#these questions synergize REALLY well together

[revvethasmythh]

7 and 21 for the day ask game!

7. if they had to choose one person most important to them, who would that be?

Warden: For better (and worse!), it's Alistair. Worryingly enmeshed individuals, if we're being honest. But then again, losing your entire life and being thrown into a world-ending scenario with exactly one other co-worker would rarely prompt a normal, healthy relationship, would it?

Hawke: Bethany. Only remaining family member, Bethany is truly a load-bearing pillar of Hawke's mental stability.

Inquisitor: Honestly? Her mom. I like to imagine sometimes when she's out on a mission, she and Harding just sit around camp writing letters to their moms together

21. what is their biggest regret?

Warden: Still, to this day, not being able to talk Tamlen out of investigating the ancient ruin with the eluvian. Regardless of the fact that she knows she couldn't have changed it, and if she had the Blight might not have ended, I think she'll never forgive herself for not being able to save her best friend.

Hawke: Helping Anders collect ingredients that he would later use as a bomb. Now let's pause real quick to discuss why, because it truly has very little to do with the political reality of what he was doing, and has 1000% more to do with what he did to Hawke personally. And by that I mean, my Hawke was very in her lane. Her only goals in life were to have a nice place to live and enough money to live well and hopefully be able to take care of whatever family she had left. When Anders did what he did, it quite literally blew up Hawke's entire life. She was clinging to her hinges for all of act 3 trying to have an actual life, and in one fell swoop it was completely gone. She worked for nearly a decade to make Kirkwall her home and now the city is in physical shambles, Anders directly put Bethany's life at risk thereby effectively forcing Hawke to personally intervene, and subsequently she became the Chantry's #1 Most Wanted all because Anders asked for a personal favor. I don't think she thinks about what Anders did in a political way, or even really thinks about if Bethany is going to have a better life in the future because of Anders' actions than she would have otherwise (she probably will, actually!). I think she sees it as "Kirkwall being my home was the last thing I had, and Anders ripped it all part. And I helped him do it." And in that, there is a lot of regret

Inquisitor: Wait, i have a funny story about this one. The answer is "Adamant Fortress." Just literally, the entirety of Adamant. But the story here is that I did actually know in advance that I was going to have to choose Alistair or Hawke, okay? Based on my world state, I knew that would happen. I thought about it for a long time and made my decision in advance. So before going, I talked to Alistair and unlocked that "Contact the Hero of Fereldan" war table mission, right? That war table mission takes 18 goddamn real world hours to complete. I did it late at night, shut off my game and was like it's fine I'll get the results from the mission and then go do the quest tomorrow.

Well, turns out 18 hours is actually a VERY long time and I am impatient as hell, so when I opened up the game the next day and it still wasn't complete I said fuck it and did Adamant anyway. I left Alistair in the Fade (for a variety of reasons I honestly thought about for far too long). The SECOND I got back to Skyhold, the war table mission finally completed. IMAGINE my face when I opened up that letter and read the words, "Please take care of [Alistair]. Like me, he was instrumental in ending the last Blight. I trust his compassion and his strength above any other's, and I would not go though such effort to overcome our Callings only to lose him to your Inquisition" immediately after leaving his ass in the Fade. It was such upsetting timing that I could NOT stop laughing about it.

I think that letter haunts my Inquisitor more than anything else. I think it gives her chronic insomnia and she just reads it again and again in the dead of night torturing herself over that decision. She's such a bleeding heart of a character, I just know it'll weigh so heavily on her for rest of her life.

ask me about my canon DA world state!

[ficretus]

That one Jaune concept art really did bring back the whole "Oscar shouldn't even exist" hate train, huh. Oscar has one of the most bizarre hatedoms I've seen.

Been having some thoughts about Jaune being Ozma's incarnation and how would that theoretically impact the plot.

First of all, would Jaune becoming an Ozma's vessel make sense narratively? While there aren't any hints in early volumes of story going there, it does flow together relatively well.

You have Jaune, someone who is almost completely incompetent, enrolling to the one of the most prestigious Huntsmen academies. And if Cardin can figure out Jaune was a fraud, then surely all powerful Oz can as well. Jaune becoming Ozma's vessel would answer the question of why does Ozpin tolerate Jaune despite knowing the truth about him, he is grooming him to become his next vessel.

Jaune post Volume 3 also had the mindset to accept that role. After Pyrrha's death he considered himself to be worthless compared to people around him. He would accept what's essentially Faustian bargain with Ozma to sacrifice his mind and soul for greater good.

It also synergizes well with Jaune's primary literary allusion of being Joan of Arc. Joan started hearing Voices after experiencing a tragedy of her village being sacked. So you'd have a direct parallel to Jaune getting a voice in his head in the aftermath of losing his school and partner.

That's all fine, but would it "fix" the narrative as some people suggest? I'd say no. Most common arguments for it I've seen besides people just hating on Oscar is that it would reduce main cast bloat (or in some cases specifically male cast bloat) and it would give Jaune more to do.

Yeah, it would fix the cast bloat, but in very superficial way. You are removing one of the main characters, but at the end of the day all of his plot points would still have to remain. Oscar is not a filler character, he is not dealing with some random side plots that are inconsequential to the main story. As Ozma's vessel he is dealing with members of his faction, Hazel and Salem herself. Pretty much all of this would have to remain in the story but be given to different character.

And who would that character be? Jaune in this case as Ozma's vessel since all of these plot lines are Oz specific. He has to be the one dealing with his faction members since he is the one who personally knows them. He has to be the one dealing with Hazel since Hazel's motivation for becoming evil was Ozpin's neglect of his sister. He has to be the one dealing with Salem considering that's his ex wife and nemesis. And that's on top of Jaune specific plot lines like dealing with Cinder since that doesn't just magically disappear. You are not fixing bloat of any kind since by removing Oscar, you are ballooning Jaune's narrative role to ridiculous degree (which also makes the point about reducing the male cast moot). And Jaune's narrative role doesn't really need an upgrade considering he is already one of the main characters.

Imagine Atlas arc with Jaune as Ozma's vessel: He would be dealing with Ironwood, Hazel, Cinder, Salem at bare minimum. RWBY? never heard of it, you are watching J&O show.

Overall, it's an interesting idea, but I don't think it would work well in canon story which is probably why it was scrapped by the writers (if it was even an idea in the first place).

[xeansicemane]

We're a week on from Lightfall, and here are my thoughts so far (some spoilers)

:readmore:

First off, the gameplay. No notes, strand feels wonderfully kinetic and it synergizes with extant exotics wonderfully. As a warlock Necrotic Grips feel great in PvE and balanced in PvP. The new weapons are fun and varied, I was never a stasis type before now but Verglass Curve has me wanting to get a stasis build together.

And, speaking of builds, gosh having a native build system is great.

I'm not 100% on board with flattening the build system quite this much - armor energy was dumb and needed to go but I do miss being able to choose between orbs of power and elemental wells. Minor complaint there.

The artifact system is a lot more user friendly now, and champion management feels a lot better.

Story:

I can totally understand the problem people had with the story. We got a lot of "the Traveler is gone" for an orb that was certifiably still in orbit. And Ghost only started talking about losing his connection after the plot ended, so frankly the ending felt pretty confused to me. I loved the characters and the plot beats everyone got, just the pacing felt hurried and confused, and it felt like a few things didn't get explained.

The post-campaign story was an improvement. The Veil was this huge important Mcguffin but you only start learning what it is during one of the exotic quests, which is frankly a little annoying. A little information on what it was while we were running around would've gone a long way.

I do like that questions are getting answered, but I would've rather those answers come earlier.

The lore books are, as always, a treat; the tidbit about how some people in the Ark "select a gender and avatar" on the fly and frequently kinda made me feel seen. And Nimbus is of course a welcome addition, I know I can't and shouldn't look to AAA studios for my rep but seeing a big name like Bungie proudly put a nonbinary person front and center for this expansion did feel really nice.

Nezarec's introduction is kinda fun. I love his cackling villain energy.

[flarebean]

heroes that everyone thinks have sone kind of epic history together cos they work together so good but really they both just are great at working with others and have solid skills of their own. that's how they became heroes and leaders, by working together with everyone they met so good they multiplied the strength they brought to bear in battles all the time. now with someone actively doing the same to them as well, they go forth to defeat a big bad in like, a week since meeting, and then exchange calling cards. the rest of the narrative follows them as they part ways and go home, wondering if they should reach out to that one warrior who put in effort to synergize with them. would it be weird? they don't really know them, all their time was spent gearing up for the Big Fight, and, well, fighting through underlings, and the big fight itself. scarily efficient coworkers. should they visit, maybe? after they've made sure all is well at home? would it be weird? maybe they could bring some fruit from the orchards, a fine piece from the forge..? but what if they're allergic? but what if they don't use that weapon? all questions they didn't think to ask and get answers for at the time.

[bejiayi]

━━ next gen season 2  ◞ interview session.· ( wc : 623 )

as she's directed into a room for her interview by a staff member, jiayi wonders what kind of questions they're going to ask her. she's watched televised survival show programs like these before but recognizes that not everything that the contestants say gets aired. sometimes, things are even aired out of context to create drama.

jiayi can only hope that she doesn't cause a scene.

how do you feel after your performance? do you have any reservations? was there anything that felt particularly difficult?

"pretty good!" it doesn't take long for jiayi to answer this question as the adrenaline from her performance is still coursing through her veins. "i practiced long and hard to show the judges something i'm proud of. i know there were some reservations about me during my initial audition since i didn't sing and dance at the same time, yuna was right to say i have a weak voice," she chuckles, reflecting on her initial feedback. "i know where my strengths lie; i'm not the best vocalist or rapper out there but i'm confident in my ability to dance and be on stage. when i was performing goeun's song, i wanted to showcase the thing i'm most confident in, focusing on how well i'm able to captivate the audience with just my presence alone. i think that's something goeun herself does extraordinarily well, and i wanted to pay homage to one of the many singers i admire."

"i think i'm rambling a bit though, i've gotten off track," she laughs, shaking her head. there were things she wanted to say to the judges about their criticisms of her, hoping to clear the air. "i've worked hard under the guidance of our mentors and coaches. korean isn't my first language, so i sometimes struggled with the pronunciation. i'm confident that my vocal skills will grow as time goes on, especially with the continued help of the coaches."

you say you're confident in your dancing abilities, how would you rank yourself amongst the others who consider themselves dancers?

"i don't know what the response would be if i said i would rank myself number one in that category," jiayi chuckles, a sly grin crossing her face. "but it would also look bad on me if i said i was an amazing dancer but not the best one. of course everyone here is talented in their own ways, we each have a different skillset, but i have to rank myself number one until proven otherwise."

speaking of skillsets, how do you feel about the judges calling your special talent a bit scary?

jiayi lets out a big laugh at the interviewers question, grin only growing wider with time. "i think they were right to call it scary, the way i presented my flexibility was definitely shocking. i apologize for any damage i caused, but i wanted to leave an impression, something they wouldn't forget."

are there any contestants that you'd like to give a shout-out to?

"meeting jingren was one of the best things that could have happened. there were times when we were able to translate for each other. i was shocked to see seira here, i haven't seen her since back in our idol days. we were never really that close, but i always wanted to get to know her and i'm happy to be able to have the opportunity to be able to re-connect. oh! there's also jueun who i met while practicing the dance for do better. i just had to approach her during class and i think our vibes really synergize together. i can't wait to perform with her on stage, but i have a feeling things might get a little intense between the two of us."

[yellowedbytheblue]

Idly Confession; How it Begin.

I know it’s been difficult for you, and it makes me sad that you don’t see yourself the way I do. I wrote this casually (I treated this a my journal but it's about you). You might or might not curious about how my eyes saw you at first; but here, let me show you the approx. 3 years untold thought.

I still remember our very first met (is it? I kinda get mixed up), is it Peace Walk? When we randomly dragged by a random guy who asked us to be captured for their campaign? Yes, you caught my eyes from the start. You, through my lens, was a very smiley tall person - and obviously, very friendly. You greeted me with your huge HUGE smile and I remember how you grip my hands, kekencengan bang.. But, I'm sorry guess 1 hour later I forgot your name...

The second was Social Canteen? The Welcoming Party one when the attire was white? You intended to greet Ariska only, if I'm not mistaken. But we happened to meet again - and you remember me! ME, TOO, AS WELL, remember you but as a person, not your name. Hence, for the second time, kita kenalan lagi lol I'm so sorry? We happened to ate on the same table and idk I started to observe you from that. Lucu banget, kamu lucu from the start, Acil.

Third one, SYC; the iconic one. To be very honest, from what I remember, I didn't notice your existence at all (I'm deeply sorry about this) until the last day of SYC and that's pretty questionable and concerning on how I didn't aware with my surroundings. Well, a lesson learned. Right before our name called, I told Ariska "anjir jelek banget tu gombalannya gw merinding,, siapa orang tidak beruntung itu" TAUNYA GW dan elu. And at that point, I totally remembered you - "oh, ini kan the one from peace walk that I like.. dia ikut SYC juga? since when?" my head went blank; full of "lah sejak kapan dia join SYC" hence I couldn't function properly at that time - if you remember. But thank you, for asking me to took a photo together. You don't know how delighted actually I am.

Time flew, we grew as acquaintance. I was still having a big curiosity on you, and was hoping someday we have a chance to talk.

And,

Heard a great news from you, I was very happy for you, genuinely. Therefore, I put the curiosity aside, I put the adoration towards you aside, I put all the inappropriate feelings I felt that time aside.

I forgot the details when we talk in TD Clinic, or the synergize we had in our manager time (I erase all of the memories happened in my Khansa's victim era), so, allow me to let this slide.

April, 2023. And you didn't change a bit. You are still you, the smiling friendly sunshine talkative humble tall person I met on Peace Walk. I said this before but let me say this for the 3rd time; thank you for carrying the conversation. I didn't have any single idea crossed in my head that we will go out for the second time, or even for the 9357928347 time. Nothing crossed in my head as well that we will gonna exchange 'hi' and converse literally everyday. Things went in an unexpected way and I'm grateful that I finally have a chance to get to know you. Although, the fact, you're more than your facade, you're more than 'the smiling friendly sunshine talkative humble tall person I met on Peace Walk' - and it piques my interest.

I.. don't know since when I realize that I still left my likings and adoration towards you, I totally have no idea, really. I thought it's all completely over. I know, this is cruel, but it's inevitable. I know I shouldn't feeling like this at the first place but I am, feeling like this. I blame myself tons of times but it didn't get any better as well. It grows, and still growing up until this second.

Remember that I told you several times; terima kasih untuk ruang berpendapatnya. I really meant it. It suffocates me whenever I miss you but I couldn't tell you. It suffocates me when I have a lot of loves but I couldn't express it to you.

Thank you, for everything that unexpectedly happened. I'm sorry, for the selfishness that exist within me. And I sincerely ask for your apology, for everything that probably messed up because of me.

Thank you for being a person and letting me to feel these kind of emotions; the joy, the excited feeling, the happiness, the sadness, the pain. I appreciate and I cherish them all, as much as I cherish you. So, I hope you won't put the excessive worries on me.

Reciting from a song called My Favourite Clothes; I fear the day might come that I will see you with her. As much as it hurts me in the feels, I hope she holds your hand. I pray to God that you live happily, appreciate yourself.

Well, you're the greatest I could ask for. I don't think I could ever find someone like you though and it kills me. I truly wished you could see how precious you are and how capable you are. I wish you can see yourself through my lens.

[heroicgartist]

Fallout tv show ramblings, please don't make me frustrated Fallout on Amazon Prime :((((

The fallout tv show IMO can be seen as actual fallout for better or worse in the regards of the main focus in the story being like a specific Fallout playthrough. I see myself personally getting into characters and stories that are not really part of the main story? ^O^" Mainly because I see Fallout as an semi-episodic storyline kind of franchise. And I always love getting introduced to unique blorbos that have their own thing to do that strays from the path of the main story. The bane is that you can't endlessly spam dialogue or take photographs with those side characters/npcs :((((((((((((((((

I'm most afraid of how the show will try to pace its story especially if it's not planned for multiple seasons to see if it succeeds or not. And since the show would be 10x more expensive than a cheaper practical effects production like Super Sentai/Kamen Rider or even modern Ultraman. Then I fear of the story being cramp and too linear to fit a budget again.

Because I WANTTT Fallout to achieve that fun sense of episodic adventure somewhat that the games would bring if you take your doing quests.

Unless if the adventure really is that thrilling chapter by chapter and all three of the main characters synergize together; like I hope there is good amount of screentime for all three characters.

Misc character fear btw: I can DEFINITELY SEE Cooper Howard getting sidelined because he's technically an "antagonist" in the main story and that having Walton Goggins in ghoul makeup sounds "too expensive" for Amazon. Also a tired trope of potential sacrifice to redeem himself from the person that he becomes That’d be so MEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. That'd be the worst moment in the show that I would cry for in frustration and sadness. Sadness because the scene will be done really well, but also frustration because that feels like the safe boring route to take for a ghoul character that has so much as being morally questionable. Do not pull that lame trope.

I'm overall really HOPING the show doesn't make me wish it was just an expansion DLC for FO4 or FO76 instead. It better show me a story that doesn't have obvious shortcomings of being a modern paced high production tv show and instead make me hype wondering how the characters will get through their journey separated and then potentially together from each other.

[tumblezwei]

Actually no, you get the reasoning whether you want it or not

Ruby with Shaggy/Scooby: mascot/main characters. It would be really funny seeing Shaggy and Scooby leap into her arms right before a wacky chase sequence

Weiss with Daphne: Daphne does her regular damsel in distress antics but Weiss, being combat trained and always anxious, helps her dodge every single attempt.

Blake with Fred: When Ruby is gone Blake is the defacto leader. I think she'd be super into rigging weird traps and catching ghosts.

Yang with Velma: lesbian solidarity. Yang is good at asking questions and piecing shit together, I think she's synergize really well with Velma during her investigation.

Playing an old Scooby Doo game and Scooby pronounces "Scooby Snacks" as "Rooby Snacks" which made me thing that he would probably get along with your girl Ruby.

God this ask just reminded me that we're never gonna get that Scooby RWBY Doo crossover movie I wanted. Damn.

But yeah the ideal "split up and look for clues" pairings would be Ruby/Shaggy/Scooby, Weiss/Daphne, Blake/Fred, Yang/Velma

I do not take constructive criticism

[swaps55]

Mass Effect 3 Adept Guide

Other Guides: Guide to Basic Infiltrating | Shield Gate and YOU | Sentinel Guide

When playing on higher difficulties like Insanity, understanding how to effectively build Shepard can dramatically improve your experience, and a well-built Shepard can synergize with any of your squadmates. 

What's awesome about Mass Effect 3 combat is that there isn't a single best way to build Shepard. All the classes can be incredibly fun, and you can play them all a variety of different ways. But because there are a lot of under-the-hood mechanics that the average player doesn't know (including bugged skill trees), knowing how to spec Shepard to do what you want to do isn't always obvious. And now that ME:LE has added in most of the DLC/multiplayer weapons, there are a lot of guns out there people aren't familiar with that are incredible assets to various playstyles.

SO, Real Life Romance Option and I put together this build guide for the Adept. If people are interested, we can do the other classes, too, and talk about some of the lesser known guns. Do you have questions about builds or playstyles? Feel free to ask! Between us we have a few thousand hours of playtime in ME3:MP and Single Player. We’ve seen and done it all, and know what works and what doesn’t (literally. Rank 6 Cold Damage of Incinerate literally doesn’t work, unless they fixed it in ME:LE.)

An Adept Shepard is very good at making everything explode. The key is staying as close to 200% cooldown as possible. While you can use any type of gun you want, I’ve made suggestions for SMGs and pistols. If you want suggestions for other weapon types, holler (for example, an Adept with an Indra sniper rifle is adorable and looks really fucking cool). 

You can use biotic teammates to help you set up explosions, but for the damage bonuses to occur, Shepard has to be the one to detonate them. 

THE BUILD

Shepard has 8 skill trees + a Bonus Power. At Rank 60, you can max out 8 skills and have enough points leftover to take the 9th to level 4. For this build, I recommend only taking Cluster Grenades to rank 4, and maxing everything else. 

Prioritize speccing Warp, Throw, and Biotic Mastery before everything else. There isn’t a problem Warp/Throw/BOOM can’t solve, and Biotic Mastery makes all of that better.  Prime your target with Warp, then explode it into oblivion with Double Throw.

Breakdown under the cut! 

Warp: Rank 4 – Detonate. Rank 5 – Expose. Rank 6 – I like Pierce, RLRO likes Recharge Speed. Either works - your preference. Can’t go wrong.

Throw: Rank 4 – Radius (being able to hit something is more important than force, as throw is generally to make something explode). Rank 5 – Detonate. Rank 6 – Double Throw

Shockwave: Rank 4 – Radius on console only. On PC, Force & Damage. Radius tends to be better with Shockwave, but it is bugged on the PC. If you choose radius, Shockwave deals no damage at all. Rank 5 – Detonate. Rank 6 – Recharge Speed is probably better, as Shockwave is a little slow, but Lifting Shockwave also works. Note: On a vanguard, Lifting Shockwave is better, because you can Nova lifted targets and they go BOOM.

Singularity: Rank 4 – Radius. Generally, you don’t leave singularity up long enough for duration to matter. Rank 5 – Recharge speed. The DPS of lift damage is paltry compared to making it explode. Rank 6 – Detonate. You can take Expand if you want to, but. Explosions!

Pull: Rank 4 – Radius, because I like to maximize my shot at hitting something, but Duration works if you find you’re struggling to detonate something before the duration wears off. Rank 5 – Expose, because it stacks with detonate damage! Rank 6 – DOUBLE PULL. Good god, if you don’t take double pull, *what are you doing with your life*.

Cluster Grenades: Take it to Rank 4 only. I like damage over radius, because it doesn’t do a ton of damage otherwise. Cluster grenades just aren’t reliable enough compared to all your other REALLY COOL powers, and you’re dependent on ammo boxes to actually have grenades.

Biotic Mastery: Rank 4 – Influence & Duration. Duration gives you more time to set up combos, which is where your damage comes from, and reputation bonus is really hard to turn down. Rank 5 – Damage & Capacity. Helping your squad is nice and all, but the weight capacity means you can carry 2 guns with 200% cooldown. Rank 6 – Combo Mastery. Your bread and butter is biotic explosions, and this gives you an insane amount of recharge speed for doing that. HOWEVER, Power Mastery is also really good, so you can’t go wrong.

Fitness: Rank 4 – Durability. Rank 5 – Barrier Recharge. Rank 6 – Fitness Expert. You’re an Adept. You’re not hitting anything except to look cool in screen shots. Take all the health and shield bonuses to stay safe.

Bonus Power: Flare is a really fun power, but also *very* slow. Reave is a great primer for combos, as it paints multiple targets and you have DOUBLE THROW, plus it gives you damage reduction (against organics). 

Honestly, I’d give Warp Ammo a go, because you turn it on and get to forget about it, which means it doesn’t compete with the other amazing powers you have to work with, *and* it works with your power set, because anything affected by biotic powers takes double damage from your gun, in addition to giving you armor weakening (which stacks with Warp) and straight up barrier damage. Also? Warp Ammo fucking melts Banshees.

Warp Ammo: Rank 4 – Damage. Rank 5 – If you A) Get headshots reliably or B) Use a weapon like the Hurricane which is gonna get headshots eventually, go with Headshots. Otherwise, take Ammo Capacity. Both are great. Rank 6 – Both options are really fucking good. I tend to lean Enhanced Warp, but you can’t go wrong.

Reave: Rank 4 – Radius, to paint multiple targets. Rank 5 – If you find yourself being too squishy, get Damage Reduction. If you are not having trouble staying alive, go with Recharge Speed. You do not get damage reduction against geth. Rank 6 – This can go either way. If you take Power Damage in Biotic Mastery, take Barriers & Armor. If you took Combo Mastery, get Damage & Duration.

You can also get a weaker version of Warp Ammo by bringing Liara and speccing for squad Warp Ammo.  

THE LOADOUT

Pistol: The Carnifex is Old Reliable for me, but also try the Talon. It kicks like a mule, does 50% extra damage to shields and barriers, is more accurate in cover (unlike a shotgun), and you get it for free during the Citadel Coup. Mod any of these suggestions with the Extended Barrel and the Piercing mods.

If you find yourself struggling to take down shields, try the Acolyte pistol. It has a bit of a learning curve, but it strips shields like a motherfucker. 

For funsies, try the Executioner Pistol. It’s a sniper rifle in a Pistol body. 

Mod any of these suggestions with the Extended Barrel and the Piercing mods.

SMG: The Hurricane is one of the best weapons in the game, but it has a ton of recoil and limited range. If you find you need a stability dampener to use the Hurricane, try the Hornet instead. It’s a burst weapon (so easier to control recoil), also has incredibly high DPS, and you can also get it free during the Citadel Coup. Until then, just stick with the Tempest.

If you took Piercing Warp or Enhanced Warp Ammo, use the High Caliber Barrel. If you didn’t, use the High Velocity Barrel. Second mod is dealer’s choice between Power Mag or Heat Sink, because SMGs are ammo whores.

You should be able to carry both an SMG and a Pistol and maintain 200% cooldown, once you have leveled up the guns and increased your weight capacity.

HOW TO PLAY: 

The more biotic explosions you can get, the happier you’ll be, especially on Insanity. Use your powers ALL THE TIME. Fire your gun only when your powers are on cooldown. Hit everything big with Warp first. The game will try to yell you not to use Warp on things like Shields. The game is wrong. Use Warp on anything that moves.

On Biotic Explosions: Warp and Singularity are your priming powers (Pull also primes, but only works on health bars), which is why Reave can be a nice bonus power because it gives you an additional primer. Shockwave and Throw are your detonators. Warp can also detonate if Warp is not the primer.

Use Pull or Singularity to get rid of Guardian Shields. You also have piercing on your pistol (RIGHT?), which will go through their shield.

Hit Banshees with Warp, then shoot them until they stop bothering you. Reave also stacks, so if Reave is your damage power, just pepper them with Reave and go about your business.

There you have it! Go forth and go Boom! 

[system-of-a-feather]

For the ask game, 💫😂🤯💌

💫 How do you experience switches (what does it feel/look like for you)?

It varies WIDELY between parts. Generally speaking, our system is very predominantly in possessive switches where a lot of the time one part is out and then "taps out" to another. The fluidity of these vary greatly between which parts are switching out and can look decently different but largely for parts that are "well connected" and more integrated - given its not a negative trigger - we often very much "tap out" where usually one part either asks another that is near the front to swap out or using positive triggers to help ground another part out. For the really well connected / synergized parts like XIV and I, we can pretty frequently and relatively easily co-front for extended periods of time where we are both simultaneously out and have frequently done things like playing chess against each other and other activities with our fiance. For less connected parts, there tends to be a decent more haze between it, and less of a "tap out" and more of a "loading" and "swapping out between files". For any negative triggered switches - save for specific ones - it can be a pretty sudden swap around of this sense.

For specific alters - often those sharing a subsystem, its mostly non-possessive and its really annoying within my subsystem as we have a long standing meme / issue with parts assuming they are Riku TM (my specific subsystem part nickname) and or another part in the subsystem and taking a minute to figure that out. Usually it looks like a mood swing afaik but most of the time we don't notice it until whatever part switched out was there for a hot minute and either they do something so "out of character" for it to be me or our fiance points it out that they realize they are actually them.

Usually though our parts have rather clear switches where its alter A or B or A and B.

😂 Favourite system story?

(TW; fusion talk, cannibalism jokes, alter death jokes for this question)

We have a lot, but I think one of the most hilarious ones is that at some point while navigating my subsystem as we realized it was a Thing TM, we found that at some point I had actually introjected our main gatekeeper - Ray - which peeved the shit out of him cause there was "another him running around with his face but being like a dollar store rip off that was fucking stupid" - and that guy only appeared like three times and then just never was heard from again. We coined him "Rayku" cause Ray-Riku and all. But anyways the subsystem and system was like "lol where did he go. I mean not complaining cause he was a problem child TM and we don't currently need him but brain where tf did he go" for like a year or two

We made a lot of half memes and conspiracy theories and then at some point our secondary gatekeeper and "crackhead" little just walked up - cause she speaks full bullshit and barely speaks - and was like "I put him in the meat grinder and fed him to XIV in a burger" and like, half the shit she says has a grain of truth in the chaos - so our system was like UH. What does THAT mean? And THAT lasted for like a few months of a lot of system dynamics and processing going on before XIV went ".... huh you know I think I fused with Rayku at some point without knowing"

And so what we are PRETTY sure is the case is that she just casually slid the two together at some point since they were compatible or something (Rayku was decently a fragment); but like... we've just kept the meme that she killed him and fed him to XIV, cause XIV likes cannibalism jokes anyways and has a bad oral fixation anyways so its believable and no parts read it as a trauma or trigger.

I am going to say here that alter death and killing alters is NOT a thing and we are not claiming that is what happened, just that the child gatekeeper in our head claims it is and we think its a funny, fitting, and harmless meme so we keep it in our "history" records like that.

🤯 Did you have a “oh damn I’m really not faking this” moment?

Probably at some point, but I honestly forgot it since it was a while ago and I have a memory disorder and just living with this has become such a normal for me that I haven't been asked to recall it in a while so, like... just kinda forgot what it was like to actually worry about faking it.

I think somewhere along the lines of sorting out my subsystem I was just like huh. Okay this is too hot bullshit for me to be faking this; or something like that. I'm mainly guessing cause I genuinely do not remember XD

💌 how did you choose your system name?

We all love birds, birds could be described as a "system of feathers", theres a saying "birds of a feather flock together", we all have bird representatives in our system, a bird can't properly bird without all the feathers working together, our system can't function properly without all the feathers working together, we used to believe strongly and now less intently but still like to think that systems of a feather should flock together - ie people struggling with the same disorder should be supportive to one another to the best of ability (we are just apathetic about community spaces at this point).

So like, all together it felt right to call us a System of a Feather; cause its a round about way of saying "Bird", it is highly representative of our system, and it has a double meaning / call back to the "birds of a feather" both in regards to ourselves and fellow systems we talk to.

As much as I have grown rather apathetic to being part of a DID community, I do though still think the best way forward for us and many systems would be to share "notes" with eachother on healing and recovery to help everyone's healing the best. I think there is a lot of efficiency, safety and power in sharing lessons you learned the hard way to others so that even if they can't deeply understand it themselves, having it out there in the world and in their mindspace can possibly help accelerate healing and help people get where they want to be faster. Which that idea is still of the "systems of a feather should flock together" which underlies the main reason I still run this blog even though I otherwise don't care much for the community itself.

I personally think its a very very mild effort and time out of my day to share thoughts, my "notes" while I heal, and have open conversations with people who are either at or behind me in their healing journey, and my small efforts and time could possibly make huge changes for others; so I personally think it is part of my good samaritan duty to share things I think that might be helpful to an audience that thinks what I post is helpful if it really doesn't take much time or effort out of my life and day. Its a small good deed that has the potential to keep people going so, why not.

Systems of a feather, even if the DID community at large has its problems, should flock together because ya know, when waterfowl migrate, a large reason they do so together is because flying in another's windpath saves TONS of energy for everyone involved. There is little harm in making a small detour to make everyone have an easier time so ya know.

(brief neglect mention tw)

Anyways me being a fucking shounen anime protagonist aside with my monologues, the url and system name just pretty much ties down to the "birds of a feather" saying and the fact that we identify as a bird - not in an otherkin or non-human manner (well not most of us, some yes) but just in the cultural manner since we unironically identify as being raised by cockatiels more than our actual parents.

[legionofpotatoes]

I love your art, it is very detailed in a neat way. Was wondering how you got started making it as a source of income? How did you get your first paid work, I'd love some advice on how to get started, if that's ok

Thank you. Of course it's okay, although I doubt I have enough work experience in art to really delve into this. I only went full freelance this year, and had been juggling art as a side hobby until then. If you're still interested in my somewhat narrow perspective, and are okay with my long-winded rambles, I'll give it a shot:

So to answer your question fully, I'll describe how I started and move into personal advice and learnings later on. As a disclaimer, I am a white cishet dude in my late twenties with a moderate cocktail of mental illnesses, but overall I can pass for a functioning adult so a lot I have to say may come laced with privilege I cannot fully identify.

So uhh I began drawing in around 2012? I think? Maybe halfway through 2011? And I mostly made fanart for things I enjoyed and tried to branch out in communities that felt nourishing to my style and interests (I caught a bug for alt posters and enjoyed mainstream movies so I spent a long time on posterspy early on). There were a handful of opportunities that came from there but I could only accept a couple because of primary workplace commitments. Still, it showed that networking in a focused community was definitely a good place to start; I myself have huge trouble committing to social networks and really staying socially active, but I knew it was an essential ingredient in succeeding so I tried to make myself be involved in challenges and art support trains etc. as much as I could.

In parallel to all that I also ran a few third party online stores (redbubble, teepublic) for disposable income and would sometimes, if rarely, hit around $100-150 a month from those sources combined. It is a sort of thing that requires helper accounts on other social media sites to promote it on, because the stores themselves have a huge volume of content that translates into low organic discoverability. Obviously it was never gonna be the way towards financial independence through art, and with community projects being few and far between, I opened private commissions in around uhhh 2017 I think, focusing on offering a few styles I knew I could do well, and sometimes operating in individual fandoms (it was mostly a bioware thing to be frank). But I had to close them back down after a year or so, again because of work-life conflict and how badly it was burning me out. The reason I kept trying to monetize this hobby is because I honestly hated what I did for my main job and wanted to see a way out in some shape or form in the future.

And then in 2020 I had to quit my main job altogether because of *gestures at pandemic* and deal with a mental breakdown from all the wonderful things it did to us and me specifically. I took a short break and decided to give art a shot full-time, and that was around May this year. I was planning on opening up commissions again (and I still am), but a few sudden opportunities that fell in my lap moved that timetable down and now I'm grateful to even be doing something I am getting adequately paid for.

So, with that somewhat limited perspective, here's what I've learned that I'd tell myself if I was just starting out:

1. Being a fan of something can be a shortcut towards effective networking kickoffs. Which are important evidently. If you love something and enjoy making content for it, join communities, settle into a combination of social media websites that feel right for those interests + your body of work + your inner rhythm, and try to play to content discovery as much as your mental health allows you to. Like I said, I know that I myself am incredibly bad at self-motivating to talk to people, so I found that synergizing common interests into fanart - which I enjoyed making anyway - could be a way to give myself a gentle nudge forward and build those bridges leading to community activities, which then net experience and coverage. Sometimes even freelance projects from official avenues. Again; picking the right spaces for what you're after is key. Companies roam twitter, concept art recruiters scour artstation or linkedin etc, instagram can land you private commissions and collab opportunities, so on and so forth. Find your niche and try to kick up dust. However...

2. I do not believe that any social profile can replace a good portfolio. The thing that made an immediate difference to me this year was building a coherent, simple website with my best work front and center and a contact form on top. Every single opportunity I got came from that form (maybe via twitter or instagram initially, but always sealing the decision after going through the website), so I firmly believe that showcasing your skills and portfolio in a visually arresting and user-friendly way is a big priority. I had some reservations about tackling that task but fortunately I had help from a savvy life partner and we slapped it together via wordpress in less than a day. Twitter/whatever social media is prevalent in your target groups is definitely important to get the right eyes on your shit, yes, but those eyes will then look for a second stop where your work and rates are more clear and concise. Simplicity is key imo, I cannot overstate this. So make a cute, simple portfolio!

3. Your skills and rates will grow and change as you do. Let them. Over the years I built several lasting professional relationships from my obsession over mass effect and kept getting opportunities both from bioware and their partner companies, some small and some a bit bigger. A one-off job earlier this year opened an unexpected door to another much larger commitment, and then the work I did there brought some attention from small businesses looking for commercial commissions. These were all incredibly different projects in terms of scope and budget, and I've been tackling them all on a case-by-case basis and slowly coming into my own irt my needs, rates, and SOW thresholds. It is still a work in progress (and a LOT of literal work as well), and very much a thing I struggle with in publicly marketing, which is why I felt a tad underqualified to answer your question in the first place (obviously I did not let that stop me). But what it means for me now is that I am rapidly developing into whatever my "version" of a functioning freelance artist is, and when the conditions for that guy are met, I need to be able to confidently plant myself and operate from that space despite past precedents. Do not let anyone bully you into downpricing what you yourself perceive as legitimate products of personal growth and development. Speaking of which...

4. The shitty challenge of turning envy into inspiration, and paddling outside your comfort zones in full riot gear. it is hard, but realizing that being a miserable, self-hating artist in my early days got me nothing but more misery back was the first real step I took and what truly blew the hinges off. I was just not pleasant to be around, I would badmouth my work all the time, and it all somehow made sense in my broken mind because the validation I sought was purely external and the way I sought it was through eliciting sympathy via self-victimization (even when I made something objectively nice). It all led fucking nowhere. Except perhaps to my own narcissism that I one day managed to identify and start managing. So I started looking at things that made me seethe with envy and calmly deconstruct and figure out their inner workings instead, do studies, and find nuggets of inspiration or discover new ways to approach rendering or building up specific elements. It was an application of analytical diligence to what I wanted to be a purely emotional, esoteric workflow, but that I deep down knew wasn't. Art is a discipline and a skill, and maybe it isn't a straight line, but you gotta find some line to thread nevertheless. Being self-hating was almost an identity I had to break out of, and despite it still being like, 4-5% there? I realize its cause and effect on me, my work, and those around me, so it is with a conscious choice that I gently set it aside when I work and especially when I learn. It won't always stay quiet, but the effort is the difference. Your doors towards accepting true growth and venturing into uncharted territories, art styles, and networking will really open from there. But there's a huge caveat...

5. Toolsets, accessibility, privilege, and all the good things that enable artistic expression and profitability are not given equal to all. you might do all the mental work I mentioned to be ready to rock and roll and learn and draw your way out of anything, but digital art is a fucking money pit that asks almost too much at times. I don't got a good case study here but identifying and ensuring accessibility to the tools you need to do your best work is, like, super important. The ergonomics can improve as you make money and settle into the job, but the basics have to be made available to you. And some of that might not even be under your direct control. That can be anything from pen tablets to software subscriptions to opportunities in hiring sullied by sexism or what have you. You gotta navigate all that through careful networking and money/time management. I don't do a good job of devoting specific slices of time to work/study, and my primary clutch is iPad software which went from a good deal to a nightmare scenario over the years. So all I can say here is do what I didn't; network, invest in a PC/tablet, and pick a software you'll learn that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

6. Be nice to work with? This one is hard to articulate and has landed my own ass in hot water in my early years because of how socially inept I am, but nothing is more worthwhile than being.. like. a good person to work with. That can be anything like meeting deadlines, or sometimes missing them but eloquently articulating why, being generous in early stages, being communicable and not too wordy in your emails, having a good grasp on abstract artistic concepts and how to describe them in simple terms, having a clear, laid out framework of your working rates in commercial and non-commercial projects and sticking to those guns with grace, understanding when you need to say no and saying it well, the works. Just being nice. Sometimes that might mean going headstrong with something you believe in, or simmering down and sucking up to the big man, all relative and adaptive. Part and parcel of the service provision dance that we all have to do in order to make bank. Know your lines here, obviously, and don't like. work for nazis. or uh.. *shudders* exposure. but be nice and empathetic and communicable and word will travel eventually. Skill may be in abundance these days, but good people are most certainly not, and capitalism has a way of bubbling up scarcity. Grim, but uh, them's the breaks.

I know I'm ultimately telling you to like. Have a body of work, make a portfolio, grow, and network. But that's really how I see it for now. And being nice can be a cherry on top that sets you apart, along with the inherent irreplaceable voice of your artwork. I think I rambled on enough, but if there is something specific you need my help with, even if you want to come off anon and talk in private, please feel free.

[quinntamsin]

"Can you explain your whining about the Forerunners?" a marine asked. "Seriously, Simmons, that's what you wanna know?" she replied. Her redhair pulled back into a series of tight braids. "Yeah, you seem to go on and on about it." "Have you- oh by Freyja," she sighed, "All of the bullshit of he last twenty years is related to Forerunner tech, a literal Forerunner, or Forerunner obsessed cultists." Aurora giggled in her ear. "Take your pick!"

Let's jump intoEpisode 8 "Allegiance" AKA John-117 fucked!

Yeah he fuuuuucked. Seriously, before watching the episode this was ALL I saw on various sites talking about the story.

The cold open is heavily focused on the shared sensations both Chief and Makee appear to be having because of their shared vision. The two are apparently connected on a level that is beyond normal humans. A shared sense of consciousness definitely sounds a lot like the <a href="

https://www.halopedia.org/Domain

">Domain</a>. You know, a quantum subreality where the Forerunners dumped a lot of their knowledge. A section of dimensional experience that was pretty much the home of the great gestalt of the precursors.

For you laygeeks, the Domain is fucking hyperdimensional group mind that humans can barely tap into it.

We watch Makee and John walking in a garden while listening to Halsey and Adun giving a narrative. Cortana is too cute, and can we get her away from the evil blonde? Oi, I hate Halsey so much. Like I get she's the post-human genius, but fuck that lady.

Ah, the wonderful mix of a memory montage as the two "Blessed Ones" (god, I really hate the Chosen One aspect of dropping every human having the gene). It's weird watching Jacob and Parangosky wax and wane over the bullshit they pulled with the Spartan-IIs. There's something strange, about the two talking with flowers in the background.

Makee is definitely not pulling punches to appear remotely unquestionable dog startling her makes a lot of sense honestly, and then suddenly we jump back to Section Three command. We see what it's like to have an entire planet glassed. Literally burned so everything becomes molten silicate. Yup, Chief has officially drunk the koolaid cuz she and him are "SPECIAL". Seriously, dude, this guy is kind of foolish as fuuuck without his pellet.

I find it "HILARIOUS" no one noticed that the Covenant showed up when someone fucked with a Forerunner artifact. It's almost like they can TRACK IT. The Silver Team appears to be getting shit together and well Kai is taking bets. You know, what I like Kai (this is going into the fucking fic). And Mirand is sitting over te garbled message sent by Makee to High Charity. In pops Jacob, wo appears to just be checking on his kid. They are amused with how strange Makee's message is. I wonder if this is because Makee being human perhaps lacks certain experiences with the language. OR she's speaking a dialect specific to the Prophets?

We'll figure it out.

Whatever, she's saying she's reciting it as a prayer. I wonder if she's torn, as I watch Chief once again comes to visit her. Is she breaking her allegiance to the Great Journey? And now we get an intimate scene which I don't have any investment in. HOwever, Cortana watching is a bit weird, but I can sense she's actually looking out for Chief. Blondie is very likely definitely questioning her place as we get a pretty gorry little scene of her pulling out the covenant claw modification. Whith sees her ripping out the tip of her literal finger. YAY BODY HORROR! (I adore bodyhorror this adds well to the idea of post-humanity in the series).

Cortana gives the laydown of said fucking to Halsey and walks about how he two are synergized. There's a pause, and I believe Halsey can sense Cortana's wavering loyalty to her.  Halsey reveals her true monstrosity in hw she's willing to basically fuck everyone oer for her own goals. Yeah, talk about Hannibal level fuck the world mindset. Jacob seems deeply disturbed, but unsurprised by her audacity.

Hehe, Halsey decides to talk to Makee directly. Hopefully, this girl will see straight through Halsey's bullshit. Lol she talks about the greater good, and this bitch literally starts to manipulate someone just for her own sake. Yup, she gets her shit called on her. Cortana, is, yeah, she can just use the rest of SIlver Team and yup. Shit is going down.

And Cortana betrays Halsey FUCKING FINALLY. Kai is waking up, and holy shit are we gonna get her and Miranda in an action scene? Yes, our girl is on it! The Spartan fight scene is pretty awesome. And, the fucking idiots just reinforced Makee's genocidal hatred of humanity. Way to go Halsey, you stupid shortsighted bint. If only she decided to do some fucking research she might have figured out Makee was a bloody plant.

Hottakes:

Halsey is really - narrowminded - and pretty foolish for a genius. She’s so caught up in her grand plan she didn’t correlate to the Covenant having a plant.

The John sex scene was uh okay?

MORE KAI ACTION!

[crystalelemental]

The final Anniversary unit is upon us, and Raihan and Flygon are here to do weather things until you die.  Truth be told, I do think weather is super significant, especially with the upcoming Moltres, but is Raihan actually worth pulling beyond his single obvious matchup?

General Overview The short answer is "kinda, yeah."  I gave the guy a hard time on datamine, but I'm coming around.

His main gimmick is Sandstorm, where he gets some pretty nice effects.  All stats are boosted 30% in any weather, speeds up the move gauge under any kind of weather, and gives a stack of special and physical moves up next to all allies when a status move is used.  His grid also offers a ton of good stuff, including extending the duration of Sandstorm, something critical in any non-Moltres fight to keep those multipliers running.  If the foe is under a status change, he can lower special defense by one stat rank as well, which is fantastic synergy with Fire Spin to deal consistent debuffs to a foe.  He gets Aggravation 2 on Twister for flinch.  And he's a Dynamax Pokemon, so he can set sun with Fire Spin, lower all foes' attack by 1, or block all damage for one ally once.  He even gets a node on the grid to give yet another stack of special moves up next to all allies when he uses his Max move.  And on top of all that, his trainer move gives a use of Supereffective Up Next to the entire team.  He's got a lot of great tools going on!

And then the problems roll in.  First and foremost, Dragon sync nuker, it's not a great time.  We have tons of Dragons, no one is happy about this.  His move damage per turn is also low, although passive damage can be nice, and he's more about disruption than pure power.  But the big issue is grid.  He has great options, but can't take everything he wants.  If you want him dealing any kind of damage, Sharp Entry is needed, since his trainer move doesn't cap it for him. That's a lot of energy to part with.  Any Sandstorm build has trouble making it to Mind Boggler, so his debuff often doesn't apply in Sandstorm.  Raihan has great tools, but can't access all of them reliably.  In fact, his grid is so weird that I legitimately think his best play is Sun.

Sandstorm gets duration extension, which is fantastic, sure.  But it does little else from "be sandstorm," and you're left to cobble together whatever works with it.  Sun feels custom-tailored to be fantastic support, giving an extra stack of special moves up next and easy access to Mind Boggler to debuff foes' special defense.  This is fantastic with SS Red and Leon, who love everything about what he's doing right now.  Hell, with Leon, you even have a nice status combo for Uxie, getting trap on Fire Spin and burn on Inferno.  He just doesn't synergize as well with Sandstorm abusers.  Maybe Zinniquaza, but Zinniquaza only works with Ingo and Lucas for damage, and even that team's questionable.  Which, on that note, Ingo.  Ingo is just better at Sandstorm.  He's a spectacular buffer with Potion support, who also debuffs accuracy of the foes, and offers tons of benefits to those who need it.  Raihan trades in really good support for some damage and wonky effects, and it’s questionable how good a trade is.  I think Ingo’s overall much better for support, but Raihan’s got a pretty odd mix of potential effects that make him really unique and pretty easy to include on a wide variety of teams.

Team 1: Raihan, SS Red/Leon/Serena, Sabrina/Falkner/Kimono Jasmine What I think is his best combo.  Raihan's sun support comes from his Max move and sync move, once each.  He debuffs special defense and grants stacks of Special Moves Up Next to the boys and their ridiculous special offensive presence.  Sabrina and Falkner are the general players who can help buff them up to minimize setup phase.

I think it’s also worth noting, though, that Serena loves working with this guy too.  Just like Blaine, he’s able to apply both Sun and Trap, which is tremendous.  Getting 30% bonus stats while that weather is up, and giving Supereffective Up Next and potentially Special Moves Up Next to her is tremendous.  Honestly, he works with about any Sun-based damage dealer.  Hilda could work great with him and a physical buffer.  He’s in a great spot as a Sun setter.

Team 2: Raihan, Classic Blue, Jasmine Sandstorm focus.  Classic Blue is a great partner to Raihan for Sandstorm, because Classic Blue utilizes both forms of Moves Up Next that Raihan provides, but prefers Hyper Beam.  Jasmine can be the frontline tank supporter, offering defense buffs, negation of stat debuffs and crits for the team, and can heal herself each sync.  Blue's more a move damage kind of guy, so Jasmine can easily take sync for Recuperation.

Though really, he could probably work with any of the Sandstorm options too.  Olivia and Emmet have great sync potential, and Supereffective Up Next is tremendous on a striker’s EX sync.  Classic Blue is just the most interesting option because he benefits from every single part of Raihan’s kit.

Team 3: Raihan, BP Zinnia/Zinniquaza, Hop/Sabrina Two Zinnias, but different approaches.  BP Zinnia has good flinch.  Raihan has good flinch.  Together, they flinch good.  Zinniquaza just likes the Sandstorm and extended weather condition effect.  Both benefit from Hop, you can at least get Zinniquaza's Outrage set rolling.   Alternatively, Sabrina could work to get her the buffs she needs for Draco Meteor, and Raihan can attempt the special defense debuffs.

Team 4: Raihan, [Redacted], NY!Sabrina You know the one.  That one.  That one gets stacks of special and physical moves up next as well.  That one has 550 offenses at 20/20, and a 160-192BP attack.  All Raihan has to do is hit Sandstorm twice and his Max Move on the final action to stack those numbers to the moon and back.  I would love to see the Champion Stadium fight that survives that must Special Moves Up Next effect at once.  And the idea that he gives Supereffective Up Next?  Incredible.

Final Thoughts The more I look at his kit, the more I like him.  The double weather is a cool gimmick, but I think that’s just the tip of the iceberg for him.  Flinch on Twister is a high rate for 1v3 matches, and that’s really helpful in a ton of Gauntlet matches.  Fire Spin is another great disruptive effect for bonus damage.  Being able to apply Special and Physical Moves Up Next is huge, especially as the first unit to be really consistent about it, and getting to do it more than once if desired.  Supereffective Up Next is another great effect he gives, and while not as frequently as Classic Red, sometimes all you need is that one stack for an EX Striker to blast a Champion Stadium match into powder.  Adding in grid effects like the special defense debuffs, the extended Sandstorm; he’s got a really interesting blend of tools that aren’t necessarily synergizing to a clear game plan, but make him valuable on just about any team.  I kinda love it?

And as if that wasn’t enough, I thought for sure his grid needed 3/5.  But frankly, I’ve started to lean into a lot of his supportive tools, and he gets everything 2/5 for that.  Sandstorm MPR, Mind Boggler, Sharp Entry.  It’s pretty great.  You miss out on extended Sandstorm duration and Solar Sync, which is a bit of a problem, but he’s honestly not bad at 2/5 either.  I’m really impressed.

[riplever]

If I lived in Genshin Impact -

Click here to use the questions-only template if you’ll like to answer these yourself! 

General livelihood questions:

1. What philosophy (talent) books resonates with your identity? Freedom, ballad, resistance, diligence, gold, or prosperity?

Freedom! I value having the freedom to live, think, create and express. 

2. What element Vision do you have, and why? Is this the element you want, or an element you ended up with?

I pondered this seriously for many many days and finally decided - since I’m given the option to choose for myself - on Cryo. 

3. What do you use your Vision abilities for? Are you better off with it, or without it?

I’ll really embrace having a Vision on the most superficial level. I’ll get a kick out of using it as much as possible especially for fights. But I’m not keen on worshipping the gods so I’ll be mindful about not getting too attached or sentimental about it. 

4. What is your Constellation? What meaning does it hold for you?

I hate this question because I can’t come up with anything. 

The best I’ve got is a Feather, because I think that describes my perspective on how little we matter in the grand scheme of things, and that because we matter so little we should therefore live our lives to the fullest and happiest that they can be. Be free, form connections, touch people’s lives, live in the ephemeral now. 

I’ll like if the Constellation could just be an abstract shape as well. 

5. What is your day job? Are you ordinary, simple folk (Xiangling, Chongyun); do you want to become a prominent figure in society or government (Diluc, Ningguang, Keqing); or have ambitions that are beyond this material world (Mona, Scaramouche, Albedo)?

I’ll genuinely like to work for the Cat’s Tail. I absolutely loved the experience of Diona’s hangout event. 

I like alcohol and coffee and smokes and chilling and would love to run a transformative F&B that’s cafe in the day and bar in the night. I’m subtle, intuitive, charismatic, a great listener. Not chatty or loud, but clever and witty. I’ll easily create a comfortable space for people. 

For a touch of realism I think I’ll provide some sort of writing or translating related service to the Knights/the Library. Gig, freelance style. This means I’ll be someone with a relatively intimate understanding of politics without being personally involved in the government. Phantom responsibility. The touch of a ghost. 

I am curious about things beyond the material world but I’ll only dabble in it as a sort of esoteric hobby. 

6. Which institute do you think commands greater authority in Mondstadt - the Church, or the Knights?

I always think that militaries have more weight to toss around. Plus the old Mondstadt aristocracy is entwined with it. 

7. With Morax gone, do you prefer to live under the laws of the Liyue Qixing, or under the protection of the Illuminated Adepti?

The best scenario is both groups working together. Liyue Qixing has the advantageous quality of being human. The adepti are relatively out of touch, but it goes without saying that their wisdom and insight from being superpower immortals and said superpowers themselves can protect the city from supernatural threats. 

8. What type of weapon do you use?

My absolute favorite weapon category in the game are swords. They are fast, agile, and versatile. I love their super short Skill cool downs. My favorite 5* in the game is honestly the Aquila Favonia. 

I also love precise shooting with the bow, and I don’t mean that Ganyu big burst PP damage type shooting. I mean shooting weak points in the overworld in general. It’s really easy to control on mobile. Can I say both? If not... It’s gotta be a sword. 

9. What artifacts and/or builds do you seek?

Aesthetically, the Pale Flame set. In terms of mechanics, I adore the 4pc bonus of Blizzard Strayer.

10. Are you a soloist fighter (Diluc, Razor) or a team player that prefers to synergize with others (Xingqiu, Sucrose)?  

I like to operate independently, but team work definitely makes the dream work. I’ll do both, I’ll take commissions independently but also work with a capable team from time to time. 

11. What type of partner(s) would you look for in a team (healers, supports etc.)? What are their elements/weapons? List up to a max. of 3.

I would look for a heavy-duty claymore partner with an unga bunga fight style that I can comfortably flit around. Pyro or Electro would be great. 

12. On the flipside, what type of elements/partners would you specifically avoid? List up to a max. of 3.

I don’t think I’ll avoid anyone. I think I’m pretty easy-going and would definitely attempt to make things work with most anybody. 

I’ll avoid people that transform my physical damage though... 

13. What legendary boss do you want to challenge in order to prove your merit (talent ascension)? Dvalin, Boreas or Childe?

I think either Boreas or Dvalin. Boreas has my respect for not being involved in contemporary politics, and for acting as a protector over his realm. Dvalin is pretty, and also quite similar in that regard. 

I don’t want to fight Azhdaha at all, he’s horrible!

14. If you meet a foreign, travelling alien who wanted to recruit you for their adventuring party, do you join on immediately (4* characters), or do you need them to work for it and prove their trustworthiness in some form or the other? (5* characters)

I’ll be suspicious, but if I can sense the Traveler’s kindness, and that’ll definitely make me come around sooner rather than later. Though a part of me will continue to judge all their actions regardless. I’ll observe them a lot, try and figure out who or what they are, etc. 

About the supernatural and the divine:

15. Do you agree with the general ideals espoused by the patron god of your Vision?  

Love, by which I mean basic kindness and decency, is a good thing to have. Instead of spreading division, I think the better approach is to be generous, take a chance, and make an attempt to reach an understanding. 

However, sometimes communication just doesn’t work out. Maybe it’s beacuse of a difference in intelligence or world views. You know when you’re wasting your time on somebody who doesn’t listen. In those cases, a more direct form of action is best.   

I think the Tsaritsa (probably) has a point, both before and after she was radicalized. I suppose I agree with her in the most general sense. But I don’t get attached to ideologies on principle. I don’t believe they’re ever as important as they’re made out to be. 

16. Do you think that Vision-users are equal to non-Vision users?

No. I won’t treat non-Vision users as lesser, and I serve them as much as I serve the lucky Vision-users, but I’m not blinded to the fact that gods intend Vision-users to be an entirely different breed. 

17. Do you think that the Vision is a reward from the gods for your person or deeds, who keep watch over your entire life, judging and choosing only the worthiest,

I think a Vision is marketed as a boon from the gods. Gods are divine, their power level is on a different scale. It’s not really something you should necessarily challenge, for safety reasons. 

It’s a bit creepy to think of the gods as a Big Brother type that are always watching and judging. 

And what’s worthy? I detest this sort of classification. 

17b. Or do you think that the Vision is a tool of control, for the gods to set you down a pre-ordained path, or to inspire within you loyalty and dependence towards them?

Yes. Having this hot take on Visions while being a Vision-user hurts my pride. 

 18. Do you think that Visions should be revoked, such as for people who have committed grave sins?

This question to all superhero societies. 

Yes. I think that at the very least, Visions belonging to psychopaths who kill innocents should be confiscated so that they won’t be able to cause further harm to others. 

19. What is your perception of the Constellation system? Is it your prophetic destiny, a duty you were born to fulfil, your entire life-path waiting to unfold one step at a time,

Rather than destiny, I like to think that the Constellations spell out the aspects of a person’s identity that they might grow into, over time. This is how I would interpret the in-game mechanics of the Constellations, obviously. 

19b. Or is it a means to keep you in line and controlled, something pre-decided by invisible, superior entities, and something to rebel against?  

If it means I’m being controlled, or that my life’s been fixed, or that I’ve been set on a pre-destined path by the gods, then it’ll seriously rub me the wrong way. 

20. Do you think the gods above love the people, hate the people, or are completely indifferent?

I think Celestia is indifferent to the people but preferred if they stayed within their designated pen and don’t bring trouble to them. 

21. Do you respect the gods? Do you think they are unattainable, inaccessible, and eternally superior (Barbara), or do you think they’re easily within reach, befriend-able, and even killable (Childe, La Signora, Scaramouche)?

If I had the opportunity to get to know them personally - Venti and Zhongli - I wouldn’t have too much of a problem befriending and trusting them. 

But from a distance, I don’t believe that gods are unattainable or inaccessible. I suspect that they impose systems on people to suppress them. I would be interested in agendas that seeks to overthrow this. Whether or not I would become an agent for them is a separate conversation. 

But from an even greater macro perspective, despite their flaws and lack of communication, Celestia’s system allows the people to be free to have peace and to have wars. I think that’s adequate for any one to have a single, fulfilling lifetime on Teyvat. What’s the point in overthrowing this system then? Is the freedom we already enjoy not great enough? 

22. Do you think other gods outside of the Seven Archons deserve worship or respect?

I think each god should be judged for their individual deeds. If they’ve been compassionate towards people, they deserve to be respected. If they’re very powerful, they should be feared. 

23. Do you think gods deemed evil should be imprisoned (Osial) or killed?

If they’re beyond redemption they should be killed. 

24. Do you think patron Archons should have a hands-off (Barbatos) or a hands-on (Morax, Baal) approach?

All nations and governments are different. Whichever works best for their people is the right answer. 

25. What is your tin-foil conspiracy about the workings of the Spiral Abyss? Are the floors descending, or ascending? Is gravity reversed? Is it a time loop?

If the planet of Teyvat is like a cell, the Spiral Abyss is a small little piece of it that got twisted off some time back. It exists as its own entity, next to the original cell. But it doesn’t contain all the DNA or other parts to actually be self-sustainable. Its collapse should be inevitable, and it’ll probably happen without warning at anytime. 

I think the Spiral Abyss is fallout from a big cataclysm (like a divine war, or the crushing of Khaenri’ah). Its existence reminds the survivors of just how screwed up the world can become if they pulled that sort of shit again. 

26. Where is the Abyss located? In Teyvat? Underground? In an alternate dimension? In an alternate time?

It’s like the “shadow image” of Teyvat. Access is technically possible from anywhere, as long as you have the means to open up a portal. It’s a parallel dimension of Teyvat, is my theory. However far, wide, or tall Teyvat is, so is the Abyss. It’s where all the alternate choices play out. 

27. From what you know of Khaenri’ah - their philosophy, their razing by the gods, their cursed people, their modern agenda for vengeance - do you think they are right, or wrong?

I think they are an inevitable result of the circumstance that is unique to Teyvat. The razing of Khaenri’ah was done poorly because they let both eyewitnesses and survivors get away. These diehards have since had the time to muster the strength and re-attempt whatever original agenda Khaenri’ah was on in the first place. I think the gods did not do a thorough job at eradicating them in their first attempt. The consequences of Khaenri’ah’s vengeance this time round will be karmic. 

[radiantresplendence]

The Barbarossa Class - Fire Emblem Three Houses

For our second topic, we’ll be discussing the most overpowered class in the game, a class that is only available to the leader of the Golden Deer, Claude von Riegan. Because only Claude can become a Barbarossa, this will break down Claude as a unit in tandem with the class in question. 

Claude automatically qualifies for Barbarossa in the middle of part two in Golden Deer. The class specializes in bows, flying and authority, but you need no minimum rank to class into it. This gives Claude extra freedom in instruction throughout all of part one to pick up powerful skills like Death Blow and Movement +1 without making qualifying for Master Classes later in the game difficult. You even have freedom to slack off on authority as Claude automatically gains the most powerful battalion in the game, the Immortal Corps at the start of part two. 

Analysis

Upon gaining access to the class, Claude is guaranteed bases of 18 strength, 20 speed and 14 dexterity. These are high bases and I believe they’re applied even if your Claude is level 1. You can potentially cheese part two with this trick (but using the inferior form of the class, Wyvern Master, would be more beneficial.) When you put Claude in the class, he gains a class bonus of 3 strength and 5 dexterity and an 2 speed while mounted. These are great class boosts and they guarantee that even a level 1, untouched Claude has 21 strength, 22 speed and 19 dexterity. 

The class is a flier and has 8 move while mounted and 6 while dismounted. This is the best movement type and stat available in the game, tied with the Falcon Knight and Wyvern Lord. In a lot of ways, Barbarossa functions as a better Wyvern Lord that Claude gets for free, while other units would have to train a significant amount of time and reach level 30 to qualify to the closest comparable class. 

Needless to say, the class is extremely strong- strong enough to make me recommend giving Claude both sets of boots available in the game to push him over the edge into the most powerful unit in the game. 

The Class Skills that the class grants are the excellent Bowfaire and Canto and the pretty good Charm. 

Bowfaire is excellent, arguably the best of the faire skills and Claude is arguably the best bow-user in the game, getting Monster Blast and Encloser by leveling up his bow rank. The class additionally gives a bow Combat Art for mastering the class. The synergy is considerable. 

Canto is always good and is better the higher a unit’s movement is. The ability to use up your remaining movement after taking an action is extremely strong and does wonders for positioning. 

Charm has high synergy with Canto and bows, allowing Claude to reposition himself adjacent to an ally to grant them both bonus damage as well as a linked attack bonus. With Hilda or Byleth, this boost can be pretty significant due to their special linked attack bonus. 

The class lacks a Mastery Skill, but grants the class-exclusive Combat Art Wind God instead. Wind God is basically a better Deadeye, granting a huge attack range and a bonus to hit and damage; the boost to damage is slightly less than Deadeye’s, but not significantly so however the attack takes less durability, making it a batter Combat Art overall. 

There really isn’t a bow class competitive with Barbarossa. Bow Knight can maybe put out more damage safely on lower difficulties, but it has less utility and Sniper can put out more damage with Hunter’s Volley at the cost of a ton of mobility and range. 

Barbarossa’s growths closely resemble Wyvern’s Lord’s, but without the magic demerit and with a boost to charm. Needless to say, they’re really good. 15% boost to strength and 10% boost to speed is nothing to scoff at, as 15% is the highest possible class boost to strength growth. 

Claude as a Barbarossa

As I mentioned before, training Claude in axes and riding can get him excellent abilities to ramp up his offensive power. If you give him both the shoes from Ashe’s Paralogue in part one and the DLC shoes, you can get him to 11 movement. With a March Ring and Movement +1, this can get up to 13. When you combine that with the threat range of Wind God, Claude becomes capable of easily sniping enemies from the other side of the map. This isn’t even taking into account the fact that his Personal Skill is upgraded to give him Pass at the start of part two. This gives Claude unparalleled range. 

The build I would recommend is Bow Prowess, Bowfaire, Bow Crit +10, Death Blow and Movement +1. If you’re having problems hitting an enemy with Wind God, an Accuracy Ring or Hit +20 can be utilized. This is a pretty standard build, but hell if it isn’t effective. 

Claude also has Failnaught and its exclusive Combat Art, Fallen Star in a pinch. This synergizes with Bowfaire and gives Claude free evasion for the next attack against him. Being a Hero’s Relic, it hits extremely hard.

Barbarossa can’t cast, and although Claude’s spell list is okay, it’s nothing that you’ll be missing out on so long as you’re running more dedicated casters. The big spell of note is Silence at A rank faith, which is a bit of an investment for someone with a 25% growth in magic. 

Having lord growths like his peers, Byleth, Edelgard, Dimitri and Yuri, Claude’s stats usually wind up looking impressive in part two. 65% Strength, 60% Dexterity and 65% speed is nothing to scoff at when in Barbarossa. This ensures that Claude can dominate no matter what difficulty you’re playing on. 

Claude naturally excels with Byleth and Hilda, especially should his partners be classed as fliers. The three of them, especially male Byleth due to Hilda’s Advocate skill, work quite well together. Throwing Yuri and Balthus in the mix can also be beneficial due to their synergy with Advocate and Byleth and Hilda respectively. 

Conclusion

These first two classes have been pretty Golden Deer heavy, which makes sense due to their shared bow proficiency. Regardless, Claude as a Barbarossa, despite being a little basic, is arguably the strongest unit in the game, boasting high stats, powerful Combat Arts, extreme mobility and high skill synergy. 18 squares of attack range on a lord with passive Pass is ludicrous, especially with Canto, and it’s honestly too good to pass up if you’re playing optimally. 

Here’s a link to the master post if you want to look at my thoughts on other classes. 

[princeescaluswords]

The thing about "Scott is a Good Friend" tag I hate is it never actually includes canon reasons for why Scott is a good friend. Instead, Scott is flattened to a barely recognizable character who exists purely to uplift Stiles and serve Derek faithfully. He never talks back or questions

Here is what being a good friend means for 75% of the stories with the “Scott is a Good Friend” tag. (Not all of them, of course, but enough that you can’t rely on the tag to find stories that talk about Scott’s and Stiles’s actual friendship.)

1.  Scott remains a beta.  Somehow, it seems, Scott becoming an alpha hurt his friendship with Stiles.  I’m being disingenuous; I know exactly why they connect his status to the trope.  Fanon Stiles’s point of view must prevail: Argents are bad, killing your enemies is good, Peter’s and Derek’s crimes are minimal, Stiles must call the shots in any relationship.  As long as Scott is a beta, he’s a follower – and the person he follows is either Stiles or Derek or sometimes even Peter.   A good friend, apparently, does as he is told.

2. Scott becomes part of Derek’s pack after recognizing that Derek only meant well.   Everything that Derek did – manipulation, lies, brutality – was done with good intentions.  Good intentions for whom, the stories seldom say.  At first, I had trouble wondering why this makes Scott a good friend, until I realized that most of these writers believe that the only reason Derek and Stiles didn’t get together was because they imagined that Stiles would be forced to choose between two alphas.

What’s funny with this is that the main argument is that Derek’s age and experience makes him the proper choice to be leader, even though his age and inexperience is also used to forgive his mistakes.   Interestingly and tellingly, Scott is seldom shown to have the same mentor relationship with Deaton as he does in the show.  It’s just not important for Scott to be a good friend to have his own path.

3. Scott pushes Stiles to date Derek and/or Peter.   Yeah, I know.  How pushing Stiles to date an unrepentant serial killer or an older straight man with huge issues concerning age of consent makes him a good friend, I can’t see.  It also frequently synergizes with 1. and 2., because Stiles must always date the alpha.

4. Scott keeps icky girls where they belong.  No matter who he’s dating, Scott never ever prioritizes Allison’s or Kira’s needs over literally anything.  Their relationships are never more complex than snuggling in the corner when the author wants to show they are present but not in the forefront.  Frequently, Scott makes sure that Stiles knows he’s far more important than anyone else, always.

5. Scott has no strong opinions or makes any significant decisions.  Scott instead serves as a rubber-stamp for most of Stiles’s decisions.  He certainly doesn’t demonstrate any leadership capabilities.  Even when Stiles wants to kill someone, Scott makes a couple of  simple-minded objections and then fades into the background.  

Essentially, the “Scott is a Good Friend” tag most often becomes what they really wanted from the show – a friendship that is essentially more one-sided than what we got.  Scott exists to serve Stiles’ needs, and Scott has no other really important role other than that.   Because it’s an answer to the question – why did you think Scott was a bad friend in the show?  Because Scott’s story had more priority in Seasons 1 and 2.  Stiles’ focus was on helping Scott, and even though he had his own wants and needs that were addressed, they weren’t the focus.  They forget that Scott’s story priority was because he had the most to lose: his freedom, his humanity, his life.   But that doesn’t matter when there’s a cute white boy in the picture.