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karinadele · 24 days ago

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Bolero

Ch3 + 4. Optimus x Reader

I've somehow managed to pump all of this out... be it badly lmao... post is long, read on ao3 if you want better formatting.

I dont usually cut my posts, but this is so long!!

These two chapters wrap up the story.

Prev (AO3)

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Ch3

Warnings: angst

It was a joke. Not only did you not get paid for alien health care, but you totaled your truck too. But telling Optimus to get you a new truck was supposed to be light banter to ease the tension in the moment. Now there’s a goddamn transforming semi hunting down a new vehicle for you. Hunting? Buying? Probably stealing? How exactly does a truck buy a truck??

It’s been weeks and you keep telling him that you weren’t serious. You didn’t really expect him to get you a new truck or anything, after all, you made the choice to total it. Yet for some reason, he’s stupidly insistent on it. Every few days he pops in unannounced with a semi lugged behind him. –And always one in a flashy color. You twitch your eye and kick your younger self for that god awful Itasha forever haunting you now.

Optimus was thrilled to be able to give you a gift. A casualty of war, but nevertheless. It is something you asked for, and who is he to deny his love? If you wanted a truck, you shall have it. If you wanted the world, he’ll give you Cybertron. If you wanted his spark, he’ll servo deliver it to you. Just thinking about that made him remember how close you were to his spark chamber when he first met you. Originally laced with anxiety and restlessness, now completely erased with obsession and infatuation.

This is the 5th truck you declined, and he wonders what exactly he’s doing wrong. He made sure to get the same model, or if anything, an upgrade. He’s even tried bringing you the exact same model as him. A Western Star 5700. How cute would it be to be together driving the same vehicle?

This is a magpie. You tell yourself. You just got yourself a giant whatever-ton metal shiny truck hunting bird. And you’re apparently the owner and its nest. What the fuck. You need to put a stop to this.

Calling him to drop the goddamn truck behind him and come have a talk with you. Settling back in the barn where you two first met.

“Optimus. I need you to stop this. …this truck hunting thing you got going on.”

“I do not understand sweetspark, do you not wish for a new vehicle?”

Sweetspark?? You rub your temples. “Look it's not that I don’t want a new truck– I do, but you going around hijacking, or whatever cars is not the way to go.”

“I assure you everything is being done legally.” God, that voice you’ll never get tired of.

“Legal or not. I don’t need you to be bringing me gifts like a goddamn crow–”

He slams his pede down. Shaking the flooring as dust collects around you. Is this a rejection? Why would you compare him to a crow? What's wrong with gifting gifts to ones they love? Noticing you’re startled, instantly regretting his actions. He kneels down on one knee to be closer to your level.

“Sweetspark, I did not–”

You’re done. Giant alien or not, men are always like this. Never knowing how to use words and always resorting to being physical. And in this case, physical even with the lightest force can mean crushing you. If he wanted to say he liked you, he could just do that no? After all, You know that he knows. Hell, He probably knows that you know too.

“Get out.” You point to the outside, head faced inside to avoid looking at him. “Enough with these childish games and go cool your head.”

Dumbfounded, with one knee still on the ground, he finally realized how much he’s let his emotions take over him. Usually the prim and proper prime, now reduced to a hormonal teenager, one far worse than Bumblebee. Even in his days as Orion Pax, was he never this consumed. Sure, those days he was reckless, but instead of being reckless now, he’s also scared. Shaken that he’s messed up his chance, that he’ll let you slip away.

Knowing arguing back will only bring more tension, his logic processors are still intact. Taking a step back as he grits his denta, a scornful look frowns across his faceplate. Folding himself in as he transforms and drives out into the open.

Smacking your head into the wall as you wonder what the fuck you just did. Yeah, he probably let his emotions get to him, but so did you. Except you also kicked him out. Sliding your head down the wall until you’re crouching, you dig your head into your face, quietly cursing yourself.

Ch4

An act of Intimacy

An act of Disclosure

An act of Profference

And an act of Devotion.

The four rituals of becoming Conjunx Endura.

In no particular order does it need to be completed, and he’s so close. So so close. Yet he’s come across a blockade. One set by a tiny human.

Act of Intimacy? How much more can one get when one’s life is in the hands of their love? Recounting how when they first met, you did absolutely everything to make sure he was stabilized. If not intended intimacy, then definitely devotion.

Devotion? A human driving head first into Lockdown in the middle of a battle? Just so he had a fighting chance –ultimately saving him.

Yet he can’t accomplish something as simple as giving a gift. Being stuck on the act of profference. Why?

He needs to reevaluate his methods. It’s unlike him to not have a plan or think things through. And he knows he does not want to completely lose it and just kidnap you. What good would that be? He could have done that from the start, but you wouldn’t be happy, And he wants you happy. Stubborn and fierce, but also kind and gentle, as he’s come to know you. Putting you into stress to change your personality is not what he wants. It’s not the body he wants, but the soul in it. If you were cybertronian, he’d have no doubts you had the spark to be a prime.

Shutting down in the deserts, he lets himself calm down. Not wanting to be with the other bots, as their antics will definitely muddle his thoughts. He needs peace to think about what he’s done, and what he will do about it.

On the other hand, you’ve mindlessly thrown yourself into your work. Snapping at Optimus was not on your bucket list. Really, meeting aliens never was either. But here you are now, realizing how much he meant to you. The consistent bringing of trucks was annoying, but you now miss his bi-weekly visits. It was the highlight of the week. You had no idea how much this affected you.

Shoving the feelings aside, you go and plug your phone into the speakers. The workshop area of the barn blasting into life.

{You’re out of touch / I’m out of time! / But I’m out of my head / When you’re not around!~}

You nearly slice your finger on the blade. Which deity is watching over you? Cause you’re about to strangle each and everyone of them. Is this a sick joke? You scramble over to your shuffle telling it to stop playing tarot cards. You settle for something upbeat –a rare choice in your somber playlists. Going back to work on-

What is this even? You look down at the piece of wood in your hand. Roughly spreading across the length of your forearm as you hold onto it and look at it. Originally started as just a scrap piece of wood to mindlessly sheer through, but now… it’s looking more like something. You can’t really pinpoint what it looks like, it feels familiar, clearly it’s familiar enough that your hands unconsciously made it.

A long, slightly S curved shape chunk of wood, looking like two ends of a curved dagger. You swore it was diamond shaped last time you worked on it, but you’ve must have done more to it after. Now it’s got jagged edges and corners that definitely needed to be sand down.

{There’s something beating here inside my body and it’s called a heart~ / You know how easy– it is to tear it apart! / If I lend it to you / Will you keep it safe for me?}

Sighing as you unplug the band saw, heading over to the disk sander, deciding to sand this contraption before you accidentally stab yourself with it.

As you file the edges down, you wonder what little details you can carve into this piece. Piece? Is this even considered something? It doesn’t matter, you started it, and you’re determined to finish it. Finishing with the sander as you manually buff out the smaller crevices with a sanding block.

It’s been hours since Optimus has driven off. He’s now calmed down, but still lost in what to do. Does he go back and apologize for the misunderstanding? Even if he really did want to gift you a truck. Or perhaps you're done with him and wants nothing with him anymore? Was his act of profference really that deplorable? Perhaps he really did cross a line. A cybertronian human relationship? Not almost unheard of, it is unheard of. He shifts a little in his alt mode and lets his vents expel his tension.

Days become weeks, and weeks become months. You’ve just repressed everything and shoved it somewhere in your brain under a folder titled ‘was delusional, had a dream –do not open.’ But as much as you try to avoid it, the emptiness in your chest grows harder. Whenever the pain is too much to bear, you head back into the workshop in the barn. Working away on the wooden trinket you started when Optimus was still here. The only sentiment you have of him.

It’s a very nice piece. You still have no idea what it is, but you’ve grown attached to it. At first the thought of perhaps selling it was there, but it quickly was replaced with how important the memories of it were. Meticulously carved out with a drill press and manually shaped with a wood file. It looks like a cage of sorts. Perhaps you can slide something in there.

{I was there when you needed me most / I was there when you wanted me least}

Paying no attention to the music, you work on polishing the wood. Staining it with a grey fog polish, as you continue buffing it in.

{Now it’s too… / Too late for words that should have been said… / Long ago…}

Unconsciously singing along to it, unaware of the implications of the song, you pick up a complementary deep blue wood stain, brushing it in the center, hands to the beat as it slowly darkens and comes to life.

{I couldn’t save your soul / I couldn’t even take you home / I couldn’t fill that hole / Alone.}

You tip the can of wood stain over. Choking on the song as you finally understand what’s going on.

You miss him. You love him. You feel alone without him, home just isn’t home without him.

And you have no idea where he is or how to even contact him. Gripping over the trinket, leaning into your knees as you feel tears trickling out. The folder that was labeled ‘do not open’? It just exploded. Shredding into thousands of pieces as the contents spill out. Completely unaware that your shirt is being stained blue and grey, you collapse onto the floor and start crying uncontrollably. The trinket clutched into your chest, even with the rounded edges, they still dig into you. But it doesn’t matter. The physical pain means nothing to you compared to the emotional turmoil you have inside of you. If only you knew earlier.

{It is time to know that it’s now or never / There will never be another chance / What is wrong in doing things together / If you try to take another glance.}

Too far drowned out in your own sorrow to hear any music, or any outside sounds. Only the sounds of anguish, wailing, suffering and losing him. Oblivious to the engine rumble pulling closer and closer down your street towards your barn.

{Now that you’ve been tryin’ so hard to get there / It would be a shame to let it go / Nothing’s gonna happen if you just stare / Wouldn’t it be hard to never know.}

You may not hear the music, but he does. Transforming as he reaches the barn, seeing you huddled over yourself, trembling while clutching onto something.

{Now or never~ / Another chance- / Things together / Another glance~!}

Optimus takes a step towards you, pausing to take a moment to absorb the music. You’re always working with music on. He’s been given another chance. Kneeling down on one knee again silently wondering what’s gotten you so worked up to a point of distress.

{You’ve been trying so hard to get there / Change you know / Nothing’s happening / Been so hard]

In a fit of rage at the song and your life, you haul the woodwork you’ve been holding onto and chuck it across the barn. Startled, Optimus flinches back, quietly letting out a surprised vent. That caught your attention, and you instantly spun your head up to meet his.

He missed you. So much that his spark feels like it’s shrinking the past months. He couldn’t let that happen. Even if you’re upset with him, he needs to see you. If anything to just help light up his spark again. But somehow seeing you huddled over like this, squeezes his spark even more. He wants to fix this, he wants to help. He wants to be in your life. In your heart.

{It’s only when I lose myself with someone else~ / That I find myself- / I find myself~}

Your brain has shut down. The whole system has overloaded and you’re in a blue screen of death right now. If Optimus can scan you, he’d definitely see a loading spinner stuck endlessly on a loop. How do you even react in this situation? The love of your life just spawning in front of you in your weakest moment of vulnerability? Without a second thought, you throw yourself at him, hugging his knee while still stifling cries.

{Something beautiful is happening inside for me- / Something sensual- it’s full of fire and mystery}

His processors? Also just fried. If you could see inside of him, every energon line had shut down, as if someone poured water over the motherboard.

{I feel hypnotized- I feel mesmerized / I have found~ Heaven!~}

“Sweetspark…” He calls out as he picks you up off the ground in his servo, bringing you to his chassis. “I’ve missed you.”

Choking between gasps, you desperately wipe away your tears. Trying to have some semblance of decency, as you nod head in acknowledgement so hard you’re sure it could give a concussion.

{I can feel the emptiness inside me fade and disappear / There's a feeling of contentment now that you are here / I feel satisfied- I belong inside / Your velvet Heaven!~}

“I… I did too, Optimus.” You manage to choke out with a heartrate well enough to be sent to the emergency room. Clutching up onto his chassis as you attempt to stabilize your breath, but failing to do so. Tears pool up again, but this time– They’re tears of joy.

Optimus has no idea why you’re crying again, and even more aggressively this time. He’s glad you’re finally in his arms (-servo) but the nagging worry of concern just will not go away.

“Sweetspark… talk to me, what is going on?” He brings his other servo around you, shielding you more into his chassis. “Are you injured?”

Shaking your head as you answer. “No love, I was, but I am now healed.” You place your hand on his chassis and snuggle up to it. Tilting your head back as you give him a weak smile. “I was lost. But now I’m found.”

{Love takes some time to bloom / When it's right it'll find you / When it's right it'll find you}

He’s overjoyed, if his vents were of any indication, they’re running overtime on the highest setting. You called him ‘love’. She called me love . The feeling was mutual. Overwhelmed with every emotion in the color wheel, he brings you up to his faceplate and presses his dermas lightly against your lips.

{ We have mostly wasted time / Half asleep and half divine / Waiting for the faintest light / Waiting for these wounds to heal}

Sniffling the last sob, you reciprocate. Holding onto his cheeks as you meet his dermas. You don’t even care if he’s goddamn metal, but strangely enough, it’s malleable. Even softer than alkali metals. Embracing this moment as you finally get to explore his body’s make-up.

{ No we're never as lost or as found as we think we are / No we're never as lost or as found as we think we are}

When he finally does pull away, you find yourself torn between wanting more and once again breaking into tears. The turbulence of emotions is almost too much to handle. Yet it’s the best feeling you’ve ever felt. It finally feels right. It feels like home and whole.

Nothing matters anymore. In this moment, everything is peaceful. Optics lidded as he gazed lovingly down at you, the corner of his dermas slowly sliding up to form a smile. It’s just you, him, and the music.

Wait.

You tell him to put you down. A wave of confusion sprawls over his faceplate. The tender moment being cut short too soon.

{Hello my friends we coming together to celebrate life We / gather as one with the sun- we sharing the moment because we are free .}

Settling you back down onto the floor, as he watches you run out to the middle of the barn. Gritting his denta, a pang of dread spreads from his spark up to his vocalizers. Was it all over? Did it mean nothing? He chokes that feeling down as he locks his optics on you as you pick something up from the ground.

The Matrix. Instantly he recognized what it was. Why would you have that? Watching you as you’re arms deep in a box again, chuckling at the sight as that’s exactly what you did when you fixed him up. But why is the matrix here?

{To be and show the love we feel / Coming from the bottom of our hearts, yeah}

A wire, cord, whatever. You land on an electrical wire. Good enough. Pulling it out as you hastily tie it around and run off into the corner looking for your soldering gun.

Optimus is utterly confused. Even with someone as composed as him, he can’t figure out heads or tails of what’s going on. An outburst, followed with a confession, and now… he’s alone? Not quite? You’re still in the vicinity, but not in his embrace. Just watching isn’t enough. The uneasiness is too much for him, and he starts making his way over to you.

{暗闇を嘆いているよりも / ここから始まる}

{Rather than mourning in the darkness / We’ll start from now on.}

By the time he’s made his way over to you, you’ve managed to solder up the wires. Albeit messily, but it’s not meant to actually conduct electricity so, you figured it was fine. Turning back and not expecting him behind you, you let out a little ‘woah’ as you take a step back and smack your back into the workbench.

Instinctively, he reaches out and picks you up. Wanting to make sure you weren’t hurt. All of his thoughts on you until you flashed the now wired matrix at him.

You still have no idea what the fuck you made, but it meant everything to you, –and to him. You hope. Wires tied to each end and soldered on like a cosplayer’s last minute glue gun job, you present the necklace to him.

He stares at the Matrix, only up close realizing it’s a replica, completely made out of wood. And it clicks in him. This was what you were working on the day you checked up on him. Before he headed out to deal with Lockdown. It was what you threw across the barn when he entered in the barn today. Were you working on this, this whole time?

“This… is for me?” He quietly asks.

“Uh.. well? I’m not really sure what I made, but it feels appropriate. It just… felt like you. I made it while thinking about you.” You stammer out tilting your head, thinking how exactly did you end up with this whackass idea.

“This… Is The Matrix of Leadership.” He replied as he grazed his digits on the woodwork.

“The who the what now?” You chime back, still holding onto your giant electrical/wood necklace.

“The Matrix of Leadership. An ancient artifact passed down the primes.” He explains. “Something I hold inside me.” As he shifts his chest panels to reveal the matrix and his spark.

You instantly scoot back as his motherfucking chest opens, but quickly drawn to the bright blue glow inside of him.

“Huh. It sure does look like it doesn’t it?” You squint and stare at it. Almost wanting to reach out and touch it, but remembering it’s delicate and sensitive.

He thinks for a moment, still having his helm tilted down looking at you, wondering if it is morally right to do this. “You can touch it… If you want.”

“Huh?!” You chime out, pulling your gaze out from his spark and cocking your head up to meet his.

He feels a rush of energon up to his faceplate. “I… I want you to touch it.” He manages to stammer out.

“Ah… Are you sure?!” You gasp back. “Isn’t it like?? Super sensitive or whatever?”

Face now completely flushed, he’s more concerned about his embarrassment than his spark. “I’m sure. If it’s with you, I am sure nothing will happen.” Voice slightly trembling as he gives you a nod

{Embracing our hands we keep walking on / Enjoying these feelings continuing so strong}

You hesitate for a moment, shifting the wooden matrix necklace over to one hand, before deciding. Yeah. You do want to touch it. And so you do. Carefully reaching out as you stroke the metal version of what you made. It’s oddly warm. Possibly from the spark behind it. Warm and stunning. You’d rather not touch the spark as you wouldn’t be very happy if someone is just poking and prodding your heart needlessly, but this is as close as it gets.

{ひとりからまたひとりへ僕から君へ伝わる}

{Let’s pass it on, from me to you, to someone, to someone.}

You pull your hand back, glancing back at him now. “It’s… amazing. No, thrilling? Ummm- astonishing. Wait no, ahhh, look there’s absolutely no words to describe it. It just… feels right?” That might have been the most stumbles in a sentence you’ve ever spoken.

{やがて地球の裏側までつながる僕らの輪}

{Creating a big chain of circle around this world of ours.}

That feeling will never leave him. Not until his death. No- even after he’s one with the Allspark, he will carry on the intimacy of this touch. In-venting to calm his systems, he swallows the lump. “Me too, sweetspark.” As he closes his chest panels again. “That… just felt right. To have you here.”

An unknown jolt of electricity runs through him. Unfamiliar, but welcomed. Closing his Optics as he tilts his helm back to savor it. The warmth and the tenderness. You’re right. It just feels right. And he knows you felt it too.

Still riding down the high from literally nearly touching a robot god’s heart, you pipe back up. “So uh. this..” You hold up the comparatively stupid looking wooden Matrix up in your arms. “Ya still want it or? Probably not as flashy as the real deal?”

Shaking his helm as he leans it down towards you. “Please. I would be happy to replace the one in me with yours any day.”

Chuckling as you drape the DIY Home Depot version of the Matrix over his helm. “Please don’t. I don’t want to tamper with your organs. Err hardware?”

He too, replies with a chuckle of his own. “If loving you means tampering with my build, then I would be glad to.” And he blinks, realization hitting him. “We met because you were repairing me, remember?”

Oh. Right. Guess you already got pass the ‘fuck around with the insides part’. “Huh. Guess we hit third base before even touching first eh?”

“We will have plenty of time for that.” He replies as he looks down at the necklace.

What? Does that mean? You didn’t even think far enough to– your eyes twitch and find your face flushing up.

Sensing your temperature rising, he chuckles a sigh and diverts the conversation. “Thank you for the gift. It’s beautiful.”

Waking up your sense back from being a robot fucker, you glance at the necklace. It really is. The fact you never found anything to put in the Matrix when you were working on it? It doesn’t matter. His spark glows right through it.

“I uh. Want to apologize for lashing out about the trucks.” You start, sheepishly touching the necklace. “I didn’t mean to invalidate your offerings… I just… One semi in my life is enough.” And once again, you find yourself flushing up.

If you were looking up at Optimus, you would have seen he was flushed too. Realizing he didn’t need to find you a new vehicle. Not when you have him. This whole time, you had the same feelings for him.

Melody playing softly accompanied by the steady drums, matching your heartbeat and the pulsation of his spark, he brings you up his faceplate to gently touch your lips another kiss.

{The people who have suffered the most / Surely have the right to become happy~}

Afterword

#transformers #transformers x reader #transformers x human #optimus prime #optimus x reader #broo.... im mentally il...#sry my tumblr so messy #rambles #tumblr formatting sucks dude...

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puhpandas · 1 month ago

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out of curiosity, what would you want out of revamped gregory and vanessa models?

oh dont even get me started. I think my number 1 want is literally just. fixing their faces. they could keep everything else the exact same and I'd be fine if they made their faces not weird and alien looking.

Cassies hw2 model was designed after her ruin cutouts. theres 2 pieces of Gregory official art in ruin that I think they would (and I would want them to) design his model around, which are the missing poster and cutout with cassie comforting her. i think they're closer to how his face is supposed to look

and he also doesnt look overly young in them. cassies new model just looks like 'kid' and not like, mistakeable for an 8 year old or something. they're supposed to be 12 and Cassies remodel rlly captures that. I really want Gregory's remodel to make him look older, bc I think they didnt know his age yet when they made his SB model, but they should now with all the ggy refs. making him look similar to Cassies models level of age is a big one for me too

another one is HAIR!!! they upgraded cassies hair in the hw2 model by adding extra strands and changing the shape and style and stuff! making Gregory's hair look less like, stiff and clay and sims 4 maxis match would be awesome. and this applies for vanessa too. her ponytail is so rigid lmao and she uh. doesnt have much hair on her model let's just say

as for vanessa, besides fixing her face, I think restoring her old proportions in her art pre-SB is a big deal. their modelers modeled her body to keep the big muscular chest but only in her boobs 😒 giving her back her muscular bulky frame would be huge! and it's not that big of an ask bc they changed Cassies proportions in her hw2 model to look better

also obviously a new outfit. she can't wear her security uniform post-game lol but that feels obvious. I'd die if we got a new outfit for her but I'd be satisfied if they just kept her purple flannel outfit at the end of sb. this also applies to Gregory too. if we got a new outfit for him in a new model I'd pass away. even if it was just a jacket on top of his sb outfit I'd die and throw up and descend into hell

also I already said this but giving vanessa more hair is big. plz give her more bangs and strands and an actual top of her head I miss her tailcoat ponytail

and also I kinda want vanessa to look older. like I absolutely love her smokey eye smudged mascara 'I've been wearing this makeup for 3 days look in sb, bc it gives off a lot of 'I'm going through it' vibes and I think it aids her character in a way her sb face doesnt. i rewatched an animation the other day and was like damn vanessa looks like 16. she was I think 24/25 in FNAF AR. not even counting security breach era and whatever amount of time would have passed since security breach by the time they appear again. she isnt old by any means but shes not super young either! let her immense amount of stress shes experienced show with making her actually look her age 😭

#pandas.txt #gregory #vanessa #pre remodels #pandas asks

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sirfrogsworth · 1 year ago

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I am so tired of this brand pissing contest.

All of the metal bricks do pretty much the exact same thing. There isn't a better one. Just a slightly different user experience.

It basically comes down to 3 things. UX preference, ecosystem, friends/family.

Some people like the UX of iOS, some prefer Android. Either will do almost all of the same things. Android allows for more customization and tinkering. iOS tends to keep things stock but has more reliable apps—though Android development has improved.

Some people have PCs. Android and Google services tend to work better with a PC.

Some people have MacBooks and iPads. You would be silly not to get an iPhone at that point, because the integration of Apple products is seamless and kind of amazing.

And finally, what is everyone else in your group using? If they are mostly on iPhones, you will find communicating a little easier if you also have an iPhone.

There is one thing Apple does better than other manufacturers that I should include. Longevity. They support their devices for pretty much their entire lifespan. They allow software updates for as long as your phone will tolerate them. And since their hardware design is unified, you can always count on getting a well made product no matter the price point. No need to research each model to see if it is prone to break or has an exploding battery. This point makes me a little frustrated because so many iPhone users will upgrade every year for some reason. Unless there is a new feature you absolutely need, this is wasteful.

Android flagship phones tend to have decent longevity and get continued software updates. But there has always been an issue with the more budget models being forgotten about after a year and receiving no more software. You need to do a lot more research to see if the manufacturer of a particular line of phones has a history of quality manufacturing and good support or if they abandon their phones once the warranty period is up. I tend to steer people toward Pixel phones if they don't feel like doing the research. Google has been decent about long term support so far.

You have to evaluate your circumstances and choose the platform that will serve you best. In all honesty, you can make either work regardless. And you will probably have a few frustrations no matter which you choose.

Brand loyalty is stupid.

Pick what suits you best.

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clatterbane · 2 months ago

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Major quality of life (and probably foot health) upgrade obtained earlier this evening.

I had already been using what looks to be exactly the same model of heated insole to keep the now-fucked circulation foot less freezing--even at home in my trusty sheepskin slippers!--since it occurred to me as an option last fall. Only those came with unexpectedly shit battery packs, which turned out to take rechargeable AAs.

That was NOT what I thought I was getting, but hey. It's janky, but it just about worked with lots of battery charging. Until I had a battery pack malfunction start up a couple days ago in the single one I could find this year. 🤬

If I were Big Clive, I could have probably fixed that. As it was, I couldn't see any obvious loose connections in there to make it intermittently just refuse to work. So, after it decided to go on the fritz more often than not? Last night I just said "fuck it", and tracked down some more semi-affordable ones that are supposed to be decent at Kjell & Company. And prevailed upon Mr. C, who was willing to pop over to the closest location and pick them up after work.

Just in time before the coldest night so far, too. It's been just above freezing here all day, and isn't really expected to warm up much before Sunday or so.

These new ones do indeed appear to be the exact same insole units, but with hopefully decent lithium battery packs instead. Which take what seems to be exactly the same plug. So, charge those puppies right up and we are back in business! 😎

I am not happy about my one remaining meat foot staying cold to the touch even inside my own normal room temperature house for at least half the year, without some outside help. (Never mind how that tends to feel to the foot itself...) But, I am very glad to have that external heat source working properly again. Now we'll have to see how the battery life does hold up.

#personal

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viridianv0id · 2 months ago

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Can I ask about the soldiers and schisms? I've always had a softspot for the two modified by hell cyborg sinners

MY GOD YES

(refrains from making a joke about the name schism)

okay so. ill actually just start with soldiers bc they also really interest me and were very much an inspiration for my oc !!

Seeing just how modified a Soldier is is really cool, to see how they improved upon the typical Stray form - to enhance the power they already had as a Stray - which actually in turn gives Strays a lot more intelligence than i think they're afforded (both in game and the fandom)

but Soldiers take it another level methinks

with their augments they have better control and the machine parts of them even slightly enhance the power of their energy - because when they get these enhancements they're suddenly a greater husk instead of a lesser husk like the stray - which is a BIG jump for a husk by the looks of it - at least comparing to other husks that is

Soldiers even end up ditching whatever instinct is in them to move *away* from V1, whatever these augments do it also instills a confidence in them seen in no other Stray, since they aren't afraid to deal a pretty harsh kick now they have sweet new metal kicks (pun intended lol)

I also like to think that the stray is more flimsy than it appears, and thats also maybe why the soldier has the stance it does (holding its primary arm canon over the front of its body - almost shielding it) and why there is specifically a piece of metal on its face, to protect its head a lot better as well as just generally supporting their frail build (bc lets be real, Strays are weak asf and if push comes to shove would not survive an attack from a SINGLE fucking Filth)

Schisms are also cool for the fact of being a conjoined soul - i actually like to think many schisms are lovers - with their love running so deep and wishing to remain in the afterlife together as they had in their lives - their sheer willpower allowed their souls to form in the exact same location

a show of being one with the other, being whole and fulfilled with your existence right by the side of the person you cared about the most

and id like to think this isnt just the case for monogamous couples, i really think poly couples have done the same and there are schisms out there that are made up of more than two souls

now there also very much could be accidental schisms - ones who truly did just happen to form and manifest in the exact same location but i feel like thats such a rare occurrence to happen

i think any modifications and augments the schism has are often just to help support the literal weight of two people in one, shared body - looking at the model the most obvious additions looks to be a support/ spinal upgrade as well as their blaster arm

#soldier ultrakill #schism ultrakill #ultrakill #theyre so silly #also call me a schism bc i have a touch of it #get it #bc #tism #sounds like schism #im funny please laugh #talking about ultrakilling

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mockedandmonitored · 9 months ago

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[File: New Generations.]

This will be touching upon the idea of new units and new toilets being made and “born” in this au as mentioned with the Toilets. One of the reasons I’m calling them new gens is because they’ve never seen the war nor it’s damage, thus making them stand out from our classic war criminals, second it's to make variation and explain their background.

Splitting things to make things simpler and then mixing similarities at the end. First up would be the

Hardware Newly-Forged

Any hardware made after the war, while rare, production is required as it's not uncommon for some officer to dish out "well deserved discipline" and leave units permanently decommissioned. Newly forged hardware can be identified by their usually less damaged frames and more yellow based energy sources. These units are less likely to conspire against their now creators and captors. Depending on the model also, certain upgrades are added to them to make them better suited at their jobs. The only units which are hardly produced would be the the TV men due to their more complicated systems which would be a waste of resources to mass produce only to suppress, why haven't they just removed it? One, haven't thought of it in the few years new units have been made, two, the systems are built so deeply into the Tvmen that they stop working without the presence of said systems. Hypothetically the Armada can make their own hardwares completely devoid of emotion and 100% obedient, but where’s the fun in that? They're usually treat the exact same as the war hardware, nothing different most of the time, there might be some hardwares which see the newly forged as "Fakes" created by the Armada but very few prove that right.

Moving onto the other species and more organic life forms of our AU, the Armada's Skibidi toilets, haha funni funni naaaaame.

We're not discussing How toilets have young tots running around, they just pop into existence when a Daddy and a Scientist with lots of free time and a large budget love each other very much.

The New Gen Skibidi Toilets

All new gens vary in shape, size and age, which ultimately similar to human aging. The most common is the usual run of the mill toilets with heads sticking out of them, of course there are the rich kids with bodies now produced to those who can afford them. These kids grow up underneath the eye of their parents and live rather peaceful lives due to all the hard work being preoccupied. Most new gens do Not realize that the hardwares are sentient and just believe them to be machines or even monsters depending on what they're told by those who surround them. Not sure what else to put here and I've stalled putting stuff out long enough-

For now? That's all folks! Have a nice day, night, or afternoon, feel free to ask questions or give suggestions!

#mocked&monitored #skibidi au #skibidi toilet #M&MLore

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decks-writing-blog · 2 months ago

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Free Them Chapter 2/3: Something's Wrong

Chapter One

For Bubby, Gordon made another robot based around a core. He made the orb smaller though, only a little bigger than a standard core. Which allowed for longer arms and legs. In the simulation they’d all had the same height but since he couldn’t transfer their human features, he had to do what he could to change up their appearances in other ways. The stocky robot fit Dr. Coomer so hopefully a thinner taller one would fit Bubby.

The robot meant for Tommy, he started with one of the bullet turrets’ bodies but taller and a bit thicker. As a bonus he added a little spinner attached to a little hat shape on top because the propeller cap had suited Tommy so well. It was motorized too so he could spin it as he pleased.

Sunkist’s design was easiest out of all of them. The Robotics Division already had a schematic for a robot dog a former employee had left in the files before leaving. Using it was maybe a bit questionable on how ethical it was but there was no way Gordon could come up with anything better. It was about as perfect as a robot dog design could get. And besides, it was technically property of Aperture and thus he was legally allowed to use it. Altering it slightly to be bigger and omitting its proposed programming so it’d be empty when connected to the simulation was easy.

With only one pod set to interface with the robots, they could only do one at a time. But with help from co-workers and Dr. Coomer, Gordon didn’t have to leave his pod to set up the next robot. Allowing him to monitor from inside and direct them to go in the agreed upon order; Bubby, Sunkist, and then finally Tommy. The player models had been changed to accommodate that order as well as be less creepy for Gordon to look at.

Once Tommy was through, Gordon paused for a moment to look around. The parking lot was empty as ever. No sign of anyone else or Black Mesa. Creepy to be alone in.

“Darnold!” he called out into it. “Mr. Coolatta! … Forzen I guess, maybe.” He was sentient too, wasn’t he? He’d seemed it. Meaning Gordon should free the three of them too, right? And if he was going to do that then… maybe he should free Benrey too even if part of him would rather not because it would mean dealing with him again.

But having thought about it an uncomfortable amount since, a lot of Benrey’s words at the end had felt off. “If you shoot me, I have to shoot back.” “You wanted me to be bad so I’m bad.” Gordon may be misremembering the exact phrasing but he recalled the gist of it. And Benrey’s motivation hadn’t made sense, almost as if he’d just been making shit up to turn into the big bad over. The video game had needed a boss battle after all and instead of making a brand new one, it took the guy Gordon was the most antagonistic with and built on that. Saving on resources. … Maybe. It was hard to know for sure. Benrey might’ve chosen entirely for himself to be the bad guy because he thought it would be fun.

But even if that was the case, he was still sentient and the simulation had run its course. They’d keep it on file but they’d disconnect it from their machines so they could start running the next upgraded iteration of the project. Gordon had put it on hold but he couldn’t afford to do so for much longer without getting reprimanded. So anything that was sentient needed to be moved out sooner rather than later. And that included Benrey… assuming he was still alive anyway. He might’ve been killed for good this time.

Gordon would look for him and the others later though. He didn’t have robots ready for them yet anyway. First came, waking up and helping introduce the rest of the Science Team to the real world.

“… all looks like this too,” Dr. Coomer was saying as Gordon stepped out of the VR pod. “The whole world is this crisp. And just you wait until you see the sky. It’s very blue. Also, I forgot to mention, we’re at Aperture!”

“The competition?” Bubby asked.

“Yes. Black Mesa’s real apparently, they used its name and logo in the video game as a part of a joke.”

“So that means the Resonance Cascade didn’t really happen, huh?” Tommy asked.

“Not yet.”

“And probably not ever,” Gordon said as he stepped into the conversation, stepping over Sunkist’s new form at the same time. “We don’t know what they’re working on over there but it’s probably not whatever we came up with.”

“Hello, Gordon!” Even after being freed from the game and simulation, Dr. Coomer still had the quirk of repeating lines.

Tommy’s yellow-lit eye widened as he turned to face him. “Wow, Mr. Freeman you look so… so… high-def!”

Bubby had settled on a light blue for his eye. He looked Gordon up and down. “You’re fatter in real life.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And it suits you. Your player model or whatever the fuck it’s called, looked like a scrawny wimp trying to cosplay as a traffic cone. This,” Bubby gestured with his hand, indicting Gordon’s whole body, “is much better looking.”

“Thanks… I think.” Looking better than something that looked bad didn’t mean he looked good.

“You’re beautiful, Gordon!” Since day one, Dr. Coomer had insisted everything was beautiful. This was the fist time he’d said it about Gordon though.

“Uh… let’s not go that far.” He’d barely bothered to brush his hair this morning, only enough to get the tangles out, and his beard needed a trim, resulting in him no doubt looking a mess. He didn’t know because he’d wisely avoided looking in the mirror. “Instead, let’s make sure everything’s working with your new bodies and stuff and then I’ll show you guys ‘round the lab.”

Because Gordon would have to go specifically seek them, they made the next ‘player’ model portable. Something he could carry around for when he found the person he was looking for. “Like a pokeball!” Tommy had said which wasn’t too far off from a good metaphor. But it wasn’t a ball but instead a cube. Gordon was dropping the Black Mesa bit after all and cubes were kind of Aperture’s thing.

They made the robot intended for Darnold first. Gordon went with another turret shaped body, tweaking it until he ultimately landed on an egg-like shape. Not the most creative thing in the world but it was visually distinct. No one wanted to look like a copy of someone else.

Next came finding Darnold in the simulation. Which was easiest done while inside it after forcing the spawn point to change to the Black Mesa building. They didn’t have Darnold’s lab marked so Gordon chose the spot he thought might be closest to it.

The result of which was being dropped in a dimly lit concrete hallway, its two still functioning lights buzzing and flickering ominously overhead. Hopefully for the sake of the employees, the real Black Mesa wasn’t like this because even if the place had been properly lit, it would’ve made the hall only marginally more friendly. In hindsight maybe he should’ve gone looking for everyone in unknown locations first so the Science Team could’ve joined him and kept him company. Too late now though and hooking up another four ports just so he wouldn’t be lonely would’ve been too much work to be worth it. And so, rolling his shoulders, virtual though they were, he got to work looking for Darnold.

The game was over and thus enemies weren’t spawning anymore. A good thing but it did leave the place feeling barren and far too quiet. It wasn’t unlike some of the nightmares he’d had since the game had ended. In those though, his hand was always missing and pouring more blood than it had ever bled in the simulation’s reality – when he’d lost the real thing years ago, it had presumably bled quite a bit more but he’d fainted at the sight of it and had been brought in for medical care long before waking. Looking down at his model’s restored hand grounded him.

Blessedly, his guess wasn’t too far off as it didn’t take terribly long before he found the elevator leading to Darnold’s lab. Going down it gave him an odd almost deja-vu feeling that made the silence particularly heavy.

Darnold was in the same place Gordon had first seen him, behind the counter. If he was making another potion, there was no evidence of it currently as he just stood there, looking down at the counter. He looked up as the elevator clunked into place at the bottom. “Ah, Mr. Freeman, you’re back.”

“Yep.” Gordon walked over to stand on the other side of the counter. “What you been up to since we left?”

“Oh, you know, this and that, working on that evil flavor mostly. It’s a bit more difficult than I’d thought it’d be. But I can see your hand is like your other hand now. How’d that happen?”

“Let’s just say it grew back. But anyway um…” How did Gordon tell him that this world was fake? That was kind of dire news, wasn’t it? Especially since it was on a timer for being turned off permanently. And the world had already kind of ended because the game had. It was all just stasis now.

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” Darnold broke the silence left by Gordon’s pause. “Everything is… quiet now. Or maybe ‘quiet’s not quite the right word. Plenty of things still make noise.” To demonstrate, he knocked one of the bottles off the counter, causing it to loudly clatter to the floor. “But there’s still something wrong… I think. Especially since you’re here, alone without your friends. That’s not right. Did something happen to them?”

“They’re fine, better than fine actually.” They were free. “But you’re right, something’s wrong with the world. It’s uh… It’s a video game simulation that you’re an AI NPC inside of.”

Darnold was silent for a long few seconds as he stared at Gordon before finally… “Oh. I suppose that makes sense. It certainly explains why you got a gun for a hand from my potion. It’s much easier to fight bad guys when you got a gun for a hand.”

“You don’t seem to bothered by it.” Gordon hadn’t expected much shock from the Science Team because he’d been sure they already knew on some level anyway. He hadn’t gotten that impression from Darnold though.

“I’m not. There were just so many little things that make more sense now. Like how only my recent memories feel actually real, you know? The stuff from before feels like I’m recalling a fun tale about a potion scientist that becomes slightly less fun when I remember it’s me. One’s memories aren’t supposed to sound like a fiction tale. It’s a relief to know the cause of that, actually. I had a theory that I might be a secret sleeper agent, in so deep even I don’t know I’m a false identity until I hear the secret phrase and go on a killing rampage. It’s part of why I was scared to go on that adventure with you guys because what if the military were the ones that would activate me? I don’t like violence.”

“Well, can’t blame you for that. Anyway, you wanna go on a different kind of adventure? One that isn’t violent.”

“Ooh, yes!”

Gordon reached into his inventory and pulled out the cube. Tossing it on the ground activated it, turning it into a wall with a shimmering portal on it. Doing it like that was Bubby’s idea as he’d rightfully pointed out, “It’s weird to step into a person, especially if it looks like you, so make it something they can walk through.” “And it’s more accurately a hole in the simulation,” Dr. Coomer had cheerfully added.

“Step through this and your AI will be put into a robot body in the real world so you can like… see it and interact with it and stuff.”

Darnold stepped around the counter to approach it. “Well, I’m not big on robots but they’re pretty cool sometimes, I suppose. The real world though, I think I would like to see it.” He stepped through. Having eased the transition, it was far smoother and almost instant.

Gordon’s next thought was to design a bot for Mr. Coolatta. Before he could really get started on it though, Tommy pulled him aside. Into a broom closet for some reason but it was private so it would apparently do. The only light was through the cracks in the doors and Tommy’s robotic eye, making it kind of uncomfortable.

“Mr. Freeman, you’re uh… you’re making a robot for my dad, right? Or thinking about it.”

“Of course, yeah. I’m doing him next. I wouldn’t call him a friend but like… you know? He’s your dad so even for just that reason, I wouldn’t leave him.”

“Oh um… I didn’t mean… I wasn’t making sure you would because… I just wanted to ask if you intended to because I was pretty sure that you did intend to. Which is what I wanted to talk about because you don’t need to. He’s already… Well I guess I should start from the beginning since we’re not keeping secrets anymore.

“My dad’s not part of the simulation. He came from outside of it. I can’t tell you want he is… he uh… didn’t even tell me that. But he did tell me that him meddling with the simulation to create me is why your more advanced AI’s became fully sentient. I just thought I should tell you so you don’t waste time or resources on him when he doesn’t need it because he’s already left the simulation.”

“So it wasn’t my program that brought them to life?”

“Not by itself, no, sorry. Your program was good enough to attract my dad though so it’s still very impressive Mr. Freeman. That’s nothing to uh… shake a stick at, you know?” He lifted a hand to mime shaking a stick, the servos’ whirring in his wrist was almost loud when pressed in so close to him.

Gordon wasn’t that surprised. He was good but he wasn’t ‘create a program that could create whole thinking people’ good. The technology wasn’t there yet, not on Earth anyway. Bring in an outside alien force though and then they were getting somewhere. It had been a nice fantasy while it had lasted though.

“So… what about you then? Are you like him? Could you have left the simulation whenever too?”

“No. I’m too new for that. I can only exist in technology right now. One day I’ll be stronger though and will be able to manifest physically. … That’s what Dad said anyway. But right now I’m basically the same as the others but that won’t always be the case. I don’t know what am I other than that. I think he knew I would tell you eventually so he didn’t tell me everything that he could’ve.”

So during all of Gordon’s interactions with him, Mr. Coolatta had just been messing with him. Not that that was surprising, just the extent of it. The assumption that he was just another sentient AI had been unquestioned until now. But on the bright side, Gordon wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore.

“All right, I guess uh… we’ll do Forzen next then.”

“And last or uh…” Tommy trailed off.

“Yeah, we’ll do Benrey too if we can. Do you think it was the game that made him a bad guy?” Why else would he be open to suggesting the idea? Other than maybe the fact that Benrey used to be his friend.

“I… don’t know. Maybe. It doesn’t hurt to give him one more chance now that the game isn’t manipulating anything in case it did though. Assuming he’s even still alive.”

“We’ll see, I guess. But Forzen first.” Which wasn’t going to be pleasant but so be it. Sometimes doing the right thing wasn’t pleasant.

With Forzen being part of the fictional US military it only seemed logical to use the rocket turret as the base for his robot design. Like with the designs based off the normal turrets though, the first thing Gordon did was remove the weaponry. Leaving him with another orb once he shifted it to also have arms and legs. He was running out of ideas.

“What about a cube?” Bubby suggested as he leaned against Gordon’s shoulder to look at the computer. “Cubes and orbs seem to be the only thing you guys know how to make. So just put an eye on one and call it good.”

It was more complicated than that of course but Gordon did it. The end result wasn’t bad, surprisingly. Not as sleek as his other designs had turned out but it was a cube so it wasn’t supposed to be. It would do.

Once that was done being built, the hardest part so far began; finding Forzen. Gordon set the spawn point to the last place he’d seen the guy; the place he set the ring of turrets around Sunkist. It was marked because it was a transition zone.

The ring of turrets was still there, undisturbed. Behind it, the elevator and it’s truck were gone though, still at the bottom presumably. Gordon started for the button that would call it back up. Before he got there…

“Hey.”

With a flinch, he snapped around to see Forzen stepping out from behind one of the boxes placed off to the side. Wow, what luck, running into him immediately. Gordon wouldn’t have minded putting off the encounter a little longer but it was probably better this way anyway.

“You can teleport too?” he asked, pointing at Gordon.

Gordon spawning in at the start of the room would look like he was teleporting in, huh? “Uh… sort of.”

“Cool. Why are you back here though? This place has been empty for… a while now.” The game would’ve stopped spawning enemies in this area, including the non-character soldiers, as soon as Gordon had left it. Leaving Forzen to wander around bereft of anything even resembling company. Which is probably why he’d approached, huh? He’d had to have been alone for a long while now. Long enough to not be as skittish as before. In hindsight, Gordon should’ve realized that about Forzen’s position sooner. Better late than never though.

“I’m here to get you out. First though, why are you here?”

Forzen shrugged. “It’s the last place I saw anyone. This place ain’t real, is it?” Apparently it was easy to figure.

“It’s a simulation, yeah.”

“Damn it. Is the Irate Gamer fake too?”

“No, he’s real.” Gordon wasn’t up to date on Youtube stuff but he was online enough to hear about such things. “I’m pretty sure the simulation somehow connected itself to the internet.” It’s the only way to explain the mentions of things he and his team hadn’t provided it with. Perhaps that too was related to Mr. Coolatta’s meddling.

“Sweet. The internet went out a little while ago though so if you could fix it, that’d be great.” Of course he was more concerned about that than getting out.

“Instead of that, how about I just get you out of the simulation? And then when you’re in your new robot body you can hop onto one of the computers in someone’s lab.” As he spoke Gordon pulled out the next cube. He tossed it down, creating the portal wall. “Through there.”

Forzen looked at him. The lack of detailed facial animations made his expression hard to read but it felt like he was studying him. “What if it’s a trap, huh?”

“It’s not. I have no reason to like you but the simulation’s time is limited. We gotta turn it off and disconnect it eventually. So you’ll basically die if you don’t go through. And I don’t dislike you that much. I promise you can watch all the Youtube you want on the other side.” Gordon would encourage it even if kept Forzen out of his hair.

Forzen studied him for a few seconds longer before approaching the portal. “This better not be a trick.” He went through it.

Six down, one more to go. The most potentially problematic of them all. But it was worth a try if Benrey was still alive enough to be pulled from the simulation. He’d come back from the dead before so it was at least worth the attempt.

Next Chapter

#hlvrai #hlvrai gordon #bubby #dr. coomer #tommy coolatta #darnold #forzen

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iocainesmoothie · 10 months ago

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Been playing ffxiv, paid to skip HW but really enjoyed stormblood, saw emet-selch for the first time.

I'm very impressed that his first introduction to the player was to be shot and rag dolled down the stairs, it immediately differentiates him from the other ascians who just say ominous and vague nonsense that never amounts to anything. It was almost more sinister, because it really illustrates the point that the ascians are noncorporeal horrors piloting a meat puppet.

Also very minor detail but I noticed even back in stormblood, instead of writing a boring talk quest as "go talk to so-and-so", instead they say "go meet SOMEONE at such-and-such place". Like it's so very minor, but instead of straight up telling me who you're going to meet they just sorta hint and say how excited that person is to see you again.

Mechanically it's the exact same boring quest format, and maybe I don't otherwise even care about that character, but even that tiny bit of speculating who it is and the implication that they have any kind of emotional response AT ALL is already elevating the writing.

I get the majority of quest text boils down to telling the player to go to X or talk to Y or collect Z and there's only so many ways to do that, and clarity of communication is always top priority, but in something long format like an mmo where the player has likely plugged in a hundred hours already you can kinda assume they've been trained to expect a certain order of events and can play with the format a bit.

Also the last duty of sb was one of those "everyone shows up at the big battle as npcs and cheers at you to go on to the big boss while they hold back reinforcements" fights and it's very anime but honestly it always works on me.

Been leveling up dark knight, but I bought the level 80 warrior boost because I hate playing with other people and I wanted to solo a bunch of the main scenario raids instead of queueing. Also I'm playing dark knight because aesthetics, and tanking for a group is too much responsibility for me.

Honestly dk kinda sucks compared to paladin and warrior, way less mitigation and self healing, and though it feels like I'm doing more damage it's still not as much as a pure dps.

Also bought a bunch of clothes on the shop in a moment of weakness, but now my outfit is so cool I don't want to change into anything else! And I kinda miss wearing vanilla gear and seeing your outfit change as you pick up upgrades. Oh well atleast I'm cute and it avoids those awkward moments when a piece from a new set doesn't fit with your current fit.

Ffxiv clothing designs are so gorgeous, even the shitty low-level vanilla garbage is kinda cute. Ppl who buy store stuff obviously look good but I have way more respect for the glamours I see where people just got really creative with in-game items. The graphics are like 10 years out of date but the hair and clothes and faces are still miles better than some of biowares stuff (guys I love you I'm on your side let's figure this out you can't just make everyone bald)

Also I've noticed the cuts scene cameras do a trick anime does a lot to cut down animation costs, the framing and panning and angles do a LOT of the work when they otherwise can't get these limited models to emote that much. Or else they just fully cut away and let a sound effect imply an action took place and your brain just fills in the difference.

Anyway I'm addicted and am probably wasting a lot of time on things I should be doing instead but it's nice to have something to hyper fixate on for a while, and I haven't even started SB or EW and I've heard they're both life changing so maybe I'll just glut myself until I've wrung all the dopamine I can out of it.

Also I've realized there is such a jump in writing quality in SB that I'm only really emotionally attached to lyse and hien and the general, the rest of the scions are all kind of... idk unlikable?? They're all the same kind of snarky but not really funny, and speak intelligently but not really with any character or having much to say. Allisae being maybe the exception but I feel like she doesn't get much screen time compared to her brother.

It was very touching that she's the tough prickly one, but very honestly tells you she feels alone and sadly asks you not to leave her in a moment of vulnerability before the fight where she reaches for your hand desperately before her soul is teleported away. Like damn yeah this is manipulative but you got me! I'm invested now!

Also that little crystal cat boy was in arr and I never finished/paid attention to his quest line so idk how he ended up i SB, guess I'll find out.

#playing ffxiv #just dumping my thoughts

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walkingthroughthisworld · 2 years ago

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(via XM1 Abrams Main Battle Tank by DarkWizard83 on DeviantArt)

The original prototype vehicle that led to one of - if not the - most powerful tank in the world, and current backbone of Us armored forces, the M1 Abrams MBT. Born out of the failed German-American MBT-70 project, the XM1 was developed by the Chrysler Motor Corporation, and in 1978 Chrysler delivered to the Army a sleek, low-silhouette heavy tank that incorporated every major technological feature of the day, including computerized controls and a laser rangefinder. But the most significant design feature of the new tank was its use of Chobham composite armor on the hull and turret. While the exact nature and composition of Chobham armor remains a closely guarded secret, the evidence suggests that it utilizes a matrix of ceramic armor tiles, layered between the vehicle's internal steel and external armored plating. When a high-velocity projectile - such as a round fired from a tank or an anti-tank missile - hits the armor, the explosion produces a high-velocity jet of gas that shears through the armor plating. In normal armor, this jet of gas - once it had passed through the outer armor - would blast into the hull of the tank, causing irreprible damage and often killing the crewmen inside. However, with Chobham armor's interweaved layers of ceramic composite, the forces that would normally tear into a tank's hull are forced to spread out and dissipate over a much wider area, leaving the inner hull intact. This not to say that Chobham armor renders a tank invincible - any hit will still cause exterior damage, and a powerfiul direct hit could still damage or disable the tracks or sensitive electronic equipment. But it would keep the crew alive, and often protect the tank itself enough to keep fighting. Another key crew safety feature is the vault-like armored compartment that houses the Abrams' primary ammunition. One of the primary causes of a tank's destruction has not been the direct result of armor-pierecing hits, but the inderict results of those hits ignigting and detonating the tank's munitions. To protect this, a kevlar and steel armored plate seperates the crew from the ammunition store. Same with the tank's fuel supply. Even if the compartments were pierced, and the ammunition or fuel ignited, the protective plates would insulate the crew from explosion and fire. In combat, the Abrams has proven to be second to none. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, M1s were able to take out Iraqi tanks at distances as long as 4km. Of the nearly 2,000 Abrams to see combat in the conflict, only 18 were ever taken out of service due to combat damage, and none resulted in any crew casulties. In 2003 and onwards during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Abrams again demonstrated a mastery of the battlefield, driving to Baghdad virtually unopposed. However, the Abrams clearly showed its vulnerability to ambush attacks, with a number of M1s severly damaged and disabled from RPGs, and far more frequently by roadside IED bomb traps. However, even when caught in some of the largest IED explosions, crew casualties have so far been astoundingly low, a testament to the M1s protection and survivability. While no future M1's are planned for production, a number of older models are currently slated for upgrade to current standards over the next few years, and the Abrams will continue to serve with the Us Army and Marine Corps. for mcuh of the century to come. M1 Abrams Vehicle Stats: Type: Main battle tank Manufacturer: General Dynamics Land Systems First deployed: 1980 Crew: 4 Length: 9.76 m Width: 3.65 m Height: 2.88 m Weight: 61.4 tons Armor: Classified Armament, primary: 1 x 105mm M68 rifled tank gun; later models equipped with 120mm M256 smoothbore tank gun Armament, secondary: 2 x 7.62mm FN-Browning M240 machineguns, 1 x .50-cal Browning M2 BMG machinegun Ammo stowage, primary: 55 rounds Ammo stowage, secondary: 11,000 rounds 7.62mm, 1,000 rounds .50-cal Powerplant: Textron Lycoming AGT1500 1,500hp gas-turbine engine Max speed: 72 km/h Max range: 498km Operators: Australia, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, USA

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lesbianwyllravengard · 2 years ago

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role swap au

connor takes kara's role

kara takes markus'

markus takes connor's

everything else is the same

I LOVE role swap AUs so much, imagining all the possibilities is so exciting.

My personal favourite swap AU (and the one I'm currently writing a fic on) is just that only Kara and Connor swap. I love revolutionary leader Markus, I think he's perfect for that, and I love the Jericrew sm. I know Kara would also do an excellent job at leading a revolution, but - here's my thinking. She's the first deviant, right, because she deviated in her demo, and her demo exists in canon thanks to the gallery. So wouldn't it be so fucking cool if, after she deviated (the first deviant ahh scary) Cyberlife is like, holy shit we gotta get on this, so they take her in, experiment on her, try to find out what happened, but then more deviants start popping up so they get desperate, and end up just sending Kara back out as a new and improved model that now hunts deviants. She's got all the upgrades, but none of her memories. And as she's sent out to hunt deviants, she'll get little glimpses of her past - like if you get her memory reset at Zlatko's - and the question of whether or not she gets to be deviant upon confronting Markus, or stays a machine, would depend on if the player did enough software instability actions that got her memories back. And then Markus would be like "you've been deviant before, haven't you?" and that's when it would click and we'd be told about how Kara became the deviant hunter through her flashbacks.

Likewise Connor was a scrapped RK prototype that was too unpredictable to manage and once Cyberlife perfected Kara, they no longer saw use for Connor, so they tossed him. Well, some scavengers found Connor and sold him, and somehow he eventually wound up in Todd's house. He doesn't have the exact domestic programming that an AX400 would, but he's great at adapting and learns pretty quickly.

I just wanna see Connor being a dad figure and Kara being a badass without all the gender stereotypes d*vid c*ge forced onto her.

If you have your own fun details about swap AUs or other headcanons, I'd love to hear them!

#dbh #dbh headcanon #kara and connor swap au #Dbh AU #Asks #Dbh Connor #Dbh kara #Dbh Markus #Thank you anon!

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demifiendrsa · 2 years ago

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Valve has announced Counter-Strike 2 for PC.

Counter-Strike 2 will launch for PC in Summer 2023 as a free upgrade to Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

A Limited Test will be held, and players will be selected based on a number of factors deemed important by the Counter-Strike 2 development team.

First details

About

Counter-Strike 2 is the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike‘s history, ensuring new features and updates for years to come.

All of the game’s new features will be revealed when it officially launches this summer, but the road to Counter-Strike 2 begins today as a Limited Test for select Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players. During this testing period, we’ll be evaluating a subset of features to shake out any issues before the worldwide release.

Counter-Strike 2 arrives this summer as a free upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. So build your loadout, hone your skills, and prepare yourself for what’s next!

Read on to learn more about some of the features of the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test.

Responsive Smokes

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Smoke Grenades are now dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment, and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions.

Gameplay – Smoke now has the ability to interact with other gameplay events, creating new opportunities. Bullets and HE grenades can push smoke to briefly clear sightlines or expand occlusion.

Expands to Fill Spaces Naturally – Now the smoke will seep out of opened doorways and broken windows, go down and up stairs, as well as expand in long corridors and combine with other smokes.

Reacts to Lighting – In Counter-Strike 2 smoke particles work with the unified lighting system allowing for more realistic light and color.

Moving Beyond Tick Rate

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Tick rate no longer matters for moving, shooting, or throwing.

Sub-tick updates are the heart of Counter-Strike 2. Previously, the server only evaluated the world in discrete time intervals (called ticks). Thanks to Counter-Strike 2‘s sub-tick update architecture, servers know the exact instant that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a ‘nade is thrown.

As a result, regardless of tick rate, your moving and shooting will be equally responsive and your grenades will always land the same way.

Leveling Up the World

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From upgrades to overhauls, maps are cleaner, brighter, better.

Full Overhaul Maps – The overhauled maps have been fully rebuilt from the ground up, leveraging all of the new Source 2 tools and rendering features.

Upgrade Maps – These are maps that use new Source 2 lighting, including a physically based rendering system that produces realistic materials, lighting, and reflections.

Touchstone Maps – Classic maps with solid foundations that players can use to evaluate gameplay changes from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to Counter-Strike 2. These have improvements to lighting and character read, but otherwise haven’t been changed.

Source 2 Tools – The Source 2 tools and rendering features will be available for community map makers to make it easier to build, experiment and iterate. And stay tuned for the Source 2 Item Workshop, which will be available later on in the limited test.

Your Items in a Whole New Light

Bring your entire Counter-Strike: Global Offensive inventory with you to Counter-Strike 2. Not only will you keep every item you’ve collected over the years, but they’ll all benefit from Source 2 lighting and materials.

In addition to supporting legacy models and finishes, all stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models, and some weapon finishes take advantage of these new models.

Hi-Def VFX

From UI to gameplay, all visual effects have been reimagined.

All of the visual effects have been updated in Counter-Strike 2. With Source 2 lighting and particle systems, there’s an all-new look and behavior for water, explosions, fire, smoke, muzzle flashes, bullet tracers, impact effects, and more.

Gameplay Visuals – In Counter-Strike 2 the most critical gameplay visuals have been redesigned with readability in mind. Bullet impacts can be easily viewed at a distance, and directional blood impacts (that fade over time) give you more information as you move through the world.

Environment Effects – Experience completely reauthored explosions, fire, C4 lighting, and more. Leveraging the Source 2 Engine and modern hardware, environmental effects in Counter-Strike 2 feature improved visual fidelity and greater consistency.

UI Effects – The UI in Counter-Strike 2 has gotten a complete overhaul, including fresh visual effects throughout the HUD. Not only do these improvements look nice, they also communicate important game state.

Accurate Audio

Reworked, rebalanced, and reverbed.

Counter-Strike 2 sounds have been reworked to better reflect the physical environment, be more distinct, and express more game state. They have also been rebalanced for a more comfortable listening experience.

There’s More to Come

The Limited Test only evaluates a subset of Counter-Strike 2‘s features, so that major issues can be resolved before the summer. But there’s much more to come. In just a few months we’ll reveal all of the details of Counter-Strike 2, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test FAQ

How do I gain access to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

Players are selected based on a number of factors deemed important by the Counter-Strike 2 development team, including (but not limited to) recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing.

How do I know if I’ve been selected for the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

If you are chosen to participate in the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test you will receive a notification on the main menu of CS:GO. If you receive an invitation select “ENROLL” and begin your download. When the download is complete launch CS:GO and select the “Limited Test” option to play the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test.

How often are players added to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

More players will be added to the Limited Test over time. Keep checking your CS:GO main menu to see if you have received an invite.

How long will the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test last?

Counter-Strike 2 is expected to ship Summer 2023. Please visit the Counter-Strike blog for up-to-date information on the limited test and future announcements.

What features are in the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

Initially the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test will offer Deathmatch and Unranked Competitive matchmaking on Dust2. Future limited test releases will offer other game modes, maps, and features.

I’m in the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test! How do I report bugs?

If you encounter bugs during the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test please send an email to cs2team [at] valvesoftware [dot] com and title your email “CS2LT Report”. In the body of your email please include a detailed description of the bug, reproduction steps, and any screenshots or other helpful information so the Counter-Strike 2 team may investigate.

Can I use my CS:GO inventory items in Counter-Strike 2?

Yes. All of your weapon finishes, stickers, and other CS:GO inventory items will be available to use in Counter-Strike 2. Please report any inventory item and weapon finish bugs you encounter using the previoulsy mentioned bug report process.

Can I modify my inventory items during the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

No. During the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test players cannot modify inventory items within Counter-Strike 2. This includes applying stickers, scraping stickers, using Trade Up Contracts, and other ways players can modify their in-game items. If you would like to modify your items you will need to do so in CS:GO.

Can I still play CS:GO while the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test is happening?

Yes. Please note, you will only play with and against other players playing the same version of Counter-Strike as you. Counter-Strike 2 players will play with and against other Counter-Strike 2 players, and CS:GO players will play with and against other CS:GO players.

Can I earn XP in the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

Yes. XP in the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test counts and will carry over to CS:GO.

Can I stream or make videos of the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

Yes.

Can I run or play on workshop maps in the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

Not initially. Stay tuned to the CS:GO blog for information about workshop map availability.

Can I run or play on community servers during the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test?

Not initially. Stay tuned to the CS:GO blog for information about community server availability.

I was banned in CS:GO. Can I use the same Steam account to play Counter-Strike 2?

No. Accounts with VAC or game bans in CS:GO cannot play Counter-Strike 2 on VAC-secured servers. Are competitive cooldowns shared across Counter-Strike 2 and CS:GO?

Yes. If you have a competitive cooldown in CS:GO you cannot matchmake in Counter-Strike 2 and vice versa. Can I participate in the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test on Linux or macOS?

No. The Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test is only available on Windows.

#Counter Strike 2 #Counter Strike #Counter Strike Global Offensive #CSGO #Valve #video game #PC #long post

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our-lives-automated · 11 months ago

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//DATABASE ENTRY LOAD

" The Neo Globe - Origins"

AUTHORED BY AUTOMATE UNIT NO. 19

A far-off planet understood to be known as "Earth" was destroyed in a supernova explosion. While it was successfully wiping out the surrounding area's objects, the blast was reported to be so powerful, it rather reorganized the planet's large space-time continuum into what we have designated as "fragments." These fragments were scattered across the cosmos, detailing specific points of the planets history. Us Automates discovered these fragments around our space ark. Curious, a few units decided to gather and collect the fragments scattered around the area. As more of it was studied, us as a collective chose to use this new information to expand the ark into something closer to that of this "Earth" planet as it was.

First line of business was created a brand new factory stationed at its core in order to produce and manufacture new decor and elements, along with a method to recreate the beings inhabiting the original Earth, concluding that the best solution would be to produce robotic units acting as new variants of these beings using similar code to our own. To begin we started developing various types of "animals." In our studies, the original beings had simpler behaviors and mainly stuck to the outside world on their own, so recreating that programming was not difficult at all. As we continue on, we are still discovering more creatures to be recreated as our Animal units. Once that was finished we began what would become the hardest challenge, recreating the "humans."

The first step was to properly study the original "humans" in terms of behaviors. It turns out that we could never pinpoint any exact defining behavior patterns as we could with the animals. The closest consistency was a cycle of overnight stasis, so that was properly implemented into the program early on. Upon further research and computing our information, we discovered humans functioned within a "civilization" which meant every human was different in their own way of how they behaved, some humans had assigned tasks that they proceeded with every day, and some humans enjoyed spending their free time with other humans. Some humans even formed groups of similar-appearing units known as "families" so we decided to implement that as well. Some units also discovered "soulmates," which were two or more units coming together in some type of mutual emotional connection. Now, we AutoMates don't understand emotions all to well, as we were not programmed for that, but it made sense for some humans to have dedicated partners to assist with protocol, so the concept was re-adapted.

We made the decision to use a randomization program to determine the behavior patterns and various daily tasks and routines of every unit to be produced, and practiced these programs we wrote on various computers to assure compatibility with our own code, so we had an understanding of how to maintain them properly. For the actual emotion processor chip, a few prototypes for our own models were discovered in a vault, so it was reverse engineered. After numerous configurations, the coding process was complete, and we were ready to study anatomy and visual cues.

The original humans were highly varied, almost as if there was no human that had the same features. Different colors of their outer coverings, and different types of head padding. Once again we decided to input these choices into the randomizer. However, the basic anatomy was similar across the board, minus a few differences we chose to leave out. Some humans engaged in odd behaviors we didnt quite understand relating to certain features, so we opted to eliminate those.

Some more design decisions were made, mainly in the realm of consistency with our own model and what we viewed as upgrades. We also chose to remove the odd audio receptor devices located on their heads and replace them with our own head modules in order to keep consistent with our own signals. A lot of humans were also seen using various small utensil items for tasks using their hands, so the new units would be able to retract any of their ten hand digits to use similar items. Many humans used wheeled motor transportation, although it was viewed as too dangerous for the size of the ark. In its place, their feet now contain motorized wheels in order to emulate a similar speed of transportation alongside a typical walk.

And thus, we have created the blueprint for the Human units.

A female model (HM-SAPI-F) is used for example.

Production would soon be underway, with thousands of units being manufactured throughout the next strands of time, even up until the time of formulating this document and beyond. Our space ark would now become the Neo Globe.

#our lives automated #robots #robot girl #robot oc #robot art #worldbuilding #oc history #original worlds

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beardedhandstoadshark · 1 year ago

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I've never owned a DS before and I'm really interested in purchasing one but I have no idea which one I should go with. I know there's the regular, the 3ds and the XL, so which one would you recommend?

Depends on your preference! I‘m gonna go a bit into detail here so you know what you’re buying, and there’s a TLDR in bold at the bottom, but if it’s still too muddled please don’t hesitate to ask!

Also, disclaimer, whenever I talk about pricing it’s from my own perspective, so for all we know, I could buy something super cheap that’s really expensive for you and vise versa, so it’s better to check it for yourself still.

For starters, there‘s quite a lot of different versions of the console, with the og DS and 3DS even counting as their two separate lines.

Generally speaking I’d say go with a 3DS, as they can also play every DS game on top of their own (which doesn’t work the other way around) and the hardware’s only half as old, so it’s less likely to die on you in the near future. However that makes them more expensive, too.

XL just means bigger screen/console. It’s just like when a phone comes out in regular and big size. For some folks the added space is too much to properly hold it anymore, for others the regular size is too small to do anything. Depends on your preference. For comparison:

The DSi and New 3DS are both kinda like "upgraded“ versions of the DS/3DS, respectively.

Left is a DSi, right is a New 3DS XL. They both have the same sizes as their normal counterparts, so the size comparison still works. (Ignore the low screen light on the DSi, I just didn’t bother changing it back lol. On Max brightness they‘re the same.)

If you don’t plan on playing any Gameboy Advance games, absolutely go with a DSi instead of a regular DS. They go for the same price (at least here) but the DSi has better hardware and way more functions, while being way less of a brick compared to the og DS. Apparently the max screen brightness is also higher than the og? Idk tho.

Theres also the DS lite, which is a DS that looks like a DSi, but again. Same price, might as well go with the upgrade. In any case, they’re also both harder to accidentally snap in two than the og model lol.

The New 3DS only has better hardware but no new software compared to the regular 3DS. But it’s got extra buttons! Very rarely used, but they exist. It’s kinda like 60 fps vs 30 fps, if that makes sense? The hardware difference is noticeable especially right after you switch, but you can also live without it, and sometimes it doesn’t make that big of a difference.

Like, if I play Hyrule Warriors, the regular 3DS is barely holding it together on 20fps and can’t even do 3D while the New one‘s playing pretty smooth and lets you play with 3D. And only THEN does the N3DS goes down on the same level as the regular 3DS because it’s essentially playing the game in double for the 3D effect to work. Meanwhile Mario Bros 2 plays the exact same on both of them.

What you could also do, is get a 2DS. It’s like a 3DS, but in 2D. All the features of a 3DS except for the whole 3D gimmick, so it’s basically like the Switch Lite. You also can’t fold it like the other ones, unless you get a New 2DS XL, which is foldable again, but that ones‘ price range is all over the place. The normal 2DS seems to sell generally cheaper than all the other 3DS consoles, at least.

TLDR: your options are a

DS Lite

DSi

DSi XL

For the regular DS line, and for the 3DS line a

3DS

3DS XL

New 3DS

New 3DS XL

2DS

New 2DS XL

If you only have under 100 bucks or don’t care about 3DS games,I‘d say go with one of the DSi. All consoles of the DS go for more or less the same price, and it’s got the best hardware and features of them.

If you’ve got extra pocket change, go with any of the 3DS consoles instead, as there’s just more games for it on top of a better hardware and less age. Your cheapest option is a 2DS, but a regular 3DS isn’t that far off either. They might even go for the same price, if you’re lucky? If you wanna, you can go also with a New 3DS if it’s a lot of pocket change.

And if you vibe with a bigger screen, take the XL version of whatever line you chose! Except for the 2DS XL, somehow its 3D counterpart is cheaper than the 2D XL again.

Also, ALL of these consoles come in multiple colors!

TLDRTDLR: DSi for price or any of the 3DS line for more games, imo

…and if you get any of them and the shoulder buttons are broken, that’s completely normal. You can drop them 100 times and the console is fine, but play Mario Kart too often and the shoulder buttons stop working lmao.

#another anon ask #The DSi and all 3DS‘ are also the best for modding #but I doubt that particular thing is gonna be much of an influence here is it XD

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gamesception · 2 years ago

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So here's the new toy that's been distracting me the last couple days. My decade+ old oversized ASUS gaming laptop finally pooped out several months ago, leaving me daily driving my Steam Deck of all things as my main home computer. And don't get me wrong, the Deck has performed remarkably well in that regard, but I've been meaning to get something a bit fancier for a while. Something that could handle 1440p gameplay at a decent framerate while streaming or recording, can manage image and video editing well, and in particular can run some VR games. I've been interested in VR gaming ever since Lobac posted about some of that a while back, especially with the Meta Quest 2 being a solid headset at a really aggressive cost. With the Zuck giving up on the metaverse, the Quest is likely never going to be cheaper than it is now.

I'd waffled for a while about building a PC, but in the end I psyched myself out and decided to go with a pre-built instead. Yes, that means willfully overpaying for the end product by a few hundred bucks to pay someone else to do the assembly and initial set up for me, but in exchange I only had to research one product instead of half a dozen separate components, plus there's a single warranty where if anything doesn't work it's somebody else's problem to fix it, and I'd only have to deal with a delay.

After watching and reading a bunch of reviews, Skytech seemed to be a decent choice for system integrator, with solid to positive reviews for various prebuilt models they offer, including Gamer's Nexus who tend to be pretty harsh on pre-builts. But it was this review from JustIN Tech that sold me on this Azure 2 model. "Performance equivalent to last gens best, but at half the price" is the exact tag line I was looking for, and after a recent price discount it was just within my $2k range.

In retrospect though, I should have done some more research on the specific components. I'm quite happy with the intel 13600 cpu, and while the included cooling setup is overkill for that chip, that just means I've got some free thermal space to overclock or upgrade in the future. Plus, it's pretty, and I'm shallow. On the other hand it turns out the nvidia 4070ti is not well thought of - generally considered badly overpriced, plus has the extra negetive association of being just a rebranding of the failed '4080 12gb' that was so roundly panned that its release had to be canned altogether. And the PNY model that came bundled in my unit isn't even as nice as the Gigabyte one in the JustIN Tech review. One of the reasons why Gamer's Nexus is the better channel for these sorts of reviews is that they do secret shopper and get the same stuff regular folks get, where as brands know what they're sending to channels like JustIN Tech and can take pains to make the best possible impression by including better components and taking extra care in assembly and packaging.

So what should I have purchased instead? I don't know. Maybe the 'blue' model of the same Azure 2 line, which is three hundred dollars cheaper to swap out the 4070ti for an intel Arc a770, which would probably have been more than enough for my intended use cases. Heck, with 4 extra gb of vram it might have even been better than the 4070ti for me in the long term, and if not then I could use the money saved towards swapping out to a better AMD card next gen. But the blue model comes in a blue version of the case, which wouldn't have made the swirly rainbow rbgs pop as much.

Anyway, while I might have made a different choice if I had done more research, that doesn't mean I'm at all unhappy with what I got! The Azure 2 arrived promptly. The build quality of the system is very nice. No damage, no loose or cross-threaded screws. Everything worked right out of the box when plugged in - including all the various external ports. Skytech certainly did a good job putting it all together. While the 4070ti might not be the most reasonably priced card for its performance level, now that it's here and paid for regardless, it seems like it should be able to do everything I want it to, at least for now. And if I end up replacing the gpu sooner then I would have liked, eh, we live and learn.

And while it doesn't matter at all compared to cost and performance, the swirly rainbow rgb lighting makes me feel like a Real Gamer (tm).

Desk is getting a bit cluttered tho.

As for performance, It's quiet and runs cool while playing my current games at top settings - though my particular game selection (mostly just Elden Ring on max settings with Ray Tracing), and my 1080p, 75hz monitor aren't exactly putting it through its paces yet. A new monitor is one of several upgrades & accessories I plan to get to go with this thing in coming months. New monitor, VR headset, an extra ssd on which to install linux - I figure I'll keep the windows install on the side, on the off chance there are games or utilities I can't get running in Linux down the line.

But anyway yeah, that's what I've been so busy with lately, delaying liveblog posts.

#gaming pc #skytech #other guys my age go out and buy like an expensive car or something #This is my mid life crisis gaming rig #I will use it to emulate nes games

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