but your order will be taken care of shortly.”

Baymax shuffled off, occasionally knocking around tables and chairs and a customer, and disappeared into the kitchen.

“That was so weird,” Tikki whispered. “Do you think all cafes are like that here?”

“I don’t know, but I thought it was funny,” Marinette said as she flipped through the menu. “What d’you want, Tikki? I’ll get it to-go for you.”

Tikki peered out of the bag. “Ooooh, those strawberry cookies look good!”

“Okay, cookies for you, and . . .” Marinette flicked through the pages. “Oolong tea to go with the red bean bun. Oh, just in time! Here he comes again.”

After Marinette had placed her order, she pulled out her sketchbook. It was a new one she’d bought just to celebrate her move to San Fransokyo, its pages crisp and creamy-white. The Lucky Cat Cafe, cute and colorful and beautifully quirky, seemed like the perfect place to start brainstorming new ideas. But she’d just barely touched pencil to paper when a voice called out, “Order for Marinette coming through!” followed by, “Shit, no, Mochi, bad cat - nononono SHIT!” then -

Whump.

CRASH!

Splshhhhh.

A middle-aged brunette poked her head from the kitchen, looking mildly concerned. “Everything okay, Hi - oh. I suppose not. What on earth happened?”

“Sorry, Aunt Cass.” A guy with unruly black hair in an apron looked up at Marinette, soaked in tea and mouth agape, and then at the tray, shattered teacup, and scattered cookies from where he lay sprawled on the floor. “Mochi happened. You okay, miss?”

“What?” Marinette blinked herself out of her shock. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. But your fall looked worse than - oh no, my sketchbook!”

The guy scrambled up and leaned across the table, wincing at the sight. All the pages were soaked and stained brown. Even after it dried, there was no way Marinette could use it.

“I am so, so sorry about that,” the guy apologized, abashed. “I’ll give you the money for it, no problem. And a fresh batch of those cookies to take with you, since I’m sure you’ll never come back here again. But, uh, would you like to have a change of clothes before you go? We’ve got t-shirts and stuff, totally free of charge, of course.”

Marinette held up a hand, trying to bite back a smile, her indignation and fury fading. She knew she should be angry that her sketchbook was ruined, but it was really sweet that the guy was trying so hard to make up for it. It was hard to stay mad at someone who looked so ashamed of himself.

“It’s fine,” she assured him. “You don’t have to pay me back. I’d appreciate the change of clothes, though. But I’ll pay for them - no, please, if you’re giving me the cookies for free, it’s the least I can do.”

The guy whistled. “Damn, I don’t think we’re ever going to get another customer as nice as you. Too bad you won’t be coming back after this.”

“Nothing could keep me away from those red bean buns.” This time, Marinette did smile. “They remind me so much of home.”

“I’ll let Aunt Cass know, then. She’ll definitely want to adopt you after hearing that.” The guy collected the tray and shards of ceramic, then motioned Marinette to follow him up a staircase behind the coffee bar. “Come on, I’ll get you the clothes. Baymax will take care of the cookies.”

“Are all cafes like that here?”

“Like what?”

“Do they all have balloon robots as waiters?”

The guy laughed. Okay, he was cute when he laughed. Pretty cute in general, actually, with warm brown eyes and bedhead hair and a crooked grin and dimples . . .

Which Marinette was not staring at. No way.

“Baymax really isn’t a waiter. He’s a healthcare companion. He just likes helping out from time to time.”

Marinette frowned. “But shouldn’t he be at a hospital or something like that?”

“It’s kind of a long story.” The guy shot her a smile that, to Marinette’s dismay, made her heart flutter. “But if you’re really set on coming back, we could swap next time you’re here. Mine for yours.”

“What makes you think I have a story?”

“That’s what I’m hoping to hear next time I see you.”

How was this bastard so smooth? Just minutes ago he’d been an apologetic, bumbling mess, but now Marinette was the one under the spotlight. Thank God for all that time spent with Chat Noir, or else her face would be as red as a strawberry right now.

“It’s a deal, then.” She stuck out her hand, and the guy shook it.

“Through here.” The guy ushered her into a bedroom, threw a set of clothes at her, and backed out quickly. “Just come down when you’re done. I’ve got to go soon, so I’ll probably be gone when you’re finished, but it was nice meeting you. Well, all circumstances considered. I’ll be waiting on that deal.”

And with one last crooked smile, he shut the door.

Tikki zipped out of her bag, giggling. “Well, he was certainly nice, hm? Not to mention good-looking.”

“Oh, hush,” Marinette scolded. “I barely know him. Besides, anyone that smooth with a stranger? He probably does it all the time. I am curious about Baymax, though. And like you said earlier, it’d be nice to have a friend around.”

“So you’re going to cash in on the deal?” Tikki wiggled her eyebrows. “The way he said it, it sounded awful lot like a date to me. Or, at least, he wanted a date.”

“All I want is a friend, Tikki,” Marinette said, exasperated. “I’ve dealt with enough love problems for the past few years. I don’t need them to follow me all the way to America.”

“Whatever you say, Marinette.” Tikki kept quiet until they exited the cafe, and Marinette was worried she’d somehow offended her Kwami when she piped up with:

“You have to admit, you really liked his dimples, didn’t you?”

“Tikki!”

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #big hero 6 #big hero six #baymax #hiro hamada #hironette #hiro x marinette #disney #idk what else to tag??#loooots of backstory went into this #i'm invested and i will see this fic to the end #adrien agreste #chat noir #ladybug

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shinelikethunder · 5 years ago

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Fandom Userscript Cookbook: Five Projects to Get Your Feet Wet

Target audience: This post is dedicated, with love, to all novice, aspiring, occasional, or thwarted coders in fandom. If you did a code bootcamp once and don’t know where to start applying your new skillz, this is for you. If you're pretty good with HTML and CSS but the W3Schools Javascript tutorials have you feeling out of your depth, this is for you. If you can do neat things in Python but don’t know a good entry point for web programming, this is for you. Seasoned programmers looking for small, fun, low-investment hobby projects with useful end results are also welcome to raid this post for ideas.

You will need:

The Tampermonkey browser extension to run and edit userscripts

A handful of example userscripts from greasyfork.org. Just pick a few that look nifty and install them. AO3 Savior is a solid starting point for fandom tinkering.

Your browser dev tools. Hit F12 or right click > Inspect Element to find the stuff on the page you want to tweak and experiment with it. Move over to the Console tab once you’ve got code to test out and debug.

Javascript references and tutorials. W3Schools has loads of both. Mozilla’s JS documentation is top-notch, and I often just keep their reference lists of built-in String and Array functions open in tabs as I code. StackOverflow is useful for questions, but don’t assume the code snippets you find there are always reliable or copypastable.

That’s it. No development environment. No installing node.js or Ruby or Java or two different versions of Python. No build tools, no dependency management, no fucking Docker containers. No command line, even. Just a browser extension, the browser’s built-in dev tools, and reference material. Let’s go.

You might also want:

jQuery and its documentation. If you’re wrestling with a mess of generic spans and divs and sparse, unhelpful use of classes, jQuery selectors are your best bet for finding the element you want before you snap and go on a murderous rampage. jQuery also happens to be the most ubiquitous JS library out there, the essential Swiss army knife for working with Javascript’s... quirks, so experience with it is useful. It gets a bad rap because trying to build a whole house with a Swiss army knife is a fool’s errand, but it’s excellent for the stuff we're about to do.

Git or other source control, if you’ve already got it set up. By all means share your work on Github. Greasy Fork can publish a userscript from a Github repo. It can also publish a userscript from an uploaded text file or some code you pasted into the upload form, so don’t stress about it if you’re using a more informal process.

A text editor. Yes, seriously, this is optional. It’s a question of whether you’d rather code everything right there in Tampermonkey’s live editor, or keep a separate copy to paste into Tampermonkey’s live editor for testing. Are you feeling lucky, punk?

Project #1: Hack on an existing userscript

Install some nifty-looking scripts for websites you visit regularly. Use them. Ponder small additions that would make them even niftier. Take a look at their code in the Tampermonkey editor. (Dashboard > click on the script name.) Try to figure out what each bit is doing.

Then change something, hit save, and refresh the page.

Break it. Make it select the wrong element on the page to modify. Make it blow up with a huge pile of console errors. Add a console.log("I’m a teapot"); in the middle of a loop so it prints fifty times. Savor your power to make the background wizardry of the internet do incredibly dumb shit.

Then try a small improvement. It will probably break again. That's why you've got the live editor and the console, baby--poke it, prod it, and make it log everything it's doing until you've made it work.

Suggested bells and whistles to make the already-excellent AO3 Savior script even fancier:

Enable wildcards on a field that currently requires an exact match. Surely there’s at least one song lyric or Richard Siken quote you never want to see in any part of a fic title ever again, right?

Add some text to the placeholder message. Give it a pretty background color. Change the amount of space it takes up on the page.

Blacklist any work with more than 10 fandoms listed. Then add a line to the AO3 Savior Config script to make the number customizable.

Add a global blacklist of terms that will get a work hidden no matter what field they're in.

Add a list of blacklisted tag combinations. Like "I'm okay with some coffee shop AUs, but the ones that are also tagged as fluff don't interest me, please hide them." Or "Character A/Character B is cute but I don't want to read PWP about them."

Anything else you think of!

Project #2: Good Artists Borrow, Great Artists Fork (DIY blacklisting)

Looking at existing scripts as a model for the boilerplate you'll need, create a script that runs on a site you use regularly that doesn't already have a blacklisting/filtering feature. If you can't think of one, Dreamwidth comments make a good guinea pig. (There's a blacklist script for them out there, but reinventing wheels for fun is how you learn, right? ...right?) Create a simple blacklisting script of your own for that site.

Start small for the site-specific HTML wrangling. Take an array of blacklisted keywords and log any chunk of post/comment text that contains one of them.

Then try to make the post/comment it belongs to disappear.

Then add a placeholder.

Then get fancy with whitelists and matching metadata like usernames/titles/tags as well.

Crib from existing blacklist scripts like AO3 Savior as shamelessly as you feel the need to. If you publish the resulting userscript for others to install (which you should, if it fills an unmet need!), please comment up any substantial chunks of copypasted or closely-reproduced code with credit/a link to the original. If your script basically is the original with some key changes, like our extra-fancy AO3 Savior above, see if there’s a public Git repo you can fork.

Project #3: Make the dread Tumblr beast do a thing

Create a small script that runs on the Tumblr dashboard. Make it find all the posts on the page and log their IDs. Then log whether they're originals or reblogs. Then add a fancy border to the originals. Then add a different fancy border to your own posts. All of this data should be right there in the post HTML, so no need to derive it by looking for "x reblogged y" or source links or whatever--just make liberal use of Inspect Element and the post's data- attributes.

Extra credit: Explore the wildly variable messes that Tumblr's API spews out, and try to recreate XKit's timestamps feature with jQuery AJAX calls. (Post timestamps are one of the few reliable API data points.) Get a zillion bright ideas about what else you could do with the API data. Go through more actual post data to catalogue all the inconsistencies you’d have to catch. Cry as Tumblr kills the dream you dreamed.

Project #4: Make the dread Tumblr beast FIX a thing

Create a script that runs on individual Tumblr blogs (subdomains of tumblr.com). Browse some blogs with various themes until you've found a post with the upside-down reblog-chain bug and a post with reblogs displaying normally. Note the HTML differences between them. Make the script detect and highlight upside-down stacks of blockquotes. Then see if you can make it extract the blockquotes and reassemble them in the correct order. At this point you may be mobbed by friends and acquaintainces who want a fix for this fucking bug, which you can take as an opportunity to bury any lingering doubts about the usefulness of your scripting adventures.

(Note: Upside-down reblogs are the bug du jour as of September 2019. If you stumble upon this post later, please substitute whatever the latest Tumblr fuckery is that you'd like to fix.)

Project #5: Regular expressions are a hard limit

I mentioned up above that Dreamwidth comments are good guinea pigs for user scripting? You know what that means. Kinkmemes. Anon memes too, but kinkmemes (appropriately enough) offer so many opportunities for coding masochism. So here's a little exercise in sadism on my part, for anyone who wants to have fun (or "fun") with regular expressions:

Write a userscript that highlights all the prompts on any given page of a kinkmeme that have been filled.

Specifically, scan all the comment subject lines on the page for anything that looks like the title of a kinkmeme fill, and if you find one, highlight the prompt at the top of its thread. The nice ones will start with "FILL:" or end with "part 1/?" or "3/3 COMPLETE." The less nice ones will be more like "(former) minifill [37a / 50(?)] still haven't thought of a name for this thing" or "title that's just the subject line of the original prompt, Chapter 3." Your job is to catch as many of the weird ones as you can using regular expressions, while keeping false positives to a minimum.

Test it out on a real live kinkmeme, especially one without strict subject-line-formatting policies. I guarantee you, you will be delighted at some of the arcane shit your script manages to catch. And probably astonished at some of the arcane shit you never thought to look for because who the hell would even format a kinkmeme fill like that? Truly, freeform user input is a wonderful and terrible thing.

If that's not enough masochism for you, you could always try to make the script work on LiveJournal kinkmemes too!

#userscripts #greasemonkey #tampermonkey #fandom #coding

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jeremystrele · 5 years ago

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51 Rustic Coffee Tables That Redefine Shabby Chic

A coffee table isn’t just a fantastic place to rest your feet or a cup of tea, it can also serve as storage space, an anchor for your living room layout, or even a makeshift workspace. But with so many types and styles available, which one is right for your home? If you are looking to embrace Farmhouse, Cottage, Beach, Country or Industrial style, a rustic element can be a great choice. A coffee table with a rustic finish or design can add the perfect finishing touch to rooms that are in need of a little texture and character. Plus, many are made of long-lasting solid wood that only garners more character with a few knicks and scratches!

$230BUY IT Rustic Wooden Coffee Table With Wheels: Consider rolling this option into your home for a look that is Industrial and chic. With its wood design, metal accents, and wheels, this is one rustic coffee table that will make sure your furniture stays stylish and your essentials are in reach.

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$399BUY IT Rustic Farmhouse Style Coffee Table: The recycled Elm table top and contrasting finishes on this rustic coffee table help give it that highly sought after Farmhouse vibe. The matching side table and console table are also available.

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https://amzn.to/2LAPKgVBUY IT Rustic Nesting Coffee Tables: Sleek and stylish, these nesting tables are Contemporary gems. With their rustic wood tops and chunky hair pin legs they harmonize well with Farmhouse homes and Contemporary decor.

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$264BUY IT Rustic Pine Wood Coffee Table: Whether it’s coffee among friends or movie night with the family, this large pine coffee table is up to the task! It not only features a generous amount of table space, but it also has ample storage. An amazing multi-tasking piece that will help you stash away extra blankets, pillows, or other odds and ends.

$173BUY IT Square Rustic Gray Coffee Table: When simplicity is key, this rustic gem is a home run! The crisscross base and butcher block top with tonal variations allows for just the right amount of intrigue, all without stealing the spotlight. Matching end table also available.

$143BUY IT Black Rustic Coffee Table: If our last choice was still not simple enough for you, then try this table. It has no fancy bells and whistles, but it has a dramatic dark finish that gives it some mega style points! Want something fresh and airy? This coffee table is also available in White.

$1195BUY IT Square Rustic Country Coffee Table: Rustic elegance was the first phrase we thought of when looking at this beauty. Its curved columns and rustic finish create a look that is well-suited for Farmhouse, Beach, or Country decor.

$310BUY IT Rustic Wooden Coffee Table With Pull Out Drawers: A rustic coffee table that will not only infuse your home with some poignant style, but some extra storage space as well. With 1 large drawer disguised as 3, this rustic charmer has room to house everything from remotes and magazines to extra pillows and blankets.

$223BUY IT Rustic Glass Coffee Table With Storage: This coffee table has an airy aesthetic thanks to its glass top and seemingly weightless floating drawers. A versatile option that many decor styles would benefit from.

$148BUY IT Rustic Oak Coffee Table: This coffee table has “Farmhouse Chic” written all over it. A great choice if you are looking to store more visually appealing items like books, magazines, or select accessories.

$168BUY IT Rustic Lift Top Coffee Table: A lift top coffee table with a rustic vibe? Finally! This multi-tasking table is great for both storage and an extra work area, all while remaining affordable and Farmhouse chic.

$191BUY IT Rustic Reclaimed Oak Lift Top Coffee Table: Much like the previous option, this rustic gem is full of storage both under and inside, plus it features a handy lifting table top that instantly makes any couch into a workspace. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to work from the comfort of their couch!

$453BUY IT Modern Rustic Lift Top Coffee Table: We love the versatility of lift top coffee tables, so we couldn’t resist adding another to our list. This one takes on a more minimalist look and a more airy aesthetic thanks to its simple build and open bottom.

$660BUY IT Long Rustic Coffee Table: If intricate is more your style, then this rustic coffee table might be the one for you. Designed with X-braces made out of lacquered pine wood, it is a prominent centerpiece for your living room that will anchor your space while accentuating your decor.

$1040BUY IT Rustic Ottoman Coffee Table: This ottoman coffee table strikes the perfect combo of rustic and cozy with its wood base and lush tufted top. Available in Beige, Dark Grey, and Grey (shown).

$188BUY IT Rustic Style Wood And Galvanized Iron Coffee Table: This unusual coffee table is sure to be the talk of any dinner party or soiree. It is crafted from reclaimed wood and recycled iron barrels to create an eye-catching piece with a truly unique look.

$980BUY IT Rustic Mediterranean Style Storage Coffee Table: The weathered finish on this solid wood coffee table gives it a poignant Mediterranean vibe. It is equipped with two drawers that are perfect to stash away any odds and ends, plus it requires zero assembly.

$800BUY IT Rustic Storage Trunk Coffee Table: Another trunk table, but this time with a more refined style thanks to its polished finish and intricate detailing.

$430BUY IT Rustic Chic Coffee Table: It’s not every day we see a concrete and wood table with such undeniable style! This sturdy and functional accent piece uses a mix of both shapes and materials to draw the eye.

$101BUY IT Small Rustic Coffee Table: Because even small living rooms and dens should have a coffee table! This small double tiered table has enough room to display a few key pieces and rest a drink or two. Looking for a fresh feel or bold color? This option is also available in White or Turquoise.

$110BUY IT Rustic Barn Wood Coffee Table: Add some rustic charm to low furniture setups with this barn wood coffee table. This simple design leaves all the embellishments to the grain of the wood and we can see why—with a gorgeous grain like that, there is no competition.

$110BUY IT Rustic Log Coffee Table: This natural beauty is a must for cottage and cabin decor. The rough, chiseled ends and natural finish make this log table a stand out choice.

$599BUY IT Rustic Style Hexagonal Reclaimed Fir Wood Coffee Table: Add an earthy aura to any living space with this hexagonal coffee table. Made from reclaimed fir, it has a distinct rustic vibe that will meld well with everything from Traditional to Contemporary decor.

$1700BUY IT Round Rustic Glass Coffee Table With Driftwood Base: Bring the feel of nature into your home with a coffee table perched upon an earthy driftwood base. Due to the nature of the wood, no two coffee tables will be alike, leaving you with a piece of furniture that is one-of-a-kind. You can also get a cheaper, smaller version here.

$460BUY IT Teak Branch Wood Coffee Table: We’re going to go out on a limb here and say this is one of the most interesting coffee tables we have ever seen. If you are looking for table that is sure to turn a few heads, then this option should definitely be on your shortlist!

$1440BUY IT Tree Slice Coffee Table: This little slice of heaven is a must-have for those looking to incorporate rustic organic design and natural elements into their home. Each one of these coffee tables is distinct thanks to the variation in grain pattern.

$497BUY IT Rustic Nautical Themed Coffee Table: Looking to embrace some quirky, nautical themed decor? This coffee table is all about that- or should we say aBOAT that. Made from solid wood, no assembly required.

$419BUY IT Round Coffee Table: If fresh and simple appeals to you, then check out this round coffee table. The mango wood and natural finish give it a fresh and earthy feel that will pair well with many decor styles, although it would look especially stunning in a Scandinavian or Coastal style home.

$397BUY IT Round Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table: The simple design of this coffee table really allows for the beauty and intricacy of the wood grain to shine through. It is made with reclaimed pine and fitted with casters for mobility.

$288BUY IT Round Solid Acacia Wood Coffee Table: Another rustic barrel coffee table that uses subtle wood patterning and varying tones to great effect. Instead of only featuring the wood’s natural grain though, this earthy stunner takes it one step further with a wire brush surface treatment to create a horizontal distressing pattern.

$599BUY IT Rustic Round Distressed Wood Coffee Table: Dings and scratches will blend right into this round coffee table’s rustic finish. Your decor will love its unique shape and your books and accessories will find a new home on the bottom shelf—well, that is if your pets don’t claim it first!

$99BUY IT Rustic Metal Cauldron Coffee Table: An offbeat choice that gives off some major Farmhouse vibes. This smaller coffee table is ideal for tighter spaces that still demand unique and eye-catching furniture.

$530BUY IT Modern Rustic Concrete Coffee Table: There is concrete evidence that this table is a great choice! Just check all the wonderful reviews for yourself. With its concrete build and acrylic finish, this table has the durability and style that any Modern or Industrial home could benefit from.

$1381BUY IT Modern Rustic Wood And Concrete Coffee Table: A rustic coffee table that is aching to be incorporated into Industrial or Farmhouse decor. The combo of the warm wood finish and concrete base give this piece an aesthetic that is a mix of cozy and edgy.

$2400BUY IT Rustic Recycled Metal Coffee Table: Recycled tin gets a second chance of life in this patchwork style metal coffee table. An amazing addition to Industrial style homes both big and small.

$2300BUY IT Premium Rustic Metal Coffee Table: Organic design and luxury collide with this fun metal coffee table. Sculpted from fiberglass resin and overlaid with a brass finish, the design is well-suited for either residential or commercial decor.

$517BUY IT Rustic Oval Coffee Table: The Acacia wood top on this table is overflowing with a rustic warmth that you can only get from real wood. This a fantastic choice for contemporary cottages or anyone that is a fan of Mid-Century Modern and Scandinavian style.

$800BUY IT Rectangular Live Edge Coffee Table: A simple solid wood coffee table that would look great with almost any decor. The smoothed out edges of this live edge option give it a softer look than many other tables on our list, making it ideal for rooms that want to cultivate a relaxing or cozy feel.

$477BUY IT Rustic Live Edge Coffee Table: The rough edges of the live edge table top contrast flawlessly with the clean and simple hair pin legs in this design. Pair with a plush carpet (like shown) to effortlessly create a contemporary and cozy vibe that feels grounded in nature.

$994BUY IT Rustic Style Tree Stump Coffee Table: A beautiful way to integrate a hint of organic design or nature in any space. This tree stump table is handmade and naturally one-of-a-kind since every tree is different!

$1489BUY IT Square Teak Slice Coffee Table: Conserving the environment has never been so stylish! This teakwood coffee table is sure to leave a lasting impression with its unusual, organic shape that has been crafted with scraps that would of otherwise been routed to the landfill.

$1249BUY IT Rustic Themed Faux Stone Outdoor Coffee Table: While most outdoor coffee tables stand out like a sore thumb, this one is a master of disguise with its faux stone finish. It is the perfect piece to incorporate into your backyard if you want nature to take the limelight. Plus, like all the best rocks, it requires zero assembly!

$363BUY IT Rustic Outdoor Coffee Table: Harsh weather? No problem! This rustic outdoor coffee table is made with an all-weather, rust resistant powder coated aluminum base and a porcelain table top. Amazing for everything from displaying mouthwatering spreads of food during BBQs to holding a few cocktails during happy hour.

Recommended Reading: 50 Wooden Wall Art Decor Finds To Help You Add Rustic Beauty To Your Room

50 Unique Coffee Tables That Help You Declutter and Stylise Your Lounge

50 Unique End Tables That Add The Perfect Living Room Finish

51 Glass Coffee Tables That Every Living Room Craves

20 Uniquely Beautiful Coffee Tables

50 Modern Coffee Tables To Add Zing To Your Living

51 Round Coffee Tables To Give Your Living Room A Boost Of Style

0 notes

drewebowden66 · 5 years ago

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51 Rustic Coffee Tables That Redefine Shabby Chic

$76BUY IT Rustic Industrial Coffee Table: Rustic and chic, we can’t believe how affordable this option is! This should be seriously considered for rustic decor lovers on a budget.

$800BUY IT Rustic Storage Trunk Coffee Table: Another trunk table, but this time with a more refined style thanks to its polished finish and intricate detailing.

$110BUY IT Rustic Log Coffee Table: This natural beauty is a must for cottage and cabin decor. The rough, chiseled ends and natural finish make this log table a stand out choice.

$2400BUY IT Rustic Recycled Metal Coffee Table: Recycled tin gets a second chance of life in this patchwork style metal coffee table. An amazing addition to Industrial style homes both big and small.

Recommended Reading: 50 Wooden Wall Art Decor Finds To Help You Add Rustic Beauty To Your Room

50 Unique Coffee Tables That Help You Declutter and Stylise Your Lounge

50 Unique End Tables That Add The Perfect Living Room Finish

51 Glass Coffee Tables That Every Living Room Craves

20 Uniquely Beautiful Coffee Tables

50 Modern Coffee Tables To Add Zing To Your Living

51 Round Coffee Tables To Give Your Living Room A Boost Of Style

0 notes

ntrending · 7 years ago

Text

The Logitech G305 wireless gaming mouse is like a family sedan with a sports car engine

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/the-logitech-g305-wireless-gaming-mouse-is-like-a-family-sedan-with-a-sports-car-engine/

The Logitech G305 wireless gaming mouse is like a family sedan with a sports car engine

I have a complicated relationship with computer mice. Sit me down at a workstation and I’ll use whatever two-button nonsense is available, but when it comes to actually choosing one for my own work, I get really picky. I want the mouse to have a high-end sensor meant for gaming because it lets me move quickly and accurately around the screen. I don’t, however, want a lot of bright colors and an endless parade of customizable options that I won’t use.

Logitech’s new G305 mouse costs $60, which is cheaper than most high-end gaming mice, but it contains the company’s flagship HERO tracking sensor (the part that lets the mouse see where it’s going) that’s meant for fast-twitch video games. It also has Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless connectivity, which gives it a short, 1 millisecond latency required for fast-paced games. The result is a powerful pointer without a lot of bells and whistles.

Feel

Pick up the G305, and it doesn’t feel much like a gaming mouse. The plastic casing has a light texture that’s consistent across the surface. There are no fancy contours or added grips. It feels like an office mouse. It’s also light at just 3.5 ounces, and there’s no way to adjust the weight like you can with other competition gaming inputs. Personally, I consider these positive aspects.

The mouse has a neutral shape, but there are two buttons on the left side that you can hit with your thumb when using your right hand. Lefties can hit the buttons with their pinkies, but it’s slightly awkward. Over the course of a week or so using the G305, I found myself accidentally hitting the thumb buttons from time time time, specifically when I took my hand off the mouse to type, then went back to holding it. That phenomenon surely varies with the shape of your hand, but it seems safe to assume misclicks will happen from time to time. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but the shape of your hand could change that.

The construction clearly isn’t meant for this mouse to bang around in your bag like other portable mice, so plan to leave this one on your desk most of the time.

Performance

I spent a week using the G305 as my main mouse, using it for typical computing tasks (like clicking around while procrastinating writing this post), to more intense tasks like playing a first-person shooter game, Overwatch, and doing some Photoshop retouching.

My computer immediately recognized the mouse when I plugged in the dongle, and while I’m not thrilled about taking up one of my USB ports instead of relying on a Bluetooth connection, I did find the connection quick and extremely reliable.

There are four sensitivity settings between 200 and 12,000 dots per inch, and you can cycle through them on the fly by clicking a button below the mouse’s scroll wheel. Everything except the fastest setting felt slow to me, especially when zipping around a multi-monitor setup. However, I did get some use out of the slower settings when doing some particularly tedious selections in Photoshop. The increased accuracy is nice, even if it did feel sluggish.

The mouse clicks are satisfying in terms of depth and tactile feedback, but the sound is high-pitched and rather loud, likely because of the buttons’ plastic construction. The clicks aren’t quite as luxurious or substantial as some expensive gaming mice, but this is not a deal breaker. If you work in close proximity with your officemates, you might consider something a little quieter.

Who should buy it?

The G305 lives in the middle ground when it comes to tech, which is honestly where many of us land in the technology spectrum. The feel won’t blow you away—and the click sound is a little annoying until you get used to it—but the most important parts of the mouse are rock solid. A single AA battery powers it for 250 hours of action. The tracking sensor is precise and doesn’t skip around the screen, even when the condensation from my iced coffee messes up my desk a little.

At $60, it’s not the cheapest wireless mouse on the market, but if you want something that gives better-than-average gaming performance in an everyday-driver-style input device, it’s a solid pick.

Written By Stan Horaczek

#Technology

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bixeapage · 7 years ago

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NAD T 758 V3 AV Surround Sound Receiver Review

In the past two years, Ultra HD and new surround sound formats have come to market and many users are looking to upgrade their receivers to get the most from all the latest content.

For those people, NAD offers the T 758 V3 AV Surround Sound Receiver. It represents a great value choice at only $1300 and includes HDMI 2.0a with HDCP 2.2 to pass Ultra HD signals with HDR and extended color. You also get support for the Dolby Atmos object-oriented audio format. But the icing on the cake is Dirac Live. This advanced room correction system goes far beyond Audyssey and addresses not only frequency but also impulse response. The result is a well-balanced sound that brings out tons of detail and presents it in a wide soundstage.

Highlights

NAD Surround Sound Receiver

60 watts x 7 with all channels driven

Dirac Live room correction

BluOS enabled

Dolby Atmos support

Ultra HD video passthrough with HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2

Modular Design Construction allows for future upgrades

Seven amplifiers for 7.1 or 5.1.2 surround configurations

Introduction

I’ll admit, I’m somewhat snobbishly proud of my surround audio system. I have a stack of big heavy amplifiers from Emotiva and a fancy Integra processor driving five big speakers and a massive 800-watt subwoofer. But the pull of Dolby Atmos is strong and I really want to add that functionality to my home theater. I realize however, that most people would prefer something simpler and less expensive. NAD understands this and is now offering the T 758 V3 AV Surround Sound Receiver. For $1300, you get enough amplifiers and processing for a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup, and if you add a two-channel power amp, you can go to 5.1.4 or 7.1.2 using the included pre-outs.

I was intrigued to see just how little one could spend on a Dolby Atmos system so I requested the T 758 V3 along with two PSB Imagine XA height modules that sit on top of the front tower speakers and fire at the ceiling. These have already been reviewed by Secrets so I won’t be offering in-depth commentary on them. You can find Piero Gabucci’s review here. What we have then is a Dolby Atmos upgrade to my existing setup for a grand total of $1800. Let’s take a look.

NAD Surround Sound Receiver Specifications

Power output:

Stereo Mode – 110W (8Ω within rated distortion)

Full Disclosure Power (7 channels driven):

7 x 60W (0.05% THD, 20-20kHz)

IHF Dynamic Power:

137W @ 8 ohms, 243W @ 4 ohms

Total Harmonic Distortion at rated power:

<0.05%

IM distortion at rated power:

<0.05%

Damping Factor:

>60 @ 8 ohms

Input Sensitivity and Impedance:

750mV/50kohms

Frequency Response:

±0.8dB (1kHz, 20Hz-20kHz)

Signal to Noise Ratio:

>100dB (rated power @ 8 ohms, A-WTD), >0dB (1W @ 8ohms, A-WTD)

Idle Power:

53W

Standby power:

<0.5W

Dimensions (WxHxD:

17 1/8” x 6 13/16” x 15 11/16”

Weight:

33.9lbs

Warranty:

Two years

MSRP:

$1299

Secrets Tags:

NAD T 758 V3 AV Surround Sound Receiver, AV Receiver, Surround Sound, Dolby Atmos, Dirac Live, Ultra HD, Surround Sound Reciever Review 2018

Company:

NAD

Linkbacks

NAD M17 & M27 Masters Series Surround Separates Review

NAD C 328 Hybrid Digital DAC Integrated Amplifier Review

NAD M32 Direct Digital Amplifier Review

Design

When considered purely as a receiver, the T 758 V3 follows NAD’s design mantra of simplicity and clean sound. There are no bells and whistles here, no pseudo surround modes or other trickery. The power amp section hits 60 watts with all seven channels driven and 110 watts in stereo, both at eight ohms. This is NAD’s honest power rating and I suspect if I measured it, the number might be a tad higher. I know that it has no problem driving my three front speakers which are large four-ohm full-range models from Axiom. The Class A/B power amp section delivers clean sound with a super-low noise floor and rich dynamics.

The chassis is sized similarly to other receivers in this price category and should fit perfectly into any rack or cabinet. Heft is reasonable at just under 34 pounds. The front panel is simply adorned with just a large volume knob; and buttons for source selection, menu, and listening mode. A small joy-pad moves the user through various options on the large display. It can be configured and dimmed in the OSD which appears on a connected video display. A quarter-inch headphone jack sits in the lower-left under the power toggle. A small cover on the right comes off to reveal RCA, optical, and 3.5mm inputs. Ventilation is generously provided by a grill on top though I didn’t feel excessive heat coming out, even when things got loud.

There are seven amps in the box which can be configured as 7.1 or 5.1.2 speakers for Dolby Atmos. If you want to go 7.1.2 or 5.1.4, two additional pre-outs are provided on the MDC board. You’ll need to connect these to an outboard two-channel amp to power your extra speakers. The board also contains the T 758’s digital inputs which include three HDMI in and one out, all version 2.0a with HDCP 2.2, ARC, and CEC. Two-channel inputs are covered with two each of coax and optical digital. You also get a full 7.1 set of multi-channel inputs, something not seen on many modern receivers. Three stereo inputs and a zone 2 output complete the analog package. Control is provided by an IR input with two outputs. And there’s a 12V trigger as well as RS-232. If you prefer to supply your own power amps, 7.1 pre-outs are there too.

The USB port is used with the included BluOS module which adds streaming and network functions. Without it, there is no built-in Wi-Fi. This is important because if you want to use Dirac Live, you’ll need to install that module, more on it below. You also get all the advantages of BluOS and its streaming capabilities. To access thousands of songs, just choose the BluOS input and use your favorite service like iHeart Radio or Spotify. Like every other BluOS-enabled product from NAD, the magic is controlled by an app on your phone or tablet.

Setup

Dirac Live Setup

Dirac Live is the latest in a line of room correction systems that began with Audyssey. Fundamentally, these systems have a few common goals. First is to fix frequency response issues that create peaks or nulls in the curve which translates to boomy bass, or harsh mids and highs. Room correction also serves to expand the size of the so-called money seat. That way, more listeners can enjoy optimal sound. It’s also a great way to balance speaker levels and set delays without the hassle of tape measures and SPL meters.

Dirac does all that and adds optimization of the speakers�� impulse response. What this is, essentially, is detailed phase correction. When setting delays in a receiver’s OSD, one can only input the distance to a single channel. This doesn’t address any potential phase issues from that individual cabinet. Unless that cabinet has but a single driver, there will always be phase errors as different frequencies are issued from each driver in the array. The more drivers you have, the greater the correction needed. The problem is further compounded by objects in the room that absorb and/or reflect sound. Dirac corrects these flaws resulting in a more coherent and larger soundstage. It is implemented through software that can be downloaded from NAD’s website, which means you’ll need a laptop to run the measurements and create the correction filters. A tripod-mountable microphone is included in the box.

The T 758’s remote is a basic hand set that is not backlit. It offers discrete power buttons along with individual source keys. They are numbered because any input can be assigned to the available connections, digital or analog, using the OSD. Its navigation is controlled by the center arrow pad. You can access most options just using the front panel display but it’s far easier to use your TV or projector to view the full menu.

NAD Surround Sound Receiver Setup

Installing any receiver requires a fair amount of hardware and software configuration. The T 758 V3 is relatively easy to set up but for best performance, there are a number of things one needs to do. I started with the hookups which meant running seven pairs of cables from my speakers to the rear panel. The binding posts are plastic and seemed a bit loose for my Bluejeans banana plugs, but your mileage may vary. Since they are locking plugs, tightening their collars ensured solid contact. For surround sound, I connected a single HDMI cable between an OPPO UDP-203 and the NAD, then another larger cable out to my projector. I also ran a coax digital wire for two-channel music.

The OSD appeared within a few seconds on my JVC DLA-RS640 projector and displayed all the necessary options for source and speaker setup. I configured input 1 for HDMI and input 2 for coax so I could listen to the OPPO with either interface. I find two-channel music to be a little fuller over coax because it bypasses the jitter sometimes inherent in HDMI connections.

The first thing I did was to assign the amplifiers to the Atmos modules sitting on top of my Axiom towers. That takes place in the Amplifier Setup submenu. Then I visited Speaker Configuration to set those channels as Dolby Enabled Front. It’s also up to the user to set speaker sizes and crossovers as Dirac only adjusts levels and delays. I used my usual values, then turned to installation of the Dirac software.

Within a few minutes of downloading a 64Mb zipfile, I had Dirac running on my laptop. The included microphone plugs into a USB port and the laptop communicates with the T 758 V3 over Wi-Fi. Before doing this, I had to upgrade the receiver’s firmware through the BluOS module. That simply requires adding the receiver as a player in the BluOS app.

Once everything’s connected, open the Dirac app and let it find all your hardware. Make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi connection to keep the receiver and software in communication. I dropped the signal a few times and had to re-do several measurements. I wish I could have connected another USB cable between the laptop and receiver to eliminate this inconvenience.

Dirac walks you through setting channel levels to a proper value that is neither too loud nor too soft. If you crank the volume, clipping will occur and an error message is generated. I found it slightly annoying that the app wouldn’t tell you there was a problem until the entire measurement run was completed. The on-screen diagram can be set for chair, couch, or auditorium, and the graphic will show you exactly where to place the mic. I measured nine positions before letting the software create its filters. When you get to the chart, you can set the frequency range and the correction curve’s shape before optimizing. I chose to leave them at their defaults.

Depending on the speed of your laptop, the software will churn away for a few minutes, then prompt you to save the project, as it’s called. Up to three measurement runs can be stored and you can switch between them in the T 758’s OSD. That makes it easy to create different configurations for music and movies, or two-channel and surround.

Dirac adjusts levels and delays but not crossovers, you’ll have to set those yourself. The delays are extremely precise, to the tenth of a millisecond, far more so that what one can do with a tape measure.

Here is the room diagram showing mic placement. I used the couch setup since I have two large chairs bolted together. The right seat is my sweet spot so it became my anchor point. The mic was placed at ear level on a tripod.

The series of screenshots below shows the before and after charts for each channel. The front, surround, and height channels are taken together as a pair. You can separate them if you wish but I saw no need for that.

Whoa! There are some serious issues here. My center has three large ports at the rear that sit too close to the wall. Without correction, it sounds fairly chesty and bloated in the bass. Audyssey normally takes care of the problem but Dirac does an even better job.

This is a decent uncorrected chart. The dip from 70-100Hz isn’t a big factor since I cross the mains and center over at 40Hz. You gotta love that extension to 15Hz though! I know I sure do.

And it’s even better with Dirac. Now my surround and height information will be cleaner since those speakers cross over at 100Hz.

Once you’ve saved the project, it can be assigned to one of the three slots by dragging and dropping. Then, one can switch between the corrections in the T 758’s OSD. After creating the filters and uploading them to the receiver, there is no further need for the laptop or microphone.

In Use

This is the first new room correction software I’ve used in a few years so I wanted to listen to a wide variety of material, movies with and without Dolby Atmos, as well as two-channel music. But I began with the Spears & Munsil test disc because I’ve heard its intro and music track literally hundreds of times. Right up front, the bold dynamics of the intro screen had a quality in the bass I’d not heard before. It shook my room without being all that loud. I was surprised at the extra energy given the polite volume level. The balance between what I felt and what I heard was much better than what Audyssey can produce. The piano score was nicely detailed with accents in just the right spots; super-clean and neutral.

Dolby Atmos

I’ve reviewed several Blu-ray movies with Dolby Atmos soundtracks, but before today, I could only enjoy them in 5.1 surround. With the addition of two height channels up front, even their reflected sound created a palpable sense of space in the vertical direction. My Axiom speakers and Dirac served up a wide and deep soundstage while the PSB Imagine XAs provided sound that extended past the top of my screen. I felt the bulk of the enhancement was at the front of the room and I could see the potential for even better sound had a pair of rear height speakers been installed. But the Atmos demo disc with its forest scene had no trouble making it rain all around me while birds and leaves fluttered across the room.

Dolby Atmos-enabled Blu-rays are still a bit rare but I managed to come with a few titles to watch. The first two are from DC Comics, Wonder Woman and Batman v Superman, Dawn of Justice. I went straight to the action scenes and found them all rich in dynamics and totally immersive. The height channels produced sounds that flew overhead and to the back of the room, even though I have no rear surrounds or height speakers. Atmos adapts to whatever configuration you have so no information is left out.

Of equal, or perhaps greater impact was the effect of Dirac Live on dialog and bass. Voices were even more clear and detailed than usual, and that’s saying something. My Axiom center channel is extremely clean and balanced when used with Audyssey correction. Dirac took it to another level entirely. The subwoofer pounded away with tremendous feel and tactility with the T 758 V3 completely in control. I never heard any bloat or distortion. Everything below 40Hz came across in perfect balance. Dolby Atmos is a bit subtle but Dirac makes a huge difference in quality.

I finished up my viewing session with Jigsaw which is dialog-heavy and a bit thin on ambient sound. Nonetheless, background cues were always clear no matter how subtle. Here, the T 758’s low noise floor helped the softest sounds come through clearly.

Two-Channel Music

Classical selections, especially orchestral ones, are a great test of detail-rendering and sound stage. I started with an old New York Philharmonic performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Fidelity isn’t great but the T 758 managed to flesh out detail I don’t always hear with a tremendous sense of depth and space. I always try to imagine the concert hall where a particular recording was made. The T 758 made me feel as though I were in a perfect acoustical environment with each instrument and section in the proper dynamic balance. The overall presentation wasn’t quite as in my face as what I hear from my Emotiva power amps but the extra detail and transparency more than made up for that.

One of my favorite CDs is a collection of French masterpieces performed by the Chicago Symphony and Daniel Barenboim. Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2 begins with fluttering woodwinds underpinned by a subtle drone from the strings. It’s easy for this recording to sound mushy but the T 758 again proved itself capable of finding all the detail present in the material. Toggling Dirac on and off showed clear differences in imaging and soundstage without a change in volume. Uncorrected, the detail was all there but with a narrower focus. Turning the filters on instantly widened the sense of space with a well-placed phantom center image and sound that went beyond my room’s four walls.

I couldn’t finish this review without a little rock n’ roll so I put Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti in the player. My favorite song on this album is In My Time of Dying, an ode to slide guitar, played the way only Jimmy Page can. I got a new lesson in analog guitar distortion as I imagined the glowing tubes in Jimmy’s amplifier. Every nuance was plainly audible. The T 758’s low noise floor made decaying notes something to savor.

I also needed a little Foo Fighters fix so I cued up Sonic Highways. Each track on this album was recorded in a different studio and the songs are written to reflect the city they were created in. I loved the clear separation of instruments and the neat panning effects between guitars. Butch Vig is a master engineer, and yes, he’s still got it.

Conclusions

THE NAD T 758 V3 delivers world-class Dirac Live room correction, Dolby Atmos, and clean neutral sound for just $1300. It easily tops this segment in quality and features.

Likes

Clean neutral sound

Dirac Live delivers superb balance and a huge sound stage

Dolby Atmos enhances movie-watching with just two additional height speakers

Rock-solid build quality

Incredible value

Would Like To See

DTS:X support

Backlit remote

There is little to say against the NAD T 758 V3. At $1300, it sits in a hugely-competitive price segment for AV receivers and frankly, all I need to hear is Dirac Live and I’m done. It may not have a ton of features but it absolutely has the ones that count – clean sound that plays loud without distortion, Dolby Atmos, Ultra HD passthrough, and the best room correction I’ve heard to date. One might wish for more amp channels or DTS:X but honestly, at this price, I defy anyone to show me a better-sounding receiver.

I wondered if I would hear the effects of Atmos with just two height speakers reflecting off the ceiling, and I’m happy to say I did. The PSB Imagine XAs created a palpable sense of height in both demo and movie content. If you already have a 5.1 system like me, the T 758 and two additional speakers can take you into the world of object-oriented audio.

But the real draw here is Dirac Live, have I said that already? I could live without Dolby Atmos, though now that I’ve heard it in my home, I want it. But I’ll have a harder time going back to Audyssey now that I’ve experienced Dirac. There aren’t a ton of options when it comes to room correction, but when compared to my past experiences, it is a clear winner. I haven’t changed out my surround electronics in many years but this might be the motivation to do so, it’s that good. Finally, the T 758 V3 offers terrific value. I can’t imagine a better-built receiver for $1300. Even without Dirac and Atmos, this would be a good buy. Adding those two things makes it hard to consider anything else. The NAD T 758 V3 AV Surround Sound Receiver earns my highest recommendation.

The post NAD T 758 V3 AV Surround Sound Receiver Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.

NAD T 758 V3 AV Surround Sound Receiver Review syndicated from http://onetwothreemovies.blogspot.com/

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infotainmentplus-blog · 7 years ago

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Best Android phones (February 2018): our picks, plus a giveaway With Android thoroughly dominating the mobile industry, picking the best Android smartphones is almost synonymous with choosing the best smartphones, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is incredibly fierce. From sleek devices that impress with premium design, to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around great devices, and affordable phones that punch above their weight, the Android ecosystem is populated by a staggering variety of attractive phones. See also: Refurbished phone guide | Best Android tablets | Best Android watches But “greatness” is subjective, and sometimes spec sheets and feature lists are not enough to make an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we’re looking at the absolute best—the Android phones you can’t go wrong with. Editor’s note: We will be updating this list regularly as new devices launch. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 See more Galaxy Note 8 photos After a controversial 2016, Samsung’s Galaxy Note line is back in full force. With top-of-the-line specs, a stunning design, an all-new dual-camera setup, and new software features, the Galaxy Note 8 is the best Android phone you can buy right now. Editor's Pick Best Samsung phones you can buy right now Samsung is without a doubt the biggest name in the Android world, and so if you are considering purchasing a new phone, logic dictates you may be looking to pick up a phone made by the … The Note 8’s near-bezel-less 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Infinity Display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio is one of our favorite parts about this phone. DisplayMate agrees with us too. It’s big, maybe too big for some people, but at least the company puts that screen to good use. There’s a new App Pairing feature that allows you to open up two favorited apps in multi-window at the same time, and there are a few new S Pen features that will satisfy the stylus users out there. What’s more, the new dual-camera setup on the back performs incredibly well. While picture quality isn’t a huge step up from what we saw on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, the extra 12 MP sensor with OIS allows you to take clear, concise photos and impressive bokeh shots in just about any situation. No, it’s not perfect, but no phone is. Samsung’s fingerprint sensor placement is still super annoying, and this phone is expensive. If those things don’t matter to you though, the Note 8 might be the right phone for you. Check out our full review below! Read more Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review Samsung Galaxy Note 8 specs Samsung Galaxy Note 8 color comparison Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs the competition Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy S8 quick look Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Essential Phone Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy Note Fan Edition quick look Top five new Galaxy Note 8 features Galaxy Note 8 price, release date, and carrier deals Buy now from Amazon Google Pixel 2 See more Google Pixel 2 photos The Pixel 2 is Google’s latest flagship smartphone, and it’s great at just about everything. It doesn’t have as many bells or whistles as the Note 8, but if you’re in the market for a simple Android phone, the Pixel 2 is a great option. This device has a 5-inch OLED 1080p display with a pixel density of 441 ppi. It doesn’t have a fancy 18:9 aspect ratio screen or a bezel-less design, though it does have front-facing speakers above and below the display. Inside, it comes with a speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, along with 4 GB of LPDDR4x RAM. You can buy the phone with either 64 GB or 128 GB of on board storage, but there’s no microSD card to add additional storage. If you like taking photos with your phone, you’ll be very pleased with the Pixel 2’s 12.2 MP camera. Not only has it been named the smartphone camera on the market according to DxOMark, we found the Pixel 2’s main camera to be incredibly impressive in most situations. There’s even a portrait mode on the front and back cameras, even though the phone doesn’t have a dual-camera setup. You might be wondering why we haven’t mentioned the Pixel 2 XL. It’s a great phone—don’t get us wrong—but just know that the XL’s display has had its fair share of issues since launch. The LG-made pOLED 6.0-inch display on the 2 XL shows off a blue tint when the phone is tilted, it’s not tuned to be as vibrant as other OLED panels, and many early adopters have already been noticing burn-in issues. Google says it will continue to combat these issues with software updates, and it’s also extended the warranty to two years. If you want a Pixel phone with a larger battery and can live with a mediocre display, we’d recommend going for the Pixel 2 XL—you’ll be very happy. But if you can live with a smaller battery and a smaller screen (that doesn’t have any issues), we’d recommend the Pixel 2. Read more Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL review: the way Android is meant to be Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL specs Google Pixel 2 XL unboxing and first impressions Google Pixel 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 8: the flagship battle Google Pixel 2 vs Google Pixel: what’s changed? Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL specs: Google’s vision for the modern flagship Google Pixel 2 cases: here are some of the best you can buy Google Pixel 2 XL cases: here are some of your best options Buy now from the Google Store Buy now from Verizon LG V30 See more LG V30 photos The V30 is the latest flagship phone from LG, which has been struggling to compete, at least in sales, with its biggest Android rival Samsung. It is also the successor to 2016’s LG V20, which included a secondary 2.1-inch screen on top for showing app shortcuts, media controls, and more. The V30 does away with that secondary display, and instead has one nearly bezel-free 6-inch screen, using LG’s new Plastic OLED (pOLED) panel. LG offers a slide-out menu on the phone’s display (called the Floating Bar) that floats around the screen as a substitute (sort for) for folks who might miss the secondary display. In terms of hardware specs, the LG V30 has everything you would expect from a flagship phone in early 2018. It has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with 4 GB RAM, along with 64 GB of onboard storage, a 3,300 mAh battery, and a IP68 dust and water resistance rating. LG is heavily promoting the advanced camera and photography features on the V30, too. It has a dual rear camera that includes a 16 MP sensor with a f/1.6 aperture, along with a 13 MP sensor with a f/1.9 aperture. The rear camera has a Crystal Clear Lens instead of plastic, which should mean you should get more realistic looking photos with the V30. Video creators should have fun with software features like Cine Video, which allows users to quickly put in video effects, along with Point Zoom, which will let owners zoom into any point in a video. Audiophiles should also be happy with the LG V30, as it has support for Hi-Fi Quad DAC tuned by B&O Play. It is also the first smartphone to support MQA, which is supposed to let users stream high-res audio, but with a smaller file size and no loss in quality. Read more LG V30 review: a photography and videography dream LG V30 specs Five reasons why the LG V30 is better than the Galaxy Note 8 LG V30 vs Galaxy Note 8: camera features What it’s like to film with the LG V30 LG V30 vs G6 quick look: LG has finally hit a groove Inside the LG V30’s new display: POLED vs Samsung’s Super AMOLED LG V30 price, release date, and carrier deals Best LG V30 cases Buy LG V30 Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus See more Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus photos Following a successful launch of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung seemed to have a pretty good idea as to what users want in a smartphone. Solid battery life, high-res screens, impressive camera performance and more were all things the company achieved with the 2016 flagships. And while the Note 7 seemed to improve even more in those areas, overheating problems caused the device to enter total recall mode. It should come as no surprise that the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus feature top-of-the-line specifications, great cameras and an all-new design that’s truly futuristic. This time around, Samsung included a curved screen on both the S8 and S8 Plus, as well as a unique 18.5:9 aspect ratio that allows for a much more comfortable in-hand feel. The company even ditched its famous physical home button and included on-screen navigation keys (finally). Under the hood, these devices come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor (or Exynos 8895, depending on the region), 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of on-board storage, and one of the latest versions of Android, 7.0 Nougat. Samsung even launched a few extra accessories alongside the S8 that you should definitely consider checking out. The new Samsung DeX dock lets you use your S8 as a desktop computer, and there’s also a new Gear 360 camera that allows for shooting video in 4K and live streaming to YouTube. Of course, there’s also a new Galaxy S8-compatible Gear VR headset, complete with a controller for easier navigation. All in all, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are two of the best smartphones that launched in 2017. Read more Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus review Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus specs, price, deals, and more What I don’t like about the Galaxy S8 Plus 5 reasons why the Galaxy S8 Plus is my daily driver Samsung Galaxy S8 color comparison Samsung Galaxy S8 vs the competition Best Galaxy S8 Cases / Galaxy S8 Plus cases Hands-on with the new 4K Gear 360 Samsung Gear VR (2017) review Buy Galaxy s8 Buy Galaxy S8 Plus OnePlus 5T See more OnePlus 5T photos The OnePlus 5 was a solid smartphone, but it wasn’t really up to 2017’s standards on the design front. That’s why OnePlus changed things up quite a bit with the OnePlus 5T. The first thing you’ll notice with the 5T is its bit 6.01-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. This makes the device look more in line with other 2017 devices, especially because its predecessor came with a more traditional 16:9 screen. The under-the-hood specs are mostly the same as the OnePlus 5’s, but OnePlus decided to switch up the camera setup this time around. Now, in place of the OnePlus 5’s telephoto lens, the 5T sports a secondary 20 MP sensor that uses a fancy new technology called Intelligent Pixel Technology. Basically, it takes better low-light photos than before. The other big change with the 5T is in regards to biometric security. Not only has the fingerprint sensor moved around to the back, you can also unlock the 5T using face recognition. It’s super fast, but we’ve found it to miss a handful of times for some unknown reason. Perhaps the biggest missing feature on the 5T is an IP rating for dust and water resistance, which is a feature pretty much every other flagship device has. If you can get past that, the OnePlus 5T will be a great option for most people— especially because it costs a fraction of the price of most competing smartphones. Read more OnePlus 5T review Best OnePlus 5T cases OnePlus 5T specs OnePlus 5T price, release date, and deals OnePlus 5T vs OnePlus 5: worth the upgrade? OnePlus 5T vs Samsung Galaxy S8 OnePlus 5T vs LG G6 Buy now from OnePlus Huawei Mate 10 Pro See more Huawei Mate 10 Pro photos The Huawei Mate 10 Pro has all the features one would expect from the latest high-end flagship smartphones on the market. It has a 6-inch OLED display with an 18:9 ratio, a Full HD+ resolution of 2,160 x 1,080, and very small of bezels on the top and bottom of the display. Inside, there’s Huawei’s in-house octa-core Kirin 970 processor, along with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit for faster on-board AI processing. Huawei claims we will see more improvements in AI on the Mate 10 Pro in future updates. You can purchase this phone with either 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of storage, or upgrade to 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of on board storage. There’s no microSD card for adding additional storage, by the way, nor does it have a 3.5 mm headphone jack (the slightly smaller Mate 10 has both). The Mate 10 Pro ships with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. The Mate 10 Pro also comes with an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating, as well as a large 4,000 mAh battery which supports Huawei Supercharge. This allows the Mate 10 Pro to go up to nearly a full charge in about an hour. The Mate 10 Pro also has a fantastic dual-camera setup with a 20 MP monochrome sensor combined with a 12 MP RGB sensor. The phone got a high 97 score for its rear camera features from the image testing DxOMark, which is right up there with the iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8. Read more Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro review: all about promises Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro vs the competition Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro pricing and availability Huawei Mate 10 series specs: better, faster, stronger Where to buy the Mate 10 Pro HTC U11 See more HTC U11 photos The HTC 10 was one of our favorite Android phones of 2016, and for good reason. The Taiwanese company absolutely nailed the design of the 10, and it worked hard at scaling back the software to make it feel like the bare-bones Android experience we all know and love. And while it didn’t have a bunch of gimmicky extras, that was okay. The HTC 10 was a solid Android phone that nailed the basics. Now HTC is back with the 10’s successor, the HTC U11. With an eye-catching, glossy design, all-day battery life, and a smooth and snappy software experience, the U11 competes toe-to-toe with the Galaxy S8 and LG G6 when it comes to performance. It also has one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, according to DxOMark. The standout feature on the U11 is something HTC calls Edge Sense. The sides of the phone are pressure sensitive, and this allows you to physically squeeze the phone to activate a specific function or open an app like the camera or web browser. Having to squeeze your phone to make it do something does sound a bit odd, but we’ve really found this feature to come in handy. Before you go out and spend $650 on this baby, there are a few things you should know. For starters, this phone doesn’t have a 3.5 mm headphone jack, meaning you’ll either need to use Bluetooth headphones or carry around the included headphone adapter everywhere you go. Also, while HTC’s Sense is one of our favorite Android skins out there, it is feeling a bit dated at this point. If you can get past those few caveats, though, the U11 will certainly not disappoint. Read more HTC U11 review HTC U11 specs, price, deals, and more HTC U11 Edge Sense: what can it do? HTC U11 vs the competition Best HTC U11 cases Has the HTC U11 already made the U Ultra obsolete? HTC U11 announced: everything you need to know Buy now from Amazon Cast your vote, and participate in our giveaway! There you have it – our picks from the best Android has to offer right now. Out of those listed, which do you feel is the very best? Be sure to sound off in the poll below. Each month we will also be conducting a giveaway, giving our readers a chance to win the phone with the most votes. Winner, January 2018: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (10,146 total votes) Congratulations to Bram W. (Netherlands), winner of our January 2018 giveaway! Best Android phones (February 2018) international giveaway! Check out our related best lists: Best cheap Android phones Best dual-SIM Android phones Verizon Android phones | Verizon prepaid phones AT&T Android phones | AT&T prepaid phones T-Mobile Android phones | T-Mobile prepaid phones Sprint Android phones Cricket Android phones , via Android Authority http://bit.ly/2GDnFRe

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halsteadproperty · 7 years ago

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6 Ways To Transform Your Living Space Without Actually Renovating

by Sheila Kim

Whether you own a townhouse or rent a studio, you want to feel at home, surrounded by decor and furnishings suited to your tastes. If budget constraints or lease restrictions prevent you from shaping the home you want, consider these cost-effective DIY enhancements.

Of course, if you rent, you should always get your landlord’s blessing to avoid losing your security deposit. But as these changes are cosmetic in nature, it shouldn’t be difficult to obtain.

6. Rethink Wall Colors

The easiest (and most obvious) way to drastically change the look and feel of a home is by repainting one or more walls in a new hue. If you have a room with crown or picture molding, chair railing, or wainscoting, even better: Painting these to match the walls unifies the space and can heighten textural contrast, while painting the details in a contrasting color results in some period-inspired character.

“For painted accent walls, we like to choose walls that are the main focal point in the room, such as the one behind your bed,” says Cristina Casanas-Judd, partner at Me & General Design. “Or you can carve a nook within a room by using paint or wallpaper in a corner of the room or an alcove.”

For some inspiration, look to the trends and forecasts the leading residential paint brands release annually, such as Sherwin-Williams’ Colormix Forecast 2018, which is presented as different color families as opposed to a single “it” color. Benjamin Moore declared Caliente AF-290 — a hot, deep red — the 2018 Color of the Year, alongside complementing palettes. Behr unveiled its 2018 Color of the Year, a blue-green called In The Moment, and related tints, many of which possess a woodland-esque feel.

Interior designer Jennifer Levy of CAVdesign advises, “I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to paint color. So much depends on the actual architecture and the light in the space itself.” And for anyone wondering about dark versus light hues, she adds, “I think that dark colors do tend to make a room look smaller; they tend to come in towards you. But they can create a warmth and coziness in a space as well.”

Before you paint an entire wall, pick up oversized paint chips or sample jars and paint a section within the room where you intend to use that color to see it in context and how the light in that space affects it.

5. Add Pattern or Art

Alternatively, make a bold statement with wallpaper. This treatment used to get a bad rap due to its laborious installation, designs that go out of style, and wall damage from removal, but new lines are changing the game with easy-to-remove, temporary papers.

Slightly transparent and digitally printed, Brooklyn-based Flavor Paper‘s EZ Papes line features a prepasted ground that’s water activated when you’re ready to hang. When you tire of the design, it’s just as easy to remove it, once again using water.

The 24-inch-wide, Class A fire-rated papers are mold and mildew resistant and ecofriendly, and come in a choice of 12 whimsical patterns, including an adaptation of Andy Warhol’s Queen Elizabeth portrait and an original Brooklyn-themed artwork — called “Brownstoner,” of course — by local illustrator Ian Ferguson. Just remember that because this series is slightly transparent, you’ll want to be sure the wall you’re pasting it onto is a solid, light color.

Another brand of easy-to-remove wall coverings is Tempaper, a lead-, phthalate-, and VOC-free wallpaper whose water-based inks and adhesives enable easy removal and even repositioning. However, for best results it should be used on a surface primed with eggshell, semi-gloss, or satin paint. Like Flavor Paper, Tempaper has a selection of handsome and cheeky designs such as a pink-and-gold take on camouflage and designer Cynthia Rowley’s cherry blossom graphic on a silver ground.

“We love to install wallpaper in bathrooms,” says General Judd, the other half of Me & General Design. “This is where you can go as bold as you want. Unlike one might think, wallpapers can be super durable and today there are numerous ones with texture.”

4. Swap the Lighting

Some homes have charming period fixtures that give them character, while others have builder-standard eyesores such as flush-mount ceiling fixtures that resemble female anatomy. Changing a hardwired fixture isn’t as challenging as it looks, as long as the wiring is in good condition, but we recommend hiring an electrician or handyman to do the deed for safety and liability reasons.

When shopping for a replacement wall sconce, ceiling lamp, pendant or chandelier, keep in mind the lamp’s canopy or base plate should ideally cover the opening where the old fixture was installed. Otherwise, you’ll need to do some extra filling, spackling and painting to cover what’s left of the old opening.

Some great, reasonably priced online retailers include AllModern and Lamps Plus. Renters will probably want to hold onto the old fixture to restore before moving (and take the new one with you).

Plug-in fixtures can do wonders in dark corners and rooms where hardwiring doesn’t exist. Crate & Barrel’s CB2 brand is among several retailers who carry attractive plug-in fixtures such as cloth-drum pendants for hanging over a dining table and swing-arm wall sconces for reading in bed. These will usually have decorative cloth cords that are made to be seen and long enough to install just about anywhere.

3. Spruce Up the Cabinetry

Try giving existing kitchen cabinets a facelift if they look dowdy but are otherwise sturdy and in good condition. There are two ways to go about doing this: painting and swapping hardware. The former is more involved and therefore will be time consuming, but can radically upgrade the look of your kitchen if done right.

“If it’s a rental and you get permission from your landlord to repaint, prepare the cabinets by priming with something like Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3, which is specifically made for repainting slicker surfaces,” says Levy. Also, “make sure they’re super clean and degreased because that will be the thing that keeps the paint from adhering.” Note that there are several steps to take before any of this, however, such as removing doors and hardware and light sanding.

Upgrading cabinet hardware is relatively effortless. Think of it as jewelry for the kitchen: Perhaps you want to go from ornate turned pulls to minimalist bars, or from a bright and polished chrome to on-trend brushed bronze or black.

Simple knobs are typically universal in screw size so simply unscrew the old and insert the new in the same spot.

With handles and pulls, you’ll need to remove the old ones and then measure the distance between their screw holes. If you want to avoid drilling and filling holes, find pulls that have the same distance for an easy swap.

Options are abundant and varied in price, from budget-friendly knobs and pulls in big box stores such as IKEA to affordable designer products from Top Knobs and Belwith Keeler.

2. Refresh the Backsplash

There’s a demolition-free trick to enhancing simple white-tile backsplashes in kitchens or bathrooms. Jennifer Levy shares, “MIBO makes this thing called tile tattoos. If you have a basic backsplash, you can apply these little tile decals and they’re really, really cute — not tacky.”

Available in a few mod patterns and colorways, the vinyl decals are designed for application on 15-centimeter-square tiles and come in packs of eight. They’re waterproof once applied, but are also easily removable.

Some companies such as Smart Tiles make a peel-and-stick backsplash product for vertical surfaces. Smart Tile’s coverings sport a gel layer that gives the faux-tile-and-mosaic graphics a dimensional effect.

You should apply them only to smooth, painted surfaces as they don’t stay adhered to textured or imperfect walls. Be forewarned, though, that removing Smart Tiles after use can damage the paint job.

1. Indulge in a Fancy Showerhead

You might not be able to retile your 1970s bathroom, but you can at least splurge on a nicer, newer showerhead that’s free of lime scale, looks more high end, and boasts bells and whistles such as massage jet–like sprays.

Assuming the existing showerhead has a basic fixed wall arm, you can find a wide range of multi-spray showerheads that will fit the arm. Many now offer multiple sprays to suit each user.

Some of these are handheld models, which are convenient not just for bathing but also for cleaning the shower or tub walls. Hansgrohe’s Raindance Select E is a handsome choice that offers three spray modes easily changed by pressing a central “select” button.

Bathers with limited mobility might consider Moen’s Attract Magnetix handheld showers, which uses a strong magnet to mount the head back onto the arm without the strain of reaching up and over the holster.

Those who like to take their NPR podcasts or favorite playlists into the shower can add a waterproof speaker — but combining audio and shower in one is even better as it affords a cleaner, clutter-free look. Kohler’s Moxie showerhead has a built-in Bluetooth speaker that magnetically attaches at the head’s center.

Recharge the speaker simply via USB cable. Previously this product was available in chrome with an off-white face and speaker, but more recently Kohler launched the speakers with color on the rear to inject just a tiny pop of contrasting color when attached to the showerheads.

Finally, if you can take on only one of the above projects, Jennifer Levy has advice for you: “What is that one thing you see every day that is really bothering you? Ask yourself that question and then focus on getting that thing done.”

Source: Brownstoner

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