#it’s one extra button you’re spending time pressing for the same amount of damage as raiton

[fjotla-vithir]

Always remember what Uncle Iroh said about single target doton:

Wisdom has always been chasing you, but you have always been faster.

[shes-an-oddbird]

Christmas at River’s End Mall

Summary -  A Christmas AU in which everyone navigates their seasonal jobs, relationships and Christmas spirit, or lack there of, through woven together tales inspired by holiday prompts.

Chapter 2 - Silver Bells

Fitz, a self proclaimed Grinch, finds a bright spot in his retail hell in the form of the new gift wrap girl who works across from him and always wears a silver bell.

Prompt - Silver Bell Relationship - FitzSimmons POV - Fitz  

It’s just seasonal work. Fitz tells himself as he explains the purpose of the air fryer to a little old lady.

It’s just to make the extra cash he needs for the flight home. He encourages himself as he listens to a customer tell him about why one home security system is better than another.

It’s not the customers’ fault that they’re all complete morons. Fitz reminds himself as he waves goodbye to the family he had just helped purchase a remote control car that their kid was probably going to drive off the roof of their house.

If it wasn’t for the fact that he understood this tech stuff, as the manger so eloquently put it, he’d have been fired the first day. But when you can fly the demo drones as well as he can and repair the ones that have dropped over the side of the balcony, they let perpetual grumpiness slide. Still, it went without saying that he was not built for retail work.

Not every customer was awful. A couple of times now he’d helped a father and daughter duo who asked about the drones. Though it wasn’t with the usually onslaught of questions that made him painfully roll his eyes. No the little girl, Hope, he thinks her father had called her, was brilliant and her dad was dead set on not buying her a piece of junk. Fitz was able to give his honest and expert opinion and the father promised to be back once he’d done some research of his own.

If all his customers were like them, he wouldn’t mind the job so much.

But they weren’t, they were pushy and obnoxious. Fitz longed for the quiet hours of the day, after the mall walkers and stay at home parents left and before school and work let out.

That was when he heard it the first time.

The slightest jingle of a silver bell.

Just across from the store’s prime corner lot location a gift-wrapping station had been set up. Equip with rolls upon rolls of paper in ever color and pattern imaginable and a workspace that made him envious. The gift station was new, the one located downstairs no longer sufficient for the mall’s growing number of customers. May, the mall’s event coordinator, who interviewed pretty much everyone who came in for seasonal work, was escorting a beautiful girl about his age to the kiosk. She was wearing a festive dark green sweater and hanging around her neck on a long blue ribbon is a bell.

With every move she makes the bell rings. She steps behind the table and May gives her an empty cardboard box to wrap. She does so with the biggest smile on her face. In just minutes she hands May a stunning gold package with a shimmering silver bow. May looks impressed, which is saying something. He still remembers his interview. Because he’d be demoing the electronics and interacting with the mall patrons May had wanted to meet him. She had praised his skills but called him out on his lack of Christmas spirit.

“If you’re going to be doing this job Fitz you’re going to have to find some Holiday joy.”

May hands the woman a smaller item to wrap this time. It kind of looks like a tool from where he is. This one gives the gift wrapper only a moments pause before she slices off a length of sparkling red paper and begins to carefully fold it all while the gadget sits aside. He watches, unsure her plan, until a perfect sized gift bag begins to take shape. With just a minimal amount of tape it stands and she is able to slide the gift inside. She flips the top closed, hits it with the stapler and strategically attaches a shiny white bow to cover the sliver of metal.

May is pleased. She gives the woman a handshake and leaves.

Still with a smile on her face and chiming at every turn the woman turns and admires her new work station. She than turns her eyes up and scans the stores around her, likely to see what she might spend her time wrapping. When she catches his eyes he flinches.

He shouldn’t have been watching her this whole time. It was probably creepy. But she doesn’t notice or hadn’t because she gives him a cheery wave before returning her attention to her work. It isn’t long before she had a customer.

And then many more.

Word of her skill spreads fast and soon has even less down time than himself.

She has many guests too. Daisy, a volunteer and May’s adopted daughter who makes trips around the mall ensuring that Christmas cheer was well spread, visited often. Clearly the pair was close as he typically heard laughter coming from the station. He had been joyfully reprimanded by Daisy on more than one occasion for frowning, although it was all in good nature. She’d do her best to make him smile and he’d stubbornly keep up his Grinch persona.

A persona that was getting harder and harder to keep up. He still didn’t know her name, to nervous to get close enough to read her name tag without feeling creepy, but whoever she was, she was always in a good mood and it was annoyingly infectious.

That damn bell around her neck. She wore it every day and the noise should have driven him crazy like the Christmas music did but instead he looked forward to it. Now when the quiet of midafternoon rolled around it was an oddly pleasant reminder that he wasn’t the only one stuck in retail Christmas hell and something about that put him in a good mood.

“Look at you, Daisy been on your case today Mate?”

“What are you talkin about?” He asks around a bite of his lunch.

Hunter scoffs in disbelief. “That dumb grin that's been on your face since we went on break.”

“Its nothing."

He hadn’t realized he’d been so obvious. Just earlier he’d had potentially the worst customer of the season. A woman who couldn’t understand why the price of the smart home system she wanted wasn’t the same as the price in their advertisement. When he tried to explain to her that that was a basic model and the one she selected was upgraded she whined that they looked exactly the same. At that point he had called over a manager who informed her it was a software upgrade and it wouldn’t look any different.

Still unsatisfied, she complained that for the price it should have all the features and stormed out.

The manager had applauded his ability to keep his cool and immediately let him go back to demos. As he was setting up one of his favorite drones when he caught sight of the gift wrapping girl looking at him. She smiled at him sympathetically before looking in the direction that the woman had stomped off in and then turned back to him making a fake gagging expression.

She understood.

“Nothing is awfully pretty, mate." Hunter says, pulling him back to the present.

“What?”

“The elf that’s working at the gift wrap kiosk.”

“How do you – “

“Bobbi can see you from the coffee shop.”

Of course she can.

“I don’t even know her, she waves hello to me in the morning that’s it.”

“Well I have a thought to remedy that.” Fitz was starting to regret taking his break with Hunter.

“And what's that?”

“Why don’t you just go talk to her?”

Fitz immediately shakes his head. “I can’t, she’s the embodiment of Christmas spirit and I’m – “

“The Grinch.”

Fitz frowns at him.

“Why don’t you take something over there to get it gift wrapped, it’ll give you an excuse to talk to her.”

“I haven’t got anything to have wrapped.”

“You’ve been pulling double shifts and don't have anything to show for it?”

“You know I’m trying to get home to see my mum.” If that meant his friends didn't get any gifts this year they'd just have to deal with it.

“Whatever, if you don’t talk to her by the end of the week, you’re taking my gifts over there and having them wrapped.”

Not its his turn to scoff. “What gifts, you blew all your money on the exhibition ticket.” Fitz won’t admit to being jealous that Hunter had a ticket to the football match. It wasn’t till the spring but their teams weren’t exactly stateside often so the tickets went fast.

“Don’t be bitter, I’ve got a buddy who can still hook you up with a decent seat.”

“Don’t you have to get back to your tree lot.”

***

“Fitz," he jumps at the manager's shout, "I need you flying the camera drone.”

“Why?”

“Because we’ve got stock, now get on it please, show it off, do some of that trick flying.”

Fitz rolls his eyes and sets up the camera drone for demo. Its not his favorite. The flight controls are temperamental and the camera was fuzzy, but they were cheap and on the top of every gift guide so they had about a hundred of them in the back. Even with the poor controls he does manage to pull a crowd. Saturday meant there were kids and they were dragging their parents over wide eyed and ready to beg. Amongst the crowd he spots Hope and her father. He presses a button that syncs the drone to the big screen they have mounted just inside the store's entrance and hovers the drone in front of them. They wave at the screen and Hope beams when she catches herself on the TV.

His manager was ecstatic.

He does an impressive spin with the drone, flying it over the balcony and up towards the third floor. There is a round of applause and the distant sound of a bell. He glances over at the gift wrap kiosk and to his shock he sees her clapping as well. She gives him a little wave and he quickly waves back, the drone dips drastically, sending the crowd scattering as it veers towards them.

“SORRY!”

He swoops it back upwards, hovering it well above the patrons heads as he apologizes to them and they disperse. He looks back at the controls, preparing to land it and check it over for damage when he catches a glimpse of something on the camera screen. The drone had been hovering over the gift wrap station, the camera angled towards the girl whose holding up a scrape of gift wrap with words scrawled across it.

Nice flying.

He looks up to find her smiling back. Suddenly he’s thankful for the kitschy features of the cheap drones. He quickly brings up the keyboard and sends a message to the drone.

Thanks.

She holds up the scrap of paper, more words added to the bottom.

What’s your name?

Fitz types back quickly. This wasn’t exactly how he thought meeting her would go but he wasn’t complaining.

Fitz. What’s yours?

Jemma.

[anonymouswriter2311]

Badge’s and Barmaid’s, Chapter 21

Sorry for the long wait. Between travelling and university work I haven't had much time to write. I'm not back to my usual update speed just yet, but just know that I haven't abandoned this!

AO3 Link 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Charity hissed as she quickly buttoned up her silky blouse, her cheeks red with a mixture of arousal, embarrassment, and anger. She had a whole load of plans for how their afternoon was going to pan out and having to throw clothes on in front of Joe freaking Tate was definitely not on her list.

“I knocked but no one answered, I can see why now.” Joe’s smug smirk grew as he looked over Charity’s shoulder to Vanessa, who was thankfully now fully dressed. “Nice to see you again Officer.”

“Detective.” Vanessa hissed under her breath as she stood behind Charity. Gently she rested her hand in the blondes back, making sure to keep the small contact out of view from the unwanted guest, only to have Charity move away from her touch. Vanessa wanted to be mad, but she knew that Charity had a long history with the Tate’s and her walls needed to stay firmly up whenever he was around.

“Whatever…I don’t think you’ll have much of a title left after this anyway, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that I don’t pay taxes so you can spend your work day in the back room of a run-down pub fornicating with a known criminal.” He smirked the vilest of smirks, tightening an invisible noose around Vanessa’s neck. Finally, he had dirt on Hotten’s newest arrival, and he wouldn’t think twice about using her to his advantage.

“What I do in my spare time is my business Mr Tate,” Vanessa stood her ground, going as far as to gently push past the taller silent woman.

“I think the badge and gun on the table is a big hint that this isn’t spare time.” His smirk intensified, a wave of nausea hitting Vanessa hard.

“Who cares! Now, are you going to tell me why you’re here or am I gonna have ta’ thump it out of you.” Charity spat, every fibre in her body keeping her anchored in place.

“Threatening me in front of an Officer, ballsey.”  

“I didn’t hear a threat, did you, Detective?” Charity smirked back, praying that Vanessa would have her back.

“Nope.” The shorter woman said with a pop, as she resisted the urge to reach out and comfort the blonde. She could see how much Joe’s presence alone was affecting her.

“You’ve really got yourself quite the little puppy dog here, and I thought you had more sense.” Joe casually sat on the edge of the table, making sure not to break the intimidating eye contact with Vanessa. “I wonder what your supervisor would think? Sleeping around on the job, with a Dingle nonetheless.” He added, his lips curling up as she watched the Detective squirm slightly under his gaze.

“He’s not going to find out! What Vanessa and I do is our business, and you can stick your privileged gob out of it!” Charity quickly jumped to Vanessa’s aid, the blonde feeling a strong urge to protect the smaller woman.

“Charity, I can handle him.” Vanessa placed her hand carefully on Charity’s arm, hoping to calm the blonde – if that was even possible at this current moment.

“You shouldn’t have to! Isn’t this breaking and entering?” The barmaid spat, looking to Vanessa for answers.

“Not when you have a key.” Joe chuckled as he jiggled a familiar set of keys in front of Charity.

“How the hel-”

“Debbie gave me it a few months ago, in case of emergencies.” He cut her off, taking great pleasure in throwing the small set of keys at Charity’s feet. This was the last straw for Charity, and before Joe even had the chance to open his privileged mouth once again, Charity was pouncing, ready to inflict as much damage as possible. She’d almost made it, her hands just inches away from his throat when she felt Vanessa pull her back and quickly plant her smaller body in front of Charity’s fuming one.

“Vanessa get out of my way.” She tried and failed to push past the frowning Detective.

“Don’t do something you’re going to regret Charity.” Vanessa hissed, more worry than anger laced in her voice. Charity breathed deeply, going over the endless amount of calming techniques she’s been taught over the years.

“I just want to get to know my brother, is that too much to ask for?” Joe shrugged, unaffected by Charity’s little outburst.

“Over my dead body!” Charity was once again restrained by Vanessa, who was ready to attack the man-child herself at this rate.

“What about my silence?” He smirked, his words catching Charity’s attention. “About this, about Detective Woodfield’s extra duties. If you two are hiding in here with all the doors locked, I take it this is something you’d like to keep quiet.” Vanessa was about to refuse when Charity quickly cut her off.

“Tomorrow afternoon. Noah has the dentist in the morning, and I’ve promised him the rest of the day off.”

“Charity!” Vanessa whisper-shouted, as the taller blonde made a point to avoid any eye contact with her.

“One hour. That’s all you get.”

“That’s acceptable.” Joe nodded, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

“And I’ll be here the whole time.” Charity pushed past a stunned Vanessa to square up to Joe.

“Understood. He’s my family Charity. I only want what’s best for him, you’ve got to believe me when I say that.” He added, for the first time seeming sincere as he spoke.

“You’ve got what you came for, now do one!” Charity spat, moving aside so he could leave. “Oh, one more thing.” She grabbed his arm violently, forcing Joe to face her. “You ever come into my home again, and I will do something that I won’t regret.” She whispered, unsure if Vanessa could hear her or not, but at the same time not caring.

“Detective.” He nodded at the silent blonde as he left, the once confident smirk wilting slightly.

The air was thick between the two women, neither daring to look at each other in the eye. Vanessa couldn’t believe what had just unfolded, her job threatened, and new-found relationship exposed, but that wasn’t what was bothering her. Charity.Charity was bothering her. She pulled away from her touch, threw herself under the bus out of fear and Vanessa couldn’t understand why. Surely, they’d gotten past this, Charity had promised her that she was all in, she’d said that this wasn’t just a game for her. So what changed? How had the woman who had been kissing her with such passion and lust moments ago, suddenly turned her back and moved away?

“You didn’t have to do that,” Vanessa whispered softly as she gently lowered herself onto the sofa, arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I don’t care what he does…you didn’t have to give in because of me.”

“I didn’t.” Charity hissed back, quickly regretting it once her eyes landed on the look of pure hurt on Vanessa’s face. “Not entirely…I did it for us.” She moved swiftly towards the shorter woman, carefully taking a seat next to her. “My lot. They wouldn’t understand, not yet.” She muttered uncomfortably, tightly clasping her hands together on her lap, restraining herself from reaching out to touch Vanessa.

“You’re ashamed of this? Of us? Is it because I’m a woman?” Vanessa’s voice broke slightly. She’d been through this before, been stuck hiding a relationship because of shame.

“No! It’s got nothing to do with that, trust me!” Charity reached out and tangled their hands together, giving Vanessa’s hand a small reassuring squeeze. “Man, woman. None of that matters to my lot.”

“Then what is it? Why are you so worried about them knowing about us?” The shorter blonde finally snapped, breaking their intertwined hands as she stood abruptly. “What is it you are hiding from me Charity?” She pressed, the barmaids silence only angering her more as she impatiently waited for a response.

Charity ran a shaky hand through her messy hair, making her wish that she could be back in Vanessa’s strong arms once again, back when Vanessa wasn’t mad or upset, back when she didn’t have Joe Tate blackmailing his way into Noah’s life and succeeding. Softly her eyes met Vanessa’s, she knew that she couldn’t – no shouldn’t – keep her in the dark anymore. “It’s what you do...you’re a copper Vanessa.” Charity’s eyes fell to her lap, afraid of what was to come next. She would never ask Vanessa to change who she was, and she knew that Vanessa wasn’t that kind of person who was even consider changing for someone else. She was strong-willed, stubborn, and completely in love with her job and Charity loved that about her, not that love was a word she was even close to embracing or even acknowledging.

Charity was sure that she had messed things up once again, that was until she heard a soft chuckle escape from Vanessa’s lips and quickly turn into a hearty laugh. “Seriously Charity? You want us to sneak around because I just so happen to carry a gun and badge?”

“It’s not funny Ness. We don’t mix with coppers, it’s not in our blood.” The taller blonde pouted, before being quickly engulfed by Vanessa homely arms.

“Well, you seem to enjoy mixing with a certain copper.” She smirked at the woman in her arms, before littering her neck with hundreds of little kisses, full of relief now that she knew she wasn’t what Charity was ashamed of.

“Yeah, well I’ve never been a rule follower.”

“I never would have guessed.” Vanessa captured Charity’s lips, happily savouring every second.

“I will tell them. Just not yet, they need a little warming up first.” Charity whispered as they broke apart, foreheads rested against each other.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” The barmaid smiled shyly, half expecting Vanessa to drop her like a bag of spuds.

“I trust you Charity.” The shorter blonde rolled her eyes playfully as she brought her hand up to gently brush a strand of wild hair behind Charity’s ear. “Just promise that you’ll be honest with me?”

“I promise…” Charity gave a small nod, just about enough emotion put into it as she could muster without a breakdown.

“Now, where were we?” Vanessa smirked, her hands already beginning to unbutton Charity’s shirt for the second time that day.

“I think.” Vanessa let out a small squeak as Charity pulled her onto her lap. “I was about to mix with my favourite copper.” Clothes soon found their way to the floor and the two women happily lost themselves in each other, neither quite ready to deal with the shit-storm that was coming their way.

[backyardmike]

The 5 Picks For Best Stihl Chainsaw

Now you may be an experienced woodsman already and fully familiar with different chainsaws.

But whether you’re an expert or a novice, a good guide on the different chainsaws available on the market can help cut down the time you spend searching online.

Stihl makes some really good power tools, specializing in saws as their signature product. They’ve come out with a myriad of choices, with different feature specifications to tackle any job you have.

We’ve rounded down a list of Stihl chainsaw to see which would come out as the best Stihl chainsaw.

The Best Stihl Chainsaw: Our 5 Picks

Stihl MS 170 – Best Overall

Stihl MS 170

Buy from Stihl

Buy from Northern

One of Stihl’s most popular designs has to be their MS  170 line of chainsaws.

It combines its lightweight compact design with just the right amount of power you’d expect from a domestic gasoline chainsaw.

From cutting small trees to trimming the hedges, you can expect to have the same reliability that Stihl products feature in many of their professional-grade chainsaws.

Features

Included in the MS 170 is Stihl’s anti-vibration system. Originally developed for a myriad of outdoor power equipment, Stihl chainsaws have included it within this range as well.

This anti-vibration system will reduce user fatigue during use and give a better cutting experience overall.

Within the Stihl MS 170 is their trademark IntelliCarb™ Compensating Carburetor.

This is meant to automatically regulate the amount of air-to-fuel ratio that is found within the engine, maintaining a safe and efficient RPM.

A clean carburetor is important to avoid clogged and dirty fuel mixed with little to no air due to dirty air filters, which may damage your engine in the long run.

Lastly, the Stihl MS 170 uses their Ematic™ guide bar partnered with their Oilmatic saw chains. This provides efficient lubrication to keep your chainsaw from heating up too quickly.

Two strategically placed ramps help flow the oil towards the chain links, which controls the flow of the oil towards the rivets and drive links. This maintains a smooth usage while reducing maintenance downtime.

Functionality

The Stihl MS 170 is a domestic type chainsaw, meaning that it’s best used for homeowners looking for general use products for their landscaping needs.

It has a guide bar length of 12 to 16 inches and a fuel capacity of 8.5 oz or 250 cc.

It’s 1.3 kW engine power is enough to keep up with daily maintenance tasks like hedge trimming and field clearing, making it good for both experienced and amateur users alike.

Our Verdict

It’s no surprise why the Stihl MS 170 is possibly our pick for the best Stihl chainsaw ever made. It’s easy to use and compact enough to use at home while still maintaining a steady power for cutting and trimming.

If you were to get a Stihl chainsaw, the Stihl MS 170 should be on the top of your list as it really is one of the best chainsaws on the market.

Lightweight but powerful

Simple and straightforward

Limited to home/simpler tasks

Stihl MSA 200 C-B – Best Value

Stihl MSA 200

Buy from Stihl

Buy from Northern

If modernity is what you’re after, then the Stihl MSA 200 C-B would be the best Stihl chainsaw for you.

The Stihl MSA 200 C-B is your ultimate no-frills electric chainsaw where you can simply just press the trigger and start cutting.

Despite being portable, this Stihl chainsaw has some of the strongest cutting power amongst their line of home chainsaws. It rarely gets better than this in terms of quality design and intuitiveness.

Features

The Stihl MSA 200 C-B uses an interchangeable lithium-ion battery, similar to what is used to power most gadgets these days.

This makes the battery-powered MSA 200 C-B quieter than the gasoline-powered chainsaws, perfect for quieter neighborhoods or areas which may have noise restrictions.

Despite being battery powered, it still delivers a solid cutting performance that can tackle most yardwork without too much difficulty.

It comes with an easy-starting function, which means you can simply turn it on and start your work with the pull of a trigger found on its rubberized textile handle.

Apart from that, it uses Stihl’s Quickstop Plus safety chain brake feature.

It’s a system that can stop the chain immediately either by the user’s hand or if the chainsaw receives a significant enough kickback. A great safety feature for professionals and beginners alike.

The MSA 200 C-B also has its Brushless Motor and Quick Chain Adjuster. Both reduce downtime by limiting motor maintenance and providing easy chain tension adjustment, respectively.

It uses the same Ematic™ system that the MS 170 uses, keeping the chain lubricated for an easy cutting experience.

Functionality

The MSA 200 C-B is a more technically modern home chainsaw, perfect for users looking for innovative technologies in their power tools.

It has a compact guide bar length of 10 to14 inches that is perfect for individual landscaping tasks.

The lithium-ion battery replaces traditional electric and gasoline power sources, able to run for up to 200 minutes with full functionality.

It remains light at around 4.6 kg, so that bringing it around feels less clunky as other devices.

Our Verdict

The battery-powered MSA 200 C-B could very well be a contender for the best Stihl chainsaw ever made with its lightweight portability without sacrificing cutting power.

The Quickstop feature, Brushless Motor, and Tension adjuster keep work efficient and reduces downtime so you can finish tasks easier and quicker.

If you are in the market for something powerful yet minimal in noise, the MSA 200 C-B is the best Stihl chainsaw for you.

Good power to weight ratio

Quiet operation

Portable and long-running

Small guide bar length limits its use

Expensive

Stihl MS 180 C-BE – Best Budget

Stihl MS 180

Buy from Stihl

Buy from Northern

]ust because something has some extra technology doesn’t mean it has to break the bank. The MS 180 C-BE combines classic gas-powered performance with the technology that makes operation as easy as it can be.

With Stihl’s Easy2Start™ system, this lightweight chainsaw can operate with just a light pull of its cord. This keeps the Stihl MS 180 C-BE incredibly easy to use whenever you need it.

Features

The Stihl Easy2Start™ makes the Stihl MS 180 C-BE one of the easiest chainsaws to use as it eliminates the experience needed to pull-start traditional chainsaws.

Included within the Stihl MS 180 is their IntelliCarb™ Compensating Carburetor and Quick Chain Adjuster.

The trademark carburetor keeps your feel and air intake in check by consistently adjusting fuel intake to match changing levels of air due to clogged air filters.

The Quick Chain adjuster eliminates a lot of downtimes when it comes to recalibrating your saw chain. With a few presses, you can change the tension on your chain to keep it from loosening up while in use.

Functionality

The Stihl MS 180 C-BE is a great mid-ranged domestic from Stihl chainsaws.

It uses the classic gas power source and a cord-pull start system, giving it enough power for those more familiar with more traditional chainsaws.

It has a 12 to 16-inch bar, perfect for cutting down mid-sized trees or clearing large areas of bushings.

The MS 180 C-BE has a standard fuel capacity of 8.5 oz or 250 cc, so it can keep running similarly to professional level chainsaws.

Our Verdict

The MS 180 C-BE is great for traditionalists who are looking towards Stihl chainsaws for something that’s modern without sacrificing design.

Compared to the MS 200 C-B, this uses the standard cord pull instead of the modern trigger, which may please some people looking for more familiarity in design.

It also comes in a fairly larger size, which, when matched with its price, gives you incredible value for your money. The MS 180 C-BE is our choice for the Best Stihl Chainsaw for the money you pay.

Best Budget option for its capabilities

Traditional designs with modern features

None

Stihl MSE 250

Stihl MSE 250

Buy from Stihl

Buy from Northern

Stihl chainsaws aren’t just limited to home use, seeing as how Stihl started their business by making industrial and commercial powered saw products in the past.

The MSE 250 gives a professional-level cutting power while being quiet, durable, and lightweight.

It has several useful features for a working chainsaw, such as a coasting break, a temperature monitor, and a comfortable grip for long job days.

Features

The Stihl MSE 250 chainsaw uses a strong electric motor that just needs roughly 20 amp for an appropriate power source.

The MSE 250 uses the Ematic™ system that other Stihl chainsaws use for lubrication. This keeps your chain properly lubricated to avoid any heat build-up while working.

You can also monitor any heat overload through the MSE 250’s overload protection LED. The chainsaw will turn off with the triggering of the red overload button, which flashes red when the chainsaw is close to overheating.

For additional safety, the Stihl MSE 250 has the Quickstop Super Chain Brake, which can stop the chain immediately once the operator’s hand is off the rear handle.

There is also a side tension chain that you can use to apply more tension on the chain without manually adjusting it.

The MSE transparent tool-less oil tank can make oil replacement and monitoring a breeze. When coupled with the Ematic™ system, you can expect to save on more lubricating oil.

Functionality

The Stihl MSE 250 is part of the professional line of Stihl chainsaws.

It includes a safety current limitation to avoid any engine issues on a job site that has a weaker power source that doesn’t match the 15-20 amp motor this chainsaw has.

It has a 16 to 20-inch bar, which is aligned with standard professional-level chainsaws. It also has a slightly higher chain oil capacity of 200 cc to keep your chainsaw cutting smooth and provide low-friction.

Our Verdict

We think that if you had to pick one professional chainsaw, the Stihl MSE 250 should be the one you do.

Even amongst other Stihl chainsaws, it is one model that shines as a tough and heavy-duty chainsaw that’s lightweight and easy to use.

If you find that the work you do needs a bit more power, but you aren’t looking to carry around something that weighs a ton, your best bet would be the Stihl MSE 250.

Lightweight electric professional chainsaw

Plenty of safety and work features for efficiency

Better suited for work/professional jobs than home use

Stihl MS 271

Stihl MS 271

Buy from Stihl

Buy from Northern

The Stihl MS 271, aptly titled FARM BOSS®, is a new iteration in the spirit of their earlier chainsaw, the Stihl MS 270.

It’s improved in many ways through the different modern improvements that time and experience has developed in Stihl.

It’s a hefty type of chainsaw, made for even harder work than the previous Stihl MSE 250. Yet it retains its efficiency and ergonomic design for the best possible user experience.

Features

The MS 271 uses a unique pre-separation air filtration system.

It saves on time with almost double the interval time saved in-between air filter cleanings. There is an internal centrifugal system that separates drawn in the air from the heavier dirt particles it may come in with.

This means that there is essentially a quick filtration system before the air gets through to the actual air filters, which lessens the need to replace them.

The MS 271 also has an anti-vibration system, which keeps it from generating too much vibration while in use. This was designed to lessen fatigue and increase control over the use of the chainsaw.

The MS 271 also includes a Chain Tensioner on the side so you can easily adjust the tension on your chain without having to manually adjust the chain by hand.

Functionality

The MS 271 is the successor to the MS 270, meaning professional woodcutters should see even better results from the use of the more modern Farm Boss chainsaw.

It uses a large capacity fuel power source with 500 cc or 16.9 for long-lasting and powerful cutting performance. One fuel tank can last much longer with its efficient fuel intake and air filtration system.

The Farm Boss can reach up to 20 inches in size, perfect for thicker diameter wood where one would need powerful and long chainsaws to cut through.

Despite packing a lot of power, the Farm boss remains relatively balanced in weight at only 5.6 kg (unfueled).

Our Verdict

If you’re familiar with the Stihl MS 270, you’re going to love what they’ve done with their MS 271 Farm Boss as a direct upgrade.

If you’re an experienced cutter, you’ll find that the MS 271 is easy-to-use despite its many included features.

This might be the best Stihl fuel-powered chainsaw, one you shouldn’t overlook when looking for a tough and rugged outdoor chainsaw.

Very powerful professional chain cutting

Long 20-inch bar

None

Overview of Stihl Chainsaws

Stihl has been around since 1920, creating one of the first portable electric saws in the market.

Each and every one of Stihl’s products has been made with the learnings they’ve developed throughout almost 100 years in the industry.

Stihl prides itself on its made-in-the-USA manufacturing process, keeping its quality control and design within company manufactures.

When you buy Stihl products, you aren’t only getting a quality power tool but also supporting domestic Stihl manufacturers and American jobs.

Moreover, they’ve begun developing their tools with sustainability in mind. You can see this in some of the electric-powered tools they have as they slowly adapt to methods apart from gasoline power.

Despite all these changes in how they’ve made their products, Stihl’s standard of quality has remained as high as ever.

Most chainsaws come with a 1-year warranty. This limited 1-year warranty is their guarantee that throughout using any one of Stihl’s products, you have the assurance of manufacturing quality.

If you find that the saw you bought does not meet its specified quality, you can return it for assessment and receive a new one if the Stihl product was deemed faulty.

Special Chainsaw Properties

Some chainsaws come with useful features that can keep your tool running efficiently despite continuous use.

Self-Sharpening Chainsaws

Some chainsaws can help keep your chain sharp even while you use it. Self-Sharpening gives you a lever that activates a retractable sharpening steel that uses the chain’s rotation to sharpen the cutters on your chainsaw.

Some modern chainsaws have this feature to reduce the downtime that you’ll need to sharpen your chainsaw cutters manually.

Though you need to note that it’s not advised to purely rely on this as you can easily remove too much metal and cause the chainsaw to be less effective as a result.

Self Lubricating Chainsaws

Self-lubrication is almost included in most Stihl chainsaws now due to how fast their chains can build up heat and friction with their powerful motors.

A self-lubricating chainsaw generally allows minimal amounts of lubricating oil to spread around the chainsaw chain to reduce the generation of heat while using the power tool.

The chainsaw often includes mini-reservoirs that contain the lubricating oil so that it can effectively control the amount of lubrication used on the chain.

This works in tandem with most modern chains that include oil channels for even distribution throughout all drive links.

Best Practices to Take Care of your Chainsaw

Taking care of your chainsaw is one way to make sure the Stihl chainsaw you buy lasts. Stihl has come out with a simple guide on how best to maintain your chainsaw.

To make it easier for you, we’ve summarized the different ways you can keep your chainsaw in tip-top shape.

Practice Proper Storage

Always store the chainsaw in a well-ventilated area away from direct UV light exposure from the sun.

This keeps molds and moister away from the chainsaw while avoiding any unwanted embrittlement from the sun.

Consider getting a storage bag for your chainsaw to avoid any dust getting into sensitive electric parts of the chainsaw. Stihl has a variety of storage bags available that are specialized for their chainsaws.

Lastly, make sure to keep your chainsaw away from vulnerable individuals such as children or pets.

Empty The Fuel Tank

Always make sure to take time to empty the fuel tank every now and then to clean it. Think of it as a good oil change in your car; you wouldn’t want any build-up of old oil affecting performance.

Don’t forget to drain the carburetor to prevent any of the internal mechanisms from sticking together.

Regular Dismantling

Learn how to properly dismantle the parts of your chainsaw to properly clean them individually. Each chainsaw is different, but generally, you’ll want to remove the chain and the guide bar from the main motor body.

Remove any lingering debris, wipe each part down, and spray them with protective mineral grade oil.

Chain Sharpening

To best take care of the chains you have and the chains you will purchase, Stihl recommends learning how to regularly sharpen your chainsaw.

Chainsaws often get dull over time when cutting through wood every day or can dull quickly if you hit dirt, debris, or rock.

You’ll need a few tools like a flat and round file and a Dremel tool, but learning how to do so can save you the money you would have spent having to buy a new chainsaw chain down the line.

Conclusion

There are a lot of chainsaws on the market that can catch your eye with flashy branding or extravagant features. But many of the best chainsaws follow simple and straightforward designs meant to increase efficiency and improve user experience.

Stihl has almost perfected their craft in chainsaws but never limits themselves to just the usual basic guide bar and chain setup other brands have.

Stihl can continue producing the classic MS 170, a reliable staple, and they can also create modern innovations like the Stihl MSA 200 C-B with its battery-powered trigger operation.

Whichever chainsaw you may need, Stihl has you covered with a wide range of products that won’t let you down. 

from Backyard Mike https://www.backyardmike.com/best-stihl-chainsaw-reviews/

[philsdrill]

Chapter 27: Relax

Fic Summary: “Everyone had a link with their soulmates, some could hear some of their partners thoughts, some had a tattoo that would appear with their partners name; for me, I knew when they got sick.” For a while Phil has thought that his soulmate might have an eating disorder and doesn’t expect to meet him in the restaurant where he works.

Genre: a lot of fluff, recovery, really fucking domestic, waiter!Phil

Warnings: eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, hospitals, panic attacks, references to past abuse, mentions of suicide, mentions of self-harm, a lot of awkwardness, small amounts of smut. This is potentially triggering so for your own sake, please think twice about reading if anything this might affect you.

Disclaimer: I don’t have personal experience with eating disorders, but have done some research. If I have anything about them wrong, feel free to send me an ask and I’ll sort it out.

Word Count (for this part): 5.5k

[Uploads will be hopefully every couple of weeks! (follow @philsdrill-updates to hear when I post)]

A/N: Guess who actually pretty much stuck to the two week schedule this time!? Anyway, I’m now living in my uni accommodation and I’m still alive. Things are stressful already, like I just had my first project submission today and I keep having to go and buy food, which is a bit weird doing it all myself. Things are different, but I’m slowly adapting and hopefully my writing won’t suffer too much.

MASTERPOST

<= Previous Chapter

TRIGGER WARNING: blood and self harm (extra warning for this chapter as something in the last two weeks has reminded me how important this is)

Dan’s POV:

Everyone slept in the next morning, which was a relief as we all needed the sleep. Phil and I were still first through to the kitchen to get the breakfast stuff set up. Once we had all the plates, bowls, cereal, milk and everything we would need on the table, I took Phil aside to look at his hands which he had cut at work last night.

I tore the plasters off for him, as it was always easier having someone else do it. Phil yelped, particularly as I pulled off the one on the palm of his hand, as this seemed to have become one with the dried blood, effectively yanking the scab off with it. I guided him over to the sink and washed his hand carefully, to get rid of the excess dried blood. I patted his hand dry with some kitchen roll, then put fresh plasters on his fingers.

I gave the cut on his hand some time, as it had started to bleed again, waiting for it to dry up a little before I stuck a plaster on it. As this one looked a lot more angry, and was clearly having a harder time healing than the smaller scratches, I put some antiseptic ointment on the plaster before smoothing it down onto Phil’s hand.

With Phil’s hand sorted out, we got started on out breakfast. I took on making the coffee to make things a little easier for Phil; he was having a little difficulty with his sore hand. It wasn’t long before Adam and Ethan joined us; Adam looked awake and up for the day ahead, whereas Ethan looked tired and miserable.

When breakfast was over, Adam headed to get ready as we were about to head out to go shopping. Ethan, however, just said he was going back to bed. Before we left, I asked Phil to make sure and keep an eye on Ethan. Adam could tell that he wasn’t in the best frame of mind and it was probably best that someone kept checking up on him.

Before we left, I went to ask Ethan if he needed anything. He was bundled up in his and Adam’s duvet and responded only with an, “I don’t know.”

“How about a razor and some shaving foam?” Adam suggested, “Some shampoo you’re not allergic to?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ethan nodded, his expression remaining rather grim.

Adam took a note of what he was to get, a specific shampoo that Ethan used at home and knew he was fine with and a handful of shaving products for sensitive skin.

We headed out in the car, leaving Ethan and Phil at home. Once we were in the shop, our first stop was the condoms and lube, because that was really what we were there for. Adam picked up the lube I had shown him yesterday, as he had no knowledge of anything else. He decided to stick with the Durex brand for condoms too and after a couple of minutes of discussion, he had a box of ‘extra safe’ ones sitting in our basket.

“You can experiment with fancy lubes and ribbed condoms some other time if you want, but as beginners, these are probably best,” I said, approving of his choice.

“Is there anything else I need?” Adam asked, looking thoughtful.

“Hmm…” I said, thinking aloud, “Let’s get you a packet of wipes; that’ll make cleaning up easier. Don’t worry if you mess up the sheets though,  that just means that you’ll need to wash them.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan,” Adam nodded, starting to move to look for the wipes.

After finding wipes, we collected the rest of our small shopping list: paracetamol for the cupboard and shampoo and shaving stuff for Ethan.

Adam had expressed that he’d like to get back quickly, so we didn’t spend too much time looking at other things. He had been feeling sadness from Ethan the entire time we’d been out and I think it was starting to get to him. I paid for our shopping and we headed home, getting Adam back to his soulmate as quickly as possible.

Ethan was still in bed, wrapped in the duvet, in the exact way in which we’d left him. He looked profoundly miserable; his eyes red from crying and his hair still messed up from bed. I spoke to Phil and it sounded like he’d tried his best, offering him coffee and making him hot chocolate, but he didn’t touch the hot chocolate and wouldn’t speak to Phil about what was wrong.

Adam sat with him and tried to hold him to comfort him, but Ethan just pushed him away. Adam was a bit distraught after this and came to me and Phil looking for advice. In the end we decided the best thing to do would be to give him some peace and have Adam check up on him now and then.

When Adam did return to check on Ethan, he found he was asleep. Adam left him be, hoping that sleeping would help him to feel better. He poked his nose in about every half hour for the rest of the morning, in case he woke up and needed someone.

It was just after lunch when Ethan woke up, Adam suddenly feeling a strong bout of emotion and audible sobs coming from their room. Adam went to investigate and Phil and I listened out in case we were needed for any reason.

It turned out that Ethan had woken up from a dream where he’d tried to kill himself, we discovered, after Adam had called out to us for some help. Ethan had opened up the razor we’d got him and started to cut himself and Adam was clearly too overwhelmed to know what to do. He’d managed to persuade Ethan to drop the blade, but he was bleeding.

When Phil and I arrived, Ethan was sobbing into Adam’s chest, while Adam held onto his bleeding arm. Seeing the damage, I sent Phil off to get our first aid stuff, while I moved the blade a safe distance away. I sat down on the bed and took Ethan’s arm from Adam, while he explained what had happened.

I had enough time to study the cuts before Phil put the first aid stuff down next to me. I could see that Adam was managing to calm Ethan down a little, so I gave it a minute before starting to take care of his arm. With an antiseptic wipe, I cleaned up his arm, letting me see the cuts more clearly. I decided that a dressing with a bandage around it was probably the best idea. I got what I needed ready, then cleaned up some more blood that had appeared before I applied the dressing and wrapped the bandage around.

Adam was doing his best to keep Ethan distracted, but I worked quickly, pronouncing it done once I was satisfied the dressing was secure. I let go of his arm and watched as Adam guided Ethan’s arm back between them. Ethan was still crying a little, but I could see he was a bit better now he had Adam holding him and reassuring him.

“Is there something that’s been bothering you today?” Adam asked Ethan, “You haven’t been feeling so good have you.”

Ethan shook his head, “I guess my antidepressants are wearing off now that it’s been three days since I had them.”

“You’d started antidepressants!?” Adam said, a little surprised, “You never said.”

“Just over a week ago,” Ethan told us, “I wasn’t really sure they had started working, but I feel so shit now; I think they must’ve.”

“I think you should phone your doctor and see if you can get an appointment to get a new prescription,” I said, “As soon as possible is probably ideal, so d’you think you’re up for phoning?”

“I guess, but I don’t think I have the number in my phone,” Ethan said glumly.

“If you hold on two minutes I can find it because you’re at the same surgery as me and Phil,” I told him, digging my phone out my pocket and finding the Doctor’s surgery number in my contacts.

I showed Ethan the number and he put it into his own phone. I gave him a rough outline of what he'd need to say, then a few deep breaths later, he pressed the call button.

Ethan did stumble over his words a few times, but he did a reasonably good job of explaining to the doctor that his home situation had changed and he was no longer living with his parents. He didn't bring his antidepressants with moving out so suddenly, so he hasn't taken them in three days and has now been having suicidal dreams, is really tired all the time, isn't feeling good and has been cutting again.

“Do you have anyone with you at the moment? Who are you staying with?” the doctor asked, concerned.

“Yeah, my soulmate and his brother… and his brother’s soulmate,” Ethan explained.

“Okay good,” the doctor said, sounding relieved, probably glad he was still staying with some sort of family, “You need to really trust them and let them keep an eye on you.”

“Okay,” Ethan said a little timidly.

“Right, well I'm having a look at my availability,” the doctor said, his mouse clicking quietly in the background as he spoke. “There's nothing today, but I can see you first thing in the morning at nine am.”

“Okay, that would be great,” Ethan said, a little shakily.

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll just have a little chat with you about how you’ve been feeling and we’ll get your new prescription sorted out,” the doctor explained.

“Okay,” Ethan said, nodding even though that wouldn’t be visible to the doctor.

“Ethan, before you go, can I make sure you still have a note of the suicide hotline number in case you need it?” the doctor asked.

“Yeah, it’s in my phone,” Ethan confirmed.

“Okay, good good. Try and make sure there’s always someone with you until I see you. Is your soulmate there? Could I speak to them??”

“Yeah, you’re on speaker and he’s right next to me,” I explained.

Adam said hello to confirm that, and the doctor began to reiterate what he had said about making sure Ethan wasn’t alone, “... and I mean at all times, like I know it’s an invasion of privacy even if you are soulmates, but even in the bathroom.”

Ethan groaned, loudly, so much so that the doctor heard, “Ethan, I’m trying to do what’s best for you. Also, I know it’s difficult, but if you do get a moment when no ones with you and you feel urges, go to them… or you have the number if you need it.”

The call ended with the doctor reminding Ethan he would see him nice and early tomorrow and and Ethan replying with a simple goodbye. When the call was hung up, he dropped his phone onto the bed and curled into Adam’s arms, crying a little.

“You did good,” Adam told him, “Everything’s going to be okay. The doctor’s going to help you get back on track tomorrow.”

“Yeah…” Ethan said, trailing off, sounding a little unconvinced.

“How are you feeling about that?” Adam asked, for a change asking Ethan to explain how he was feeling, rather than just relying on their bond.

“I don’t really know,” Ethan said, “Like I understand it’s good, but there’s part of me that still just wants to die rather than get help. I feel kinda confused, really tired and everything in my brain’s a bit fuzzy and I don’t really feel that great in general.”

“I think a shower could help you feel better,” Adam suggested, “Plus you haven’t had one in two days so it’s maybe an idea.”

“Yeah… I guess,” Ethan agreed, “…so are you coming with me then?”

“Yeah, I think that’s the best idea,” Adam nodded.

Phil and I left to let Adam and Ethan get ready for their shower. I was glad Adam was looking after him, but I was a little worried about that they could get up to in the shower; shower sex wasn’t really for first-timers.

My mind was eased by the length of their shower, which seemed about normal. The most they could’ve done in that time was a handjob, but I wasn’t going to go asking. They both looked damp and fresh and Ethan looked a lot better, despite sporting a patchy stubbly beard.

The beard was why we’d bought him a razor. I could tell from his itching that it was bothering him, but I’d confiscated the razor for now. I guess we could let him have it under supervision. I fetched the razor and explained to them that it would be best if Adam stayed with him while he shaved and they brought the razor back to me afterwards. I didn’t want to risk Ethan having any more incidents.

A while later, Ethan reappeared looking a lot tidier, still with Adam glued to his side. He passed me the razor, which I took away to put someplace safe. After speaking to him for a moment, Phil started to make Ethan some sandwiches because he had missed lunch. Phil made himself sandwiches too, something to keep him going until after work. He was working from four-thirty until nine today, so usually he would have something to eat before he left and something else when he came home.

Again, I was left to sort out dinner for Adam and Ethan, but this time I had an idea. Ethan had been looking really down all afternoon, so I wanted to cheer him up.

“Ethan, what’s your favourite food?” I asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

“If you could have anything for your dinner, what would it be?” I asked, trying to get an answer out of him.

“Domino’s Pizza maybe,” he said, looking indifferent, “I haven’t had that in a while.”

Taking Ethan’s favourite food into account, I ordered Domino’s pizza for Adam and Ethan and some vegan takeaway for myself. Despite the toppings they requested sounding good, I wasn’t feeling up for that many calories or that much fat. A dish of low calorie vegetable and tofu stir fry sounded much better.

Adam hadn’t left Ethan’s side since after the earlier incident, until after dinner when he asked me to take over for a bit, “Could you keep Ethan company so I can go take a shit?”

“Yeah sure,” I said, abandoning clearing up the dinner for the time being and joining Ethan in the living room.

Ethan was sitting in the chair over by the window. Initially, I’d just sat down on one of the sofas and started speaking to him from across the room, but I was noticing quite a lot of anxiety in his responses, a shaky voice and laboured breathing.

I opened the window to let the air circulate a bit, something I often found helpful, and pulled another chair over to sit down next to him.

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked him, “You’re sounding quite anxious.”

“Yeah, I am a bit,” Ethan admitted, “Not really feeling that great.”

“Hopefully the fresh air will help,” I said, gesturing to the now open window, “Can I do anything else?”

“Could you just talk for a bit?” Ethan asked, a little breathlessly, “Adam sometimes does that and it distracts me from how I’m feeling.”

Taking inspiration from the view of the car park out the window, I started to talk to Ethan about how our previous flat was on the fourth floor and had a much better view. I spoke about all the things that this flat had better, its little quirks and things which made it a good home. I found thinking about this little home of ours rather comforting, and I hoped that I help Ethan to feel more at home as this was pretty much his home at the moment.

Ethan had stood up to look at something outside that was too low to see when seated, “D’you think you would die if you fell out from up here?”

“I don’t quite know, but probably,” I said, thinking about how big a drop it was.

At first, it didn’t really cross my mind why Ethan was asking, until I saw him looking down with a strange look in his eyes. It struck me as a combination of excitement and fear. I didn’t know exactly what emotions he was experiencing, but I could tell that he was thinking about about the possibility of jumping out the window.

“Ethan,” I said firmly, trying to get his focus back on the present.

“Hmmm?” he mumbled, clearly distracted.

“We’re going over to the sofas, okay,” I said, putting my hands on his shoulders and starting to pull him in that direction.

Ethan came with me and then sat down on the sofa when I told him to. I hurried back over to shut and lock the window, pocketing the key. I didn’t know how unstable he was at the moment, so I wanted to be on the safe side.

When I returned to Ethan, he was crying, so I took a seat next to him on the sofa and asked him what was wrong.

“I’m scared… like I keep getting urges to do things that I’m not quite sure I want to do,” Ethan explained shakily, “I don’t want to leave Adam, but there’s a part of me still wants to d...die and I’m scared that I’ll do something stupid. I’m scared of myself.”

Ethan was curled up as small as he could get, sniffling quietly. I offered him a hug and despite being nothing compared to Adam, he accepted the offer anyway.

I sat with my arms around Ethan until Adam returned from the toilet. I let him take over the hugging and explained to him what had happened, “We were over by the window, but we moved over here because he was getting ideas… so we had a little scare, but he’s okay… right Ethan?”

“Yeahh,” Ethan sighed, sounding unsure.

After being in Adams arms for a couple of minutes, Ethan announced that he wanted to go to bed. It had only just gone seven o’clock, but at this stage, neither Adam or I were worried about his sleep schedule. We just wanted him to feel as okay as he could, and if that meant sleeping a lot at weird times of day, then so be it.

With Adam glued to his side, Ethan headed off to bed. I wasn’t necessarily expecting Adam to come back, but he was back in the living room within about ten minutes.

“He’s fast asleep,” Adam explained to me, “I figured I could leave him because he’s completely out of it. I’ll go and check on him every so often; there’s only so long I can watch him sleep for without getting bored.

Adam sat himself down in Ethan’s earlier seat at the window. I explained to him that I’d locked the window to keep Ethan safe and suggested he should keep an eye on him if he went too near any other open windows. Adam nodded, now looking a tad more worried than he had already.

“I know it's a lot of responsibility at the moment, but hopefully the doctor will get him back on his medication tomorrow and things will get better soon,” I said, attempting to ease his stress a little, “But in the meantime, if you need a break for five minutes, like when you went to the bathroom, just let me know, okay.”

“Okay,” Adam nodded, still looking a bit down.

“I’m going to go and do the dishes,” I told him, with a little pat on the back, “Just shout or come and find me if you want to talk.”

Adam nodded and I walked through to the kitchen. I could see he was a bit stressed out about Ethan, but I could understand why. I was too to an extent, knowing that Ethan was still having suicidal feelings. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have Phil in that situation. For the moment, I would give Adam a little space, as I needed to get the dishes done anyway.

--

I was halfway through doing the dishes when I got a text from Phil.

I’m coming home early

Wondering why he was leaving work at half seven when he was meant to be working until nine, nearly two hours early, I replied.

Why? Is everything okay?

After waiting a few minutes and receiving no reply from Phil, I decided I’d finish up the dishes quickly and ask Adam to watch out for him, “Adam, can you keep an eye out for Phil coming in? He’s coming home early and I don’t know why.”

“Sure thing,” Adam said, paying more attention to what was outside the window, “D’you think he’s okay?”

“I hope so,” I said, feeling a little worried. I could say for sure that he hadn’t been throwing up, but he could be feeling sick and I wouldn’t know. Equally, it could be anything; no one said he was ill.

I hurried to get the dishes finished before Phil was home so I was free from responsibilities if he needed me.

As I started to rinse off the last dish, Adam called out to me, “That’s Phil in the car park.”

“‘kay, thanks,” I said, moving the dish to the dish rack and pulling the plug.

I wandered over to the window, where Adam was and not seeing Phil in the car park, I asked Adam if he’d seen him come out the car yet.

“Nope,” Adam had replied, continuing to watch.

After waiting a little, while, I decided to phone Phil and see if everything was okay. I called him and the phone rang a good few times, but eventually he picked up.

“Dan?” Phil said, his voice sounding very rough, as if he’d been crying.

“Phil are you okay?” I asked him, “What’s happened?”

“I… I…” Phil started, choking on sobs which interrupted what he was saying.

“Okay, I’m going to come down,” I said to Phil, feeling the need to be with him, “I’ll be with you in two minutes.”

I hurried to put on a pair of shoes, then jogged down the stairs, keeping Phil on the line. As I left the flat, I asked Adam to put the kettle on, “Adam, I don’t know what’s up with Phil but he’s crying. Could you maybe put the kettle on ‘cause I feel like I could be making him tea.”

I hurried across the car park to Phil’s car, and opened the driver’s door, to where Phil was sitting, sobbing. I crouched down to get on his level and gently removed one of his shaking hands from in front of his face.

“Phil,” I said softly, holding his hand, “Phil, babe, d’you want to tell me what’s wrong here or shall we head in first?”

“Inside,” Phil choked out, a few more sobs wracking through his body before he could control himself again.

“Okay,” I said, getting up and taking a step back to give him space to get out.

Once Phil was out the car, I took the keys from him, shut the door and locked it. Once I’d pocketed the keys, I took his hand and slowly started to lead him towards the building. After walking a few steps, I noticed that he seemed a bit unsteady and put my arm around him for a bit of extra support.

We made it up the stairs alright, with me holding Phil’s hand tightly and doing all the doors on the way. As soon as we were in the flat, he headed straight for the sofa and continued to cry. I followed right behind him and joined him on the couch, curling myself around him to hold him while he cried.

“Adam, could you make tea, milk and two sugars?” I asked Adam, turning my head away from Phil a little so I wasn’t being loud in his ear.

“Sure,” Adam replied and headed for the kitchen.

I held Phil for a minute or two and he slowly managed to calm his crying a little, reducing to unhappy sniffles instead of loud sobs.

“Phil,” I said, gently rubbing my hand up and down his back, “D’you think you can tell me what happened?”

“I tripped going up the stairs with two glasses of red wine and one went flying off the tray. The wine went all over a lady in a white dress and the glass smashed on the floor in front of me. I fell in the glass and the lady started screaming at me about how much of an idiot I was and how she was going to speak to the manager and get me fired,” Phil explained, rushing the words out and stumbling over a few of them in the process. “She screamed at me even when I was lying in a pool of wine and glass… I caused a complete scene and the entire restaurant was staring at me. I’d started to clean it up when the manager came up to see what was happening. I was scared he was gonna fire me but he just took over the cleaning and sent me to get a plaster because my hand was bleeding. Once I was in the back room sorting out my hand, I realised that my shirt was covered in wine and it had ripped a little at the shoulder seam and I just couldn’t stop crying about everything the lady had said. I couldn’t face going back out there. My manager came looking for me about ten minutes later ‘cause he hadn’t seen me back out at my tables. He told me that he’d spoken to the lady and I can’t even remember what else he said because I was crying too much. I he told me to go home, t-text him when I’m feeling up to it. I don’t even know if I have a job anymore.”

I had been holding Phil close the throughout his entire explanation, but now that he had finished, he broke down again, sobbing into my chest. I gave him a minute to just let his emotions out before I tried to say anything to comfort him. Adam had now returned with a mug of tea, which I gestured for him to lay down on the table.

“Phil, you didn’t do anything wrong; you were just unlucky,” I mumbled to him, “Are you hurt anywhere other than your hand?”

“My hip and shoulder hurt a lot from how I fell,” Phil said, nodding solemnly.

“Okay,” I nodded, reaching out and grabbing the tea now he was probably calm enough to take a drink, “Have some tea at the moment and we’ll get you painkillers in a minute.”

Phil took small sips of the tea, albeit rather shakily. I still had an arm around him and was doing my best to give him a little comfort. I noticed Phil wincing as he moved his shoulder in lifting the cup up to his mouth and then swiftly swapped it to the other hand.

“Adam, d’you think you could get the ibuprofen?” I asked Adam, “They should be in the top cupboard of the ones next to the oven.”

I thanked Adam as he returned from the kitchen with the tablets. He was being a big help; he didn’t deserve me asking him to do things on top of everything else that he was dealing with, but he was being so good about it.

It would take a while for the painkillers to kick in, but once Phil had taken them, he seemed to relax a little with knowing they would help. I suggested to him that he could go and take a bath, both to wash off the red wine and maybe soothe his bruised body.

I got the bath running and then went through with Phil when it was ready. I told Adam that if he or Ethan had any problems just to shout or come and knock on the bathroom door.

I sat on the bathroom floor while Phil was in the bath, keeping him company, but letting him have the space to relax. I found it adorable, the way his head and shoulders were poking out of the mountain of bubbles, but now wasn’t the time to be in awe at Phil’s cuteness; he needed consolation.

I knew it would be a bit of a sore spot until Phil had spoken to his boss and confirmed things were alright, but I talked to him about his job, attempting to lessen his negative thoughts around it, “Phil, love, I don’t think you’ll have lost your job. You’re a hard worker and I know you bring a lot to the business. Everyone has little slip-ups and accidents now and then; its human nature. And even if you do lose it, you can make the most of it and use the opportunity to take another step towards achieving your dreams. Have hope, okay?”

Phil nodded sadly, but I could see he was processing what I’d said. After that, I didn’t say anything else to him about his job, letting him guide the conversation towards something less stressful. About half an hour later, when the conversation had slowed down, I suggested that Phil should get out now. I knew the bath would be starting to get cold and his fingers would be starting to shrivel up like raisins, so it was about time.

When I’d run the bath, I’d brought through some of Phil’s favourite pyjamas, wanting to provide all the little creature comforts that would cheer him up. Once he had dried off, I unfolded the pyjamas and passed them to him, watching as he nuzzled his face into the soft fabric of his t-shirt as he pulled it over his head.

Once Phil was dressed and standing up, I pulled him into a hug, wrapping my arms tightly around his back. Phil nestled his head into the crook of my neck and let out a sigh.

“Things’ll be okay Phil,” I told him, rubbing his back a little, “Let’s have a relaxed evening tonight and don’t stress out too much over what happened. We’ll sort it out in the morning.”

“Thanks,” Phil mumbled, exhaling against my neck.

“Let’s go back to the living room and settle down with some blankets, maybe put something on the TV,” I suggested, giving Phil a little squeeze before releasing him from the hug.

I never let go of Phil completely, joining our hands as we made our way to the living room. I cuddled up with him on a sofa, no longer feeling the need to hide our affection from Adam, now that he had Ethan. The three of us put on a film; Adam left every so often to go and check up on Ethan, but overall it became quite a relaxed evening.

Around eleven o’clock, we all went to get ready for bed. Adam wasn’t really that enthusiastic about going to bed so early, but I suggested he should at least get his pyjamas on and get comfortable; he could watch something on his phone with headphones in if he wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet.

After getting myself and Phil ready for bed, I checked in on Adam and Ethan one last time before actually going to bed. I found them cuddled up together, watching something on Adam’s phone with one earphone each.

“Ethan couldn’t sleep well,” Adam explained, looking up at me and pausing whatever they were watching.

“Yeah, I was having bad thoughts that kept waking me up,” Ethan said, sounding rather fed up.

“Okay, I get that,” I nodded, “But try again soon, okay? Would a hot drink or anything help?”

“Actually…” Ethan said thoughtfully, “Could you?

“Yeah, sure. What would you like?” I asked, “Tea? Hot chocolate?”

“I know I've brushed my teeth but hot chocolate would be nice,” Ethan nodded.

“Yeah, just don’t tell the dentist,” I said, with a laugh, “Right, I’ll be back in five minutes.”

I headed to the kitchen and quickly put together a hot chocolate, just a simple one, no marshmallows or anything. I took it to Ethan and wished the pair of them goodnight, wanting to get back to Phil and cuddle with him in bed.

Phil and I got to sleep pretty quickly. He’d had a stressful night at work and it had clearly tired him out. I knew we’d have a few things to talk about in the morning, but I was glad he had been able to take it easy this evening. I was glad he had been able to relax.

Next Chapter =>

[entergamingxp]

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Review — For the Reunion

April 6, 2020 6:00 AM EST

23 years after Final Fantasy 7 changed the gaming landscape forever, Final Fantasy 7 Remake seeks to revisit Midgar on a scale we could only dream of.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is here at last. Hoo boy, where does one even begin?

Say what you will about the original Final Fantasy 7, but its influence on the gaming landscape was massive. It’s not a legacy you can simply ignore, whether you like the game or not. There has been a huge amount of hype and expectation for this remake, and the team at Square Enix has seemingly shown every bit of acknowledgment and respect for that going forward. It’s because of that legacy that I must lay down a couple of points before we begin.

First: I have endeavoured to make this review as spoiler-free as possible. That includes both the events of Remake and of the original. If you don’t know what specifically happens in either, I’ve got you in mind. For those who do know spoilers, I urge you to keep them quiet to fresh players as well. Just go and look up the raw, unspoiled reactions to That Scene from the original; it’s something best preserved for people to experience fresh.

Second: my credentials. I’ve played the original Final Fantasy 7 to completion at least once, and other attempts at playthroughs more than that. This was well after the 1997 release (probably first around 2005), and I went in already knowing about That Scene and other spoilers. FF7’s impact on gaming and JRPGs had been well established by then, so I arrived late. Nonetheless, I thought it to be an excellent game and thoroughly enjoyed my playthrough. It isn’t — and wasn’t — my favourite Final Fantasy game, though it’s never strayed far from the top of the list.

“It’s inevitable that opinions of Remake from any source or outlet will be coloured by prior attachment and sentiment to Final Fantasy 7 (or lack thereof).”

Lastly, I’ve also seen or played most spinoffs (notably Advent Children, Last Order, and Crisis Core). That’s a little less pertinent to this review, but fans of those products can take heart: there are nods to these in the game, as well as style choices that reflect them in places.

Hopefully, now you can approach my words on Final Fantasy 7 Remake with the full context of my connection to the original. It’s inevitable that opinions of Remake from any source or outlet will be coloured by prior attachment and sentiment to Final Fantasy 7 (or lack thereof). As such, take my words as a guideline and use them to make an educated decision of where you’ll land.

Remake Part One

If you’re an FF7 fan reading this review, you’re probably here to find out how much of the game is present. Remake has been split into multiple parts after all, and this is just the first. Square Enix did this to cut as little as possible from the game, sparing no expense in remaking it to the fullest. Having now finished, I can say that they achieved that aim so far.

Content wise, there is a full game here, and my playtime ended at 43 hours. This entailed playing on Normal from start to finish along with being thorough and doing as much side content as I could. Further, additional perks and content become available once the credits roll. If you’re worried that you’re paying full price for an unfinished game, don’t; this is as much a full release as any newly numbered Final Fantasy title, and without Final Fantasy 15’s wealth of DLC required to make it whole.

“Pretty much every locale, scene, and story beat from the original is present in Remake.”

That said, Remake takes place entirely in Midgar, in contrast to the five to ten hours spent there in FF7. Pretty much every locale, scene, and story beat from the original is present in Remake. The additional time is primarily spent to bolster these moments, expanding on dungeons or smaller areas to give them the same scope. A tremendous amount of attention and care has been given to every facet, though. Character banter and dialogues are numerous, with a lot more cutscenes and chances for each to express themselves. Much of the runtime is used well, with new areas and events feeling interesting and consistent with Midgar’s style. Only a small fraction feels like genuine filler.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is fairly linear at first. You’ll proceed through a chapter in a fairly direct fashion, with some side areas and branching paths to explore for treasure and extra fights. Once you move to the next chapter, you likely won’t be coming back. There’s a handful of areas where the game opens up, allowing you to explore a more populated area and take part in side quests and mini-games. One area relatively late in the game opens up quite a bit more, bridging a couple of areas together and allowing an open-ended respite before funneling you towards the final few chapters.

You’ll gain access to a chapter selection function once you beat the game, however. This lets you go back with an experience/AP gain increase and find anything you missed, as well as access the post-game content. I’ll come back to specifics later. So, how does it play?

Mechanics, Materia, and More

Final Fantasy 7 Remake continues the trend of Square Enix games becoming more cinematic and action-heavy in battles. If their aim is to make a playable Advent Children, they’re getting pretty close. This time around, the Active Time Battle (ATB) system of old has been merged into this for a pretty compelling take on an action/RPG.

You start the game as the main character Cloud. Combat will consist of utilizing his basic attacks, as well as manually guarding or dodging incoming damage. Your ATB gauge fills over time and increases when you strike, at which point you can open a menu to expend it. Time slows dramatically in the menu, letting you select from abilities, magic, and items. You can hold up to two bars of ATB (with the option of a third later), and every menu action requires at least one to use. These abilities and spells can be interrupted, but they hit considerably harder than your basic attacks. The damage difference is noticeable, so don’t come in expecting a pure action game; you’ll need the turn-based menu abilities to progress.

Once you get other party members, you can freely swap between them with a D-pad press. Characters you aren’t controlling will play defensive and try to get attacks in when safe. You’ll be the one ordering them to use menu abilities as they build ATB, though, and it becomes quite intuitive to cycle through them as you need.

To keep things fresh, each party member has a set of different mechanics and playstyles. All have an attack string and guard/dodge options, but that’s where similarities end. The triangle button is dedicated to the character’s unique actions. Cloud swaps to a slow-moving, hard-hitting Punisher stance, Tifa has finisher attacks based on the stacks of an ability she has, and so on.

“Of the handful of hybrid action/RPG systems the series has tried, Final Fantasy 7 Remake definitely feels the most well-done.”

Charging time is pretty slow if you aren’t getting in the thick of it, but this also leaves you quite vulnerable to attack. Guarding is a trade-off, as it slows your passive ATB gain dramatically, so trying to stay aggressive and dodging smartly is encouraged. This is further compounded by each enemy having a break meter below their health; hit them enough or with certain attacks and you’ll pressure them, which usually stuns them and makes them take more break damage. Max it out, and you’ll stagger them, wherein they’re completely stunned and take a large increase to all incoming damage for a time.

Of the handful of hybrid action/RPG systems the series has tried, Final Fantasy 7 Remake definitely feels the most well-done. It avoids the spamming of items from Final Fantasy 15 and ends up feeling like a Final Fantasy 13 that you actually control.

If this seems basic, there are further ways to supplement your moves. New abilities are gained in two ways: learned from specific weapons, or gained by equipping materia. Weapons are spaced out throughout the game, and each has a specific ability. Use that ability in battle a handful of times and you’ll achieve proficiency with it, whereupon you can use it regardless of your weapon.

Materia is the major noteworthy mechanic from FF7, and it’s been carried over almost identically to Remake. You’ll find materia orbs as you explore, and these can be set to slots in weapons or armor to gain their abilities. Furthermore, you’ll level the materia through AP gained after battles. A Fire materia will grant the Fire spell to the character while held, for example, and can be leveled up to access Fira and Firaga. Materia can be freely exchanged between characters out of battle, and most strategies for tougher fights will hinge on your setup. Different materia types can offer passive buffs, active abilities, or even massive summons that can be used only in specific fights.

At first, you won’t have much materia to play with, and even fewer slots in your gear to equip them. Cue Remake’s weapon upgrade system. Every time a character levels up, they’ll get 5 SP to spend, with bonus SP available from side objectives later. Each weapon has a unique “core” skill tree, and SP unlocks nodes on it. Each unlock grants the weapon new passive stats, modifiers, or even materia slots. At certain level thresholds, you’ll gain access to new sub-cores to further customize them.

What’s more, each individual weapon gets all your SP retroactively, so no need to pick and choose which to invest in. This means that if you like Cloud’s Buster Sword, you can absolutely keep it relevant throughout the entire game. All weapons have their own unique identity now, with stat priorities and abilities that you can prioritize based on circumstance or playstyle. The build options are quite diverse, and since you can reset them for a small gil fee, there’s no wrong way to approach it.

All these systems are in service of allowing you to customize your characters for the battles to come. Each ability has its uses, and there’s a good selection of materia to play around with. What I found most limiting about the battles, then, is the action parts.

Those who played the demo might have expressed some misgivings about the lack of variety in Cloud’s moveset. For those who feel that this is pretty basic, I’m sorry to say that it won’t get that much more diverse. Almost every ability and materia is one selected from the menu, not in your basic attacks. The different playable characters and conditions of encounters might shake things up, but it’s the ATB spenders that receive most of your attention.

I found this especially disappointing because my expectations were set quite high from the outset. Exploring down a side path in Chapter 2, mere minutes after where the demo ended, I found the Deadly Dodge materia; this changed Cloud’s attack string immediately after a dodge into a larger AoE one. Finding this so early eased my fears that the combat would feel similar for the whole runtime, then! Surely there would be other modifiers like it if I got this one so early?

Nope! This is almost the only materia like it in the whole game.

Much later, you can get the Parry materia (which lets you do a short hop and strike back if using dodge while guarding), and that’s about it. All other materia like it is simply a passive effect or occasional long cooldown. Otherwise, it’s all menu abilities that require ATB. This was tremendously disappointing to discover, and more options like that to personalize my general moveset would have been so much nicer to have. Even something like a perfect guard would have been great, though at least Cloud’s Punisher mode has counters on block. Perhaps that’s on me for coming to Final Fantasy 7 Remake having just played Devil May Cry 3, but that’s how I felt regardless.

That misgiving aside, the battles are nonetheless fun experiences. Bosses in particular tend to be larger than life affairs, with multiple parts to attack and various phases of the fight that change their mechanics. Again, those who played the demo will be pleased to note that more bosses play in the vein of Scorpion Sentinel than not. Some encounters can be pretty challenging, though for every game over I encountered (maybe half a dozen), a quick adjustment to my materia loadout and shift in strategy saw me triumph next time.

“There was a hell of a lot to love about the battles in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and even if I had been hoping for more, it still stands out as a damn good time.”

Even regular enemies have individual mechanics. The circumstances by which the pressure and stagger systems are applied is unique to most enemies, so learning and exploiting their weaknesses makes the experience much smoother. There was a hell of a lot to love about the battles in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and even if I had been hoping for more, it still stands out as a damn good time.

Mini-games are also interspersed throughout Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Most are variations of what was in the original, but there’s been a few added just to break up the routine. They were enjoyable for the most part, so there’s not much to say about them save that I appreciate the inclusion. There’s also a coliseum, letting you fight specialized groups under set conditions in exchange for unique rewards.

After the credits roll, you’ll gain access to the Chapter Select and can revisit any part of the game. You’ll also unlock Hard Mode, which doesn’t serve as a difficulty selection for a new game; instead, you can activate it when accessing Chapter Select. Hard Mode locks out your items and stops MP recovery from rest spots, but offers unique collectibles in exchange. New battles are added to the coliseum also. Those who want more even after the game is over shall find there’s at least a little to check out.

Overall, Final Fantasy 7 Remake kept my attention for the whole runtime. The only real lapses were a few areas of traversal that were overly drawn out, and some of the side quests felt a little mundane. Even so, these featured additional cutscenes and conversations with the cast that really furthered the attachment to the world, so it at least felt worth it to do them once finished.

Tifa fans should do all the side quests in Chapter 3. Just saying.

Regardless, it was an enjoyable game to play. A little more concession to action mechanics would be great, but the hybridised action/RPG implementation was otherwise very impressive. Square Enix definitely seems to have arrived at a happy medium that previous Final Fantasy titles didn’t manage, and I hope they continue with it.

Presenting: Midgar!

Presentation is the shining star of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The demo made it clear that Square Enix wasn’t messing around, and it’s honestly one of the most graphically striking games I’ve ever seen. If any concerns were had about that level being impossible to maintain consistently, they certainly kept it close. Some of the larger open areas — particularly the slums — suffer from character pop-in, delayed loading on textures (if they aren’t just rough or muddy outright) and other small nitpicks. In addition, some cutscenes with minor NPCs talking to party members can be pretty jarring. They simply cannot match the level of fidelity achieved in rendering the main cast or other notable characters.

When the main cast is the focus and the set pieces are rolling, though? It’s far and away beyond anything else the series — or Square Enix in general — has produced. There’s a lot more daytime than the original game, so there’s enough colour variety to keep it from looking bland. Mechanical dieselpunk designs weave into gritty but “lived-in” slum streets. A pristine plate sector at night gives way to rusting maintenance structures underneath. The tall, clean and imposing Shinra HQ is met with the garish lights and noise of Wall Market. Midgar is a fantastically designed place and a treat to explore.

It’s not just the city itself that is well designed, though. To Square Enix’s credit, they have taken the sometimes goofy enemy designs from the original and kept them completely intact. High fidelity or no, it’s not afraid to take an enemy that is just a spiky dancing frog and have it make sense. There are even character dialogue and bestiary entries that further suggest how they work or came to be. If things didn’t have to be changed, they weren’t; they were just reimagined and made to fit.

“Midgar is a fantastically designed place and a treat to explore.”

All of this visual and design splendour is furthered by the audio quality. From start to finish, the voice acting and direction is stellar. Shelving the voice actors that played the characters previously was unexpected, but the new cast absolutely nails their roles. Most have emotional moments or serious scenes that the actors manage to capture effortlessly. Even the NPCs and minor characters have quality voice acting. Shoutouts, in particular, have to be given to Barret’s VA for one particularly memorable scene, and to Hojo who is suitably creepy and sinister in every appearance.

Last but not least on the presentation front: the music. Oh man, the music. NieR: Automata laid the groundwork for implementing dynamic tracks, adding layers as needed to change the tone of the same track at just the right moment. Everything that was learned from that game was applied wholeheartedly to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and then some. Musical cues and stings are on point, highlighting crucial moments in the best possible way.

The original soundtrack is regarded as one of the finest works of legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu. Now, most of those tracks have been remixed or remastered in a slew of creative ways, but they almost always fit the tone required well. Some see multiple variations in different areas to wholly distinct effects. Music in the boss fights tends to really stand out, as the longer battles allow them to build up and crescendo during later phases. You know that the music is a highlight when songs are one of the main collectibles and each is a separate remix from their actual game appearance, all done in the style of music that might actually be made in Midgar’s setting. Genius.

There’s quite a lot to unpack and respect about the game on presentation. But all that presentation is in service of one thing: telling the story.

Reunions

I fully intend to avoid spoilers, so I will keep this section relatively brief.

The story of the original Final Fantasy 7 is one of the major elements that left a mark in gaming. These characters, their world, and their tales are iconic and beloved. Every moment of that story has been retained in full, just as Square Enix originally intended. Some trailers have hinted at adjustments and new developments — especially the launch trailer, which I encourage you not to watch for fear of spoilers — but this accuracy was paramount to the developers.

It’s safe to say that they achieved this. Every notable character, conversation, or location from the original game is included in Remake in some way. There’ll be adjustments, of course; they’re displayed in high fidelity and voice acted this time, so concessions will need to be made. But it’s all here, and the attention to detail in places was honestly staggering.

With that said, Square Enix had no intention of just retelling the same story verbatim. Additional scenes and moments have been sprinkled all throughout, with at least one early chapter composed entirely of new events. All of it builds on the original framework, strengthening it further. There’s more character growth, banter, and interactions between the cast than ever before. It ends up making them feel so much more real and believable. Even characters I wasn’t certain about initially won me over by the credits. This isn’t limited to the cast either, and gives the same treatment to villains and NPCs.

The fact that this is only a chunk of the complete tale means that certain events, characters, and flashbacks have been brought forward in the timeline. You’ll be seeing Cloud get headaches or recall memories of his hometown right out the gate… and that’s to say nothing of Sephiroth. Even so, all of these concessions are handled with the same care as the rest of the game, so their placement fits and strengthens the whole. Better to portray these scenes and build up the characters now than have them appear out of nowhere 10 hours into a second game, right?

Now… thus far, I’ve been talking purely about parts that primarily concern the original work. If this praise was also true of the wholly original plot threads and changes, I’d have no issues whatsoever with Remake’s story. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Far from it.

Early on, there will be a couple of divergences to the story that seem to be setting up a new sub-plot. These divergences increase in volume over time, and grow exponentially in the last two chapters. All the original beats remain, but they’re interspersed with these divergences, leading to a new climax and expanded conclusion.

“Genuinely, I was loving my time with it. But if the game had been a tasty meal up until that point, the final section soured it.”

And here is where it all started to come apart for me. For a brief while, I was ripped out of Final Fantasy 7 and dumped heavily into an unholy marriage of Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts. It was awkward, it was confusing, and it left me shaking my head in dismay. It felt massively out of place.

Did this part have to change so dramatically? Maybe. It wasn’t a true climax or game-ending point in the original, after all, and I expected some new conclusion and an added boss or two to cap off this experience. Yet, until now, it had been such a solid remake that made measured changes to supplement the classic story. Here, at the eleventh hour, it jarringly erupted into a massive spectacle that honestly felt like underdeveloped fanfiction.

When I say spectacle, I mean that it was spectacular to behold in terms of graphics, sound, scale… but it comes at a huge cost, and that cost is the integrity of the story going forward. This finale and the accompanying changes have massive implications for the future installments of Remake, all of which feel like they’re going to ride the divergence train at full speed away from the classic plot. Suddenly, the insane turns that things like Dirge of Cerberus took are looking far more likely in the future.

I had been enjoying Final Fantasy 7 Remake throughout the entire runtime, whether it was new or old material. Genuinely, I was loving my time with it. But if the game had been a tasty meal up until that point, the final section soured it. This isn’t just because they tried something new, either; I could easily forgive it if it was just a new thread that tried, landed flat, and wrapped up. No, this sudden divergence has ramifications that could potentially change all future installments in dramatic ways from what was expected, and I now find myself lacking confidence that it can succeed.

In conclusion: old stuff? Great! Supplementary additions to old stuff? Also great! Character writing, development, and worldbuilding? Excellent! Brand new stuff? Middling at best, potentially disastrous at worst. Most of my grievances with the game are almost entirely to do with that final section. I fully admit to bias in the kinds of stories and developments I like, so your mileage may vary. But I cannot say I walked away from the ending feeling happy.

A Final Fantasy For Fans and First-Timers

One of the big questions approaching this game is, inevitably, “Should I play this if I haven’t played the original?” That’s an easy answer: yes. Everything is here that made Final Fantasy 7 such a stand out of its era, delivered with some of the finest presentation we’ve seen in triple-A video game development. It’s a fun action/RPG hybrid with solid gameplay systems, a strong story, and a set of well-realized characters that suitably develop and bond over time. Fans of the original will inevitably spot more references or appreciate the extra nods, but even newcomers should be able to slip in and find plenty to enjoy.

Next: should you play this now, before the other parts come out? That’s a more tentative response, but yes. Had I not walked away from the ending with such mixed feelings, it would’ve been easy to recommend. Even without knowledge of the source material, the main story and throughline here is clear to follow and wraps up nicely. It’s mostly the setup of larger threads and what’s to come that have me so hesitant to recommend it, and I don’t think the ending was handled well. Buyer be warned, regardless.

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake is arguably the best non-MMO Final Fantasy game released in a very long time.”

Final Fantasy 7 Remake doesn’t replace the original. That’ll be true even when all parts have been fully released. Final Fantasy 7 will be a generational touchstone of gaming with a legacy that has lasted decades, and will remain long after the hype for Remake has cooled. I don’t foresee that same legacy being granted to Remake once the dust has settled, but it nonetheless stands with Resident Evil 2 Remake as a testament to the quality such a project can aspire to.

This is still one of the most excellently presented games I’ve ever experienced, and with a few tweaks for the next installment, that excellence might extend to gameplay and story too. Whatever misgivings I may have going into future releases, it’s undeniable that this was an enjoyable 42 hours marred by a single bad one. Even so, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is arguably the best non-MMO Final Fantasy game released in a very long time. Despite my qualms, it’s been a welcome Reunion.

April 6, 2020 6:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/final-fantasy-7-remake-review-for-the-reunion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=final-fantasy-7-remake-review-for-the-reunion

[foxmain]

Anything for luigi players? Besides "l2wavedash" ofc. Also, where do you think he stands in a less competitive scene? In a tournament setting? Last question, do you think an aerial based playstyle can suit him well in spite of his aerial mobility? Considering how many moves auto cancel and just how quickly they come out, I think it can be okay. Thanks for your time. I love this blog! Great tech information for players just picking up the game ^_^ keep it up

thanks and i’m so glad you’re enjoying it! it’s really fun to do and i love when people ask questions. my response got pretty long so i put it under a break:

so yeah, luigi’s aerial mobility is really bad. i think you definitely still need his ground movement (ie wavedash) to find your spots, if you know what i mean? like if you stay in the air all the time you’ll get completely overwhelmed in the neutral game, just due to your limited movement. also, going into the air to begin with is usually a very big commitment for luigi, just because he takes so long to get back down (make sure to make good use of fast fall because his ff isn’t that bad). this isn’t as much of a problem on stages with platforms because you can move between platforms and the ground faster than you can get back to the ground after jumping, and platforms provide a lot of different ways of fighting across vertical space in general, allowing luigi to stay slippery above the ground. another difficulty with an aerial-based playstyle is that luigi’s recovery is pretty bad, and it becomes much worse when he loses his double jump. if you spend a lot of time in the air, you’re more likely to end up offstage without a jump.

that being said, his aerials do have pretty nice frame data (including generous autocancel windows on ~all~ of them) and decent hitboxes, which i would invite anyone to explore here. you can use auto-cancelled aerials to cover your landings pretty effectively. i think jab is a pretty good option (in part because it’s luigi’s fastest attack from standing) if you think they’ll try to run in and punish your landing.

luigi’s jabs are actually really good. both his first and second jabs have very little cooldown, making jab->grab a good option. the knockback is 83° for both hits, so without crouch or asdi down, you’ll knock your opponent into the air and force them to go through normal landing lag before they can act, which actually gives you frame advantage against some characters–a lot of characters can double jump out if they’re ready, though. this works really well if you hit them when they’re just above the ground. luigi’s first and second jabs also have very low, set knockback so he can jab reset at literally any percent. his third jab is kind of like a weaker but much easier version of captain falcon’s gentleman. if they have to tech after the third jab, you can wavedash forward and jab reset if they miss it, or tech chase if they get the tech.

anyways, you wanted to know about aerials! i think luigi can benefit a lot from an aerial playstayle–in the right situations. for example, many people will platform camp against luigi because they’re afraid of his wavedash. they’ll shield a lot because they don’t think luigi can apply good shield pressure. luigi’s slow fall speed is often a disadvantage because he can’t always get to the ground when he wants to, however, because he stays in the air for longer than people are accustomed to, he can often surprise his opponents by getting an extra aerial out before landing. many top-tier characters will be forced to land after hitting a high aerial on shield, so many players have the automatic reaction of acting out of shield as soon as that happens. luigi will almost always be able to do another aerial after a high aerial on shield.

the best way to do this is dair->nair. because nair comes out early and dair comes out late with a lot of shieldstun, this gives your opponent the smallest window to counterattack–about 13 frames. that might still seem like a lot, but unless they’ve practiced reacting against this combination (unlikely since it’s luigi), your opponent will probably spend most of that time making up their mind to attack. additionally, you can place yourself in an out-of-shield blindspot, where they can’t easily counterattack. dair’s low hitbox is good for this. depending on how you’re positioned, you may want to use a different aerial before nair, or a different aerial after dair, or a completely different combination of aerials altogether.

luigi’s slow air speed also allows you to be more precise when attempting to shield stab. this is especially good if your opponent starts holding their shield for longer in response to your multiple aerials, or if they’re just bad at angling their shield. you can shield stab from above with falling aerials or from below with rising aerials without even really having to try. luigi can also do very effective platform shield pressure with jabs and platform-cancelled nairs. to do a platform-cancelled nair, quickly press down while standing on a platform then immediately release the control stick to neutral and press A. if done correctly, you should land on the platform again after doing your nair. keep in mind that you have to hit your opponent or their shield for this to work, and don’t forget to l-cancel! if they don’t angle their shield down, you can delay the nair a bit to shield stab. if they do angle their shield down, you can shield stab with a sh fair.

a lot of luigi’s aerials have good combo potential. his nair has completely vertical knockback, with a knockback angle of 90°. the lower hitbox of his dair has priority and is a good kill move, hitting at the sakurai angle, which is 45° at medium to high knockback (>32), and 0° at low knockback. dair also has a higher hitbox around luigi’s waist that is a meteor smash. it isn’t usually a good kill move, but you can use it to hit your opponent back into a platform or the ground after sending them up. they’ll usually miss the tech, but tech chasing on a platform is pretty easy either way. you can hit them with an aerial of your choosing on the way down. luigi’s up air hits at 55°, which is a little more vertical than the standard 45° sakurai angle aerial, making follow ups a little easier. additionally, because it isn’t the sakurai angle, it still has the same knockback angle at low percent. fair and bair both hit at the sakurai angle. here’s a graph of knockback vs damage for luigi’s sakurai angle aerials + up air:

basically, up air is the best combo move out of these (higher knockback angles and lower knockback are usually good for combos–not always though). fair is the best horizontal aerial kill move below 50% (for if you’re edge guarding or near the edge of the stage) and dair is the best horizontal aerial kill move above 50%. luigi’s fsmash might be his best overall horizontal kill move, while his grounded up B is his strongest vertical kill move (it does about 4/5 the knockback in the air). luigi’s fsmash actually hits at a different angle depending on how you angle it: upward is 65°, forward is 55°, and downward is 45°. the higher-angled hits have slightly more knockback because upward deals 1% more damge than forward, which deals 1% more damage than downward. i think a downward-angled fsmash is overall the best horizontal kill move, because the angle makes a bigger difference than the slight change in knockback. however, if your opponent’s DI is really good, you can use upward-angled fsmash as a DI mix-up to get vertical kills.

luigi is kind of like sheik in that he has a lot of moves with mostly vertical knockback, including upsmash, dsmash, uptilt, dtilt, and nair. here’s a graph of knockback vs damage for those moves:

angles > 90° hit slightly behind, angles

a few other miscellaneous things: if you want to do the down B mash in your recovery, you have to set it up earlier in the stock by doing an aerial up B and landing before it ends. many luigis will do this when they start a stock. misfires randomly occur 1/8 of the time, and the reason why it seems like many luigi mains “know” it’s going to happen is that they prepare for both possibilites, for example, aiming for their opponent with the misfire while also aiming for a safe spot to continue their recovery if they get a regular side B. also, here’s the first hit frame of luigi’s dair (you have to hit with only the top hitbox to get the meteor smash):

i don’t play luigi so that’s about all i can think of. i know wavedashing is very important, so “l2wavedash” is always good advice. beyond consistent technical execution, you need to know when to wavedash, how far to wavedash, and how to control the length of your wavedash. learning to use wavedash more effectively is actually one of the ways top luigi players are trying to push the meta (the theoretical highest level of luigi’s tech chases only comes when you can choose the direction of your wavedash halfway through the input, immediately before the shoulder button press). without wavedash, luigi is painfully slow, and honestly a significantly worse character. the problem with wavedash is that it’s 15 frames where you have no control at all over your character and you’re completely vulnerable. luigi’s wavedash can be overwhelming at first, but once your opponents realize its weaknesses and how to exploit them, you’ll need to do a lot more than spam wavedash dsmash to get by in neutral (which is honestly a good option, don’t get me wrong–the two hits and the amount that luigi slides after hitting a shield with dsmash can make it a very tricky move, and of course it can lead to big combos). so keep thinking about your wavedashes, when they work and when they don’t, and how you can make them better. luigis’ dashdance is also pretty good, so make sure you use that as well.

I think luigi can do well at the top level and sometimes extremely well against mid-level players. a lot of people really hate playing against luigi in tournament because they’re not used to his wavedashes, auto cancels, combos, and nair combo breaks. i think luigi has a deep combo game and a deep neutral, but he doesn’t have quite as many options as most top-tier characters. i think he has to make good use of his aerials, but his limited aerial mobility puts him in danger every time he goes into the air. if you’re focused more on fun than competition, i think luigi is an excellent character. while he may lack some of the versatility in movement required to keep up at the highest level, he still has interesting combos and enough tools to keep the neutral game fresh even when he’s outmatched.

as usual, sorry for taking an eternity to respond, and i hope this was helpful!

[aion-rsa]

Paper Mario: The Origami King Review – Innovative Turn-Based Combat

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Turn-based RPGs have been around since the ‘80s and have offered many different variations on combat. Since this genre is one of the oldest in video games, it’s become increasingly rare to see new innovations in turn-based combat.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is one of those rare titles that brings something wholly unique to the genre, offering turn-based combat that’s ostensibly simple but over time reveals itself to be deceptively complex and mind-numbingly challenging, particularly later in the game. Nintendo is known for introducing new, innovative concepts in its games, and Paper Mario: The Origami King’s combat is one of their very best contributions in recent memory.

This is how combat works: Mario is positioned inside a circle, from which four concentric circles (or rings) radiate out. Each of those rings is divided into twelve segments, making for a total of 48 tiles surrounding the paper-made plumber. Enemies are positioned on the tiles in jumbled formation and…this is where things get interesting.

Each turn is essentially a puzzle. Your primary task is to slide the tiles around in order to line up the enemies neatly so that Mario can attack them in groups. Mario attacks in various shapes (lines, squares) depending on which weapon you choose (boots for stomping, hammers for smashing or throwing), and there are often multiple ways to slide enemies into the correct formations.

Check out how this works in the video below:

You’re given a limited number of moves and a very limited amount of time to figure out your plan of attack, but if you align the enemies perfectly and press A at the right when Mario attacks to earn extra damage (a trademark feature for the series), it’s possible to take every single enemy out at once while taking no damage yourself. If you aren’t able to align your enemies correctly, however, they’ll have their turn to attack. When your turn comes around again, the enemies are re-scrambled and you’re faced with a new sliding-tile puzzle to solve.

The brilliant thing about the puzzle mechanic is that it raises the stakes of combat. In other words, the puzzles aren’t arbitrary. If you aren’t able to solve the puzzle, there are consequences, and the battle will be much more difficult to win. If you don’t improve your puzzle-solving skills, you’ll have a tough time with Paper Mario: The Origami King. You won’t be able to simply brute-force your way through the enemies in the game. This makes combat more intellectually stimulating than most turn-based RPGs, and I found myself looking forward to even the most common enemy encounters just to give my brain a workout.

The combat system seems relatively simple at first glance, and in certain respects, it is. Mario is your only controllable character, which is highly unconventional for a turn-based RPG, and there’s really only one way to approach normal enemy encounters — line ‘em up! But there are nuances that bubble to the surface and make combat engaging and addictive, and it all elegantly ties into the game’s exploration sections.

As you traverse an origami-invaded Mushroom Kingdom with Olivia, whose brother, Olly, has kidnapped Princess Peach, seized her castle, and sent his origami minions to loot and pillage the rest of the kingdom, you’ll uncover dozens of Toads hiding from Olly’s troops, folded up and tucked away across the game world. As you rescue them, they become the “audience” to Mario’s fights, sitting in the stands surrounding the circular battlefield. During the battle, you can pay them coins to cheer extra loud and get involved in the fight, causing damage to your foes, which can be useful when a puzzle is particularly tricky to solve. And in certain sections of the game, you’re joined by an ally who will do extra damage to enemies should you fail to solve a puzzle.

Coins can be spent in other ways to aid you in battle, too. You can spend them to add to the puzzle countdown clock (I used this feature with embarrassing frequency), and you can, of course, spend them on items and weapons before battle to give you an extra boost. Needless to say, using coins during battle is definitely helpful.

Release Date: July 17, 2020 Platform: Nintendo Switch Developer: Intelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo Genre: Action-adventure

I tried to avoid all forms of extra, in-combat help, only using them as a last-ditch effort. Sure, the Toads and allies’ attacks could help me in a pinch, but having to use them meant that I’d failed to solve the puzzle, which ate me up inside. This forced me to improve my puzzle-solving skills, which is by far the most enjoyable thing about the game. This isn’t a knock on the game’s other strengths, of which there are many.

The art design is delightfully whimsical and imaginative, with environments and set pieces that made me laugh out loud and drew me into the story. And the characters and dialogue are fantastic as well. I even got a little choked up when one of the allies you meet early in the game does a particularly selfless act to save another. I enjoyed this game in myriad ways, but I can’t emphasize enough how much I adore the combat.

Since the game’s release, the combat system has been a point of contention among critics and fans alike, with some loving the puzzle-infused combat and others claiming it’s too repetitive and suffers from a lack of a traditional RPG character progression system. I can certainly understand why one would itch for a leveling system, But I couldn’t agree more with Nintendo’s decision to omit a leveling system from the game (you can improve your max HP and strength stats when you find and equip special items, but that’s the extent of it). 

Combat in Paper Mario: The Origami King was engaging and rewarding enough to compel me to finish the game, and I felt a traditional progression system was unnecessary because you do make progress as a player as you play through the game — it’s just not tracked onscreen in the form of extensive stat menus. Getting progressively better at the puzzle aspect of the game is addictive in the same way that playing, say, Tetris or traditional Mario platformers might be. No, you don’t level up in-game. But you do improve as a player, and this is enough.

There is also an additional layer of depth to combat in the form of the game’s boss fights, which are grueling and can take upwards of 20 minutes per try. They use the same radial battlefield as normal fights except that the bosses occupy the center circle and Mario must work his way from the outside circle to the center. Tiles feature various symbols that cause different effects. Arrows cause Mario to run in a certain direction, attack tiles allow you to, well, attack. Magic tiles allow you to use various special abilities that Mario acquires throughout the game, though you must step on an “On” button tile in order to turn them on. The objective is to slide the tiles around in an arrangement that gets Mario into an advantageous position to attack the boss where it’s weak. Sometimes, it’s in your best interest to set Mario up for a normal or special attack. Other times, it’s more advantageous to use a special ability defensively to avoid an impending boss attack.

The boss battles are the most challenging puzzles in the game, and there were many times when I felt incredibly frustrated because I couldn’t figure out the best plan of attack, let alone line up the tiles to implement them. But when I did finally suss out how to best dispatch each boss, it felt deeply rewarding.

There are perhaps better overall entries in the Paper Mario series than The Origami King (The Thousand-Year Door is tough to beat as it’s a masterpiece), but this installment easily boasts the best combat system in the series, and for my money, one of the best combat systems of any turn-based RPG in recent memory.

The post Paper Mario: The Origami King Review – Innovative Turn-Based Combat appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[truemedian]

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

All aboard for Seventh Heaven.

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

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

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

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

[toralmehta]

Help save Fuel and Decrease Pollution with These Vehicle Tips

Do The Benefits Of Alternative Fuel Compensate For The Drawbacks?

Living a green lifestyle is meant to make the earth better. One good way to do this is by using alternative sources of fuel. There are those who love alternative fuels and they could give you hundreds of reasons why you should be using it. At the same time, there are individuals that don’t like it, and they have hundred reasons why it should not be utilized.

It’s hard to challenge the fact that alternative fuels can benefit the environment as, compared to petrol, they are much cleaner burning. Global warming and health problems are a few of the problems that have developed as a result of our polluted environment, and we need to deal with these issues by making different choices. Who is it that must decide what is good for the planet, and are the individuals willing to do what is required or does it have to be forced on them for their own good?

Each individual who opts to drive a car that runs on alternative fuel is helping to reduce the damaging pollutants being released into the air. Another advantage of alternative fuel cars is that they get better gas mileage, particularly in hybrids, which could get 20% more miles per gallon. For most folks, this can make a great deal of difference. As there are many reasons why people choose not to buy alternative fuel vehicles, the government is extending tax incentives so that people will at least give these cars a try. Not only will it help the earth for people to be driving this type of automobiles, but the tax breaks will help every person who takes advantage of the incentives.

The disadvantages of alternative fuel vehicles prevent several people from buying them even though they are likely to save money on their taxes. First of all, even with tax breaks, the cost of buying one of these automobiles will still cost substantially more. Enough more that many individuals are unable to afford them. One big problem with alternative fuel autos is the lack of ready availability of some of these fuels. E85 fuel, which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, can be found in numerous places, but other kinds of alternative fuels may be difficult to find. While E85 fuel is available, lots of suppliers only have a limited amount, and this means that some customers have to drive far to buy the fuel they need.

There will be contentions for a long time on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, or perhaps it is the other way around. We unquestionably must factor in the hidden costs to people’s health, yet many people don’t worry about how pollution may damage their bodies. Your dedication to saving the environment will determine which side you end up on. You’ll be willing spend your money on this type of automobile when you are positive that it can make a difference for our environment.

Are You Able To Run Your Vehicle On Biodiesel Power By Using Vegetable Oil?

As gasoline prices continue to rise, individuals are looking at less expensive but effective alternatives. Biodiesel power is one alternative energy resource that fascinates most people. Even though it may seem slightly unconventional, biodiesel power controls your vehicle by using vegetable oil. A significant issue with it, is that the use of biodiesel is not common in the United States yet. As a result, you may have an issue finding a reliable supply. Numerous people like this fuel and are using it in their vehicles without any concerns. The oil keeps clean, also it keeps the insides well lubricated.

With its rising popularity, it is growing to be easier to find biodiesel fuel. This is exciting news for both the individuals planning to buy these vehicles, and also the manufacturers who want to sell them. The fuel is considerably cheaper, and many people have put to use the vegetable oil from restaurants without any problems. This provides a novel way of avoiding high gas prices at the pump. You need to thoroughly examine the oil before you use it and get rid of any bits of food that remain.

Biodiesel fuel is an excellent alternative for the reason that, in addition to reducing your transportation expenses, it is also friendly to the environment because it emits fewer toxic gases. Diesel vehicles may easily be adapted to make use of biodiesel fuel and many people are choosing to go this route. Biodiesel automobiles are increasingly being sold directly by some well-known manufacturers. All versions coming from Volkswagen can be purchased with biodiesel options. A lot of large pickups operate on diesel, and many of them, including Ford, Chevy, and Dodge all offer them in biodiesel. Volvo and Mercedes, and even Jeep has a model ready to take off with production, and these vehicles are all recognized for their power.

Although these hardy vehicles will be using a different energy source, they will still operate as powerfully as before. The power level will continue to be the same although one vehicle will still run on diesel while the more recent model will run on biodiesel fuel. In cold weather locations, these types of cars or trucks could be slow to start. The oil can turn out to be significantly thicker during cold weather and thus make the automobile not start. To alleviate this predicament, the biodiesel fuel is incorporated with an 80/20 ratio of petroleum. This will depend on where yourr home is and how cold the weather conditions, with more petroleum added the colder the climate.

Biodiesel fuel will always be readily accessible since it is manmade, as opposed to natural resources which are limited. Once these are no longer available, finding another alternative will be the only way to go. What holds back a lot of car owners is that often biodiesel vehicles can be very expensive. In many cases, improvements are slow because we are afraid to do something different.

You Shouldn’t Believe All The Promises About Gas-Saving Devices

Gas costs have gone up to astronomical heights in the last few years. At times it feels like the prices are changing every day, and this has made consumers anxious and in need of a solution. Any time wages and salaries remain static while prices keep increasing life becomes more and more challenging. Being forced to drive not having the necessary extra money in the budget for gas is hard. Any time it seems gas prices have no limit to where they’ll increase and you’re already hard-pressed, it’s frightening how quickly an increase of even a few cents per gallon can add up.

What is particularly hard is the knock-on result of an surge in the cost of one item, such as fuel, which is an input cost for most other items, especially when it seems to happen almost every other day. Fuel price hikes affect most consumer goods, and these increases are not absorbed but passed on to people. Like in the domino effect, if delivery by a trucking company features somewhere in the equation, prices inevitably go up all along the subsequent parts of the system. The hikes get passed on from the delivery companies to all their customers, like the grocery and furniture stores, and all of these in turn pass the increase on. And at the end of the line appears the consumer, who can’t pass on the increases and has no alternative but to dig deeper or go without.

Necessities will take first consideration when money becomes scarce, and judging whether a trip is really necesssary will become stricter. When there is little probability that prices will drop, alternatives will probably be looked for. Business people understand the opportunity for solutions that offer help through improving gas economy. The difficulty depends on knowing how to tell the good products from the lousy. There are so many solutions available, which is appealing, but do any of them really work. Individuals don’t mind spending money on things that work, especially when they will save money in the long run, and that is the way it is trying to find alternative fuel sources.

Marketing campaigns derive from the knowledge that price is not an issue and people will probably buy when the right emotional buttons are pushed. You should know this before you rush out and buy a product. You need to do your research on each product before you decide which one is the right one. Locate reviews of the products, and learn about what many other consumers have to say, because you don’t need to spend money you can’t afford for something that doesn’t work. There have been warnings from the Federal Trade Commission with regards to making use of gas savings devices.

Ask many questions and satisfy yourself about the reliability of the answers, and be extra careful when ambitious claims are made – you don’t want to be disappointed later by discovering that you didn’t get what you expected. It can be difficult to know who to believe, because more than 100 products, making big claims on gas savings, have been tested by the FTC, and none of them have been found to work. When it comes to fuel-saving propositions, take care not to be deceived by hungry sales talk.

Alternative Fuels / Ethanol Module / www.naftc.wvu.edu

Hypermiling Happens To Be Finding Ways To Use Less Fuel For Your Car

It is likely you aren’t really familiar with the word hypermiling, but the chances are that it will be quite well-known in the near future. For those who don’t already know, hypermiling represents discovering methods of reducing your consumption of fuel. Since many folks cannot live without their vehicles, it is imperative to find methods to extend how far you can go on a tank of fuel.

A number of ways exist to reduce expenses and, more than likely, you feel that you are presently doing your part. Most likely, you don’t drive as often as you used to, but yet you still get irritated when you view the prices at the gas pump. Not using your vehicle is not a choice and your options are limited. Residing in close proximity to your work is not a possibility and getting another job that is closer to home is highly unlikely either. In addition to all that, you care about both your job and your current residence. Finding a new job takes a lot of effort and is not easily accomplished, if at all. Often, starting a new job involves a lower salary, and the possible fuel savings would probably not make that worth it.

You won’t always have the option of finding another house that is near to all the places you currently go on a regular basis. In many cases, no more desirable alternatives are available. Clearly, you’re able to do things to streamline your driving, but you can’t separate yourself and never go out of the house. Expensive gasoline prices ought not to have so much sway over the way in which you live your life. Consequently, you can assume that hypermiling will become the flavor of the day and investigating these different ways will be very instructive. In every case, in order to go somewhere, you will have to get gas. In every circumstance that entails driving your own vehicle, you will instantly have extra costs.

Carpooling is not always an option when you’ve got a variety of things going on. It does not take much to become over involved in extracurricular events when you are a parent to young kids and teenagers. This calls for a car and uses a lot of fuel taking the kids from place to place. Carpooling does not always work, but when families in the neighborhood take turns carting more than your own child, many trips can be eliminated. Unfortunately, unless you just quit buying gas, there isn’t much you can do to avoid the high cost of fuel. The US government isn’t doing much to help so we as users have to take the initiative. Even though complaining may minimize some of the tension you feel, it won’t bring down gas prices so you need to take steps to drive more efficiently.

There is loads of information about hypermiling on various websites through the endeavors of the government. You and your family members will need to check into this yourselves because your own efforts will determine how efficiently you drive your vehicles. The government sponsors this kind of service to enable you to decide how you and your family can best conserve gas.

Keep More Money In Your Wallet By Using A Fuel Additive In Your Fuel Tank

Lots of people decide to go green mainly because our society decides that we should. Nevertheless, the gas situation is a bit complicated because the demand is ever increasing while the supply continues to diminish. Individuals who drive vehicles have a public responsibility to search for different fuel options. One way to do this is by utilizing a fuel additive that can certainly extend the life of the car’s engine. This is a proven way to make the fuel they are using stretch farther.

A great deal can be achieved for the environment by utilizing fuel from alternative sources, and this might be way more than people even think. Utilizing a fuel additive is worth it, just for the life of your automobile, even if saving the environment has nothing to do with it. Saving gas, which, in turn saves money, is an important factor but having a smooth running engine is vital as well. A fuel additive is very beneficial whenever it helps to maintain the different parts of your car’s engine. It’s all the more fantastic when you consider that it does so much more than just improve the gas efficiency of your vehicle.

Is it possible to picture the number of people who would eagerly shell out a few dollars and add some fuel additive to their gas if they realized how much longer they could keep their car running? Without any doubt, most people would be prepared to pay for a miracle pill that would keep them healthy and allow them to live longer, and this is the same thing for your car. People have many reasons for the actions they perform. Many people will use a fuel additive if they knew it took money out of the pockets of big oil. Nevertheless other individuals might use one because it fits in with their green style of living. Others are going to do it if this would save them a few pennies on a gallon of gas. Others would be prepared to try to keep their car working for an additional two years. On the other hand, some people wouldn’t try this, no matter what the reason.

You might question if educating people could help, but it might be difficult to find educators that people would trust. Our pollution problems could be much better if all drivers used fuel additives but not everyone really cares enough to do something. Oil companies could demonstrate that they cared by consistently putting additives in their gas even if it meant lower profits. It appears as though it gets to be a selfish thing of simply protecting your own vehicle.

Some of the positive aspects that come with utilizing a fuel additive include things like improved gas mileage, a smoother running car, and less money spent on car maintenance. If more people produced a coordinated effort to make this happen, we could expect to see reduced fuel usage and less pollution in our air.

Save On Fuel In Affordable And Easy Ways

Do you drive “the extra mile” to get your gas at a slightly cheaper price? Do you think twice about driving somewhere, afraid of what you’ll have to pay to refill the tank, with fuel prices going up all the time? Being a last measure you could sell the car and get a bicycle, but before then there are many different ways you can make things better.

Actually, there are lots of easy things, which also tend to be free, you’re able to do to reduce fuel consumption. For instance, you can ensure that your tires are always inflated correctly. Under-inflated tires result in elevated fuel consumption, so you can save gas by just making certain that your tires are at the right pressure. All you need to do is to get a tire gauge and check your tires regularly, to be able to save gas, free of charge. It’s well worth knowing that what you spend on the fuel you get is affected by what time of day you stop to refuel.

Gasoline is sold by the volume, and since liquids expand as they warm up, logic would tell you to buy the gas at the coldest part of the day, you will get the best deal. While there is a great deal of 24 hour shopping, get into action early to beat all of the traffic, which will allow you to save fuel without being stuck in traffic. It’s great that we now have websites which tell you where gas is sold cheapest, but obviously if you have to go far for a few pennies off you may end up not saving anything. Quite a few people love to wash their car because they like the way a clean car looks, but did you know that washing your car can save you fuel.

A clean car can cause less drag, like swimmers shaving off all of their body hair, or skiers wearing skin-tight racing suits, to go faster. Turn the washing of the car into a cool family thing. Whenever the weather is adequately warm, youngsters love playing in the water. Revving your car’s engine can supply a cheap thrill and also be a means of showing off, like at the traffic lights. This will likely come as a shock: rev your engine simply 15 times and you’ve kissed so long to enough gas to take you a mile. Really doesn’t sound like much, until you practice it on a consistent basis. Remind yourself of this whenever you next deplete all of your gas.

Most likely can’t stand taking your vehicle in to get it serviced, but it is a good idea, if you want to get the best gas mileage. You will pay, at any rate, for the extra gas your car uses when it’s running poorly, so you may as well use the money to pay for a service. You’ll find it crucial that your car gets new spark plugs, clean oil in addition to a new or cleaned oil filter and air filter.

from Car Repair For Shadetree Mechanics http://ift.tt/2gbi21f

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Wow! Armor Roofing - Cleveland MO New Roof Installations

The article Wow! Armor Roofing - Cleveland MO New Roof Installations originally appeared on Armor Roofing Kansas City.

Lots of people underestimate how key it is always to have routine roofing examinations. Most individuals look at a family home to be a symbol of American prosperity. You likely will spend a significant amount of time in your house with your family. But you have a need to first be sure that your residence is certainly the optimum setting for your entire household to get to live. You ought to make certain that your family home is maintained and there will not really be something there that will help to make everyone become unhappy. So you really need to keep in mind your rooftop.

A roof is possibly the most important component of the house, as without proper roofing, the the interior of your home could be exposed to the rain which kind of makes buying a residence inconsequential. If you currently have complications with your roof, is the time to commence mending it now, especially if you reside in Cleveland, and are in search of a roofing company around Cleveland, you are encouraged to connect with us for the top support you will ever end up getting.

At Armor roofing, we have been in business in the Cleveland general vicinity for a long time and we put user total satisfaction first of all. Armor Roofing is extremely pleased to keep up an enviable perfect status with the BBB as a verification of to our determination to excellency. Stressed as to the likelihood that your insurance adjuster would likely pay your claim? We have really helped many clients in managing through the processes to secure the reimbursement they should have. We pledge your full satisfaction. All our roofing service is supported by an 100% Armor Roofingwarranty on both parts and labor.

The final thing you expect is for a limited ceiling tears to wreck your house hold and goods within. You now have pretty much nothing to lose by contacting us no obligation free inspection right now. Dial the number just below or send us a note with the aid of the Contact Us page.

Call Us Today!Call Us Today! (816) 331-7663

If you want your roof structure to persist through the very volatile weather in Cleveland, then you might want to make sure your roof is well maintained and fixed at the point it is appropriate. An extensive roofing replacement can just be fairly costly, nevertheless not getting it handled without delay is not cautious. It is undoubtedly simple to understand how come this is definitely the actual situation. When water kicks off discharging into the residential home since you deferred the situation, renovating water leak problems may very well be much more steeply-priced than the former roof expense you were warding off. Because your roof top is simply the significant cover of the residence, the state will probably regularly degrade and sometime, a repair and possibly even a replacement are pretty much obligatory.

However, there is undoubtedly a good ending to this entire tale. Initially, the majority of people with rooftop damages only need a low-budget patch job of the compromised element on the roof top with damage. Your household coverage will usually compensate for the the price of a roof material repair or replacement, as long as they supervise the job and check it was completed properly. In that you will desire to be sure they sign off on the piece of work asap, it is crucial to contract a most suitable roof repair contractor that will execute the job in time and in a quality manner.

How Can I Investigate A Rooftop Calamity?

Understand the pursuing thoughts foremost:

The Several Uppermost Added Advantages Most Typically Associated With A Full-Blown Replacement

Is your rooftop underlayment rotting? Local roofing companies frequently talk about a part below the roof covering as the underlayment of a roof. A aging underlayment is just the same as wood decompose. It perhaps may not generally be extremely prolonged until some component of the roofing falls in on itself if that component is meant to provide structural integrity, and worst case scenario, this disaster may possibly come towards the not too distant future. Certainly, you absolutely need to phone a roof service to come out and measure the amount of the ruin to save your property worth.

Find any corrosion of the wood with regards to the roof top working surface? If you happen to see the wood protective layer, it is usually a painful indicator. If or when you have this damage, you need to contract for some kind of renovation or replace the existing roof covering as soon as possible. Do not stall before being sure you choose to correct this maintenance yourself or call up a roofing contractor.

Do you find the appearance of deterioration found on your house's steel roof? This damage may possibly be the signal to right away conduct maintenance tasks or to get going with updating the corroded areas with spanking new steel. Please do not hold out to look after the the situation.

In the event that you do locate injury, you must perform a trivial restoration or maybe even a whole replacement, each with pluses and drawbacks. Although you probably are silly enough to work on the issue on your own, the most effective usage of your spare time would probably be devoted flipping the task over to a local roofer. It is most useful that you use the authority at the earliest opportunity, because you doubtless have now significantly affairs to accomplish than get upon on a roof top having a look for problems.

Contact at Roofs Are Us at this point by simply clicking the press button further down.

Call Us Today!Call Us Today! (816) 331-7663

Talk To at Armor Roofing LLC at the moment by going to the "Call Us Now" further down. After you possess the local roofing company to explore the property or home, ask after the severity of the damage caused and if a simple servicing or new roof installation is appropriate. In the case it looks like your master is inclined toward a full new roof installation, after that you will discover plenty of issues you will be required to reflect on.

What Do You Think Are Each Of The Positive Factors Linked To Rooftop Replacements?

The real positive aspect is certainly that you can have a mint condition roof covering. You actually can slumber smoothly for the next decade plus since your rooftop can manage just about anything the weather brings against it barring complete devastation. In a case where you absolutely do not wish to upgrade the full roof covering, your trusted roofing professional will be able to supply you the basic servicing and simply your roof will be set for the next few years.

No doubt one of the most common points why for investing in a brand-new roof structure is definitely that you are looking into marketing the property quickly. A fresh new roof have the ability to boost a residential house's price quite notably.

Justifications To Refrain From A Full Roof Installation in Cleveland

You're going to be oriented towards an extra time consuming contract when talking about a refurbishing. It's going normally take much longer and simply need considerably more logistics in order to continue without problems. It's a single justification of why you truly want to choose a local roofing company featuring adequate laborers to execute the large job fashion. An entire roof covering replacement will most likely regularly be priced somewhere around $7,000 to $8,000 dependent on just how enormous the home is and what range of shingles you are working with on it. A huge palace or superior item is likely to be a lot more higher priced while minimal places of residence would probably come down below this whole range. You don't have a reason to be troubled over this most of the time. In the event that your domicile is thoroughly broke, well then you may possibly submit a case with the insurance corporation. Simply just ensure that you employ the services of the suitable certified roof professional to conduct the undertaking effectually. Just one legitimate reason our valued clients enjoyed our help is that we have the ability to strive to establish to enable you get the full demand.

Armor Roofing Service can easily service you in cases where you realize your roof may well be demanding some repair. We backup our customer service by having a complete warranty atop a purchaser 100 % satisfaction dedication. Contact Armor Roofing Company this instance!

Call Us Today!Call Us Today! (816) 331-7663

Armor Roofing LLC - Kansas City 6600 NW Tower Dr #104 Kansas City, MO 64151 (816) 935-9312 http://kansascity.roofsareus.com

The post Wow! Armor Roofing - Cleveland MO New Roof Installations appeared first on Armor Roofing Kansas City.

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