#its a nice break from the family gameplay i've been doing a lot of

[simstuition]

[l-1-z-a]

The Sims 2 Console Alpha 815 PROTOTYPE

From video description:

This channel has been showcasing A LOT from the M4 20 Build of The Sims 2. But I thought it'd be nice to show off the other prototypes. I never played these much before just BECAUSE 1) M4 20 is the oldest available build we have, so I figured it'd be the most different from the final build, and would have more interesting content. And 2) The August Builds barely have any Debug Cheats at all (and I haven't found any yet). Therefore, they're not as easy to mess around with like M4 20 is.

-- CHAPTERS --

0:00 Intro

2:25 Game Opening

4:14 Create a Sim

23:23 Gameplay

From comments by author of video:

Primary differences from M4 20 July 29th's build... that I've noticed.

The opening is SLIGHTLY more finished.

CAS Lighting has been fixed.

Grandparents aren't editable

Randomization works

Most CAS items appear fixed, even if some thumbnails use the incorrect colors/previews

You can no longer zoom in as close to your sim in CAS

In certain views, you can't move the camera at all (like when you're adding a belt)

The "Style" icon has been changed the Final Build's.

The CAS icons are in the correct / Final Build's layout.

The Sims theme (Lemon Jelly Remix) has been removed/replaced.

It has debug cheats, but very few, and those very few aren't too helpful

The regular cheats don't work properly. (Unlock all objects does NOT unlock them, and Unlock all fashions only unlocks 44 fashions)

Build Buy is no longer debugged (therefore no "scenery temp" or Urbz leftover items in it)

CAS is no longer debugged (so no Costume Trunk or hidden items in it)

There seems to be no more "broken" Wants (A Want that is blank/has an "X" over it)

No families are available in Free Play (Not even the "Bradley" family with "J.J." and "Bobo" ... though they still seem to exist in this build)

From what I've seen, most of the Story Play Sims have their Final Build appearances

Story Mode Sims' thumbnails are changed to the Final Build's.

While some visitors are still prone to staying until one of their needs aren't met (and then causing the game to lag because it struggles to have them "fail" this need) they are more likely to actually LEAVE before this happens. In the M4 20 build, most visitors struggle to leave and tend to stay indefinitely.

This build might STILL struggle with Sims' deaths, but in a different way? My "Roxanna" sim died and disappeared from the household. This could be because the Grim Reaper failed to appear. In the M4 20 build, Sims WILL die and stay... it just takes them a while to die (lagging the game as they struggle) Though, Roxanna disappearing from the household could be a bug and not something that always happens. I'll have to play more to confirm this.

Hard to tell if it's REALLY prone to more crashing. M4 20 Build TECHNICALLY crashes a lot, but it's mostly caused by Captain Catastrophe's random appearances, for some reason. This build, however, seems to crash for many more (unclear) reasons.

The "Save Game" boxes appear more finished.

Uses the "Loading, please wait..." text from the PAL version. (The US loading screen just says "LOADING")

"Talk social" ALWAYS fails for some reason. Even when it shouldn't (plays the "accept" animations)

Sims will suffer a glitch where they cannot be interacted with -- any attempt will cause them to sort of "reset"

the Need Bars now visibly drains (they drain in M4 20, but the visual bars are glitched and do not show them draining)

Sims can sit down and sleep properly.

Sinks appear to be glitched and upon using them, they will ALWAYS create a big mess like what happens when they break (even when they don't break in this build)

The "AE Arcade Cabinet" no longer uses the "A-Maz-Ing Matey!" texture from the PC version, and while it uses a texture SIMILAR to the Final Build's, it's still different! (I'll get a better pic of it in game and not just the BB thumbnails later)

The Teppanyaki table now resembles its Final Build instead of having its Bustin' Out appearance.

I'm not sure if any of the leftover Urbz models (Kiki Blunt for example) still make an appearance. I couldn't REALLY play long enough (without it crashing) to know. As I said in the end, I'll make another attempt later.

And yes. I like using the same Sims but that's because I think it helps showcase differences amongst the games using the same characters, if that makes sense? And it also kiiiinda gives these videos a certain style. :)

[madeleinelovescolours]

Sh ask game - 1,3,4,5,7,11,12,17?

Ah!!!! there are so many!!!! I love this 1: god that's hard. I think I'll have to say "3" mainly because I love hang out with with Tabitha and learn more about her. But I also like how in ep 4 I can get to know Avery and Reese more. But also episode 2 was my first big "oh shit" moment

3: Tabitha <3 Following in the grand tradition of me instantly loving the one NPC that hates your guts. Yes, I have told my therapist about this 4: urgth. I hate saying this but I think out of all the mains, maybe Kaneeka? I think its just my gameplay, the way I've played it, especially with my main MC I end up butting heads a lot. 5: My MC is Timothea, she's mystical and TTA. She lives on an island in the PNW and does freelance animal/pest control and building maintenance. She started doing it pro-bono because she could sense when someone's house was in danger and it stressed her out too much to just stand by, but she pretty quickly got enough PR to make it a career. Some locals believe her when she explains she can talk to animals and has actual visions, others just assume she's a savant. She's renting a shed on someone's property (I know this is an option from the game, but it's also an extremely common living arrangement on the island IRL)

7: first time I played with mystical+TTA, i nearly jumped out of my chair when the ditchlings showed up and I could hear them talk in ENGLISH. I also get chills in ep3 when Power Build says "you can handle it" and Mystical says "no you can't" 11:stabby stabby stabby. they have such bubbeline energy. also have a crack ship fondness for Reese and Avery because I think they'd really get along if they ever met. For my least favourite, any incest ships. It's my squick, I'm sorry.

12: probably Tabitha and the MC. Tabby's been so isolated her whole life, both from the town and her surviving family. She's learning how to connect with other people. Her "it would be nice not to be the only scarlet" breaks my heart. 17: The mine collapse in ep 2. For starters, I have mild claustrophobia and I was freaked out before anything bad even happened. IRL I don't think I'd even be able to set foot in there. On the playthrough where I couldn't go back for the teens, it was rough.

me too rosa, me too.

[sekhithefops]

Thoughts: Healing Magic in the WoW universe and Cancer.

Hello everyone.

Let me ask a question.

How many of us, when life gets rough and painful, like to imagine our Azerothian counterparts from Warcraft sorting the situation out? Its a fun little coping mechanism isn't it?

Day been rough and stressful? Nice to think of getting a big hug from a pandaren.

Having to deal with someone at a job you'd really rather not? Isn't it just great to imagine a big burly orc knocking their lights out?

And when tragedy strikes us or our loved ones in the form of injury or illness... I think we've all wished for a world where our Priests, Shaman, Paladins, and the rest could help us heal them haven't we?

Oh for a world where the cure to our ills was a simple prayer to the Light, a whispered service to the Elements, or what have you...

Anyways... someone close to me, I'll leave out who in particular out of respect for their privacy, received some horrible news today. A close family member has been diagnosed with cancer.

As I suggested above, my first thought is... yep... I wish Sekhi or Nitika or any of my other WoW characters could swoop in and save the day with some magic.

But after the news had sunk in my overactive imagination kept going and... well... a new thought popped into my head concerning the nature of cancer.

You see... cancer isn't an injury or illness per se... cancer is when your own body turns against itself.

A Brief Aside on the Nature of Cancer

To quote the NCI or National Cancer Institute:

"Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. 

Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and multiply (through a process called cell division) to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes this orderly process breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply when they shouldn’t. These cells may form tumors, which are lumps of tissue. Tumors can be cancerous or not cancerous (benign). 

Cancerous tumors spread into, or invade, nearby tissues and can travel to distant places in the body to form new tumors (a process called metastasis). Cancerous tumors may also be called malignant tumors. Many cancers form solid tumors, but cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not.

Benign tumors do not spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. When removed, benign tumors usually don’t grow back, whereas cancerous tumors sometimes do. Benign tumors can sometimes be quite large, however. Some can cause serious symptoms or be life threatening, such as benign tumors in the brain."

You can see the full article on this here.

This in turn made me think of something else.

I've been a visitor to Azeroth since before World of Warcraft existed and I've picked up quite a bit of lore as the huge mountain of fanfiction Adventures in Azeroth may have hinted.

If you read it.

You should really read it, I put a lot of work into it.

Moving on... it made me think of, in particular... the Forsaken, and how they show that healing magic is not always a good thing.

Forsaken and the Light

The Forsaken's relationship with the Light is not a very good one. In WoW cannon there are only two Forsaken characters who canonically use the Light at all even!

These two are the Archbishop Alonsus Faol, who priests would remember meeting during Legion...

And, of course, the newest member of the Forsaken. Former Princess of Lordaeron turned into the only known Lightforged Undead, Calia Menethil.

Canonically, any other Forsaken priests are Shadow priests rather than Holy or Discipline. This is going all the way back to the original World of Warcraft lore back at release. The Forsaken can use the Light for gameplay reasons, but there's a very good reason they don't in the actual canon.

You see, it has to do with the fact that they're undead.

The Forsaken exist in a state of sensory depravation, but in their case its a good thing.

Their bodies are dead. Their flesh is rotten and putrefied. Their teeth are moldy. Their skin flaking away to expose bone and nerve endings.

Normally a Forsaken heals themselves by consuming humanoid bodies or by things like Warlock Health Stones or Drain Life... but the Light does something horrible to the Forsaken.

It allows them to feel again, and they don't like it!

Being healed by the Light undoes the sensory depravation that the Forsaken experience, allowing them to taste the rot in their mouths, feel the exposed bone and nerve endings in their flesh, become acutely aware of their rotten forms, even when its used to heal them!

It may happen if a Druid or Shaman uses their powers to heal them, I don't know, but for a Priest or Paladin it is guaranteed. The ONLY known exceptions being Faol and Menethil as I mentioned above.

Which brings us back to the main topic.

Cancer isn't an invasive force like a virus or bacteria or a physical injury like a cut or bruise. Its the victim's body turned against itself.

Would a healing spell make the cancer go away... or would it "heal" the cancerous cells themselves?

A. Healing Magic Would Make the Cancer Worse

Since the cancer is part of the victim gone out of control, its possible that a healing spell would treat the cancer the same as it would the host.

Best case scenario, it cancels itself out and nothing changes.

Worst case scenario, the cancer cells become empowered and multiply faster!

It would make sense that there must be limits to healing magic in Azeroth or else why would anyone ever die?

Cancer and conditions like it could be among those limits. Healing magic would heal the victim's body, but since cancer is the victim's body... well, yeah.

B. Of Course it'd Help! Its MAGIC!

Its also possible that it could, well, just work because its magic. It breaks the laws of reality and nature simply by the fact that you can use it AT ALL!

A druid flexes her body and suddenly she's a panther. A mage gestures and his foe explodes in a burst of flames. A warlock grabs and pulls at the air and a hole rips in reality to allow their hellish minions entry.

In this situation, cancer would be the same as any other malady to a healer. They do their magical wand waving and POP all better, that'll be a 20,000 gold copay please.

C. Magic Could Help... but it'll be Messy.

Maybe, it'd take both an offensive spellcaster AND a healer.

What if a Mage's control over fire could cauterize away the cancer cells in a manner akin to radiation treatment, and a shaman or priest could then heal the burns that left?

Of course, spells like that would rely on line of sight... which would make this effectively arcane surgery. Someone would have to (ahem) allow for the mage to SEE the cancer to target it... as in, they'd have to cut the patient open so the mage could aim his spells properly. This would mean that the healer would have to also pull double duty as life support, which would in turn require them to control their healing magic as precisely as possible so that they don't accidentally go too far and close the incision the mage needs to attack the offending tumors!

But yes, this is simply a thought I had today and I felt was worth sharing. My mind does go on some weird tangents sometimes doesn't it?

I do hope we have some good news about the aforementioned cancer patient that sparked this line of thought, but... well, only time will tell there. At least I have something to distract myself from that line of thinking.

[burgerpocalypse]

I've been trying to run through some free games I got from the Epic game store, specifically Grand Theft Auto V, Creature in the Well, and most recently Night in the Woods. I quit GTAV about 60% of the way because it sucked, and I can't beat the last area of Creature, so that leaves me to talk a little about NitW and the emotional turmoil it gave me.

Upfront, I'm not interested in games with heavy emphasis on story, least of all visual novels or whatever you want to call this game. However, I've heard mostly positive things about Night in the Woods here and there for the better part of the previous decade. That and the fact I got it for $0 convinced me to finally try it out.

Night in the Woods is an adventure focused on exploration and character drama. Mae Borowski, the protagonist, is a college dropout that just moved back to her Rust Belt hometown for mysterious reasons, and becomes entangled in suspicious happenings. The player will traverse the aged suburban sprawl and rural outskirts of Possum Springs, conversing with family, friends, strangers, and everyone else, uncovering secrets and opening wounds along the way.

Seeing as how Night in the Woods is primarily a story, I'll mostly be discussing that, so look out for spoilers, yo.

After spending two years away, Mae attempts to reconnect with her previously closest friends Bea (an idealist goth whomst had considerable familial and financial responsibility thrust upon her at a young age), Gregg (an anarchist punk with bipolar tendencies), and Angus (an incredibly nice man). Mae pushes the story forward by hanging out with Bea and Gregg, and sometimes Angus. This will often involve going to social outings, running errands, committing crimes, and so on.

Other than her friends, Mae will also have opportunities to interact with her parents, various citizens, and vagrants. whom provide flavor and history to the world while also bringing some of Mae's muddled past to light. The player will traverse environments through walking and jumping around, with the occasional platforming feat required to progress or access certain areas. Occasionally, you'll be presented with small minigames, like a Guitar Hero-clone or red light/green light shoplifting, and a game-within-a-game dungeon crawler that pissed me off to no end. While most activities in the town are benign, certain important events will move the day along and lock you out of further exploration.

Early on, Mae's group stumbles upon a discarded arm and some cryptic dialogue from a few characters. After each day, Mae experiences strange dream sequences that involve platforming segments and surreal representations of her friends and the town. Several hours of gameplay later, Mae witnesses a kidnapping on Halloween by what appears to be a ghost.

In the midst of all this, Mae hangs out with her friends and discovers what they've been up to in her absence. Bea runs the family business for her father, who broke down after her mom died, putting them in dire financial straits and preventing Bea from leaving Possum Springs; she bears resentment towards Mae, since she dropped out of college and came home for no apparent reason while also not maturing at all. Gregg is aimless, sporadic, and uninhibited, while his boyfriend Angus is neat, tidy, and overly helpful. Their relationship appears strong, and they are planning to move to a new city together, though Bea is convinced it won't last.

Mae does her best to strengthen bonds while suffering from a variety of stressors, like her family's money troubles, her self-destructive tendencies and dissociative episodes, and ominous celestial beings invading her mind. This sometimes leads to inadvertent and painful social situations, especially with Bea.

Mae attempts to investigate the supposedly supernatural happenings with the help of Bea, Gregg, and Angus, while her mental health steadily declines. Eventually, the group travels deep into the woods (at night) and stumble into a cult, after which Mae suffers a great fall and enters a coma. After waking up, Mae then attempts to confront the cult head-on, though her friends arrive to help. They enter a cave, find the cult again, discover the eldritch horror they serve and explore her personal connection to it, accidentally cause a cave-in and trap the cultists, escape the cave, and try to make sense of what happened after the fact.

Now, don't get me wrong. I rather enjoyed Night in the Wood's story. I really liked all the characters. I loved the dialogue. Even the platforming and various minigames were fine, if simplistic and occasionally annoying. The structure of this paragraph seems as though it's leading towards a big 'but'. I just wanted to say that I really liked the game, even though I don't generally enjoy video game stories, and especially not video games primarily about a story. Though I'm not from a run-down midwestern town, and obviously don't have the same sort of personal relationships she does, Mae's emotional strife and insecurities really resonated with me. Her personal thoughts and reactions often made me just stop and think about the many mistakes I've made with the people I care about and all the relationships I've ruined.

However, if the plot wanted to spend so much time on Mae and her friends, it should have been about Mae and her friends. Conversely, if it wanted to be about a spooky cult in a small town, it should have spent much more time on a spooky cult in a small town. The plot is torn between two diametrically opposed focuses, those being Mae's struggles to maintain relationships and her dealing with suspicious supernatural occurrences in Possum Springs. So much time passes before anything really happens with the cult and cosmic horror that I feel some people might even forget there is a cult and cosmic horror, and Mae isn't just experiencing a psychotic break for no reason.

In the end, the cult goes unresolved, and it's unclear what the relationship is with the residents of Possum Springs, or what its powers even are. I don't need the game to explain every aspect in detail, but no one appears to be affected by the existence of the cult and its god other than Mae. My brain was going into overdrive looking for clues, making patterns, identifying red herrings, anything that might help me understand the mystery, when in reality there was no mystery to understand.

There is also a severe lack of actual choice or decision making in terms of dialogue, and a distinct absence of any real challenge in gameplay. I definitely felt that this story could have been more efficiently told if it were in a book, usually after spending a few minutes walking around trying to find something important and

It doesn't help that I sometimes accidentally skipped certain segments, since it's not always explicitly clear if an action will push the day forward and lock me in. I even completely missed a third of the investigations since I chose to check out the historical society building with Gregg second when the game expected me to do it last. This sort of problem led to me giving up completely on other story-focus games like Kentucky Route Zero since I constantly skipped and missed chunks of stuff or did things out of the intended order and ruined the flow of events.

Now this has obviously gotten a little too long, so I'll just wrap it up by saying that Night in the Woods is great and I recommend it. It made me feel feelings, deep feelings, like I was moments away from crying on more than one occasion.

Thanks for reading. I have a lot on my mind because of this game, so I hope it was worth your time.