#outlaw gen-ai!

[phancanedoo013]

Every existing argument that speaks for generative AI can be countered with a very logical counter-argument. Let me show you:

"It is an art-tool like any other" - No, it's not, because a tool doesn't do your work for you like gen-AI does, tools enable you to do things more easily and to do more things at once, but gen-AI does the entire thing, and not even that good.

"AI is faster than any artist" - Maybe, but that comes at the cost of creativity and quality. You may be able to fool those who only take a short glance at it, but the moment they comprehend the creation, it gets exposed!

"AI is the future" - It is very clearly not! Gen-AI is very resource-heavy, depends on real artists' works, and doesn't have the quality to be of use once the userbase learns to be more skeptical of online creations. Not to mention the AI feeding of its own creations, resulting into WORSE generations than before.

"AI can generate anything you want" - No, it can't! Everything it generates it can do so only because it has been fed with according existing creations, so once you tell it to generate something it has never been trained to generate, it fails. Try making it generate anything outlandish, like irregular numbers of appendages, or chimeras. More often than not, it will disappoint you.

"AI helps me with inspiration" - Sure, it could be used for inspiration. But do you know what else does? LITERALLY EVERYTHING! You can look to your left, and take whatever you see there as inspiration. You can look at a specific object's texture and use bits of that as inspiration! You could even take a piece of paper, crumble it, make a photo of it, trace the visible folds and edges and use even THAT as inspiration! Inspiration is everywhere, though whether it can be used in the given context is another story, but the point still stands. You do NOT need AI for inspiration. Oh, and remember how gen-AI is trained on other people's creations? That means, that whatever the AI puts out ALREADY EXISTS! You just have to search for it, so just take whatever prompts you just had in mind, and formulate a (google?)-search based on it. Just like that, you may have just found some images to inspire you, if not an entire ARTIST TO SUPPORT!

"AI is still very fun to play around with thanks to its fast generation process!" - Oh, sure, it can be fun to see what the AI spits out, but those super-fast results are their own problem! Not only could you play around with anything else and have even more fun than during the waiting period for the gen-AI to finish generating, but you could have even more fun with stuff that takes longer to do. Oh, you don't? Well, that just means you have fallen for what i call the "modern curse", that is instant gratification. I'd know, i want to commit to digital art for the sheer possibilities of it all, but i can't enjoy the art process since i find more joy in any other game or social media. The need for instantaneous results from anything is incinuating us to not wait for anything. It hurts our patience and sense of time and robs us of any non-instant fun to be had. I, too, have fallen to this modern curse, and am trying to find my way out of it, so i can actually commit to something worthwhile, which gen-AI is NOT! And it's not just our enjoyment it is hurting, but our community as well! With feedback coming more from the instant responses of gen-AI and systems designed to keep us hooked to their stuff, we ultimately communicate with each other less and rob ourselves of social connectivity and personal growth, as we stray away from the necessary criticism to learn from mistakes and grow as people. If you enjoy gen-AI as much as you say you do, i assure you, you NEED to get off the web a bit, talk to people, play longer lasting games, and, for lack of better word, touch some grass.

"AI is a great investment!" - And with that statement, you just exposed yourself as someone willing to scam people out of well earned money with non-human creations. Oh, you're not? Then why are you calling gen-AI worthwhile? The resources and energy requirements to keep the gen-AI running as a service are too much to maintain over longer timespans, and you hardly make any money back running gen-AI. Not only that, but if you generate images and other creations and advertise them as your own creations, you are abusing people's trust that their works are legitimately man-made, with human creativity. By that point, you would already be a fraud, and even worse if you decide to SELL the creations as your own art. You would not only betray people's trust, you'd also scam them out of their money, and the moment they learn that it's AI generated, they wont think that "oh, how far AI has come", they'll think that "that mf just scammed me with their AI-generation bullssss, i am never buying anything from them again!" If you're in it for the money, you may get some money, but at the cost of people's trust in you, and forget about getting famous for it. Even the big tech companies aren't spared from the harsh criticisms of the public, so why would you be any better?

I could go on and on and on, but the point still stands. Generative AI is only hurting our community, especially once scams and AI-gen-spam comes into play (don't even get me started on AI-spam and content-farms). It isn't worth any finances, passion or mental energy. It has only hurt the userbase, betraying people's trust, betraying built-up hype, betraying the artist community, and as time goes on, big tech will learn about their mistake of throwing away artists' trust for some machines.

Hmmmm, how do i end this one? You know what, i have a hot take for you! Here it comes: Generative AI should be forbidden BY LAW! Straight up! It may seem harsh, but we are too ill prepared for gen-AI to make it as big as it did, whether as large projects or as public tools. The sooner, the better, get rid of gen-AI, and i mean ALL OF IT!

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Intentional

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/j9eMmwb by Whistle_Mist Whumptober AI-less 2023 prompt: Poisoned   Jason must have caught it in space. (Reuploaded, since it failed yesterday evening :( but this is for the first day of Whumptober.) Words: 1092, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Batfamily (DCU), Whumptober, Near Death, Poisoning, Revenge read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/j9eMmwb

[luisprada]

My Writing Portfolio

I’ve written a lot of stuff for a lot of outlets. Here are my favorites; the ones that really show off what I’m capable of. I’ve added some context for a few of them. I’m looking for a full-time writing job. Does your video game need a writer? Hire me! Does your TV series writer’s room need a new writer? Hire me! Want to give me a book deal? Sign me up! Does your website need an editor/writer in a full-time salaried position? Hire me! You can DM me here, or find me on Twitter @Luis_Prada. My email is Luisrafaelprada@gmail.com. 

Cracked - I wrote for Cracked on and off for over 15 years. Eventually, I became a columnist and a member of the columns editorial team. I wrote hundreds of articles and wrote a few video scripts. 

3 Recipes For The Perfect Last Minute Mother's Day Brunch - Don’t let the title mislead you. This was the first time Cracked let me write an article that was pure fiction disguised as a helpful, fact-based recipe article. If you like this, I have a whole podcast that’s basically this article in audio form. Links at the bottom of this post!

10 Very Dumb Questions You Should Answer Right Now - This is part 1 of a survey of the Cracked readership. Part two, below, is where it gets fun. Posting this one for full context.

10 Dumb Questions I Asked You Guys (And Your Dumb Answers) -- And here’s Part 2! Never got to do this survey again for another column but of everything I’ve ever written, it’s one of the ones I’m most proud of.  Amazon Thinks I'm Some Sort Of Serial Killer In Training

This Article Will Explode In 5 Points

The Hoax You Didn't Realize Dominated The 80s - The Cracked article I’m most proud of. 

The Most Weirdly Specific, Lazy Spam Email I Ever Received How I Tried (And Failed) To Stop Snoring With A Didgeridoo Why Don't We Have Flying Cars Yet? Well, Here's The Thing...

4 Spam Emails That Deserve To Be Movies

I Ate At The World's Best Sushi Restaurant

4 Ways I Realize I've Changed (Thanks To The New Zelda Game)

The 6 Most Useless Features Found in Flashlight Apps

5 Creepy Things People Say About Sex When Granted Anonymity

4 Recipes That Came From The Mind Of A Child (Taste Tested)

4 Things That Shock You About Dogs (If You Never Had One)

4 Creepy Unspoken Agreements We All Make With Public Places 4 Terrible Golf Tips For Beginners (By a Beginner)

Drones: The Movie Pixar Doesn't have the Balls to Make - The first time I was ever allowed to break the traditional listicle mold. Still can’t believe they let me do this.

5 Random Questions You Didn't Know You Wanted Answered

5 Newspaper Articles From History You'll Swear I'm Making Up

Taco Bell's Website Is Absolutely Insane (No, Seriously) Papa John’s TikTok Has Intense Divorced Dad Energy

The Mary Sue - I’ve long admired the work going on over at The Mary Sue. I finally got the chance to write for them as a Contributing Writer. Here are a few of my favorites so far.

‘Star Wars Outlaws’ does ‘Skyrim in Space’ better than ‘Starfield’

Sorry, McDonald’s: Your new collector’s cups will never beat the ‘Batman Forever’ mugs

New Cult Hit Horror Game Raises Uncomfortable Questions About Your Gaming Habits

Even the MCU’s Floundering Can’t Touch the Reason Deadpool Always Hits

I Live In Constant Fear That I Would Like Racewalking if I Tried It

Vice - This is my current day job. Topical Writer is my official title. Essentially an old school daily news blogger. Incredibly fun, everyone is fantastic, and I get tons of creative freedom.  

LA House That Broke in Half Is on Sale for $499,999

This Video Game Flopped So Hard Sony Is Refunding Anyone Who Bought It

Heinz Insults All of Italy As It Introduces Carbonara-in-a-Can for Gen Z Eaters

Austrian Doctor Fired After Letting Her 13-Year-Old Daughter Drill a Hole In a Patient’s Head (this one got me on NPR’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!)

Microplastics Are In Your Brain, Testicles, Placenta, Lungs, Soul

People Mostly Use AI for Homework Help and Erotic Fiction

Bunny Ears - The site, which was owned and operated by actor Macaulay Culkin, gave me the chance to do something I’d wanted to do for years: get paid to write the silliest stuff I could imagine. The site was a satire of celebrity lifestyle sites like Goop but started sprinkling in some broader pop-cultural stuff toward the end. 

6 Bathrobes Perfect For Doing Coked-Up Naked Karate

I’ve Been Holding In A Tantric Orgasm For 22 Years. Please Don’t Touch Me

My Secret Ingredient Is Love, Which Has Been Recalled Due To Fecal Contamination

For The Last Time, I’m An Electrician, Not An Energy Healer

3 School Lunches Your Child’s Bully Will Love

We Just Tried Western Medicine, And Holy Shit Is It Effective!

I Traveled The World And Didn’t Learn A Fucking Thing About Myself Lavish Vacation Spots To Visit When You’re On The Run From The Securities and Exchange Commission

I’m An Introvert And I Need Every Person On Earth To Know It These 5 Posh Hotels Have One Thing in Common: You’re Banned from Them

Our Article Ideas Algorithm Says You Should Marinate Chicken In Piss

I Climbed Everest And Still Can’t Maintain An Erection

Funko Pop! Used My Likeness Without My Consent A Good Night’s Sleep Made Me A Much More Efficient Asshole My Restaurant Will Proudly Fuck Up Your Culture’s Signature Dish I’m Trying Really Hard To Not Turn Your Vitamin D Deficiency Into A Dick Joke

I’m Totally Okay Being Trapped Under This Weighted Blanket Reminder: Don’t Fuck Up This Turkey, Because You Can Really Use A Win Right Now

Marvelous Meat: This Plant-Based Burger Not Only Bleeds, It Screams

We Can’t Get Enough Of These 5 Celebrity-Recommended Tax Havens

Grounding: Connecting To The Natural Energies of Your Home By Sticking Metal Rods In Power Outlets

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency 

Click “No” If You’d Like Us To Guilt Trip You For Not Subscribing To Our Newsletter

The Inaudible Podcast Network - My time at Bunny Ears led to the development of a short recurring segment on the official Bunny Ears podcast called “Meditation Minute with Luis Prada”, a parody of guided meditation podcasts and Youtube channels. When Bunny Ears closed down, I was able to keep Meditation Minute. I spun it into my own podcast. The Inaudible Podcast Network is an audio sketch comedy series about four podcasts on a fake podcast network. Those shows are Meditation Minute, Truest Crime (a true crime podcast hosted by two serial killers), The Feed (a food culture podcast), and Three Indistinguishable Guys Talking About Movies (a movie podcast). I’ve completed two seasons so far, totaling 80 episodes, 20 of each podcast. Here are direct links to my favorite episodes so far. But first, here’s a link to the Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/InaudiblePod

I can use the money! Season two just ended. I’m writing season three now. Anyway, onto the links...

TRAILER/Ep. 1 - Meditation Minute - Midroll Meditation

Ep. 2 - The Feed - Fleeing Flavortown

Ep. 4 - Three Indistinguishable Guys Talking About Movies - Review: The Family Circus Movie

Ep. 5 - Meditation Minute - Building a Happy Place

Ep. 28 - Truest Crime - Where Are They Now?

Ep. 33 - Meditation Minute - Breakout

Ep. 41 - Meditation Minute With Luis Prada - A Meditation for Those In A Rush

Ep. 42 - The Feed - The Indiana Sausage Wars

Ep. 47 - Three Indistinguishable Guys Talking About Movies - I See Myself In Luke Skywalker Despite HisGross Alien Genitals

Ep. 48 - Truest Crime - Riddles For Pestering The Cops

Ep. 58 - The Feed - Apologies To Canned Ham

Ep. 62 - The Feed - The Fight To Save Bees

Ep. 69 - Meditation Minute With Luis Prada - Corrections and Retractions

Ep. 78 - The Feed - Our Fascinating World of High-End Cheeses

Ep. 80 - Truest Crime - Most Truest Crime with Host FBI Agent Antonio Rodriguez

[klugpuuo]

more puyo~puyo headcanons 'cause i guess i can write now ☘️

..title. added some world stuff headcanons this time so yea enjoy /gen

warnings: everything that comes with new-era schezo, mentions of violence.

Worldbuilding headcanons:

-If a person does not battle for a long enough period of time, they can experience extreme restlessness. This isn't very common in places with lots of access to Puyos and Tetrominos, but hits poor places very hard. Restlessness can also be removed in other ways, which will be shown below, but it's different for almost every person so isn't entirely reliable.

-There are three types of Puyo~Puyo and Tetris battles: Holographic, Physical, and Magical Holographic battles are the least effective for dealing with restlessness, as holographic screens do not give as much stimulation. Holograms are usually only used for training, teaching and extremely casual battles. Physical battles are ones where you actually drag and drop Puyos or Tetrominos (either by use of minor magic, or physically dragging them) and are usually fairly useful at relieving restlessness. They're usually used for minor to moderate decision-making battles, tests in schools, and lower- and middle-ranking competitions. Magical battles are battles that are similar to Physical battles except for the fact that those battling actively use offensive spells. This usually ends up in one or both parties getting injured (sometimes severely). This type is outlawed in most places despite being very effective at relieving restlessness, and is usually only legal in magic tournaments. It is also commonly used in boss raids and life-threatening situations.

-"Battleless restlessness" (name pending) can also be lessened by watching videos of incredibly high-stakes battles (mainly Magical ones), physically fighting with others, engaging in philosophical debate, and meditating. There are many other ways, although the ones listed are the most commonly useful.

(mostly) Single person headcanons:

-Every 4 years, Lemres enters a "restless" state regardless of how many battles they've done. In order to exit this state, they either have to consume an incredible amount of salt (which is incredibly harmful for multiple reasons) or has to siphon their energy into someone else. (this is my explanation for their PPT2 alt voice lol)

-When Klug gets tired, he tends to act incredibly weird. If he texts people he makes typos so much he becomes incomprehensible, if he tries writing his handwriting becomes a weird mix of chicken scratch and cursive, he uses slang terms he wouldn't otherwise, etc.

-Schezo's sword is more or less a part of his body at this point. Although this just means that if he's away from it for too long he gets incredibly weak, this fact has spawned quite a large amount of jokes at his expense.

-Tee has never seen nor experienced a romantic relationship, as he sees the crew of the SS Tetra as family and nothing more and he's more or less been with them for his entire life.

-Satan misses his wife Lilith a lot.

-Sig experiences visual snow, which he doesn't realize isn't normal until he finds out about it at the old age of 16.

Multiple person headcanons:

-The last time Lemres entered a restless state, they gave Schezo some of their own power (mostly by accident). This power laid dormant in Schezo until he accidentally put it into a few swords he forged, which caused so many problems.

-Carbuncle and O went on a date once.

-Sig and Lidelle don't talk anymore since Lidelle bought carnivorous plants to deal with the plant-eating bugs in her house.

-Sig usually uses "[you know, like] nya" as an informal greeting to Klug and Amitie. Amitie has used the same greeting to mimic Sig (in a positive way) but claims it's not as cool or funny as when Sig does it.

-After Ringo stops talking to Ecolo for a while, it realizes it's been going too far and starts to respect her boundaries more. Although it has no ulterior motives, Maguro still is slightly suspicious of it (especially after it starts going on platonic dates with her).

-Ai has ONE scar he got because of a prank the twins pulled and they did NOT severely injure him further. He is okay.

-Once, in front of every single child in Primp Town, Klug said "being trans directly affects my gender". Amitie is the only person who thinks he could stand to not be made fun of for this (not including Klug himself).

once again, that's the end of a very long post. hope y'all enjoyed reading, and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! (questions help fuel motivation in general and keep me inspired, so you'd be helping me a lot)

hope whoever's reading this has a great day (even if you didn't get all the way to the end) and cya'll next time ☘️

[jacscorner]

Pokemon All-Stars: A Fan Region/Game/Alternate Universe Idea

I like watching and rewatching Original Pokemon Game/Region videos. Like Mr. Buddy's "What if X was a Pokemon Region" and stuff like that. I wanna make-or, I guess, write-my own. Since Regions are kind of a character all their own and I'm a Wannabe Character Artist, I wanted to try and make one my own.

I've got no skills in coding, pixel arts, or anything, so this will forever be just some kind of dumb fanfic that sometimes incorporates Game Mechanics to justify things if it were able, for some Godforsaken reason, 'stolen' for a game. Cause, in 2021, no idea feels too big or too dumb. And, uh, trust me, this'll be a dumb fanfic of an idea. So be aware for the subpar writing talents of some wannabe writer who doesn't know shit.

Small disclaimer though:

>This region is being made with the intention that every extra feature will be available in it. Z-Moves, Regional Variants, Gygantamax, Mega Evolutions, and maybe some things I've forgotten. This probably won't matter cause it's just a dumb fanfic plot bible with mechanics peppered in. Competitive balancing be damn! Pokemon Fans can create their own balance! That's what the Battle Simulator is for! In fact, if this was a real game, then it'd have a Battle Simulator like Showdown built into it.

>This is an open source Fanfic Bible. You can take this idea and run with it if you want. You can omit all my bad ideas even!

>I won't be making my own Fakemon. I don't like a lot of Fakemon that exists out there and, trust me when I say this: I am no better than them. In fact, I'm fucking worse.

>If this WERE a game, it probably WOULD still have to cut some Pokemon. I doubt that kinda, and I won't get into why I think dexit was dumb personally, cause it doesn't really matter. But, like, my fan game/fanfic will have a lot of shit going on in it. So, like, realistically, there would probably need to be a cut, if not for data, than just cause there's a lot of work to do as is. But, like, again, under the context of a fic, this wouldn't be an issue.

>With THAT said, I'd want this game to have a Gen 2 Sprite aesthetic. My fangame, don't care if ya'll don't like that.

>I'm probably gonna copy a LOT of stuff from other Fangames I've played. My shit memory probably won't allow me to remember what I'm biting from what, so be free to call me out whenever. Cause if I stole the mechanic, I probably liked it the game. And if not, well, I'd like the recommendation.

Fuck, this was long already. The rest is under the cut, so, like, if you're already turned off, you can stop reading. I understand. I'm kind of a windbag.

Okay, so how many of you guys have seen this picture on the internet? It's a picture of a ton of Pokemon regions all...basically stitched together, since not only could this never be canon, but this goes beyond the size of even most open world games today. But this was the inspiration for this project. The map probably wouldn't, and probably couldn't, look like this, but it perfectly sums up what I'd want out of this game. Thus, it'll be our placeholder.

Our hometown of Capricorn Town is home to Professor Chestnut, and you, her faithful assistant, are about to set off on a Pokemon adventure of your own! The Professor is encouraging you to see the region of Sidus for yourself and is even willing to give you a Starting Pokemon!

Starting Pokemon

Now, if I'm not making new Pokemon, which Starter will it be? Well, the game will have the data for all the starters and will randomly select a Grass, Fire, and Water Type for you to choose from. Those will be your starters, with the option of also choosing Pikachu, Eevee, and Riolu, the two mascot mons...and Riolu, who is kind of a mascot mon, but a lesser one.

Let's say for this example, your options are Torchic, Piplup, Rowlet, Pikachu, Eevee, and Riolu. And, uh, get used to the words 'random' and 'generator', those are our keywords.

Anyway, once you get your pick, there'll be some kind of tutorial mission the Professor will send you on. This will introduce you to two very important things;

1. One of your Rival.

2. An Evil Team Grunt.

Rivals?!

Now to start getting into why this game might still be pretty big still be big despite the sprites on modern consoles.

Each of your Rivals would be one kid from each region of the 8 Mainline Games from Kanto to Kalos. How this'll be decided is that each pair of kids will be plugging into a generator and will pick between either the boy or girl version.

Ex. Brendan and May both cannot be in the game. Instead, they'll be plugged into this generator. Let's say the generator fell onto May. She'll be one of your Rival. Repeat this process 7 more times until you have 8 Rivals sprinkled throughout the world, each one given a defined personality and better AI to make them harder trainers to fight.

May will have one of the Hoenn Starters, sans Torchic. Regardless of whether or not Protagonist-San picked Torchic, May will either have a Treecko or Mudkip, again, chosen at random per kid. Whichever Starter you picked, your first rival will have a starter that beats yours. So, let's say moving forward, May has a Mudkip and you a Torchic. The other kids will have random starters of the various regions they originally hail from.

Anyway, your rivals will wander the overworld. If they see you, they'll battle you on sight. If they lose, they'll be gone after the next time you turn the game off. They won't battle you again until they respawn, but you can hang out with them. In fact, you can even recruit them to be in your party for a few days and they'll follow you around and just generally be your friend. It'll make every battle a double battle, but they'll battle you again before their timer runs out, so be prepared!

BANG! BANG! ENTER! Team Wild!

The two of you will have to face off against Team Wild! They have a Cowboy theme to them, using a mix of Ground and Steel-Types, with a few Pokemon being added in for good measure like the Ponyta Lines, Cacnea Line, and Remoraid. Cause...it's a gun.

They're an outlaw gang, they're rough and tough (or, at least, a mild threat) and will always throw down when they spot ya. Something I'm just sniping from JelloApocalypse is that they'll appear sporadically and act as Timed Events across the map.

You and your new Rival beat them and send you packing. I'd imagine May and the other Rivals would mostly be friendly, but I'm sure there's one or two that'll just be jerks to you. Regardless of personality, they'll be pretty tough and programmed to skill with you. Your strongest mon you have on hand when you fight them will be the level their entire team.

With your tutorial done, the world is opened up! Your mom gives you your running shoes, some Pokeballs, and your...I don't know, PokeCelular or something, just the regional gadget that does a bunch of stuff. From holding your map to holding your VS Seeker.

The PokeCelular will also give you notifications on where Team Wild are! You can choose to ignore the events, but if you do, then they'll start to appear in the overworld know and will get progressively stronger.

A Balancing Act

This game will be an open world, 8-Bit Sprite Game for you to explore after you leave Capricorn!

So how do we balance that?

Well, we got our Rival out of the way already, so let's move on. Gym Leaders will have a pretty linear progression. However, regardless of which Gym you tackle first, they'll all be at the same level.

It doesn't matter if you decide to go across the map and battle the Bug Gym, he'll stay at Level 10, just like the Normal Gym. Whe you get the second badge, they'll all jump to Level 15. NPC Trainers will follow the same progression; the higher your badge number, the stronger the number of Pokemon they'll be.

Wild Pokemon will also get stronger. The more badges you get, it'll attract stronger wild Pokemon because they'll see you're stronger and will come out more.

The overworld will also have various dungeons in them that'll be Level Locked. Say, you go through a forest and you're just trying to reach the end of a maze. The Trainers and Pokemon will function the same as I've mentioned before. But, you can decide to go deeper into the dungeon. These Pokemon will be level locked, usually something of a high level, because this is a more dangerous part of the dungeon. But, there'll be some goodies down there, like rarer Pokemon and some kind of really rare and good item like a TM or something.

How will you traverse? Well, first of all, HMs? They're semi-back. BUT, instead of having to deal with teaching Cut to a Pokemon, you just need the move Cut and a Pokemon that can use the move and you'll be able to use Cut. A few other Pokemon that are reasonable candidates, but don't get cut, will be allowed to do this too. Like, Gallade can use Cut. It can't learn the move, but just holding the HM will get the job done.

Controversial opinion, but I think I've always liked the idea of HMs. On paper, they give you a reason to explore the world and go back to areas you couldn't before for goodies and make for a good way to get off dungeons until you get the needed item. Even something like Cut can be used to open up new areas for exploration for your squad of mons.

BUT, well, HMs suck. As moves, they suck save for, like, 2...MAYBE and they're only for, like, a handful of areas. You either hand them out as evenly as possible, forcing mons to take moves you don't wanna use, or you just get an HM Slave or two to use 'em all. But like they, they serve their function and all you need is the Pokemon in question and NOT teach them the move. If you need a Move Deleter just so people aren't stuck having to use Rock Smash for three towns, then there's a problem with your RPG. Imagine playing Final Fantasy and you had to give your Fighter the Bronze Axe to get through a forest and still had to fight with it, even though you got a +12 Silver Sword! It's no wonder people hated these things! But I don't think getting rid of them and introducing Rental Pokemon was a good solution either and adds a different, albeit less intrusive problem.

Gym Leaders

So, how do Gym Leaders work?

Much like your rivals, they'll be randomly generated. Let's say, hypothetically, there's a pool of 60 Gym Leaders and Elite Four members. The game will randomly generate 16 to be Gym Leaders. The generator will have some kind of complicated math (at least, too complicated for me) so that you don't have more than 2 gyms of the same type. (Example: Misty and Nessa might be Active Gyms, Siebold can't be selected for a Gym cause the Water Slots are taken).

As a trade off, some Gyms might have special conditions before you can challenge them. Like, if you got stuck with Koga as a Gym Leader, than he'll only let you in if you complete a nearby dungeon and help his daughter out cause he doesn't trust her to make it back on her own. Or, like, Claire's a Gym Leader, but she won't battle you unless you've collected 7 Gym Badges prior at least.

The Gym Leaders, as mentioned before, will get progressively stronger with each badge obtained. After the 8th badge, you can go and climb Victory Road, face the E4 and confront the Champion! You can keep hunting Gym Leaders, but just remember that the E4 will always be 10 Levels above the strongest gym you beat. And they'll just get stronger with every one you beat until all 16 are slain.

Another handful, let's say 8, Gym Leaders/E4 Members will be wondering around as NPC Trainers. The justification is that this big super region is in some Alternate Universe Pokemon Game that has all the Pokemon and other important trainers in it, hence why we can have a game where Roxanne and Lenora are hanging out at a coffee shop. They're not Rivals, more like stronger NPCs you can rematch and wonder the map. They're not here to be the very best like no one ever was.

I mean, I'd like, like, 10-20 instead of 8 extras, but let's not get TOO greedy...yet...

Elite Four

And now, it's time to flip the script. Cause if E4 members can be Gym Leaders, then who are the Elite Four?

Easy. The Rivals.

All the Rival characters will be put in a random generator as well. The four that are chosen. You can have an Elite Four made up of Wally, Marnie, Hau, and Barry and you gotta deal with it.

This is excluding Brendan and May, Blue, and Calem and Serena. Anyone else is fair game.

Champion

So, the Champion. Who would it be in this? There was a funny idea I had, but this is a Pokemon Game. So there would be two versions. We'll call them Pokemon Dawn & Dusk. The difference between these games is the game Champion!

Benga would be the Champion of Pokemon Dusk, the grandson of Alder! His final Team will include Volcarona, Garchomp, and Dragonite, Pokemon he used in Black and White. I'd also include Scrafty, Rampardos, and Golurk, Pokemon used against you in White Treehollow and Black Tower areas.

Meanwhile, the Champion of Pokemon Dusk will be Zinnia, the Lorekeeper! Her team would include the Goodra, Tyrantrum, Altaria, Noivern, and Salamence she used in her original team, with her plucky Whismur sidekick becoming an Exploud and her ace.

You would've met them in the beginning of the game and would've showed off a bit by helping you with Team Wild before. They'll pop in and out throughout the game, at first amused by your tenacity, but not wanting a rookie like you to get hurt. But if you keep bonking Team Wild, they'll be impressed with how strong you are.

The show up to chat again when you beat 8 Gym Leaders, and will pop in if you White Out to give you some advice. White Out three times and they'll feel bad for you and give you an egg. Benga will give you a Larvesta Egg and Zinnia a Bagon Egg.

EXTRAS

So I don't got a lot of ideas for the Post Game, but there is one idea I thought would be cool if, if after you defeat the champion, they give you a call. They'll tell you that there are strong trainers wondering the Overworld and to be careful.

Because dotting the overworld will be Champions passed and proper! Cynthia, Blue, Lance; all of them are rocking Lv 100 Teams and are out for blood. They won't challenge you, but if you talk to them, there will be no backing out of the battle! You come with your A-Game!

sI'm not exactly in love with the idea of Team Wild. Maybe the Evil Team should go full fanservice and just be Team Rainbow Rocket. Or maybe go half-and-half; having past Evil Team members and leaders walk around in cowboy gear and acting as Team Wild executives.

I'd also would love Tournaments. Like, maybe that could be a weekly event in some town, they'll how tournaments and the characters that aren't designated as Gym Leaders and such will attend. Maybe there's a cash prize, maybe you'll win Pokemon Eggs of rare, guaranteed shines, or maybe you'll get some kind of important quest items.

Yeah, I want quests! All sorts of side quests! And can't forget what I'd do with Legendairs;

If you know Bengal's team, you'll know he's got the Lati Twins. I don't like that personally and would prefer Legendaries to be Super Bosses. Like, you gotta do a lot to find them. And when you do, their stats are boosted and they become an Uber Boss! You catch them in a cutscene after you beat them!

There's also just a ton of characters I didn't get around to or really have a place for. Emma, Looker, N, and the Stat Trainers all come to mind. Overall, I'd want them to pepper the world as well, but don't have anything to say except this: Pokemon has made a lot of memorable characters. Both good and bad. And this is probably my dream Pokemon Game; one where you can hang out with your favorites

[tonystarkbingo]

TSB September Flash, Week 4 Roundup!

AND THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE, FOLKS!  At least, until our next round starts in a couple weeks...

For our participants, remember to go claim your badges!

If you wanna be a participant in Round Four and you’re not yet, go sign up!

And for all of you... make sure you leave the creators below some love!

Title: Her Epilogue Collaborator: Fighting_for_Creativity Link: AO3 Square Filled: 023 - Epilogue Ship: Peggy/Daniel Rating: Teen Major Tags: Tony remembers, Daniel needs a Hug, Peggy needs a hug, everyone gets a hug, Angst with Happy Ending, AI Peggy, Canonical Character Death Summary: On the day of Peggy Carter's funeral, Tony remembers snippets of his childhood with her and Daniel Sousa. Word Count: 2196

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Title: Harley Keener (and a very not-to-scale Potato Gun Mark I) Collaborator: newnewyorker93 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 022 - Harley Keener Ship: None Rating: Gen Major Tags: crafts, Iron Man 3 Summary: Felt figure of Harley Keener and his potato gun from Iron Man 3.

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Title: Are we There Yet? Collaborator: tisfan Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 024 - Bleeding Edge Ship: Tony/Logan Rating: Teen Major Tags: Kidnapping, Roughed Up Summary: Tony gets kidnapped. Again. You’d really think bad guys would learn better. Word Count: 598

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Title: Fated to Telling Only Lies Collaborator: Politzania Link: AO3 Square Filled: 023 - Epilogue Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Canonical Character Deaths, canon divergence, Winter Soldier POV Summary: After his mission to eliminate the elder Stark, the Soldier is assigned to befriend the Stark heir and win him over to the cause. But there’s something about Tony Stark that just might loosen the Fist of Hydra’s grip on his goal. Word Count: 1413

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Title: Smells Like Teenage Drama Collaborator: MagicaDraconia16 Link: AO3 Square Filled: 027 - Peter Parker Ship: Tony/Rhodey/Loki/Rhodey/Strange & Peter Rating: Teen Major Tags: Teenage drama, Peter Parker is scarred for life, implied/referenced 5-way poly (as above), way too many father figures Summary: When you're a teenage superhero, it's bad enough to have one father figure, never mind two or three. Let alone five. Peter Parker would like to reiterate: he is not a child! Word Count: 2638

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Title: F.R.I.D.A.Y. I’m in Love Collaborator: eachpeachpearplum Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 023 - FRIDAY Ship: Tony & FRIDAY Rating: Gen Major Tags: music, art Summary: Tony sing as he works, and FRIDAY is just as sassy as her brother was.

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Title: An Arctic Adventure Collaborator: lemon_juices Link: AO3 Square Filled: 027 - Sight Ship: pre-Stony Rating: Gen Major Tags: merpeople AU, ocean sex Summary: Featuring Steve Rogers, a marine biologist in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. Also featuring Tony Stark, a merman who lives in the Arctic Ocean. When Steve first sets his eyes on Tony he can't stop thinking about him, and Tony can't forget about Steve. Another trip to the frigid cold ocean and let's see what happens... Word Count: 2572

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Title: Centrifugal Force Collaborator: tisfan Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 024 - Taste Ship: Teen Rating: WinterIron Major Tags: temporary amnesia, not single crying meme, alcoholism, bad coping mechanisms, playground Summary: “That sounds like one of my very bad, no good ideas,” Tony confessed.  “Usually,” the man said. Word Count: 588

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Title: It’s Only a Paper Moon - Chapter 3 Collaborator: sierranovembr Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 025 - Sound Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Depiction of a mental asylum, established relationship, Edwin Jarvis Summary: Fighting aliens alongside Captain America? A loving, supportive fiancé who overlooks the many flaws of Tony Stark? Tony often thought his life was too amazing to be real.  He might be right about that. Word Count: 1370

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Title: New Family Members Collaborator: fightingforcreativity Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 023 - FRIDAY Ship: Tony with whoever you choose Rating: Teen Major Tags: Cute, Bots, Bot Family, Tony’s army of bots Summary: Tony really shouldn’t tinker after watching a movie and running on little to no sleep. Albeit… Maybe he should do it more often. Word Count: 735

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Title: What’s in a Name? Collaborator: Politzania Link: AO3 Square Filled: 023 - FRIDAY Ship: Tony & FRIDAY Rating: Gen Major Tags: Drabble, slice of life Summary: Tony explains to his latest creation where her name came from. Word Count: 100

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Title: True Colours Collaborator: lbibliophile-mcu Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 022 - Thoughts Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: motivational poster Summary: Hold your head high, wear your colours, proud. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd.

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Title: all those shadows (almost killed your light) Collaborator: dixiehellcat Link: AO3 Squares Filled: 026 - Chapter 1, Infinity Gauntlet; chapter 2, Morgan Stark; chapter 3, smell; chapter 4, alternative POV; chapter 5, PTSD Ship: Pepperony Rating: Gen Major Tags: Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie).  Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Tony Stark Lives, the Russos whomst, idk them, back on my brand, Carol Danvers is a Good Bro, Prosthetics, Body Modification, Nightmares. Tony Stark Needs a Hug. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD Summary: Post-Endgame, Tony’s life is a healing process. Word Count: 3759

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Title: Before They Outlaw the Kiss Collaborator: ralsbecket Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 026 - Alternate POV Ship: Stony Rating: Teen Major Tags: N/A Summary: Steve must have had an awfully pained expression on his face without realizing because before he knew it, Tony was getting up from his seat beside him and extending a hand. “Dance with me,” he requested, smiling at him softly. 

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Title: Touch Collaborator: SaganaRojanaOlt Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 023 - Touch Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Art Summary: N/A Word Count: N/A

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Title: Family Reunion Collaborator: Politzania Link: AO3 Square Filled: 023 - Touch Ship: Pepperony Rating: Gen Major Tags: Post Avengers: Infinity War, domestic fluff, ‘bot fic Summary: Tony and Pepper introduce Morgan to her older siblings. Word Count: 1071

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Title: ARC-reactor Collaborator: Menatiera Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 027 - ARC-reactor Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: arc reactor, polymer clay Summary: they’re tiny! :)

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Title: War Machine Collaborator: Fighting_for_Creativity Link: AO3 Square Filled: 023 - War Machine Ship: Tony/Rhodey Rating: Teen Major Tags: Soft, Hurt/Comfort, Rhodey POV, Tony needs a hug and gets one Summary: The whole 'acquiring a suit by any means' situation sucked big time. Good thing Rhodey knew where his loyalties ultimately lay. Also, pretending to steal something from Tony at least meant that Rhodey could spend some time with him beforehand. Word Count: 1131

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Title: War Machine Collaborator: SaganaRojanaOlt Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 023 - War Machine Ship: None Rating: Gen Major Tags: art Summary: War Machine Art

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Title: On the watch Collaborator: Menatiera Link: AO3 Square Filled: 027 - Peter Parker Ship: Stuckony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Winter on a mission, Bucky and Winter are separate personalities, happy ending Summary: The Winter Soldier takes his missions seriously. This Mark shouldn't cause any troubles. And then he does. Word Count: 3427

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Title: Insomnia Collaborator: SaganaRojanaOlt Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 023 - Insomnia Ship: None Rating: Gen Major Tags: art Summary: Tony Stark art

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Title: Drifting, Falling, Floating Weightless Collaborator: MagicaDraconia16 Link: AO3 Squares Filled: 027 - Image: Drift (adopted - ch1) | Nightmares (ch2) Ship: Pepperony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Angst, nightmares, post Infinity War, during Endgame, mentions of panic attacks Summary: After the Battle of New York, Tony was plagued by nightmares of space. The events of the immediate aftermath of the Infinity War have not made things better. Word Count: 1476

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Title: Birth of an AI Collaborator: SaganaRojanaOlt Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 023 - FRIDAY Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: art  Summary: Tony and FRIDAY art

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Title: Battery Now Included Collaborator: MagicaDraconia16 Link: AO3 Square Filled: 027 - Arc Reactor Ship: Tony & The Bots Rating: Gen Major Tags: An overabundance of bot feels? Summary: When Tony returns home from Afghanistan, the bots notice that something has changed... Word Count: 386

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Title: Sight Collaborator: Menatiera Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 027 - Sight Ship: Stuckony Rating: Gen Major Tags: retired!steve, blind!steve, happy!steve Summary: Moodboard and summary. Steve goes blind and retires - much to his boyfriends Tony’s and Bucky’s bafflement.

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Title: Happily ever after Collaborator: SaganaRojanaOlt Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 023 - Epilogue Ship: Steve/Sam Rating: Gen Major Tags: art Summary: art of Sam and Steve

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Title: Wanna Be Somebody to Someone Collaborator: ralsbecket Link: AO3 Square Filled: 026 - MIT Years (adopted square) Ship: Stony Rating: Mature Major Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, MIT Era, Football Player Steve Rogers, Twink Tony Stark, Engineer Tony Stark, Howard Stark’s Good Parenting, TwinkTonyEvent, Crush at First Sight, One-Sided Attraction, (or so he thinks), (Steve’s an oblivious awkward doof), Dirty Thoughts, Masturbation, Hopeful Ending, unedited because we die as men Summary: Steve Rogers thought that he was fairly observant. He had to be when he was on the field; it was the sole reason he was offered a full-ride scholarship to be a tight-end for Boston University’s football team. But he learned embarrassingly quickly that his one blind spot involved a lanky-limbed, spectacle-wearing, tousle-haired brunet. Word Count: 2573

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Title: Heart of Iron - the movie night Collaborator: Menatiera Link: AO3 Square Filled: 027 - Director commentary Ship: Pepperony Rating: Gen Major Tags: heart of iron - the documentary, the stark family watches the documentary about tony together, peter parker pov, endgame fix-it, retired tony stark Summary: “You must be kidding me,” Peter said. It’s not like he wasn’t willing to sacrifice himself in many ways for the greater good (which in this case meant the happiness of his chosen people), but he figured there should be a line to draw in the sand even in that regard. Tony apparently wasn’t on the same page, because he raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Either this or you can watch Trolls with Morgan again; it’s your choice.” Word Count: 4250

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Title: Reveal on skin Collaborator: Menatiera Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 027 - Nightmares Ship: Stuckony Rating: Gen Major Tags: moodboard, cursed!tony Summary: Moodboard and summary. Villain of the Week casts a curse on Tony to “reveal his true nature on his skin”. Instead of horrors, though, Tony’s hands start to resemble the night sky with thousands of stars.

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Title: Rock-a-bye Tony Collaborator: lbibliophile-mcu Link: Tumblr Square Filled: 022 - Rescue Ship: IronHusbands Rating: Gen Major Tags: edit Summary: Tony crash-lands, and Rhodey is no help at all. “Rock-a-bye Tony in the tree tops…” 

[hydralisk98]

The Imaginary World of ______ by Keri Smith (Module 0x000; aka the database)

Brainstorm:

The Alchemist

pfsrd

D&D 5e

Loups-Garous de Thiercelieux

UNO & DOS

XXIIVV’s Paradise & “Parade”

Portal 2

Portal Stories: Mel

Half-Life as of Epistle 3

Alien

Pokemon

A bag full of apples

Winnie the Pooh (Soviet Union)

Alternate futures and histories from other planets

Mark Rosenfelder

Sabaton

Rammstein

Eminem

Beatles

Neumond Recordings

Bee Gees

Black Sabbath

EU4 OST

Hans Zimmer

Kenji Kawai

Christian Clermont

Disco

Xerox

Commodore

IBM

DEC

HP

60s-70s Quebec’s cultural revolution

Windows 3.11

1910-1925 era

World War 1 and resulting civil war type of conflicts

Wolfenstein: the New Order

Retrocomputing culture

Soviet cartoons

History

Enlightenment eras (~1755 onward)

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle aka philosophy as a rational discipline

Subliminals community

Plushies’ textures

Moderate socialism

Central europe’s rural areas

Nineveh

Nimrud

S-expressions

Lisp programming languages

Assembly

ALGOL

C

Julia

Python

Rust

British Colombia climate

Montreal and its suburbs

Wien

Paris

Villages/Towns

Turkish Angora Cats

Tigers

Bears

Lizards

Insects

Ancient Mesopotamia’s wardrobes

Old china culture

Japanese Meiji Imperial Era

Symbols

Latin

Ancient Greek

Old Assyrian

Sumerian

Proto-Celtic

Breton

Proto-Uralic

Hungarian

French

German

Portuguese

Spanish?

English?!

Building blocks

Autism

Calm noise soundscape

Keycaps’ typing sounds

Old computers’ sounds

Beavers

Furrets

2000s cartoons

Adult Swim

Underground cultures

Goths

Wicca

Grunge

Vintage

Dumb terminals

Pocket calculators

Home computers

Old mainframes

AI service grid

The two first “Indochina” wars

Memes

Gen Z

Text adventure games

Telex

COMECON trade

Medieval intellectuals

ZX Spectrum

IRC chatrooms

MU* games

Top down grand strategy games and rogue-like RPGs

Nuclear warfare

PDP-8

PDP-11

PDP-15

VAX

Robotron

Zachtronics TIS-100

Sid Meier’s Civilization V

Paradox Interactive’s Europa Universalis III & IV

Hypnospace Outlaw

Pen & paper games

4D toys

Baba Is You

Terraria

Counter-Strike

Call of Duty World at War

Kerbal Space Program

The Stanley Parable

Quake/Half-Life 1

Rene Magritte

Dwarf Fortress

Sandstorm

Powerwolf

Dragonforce

Manowar

Minecraft

Open source community

Linux Mint

Debian

KDE

Solaris

FreeBSD

FreeDOS

Inferno OS

Plan 9

Rudy

Amber

Olive green

Sea blue

Salamanders

Groundhogs

Abstract syntax trees of lexers and compilers

Oracles

Wizards

Shapeshifters

Sea fleets

Land armies

Modern warfare

Guerrilla culture

Kriegsmarine

Wehrmacht

Superheroes

Rationality

New age spiritualities

Polished wood

Chiptune

Fresh winter cold air smell

Garfield

Boxes

Cardboard

Papercrafts

Plastic 3D prints

Words of wisdom

Angels

Zen

Chi-Nu Kai tank

0.0 Wilson, 0.4 Taft, 0.6 Theodore

Colonialism

WW1 Triplanes

Elves

Fantasy Dwarves

Fantasy Tieflings

Fantasy Gnomes

Fantasy Golems

Morphological Freedom

Transhumanism

Extremely far future time-travelling peoples

Aliens

Droids and Synthetics

Sylvans

Linguistics

Geopolitics

LISP 1.5

Shell scripts

Demoscene

Terminator

X-Men

Planet of the Apes

300

Men in Black

The Addams Family

The Matrix

The Hunger Games

Da Vinci Code

16^12+1988 aka the 0x10c Mojang’s cancelled game

[...]

[coffeebooksorme]

AURORA RISING REVIEW

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:  The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch… A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder An alien warrior with anger management issues A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy. They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

First off, a HUGE thank you to Random House for providing me a free eARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review!

Aurora Rising is one of my most anticipated releases of this year. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff blew my mind with the Illuminae Files trilogy and I’m a HUGE fan of Jay Kristoff so it was only natural for me to be excited about their new foray together.

As you can see from the synopsis of this book it’s another sci-fi novel set in space with a huge cast of characters. It’s similar to the Illuminae Files but it’s different enough that fans of that series will walk in with some familiarity but walk out gobsmacked with what Jay & Amie have done with this new world (universe?). As always, the characters are fantastically written and instantly make you love them, the world building is gorgeous and makes you clamor for more, and the plot is wonderful!

However, I found a LOT of similarities between this and the movie Serenity, which is a continuation of the Firefly series. Rag tag team of outlaws? Check. Chick in cryo? Check. Super powered girl that the government is after? Check. Super secret world that no one knows about? Check. Add in a few more elements that are spoilers for the book and you’ve got yourself a literary version of Serenity. Am I complaining? Hell no! 

There’s a lot of nods to previous avenues of sci-fi. If you’re a fan or even a casual follower, you will notice nods to Starship Troopers, Star Trek: New Generation, and Red Dwarf. You will even notice little wink wink nudge nudge nods to The Princess Bride, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Aladdin. Not to mention the 80′s classic The Breakfast Club, which I think heavily influenced the character cast. These are the only nods that I caught, but knowing how much Jay & Amie like to toss them into their work, I can only imagine how many more there are that I didn’t catch. 

As always, Jay & Amie provided their own spin on it and really allowed the novel to soar on it’s own. What really stands out is the cast of characters. Tyler, the Alpha; Scarlett, the Face; Cat, the Ace; Finian, the Gearhead; Kal, the Tank; Zila, the Science; and finally, the namesake for the book, Aurora, our fish out of water. Each character gets their own POV (I KNOW, IT’S A LOT), though Zila only really shows up a small handful of times, and you will grow to love each and every one of them throughout this adventure. Characters are really the bread and butter for Jay & Amie’s novels, I think, because they write such good interactions, dialogue, and growth for their characters.

Personally, I loved Finian, Kal, and Magellan, a smart mouthed AI on a tablet who’s basically next gen Alexa, the most. Aurora, in my opinion, wasn’t really fleshed out as much as she could have been. To me, she seemed more like the typical YA trope of ‘super special YA heroine’ but I know that Jay & Amie have more in store for her so I’m reserving judgement for now. Zila, a black character who I think is on the Autism spectrum but wasn’t confirmed in story, didn’t really get a lot of her own POV in book, but I really did enjoy what we got from her. Magellan was fantastic and I really think it speaks volumes for Jay & Amie as authors that they can make you care so much for an AI character.

There was a hint of romance in this story but it was really a blip in the storyline. It kinda reminded me a little bit of the whole Twilight imprinting thing BUT NOT IN A BAD WAY, I PROMISE! The pairing shocked the heck out of me considering the most commonly used YA trope is that the first guy our heroine sees is usually her HEA. Not to mention, the two characters don’t even get together in this book. There’s literally no relationship execution in this book, but a promise of what could happen and I honestly really enjoyed that addition. 

The plot itself, as I said, wasn’t too original. It’s something we’ve seen before and flew so closely to Serenity that I wasn’t all that surprised with how things turned out. If you watch that movie and then read this book you’ll see a lot of comparisons between the two that will sorta kinda make you expect things to happen in the book and then not be surprised when they do happen. The pacing was really well done. There were enough lull moments that when the action hit I flew through it with a lot of anticipation and worry. The ending, as usual, ended with a loud bang and left me severely wanting more.

All in all, this book is a wonderful add on to the YA sci-fi genre and I am so glad I got to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m definitely jonesing for some more from this squad!

[mylefouduvillageblr-blog]

Into the Dead 2 Overview and Details

Within the six-minute trailer, Rockstar announces that into the dead 2 goals to create a residing world that is not simply open, however deeper, more interactive and detailed than ever” and will combine storytelling and gameplay in new methods”. OVERKILL features the same on-rails gameplay as earlier games within the series, but in addition adds new features and slight tweaks to the method not seen in earlier Home of the Dead titles. Flyboy Zombie, also known as Stephen Andrews, is cornered by the living dead while trying to escape via an elevator shaft. We also seen a distinct improvement within the game's AI. This means zombies are smarter; they run in the direction of you and may pop-out from behind timber and fences. Pink Dead Redemption 2 definitely won't all be tumbleweeds and open plains this time around. Ah yes, and be sure you blink conservatively, otherwise you'll likely miss the gray-coloured zombies hiding in these cornfields. Into the Useless 2 is the sequel to PIKPOK's authentic zombie auto-runner Into the Lifeless It takes all the things you loved in regards to the first title and adds a ton of polish and a new overarching story that ties collectively the sport's 7 chapters, 60 stages, and a whole lot of challenges. It's unlikely that Purple Dead Redemption 2 will merely abandon the multiplayer features introduced in the earlier recreation, resembling posses, gang hideouts, and gang shootout aggressive matches. Crimson Useless Redemption 2 is a prequel to the 2010 sport, happening in 1899, and though Marston is not a playable character, he can be featured in the story in some capability. Rockstar has shared a number of the towns and areas we'll be visiting in the recreation. In addition, the sport contains each day challenges where I can earn some further cash while check firing weapons that I haven't got in my stock, together with a Survival mode where I go on zombie runs after which the sport compares my scores with other players'. It also options the 'Primis" crew - the Origins variations of "Tank" Dempsey , Nikolai Belinski , Takeo Masaki , and Edward Richtofen - as the 4 playable characters, changing Albert "Weasel" Arlington , Finn 'Leary , Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca , and Billy Good-looking Brutus also makes a return, this time as the principle antagonist of the map. At this level, he is just a small little one, however, so he'll play a a lot completely different position than he did in Crimson Lifeless Redemption. Identical to within the current-gen and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto V, Purple Lifeless Redemption 2 helps you to play by the entire recreation in both first-particular person or third-person perspective. Principally you can ignore the majority of these and enjoy the beautiful trying auto-runner gameplay, but there'll always be a very good little bit of grinding concerned except you start sinking actual money into the game. We just lately talked about Purple Lifeless Redemption 2 in length in our evaluation, and we've compiled all the things we know concerning the sport up to now, from official, concrete data, to fan theories and rumors discovered scattered round the net. Because of its unavailability in my region, I've sideloaded the APK (model zero.eight.1) with a purpose to test the gameplay. On wwe mayhem apk for pc , Pink Lifeless Redemption 2 will run at 4K decision with high-dynamic range. In the gameplay video, we get a glimpse of Crimson Lifeless Redemption 2‘s snappy gunplay and the return of the Useless Eye” focusing on system, in addition to hand-to-hand fight. Nonetheless, the game's second trailer, viewable above, revealed the primary character as an outlaw named Arthur Morgan. In relation to the kinds of actions and facet missions you'll discover in Red Useless Redemption 2, Rockstar detailed the number of ways you can interact with the open world, including each legal and very illegal options.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Intentional

by Whistle_Mist Whumptober AI-less 2023 prompt: Poisoned   Jason must have caught it in space. (Reuploaded, since it failed yesterday evening :( but this is for the first day of Whumptober.) Words: 1092, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Batfamily (DCU), Whumptober, Near Death, Poisoning, Revenge via https://ift.tt/j9eMmwb

[aion-rsa]

Hood: Outlaws & Legends Trailer Reveals PlayStation 5 Heist Game

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The recent PlayStation State of Play event featured the reveal trailer for a surprisingly intriguing Robin Hood PlayStation 5 (and PC) game called Hood: Outlaws & Legends.

“Hood is not one person. It is an idea. A symbol to the people. A legend,” says game director Andrew Willans via the PlayStation Blog. “Because we are retelling a legend rather than being historically accurate, we have created our own version of Dark Ages Britain, a time when old-world myth and superstition compete with man-made power. In this time of feudal law, a powerful authority known as The State is trying to bring order to the chaos. But this comes at great cost to people’s liberties, and many consider The State to be as brutal as the ruthless militia who are fighting against their rule.”

While that sounds like an interesting take on the Robin Hood character and universe, we’d argue that the most intriguing early Hood: Outlaws & Legends detail is that it’s actually a multiplayer heist game.

“Hood is a multiplayer heist game that blends combat, stealth, and strategy,” Willans says. “This is a PvPvE game that pits two 4-player teams against each other as they attempt the same daring heist in environments populated with enemy AI guards. Without going into spoiler territory (this is a reveal, rather than a deeper dive – more to come soon), we have a wide range of game mechanics and features that can be used to help teammates or hinder rival players.”

We’ve seen PvE multiplayer heist games in the past (such as the Payday series), but the addition of those enhanced PvP elements certainly adds a bit of a twist to that concept. Willans stops short of offering a full breakdown of how that blend of styles will work, but he does mention that successful heists will demand teamwork as well as management of factors such as item weight and sound dampening.

Much like Godfall, it also seems that the Hood‘s developers are excited by the potential of the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback technology and how that technology will allow them to utilize more realistic feedback. That’s a feature we’ve heard several PlayStation 5 developers highlight, so we’re excited to see how the controller actually feels.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the game for yourself courtesy of this stylish debut trailer:

There’s no release date available for Hood: Outlaws & Legends (which is kind of the theme for all next-gen games at this point) but developer Sumo Newcastle has already promised to reveal more details about this game soon. We’ll be sure to bring those to you once they’re available.

The post Hood: Outlaws & Legends Trailer Reveals PlayStation 5 Heist Game appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3icNtpo

[blueprintnewspapers-blog]

DHQ blasts Amnesty International over report

New Post has been published on https://www.blueprint.ng/dhq-blasts-amnesty-international-over-report/

DHQ blasts Amnesty International over report

The Defence Headquarters has described the recent report by Amnesty International (AI) has “a gross disservice to the nation’s high security command.” It said the AI “has made it a routine duty to continue to generate tension among Nigerians by releasing unconfirmed and unsubstantiated claims and figures relating to the military operations in the country to the public.” The AI had accused the Nigerian military of human rights violations in its recently released 2017/2018 reports. But the Defence spokesperson, Brig. Gen. John Agim, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said the AI allegations have followed specific trends and possibly “ill conceived to frustrate the on-going US-Nigerian anti-terrorism cooperation.” He said AI’s action seems to “be geared towards weakening the efforts of the AFN at ensuring peace and security in the country,” and claimed that the organization’s allegations made against the AFN since 2011 to date “are largely unsubstantiated.” He said: “The figures released by the organization showed that 4,900 Boko Haram detainees were held in Giwa Barracks in an overcrowded facility where 340 detainees had already died of diseases and dehydration. They further stated that 164 civilians were killed by the Nigerian Air Force when an IDP camp was hit at Rann by a Nigerian Air Force fighter Jet and also that 12 IPOB members were kill in Umuahia by the Armed Forces of Nigeria. “Unfortunately, AI has failed to acknowledge the on-going fair trial and conviction of culpable members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect and the release of those not found guilty. The number of persons released and re-integrated with the larger community is over 500.Both the convicted and freed suspects were earlier arrested from different locations across the country and taken to Kainji, a place that is relatively safer wiThenough space to accommodate them while providing the detainees with three square meals daily. “The suspects were also given proper medical attention by military medical team attached to the detention facility. It is notable that the arrested Boko Haram members from the ongoing OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE were being tried by the Federal High Court at Wawa Cantonment Kainji since Friday 16 February 2018 convicting 205 detainees to various jail terms while 526 suspects have been freed for want of evidence. “Other sins of the Nigerian Government as captured by the AI in its report include infringing the rights of lesbians, gays, bi-sexual and transgender as well as intersex persons. These AI championed rights have been strictly outlawed by Laws of the Federation of Nigeria subsuming the Nigerian constitution as well as the cultural practices of our people. “This position of AI, clearly show slack of respect for the constitution of Nigeria which these laws have become part. Let it be known that the Nigerian Government and its people are not ready and would never be, even in future, to please AI or anyone with the introduction of such things. “However, if AI feels strongly against the position of the Nigerian people on this issue and wants to assist the ‘victims’, they could issue these class of people with green cards to enable them re-locate to other places across the world that accept such practices as it may not be necessary for them to remain Nigerians. “Generally, the authenticity and sources of figures generated by AI are worrisome. Regrettably, the military high commands were never contacted for clarification or guidance. The Defence Headquarters on its own made concerted efforts to meet with the country management of AI to discuss related issues without success, as they had consistently failed to show up. “This reaction of AI connotes that the body in Nigeria could had been sponsored to frustrate conflict resolution efforts towards peace and positive development of the nation. The deliberate falsehood peddled by AI could cast the nation and its security apparatus in bad light.” The DHQ accused AI of not seeing “anything wrong about the insurgents’ activities and known criminals until security agencies rise to the occasion of effectively containing their actions.”

[ao3feed-hawkguy]

Incongruence

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2EKgDNg

by goodmorningvietnam666

Darkseid is coming, and it's all Earth's fault.

He's not about to let such a tiny, insignificant planet end the very universe as they know it.

Good thing he's a Time Keeper.

__________________________________________________ The multiverse theory states that there are multitudes of universes, each formed randomly, and ours is the only one that randomly developed in such a way that it supports life. According to the multiverse theory, the appearance of “intelligent design” in our universe is the result of the pieces coming together just right, with no guidance/oversight from any Being.

Problem is, this universe, here and now, is ending, over, kaput, and maybe we could have used that divine intervention after all. It's a damn good thing we had it all along.

Words: 806, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Incongruence Universe

Fandoms: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Marvel, Doctor Strange (Comics), Hawkeye (Comics), Daredevil (Comics), Spider-Man - All Media Types, She-Hulk, The Incredible Hulk (Comics), Thor - All Media Types, Black Panther (Comics), Ant-Man (Comics), Wasp (Comics), Captain America - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics), X-Men - All Media Types, Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Gen

Characters: Original Characters, Darkseid (DCU)

Additional Tags: Opening Piece, This sets the tone for the series, Crossover, I'm Not Ashamed, Canon-Typical Violence, Blood and Gore, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Timelines, Infinity War, Final Crisis, Sassy AI's, All The Ships, soon

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2EKgDNg

[lovefulltheoristcollectionw-blog]

The best ways to Deal With Hackers

Why Choose This Kind Of Kind of GTA 5 hacks

Hacking is an activity that includes damaging safety codes to obtain info or accessibility. http://www.pcgamer.com/watch-an-ai-try-to-drive-through-gta-5-on-twitch-without-getting-killed/ The problem here is double: Cyberpunks could drain your digital checking account without you having the ability to do anything regarding it, as well as having your Online reputation degree intensified so swiftly can obtain your account outlawed (as opposed to the cyberpunk). Tustin, a designer that has dealt with a PS3 GTA V mod menu, told Kotaku that component of just what makes this exploit frightening is that it could conveniently be added to mod food selections with little initiative, suggesting that the potential for spreading throughout systems huges. Depending upon where you remain in GTA 5's original story objectives as well as which gamer you are, all of the hacks could glitch out with the mistake "The Selected Call Is No Longer Offered." The quickest method I've found to repair this is to download a gamesave that has the objective "The Third Method" finished. You could have the access to unrestricted money and RP which is a sort of lifelines to pass the degrees in the video game which is much forgotten before as well as you haven't troubled till currently as well, that there can be any such device like GTA money cheat tool that could be an excellent aid for you to in achieving exactly what you have actually been going for a very long time and free. Additionally I'm not stunned that Lawrence understands what Futanari is. Whether or not its a negative or good thing, I feel that (with my only reference being exactly how he acts upon display) I connect to Lawrence one of the most out of all the FunHaus Staff.

10 Quick Tips About Gta Online Money Glitch.

I recognize a great deal of people who are massive fans of the series - the kinds who camp outside look for midnight launches and also base their music tastes on the radio terminals in-game - and I believe regarding 2 of them have ever even checked into exactly what modding is. Also I, with my effective globe eater of a computer and also numerous hours visited GTAs IV and also V on Vapor haven't bothered with any type of mods whatsoever. To summarize this in a short story: The cheat must be come by Rockstar Gamings instantly, since it damages the core video game experience/ enjoyable; nevertheless, I do believe permitting the 'enjoyable' attributes in a brand-new sort of 'customized game' would certainly be a terrific enhancement to the game, where money/level would not be a point. Grand Theft Auto V GTA 5 is an open globe action-adventure computer game created by Superstar North and also published by Superstar Gamings & its offered on different systems, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android as well as iOS Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game played from either a first-person or third-person view. Inning accordance with Kotaku, GTA Online gamers making use of a COMPUTER or a last-gen console (Playstation 3 or Xbox 360) have reported cyberpunks on public web servers using mod menus to drain massive amounts of money from other players' bank accounts and also providing big amounts of ill-gotten credibility factors while doing so. Have a look at Mic's GTA Online guides on ways to get Shark Cards, get abundant without getting Shark Cards, run an auto theft ring, sell and buy property, raise your strength stat, treat yourself to plastic surgery and how you can eliminate the Insurgent, one of the most powerful cars in GTA Online. gtamoneytips