#some way to use those two to get to high precision machining; and then you might also need a HUGE capital dump in order to get political

[horizontwinflames]

Horizon AU: Twin Flames - Isaac's final armor and weapons variations (Zero Dawn Act). Text transcription under the cut after the images!

REPOST, EDIT/USE OR FEED MY ART TO AI ISN'T ALLOWED

Edit: Updated some text on the Oseram and Banuk arts.

You can read Isaac's lore here: [LINK]

Will he use those variations in the story? Yes! :D hehe. Also, in this AU only Aloy wears Oseran armor while only Beta wears Carja armor, because Oseran's armor is too heavy and noisy for Beta's stealth strategies, while Carja's armor is too weak for Aloy's melee fighting style.

This AU has an ongoing fanfic! You can read on Ao3: [LINK]

Text transcription:

Ravager's cannon: It gives Isaac the ability to fire rapidly like a Ravager can, but with much more precision. It can also do charged-up shots for more heavy damage. This is the most noiseless ranged weapon from Isaac, allowing the charged shot to be used for sniping. Up to two coils can be equipped.

Stalker Blade Tail: The swiftest and lightest melee weapon from Isaac's arsenal. It's the best pick to fight against lightweight machines and stealth attacks. Its thin shape and ability to spin and move up and down (at an angle of about 120 degrees) can also be used for precision attacks (e.g., to take off machine components or stealth-stabbing humans).

Nora's stealth armor: The natural materials of this armor allow Isaac to camouflage better within the natural landscape. The lack of metal pieces also helps reduce noise while moving. This armor is resistant to shock and ice damage but weak against fire and corrosion damage. Up to three weaves can be equipped.

Thunderjaw’s Disk Launcher: Isaac can use the disks like a Thunderjaw can or launch them at a high speed. It’s not an easy weapon to use, as its recoil can destabilize Isaac if he’s in movement, and it has a very slow recharge, but it’s the heaviest damage dealer from the arsenal. Its firepower can make big explosions and great area damage. Up to two coils can be equipped.

Thunderjaw’s Tail: It is the second heaviest and slowest melee weapon Isaac has, but when used correctly, it can cause great damage to his targets, destroy some types of human constructions, stun machines, and even kill humans on the spot. Its shovel-like shape also allows Isaac to throw objects away (with very poor precision) or even yeet Aloy and Beta to help them reach places or to aid in some fight strategy.

Oseram's tank armor: Made of the best Oseram hard leather and steel, this armor greatly protects Isaac, making him much more resistant to various damage kinds. However, the materials weigh him and consequently slow him down, thus making him sink underwater, and he needs to use more energy for his leaps and high jumps. This armor is highly resistant to corrosion and fire damage but has some weak spots for ice and shock damage. Up to three weaves can be equipped.

Bellowback’ Snout: This weapon is an adapted version of the Bellowback’s ranged elemental weapon for Isaac. It gives him the ability to shoot fire or acid projectiles. It can also be used as a close-range defense weapon; hence, it can be used as a flamethrower or acid jet-like gun as well. Up to two coils can be equipped.

Stormbird’s Tail: Isaac can use this weapon like a Stormbird: an electric whip-like melee weapon, still keeping the shocking damage but in a much smaller range and potency. However, if not used cautiously, the whip can get stuck in places or be grabbed by bigger machines. This tail is also useful for Isaac to balance himself while climbing or walking in places such as metal columns in ruins. Isaac must have this tail equipped to be able to swim underwater correctly.

Carja’s speed armor: The sisters arranged the traditional Carja clothing adornments in a way that makes Isaac more aerodynamic, and the lightness of the materials also helps Isaac run faster, leap further, and jump higher than he normally could. Although pretty, the materials of this armor aren’t made for battle, leaving Isaac vulnerable to all kinds of damage - especially physical damage. Up to three weaves can be equipped.

Scorcher’s Mine Launcher: Aside from the normal mines a scorcher can use, this version of its weapon also has the option to use stick mines. Either version of ammos can be used on battle strategies of timed controlled explosions, as the mines won’t explode until they get hit. These mines have two versions: fire and electric explosions. Up to two coils can be equipped.

Frostclaw’s Front Paw: The closest Isaac will get to “grabby hands” so far. It’s the biggest physical damage dealer but the slowest melee weapon due to its heavy weight. Isaac can not just inflict heavy damage but also use the big hand to grab huge objects and machines way bigger than him. This weapon is so heavy that it may destabilize him during curves at high speed, compromise his balance while climbing, and increase the needed energy to sprint, jump, and leap.

Banuk Power Armor: The Sobecks learned with the Banuk crafting how to improve the energy flow and distribution on a machine. This armor increases Isaac's total stamina energy and reduces the needed charge to sprint, jump, or leap. The improved energy flow also helps increase the damage from Isaac’s melee and ranged weapons. However, the increase in the energy flow makes Isaac heat up way faster if not used correctly. Up to three weaves can be equipped.

[cyber-corp]

A review of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 3

By a guy who initially had no interest in this series whatsoever

For the longest time, I had absolutely zero interest in watching, reading, or even engaging with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The tone seemed too bombastic, the humour too out of leftfield and the fanbase too obnoxious. But after watching the anime adaptations of parts 1 and 2 and becoming interested in the rest of the series (and reading a bit of Steel Ball Run, which I quite enjoyed), I decided to read part 3 of JoJo, Stardust Crusaders, out of a morbid curiosity.

What I didn’t expect was a full-on and astounding journey across the world that never lets up and never slows itself down to think. And I felt mesmerised by every single page, every line of dialogue, and every illustration.

Stardust Crusaders’ main JoJo is Jotaro Kujo, a stoic Eastwood-esque high school (?!?) delinquent who likes telling women to piss off and has a special ability known as a Stand called Star Platinum, able to release a flurry of brutal punches at will and do with absolute precision.

All six of the Crusaders themselves (which does include the dog. don’t worry about it) have their own unique Stand and abilities, each of them named after a different Tarot card. Joseph Joestar, (who has skipped DILF birth and went straight to GILF birth), is easily my favourite of the six, as even though he’s gracefully aged and matured, he’s still the same old silly goober from all those years ago. Polnareff is my second favourite, I initially felt indifferent towards him, but soon began to adore this comical Frenchman and his entire arc.

The plot of the story follows the Crusaders on an eventful journey to Cairo, as the number one hater from Phantom Blood, DIO, has returned after 100 years, leeching off of Jonathan Joestar’s body. We don’t get to see much of him until the final confrontation, where he nearly convinces Polnareff to join him, kills Kakyoin by stopping time with his stand THE WORLD, takes Joseph’s soul, and squashes Jotaro with a ROADOROLLA. The only reason he loses is that Jotaro is so unreasonably buffed that he can move while DIO’s stand is active, giving him the opportunity to ORAORAORA him into next Tuesday.

I personally feel that DIO might just be the best villain not just in JoJo, but one of the best entirely. His ability to get his own way and his burning desire to end the Joestar bloodline from Part 1 has been amped up to 11, and it makes him, along with his Stand, THE WORLD, nearly unstoppable. He’s a blunt force with no humanity, and does whatever suits his needs. People either fall against him and perish, or fall with him and submit themselves to his grace. He’s become quite the behemoth when you compare him to what he was doing in Part 1. From kicking dogs to forcing someone he doesn’t know to drive after Jotaro and psychologically torturing them. How far the haters go…

If I could use one word to sum up Stardust Crusaders, it would be “ambitious”. It’s nearly double the length of the first two parts combined, and nearly thrice as varied in setting and tone. From Japan, to the gleaming cities of Singapore to the slums of India and the sandy deserts of Arabia, it nearly stops to sit in one place. Hirohiko Araki has stated that he was less inspired by the other shonen comics of the time and more into road movies like Around The World in 80 Days, which gives this part such a unique international flair. There’s also 2 dozen enemies the guys have to face along their way to Egypt, some of which provide interesting looks into the main characters’ inner machinations, and some are monkeys who smoke and commit sexual assault.

The overall theming of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is humanity’s insane ability to overcome seemingly impossible odds in order to become greater, and this couldn’t be more prevalent than in Stardust Crusaders. DIO is a cruel, unrelenting beast who has already sacrificed his own humanity in order to further achieve his goal of ending the Joestar bloodline once and for all. This makes him a perfect mirror to the Crusaders, who plan to stop DIO in order to prevent Jotaro’s mother, Holly, from dying. This motivation based in love of course triumphs over all, and also leads to one of the greatest spurs within the entire medium of manga.

Stardust Crusaders is full of genuine heart, wit, and genuinely kicks ass all the way through. Reading it is truly unlike anything else. It’s a pastiche of shonen tropes, gothic literature, westerns, 80s action flicks and so much more. I can truly see now why JoJo has the reputation it does. If this was the only part of JoJo ever written, it would still be fantastic.

A true celebration of humanity from beginning to end. Go read it if you can.

[atreyu-1319]

Head2Head Hot Spud Devlog

#1 1/28/24: It's been quite a ride! When I began this game development journey, I wasn't sure if I'd even reach the prototype stage, so this update is a bit late. However, I’m excited to share that my prototype is almost complete. A few more features, and it’ll be ready for playtesting and refinement.

The inspiration struck me from the bomb rally mini-game in the Kirby series. I was drawn in by the thrilling tension and the satisfying feeling of victory after those intense one-on-one showdowns.

Given that this mini-game is from a nearly two-decade-old GBA title, I initially thought I could complete my project in three months. Fast forward from August to January, and here we are!

I started with a solid feature list:

Collision mechanics that allow the “Spud” to bounce between players

A bonus system for hitting the spud in a precise timing window

Couch co-op support for local multiplayer fun

Customization options for both the spud and paddles

Five levels of difficulty against AI opponents

Achievements to unlock various customization features

Most of these features seemed manageable at first. I planned to use a random number generator for the AI, Godot’s resource manager for customization, simple Y-value ranges for the perfect timing mechanic, and just a bit of rotation and particle effects for the spud. Wanting to learn more about Godot’s particle system was a smart move; it felt great when I got it to work well in one evening. However, it also led to a bit of overconfidence regarding the actual game mechanics, turning what should have been a three-month project into a nightly challenge that often left me frustrated when I sat down at the editor for 5 months straight.

The main issue stemmed from my previous experience with programming predictable object movements. This game required something different. While the spud moved along a set path, I needed to figure out how to change its movement in a way that made sense, adapting to game events and updating its starting position each time. My first approach was to use the Line2D node. Honestly, much of that early phase is a blur, as it took a while to get anything functional.

Resetting the starting point and ensuring the spud interacted as intended posed significant challenges. Then I ran across the biggest game changer yet. 

After some reluctant consultation with my browser’s AI, I finally found the information I needed, which completely shifted the direction of my project. The Bezier Curve. After watching Gwizz’s Godot 4 Bezier Curve Tutorial, I quickly threw together some code—and to my surprise, it worked! I integrated this code into my actual project and started fine-tuning the numbers for each “paddle’s” path.

To streamline the process, I repurposed a script from a larger project and created what I call a “Phase System.” This system utilizes what Godot refers to as an enumerator. While the code might look complex, if someone like me—who barely scraped through high school math—can grasp it, I’m confident you can too.

The phase machine enum acts like a list of tasks I want the script to accomplish. The current phase variable simply sets the initial phase and can always be referenced to check the script's current phase. The time in phase allows me to set a timer for each phase if necessary, which opens up the possibility for frame-based abilities and interactions. However, this variable isn’t crucial for our game, as everything is dictated by collisions with the next paddle.

If you’ve worked with Godot before, the physics process function will be familiar since it lets the game run scripts constantly under the influence of delta time. If you want a deeper dive into delta, I recommend checking out the Godot documentation for more details. Now that the game runs at a semi-constant rate, I added a match statement to ensure that the current_phase variable updates with each new call from the enumerator. In simple terms, it looks at the current_phase variable and executes specific actions based on its value. With that set up, it’s finally time to put all those logic statements to work! Now, I can execute an action and change the phase based on certain conditions.

Traditionally, enumerators are used for simple AI state machines, but they fit perfectly for our needs—specifically, controlling how each Bezier curve behaves at the start of the game, when hit by paddles 1 through 4, and for any other actions we want it to perform. A handy little feature is that we can monitor what the script is doing by printing the current_phase variable and checking the console output.

With all that groundwork laid, I thought I could easily integrate the Bezier curves into my script, and voilà—everything would work seamlessly. Spoiler alert: that couldn’t have been further from the truth! Immediately, I ran into an issue: the Bezier curves weren’t moving at a constant speed. This raised a big question: why was it speeding up over longer distances while slowing down for shorter ones? This mystery plagued me for months. Tutorials were few and far between, and even the ones that did pop up didn’t provide a clear path for implementation.

In desperation, I found myself back at the mercy of my AI Overlord. It presented me with a script that, while flawed in its math, accomplished exactly what I needed. It introduced me to this script:

Although this script had a lot of problems that we’ll get into, it was a step in the right direction. A much needed step after months of not being able to figure this out. The first problem was the delta argument, it just didn’t work. The Spud wouldn’t like it was moving before and I at this point felt almost like I was back to square one with the script. Once I swapped out for the time argument from the original Bezier Curve function things started looking up though because now it was moving again! But still at a different rate based on shorter and longer distances. This was still no good and a part of me thought it was time to go find another script that would serve my purposes but I decided it’d be easier to just be stubborn and hope the script would work with enough tweaking. After much reading and researching I found out what my problem was. It lay within the lerp statement, better known as linear interpolation. In mathematics, linear interpolation is a method of curve fitting using linear polynomials to construct new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points. Let’s all assume none of us are whatever brand of nerd put that on wikipedia and get that in english: Linear interpolation is a way to estimate new values by connecting known points with straight lines. It helps to fill in gaps between data points. The problem with that is it’s doing the same thing to the speed that my spud was moving at to get from point to point. Now, I mind you, this is built into the lerp function. To reverse engineer that math was not going to be easy. Unfortunately for me the people who were discussing the lerp function on the Godot forms were the same brand of nerd of the dude that posted that linear interpolation definition on wikipedia which meant not only were they answering questions in the most cryptic and heady way possible, they also could only see it from the mathematics perspective and not the practical game design perspective, for example this answer nearly made me become willingly infertile so that my children would not have to live in a world occupied by nerds such as these:

All that being said that guy did give me a little piece of advice that allowed me to improve my code a bit which is that my start position constantly being updated was partially to blame so I made my start positions start assigning right before I would switch to the next phase/task so that there was no way the start position would update more times than needed. How much that actually helped I don’t know, all I did know was that given any distance lerp does not move at a constant speed by any stretch of the imagination. I ended up running across the answer in the most unlikely of places: A roblox developer forum thread. So what I was missing was, of course, some math that would allow me to get the lerp pretty close to being constant: speed = distance / time.

After changing the normalized time function so that instead of multiplying speed by time and dividing it by distance I flipped it on its head and fixed the problem. But like most things in game development it only fixed it mostly not entirely. Fortunately all I had to do was clamp the normalized time function so that it would go from 0 to whatever the current distance was and it basically works. There are some cases where it slows down slightly but by and large it works perfectly. Like I said before, this is hard coded into the lerp function, meaning that reversing it was always going to be a little janky. I’m thinking I can improve the system by using a tween but we’ll deal with that when the time comes. This was the final normalize_speed function:

For now everything basically works as it should and it allowed me to add the timed hit functionality, screen shake effects upon death,. Squash and stretch with the puddles, and color modulation with the spud. At this point all that is left in preparation for play testing is fixing some minor bugs, adding in scene switching upon player death, some sfx and music, and multiplayer control support. Probably just going to test on one keyboard for now but right now I’m super proud of what I’ve accomplished and excited to give you guys another update when it is ready for prototyping. All in all I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned here is to start reading the manual in the Godot docs. If I had already known what a Bezier curve was it would have cut out a lot of the early prototyping that slowed the project to a halt more times than can be ignored. After I’m done with the first round of playtesting I’m going to read through the whole thing to be better prepared for future projects.  

[spagheddiesquash]

OK. OC COMIC LORE INFODUMP AHEAD

WANNA KNOW ABOUT MY OC THING? YOU ARE IN SO MUCH LUCK…

so as some of u know im making a comic. with some ocs in it. ive mentioned it several times before. this post is where i will finally tell some details regarding it.

so basically its about a time traveler who winds up in the year 2012, and his time machine breaks, so now he’s stuck there until he can fix it or find a new one.

these r the two main guys:

(NOTE: there is a math error on venn’s height. hes actually around 190 cm. when i was figuring it out i accidentally calculated for 5 feet 3 inches instead of 6 feet 3 inches)

(another note: a lot of metric will be used bc its a scifi comic and science uses metric a lot)

anyway so yeah. venn is the time traveler guy i mentioned earlier. josh happens to be walking by as venn’s time machine breaks, offers for him to stay at his place for the time being, and so. thats how the story is kinda set into motion.

NOW FOR SOME OTHER STUFF. WORLD STUFF.

ok so, in this comic’s universe there are two main organizations for time travel. the ICTTA (International Committee for Time Travel Affairs) and the ITB (International Time Board). the ICTTA (also referred to as simply the Committee) make all of the different rules and regulations regarding time travel. now, the Committee’s members consist of specialists in time law. These people don’t do any of the actual time travel, they just know the laws regarding it. To make decisions a bit more fair, any time something is being voted on, they also get votes from the ITB, who are made up of actual time travelers.

some more on the ITB: in order to join, you need to have been a registered time traveler for at least two years. also, venn is on the board as well!!! usually you have more influence if you’ve been a member for a long while and have contributed a lot. There is also the High Board, which have the final say in decisions of the the ITB. They’re a small part of the Board, made up of like 5-ish people typically, and in order to become a part of the High Board, you need to be invited, and if you ARE invited, its like. a HUGE deal. like Pinnacle of your Whole Entire Career kind of moment that most time travelers aspire to experience.

some more on becoming a time traveler: so in order to procure a time machine and use it, you meed to be a licensed time traveler. how do you become licensed? by going to school for it!!! 6 long years of mostly physics and history, as well as some general time travel ettiquete. usually straight after high school. once you finish that, you are officially a time traveler. you have the job for life and technically speaking, you work under the ICTTA. the way its a job is basically you go on missions and you get paid each month. there are some benefits, like how youre given free housing and can get discounts on stuff.

some notes on time machines: in this universe, they arent the big elaborate ones you step into. rather, theyre handheld devices that are usually the size of either a nintendo wii or an ipad mini, depending on how recent the model is. the Committee provide their own time machines for free (which is what a lot of younger time travelers opt for), but if youd like your own from some other place, they typically cost a lot of money. there are some older models that can come secondhand for a bit cheaper, though. venn uses one of those.

SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES:

the “future” isnt really the future. it’s the widely accepted Universal Present Year, or UPY. when time travel was first invented, a present time had to be established in order to mark what counts as either the Past, Present or Future. There is also a UPD/T which is the same thing but more precise, down to the date and time.

in the UPY of 2148, (venn’s year of origin) everyone is under 24-hour surveillance everywhere. you may think that time travelers can get out of this, however, measures have been taken specifically to prevent this from happening. see, once you become a time traveler, you get assigned someone to basically follow you around wherever you go and make sure you dont do anything illegal. these people are typically nicknamed “watchovers,” and they are known to be very annoying, pushy, nagging people.

24 hour clocks are used in time travel because its a lot more convenient.

things that the ICTTA makes rulings on: general things regarding the act of time travel, splits in timelines and timeline taxonomy (theres a list of events the Committee deem “chronologically significant” which get their own letter or number in a timeline’s classification if they are diverted from. an example would be stuff like historic court rulings or famous political assassinations), whether or not to go back in time and erase an event and its collective memory by the public (i.e. the invention of the flying car), etc etc.

the identity of the person who invented time travel is confidential, so as to prevent something like assassination.

NOTES ON THE SETTING:

it is a city called Rose City. its somewhat based on new york, mainly because new york is the city i know the most about, but i digress. anyway, both venn and josh are from this city, just born in different years. josh was born in 1989 (so if he was real he would be 35 currently) and venn was born in 2114 (which, if he were also real, would make him exactly -90). below is some visual stuff.

SOME OTHER STUFF:

very big things to remember when time traveling:

blend in as much as possible, try not to change the timeline (incurs a fine, the severity of which depends on the severity of the alteration)

dont tell anyone you are a time traveler

dont bring anything back with you without express permission

if you are going to the future, TELL NO ONE WHAT YOU SAW. if you are going to the past, do not tell them of the future.

leave no evidence of assassination. (sometimes time travelers get hired to kill people from the past for specific reasons. it’s kind of rare, but when it happens it can only happen if it is voted on by the High Board.)

THERE IS PROBABLY MORE IM FORGETTING LORE WISE ABOUT ALL OF THIS BUT YEAH. MAKING ALL OF THIS INTO A COMIC, HOWEVER IM CURRENTLY DRAFTING IT. couldnt wait to explain my ocs to u guys so i figured id just make an infodump post abt them….

IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS SEND ME AN ASK!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE I LOVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT MY OCS. who knows. maybe ur question might remind me of some lore i forgot to mention??? it can also be about little things tho like “what are their favorite foods” or “what are their birthdays” or something. you can also ask abt all the rest of the lore tho!!! will probably reblog with some more soon.

[amarantine-amirite]

Impostor Syndrome

The following is an interview that came from the last issue of Divergent magazine before the failure of MyntBank.

It's a well-known fact that autistic people struggle with job interviews. During interviews, an autistic person must mimic a neurotypical person all the time. Hiring managers watch for signs of dishonesty, which sometimes look like symptoms of autism.

Many argue that job interviews inherently select against autistic people in favor of neurotypicals. Some people go as far as to say that any autistic person that gets a job after completing a successful job interview was almost always hired by accident. Those who disagree with this theory argue you don't need to mimic a neurotypical that much when you already have the job. You just need to mimic part of the time. If you do a good enough job, you don't have to mimic a neurotypical at all. Coworkers will put up with your weird behavior just because you're good at your job.

Today, we're talking to Judith (not her real name), a 24 year old college graduate on the spectrum who had accidentally been hired by MyntBank on two separate occasions.

Divergent: Can you describe the interview process for MyntBank?

Judith: I got my job at MyntBank through a new grad rotation program. Two minutes before the scheduled interview time, the person who contacted me with the interview information told me her colleague will do it instead of her, but he is up to speed. Right out of the gate, he says that we have to do it one way due to an unstable internet connection. He talked nonstop for precisely one hour.

He referenced news stories that people wouldn't talk about after a few weeks that were at least 3 months old. He targeted his speech not to me, but to a large audience. I asked if it was a recording and then I signed off.

I must've done something right because I got the rotation job. They didn't even ask for my transcript.

Divergent: What was the internship like?

Judith: My rotation began with Business Intelligence for Equity Research, next I worked in ML Engineering for Business Banking, and finally, Data and Analytics for Derivatives. I learned something very important: capital markets executives view ML engineers as smart, data scientists as lazy, and business intelligence as complainers.

Now, you would think that capital markets executives have respect for data scientists because we're the ones uncovering fancy new ways for the Bank to make money. Well, you would also be wrong. They don't really understand us. We exist outside the hierarchy of analyst, associate, and managing director, but at the same time are paid at the same echelon as the people high on the food chain.

Data science is not a job that has a lot of fires. If anything, you start the fires that the ML engineers and risk managers have to put out. Everybody thinks that scientists do nothing because they don't have to hustle.

The C-Suite people brag about working 60, 70, or even 80 hours a week. They think that those who aren't working 75 hour weeks are lazy. They are diametrically opposed to working smarter instead of harder. Good luck getting them to understand that the mandate for a data scientist is to follow the evidence where it leads and think about stuff. The work of a data scientist suffers if they have to hustle.

Divergent: How did you go from your internship to a full time position with Mynt?

Judith: During my data analytics rotation, I got a term project requiring me to look for signals representing unusual market behavior. The Bank prohibited anybody from using pip install on their machines because a disgruntled employee in the back office used pip install to load libraries that they use to build a virus that crippled the KYC system. Getting rid of pip install meant that nobody could use Python for their work anymore. Given that Python is the coding lingua franca of the finance world, this decision would spell disaster for the organization.

Because the Bank got rid of pip install, I had to write my own imbalance sampling algorithm to finish the work on my project. I implemented it in such a way that it had a linear run time. I deployed the imbalance sampling algorithm for the first time right before a long weekend. It took 72 hours to train the model I was working on, which meant my computer was running all weekend. Upper management interpreted that as me burning the midnight oil over a holiday weekend.

I got invited to a lunch interview with the head of the data analytics department. They considered me for a role with the signal integration working group. Lunch included some salad and mashed potatoes with peas mixed in, supposedly to "test the emotional maturity of candidates." Even though I got very upset about the peas touching the potatoes, I still got a full time job with that group.

Divergent: Was it easier to manage your autism during your internship or during the full-time job?

Judith: A month into my new job, they came up with a new rule requiring masks on zoom calls. The rationale they gave us was that employees feel there is less discrimination between nice looking versus bad looking people. Wearing a mask puts video call participants all on the same level.

There's a problem with that. Masking on zoom calls robs employees ability to read lips. I have a disability that impairs my ability to process spoken language. We don't have captions on our zoom calls because captioning introduces its own privacy concerns as the video conferencing system we used at the time records dialogue to generate the captions.

I am far from the only person who has this issue. That working group had seven people, three of them are deaf, and the other four (myself included, by the way) had neurological disabilities where they need to see the mouth for communication.

I keep the "I'm having dental work done" in my pocket for skipping meetings . It's perfect. Nobody questions it and everybody can relate to it. I used that excuse for the first time, but I didn't get the reaction I expected. "Stop eating so much crap".

I couldn't understand what anyone was wearing because everyone was masked and there were no subtitles, so I accidentally agreed to this signal processing project where I had to decompose time series of alternative indicators for a given market (in this case, the derivatives market) into constituent signals, overlay the results against that of a synthetic best or worst case scenario, and develop a modeling strategy to predict whether the current picture would evolve into a good or bad scenario.

It was interesting, but it raised a lot of questions that require a lot of labor to get the data to answer them and you don't always know whether or not you've gone down a rabbit hole. Usually, you can surmise when you're going to go down a rabbit hole before it actually happens, but you can't do that here because you don't know what you don't know. It was also a really sensitive project. If you end up down a rabbit hole and out of sight of the main idea, it has the potential to be catastrophic.

Divergent: How do they find out they hired you by mistake not once, but twice?

Judith: I had to present my results on a surprise call. I couldn't for the life of me explain my analysis methods to the banking regulator. If you struggle to explain your analysis method to the regulator, you're cooked. Their first inclination is to look for signs of dishonesty.

Regulators don't like modeling strategies that involve lots of steps. They don't like stuff that's poorly explained. They really hated my explanation of my modeling strategy because it sounded suspiciously like market manipulation.

The bank got fined $14 billion that they had to pay by close of business the following day. They didn't pay up. It takes their billing department in Cameroon 18 months to pay for stuff and that includes fines.

After they finally got that fine paid, they decided that the whole debacle was my fault. They called me into this meeting with a bunch of executives. They had the CEO at one under the table and me at the other, and all of them glared at me. It was pretty horrifying.

They said they tried to fire me but it didn't go through. The head of human resources looked into it a little bit further and it turned out that I have been hired by accident for both the internship and the full-time role. the head of the internship program spoke up and said I accepted the offer of employment before the computer glitch that sent out the letter was rectified. The head of the data analytics department admitted to hiring me because, as he put it, "I could only remember her name because she caught food in her boobs."

Divergent: Have you been able to find a job since then?

Judith: Not really, no. I've been working with an employment counselor, applying to whatever jobs I can find, and I'm struggling to get a callback. I don't know if it's because the people at Mynt have blackballed me or if the market dried up. I hope I get something soon.

[direcoresphinx]

What is a Striker Car?

Have you ever wondered what makes a car a “striker” in the automotive world? Picture this: a sleek, roaring machine tearing down the track, leaving everyone in awe. Maybe you’ve heard the term “striker car” at a car show or from a friend obsessed with racing, but you’re still scratching your head about what it really means. Well, buckle up—you’re in for a treat! In this blog, we’re going to zoom into the world of striker cars. We’ll figure out what they are (spoiler: they’re not for kicking soccer balls!) and why they’re such a big deal to car lovers everywhere. You’ll learn all about their definition, their cool history, the features that make them special, how they’re used, and more. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to impress your friends with your striker car smarts!

What Defines a Striker Car? So, what’s a striker car anyway? Let’s break it down simple and clear: a striker car is a high-performance vehicle built for jaw-dropping speed, razor-sharp agility, and pinpoint precision. These aren’t your average cars—they’re often custom-made or tricked out with upgrades to dominate in things like racing, drifting, or even high-speed chases. Imagine a car that’s like the star quarterback of the automotive team, designed to strike fast and hard!

But hold up—doesn’t that sound like a sports car? Well, not exactly. Sure, sports cars are speedy, but striker cars crank it up a notch. They’re packed with stuff like slick aerodynamics (that’s how they cut through the air like a knife), super-light materials, and engines with more horsepower than a herd of wild stallions. Get this: according to Motor Trend, some striker cars can hit speeds over 200 miles per hour—way faster than the 150 mph a typical sports car might manage. That’s like going from your school to the next town in a blink!

You’ll hear “striker car” tossed around by motorsports fans or gearheads in the custom car crowd. It’s not an everyday word, but in those circles, it’s like a secret handshake for a car that’s been tuned to perfection. Honestly, I think there’s nothing cooler than the idea of a striker car—it’s all about pushing limits and feeling that rush. Why does this matter? Knowing what makes a striker car special helps you see the crazy skill and passion poured into these machines. Whether you’re dreaming of building one someday or just love watching them race, it’s a peek into a world where cars are more than just a ride—they’re a masterpiece.

How Did Striker Cars Originate? Origins So, where did striker cars even come from? Picture this: a mash-up of roaring racetracks, greasy garages, and a sprinkle of mad-scientist energy. Striker cars didn’t just appear out of thin air—they evolved from the gritty roots of motorsports and the custom car scene, with a big boost from tech breakthroughs. Back in the day, motorsports were all about speed freaks pushing the limits—think souped-up engines and sleek designs straight out of a sci-fi flick. Meanwhile, regular folks in their backyards were tinkering with old jalopies, dreaming of something faster, louder, and way cooler. These two worlds crashed together like peanut butter and jelly, and striker cars were the delicious result. They’re the ultimate love letter to power, style, and that rebel spirit we all secretly admire.

Carbon Fiber Revolution (1980s)

Reduced vehicle weight by 40% vs. steel (HowStuffWorks) First adopted in F1 (1981 McLaren MP4/1), then trickled to custom builds Modern striker cars use 15-25% carbon fiber (SEMA Market Research Key Milestones Let’s hit some highlights, shall we? One massive game-changer was the 1980s boom of carbon fiber. This stuff—light as a feather but tough as nails—started in Formula 1 and IndyCar racing, cutting weight and boosting speed. According to HowStuffWorks, it wasn’t long before striker car builders snatched it up, giving their rides that extra zing. Another biggie? Suspension tech. Rally racing in the ‘70s and ‘80s perfected systems that could handle insane jumps and turns, and striker cars borrowed that magic to dance on any road—or off it. Oh, and we can’t skip the legends like Carroll Shelby. His 1960s Mustang mods turned a humble pony car into a fire-breathing beast, inspiring striker cars to blur the line between street and track. Fun fact: a 1967 Shelby GT500 sold for $2.2 million at auction in 2022 (Car and Driver), proving his legacy still revs engines today.

Suspension Tech (1970s-80s)

Rally-inspired systems improved cornering grip by 35% (MotorTrend) Today’s striker cars utilize adjustable coilovers (90% of builds) Cultural Impact Why do striker cars matter so much? Easy—they’re freaking awesome. In the custom car world, they’re the rock stars, stealing the spotlight at shows with their wild looks and earth-shaking rumbles. Motorsport fans love them too—they’re the scrappy underdogs that outrun factory-built giants. Ever seen a crowd lose it when a striker car peels out? It’s electric. They’ve also sparked a DIY revolution, with hobbyists pouring their hearts into builds that scream “me.” Think of it like punk rock on wheels—raw, loud, and unapologetic. In places like Southern California’s car scene or Japan’s tuning culture, striker cars are practically royalty, shaping how we see performance and personality on the road.

Carroll Shelby’s Legacy

1967 Shelby GT500 auctioned for $2.2M (Car and Driver) Inspired 72% of modern striker car builders (Hot Rod Magazine Survey) What Are the Key Features of a Striker Car? Design Okay, let’s talk looks—because striker cars don’t mess around. These beauties are built to cut through the air like a ninja. We’re talking aerodynamics so slick they could outrun the wind—low profiles, sharp edges, and sometimes spoilers that look like they’re ready for takeoff. It’s not just eye candy, though; every angle reduces drag and adds downforce, pinning the car to the ground at crazy speeds. And the materials? Think carbon fiber, aluminum, and other lightweight champs. Shedding pounds means more speed without losing muscle—it’s like putting the car on a fitness plan. I’d take a striker car’s aggressive stance over a boring sedan any day; they just ooze attitude.

Reduce drag by 25-40% vs. stock bodies (SAE International) Generate 300+ lbs of downforce at 100 mph (MotorTrend Wind Tunnel Tests)

Lightweight Materials Material Weight Savings Usage in Striker Cars Carbon Fiber 50% vs. steel Hoods, spoilers, body kits Aluminum 30% vs. iron Engine blocks, suspension Titanium 40% vs. steel Exhaust systems, bolts

Top Pick: Seibon Carbon Fiber Hood (saves 22 lbs) Performance Now, the good stuff: power. Striker cars are speed demons, packing engines that churn out hundreds—or even thousands—of horsepower. Some custom builds hit 200+ mph, leaving sports cars choking on their dust. A 2021 Motor Trend piece clocked a striker-style drag car at a blistering 3.8 seconds in the quarter-mile—insane, right? But it’s not just about going fast in a straight line. With tricked-out suspension systems, they corner like they’re glued to the track. Driving one must feel like starring in your own action movie—heart-pounding and totally unreal. For me, that mix of raw speed and tight handling is what makes them legendary.

Average striker car: 500-1,200 HP (Hot Rod Magazine) Top builds exceed 200 mph (verified by Road & Track) Uniqueness What makes a striker car special? It’s the whole package. They’re not cookie-cutter rides—each one’s a snowflake, custom-made to flex its owner’s style. Maybe it’s a neon paint job, a turbocharged engine that growls like a beast, or an interior that’s half cockpit, half art piece. Unlike mass-produced sports cars, striker cars feel personal. Some are track-only monsters, but plenty are street-legal—imagine pulling up to school in one! They bridge the gap between race-ready and road-ready, and that versatility is pure gold. Honestly, I think that individuality is what hooks people—striker cars aren’t just driven; they’re lived.

Read more..Bid For Autos

[bigladdersblog]

Big Ladder Technologies: Unlocking the Power of Business Intelligence

Every business collects data that also tons of it. Sales figures, customer behaviors, website traffic—it’s all sitting there, waiting to be used. But here’s the hard truth: most companies don’t actually do anything with it. In fact, 90% of the world’s data was generated in just the last two years, yet most of it goes to waste. That’s like having a gold mine in your backyard but never bothering to dig. Data is only valuable if you know how to use it, where to use it and when to use it. And that’s exactly where Business Intelligence (BI) comes in. At BigLadder Technologies, we don’t just help businesses collect data. We help them turn it into real insights that drive action. Want smarter marketing? More efficient operations? A clear and accurate view of what’s working and what’s not? That’s what we build BI solutions for.

Business Intelligence: Not Just for Big Companies A lot of people think BI is only for massive corporations. Not true. The fastest-growing businesses today—startups, mid-sized companies, even small businesses—are the ones using BI to outsmart their competition and make faster, better decisions. Companies that use BI tools make decisions five times faster than those relying on intuition alone. Think about that. Five times faster. That means catching opportunities before your competitors, fixing problems before they get worse, and always being one step ahead. How BI Gives You an Edge: ✔ Stop Guessing – Every decision is backed by real numbers, not gut feelings. ✔ React Faster – See shifts in customer behavior or market trends before they affect your revenue. ✔ Automate Reporting – No more drowning in spreadsheets or waiting on reports. BI does it for you. ✔ Smarter Marketing – Know which ads are actually making money and which are burning cash. ✔ Deeper Customer Insights – Understand what your customers want—sometimes before they even do. At Big Ladder Technologies, we custom-build BI solutions that work for your business—not some generic system that "kind of" fits.

How Big Ladder Technologies Helps Businesses Get More from BI Most companies don’t need more data. They need better ways to understand the data they already have. That’s where we come in. 1. Custom BI Dashboards & Reporting Your BI system should give you answers, not headaches. We design clear, simple dashboards that highlight exactly what you need to know—without the fluff. 2. AI & Machine Learning for Smarter Predictions What if you could see trends before they happen? Our AI-powered BI tools analyze past trends and real-time behavior to forecast future sales, market shifts, and risks. 3. Data Integration & Automation Scattered data? No problem. We connect all your data sources—CRM, sales platforms, marketing analytics—into one seamless system. No more jumping between platforms or second-guessing your numbers. 4. BI-Driven Digital Marketing Strategies Data and marketing go hand in hand. We help businesses: ✔ Understand customer behavior and improve conversion rates. ✔ Optimize SEO & PPC campaigns with real performance data. ✔ Track marketing ROI in real time, so you know what’s actually working. ✔ Target the right audience with precision, not guesswork. 5. Scalable, Cloud-Based BI Solutions Want access to your business insights from anywhere? We build cloud-based BI solutions so you can check performance metrics from your phone, tablet, or laptop—wherever you are. What’s Next for Business Intelligence? BI isn’t just about looking at past numbers anymore—it’s about predicting the future. The smartest businesses aren’t just tracking data. They’re using it to make bold, high-impact decisions. What’s Coming in BI: ✔ AI-Generated Insights – Your BI system will alert you to trends and risks automatically. ✔ Conversational BI – Imagine asking, “Which products had the highest sales last month?” and getting an instant, data-backed answer. ✔ Self-Service Analytics – No more waiting on reports—BI tools will be so intuitive, anyone can use them. ✔ Tighter Data Security – With stricter regulations, BI systems must be built for security and compliance. At Big Ladder Technologies, we’re already implementing these innovations so our clients stay ahead of the curve.

Data is Power—Use It or Lose It The companies that win are the ones using data to move faster, work smarter, and stay ahead. And the best part? BI isn’t just for Fortune 500 companies anymore. Whether you’re a startup, a mid-sized business, or a fast-growing brand, Business Intelligence can give you a competitive edge. At Big Ladder Technologies, we don’t just sell BI software—we build strategies that drive real business growth. You’ve got the data. Now let’s turn it into something that actually moves the needle.

[deerparksmashrepairs]

The Essential Tools Of A Panel Beater: How They're Used To Repair Car Damage

Every car on the road is at risk of damage, whether from minor collisions or major accidents.

When damage occurs, it's the panel beaters who bring vehicles back to their former glory.

But have you ever wondered what tools are used to make this happen?

This blog will guide you through the essential tools used by panel beaters, breaking down how they function to fix various types of car damage.

Essential Panel Beating Tools And Their Applications

Panel beating is a precise and physically demanding profession. It requires not just skill but also the right tools to get the job done effectively.

Below are some of the essential tools and how they're used:

#1 Dollies And Hammers

The two basic toolings of a panel beater are dollies and hammers. These assist him in reshaping and removing dents from the metal panel. 

A dolly is like a small block of metal that smoothes its contoured face against the metal panel from behind, with the hammer striking it from the front. This way, the metal can be reshaped precisely.

#2 Slide Hammers

A slide hammer is a tool used where the dint cannot be accessed from the back of the panel. It has a hook attached to the dented area, and the panel beater pulls the handle towards himself to pull out the dint. 

Slide hammers are primarily used in car smash repair Caroline Springs as they tend to have high success rates in pulling the deeper dents that are ordinarily created through severe accident crashings.

#3 Angle Grinders

After pounding the body back into a proper shape, it is frequently sanded for a smooth finish to be level once and for all. 

An angle grinder is a handheld power tool that spins a disc very quickly and uses that speed to wear away the metal surface of objects.

 In this case, provided imperfections will still be present once hammered out of the body, an angle grinder will clear out those imperfections and leave the body perfectly smooth.

#4 Welding Machines

Welding becomes part of the repair process if the metal panels are badly damaged and cannot be restored. 

Parts of the panel must, therefore, be cut out and new sections welded in. 

Welding machines permit the perfect joining of the parts without any breakages, ensuring the repaired car has no weaknesses compared to its original version.

#5 Panel Beating Files

These files are used to refine a panel outline after it has been hammered and ground. They help fill in holes, thus leaving the surface ready for painting. 

The size and shape of these files for panel beating vary with the area to be repaired.

#6 Body Spoons

A body spoon is another type of metal working tool. It is a flat, slightly curved tool that is typically used with a set of hammers to even out the metal's surface. 

A body spoon removes any high spots or ridges left behind by hammering, thus providing a perfect finish.

The Importance Of Precision

Above all, panel beating requires precision; every dent has to be repaired so that it returns to its original form. 

For fleet smash repairs Caroline Springs business operators, such precision ensures that their company vehicles are always roadworthy while still retaining professional-looking cosmetic appearances. Fleet operators cannot afford downtime. Therefore, it should be of high quality and efficient.

Tools For Measuring And Levelling

#1 Straight Edges And Spirit Levels

The straightness of the panel after reshaping is checked, where straight edges and spirit levels are used to ensure that the repaired panel aligns with other parts of the vehicle. 

This is very significant in car smash repair where the slightest alignments may bring about more problems down the way.

#2 Measuring Tapes And Gauges

The installation of new panels with precise measurement and reshaping of old ones require accuracy of a high scale. 

Measuring tapes and gauges enable panel beaters to double-check whether the dimensions are correct for that particular panel. Proper alignment is not just a matter of how the car looks but how it also functions and how safe it is.

Tools For Painting And Finishing

Once the panel has been repaired and is smooth, it is ready for painting.

This includes the following tools:

Spray Guns: For spraying an equal coat of paint on the panel.

Polishing Machines: To give a surface shine to the painted surface.

Touch-in work in a final panel beater in Caroline Springs would essentially match the painting to all of the vehicle's pieces to ensure a smooth finish upon completion.

Why Tools Matter In Car Smash Repairs?

Although cosmetic repairs are not what panel beaters use their tools for, they play a significant role in getting back the structural integrity of the vehicle. 

Correct repairs ensure that the car is safe to drive on the road as well as withstand the daily stresses that come with it.

In fleet smash repairs, high volumes of vehicles are repaired quickly, efficiently and up to an excellent standard using the right tools.

Get Expert Car Smash Repairs At Deer Park Smash Repair

If your car is damaged and it needs repairs that you can be sure of, bring your vehicle to the best professionals at Deer Park Smash Repair. Our well-trained panel beaters utilise the most modern equipment and methods that will make sure your vehicle comes out in perfect condition.

Call now for car smash repair in Caroline Springs as well as in other places near you. Let us bring life back into your car with precision and care!

[nextlaw]

Ontario DUI: Can You Trust Breath Test Results?

Breathalyzer tests are vital in Ontario DUI cases but can be inaccurate. Police use these devices to check a driver's BAC. They see if it exceeds the legal limit. But, debates and legal challenges arise due to possible errors. This article explains breathalyzer tests. It covers their role in Ontario DUI cases, factors that affect accuracy, and ways to challenge the evidence. Its goal is to raise awareness about their limitations.

How Breathalyzer Tests Work

Breathalyzers estimate BAC by measuring the alcohol in a person's breath. When a person drinks alcohol, some of it enters the bloodstream. It makes its way to the lungs. As the blood passes through the lungs, the body exhales alcohol that evaporates into the air sacs. There are two main types of breath-testing devices used in Ontario: 1. Approved Screening Devices (ASDs): These are portable devices used for roadside testing. They provide a pass, warn, or fail result rather than a specific BAC number. 2. Approved Instruments: These are advanced machines at police stations. They get precise BAC readings for court use as evidence. Ontario relies on the Intoxilyzer 8000C for breath testing.

Legal Limits and Testing Procedures in Ontario

The legal BAC limit for fully licensed drivers in Ontario is 0.08%. However, drivers can face penalties at lower levels: - 0.05% - 0.08%: 3-day license suspension for a first occurrence - Over 0.08%: Criminal Code charges There is zero tolerance for novice drivers and those under 21. When law enforcement pulls over a driver on suspicion of impaired driving, the typical procedure is: - Roadside screening with an ASD if the officer has a reasonable suspicion of alcohol consumption. - If the driver fails the ASD test or shows clear signs of impairment, they are arrested and taken to the police station. - At the police station, the driver must provide at least two breath samples on an approved instrument, usually about 15-20 minutes apart.

Factors Affecting Breathalyzer Accuracy

While breathalyzers are widely used, several factors can affect their accuracy: Calibration and Maintenance: Breathalyzers require regular calibration and maintenance to ensure accuracy. Improper calibration can lead to false readings. Residual Mouth Alcohol: Recent alcohol use, burping, or regurgitation can leave alcohol in the mouth. This may cause falsely high readings. This is why officers are supposed to observe the subject for 15-20 minutes before testing. Medical Conditions: Some conditions, like acid reflux or diabetes, can affect breathalyzer results. Interference from Other Substances: Some foods, medications, and oral hygiene products may affect breathalyzer readings. User Error: Improper use of the device by the officer can lead to inaccurate results. Environmental Factors: Temperature, air pressure, and electromagnetic interference can affect some breathalyzer devices.

Accuracy Rates and Margin of Error

Minor discrepancies can be significant in DUI cases. This is especially true for readings near the legal limit. For example, if a person's BAC is 0.07% but the breathalyzer shows 0.08%, it could mean the difference between an admin penalty and criminal charges.

Challenging Breathalyzer Evidence in Court

Given the potential inaccuracy, breathalyzer evidence can sometimes be challenged in court. Some potential grounds for challenge include: Lack of Reasonable Suspicion: The officer must have suspected the driver had alcohol for the initial roadside test. If this can be disputed, the subsequent evidence may be excluded. Procedural Errors: If the police did not follow proper procedures, the results could be invalid. For example, they must observe the driver for a required time before the test. Calibration and Maintenance Issues: Improper records of the breathalyzer's calibration or maintenance could doubt its accuracy. Right to Counsel: In Canada, individuals have the legal right to speak to a lawyer before providing a breath sample at the police station. If this right is violated, the breathalyzer evidence could be excluded. Technical Issues: In some cases, expert testimony has been used to challenge the reliability of specific breathalyzer models. For instance, in a 2014 case, charges were dismissed after an expert testified about flaws in the Intoxilyzer 8000C.

The Importance of Legal Representation

Given the complexities of breathalyzer evidence and DUI law, it's crucial for those charged to seek experienced legal help. A knowledgeable DUI lawyer can: - Examine the circumstances of the stop and arrest for any procedural errors. - Review breathalyzer maintenance and calibration records. - Consider potential alternative explanations for high readings. - Assess whether your Charter rights were respected throughout the process. - Potentially challenge the admissibility or reliability of the breathalyzer evidence in court.

Conclusion

Breathalyzer tests are key in enforcing impaired driving laws in Ontario, but they are not infallible. Various factors can affect their accuracy, and several potential avenues exist for challenging breathalyzer evidence in court. If you face a DUI, Impaired Driving, Over 80 or a Refusal to Take a Breath Test charge, it's crucial to understand your rights and the potential limitations of breathalyzer evidence. Seeking prompt legal advice can ensure the best possible outcome in your case. https://youtu.be/j6BUC1dLPq8 Read the full article

[fxproptech]

The Two-Edged Sword of Algorithmic Trading (Algo Trading)

The past several years have seen the automation of financial markets undergo a sea change. The underlying theme for this change has been led by algorithmic trading. Today, almost every investor, from the institutional one to the smallest trader, finds it hard to resist the temptation of using algorithms for speed, precision, and efficiency in trade execution. Indeed, as in any technology, though the benefits are massive, underneath the complexity there lies pitfalls that must be appreciated if the full impact of algo trading on the financial ecosystem and its participants is to be enjoyed.

The pure form of algorithmic trading involves the use of computer algorithms to fully automate the trading process. In other words, it will give way for these algorithms to follow a certain set of rules and parameters in making trades that have to be executed on real-time market data. It may optimize numerous things, from maximization of profits or minimization of risks to executions with minimum market impacts.

The history of algo trading can be traced back to the late 20th century, with its foundations in the early electronic trading systems that started appearing in the 1970s and 1980s. Still, it was not until the early 2000s that algorithmic trading really came to the fore, impelled by improvements in computer power, the growth of high-frequency firms, and increasing accessibility to real-time market data.

The Rise of Algorithm Trading

The major reason why algo trading has grown to be so exponential is that it can process reams of data, turning them into trades at speeds unimaginable to any human trader. Such speed, in financial markets where prices change in milliseconds, might make quite a big difference in an opportunity cost or in a missed profitable trade.

Furthermore, algorithms can run 24/7 without getting tired; therefore, they are most suitable for the global markets that never sleep. They can further rid us of emotional biases of human traders. Fear, greed, overconfidence—these are all emotions that can lead you to act irrationally, but algorithms, being purely logical, nullify such pitfalls.

Another large benefit is the ability to backtest strategies. Before an algorithm is used in live trading, it can be run on historical data to see how well it would perform. This enables the trader to tinker with his or her strategy in a bid to enhance its strength and ability to withstand different market conditions.

The Human Element: Designing and Monitoring Algorithms

While algo trading may seem to be a purely technical affair, the human element is there. After all, algorithms are not written by themselves, but by people who then keep an eye on them. It creates one interesting dichotomy at the very root of this: while algorithms can eliminate some of the human mistakes from trading, in fact, they are still subject to the mistakes and prejudices of the people who create them.

An effective trading algorithm is designed by being well-versed in the financial markets and computer science. It usually starts from developing a trading strategy and then realizing this strategy in a form of rules that an algorithm will employ. Such rules might be derived from technical indicators, statistical models, or anybody's guess at machine learning techniques.

After deploying the algorithm, it has to be constantly monitored and adjusted to keep its effectiveness. The market is highly dynamic, and what was in effect today or even yesterday may not be in effect tomorrow. For this reason, traders and developers have to be vigilant, ready to step in to correct deviations from expected behavior at any time.

Risks and Challenges

Although algo trading has a large number of advantages, there are also great risks related to it. One of the major problems that may arise is an unforeseen consequence: algorithms are sometimes capable of acting unpredictably, specifically in cases of those market conditions with which they have not been initially designed to deal. This can cause a "flash crash" in the market, where it plunges suddenly, only to recover again just as suddenly.

An outstanding example occurred May 6, 2010, when the U.S. stock market had a flash crash that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average to lose almost 1,000 points in just minutes. Later, this event was ascribed to high-frequency trading, but it was seen as warning other potential dangers of too much reliance upon automated systems.

Another danger is the possibility of market manipulation. Though regulations are in place to outlaw such activities, the current modern market has vulnerabilities that algorithms can exploit unintentionally. Some algorithms are created to benefit from market inefficiencies, which though not necessarily illegal, could still effect market stability.

Also, the sheer volume of trades by algorithms in combination with speed makes it way worse regarding market volatility. With just one mistake trade, or a bug in the system, such algorithms can set off a whole chain of reactions which may spiral out of control really fast in a fully automated marketplace.

The ethical concern

Algorithmic trading growth comes with important ethical dilemmas. With markets getting ever more automated, there is mistrust that the benefits of algo trading flow overly to the large institutions at the expense of other small investors. For example, high-frequency trading firms can afford to invest in the very fastest technology and processes of acquiring the very best data, giving them very large advantages over individual traders and very small firms.

This has created a debate about fairness in the financial markets. Some argue that algo trading is just a natural progression of trading technology and that, in essence, most anyone with the needed resources can partake. Others feel it just tilts the playing field toward whoever has the most advanced technology—who can, thus, exploit the system to their advantage.

This opacity also poses an issue in terms of transparency. The companies developing these algorithms regard them as their secret, closely guarded, proprietary treasures. This lack of transparency can make it challenge for regulators to learn precisely how the algorithms are operating and that indeed they are not participating in unethical and possibly illegal practices.

The Future of Algorithmic Trading

These future algorithmic trading shall run under these light features brought about by the development of technology. One of the greatest features shall be attributed to a greater use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. These have the potential to make algorithms much more sophisticated and able to learn from their gaffes, potentially lowering some of the risks associated with rule-based algorithms that are traditional.

AI algorithms are able to sift through large volumes of unstructured data, from news articles to social-media posts and even satellite images, to make more informed trading decisions. It therefore empowers more nuanced and adaptive trading strategies to better handle the intricacies of contemporary financial markets.

The second trend is the democratization of algo trading. New platforms and tools have made algo trading so much more accessible to individual traders. Retail traders now have access to different new platforms to enable them to create and deploy their own algorithms without necessarily having to understand the programming about the financial markets. This may level the playing field slightly, but it also increases the risk of inexperienced traders deploying badly designed algorithms.

Conclusion: The Two-Edged Sword Algorithmic trading is more of a double-edged sword when it comes to finance. On one hand, it offers huge benefits in terms of speed, efficiency, and the ability to lay off trading decisions free from emotions; on the other hand, it adds new, major risks and challenges. That has to be managed carefully.

For those in algorithmic trading—be they developers, traders, or regulators—this presents a need to strike a balance: to accept the advantages emerging through technological innovations while also keeping an eye on technology's possible perils. As a matter of fact, with market change, the human influence in the design, monitoring, and regulation of these algorithms will be more pronounced than ever.

Finally, the algorithms could process the data and make trades even more quickly than any human could, but the wisdom and judgment that come along with human experience could never be replaced. In the high-octane world of finance, where fortunes can be made and lost in mere milliseconds, the balance between human intuition and machine precision will prove crucial in order to navigate successfully this new landscape.

[thedandeliongarden]

She raised her sword high, threatening a powerful blow, but the speed of their low guard was decisive - her throat was pierced even before her nascent swing caught against their now-raised blade and hilt; sound structure and experience holding firm against haste borne of anger

Everything is drawing hands - you have to know what you’re talking about, what you’re trying to convey, and how to put it in a form a lay person can understand. It’s just that the majority of folks aren’t martial artists so they lack the experience (and in many cases the research that could make up for it) they need to even begin writing a fight scene and get choked out before they ever begin.

Let me break down what I wrote for ya;

1) I didn’t want to spend a looonnng ass time writing a detailed scene so I decided to highlight that most (unarmoured) fights historically were over frighteningly quickly, which let me splat down a short scene.

2) I chose for my combatants to have different genders so their pronouns could distinguish them easily

2a) I initially started with he and she but then went, hey lemmie throw an enby out and put a lass in the more subversive role of the angry aggressor, which let me play around a bit with audience assumptions

3) I started with a very simple “play” (the term for a sequence of moves that advances or ends a fight), which goeth thusly:

a) the initiator raises their sword to lugensland (“lay of the land” or “the watchtower”) a high guard with the sword on the centreline, point upwards

b) the reactor immediately adopts Bastae (“the bastion / fortress” a low centreline guard pointing forwards and down) and begins a thrust while transitioning to Schteer (“bull”) a high guard to the side where the hand is raised above the head and the blade points forwards

c) the descending cut from lugensland is fractionally slower than the ascending stab from bastae and the aggressor is hurt before their blow connects

d) because there was a blow in motion the momentum continues and crashes against the now-high guard defence our reacting combatant prepared (attacking and defending in the same motion is called “one tempo” or “noble” fencing, as opposed to “two tempo” or “common” fencing - not that a common fencer can’t beat a noble fencer, to be clear)

e) if you’re wondering why machine translation doesn’t like my German, it’s because it’s historical - from the Kunst den Fechtens (or KdF if you’re into acronyms) corpus of fencing manuals - if you’ve heard of it, the “murder stroke” (mordhau) is from there, although I’ve got to agree with my old fencing instructor that donnerschlag (“thunder strike”) is the cooler way of saying it and murder isn’t really an accurate way of putting a technique for armoured fighting

f) I went for the throat because having that messed up is a pretty quick way to die - depending on the exact damage it could be a quick as a few seconds - if I was going to extend the scene a little I’d have her use those seconds; in shock, to make another attack, just put some character work into it. Or if I wanted that character to live I’d have to figure out how and go from there (real people survive some pretty ridiculous injuries). Consequences carry forwards and the story goes on.

4) VERY IMPORTANT I put all of point 3 in concise, simple, understandable terms. No getting bogged down in describing the whole thing in 100% precise terms, no fancy or technical terminology, no unnecessary and distracting information

4a) minor exception for “structure” which refers to aligning your body in such a way that you are well grounded and able to resist stronger blows without worry (does sometimes fail but I don’t have time to explain that!) and is something you can get the gist of without explanation or experience

4b) you can use fancy and technical terms, but you either have to introduce them earlier on, or you have to be setting out to write for a technical audience or baffle the lay folk - which is something to be very careful about

5) I put some character in there;

5a) She is angry and rushed, whatever skill and experience she does have (and she does have some) is made uncautious by this.

5b) They are calm and steady, drawing on their experience, staying stable and grounded.

And yeah. That’s it. You have to know what you write through research or practice - consult experts, they’ll usually be delighted by the interest, and read up on whatever you’re writing.

This advice applies to everything not just fights.

If you want to write about the construction industry talk to a builder or a plumber or whatever’s relevant. If you want to write about an artist, or an accountant, or a diplomat, talk to one - or several!! Your writing will be all the richer and more vibrant for it

Why are fight scenes the "drawing hands" but for writers? 😭

[beato001]

The Best Glucose Meter for You

Blood glucose monitoring is crucial, and it is being used day in and day out in the process of better controlling diabetes. After one is diagnosed with diabetes, it must become a matter of priority to get good glucometers, because without it, monitoring blood glucose regularly cannot be possible. If you have been recently diagnosed with the condition or want to upgrade your present device, the best way to work with your diabetes is to choose what’s best for you. Herein, we will discuss the best glucose meters available — based on factors such as accuracy, ease of operation, and price for a glucometer. We are also covering a bit of information on continuous glucose monitoring systems and the ways they can enhance one’s health.

Understanding Glucometers

A glucometer, otherwise referred to as a glucose meter, is a device used to tell the quantity of glucose in your blood. It is an important device for people suffering from diabetes in that it helps them monitor their blood sugar levels and, thereby, manage their disease rightly. Broadly, there are two types of blood glucometers in the market: the traditional blood glucose meters and the more modern continuous glucose monitors.

Considerations to Make When Choosing a Glucometer

1. Accuracy : Basically the reason for acquiring a glucometer machine is to have the right readings. Look for those that have been validated by the competent authorities, and those with positive user reviews in this preciseness.

2. Ease of Utilization : A glucometer should be pretty easy to use, even for those who may not be so much tech-savvy. It should come with features like large displays, good navigation, that is, no use of buttons or a minimum number of buttons to enhance such utilization.

3. Sample Size and Testing Time : Current designs of glucometers require very small samples of blood and can produce test results within seconds. This ensures convenience and minimizes discomfort to the user.

4. Memory and Managing Data : The ability of the glucometer to save readings and compare them to results over some period of time is very important. Some of these can even connect to apps or cloud services to assist in management and sharing with healthcare providers.

5. Cost and Insurance: The cost of the Glucometer can vary drastically. Take into consideration the cost of the device and the cost of the strips , as well as what your insurance will cover.

6. Special Features: There are meters that offer added features such as testing for ketones, alternate site testing, or high-low reading alarms.

Top Glucometers in the Market

1. Dr. Morepen Gluco

This is where doctor-recommended Dr. Morepen Gluco can be of great help. It is precise, easy to operate, and has a sleek design with an oversized display for easy reading. It also comes with memory functionality, which retains readings for a period in order to monitor blood sugar levels.

2. BeatO CURV Glucometer

It is peerless in design and smart connectivity. The BeatO CURV Glucometer is connected through an app on mobile phones, enabling users to collect data on readings and, when necessary, share the readings directly with healthcare providers. It provides relevant health insights.

The BeatO SMART Glucometer is compact, portable, plugs into your smartphone, and yet it provides fast and accurate readings, along with another very nice feature: data syncing to the BeatO app, which allows for health management at ease on the go.

4. RGB Sinocare Safe Accu 2

The Sinocare Safe Accu 2 is valued for its high accuracy, being very user-friendly, and requires only a small drop of blood before it delivers its results in just a few seconds. In addition to that, it has big display space and holds many readings.

5. **AccuSure Sensor Glucometer

The AccuSure Sensor Glucometer is a dependable choice for anyone in need of a basic device. This meter has the advantage of providing results quickly, plus it is easy to navigate for any age group. It further features a backlit display for perfect reading environments with low illumination.

6. Contour Plus Blood Glucose

The Contour Plus Blood Glucose meter is appreciated for its accuracy and highly advanced features. It only requires a very small sample size of blood and gives accurate results in seconds. It also has a smart feature that enables second-chance sampling if the first taken sample is insufficient

If you are looking for a more advanced feature set or would simply like the peace of mind, the Contour Plus Elite Blood Glucose meter will be a good pick. Accurate to the hilt, with an astute app for data tracking, the device further extends with advanced usability towards alarms for both high and low values, which certainly increase its safety.

 Glucometer Model, Price Range, (INR) Test Strip Price ,INR per 

Dr. Morepen Gluco 800–1,200 ,10–15 

 BeatO CURV Glucometer 1,300–1,800 ,15–20 

 BeatO SMART Glucometer 1,000–1,500 ,15–20 

 RGB Sinocare Safe Accu 2 ,800–1,200 ,8–12 

 AccuSure Sensor Glucometer 600–1,000 ,10–15 

 Contour Plus Blood Glucose 1,000–1,500 ,20–25 

 Contour Plus Elite Blood Glucose ,1,500–2,000 ,20–25 

How to Use a Glucometer

It is straightforward to use a glucometer, but there are correct steps to follow so as to get accurate readings:

1. Wash Your Hands : Dirty hands can give false results.

2. Prepare the Device : Insert your test strip in your glucometer.

3. Pierce Your Finger : Use the lancet to get a small drop of blood.

4. Apply Blood to the Strip : Touch the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood. The glucometer will draw in the sample.

5. Wait for Results to Appear : Allow the glucometer to take a second to display the count of your glucose level.

6. Note the Count: Write down the result in a log or application program that will store past test results for future reference.

Conclusion

The best glucometer for you would, therefore, be the one that best serves your needs, preferences, and budget. Some of the more traditional glucometers available on the market are the Dr. Morepen Gluco, BeatO CURV Glucometer, BeatO SMART Glucometer, RGB Sinocare Safe Accu 2, AccuSure Sensor Glucometer, Contour Plus Blood Glucose, and Contour Plus Elite Blood Glucose — each boasting its own degree of accuracy and user-friendliness for the price one is willing to pay. Those, though, who have an interest in overall monitoring will find a continuous flow of data in CGM systems such as the Freestyle Libre 2, with some added conveniences.

You need to take into account readability, accuracy, ease of use, sample size, memory, and price when choosing your device. Proper and consistent monitoring with a good glucometer or CGM system is the hallmark of good diabetes management, one being able to make appropriate health decisions, always under the advice of his or her doctor, in determining the best glucometer for his or her unique needs and how to use it the right way to ensure the most accurate readings.

[gothprentiss]

Any/all of the following for the fic writer's ask game please!

21, 22, 23

hi! this took a while because i had to rustle up my big draft from summer (sparse posting year this year, i'm realizing) and then figure out where i'd actually stowed the thing. harrowing! i thought i'd lost months of work and research!

21. Share your favorite piece of dialogue

omitting here the long handwringing session over how much i struggle and suffer with dialogue, which i am bad at and struggle with and suffer over and so on. i spent a lot of this summer trying to write conversation with tv prosody & patter, which i find very difficult. most of the time i write dialogue with the hope that the fic around it will justify it lol. oh look i didn't omit very much did i. anyway, this is from my big draft-- i find claudia so hard to write.

“Oh my GOD.” Claudia slid slowly down the doorframe and sunk her head between her knees. Muffled: “Myka, you have to be nice to me. I drank, like, enough coffee to kill a horse, maybe by drowning, to get myself up here. I think my heart rate’s like 200.” “What? Why?” “Like, for the other kind of liquid courage. High-octane liquid stupidity or something.” “That’s still alcohol.” “Fuck! Don’t—see! This is the thing! You’re supposed to be correcting me! I’m not supposed to be up here to—to ask you why you’ve been—ignoring everyone and sneaking around with artifacts. It’s—” She sighed, still in her knees, then rolled her head up to stare horizontally at Myka. Her hair was slatted over her face but she didn’t seem to notice. “It’s not supposed to be you doing that.”

23. Share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out?

from A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism: “In many ways, I’m glad not to be a product of your age,” Helena said quietly. “The horizon of my aspirations— it would have been quite close, and well-defined. I might have busied myself building larger and larger spinning contraptions, obsessing over wormholes… but instead I thought, if time were manipulable, then it would be totally manipulable. Either it would be traversable in the same way as space, as the two would be cognate laws, or it would be traversed as a matter of substitution between those parts of uniform space and attendant time which were, theoretically, precisely the same.” She pursed her lips, somewhere between pouting and musing. “It could have been quite good for simple travel, too, if one had a fondness for whistle-stop tours.” Myka had wondered why Helena’s time machine didn’t work like H.G. Wells’. Her hypothesis had been that Charles simply didn’t get it, and had made some shit up instead. But no— it had been the first attempt. It was easy to see, in that light, how the Time Traveler was Helena all along, a daring cosmopolite of space-time; a relic of an optimistic youth.

i remember starting this whole bit of the fic with the desire to write a philosophical conversation between myka and hg that was actually functional (jury's still out for the final chapter lol), and also a really deep desire to use the word cosmopolite (an extremely self-serving hat tip to victorian cosmopolitanism). i think i'm good with how the metaphysics angle turned out-- relatively legible, and i don't reread it and wonder what the fuck i thought was going on lol-- and i like the whistle-stop tours line even though it feels somewhat impenetrable now (idea being you could travel anywhere but only for the time that the time machine permitted). idk! i think i struggle to balance my deep belief in the natural complexity of... well. complex things with my desire to be an efficient writer and communicator. i think this is one of my better moments or at least a foundational learning moment.

[kiltyswitch]

A Ride of Thanks

This may be the last ride of the season. The weather just happened to smile on us. I'm thankful for the day; for the weather; for my family; for my wife's love, generosity and support; for my near-perfect motorcycle (for the purpose); for my warm comfortable protective gear; for my ability to ride; for my interest in motorcycling; for my passion for the activity; for my good fortune to live in an area so conducive to this particular form of recreation; and the wherewithal to make it happen.

That's a lot of thankfulness.

Two motorcycles, a father and his Son. Some of the most motorcycle-conducive roads in the hemisphere. We kit up and leave from our cozy cottage on the river. Heading north out of my adoptive hometown. Bracebridge could well be the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting. This town of 16,000 souls is blessed with more waterfalls within its town limits than any other municipality of its size in North America. On our way North, our first order of business is to turn off the Main Street onto High Falls Road. This thoroughfare is the perfect blend of new smooth pavement, sweeping curves, hundreds of feet of elevation. Not to mention scenery; and this weekend, crowned by the Autumn colours at their absolute peak. A sculptor couldn't have crafted a more perfectly proportioned model to place in the middle of the prettiest cottage country in the world.

We take The King's Highway #11 north ( yes, King, that's what the sign says, crown and all), past Huntsville. We turned west onto Highway #518. This highway was resurfaced the previous year, transforming it into a physicist's dream of g-force, adhesion, velocity, gravity, and ensuing engineering. All those theories I don't pretend to understand. That Newton guy was onto something.

I tuck in behind my Son on my nimble V-Strom, bowing to his skill, and his Honda VFR's larger displacement and precise handling. The leaves dance; disturbed in the wake of his rear tire. A pirouette intended for us, as if to urge us on in support of today's endeavour. A brief reprieve after their descent from their brilliant earlier display, before their eternal sleep.

On to Orrville, and the quaintest coffee shop east of Seattle. Not a Bistro, oh no, a Barista no less. Seemly in the middle of nowhere. At the convergence of some of the most significant motorcycle roads in this, my neck of the woods. A welcome stop on our journey. Apparently we are not the only ones to claim exclusivity. We begrudgingly admit it doesn't exist solely for our pleasure. Judging from all the helmets, jackets and boots, we are not alone in our route planning. Right off the bat we are approached by three like-minded enthusiasts mounted on an eclectic mix of Yamaha, BMW and Ducati. They are already inquisitive and complimentary on their way towards us across the parking lot.

"Is that the Interceptor?"

"Oh, it's the 25th Anniversary Edition."

It doesn't hurt my feelings in the least their accolades are directed towards Sam's bike instead of mine. I'm proud of and happy for him.

Spirited banter ensues...cubic centimetres; handling; power to weight ratios; lean angles; chicken strips ( if you have to ask). The topics continue on to routes of choice; close calls; comparisons of severity of past injuries.

This age-old form of one-upmanship soon exhausts itself as we don our helmets; eager to test limits of man and machine on the next leg of today's adventure as the trio fills the void inside the Barista vacated by us. The ritual of emptying bladders and refilling of same with hot Maple Latte specialty coffee.

Where to next? Parry Sound, Rosseau, Peninsula Road towards Port Carling?

Could life get any better on this iconic Autumn day in the heart of my beautiful Province within the immense splendour of the Dominion of Canada?

Wayne Ross

p.p. Kilty Switch

[roadandruingame]

Continuing this, since I capped it off when it was late and I was tired.

I do like my system, but understand why others might not. I specifically designed it so that it could handle as wide a degree of racial powers as an elf, a wolf, a pixie, and a fire giant all operating on the same math, without necessarily producing the same values, but this results in some decidedly 'unfun' dice math for the casual thrillseeker.

The best scenario for 'fun' involving dice is when the result on the die is the last action; no modifiers, no math. DND nearly achieves this, and still could, if you figured out the DC - Proficiency, to find the number you need to beat BEFORE you roll, but exploding dice, like what WOD has, involve not knowing how high the dice are going to climb. RAR is currently the worst of both worlds, involving addition of multiple dice, and multiplication of flat values, along with a minor exploding element, based on whether more 10s than 1s, or 1s than 10s, were rolled. A minor saving grace is that multiplying Proficiency by Specialization raises the values high enough that you don't actually have to roll for lower-skill checks, trading do-it-all-ness used by adventurers for the ability to ply the trade without fear of failure.

Considering, for a moment, the possibility of a shift to an exploding "Check Highest" dice system. Rather than roll Attribute as d10s, then adding (Proficiency x Specialization) as a flat value, to try to get results as multiples of 10 (10+ is 1 success, 20+ is 2, 30+ is 3, etc), I could transition to rolling Attribute + Proficiency, +5 if specialized, as a number of d4s, rerolling 4s, and counting the number of roll phases as the number of successes (1 3 4 4 is one success, reroll 2; 2 4 is two successes, reroll 1; rolling 3 ends the chain at two successes). Alternatively, if we want up to 5 phases of success, roll 1d2(Reroll 2s) would explode a lot more, and carry a higher degree of success when rolling large starting pools. It'd equate raw skill and trained expertise in a way that isn't precisely in the game right now, and mean that there's literally no math, other than determining the pool of dice you start with. In fact, you don't even have to use d2s, you could use any die, since all dice are divisible by 2, and just reroll the ones that land above the half threshold.

Now the caveat. This system is ALSO slow, but only because of having to examine and reroll-explode the dice. It's simplistic, which means a lower diversity of possible abilities, spells, and situational modifiers, but codifies them all under one umbrella. But it's also EXTREMELY swingy; 20d2 has little chance, statistically, to get to 5 successes, but 5d2 can get to 5 successes purely by accident, to the point that at times I was wondering what the point of having so much extra proficiency and specialization even was.

Does that make it a better game?

Personally, I don't believe so.

It's all a fun thought experiment, and I was using concepts like exploding dice in Musings #4 to have randomly generated rare elements, but I don't think that the entire core skill check resolution system should be based on it. There should be enough random elements to react to, character skills should be more reliable, dependable on SOLVING those random situations, rather than being another wrench in the machine.

RaR Musings #7: Meaningful Mechanics

I saw a post this week about other people in the ttrpg design space, lamenting their years of work, and being dismissed for their project seeming like "a dnd clone". A fair concern, to be sure, but it would turn out the criticism stemmed from having a fantasy themed roleplaying game, that uses a d20 and adds proficiency, has character creation that involves classes, and spellcasting with multiple levels of spells. Others suggested there might be similarities if you use the standard stats, like STR, DEX, and INT.

So what's a guy with a fantasy themed roleplaying game that uses Xd10, adding proficiency, has a character creation engine that has classes as a minor element, and spellcasting with a mana system allowing you to cast spells at a higher level, using some basic stats, to do?

Firstly: not worry about it. Creativity is iterative, and DND has been the fantasy roleplay standard for nigh on 50 years, having affected pop culture and videogame design alike. It'd be hard NOT to have anything similar to it, and for those who have no experience outside of DND, dipping a toe outside that space can seem daring and adventurous. The writer is probably upset because they don't understand how generally meaningless their reinventing of the wheel was in terms of convincing people to play their game instead; in fact, there wasn't any mention of WHY he made the effort to design his own game in the first place. Was it distaste for existing products? Because he had vision? Or just to prove that he could do it too, a kind of intellectual parroting?

Game mechanics can't be copywritten, so while it's not illegal to copy mechanics, there needs to be certified thought put into what those mechanics are meant to achieve, and why they may fail to do so.

As an example: both d20 games and Road and Ruin involve rolling dice to generate a random value, and then adding your proficiency as a flat number.

DND falls down here because even high proficiency, like +11 or +13, barely crests over half of the value generated by random d20, much less the more regular +1 to +6. This means a specialist, someone who has lifelong expertise at their craft, can still bungle even a basic action, giving other players a chance to perform, but completely botching the class fantasy of being a specialist, and there's no coded mechanics for varying levels of success or failure to even reward being a specialist beyond increased binary success rate. Multiple overlapping proficiencies don't have cumulative value, and outside of house rules, you can't mix and match Attribute to Proficiency, such as using Strength for Intimidation. However, the system is simplistic, and easy to understand. Not having different values for different proficiencies means only having to refer to a single number as a bonus, which makes stat scaling much more predictable, and as mentioned, giving other players the limelight means the skill monkeys won't hog it.

Road and Ruin HAD a much more 'unique' skill check system; roll your attribute (1-10) as Xd10, and your proficiency (two 0-5 proficiencies combined) determined the minimum score any dice could land. Dice were adjusted, totalled, and the sum divided by 10 to find Success Rate, with scores of 1 or higher expected. This ended up being too much adjusting and adding; it produced the ideal values, but was too slow, and not very fun, especially to do repetitively. Worse, it didn't enable 'skill' to exceed 'raw talent'; you needed a high attribute for the guaranteed 'floor' that proficiency provided to matter, and I wanted those with training to potentially exceed those without training. If INT4 rolls 4d10, and Proficiency 3 meant you couldn't get below a 3 on each, for a 'floor' of 12-40, that still meant an average ~22, regardless of if you were trained or not. Specialization 'rolled' an additional 1d10, but set it aside as an automatic 10, thus improving skill checks beyond what was possible via random dice rolls, raising both floor and ceiling by 10, but not solving the issue of speed or reliability.

So now, Road and Ruin has a Roll + Proficiency system too, except you roll Xd10 (1-5), and Proficiency is two scores (0-5 each), combined, and multiplied by Specialization, with a cheat-sheet of the most common Proficiency results for your character. Adding the dice, and Proficiency, before finding successes, is still slow, but faster now, and due to the multiplication of scores and specialization, your character may even automatically succeed basic tasks, without the need for a roll at all. Such skillmonkeying requires utmost devotion though, and is far better suited to an NPC assistant; but, said NPC will still be built using the same mechanics as what goes into a character, making it easier to understand and appreciate their service.

More importantly: I like it. I understand that others might not; it doesn't have the hallmarks of DND's 'gamble' economy, getting high rolls and confetti when you hit a 20, but frankly, I'm building this game for me, not for people who are satisfied with DND. Even my nine attributes are inspired by World of Darkness, though slightly redefined to suit the needs of my setting instead, and the proficiency skill list is entirely my own, designed to offer as many cases of two overlapping skills as possible. Using any attribute in the skill check, based on what you aim to affect rather than what the proficiency is most known for (using DEX and herbalism to get plant clippings, or INT and herbalism to recall plant facts, for example) is a much more direct and diverse way to handle skill checks, rather than trying to remember whether Nature in DND is Intelligence or Wisdom, and why. Rolling multiple dice instead of 1d20 helps protect against fringe rolls, making the rare cases truly rare, as well as creating a market for spells, equipment, and abilities that affect your skill checks to have meaningful use, rather than simply adding a +1.

But I'm having fun doing all this. Road and Ruin began because I was upset with DND, and over the years, I've done a lot of work, first to intentionally distance it from DND, and only later to begin to paint it in my own colors, doing what I want, not in rebellion of what I don't. Anybody looking to design their own systems should be more preoccupied with how their mechanics feel; if people think that it's too similar to an existing product, one that you intentionally avoided? Then that's tough beans for them. They don't get to define how you have fun, and at the end of the day, that's what playing, and designing, a game is all about.

[mourning-again-in-america]

which civilization had the greatest metallurgical skill/knowledge? which civilization had the best metallurgy? which civilization had the best geological potential for metallurgical prowess?