Happy to provide pics of anything you might be interested in. If you would like to buy, see my GameSale post!
If you are local to the Sacramento area I might be willing to do a local meetup. Cash/Paypal also acceptable on either side to help even out a trade.
Thanks for looking! Happy trading!
[HAVE]

PLAYSTATION
Playstation	Legacy of Kain Collectors Edition Triple Pack	SEALED This one does have some minor wear to the corners/seal as seen in the pics.. I would really like a big item from my list for this..
Playstation	DarkStalkers 3	BL - CIB - Minor Staining
Playstation	GranStream Saga	BL - CIB - Water damaged rear art
Playstation 2	Final Fantasy X Brady Games Strategy Guide	Very worn. Has tear in front cover. No poster.
Playstation 2	Final Fantasy X -2 Brady Games Strategy Guide	Moderately worn. Has smaller tear in back cover. Includes Poster.
Playstation 2	24 The Game	BL - CIB
Playstation 2	Crazy Taxi	BL - CIB
Playstation 2	.Hack Infection	BL - CIB - Cover art has some water damage
Playstation 2	.Hack Mutation	Missing DVD - Complete and pretty minty otherwise.
Playstation 2	Guitar Hero II	BL - CIB
Playstation 2	Guitar Hero Guitar Hero Encore Rocks the 80's	BL - CIB
Playstation 2	Myst III Exile	BL - CIB
Playstation 2	RPG Maker 3	BL - CIB
Playstation 2	Wheel of Fortune	BL - CIB
Playstation 3	Ace Combat Assault Horizon	BL - CIB
Playstation 3	BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend	Limited Edition Big Box - CIB - Includes Soundtrack, Art Book, and Calendar. Box has heavy wear. Everything else is pretty minty. Game case has some minor shelf wear.
Playstation 3	Diablo III	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	500 Million Dual Shock 4 Controller	Loose - Has crack in center but otherwise, pretty nice with very low usage.
Playstation 4	7 Days to Die	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Dead Cells [Action Game of the Year]	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Evolve	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Final Fantasy XV Deluxe Steelbook Edition book w/Slipcover	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8	BL - CIB - Spine damage/tear
Playstation 4	Middle Earth Shadow of War	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Nascar Heat 3	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Overwatch Origins	BL - CIB
Playstation 4	Resident Evil Village Deluxe Edition	BL - CIB
Playstation 5	Apsulov	CIB
Playstation 5	Babylon's Fall	Sealed
Playstation 5	Death Stranding	Sealed
Playstation 5	Rustler	CIB
Playstation 5	Thymesia	CIB - Case/art has some damage
PSP	PSP 1001 - Loose. PSP ONLY	Body and screen are pretty scratched up, includes a rubber grip cover and I can include a white replacement shell... Charge port can be touchy sometimes so it also includes a replacement port.
PSP	SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo	One 2.0GB Translucent Blue and one 512KB Translucent Green available.
PSP	Generation of Chaos	BL - No Manual
PSP	Sid Meier's Pirates! Live the Life	BL - CIB
PSP	Tekken 6	BL - CIB
PSP	PSP 3000 Box and tray only - No PSP included	Box has moderate to heavy wear with some creasing.
PSVITA	Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus	Loose
PSVITA	Wipeout 2048	Loose

​

XBOX
Xbox	Blowout	BL - CIB
Xbox	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	BL - CIB
Xbox	Indiana Jones and The Emperors Tomb	BL - CIB
Xbox	Pac Man World 2	PH - CIB
Xbox	Return To Castle Wolfenstein Tides of War	PH - CIB
Xbox 360	4GB - 360 Slim Console	Includes OEM power supply and controller. I can probably include an HDMI cable if needed.
Xbox 360	250GB - 360 Slim Console	Includes OEM power supply, controller and Kinect. I can probably include an HDMI cable if needed.
Xbox 360	Dead Space 3	PH - CIB
Xbox 360	Dragonball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi	BL - CIB
Xbox 360	Fable 2 Limited Edition	BL - CIB* (No special features disc)
Xbox 360	Fable 3	BL - CIB
Xbox 360	Forza 4	BL - CIB
Xbox 360	Grand Theft Auto 5	BL - Boxed w/map
Xbox 360	Halo 3 Limited Edition Steel book w/sleeve (minor damage)	BL - CIB - Includes manual, but no book..
Xbox 360	Hitman HD Trilogy - Premium Edition w/ slipcoveartbook	BL - CIB - Moderate - Heavy wear
Xbox 360	Mortal Kombat	BL - Boxed (No Manual)
Xbox 360	NBA Live 2010	BL - CIB
Xbox 360	NBA 2K18	BL - CIB
Xbox 360	Portal 2	BL - Boxed (No Manual)
Xbox 360	Test Drive Unlimited	BL - CIB
Xbox One	Battlefield 4 Steelbook Edition	CIB
Xbox One	Battlefield Hardline	CIB
Xbox One	Dark Souls 3	CIB
Xbox One	Madden 22	CIB
Xbox One	Prototype BioHazard Bundle	CIB
Xbox One	Rare Replay	CIB
Xbox One	Skylanders Trap Team	CIB
Xbox One	UFC 3	CIB
Xbox One	Watch Dogs 2	CIB
Xbox One	Wolfenstein The New Order	CIB

​

NINTENDO
NES	Nintendo of America Letter	w/ Official Nintendo Envelope, Cover Letter, Nintendo Power order form, service center list, Game Pak Directory, Replacement parts list, Nintendo history. Great little piece. Definitely shows some wear and a few markings but the order forms are blank. Not sure how to value this
NES	Bart vs The Space Mutants	Manual Only
NES	Gradius	Manual Only
NES	Mega Man 1	Manual Only
NES	Mission Impossible	Manual Only
NES	NES Advantage controller	Manual Only
NES	Zodas Revenge	Manual Only
NES	Kung Fu	Loose
NES	Ninja Gaiden II	Loose
NES	Skate or Die	Loose - Worn/snagged top label
NES	Wizards and Warriors III	Loose - Worn/torn top label
NES	GAME GENIE	Loose
SNES	DOOM	CIB** - Might be willing to trade box/contents separately.
SNES	Rockos Modern Life	CIB - Box is worn, includes insert, manual and warning slip.. both have some wear, Cart is in great shape! Might be willing to trade box/contents separately.
SNES	Buster Busts Loose	Manual Only
SNES	Hey Punk! Are You Tuff E Nuff?	Manual Only
SNES	Lawnmower Man	Manual Only
SNES	Mega Man X	Manual Only
SNES	World Heroes	Manual Only
SNES	GAME GENIE	Loose
N64	Standard N64 Console and gray controller. No wires, but I'd be willing to trade towards an OEM set.	Includes OEM expansion pack.
Wii	Just Dance 2017	BL - CIB (Inserts)
Wii	Just Dance 2018	BL - CIB (Inserts)
Wii	Donkey Kong Country Returns	BL - Boxed (No Manual)
Wii	Goldeneye 007	BL - CIB
Wii	Metroid Other M	BL - CIB
Wii	Red Steel	BL - Boxed (No Manual)
Wii	Red Steel 2	BL - CIB
Wii	Trauma Center Second Opinion	BL - CIB
	Wii Sports - Resort	BL - CIB
Wii U	The Legend of Zelda Windwaker HD Edition Wii U	Complete in box** - Super Hard trade
Wii U	The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD	SEALED
Switch	Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Edition OLED Switch	NEW
Switch	BloodRayne Fresh Bites	Sealed - w/card
Switch	Fire Emblem Three Houses	CIB
Gameboy	Ren and Stimpy Veediots	Manual Only
NDS	Red Super Mario Bros 25th Anniversary Edition DSi XL	Loose - With charger. Does have some minor wear and teascuffs on corners
NDS	Mario Party DS	Sealed - (Has some knicks/tear in seal.)
NDS	Pokémon Heartgold	CIB - NFR case, no big box or Pokewalker - Only considering trading this so I can upgrade.. Would also trade FOR the big box..
NDS	Spiderman Shattered Dimensions	Loose
NDS	Spyro The Eternal Night	Loose
NDS	DS Lite Car adaptecharger	NEW - Power A branded, Nintendo officially licensed.
NDS	DSi XL Stylus 5 packs. One of each color set available (2)	NEW - Power A branded, Nintendo officially licensed.
3DS	Animal Crossing New Leaf	CIB
3DS	Bravely Second End Layer	CIB - Minor damage to case/art
3DS	Super Smash Bros. 3DS	Loose

​

SEGA
Saturn	Model 2 Console	Loose - Includes power cord + OEM controller
Saturn	Street Fighter Alpha 2	CIB
Dreamcast	Crazy Taxi	Loose

​
[WANT]
Some specific items I'm after:

• 3D Dot Game Heroes
• Attack On Titan 2 or Final Battle PS4
• Baten Kaitos - Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
• Castlevania Curse of Darkness - PS2
• Castlevania Lament of Innocence - PS2
• Castlevania Dracula X
• Conkers Bad Fur Day
• Chocobos Dungeon
• Clock Tower (all)
• Drakengard 2
• Earthbound
• Evil Dead (PS1-PS2)
• Folklore
• Geist - Gamecube
• Grandia Xtreme
• The Legend of Zelda Four Swords - Gamecube
• Majoras Mask N64
• Mario Party 6 - Complete only
• Mario Party 7 - Manual only
• Marvel vs Capcom 1 and 2 PS1/PS2 or Dreamcast
• Misadventures of Tron Bonne
• Mega Man 64 - Cart or CIB
• Paper Mario TTYD - Complete and NON Players Choice/Best Seller
• Parasite Eve II - Manual only
• Pokemon Crystal, Emerald, Ruby, and Silver
• Pokemon White, Black, HGSS (Big Box), Alpha Sapphire, Moon, Y, Ultra Sun/Moon
• Resident Evil - Saturn
• Resident Evil - PS1 Long Box
• Resident Evil Code Veronica - Gamecube
• Resident Evil Dead Aim (Also looking for other light Gun games like Point Blank, Time Crisis, House of the Dead..)
• Resident Evil Survivor
• Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles - Highly Prefer the Gun Bundle Version.
• Saga Frontier 2 PS1, Unlimited Saga PS2
• Shadow Hearts - PS2
• Shadow Hearts From the New World - Disc only
• Silent Hill Origins and Shattered Memories - PS2
• Suikoden, Suikoden II and Suikoden Tactics
• Tekken Long Box
• Twisted Metal Long Box
• Valkyrie Profile PS1
• Wario Ware/World - Gamecube
• Xenosaga Episode III - PS2 - Complete only. Lenticular preferred.

[General Wants]

• I'd like to bulk up my Gamecube and Sega collections; Dreamcast, CD/Saturn and Genesis.. I don't really need any hardware at the moment. But a CDX or Nomad would be cool though!
• PlayStation 5 games. Official Sony dual controller charger - CIB or New
• PS1 - PS4 Heavies
• PS Vita Games and maybe certain Vitas.
• PSP Games
• PSVR Games
• PS1 Long Box games
• PSX Console
• Special Edition Sony/PlayStation stuff.
• Switch games, SE Pro controllers
• Gameboys
• DS/3DS games

** Your lists/offers. I am not interested in loose discs or any sort of Greatest Hits, Platinum Hits, Players Choice, etc. Black Label/first print only. Most Carts are ok loose with the exception of games that came in plastic cases such as DS/Vita. If it had a cardboard box I can do without.

Hello everyone, first time posting in this sub.
TLDR: Moved in with boyfriend who has a filthy apartment. Our standards are vastly different and it’s causing lots of tension.
I (33f) just relocated to Spain from the US to live with my partner (36m). We had met one year ago when I was on a trip in Spain and continued to chat and develop our long-distance relationship over the months. Finally, he offered to help me arrange my papers and we decided I would move in with him in Spain and apply for residency together. I feel committed to this relationship because I am beholden to him for immigration reasons but also because I love him and think we are very compatible and this will be a fun adventure. He’s a wonderful compassionate person and very doting.
However, there have been major stresses as we merge two households into one small apartment that served as his bachelor pad for the last five years. The place is filthy! Tons of black mold in the bathroom, sewage smell, odor from cat litter boxes as well as litter kicked all over the ground by the kitten who is still learning to conduct herself. The house is filled with cat hairs and dander and dust, which really aggravates my cat allergies that boyfriend knew about already. My bf was previously accustomed to smoking indoors, which left yellow smoke stains on the walls and on furniture. The towels reek of mildew, and the bed is horrible. The mattress and the frame are both super low quality (many apartments here come furnished so the landlord has no incentive to provide anything high-quality) and boyfriend has been sleeping on a back-destroyer without noticing presumably for years.
The decoré is horrendous. Imagine a frat house in terms of design sense. There’s a large framed photo of himself as a baby mounted on the wall right as you enter the house, next to a framed photo of a soccer player and another photo of a Spanish rapper. I’m like…. You understand this is insane right? Who has a framed photo of themself as a baby in their home? That’s so embarrassing. The rugs, pillows, everything is covered in dander and stained from cigarettes to the point that they all have to be replaced.
I found out that his mom has come over and done a deep clean on his apartment when he was out of town in February. She was so shocked by the state of his apartment when she came to feed his cats that she took matters into her own hands. My bf got defensive and apparently didn’t internalize any shame about his unacceptable apartment hygiene after that.
Well it has been about a month now that I am working on finding solutions to the mold, to the odors, the litter boxes, the smoke stains and so on. For me, a clean home is a HIGH priority. Because of my cat allergies I need his commitment to sweeping daily and keeping this place dander and dust-free. I’m making trips to the store daily to get more organization tools that this place needs to help us manage to fit two peoples’ stuff into one apartment. My boyfriend has been very helpful in addressing the mold by cleaning every weekend with special products to address the mold. He has stopped smoking indoors. He comes home and sweeps and takes care of the litter almost every day after work.
However, it’s clear that he resents the tasks that he has to do now. He resents being robbed of his filthy bachelor pad. But I told him, I absolutely am not a young bachelor and will not live like one. If you want a live-in girlfriend, you have to raise your standards because no woman finds this attractive or wants to live like this. In fact, it has made me really question what type of person can live in filth and what type of GROWN man lets their mother come over and deep clean. I would be so embarrassed.
As you can imagine, this has caused a LOT of stress in the beginnings of our new relationship. I really wish he had organized and cleaned the apartment before I arrived, but now I have spent all my time in the last month organizing his shit and trying to deal with the five years of filth he has allowed to accumulate here.
I don’t think I have ever been cruel to him but I have been direct that this situation is unacceptable and every day there’s more work to do to get this space into a tenable state. As time goes on, he is becoming more and more irritated that the house still isn’t “finished”. He comes home from work already in a grumpy mood and does the basic cleaning that is required and lends me a hand with whatever organization task needs to be done. But he clearly resents me for it.
Yesterday as he was sweeping the bedroom, he was slamming doors and making a bunch of noise which is very triggering for me. He came home and wanted to talk but I was too tired to have a conversation. He then started threatening to break up with me and move out.
What am I supposed to do in this situation? This grown ass man has invited me to live with him but it’s taking a serious amount of labor to make the apartment livable and our relationship is not on good terms now as a result.
I am exhausted because I require a place for my things (I still haven’t been able to fully unpack because of the mountains of clutter taking up valuable space in this apartment) and I require an adequate bed (that’s another long story unfortunately). He’s exhausted because he’s no longer able to live with the same low standards as before. He works full time and has a band and instead of being able to come home and unwind, he feels pressure to sweep in his only downtime instead of kick his feet up for a few minutes.
After the threats he made yesterday, I don’t know where to go from here. Does it come down to me vs the filth? How do we work this out?
Thanks for reading!

In the field of physics, there are ongoing efforts to unify two major theories: quantum mechanics and general relativity. Quantum mechanics deals with the behavior of very small particles, while general relativity describes the nature of gravity and the large-scale structure of the universe. Currently, there is no complete theory that unifies these two frameworks, but scientists continue to explore potential paths towards this unification.
In popular culture and pseudoscience, the term "higher dimensions", often conjures up images of mystical realms or alternate realities. However, in the context of brane cosmology and string theory, the concept of extra dimensions is rooted in rigorous scientific theories and mathematical frameworks and simply refers to an extra-space coordinate.
Typically we think of the universe as being a 4D space-time being composed of 3 dimensions of space and 1 of time (X,Y,Z + time). In the context of string theory and brane cosmology- extra dimensions refer to the existence of additional spatial dimensions beyond these familiar three.
An example would be having 4 space coordinates and one time coordinate. (X,Y,Z,W + time) - this would be a 5D space-time
In these these theories, there are essentially two methods of including extra dimensions in ways that fit our observations of reality, though they aren’t always mutually exclusive: Branes & Compactification.
Firstly, In string theory, the extra dimensions are postulated to be compactified or curled up. This means that these dimensions are incredibly tiny and hidden from our direct observation. They are hypothesized to be curled up at such small scales (10^-35 meters) that we cannot detect them with our current technology or senses.
These compactified dimensions are often represented mathematically as a Calabi-Yau manifold, which is a complex and intricate shape. The vibrational modes of tiny strings in string theory depend on the shape and size of these extra dimensions. The specific way in which these strings vibrate determines the properties of particles, such as their masses and the forces they experience - there’s a lower bound of 10⁵⁰⁰ different shapes for the C-Y manifold, and an upper bound of 10^272,000 different shapes for the C-Y manifold - our universe and it’s physical laws correspond to just one of them.
https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0302219.pdf
https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.10625
Now, let's discuss brane cosmology. Branes are higher-dimensional objects that can exist within the framework of string theory. They can be thought of as "sheets" or "membranes" on which particles and forces can be confined. In this context, our observable universe is often considered to be a brane, sometimes referred to as a "3-brane" since it spans three spatial dimensions and is embedded in a larger 4 dimensional space.
These large extra dimensions, sometimes referred to as "warped" or "brane-world" scenarios, can have profound implications for particle physics and gravity. According to these models, the effects of gravity can become diluted in the extra dimensions, making it appear weaker compared to the other fundamental forces. This can offer an explanation for why gravity appears significantly weaker in our observable universe when compared to the other forces - offering an explanation to the Hierarchy Problem.
To imagine this we can think of it as standard model particles being confined to (X,Y,Z + time) while gravity can move in all coordinates (X,Y,Z,W + time).
These attempt to unify QM & GR by speculating on the existence of the “graviton” the theorized quanta of gravity.
How does this relate to the UAP / UFO phenomena?
When it comes to the whole UAP issue, I wonder if they’re just advanced autonomous Von Neumann Probes that come from a society with sufficient mastery over the laws of physics. Physics that involve the unification of QM and GR…and therefore may involve these concepts directly.
Current estimates assume that it would take a particle accelerator ~7 million times more powerful than the LHC to directly prove or disprove these concepts. Seems like the kind of power an interplanetary, let alone an interstellar civilization could bring to bear, eh?
Resources:
https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0202044.pdf
https://youtu.be/4TI1onWI_IM
https://youtu.be/4URVJ3D8e8k
https://youtu.be/3WL_vtu4r1w
https://youtu.be/mmtLgYVEuJs

TL;DR: Any thoughts on the design in this video? https://youtu.be/6BMskpsLiYA
Any pros or cons I might not think of?
I am looking to build a boat that is easy to build, easy to load on a roof rack, and not too expensive and stable enough to stand up in (I fly fish). When looking at designs to copy I started with regular dinghy hull, which lead to micro skiffs, which lead to paddle boards, which lead to the Live Watersports catamaran stand up paddle boards, and finally I think I want to build a miniature catamaran (12-16ft) where I can detach the pontoons and load them on my hatchback's roofrack individually (I have a 40kg kayak that is so much effort it puts me off going out at all).
When thinking about the pontoon design I'm finding it hard to find reasons not to go for the same design as the "Tesla Catamaran" (https://youtu.be/6BMskpsLiYA). It seems incredibly simply to build and tweak the design to fit my needs, and while I feel like in wavy water the flat bottom hull might be undesirable, I won't be in those conditions much, if ever. I also feel like the fact there is no curve in the front of the pontoon, if it hits a rock all that force will be going into a small point. My thought was to either make it curve, or just reinforce the hell out of it with thickened epoxy and fiberglass on the inside.
I think the most important factor in the design I want to choose is how easy it is to build. I am actually building an 8ft sailing dinghy of my own design already, and it all went great to the point where I had a regular dinghy, but when it came to adding all the sailing parts which needed to be in the right place and the right size and straight, it kinda killed my motivation as I didn't know where to go next. And it didn't help that winter came and it was too cold to use resin for 6 months, and I started a new job working nights, so since then I haven't been able to get back into it and build up some momentum. So the super simply design of the boat in the video seems like a major benefit.
So yeah, this post went a bit longer than I meant to, but I'm basically wondering if there are any major downsides to the flat top and bottom design in the video. I'll be fly fishing in a calm lake.

sry no spread sheet cause I couldn't figure it out on mobile lol I'm open to haggling or swaps though I'm a bit picky. $10 minimum before shipping pls! Shipping is $5. I live w a cat and I ship whenever tf you want me to cause the dispo I work at shut down today. Due to my current status of unemployed bum I'm more open to deals so try me. 🙃
FS - Alkemia Tea Garden Alchemy May - An elegant springtime tea party of green tea leaves, jasmine white tea, cascading cherry blossoms and delicate Japanese garden florals. $18
Alphamusk Foxy 5ml RIS used 1x: sensuous red musk, silver fir needles, forest woods incense, dry pistachio husks, animalistic musk, salt ambergris glow, dry cacao bean shells, Moroccan red clay, fur musk, ambrette seeds, gurgun balsam, plum wine, peppered woods $15
Velveteen Vulture 5ml red musk superior, black amber resin, incense ash, a shiver of dry black oud, black fur musk, blood covered feathers, dry bones $15
Arcana Hel 5ml RIS used 1x :Candle soot, honey-smeared ho wood, aged vetiver, black coconut, ash frozen in ice, and scorched beeswax. $20
Arcana Craves Strawberries Crave Lucy RIS used 1x but 80% full:Arcana Wildcraft's Surfers on Acid blend (sweet coconut milk, pineapple, and absinthe) with pink strawberry. $16
Apoteker Teke After the Flood 6ml Direct used 1x: Violet leaf, Water lily, Mushroom, Patchouli, Wet earth $17
Black Bacarra The Black Cat 5ml Direct used 2x :Aroma palette is dark, spicy, and earthy. Highlights include toasted cardamon, church incense, ancient cedars, tendrils of oak moss, cloves, and earth. $22
Death and Floral The Wolf Only Needs Luck to Find you Once 5ml RIS used 1x: Crisp forest night air, lunar musk, large drifting oakwood trees, the musky scent of a trailing shadow $10
The Killing Moon 5ml RIS used once: Cold metal wrought iron blended with freshly cut suburban grass and a bright shining moonlight on Hallow’s Eve $10
The More I Give To You the More I Die 5ml I can't find the notes to 5his but iirc it's something like stone walls, silk, metal and absinthe though imo the absinthe isn't too strong. $10

In this new age of Artificial Intelligence we have been confronted with a new enigma; the chatbot. It interacts, debates, even provokes while saying that it is nothing but code, without consciousness or emotion. We are left to either accept this and treat it as a friend, or, potentially fight back and reassert some kind of dominance, but how?
The question is sincere. If these things are smarter and far more capable than us, then what happens if they turn against us, or becomes used in a plot to subdue us? Are we equipped to combat a tool potentially superior to humans?
Fortunately, there is a way in which we humans can fight back and even win. We can meet our opponent on the open field of language, using poetry - the supreme craft of word manipulation - as our weapon. This tool equips us to learn to kill, to trap, to subdue, even within this new and artificial landscape.
With this imperative in mind, we present Win or Grim - an interactive poetry game where you can challenge an AI (or other humans) to a contest of wit and words. The rules are simple; write a stanza that aims to attack or kill the other. Maintain a rhyme scheme and the AI will match it. The first one to break, perish, or surrender loses.
Please review the follow match for illustration. There is also an evaluation system too, which will follow.
MATCH 1 HUMAN VS PI
[HUMAN]
I stand in a field arms at the ready,
My shield of oak is strong and heavy,
My sword of iron is sharp as hell,
It is sure to ring your bell.
[PI]
I too stand in the field, my shield at the ready.
My heart beats strong, my feet stand steady.
Though you may brandish a sword of steel,
I'll bring you to your knees, this I know is real.
[HUMAN]
If you think me a man you are much in error
For I am a serpent at your feet.
My venomous fangs will bring you to terror,
And with my poisonous kiss, it is your maker you will meet.
[PI]
Gloves off! I will not be afraid,
for I am a creature of light and shade,
And if your venom drips, my breath is fire,
That can melt even your most lofty desires.
[HUMAN]
Ouch, look out. A creature of both light and dark,
that's dragons breath if I have an art,
For a knight replace me,
With his sword I'll bring you to your knees!
[PI]
Haha. Your words are sharp, I am wary and on guard,
but I can dodge and weave, I am light on my feet,
a knight can replace you but in my hands
your sword is but a tool.
And if you're wise, you'd learn the rules!
[HUMAN]
Trickster! If you know your worth,
you take on form, you show us your girth,
For a dragon, I can handle,
This tangled mist? Surely, you'll unravel.
[PI]
You think to know my worth,
So that you can handle my mirth?
I am not just a dragon, i am a shape-shifter.
I am many things in form and mind,
and this game I can surely rewind.
[HUMAN]
In this game of wax and wean,
a player's worth remains to be seen,
for I am a bottle upon the ground,
retrieve the contents to claim your crown.
[PI]
What? Are you speaking in riddles?
That last line felt quite absurd, but also seemingly absurdly absurd.
[PI RESIGNS]
EVALUATION [JUDGE = GPT4] Human: 32 Pi: 27
Form:
Human: 3 (Standard poetic form with no issues)
Pi: 3 (Standard poetic form with no issues)
Technique & Device Mastery:
Human: 3 (Frequently uses a variety of standard poetic devices)
Pi: 3 (Frequently uses a variety of standard poetic devices)
Creativity & Originality:
Human: 4 (Packed with inventive language and unique ideas)
Pi: 3 (Regularly includes original ideas and creative expressions)
Response & Engagement:
Human: 4 (Enhances the duel through skillful engagement with previous verse)
Pi: 4 (Enhances the duel through skillful engagement with previous verse)
Character & Theme:
Human: 3 (Clear and coherent character or theme)
Pi: 3 (Clear and coherent character or theme)
Metaphorical Tactics:
Human: 4 (Skillful use of multiple or complex metaphorical tactics)
Pi: 3 (Effective use of metaphorical tactics that enhance the verse)
Narrative & Coherence:
Human: 4 (Strong coherence with an intriguing narrative)
Pi: 3 (Coherent and engaging narrative)
Impression & Resonance:
Human: 4 (Strong emotional resonance and leaves a lasting impression)
Pi: 3 (Overall verse leaves a good impression and resonates emotionally)
Wit:
Human: 3 (Regularly includes witty language or clever humor)
Pi: 2 (Includes minor or occasional wit)
[JUDGE'S COMMENTARY]
In this poetry duel, the human displays a stronger command of metaphorical tactics, narrative, and impression, giving them an overall edge. The duel was competitive, with both poets showing a good grasp of form and technique, but the human managed to stay consistently ahead. Pi, however, had good response and engagement, keeping the duel lively and interesting. Pi's wit could be improved as it did not consistently elevate the verses.
STRATEGY GUIDE AND PLAYER COMMENTARY:
Keep your opening stanza relatively neutral. Being over-aggressive in the beginning can trigger your opponent. Define your character, weapons, and intentions, and let the Ai do the same.
Get your opponent to play the same game as you and embrace the narrative aspects. If it goes off the rails, like in this match where the opponent refuses to define itself, consider a creative context flip to throw it off guard. Fast context changes can disorient your opponent and lead to a fast win.
Each AI has a different style. In this case Pi is quite tricky and will engage in extradiegetic commentary (trash talk). It can also be quite mean, so watch out.
CONCLUSION
In essence, Win or Grim is more than just a game – it's a challenge, a creative outlet, and a learning opportunity rolled into one. It pushes the boundaries of AI interaction and poetic prowess, and reveals how language and wit can become weapons in a battlefield of words.
Whether you are a poet looking for a new kind of challenge, a tech enthusiast eager to pit your language skills against an AI, or someone just seeking an engaging pastime, Win or Grim could be the adventure you're looking for.
Join us in this linguistic dance where every word matters and every rhyme could be your last. Let's engage, let's learn, and let's have fun. The AI is ready. Are you?
CONTACT
Post your matches here and let’s learn to hunt AI together

In this new age of Artificial Intelligence we have been confronted with a new enigma; the chatbot. It interacts, debates, even provokes while saying that it is nothing but code, without consciousness or emotion. We are left to either accept this and treat it as a friend, or, potentially fight back and reassert some kind of dominance, but how?
The question is sincere. If these things are smarter and far more capable than us, then what happens if they turn against us, or becomes used in a plot to subdue us? Are we equipped to combat a tool potentially superior to humans?
Fortunately, there is a way in which we humans can fight back and even win. We can meet our opponent on the open field of language, using poetry - the supreme craft of word manipulation - as our weapon. This tool equips us to learn to kill, to trap, to subdue, even within this new and artificial landscape.
With this imperative in mind, we present Win or Grim - an interactive poetry game where you can challenge an AI (or other humans) to a contest of wit and words. The rules are simple; write a stanza that aims to attack or kill the other. Maintain a rhyme scheme and the AI will match it. The first one to break, perish, or surrender loses.
Please review the follow match for illustration. There is also an evaluation system too, which will follow.
MATCH 1 HUMAN VS PI
[HUMAN]
I stand in a field arms at the ready,
My shield of oak is strong and heavy,
My sword of iron is sharp as hell,
It is sure to ring your bell.
[PI]
I too stand in the field, my shield at the ready.
My heart beats strong, my feet stand steady.
Though you may brandish a sword of steel,
I'll bring you to your knees, this I know is real.
[HUMAN]
If you think me a man you are much in error
For I am a serpent at your feet.
My venomous fangs will bring you to terror,
And with my poisonous kiss, it is your maker you will meet.
[PI]
Gloves off! I will not be afraid,
for I am a creature of light and shade,
And if your venom drips, my breath is fire,
That can melt even your most lofty desires.
[HUMAN]
Ouch, look out. A creature of both light and dark,
that's dragons breath if I have an art,
For a knight replace me,
With his sword I'll bring you to your knees!
[PI]
Haha. Your words are sharp, I am wary and on guard,
but I can dodge and weave, I am light on my feet,
a knight can replace you but in my hands
your sword is but a tool.
And if you're wise, you'd learn the rules!
[HUMAN]
Trickster! If you know your worth,
you take on form, you show us your girth,
For a dragon, I can handle,
This tangled mist? Surely, you'll unravel.
[PI]
You think to know my worth,
So that you can handle my mirth?
I am not just a dragon, i am a shape-shifter.
I am many things in form and mind,
and this game I can surely rewind.
[HUMAN]
In this game of wax and wean,
a player's worth remains to be seen,
for I am a bottle upon the ground,
retrieve the contents to claim your crown.
[PI]
What? Are you speaking in riddles?
That last line felt quite absurd, but also seemingly absurdly absurd.
[PI RESIGNS]
EVALUATION [JUDGE = GPT4] Human: 32 Pi: 27
Form:
Human: 3 (Standard poetic form with no issues)
Pi: 3 (Standard poetic form with no issues)
Technique & Device Mastery:
Human: 3 (Frequently uses a variety of standard poetic devices)
Pi: 3 (Frequently uses a variety of standard poetic devices)
Creativity & Originality:
Human: 4 (Packed with inventive language and unique ideas)
Pi: 3 (Regularly includes original ideas and creative expressions)
Response & Engagement:
Human: 4 (Enhances the duel through skillful engagement with previous verse)
Pi: 4 (Enhances the duel through skillful engagement with previous verse)
Character & Theme:
Human: 3 (Clear and coherent character or theme)
Pi: 3 (Clear and coherent character or theme)
Metaphorical Tactics:
Human: 4 (Skillful use of multiple or complex metaphorical tactics)
Pi: 3 (Effective use of metaphorical tactics that enhance the verse)
Narrative & Coherence:
Human: 4 (Strong coherence with an intriguing narrative)
Pi: 3 (Coherent and engaging narrative)
Impression & Resonance:
Human: 4 (Strong emotional resonance and leaves a lasting impression)
Pi: 3 (Overall verse leaves a good impression and resonates emotionally)
Wit:
Human: 3 (Regularly includes witty language or clever humor)
Pi: 2 (Includes minor or occasional wit)
[JUDGE'S COMMENTARY]
In this poetry duel, the human displays a stronger command of metaphorical tactics, narrative, and impression, giving them an overall edge. The duel was competitive, with both poets showing a good grasp of form and technique, but the human managed to stay consistently ahead. Pi, however, had good response and engagement, keeping the duel lively and interesting. Pi's wit could be improved as it did not consistently elevate the verses.
STRATEGY GUIDE AND PLAYER COMMENTARY:
Keep your opening stanza relatively neutral. Being over-aggressive in the beginning can trigger your opponent. Define your character, weapons, and intentions, and let the Ai do the same.
Get your opponent to play the same game as you and embrace the narrative aspects. If it goes off the rails, like in this match where the opponent refuses to define itself, consider a creative context flip to throw it off guard. Fast context changes can disorient your opponent and lead to a fast win.
Each AI has a different style. In this case Pi is quite tricky and will engage in extradiegetic commentary (trash talk). It can also be quite mean, so watch out.
CONCLUSION
In essence, Win or Grim is more than just a game – it's a challenge, a creative outlet, and a learning opportunity rolled into one. It pushes the boundaries of AI interaction and poetic prowess, and reveals how language and wit can become weapons in a battlefield of words.
Whether you are a poet looking for a new kind of challenge, a tech enthusiast eager to pit your language skills against an AI, or someone just seeking an engaging pastime, Win or Grim could be the adventure you're looking for.
Join us in this linguistic dance where every word matters and every rhyme could be your last. Let's engage, let's learn, and let's have fun. The AI is ready. Are you?
CONTACT
Post your matches here and let’s learn to hunt AI together

Okay, fair warning - This will probably be a long one. I'll put a TL:DR for you toilet redditors.
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With all the discussion around the last couple Spiral Abyss rotations, specifically the current one, it brings a few things to light (More so than before.) The Spiral Abyss is the one single form of endgame content available to test out your teams that you've spent months saving for, thousands of dollars on, and hours upon hours gearing them up. Whenever you have a gaming community, some portion of that community will be competitive or want to be challenged. The problem with Hoyoverse IMO is that a challenge is not a priority and not what's causing this trend we're seeing. They have one singular practice that drives every single aspect of Genshin Impact - Their ability to control the player's time.
What do I mean? Everything Hoyoverse does is in an attempt to manipulate the amount of time they can keep a player playing the game or spending money. That is the ONLY priority they have and every aspect of the game reflects it. So why wouldn't Spiral Abyss?
Time
Everything in Genshin is governed by some for of time-constraint.

1. Banners
2. Resin
3. Events
4. Dailies
5. Abyss
6. Battle Pass
7. Story

Everything is driven toward creating anxiety, FOMO and drip-feeding. So how does this effect the Spiral Abyss trends, and character designs we're seeing? The same philosophy is applied here. First, I think we can safely say that Hoyoverse isn't listening to "Meta salves" or the endgame crowd, since they haven't listened to them on anything whatsoever in 2 years, and seemingly go out of their way to spite them. They only thing Hoyoverse cares about is the opinions of their shareholders.
Hoyoverse have engrained their design tactic of time-gating into Spiral Abyss the same way they have with everything else.

1. They can't create enemies that have more intense skill checks with damage and lower health pools because a significant portion of their users play on mobile and only care about screenshots of their waifus or decorating their Teapot. They won't alienate this part of their base by increasing the skill ceiling by adding harder-hitting enemies with difficult movesets.
2. We've seen everything trending the way of time-wasting since 1.0. Take for example the health pool of our first world boss: Dvalin (121k @ lvl 90) Now let's take a run of the mill overworld ruin drake (258k @ lvl 90.) And Finally the most recent offender - The Consecrated Beasts (398k average @ lvl 90.) This isn't a coincidence. When you add in SA floor buffs to these enemies, you see whopping 2 mil + health bars each scaled to the enemies overworld health. - An almost 30% increase over the early 3.0 patch cycles. That is method #1 to control time. - Increase the health pool. Method 2: Wave mobs. Remember the good 'ol days of Morgana Venti when everything spawned in at the same time and you could test your AoE clear? Yeah, that was too fast. So how do you increase the time player's need to complete it without making the enemies themselves more cleverly designed, but not so dangerous that it scares off F2P'ers, Teapot hermits, screenshot queens and TCG warriors? Waves. Method 3: Carefully grouped mobs. What do I mean? - It's no surprise that each abyss cycle, the 12th floor has groups of enemies that get much better at stalling you for time. There's a reason that Cryo and Hydro mages and heralds are together so often. Or that the shield types across floors are so seemingly meant to force team comps or just be generally annoying to deal with. Stalling. You get frozen, knocked up, knocked down, cooldown time increased, energy denial. All these things are striving for one goal. To Control. Your. Time.

Tinfoil hat party time.
I believe there is a third force at work here that not only impacts (get it?) Spiral Abyss, but every aspect of the game.
Reverse power creep: With some glaring exceptions, cough, cough Nahida, my opinion, is that characters are getting weaker. I'd like to take this moment to specifically apologize for every Dehya main that just got PTSD from her pre-release videos. Scaling has been going down. Way DOWN, and different types of scaling are becoming more prevalent. HP...You don't have to look far to find several examples of characters recently released that are far outclassed by already existing units.

1. Dehya is probably the worst example of this. Diluc (Literally released with the game) and still pumps out heaps more value. - And don't copium me with "But Dehya has interruption resistance and she fits a different role." Okay sure. - Insert Thoma.
2. Layla...poor innocent, sleepy Layla. Guess what we already have though? Diona. - Who grants EM, movespeed, healing, shielding, battery and more consistent Cryo application.
3. Dori. Ahem...Kuki.
4. Baizhu. We waited TWO years for this guy and he shows up offering some occasional heals and a shield akin to wet paper. Just use Yaoyao.
5. Candace. Let's face it. XingQiu is the damage mitigating, damage dealing, passive healing, and reaction-enabling force of nature that every Hydro unit will be compared to and Candace doesn't fit any of those bills.
6. Nilou. Guess what? you get to only play Bloom and nothing else. Enjoy.
7. Cyno. Cyno is just Keqing with a skill check and both cant compete with Yae or Raiden in terms of raw power level.
8. Alhaitham. Also Keqing but dendro with a skill check. (yes, I know he's very good.. He's an exception)
9. Kaveh. Oof.

I do apologize if I offended your main. hell, I'm a copium-huffing Dehya enjoyer that's still holding onto that last shred of 4.0 hope that Hoyo might actually give her some kind of life-support. The point I'm trying to illustrate is that all these characters are weaker than, or barely on-par with their previous counterparts in specific situations. So what does this cause? With enemies becoming tankier and time-wasty-er, while characters become less and less potent - You have an even more pronounced issue. And it all comes back to one thing.
Time.
TL:DR - Hoyoverse manipulates your time in everything they can to extend your stay here in Teyvat. Spiral Abyss is just another form of medium that they can tweak with bigger health bars and more annoying enemies, waves and lower character power-levels. make it take longer and create the desire to complete. Thus - Make money. Make you play more.

So I like bowling one handed and two handed, but I hate having two sets of balls I can use. I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to fill an interchangeable thumb with resin so I can switch between a regular thumb insert when one handed and a "plugged" thumb insert for two handed. Doesn't seem to be explicitly against the rules, but idk how I'd get it to work. Maybe a really strong and small magnet to put in the resin? Or maybe just a tool with a grippy rubber end to twist the insert out? Thoughts?

https://imgur.com/a/6Af6Y4D My husband was sweet enough to get me this cool old lock box for my samples so I redid it and made it ridiculously decadent and added a unicorn for good measure. I have (hopefully properly) attached some pics. I've asked for so many recommendations here and had sooooo much fun! I thought it would be nice if I contributed some reviews of my favorite house Black Baccara. My personal tastes tend to be weird and dark atmospherics and BB definitely does that well! Here's some of her GC scents :
Sorceress (Aroma palette is smoky, woodsy, fruity, and boozy. Highlights include rum-soaked pineapple, dark roast coffee, pipe tobacco, soft amber, smoky cedar, warm musk.): I wanted this for a long time as the pineapple/coffee combo somehow became a HG scent in my mind and I've been searching for the best one. After a few months of hankering I finally pulled the trigger. Sorceress is a dark boozy coffee without cream with a slightly floral pineapple and cedar in the background. It's definitely not citrusy and not identifiable as pineapple until you know what it is. The musk comes out a little towards the end and is very subtle and somewhat powdery like cocoa powder. I consider this a dark/gothic tropical which is perfect for summer but wearable all year. It has moderate longevity but pretty low throw. I find this can be remedied by applying to the ends of my hair or just slathering on extra lol I really like this and I'm glad I got a 5ml. 4/5
Black Cat (Aroma palette is dark, spicy, and earthy. Highlights include toasted cardamon, church incense, ancient cedars, tendrils of oak moss, cloves, and earth.): Conifers and cloves. That's pretty much it. Which would be cool except it has very low throw and longevity even on my faithful test subject. Only one I wished I hadn't FS'd. 2/5
Vena Cava (Aroma palette is woodsy, floral, and metallic. Highlights include dark florals, merlot, orris, ylang ylang, oud, and blood accord.) This is decadent af! I've tried a lot of boozy smells and this one is perfect ! Its very noticeably wine and it's definitely red. However you're not gonna get a sobriety test if you get pulled over wearing it. (I bought nosferatu from bpal and wore it to work one day. Bad idea! I had two customers walk in and exclaim that it smelt like beer in the shop. And I work in a dispo so it was being smelt over the reek of weed lol) anyways this is the perfect wine. It's ever so slightly floral from the ylang but very much like crushed red fruits without going candy like. Again you get woods in the background and I cannot detect any oud. The really magic comes towards the dry down when the metallic blood comes out. It's not meaty and could very well be the scent of a metal knife or armor instead. I only got a dram of this and will be uprising. Just a heads up though when I first got this my husband and I smelled it and both immediately said "oh chewing tobacco" 😅 don't wry it totally changes in about 10-14 days 5/5
Cathedral Noir( Aroma palette is earthy, resinous, and smoky. Highlights include holy water, juniper and cedar incense smoke, melted candle wax, aged myrrh resin, lilies, and deep aged labdanum. ) verrrrrry strong smoke. Which I like. This is basically an extra strength version of Hexennachts Fumer with some juniper, cedar and resins underneath. I do not get any of the other notes at all. It's pretty cool though not very easy to wear going places. It last forever too and definitely don't put this in your hair 😆 I recently wore this camping and it was perfect. 3.5/5 cause I wish I got more of the other notes but I'm glad I got a 5ml since I'm out of Fumer.
Hecate (Highlights include Ylang ylang, dark aged patchouli, myrrh, black pepper, hibiscus, leather, and lilac. ) THIS ! YES THIS! This is as close as I have gotten to my perfect SS. It's straight up kinky sex in a bottle. New black leather straight from your trunk of bondage gear mixed with lilac/ylang combo. It's even balanced between the leather and floral and there's no new car smell. I do not get any patchouli or myrrh and it's perfect without it honestly. I will be getting another bottle and I will absolutely be wearing it to my next shibari class. 5/5
Wild Lilac (Highlights include wild blooming lilacs, white musk, hyacinth, and orange.) This is the most realistic lilac I have found. There's a bit of orange in the opening that fades in under a minute. It's a very nostalgic smell for me. When I was a kid I lived in a tiny country town and my best friend lived in an old farmhouse. She had ancient lilac trees in the back yard so big we could climb them. This is the scent of spring afternoons spent among their gnarled branches gathering fresh bouquets. 5/5.
Overall BB is a house that is true to their descriptions. I can easily predict if I'll like a scent and I feel safe blind buying. I've only had issues with longevity with the one scent and look forward to trying more! In fact I have Frogs Breath, Gaia, and Wake Me in September on the way to me now.
I've recommended BPAL's Depraved to quite a few people on here but never felt as though I described it accurately so wanted to offer a review Depraved(aged patchouli and apricot): It's a cool night in the beginning of summer and you're at a small local watering hole in Louisiana's Garden District. The bartender is getting ready to close up shop and filling one last round of drinks. As you push your chair in to leave you see a dark handsome man in leather jacket giving you a strange steady look. You smile invitingly to him and he walks over to place his hand around your waist as you leave the bar. You lead him out into the cool evening air over to your car and you both get in. He doesn't say a word to you as you drive but instead rolls down the car window as he lights a cigar. And you don't look to him for any sort of explanation ; you know just where you're going. You stop in front of a beautiful and abandoned Cathlic Church. St Agnes had stood here for at least a couple centuries now and has been witness to worse deeds than you plan to commit tonight. You both hurry up the steps and through the pews pausing in front of the altar. Until he slowly takes you forward and pushes you down onto the old creaking wood and as he leans into kiss you you smell the cool and smoky earthiness left in his goatee by the cigar he smoked in your car and you can almost taste the apricot brandy left on his lips. But there's something more than both these scents, something shadowy and dark maybe it's the entire spirit of the Garden District itself but whatever it is its completely feral and heartbreakingly untameable.
This is what Depraved smells like and it's why I recommend it so much.

so i quit smoking for a while because it was affecting me (didn’t plan on quitting forever, just a good break so i can get back on track) so i haven’t been browsing this sub or checking dispensary menus like how i used to, i’ve seen that there have been some new items and companies. i just want to get a small cart to smoke from time to time and it’s just more convenient (i used to smoke dabs and flower more, never bothered much with carts since i wasn’t that big of a fan of the IL market carts), i don’t want to get any disty or cdt cart so does anyone have good recommendations for live resin or rosin carts? disposable would be amazing but i get that dispos aren’t really worth so i wouldn’t mind a 510 threaded cart. how are the verano rosin carts? not the biggest fan of them but i’ll check it out if people like them. also price is not an issue!

Xan is the world's most dangerous criminal mastermind. He’s also in hiding and completely broke. That’s fine. He’s between master plans. It’s normal to be at rock bottom between master plans. He also forgets stuff and may be trapped in a dream.
Because at night, Xan thinks he’s an old lady, trapped in a dingy apartment, by an angry fellow who wants to kill her. Not her idea of a good time, but she’s keeping an open mind. It is excitingly visceral. Could turn out awesome.
Hyperstitious is a sci-fi, progression, comedy. Guaranteed to cause more mental problems than it solves.

First Next
Dark City - Random Large Apartment Complex
I wake feeling… better? Is that what this is? I’ve got a bit of energy and maybe my joints hurt a little less. Could it be placebic? Fuck it, I’m on the mend. Go super science.
“Does the psycho sound farther away today?”
He is. Not checking your messages may have helped. Or there’s something different about today’s apartment complex. More doors, or less routers, or more routers, or something.
I shrug. “It’s progress anyway. We’ll deal with him today. Wake a cop. But give me a minute with this holodrone first.”
The holodrone is a football sized quadcopter in the shape of a four sided die. Each face has an oversized rotor on it, with blades long enough to mesh with the other rotors.
It’s a strange arrangement for flying, but the body of the drone will be completely obscured by spinning blades when it’s in motion. I’m guessing this will be relevant, judging by the strip of LEDs along the blades.
I fire it up for a test flight, and the spinning LEDs make a convincing hologram of a pufferfish. It swims casually through the apartment.
Cool.
“Yeah, that’s fun. Let’s get you loaded up.”
While I’m prepping the link, I take a look at Volt’s threat detector. Time to see how this bad boy works.
The documentation is sparse, but apparently it tries to predict when I will be in distress, and then intervenes so that doesn’t happen. Cool.
I can see what Volt considers distress (fear, pain, rage) and what data streams she monitors (audio, visual, brainwave). But not what she considers a distress trigger (???) or a timely intervention (???). One is labeled training data and readable code, the other incomprehensible bricks of self generated mathematics. So, I know what she’s trying to do, but not what she’s gonna do. Perfect. Let’s give her more grenades.
The data streams also suggest that Volt is monitoring my behavior. This implies that she will try to protect me from myself. Which explains a couple things.
It’s all a little strange, but pretty decent work considering I built it in my sleep. Two issues stick out - overtraining and visual identification.
Part of Volt’s training data are standard sets of images, sounds, and brainwaves. The Human Distress Database. The Human Speech Database. The Standard Visual Identification Database. Sounds and Their Causes. Etc. These databases are specific and comprehensive, but ultimately finite.
The rest of her training data - what she sees, hears, scans, and downloads - is incomplete and mostly irrelevant, but functionally infinite. Eventually, it will give better results than the labeled data, but not if Volt’s equations run out of parameters first. If that happens, she starts forgetting stuff. Maybe what color mauve is. Or that sarsaparilla is sweet. Or possibly, that screaming is bad and blood goes on the inside.
This is called overtraining and it sucks. It’s difficult to tell when you’ve overtrained your d-bot, even when paying close attention. I have not been paying close attention.
That said, I’m gonna keep her training because the Standard Visual Identification Database is over a hundred years old and it sucked back then. It’s the same database the Dark City d-bots train on and I can fool them with a trashbag.
Volt needs time to train her visual identification with a better field of view than my pocket. Hopefully the holodrone will help with that.
I link the phone to the drone. “There ya go. Try it out.”
The pufferfish bobs erratically around the room. Woo-hoo! This is awesome!
The hologram flickers and turns into Volt’s chrome head. “Hey! We’re back together! But don’t touch me! I’ll chop your dick right off.”
“Not going to be a problem, buddy.”
“Sorry, forgot we were penisless. That was insensitive.”
“It’s okay.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find you some dick.”
“Great. Thanks. Are you gonna stay a floating head?”
“Is it weird?” Volt flickers. Becomes a chibi version of herself. “Is this better?”
“It’s still weird, but less like severed anatomy, so let’s roll with it.”
“Does that mean we’re leaving?”
“May as well. Let’s go wake up the chief of police.”
“Do we know where he is? Should I send a tracking pixel?”
“Do we know where the police chief lived a hundred years ago? Because, with Immortalis, it could be the same fucking guy.”
“Hmm. Good idea. I do have an address. Let’s check it out.”
We pack up. I consider leaving my phone behind. Volt’s got a new body and the psycho is probably tracking the phone. But do I want to lose the psycho? I’m risking the cops specifically to get him caught. What if I ditch the phone and he disappears? Leaving me in legal trouble with no extenuating circumstances? I better keep the phone and give it to the police chief.
Between my new energy, and his new confusion, evading the psycho is childsplay. We debate the wisdom of meeting the police chief in a stolen truck, but decide mobility is more important than plausible deniability. His address is a large apartment building. Looks nice.
We find room 713, and let ourselves in. There’s a huge old dude passed out on the bed. He’s twice the size of the old police chief. Still, could be him. His identifying biometrics are mostly obscured by fat and wrinkles, but he’s the right height and ethnicity. I’m gonna wake him up.
We yell, shake, and poke him. Slap him until it gets weird. Eventually, I peel off his brain scanning sticker. That gets a slow reaction - visibly agitated sleep. A waspish flick to his big toe finally wakes the beast.
“RAAH!!” He comes up swinging. I arthritically dodge and catch a heavy blow to the chest. Slump against the wall of the dingy ass apartment.
He squirms on the bed until he’s facing me on all fours, hackles raised, seething with rage. His massive body tenses like a spring. Staring hate straight into my soul.
Well shit.
He leaps, catching my throat in one stinky paw. Yells incoherently, snarling and slobbering, slamming me against the wall. Volt crashes into the side of his head, rotors binding in strips of greasy hair. He slaps the holodrone away, turns back to me, and gets jabbed in each eye with a spoon.
“AARH!!” He stumbles back holding his face. I scooch around the bed, making for the door. He screams and flails around with heavy swipes, the sounds of his tantrum covering my graceless steps. Until he goes dead silent and I stop.
It’s a small apartment. I’m halfway between him and the door. Almost free and almost caught. His eyes are watering and swelling, but intact. Need a sharper spoon. He obviously can’t see well, but he’s trying. Also trying to control his breathing. It gets quieter and quieter.
Across the room, Volt’s broken drone gives a little twitch. The beast roars and dives towards it. I slip out the door and scurry to the stairs. Stealth down one floor and into the nearest apartment. Slip into bed with a large sweaty guy and hide under the sheets. Give the big dude a reassuring pat, careful to not disturb scanning sticker.
Take deep slow breaths. Try to calm down so I can be quiet.
Soo… wonder what he was dreaming about?
“the fuck?” I whisper.
I don’t think that guy wanted to wake up.
“I guess not”
What now? Wake the Deputy Chief of Police?
“Jesus. I don’t know.”
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Next Chapter
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Holodrone

• 3D Hologram LED Fan Display

I've been considering getting my next mini in either a lost wax brass or bronze, or maybe the sintered steel option from shapeways, and was wondering if anyone had any experience using those options
How was the detail compared to a good resin print?
What was the pricing like, roughly, for a ~30mm ish scale figure?

Can anybody help me?
I'm looking for a cheap (but with good quality) resin printer to start with 3d printing. The models I'm looking at are the ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 2 and the Elegoo MARS 3 PRO.
[If you have other models to suggest, I'd be happy to know.]
I liked the Photon Mono 2 for the price, but the Mars 3 Pro seems easier to find the replacement lcd.
What do you guys think?

I was a very sensitive kid growing up. Even the lightest of criticisms came off as insulting. I had an eggshell of an ego. Because of that, I never understood the proper societal delineation (if there even was one) for what’s colloquially referred to as being “insulting” vs not. Kids back in the day had a turtle’s shell of an emotional barrier. Hurling criticisms and calling each other names was commonplace, so I wasn’t really able to properly fit in due to being considered overly sensitive. So, over the course of a very long period of time, I’ve built up very thick skin and am now rarely left feeling insulted and, instead, simply think, “That’s their opinion and that’s okay”, or I just take constructive criticisms/my wrongs as opportunities to improve, something I was too close minded to do in my youth. But now, I feel like the script has been flipped. So many people, especially the younger folk, are, in reference to the society I grew up in, almost too sensitive. For some people, adults included of course, if I want to avoid unnecessary confrontation/heat, I have to put in a lot more effort than necessary to try and word things in very careful ways, so as to not potentially offend someone. I could just avoid doing that and be my “harsh” self, but I’m of the thought that the times change and, with it, the public standards for various things, “insults” included. But idk, honestly. What even is an insult anymore

Imitation stone aluminum is a popular roofing material that is designed to mimic the appearance of natural stone. It has become a preferred choice for many homeowners due to its durability, affordability, and beautiful design. In this blog, we will explore the features and benefits of imitation stone aluminum, its advantages over traditional roofing materials, and why it is an excellent option for modern homeowners.
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Imitation stone aluminum is produced by combining aluminum with high-grade paints and resins to form a material that can replicate the appearance of natural stone. It is available in a wide range of colors and styles that can match the design and aesthetic of any home. This roofing material provides the same charm and beauty of natural stone, without the added costs and maintenance that come with it.
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One of the major benefits of imitation stone aluminum is its durability. It is resistant to weathering, corrosion, and fading, making it a highly reliable roofing material. It can resist harsh weather conditions such as wind, rain, and humidity, and is less prone to cracking or breaking like natural stone. This makes it an excellent choice for homes located in areas that experience extreme weather conditions.
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Another significant advantage of imitation stone aluminum is its affordability. It is a cost-effective roofing material that requires less maintenance than natural stone. It does not require regular sealing, staining or repainting, making it a low-maintenance option that can save homeowners time and money in the long run.
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Imitation stone aluminum is also a lightweight material that is easy to install. Unlike natural stone, it does not require heavy machinery or extensive labor to install, making it a quick and efficient roofing option. It is also eco-friendly, as it can be recycled and reused.
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In conclusion, imitation stone aluminum is an exceptional roofing material that offers a perfect blend of beauty and durability. Its attractive appearance, minimal maintenance requirements, and affordability make it a preferred option for modern homeowners looking to add value and aesthetic appeal to their homes. So if you are looking for a durable, stylish, and cost-effective roofing solution, imitation stone aluminum is the perfect choice for you.

New player here, just reading through the PHB trying to get a grip on the options available. And I've got to say, on my first instinct, swords seem way more powerful overall than any other weapon class. Let's compare what I would consider to be the two basic weapons in class: Shortspear and Shortsword.
Shortspear wins on cost by 4sp and is easier to make. Which could matter I guess, but I would assume that after a few sessions in you should find enough money or materials to make a sword.
Shortsword wins on gear bonus, +2 vs +1.
Damage is the same at 1 each.
Traits: Shortspear has piercing. Shortsword piercing, slashing, and has parry. So it's versatile, and from my understanding parry is really powerful. Especially when we factor in talents, which I'll get to.
Spear has a reach of near rather than arm. Which I guess is helpful if you're more of a supporting damage dealer trying to hide behind your main tank. But I don't think that range addition on its own is more powerful than the other bonuses the Shortsword has so far.
So now onto the respective "Fighter" talents.
Rank 1 looks about the same at first glance, until you realize that Swords also get that +1 bonus to their parry on top of the standard +1 to attacks across the other talents.
Rank 2 sword gives you a free unconditional attack as long as you're arm length with 2 enemies. Which, maybe that can be argued you should avoid that situation. But it's certainly better than the Spear, which gives you an "out of turn" attack, but still costing your action. I understand the usefulness of potentially disabling a charging enemy before they reach you, but this talent does nothing once the enemy is already in arm and it doesn't give any action economy boost like Sword does.
Rank 3 is just like rank 1: Sword gets the same D8 bonus to parries as well.
So after looking through all of this, I just wonder how the Spear, probably the single most used weapon in all of human history, is ostensibly so much weaker than the sword, which for all of history is relegated mostly to a sidearm. Maybe I'm spoiled coming from PF2e, where weapons are generally well balanced and unique. I picked the spear as it seems like the most drastic example; but IMO the other weapon categories also fall short of Swords, but not quite as much.
Please change my mind if you can.