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Had an unstable looking man follow me on my way home

2024.05.14 21:03 chronicallyill_dr Had an unstable looking man follow me on my way home

Sorry for the incredibly long post, apparently I’m very descriptive, I blame ADHD. This is a story of my college years when I moved half a country away. I had a couple other creepy encounters in this exact area, so I might make a post of those later on.
I’ll set the stage: I was a 25 year old woman and in my final year of med school, living in an apartment a few blocks from my university’s medical area, with two roomates. I had a long term boyfriend (my now husband), but since he went to college for something else, he’d graduated college a few years before and was working abroad by this point, and my family lived 8 hours away. Most out of state students lived in the surrounding area since medical school requires you to have weird schedules, or you get a couple hours of down time between things, so it was practical. However, this made it known that lots of young people ‘with money’ lived in the area, and it was ripe for some people to take advantage of that. Therefore we were always aware of our surroundings when out of campus.
I lived close to the side that was towards the entrance of the University Hospital. Now this is a tertiary level (most specialized) public hospital, so we saw uninsured low income patients from the whole northeast part of the country. We were such a high volume hospital that every area was always overflowing, as such we had strict visitation hours and family members couldn’t stay inside overnight. As these were very poor people, they were always staying and sleeping in the streets outside the hospital and under the bridge in the avenue outside. While generally safe, this would attract unsavory or unstable characters here and there on occasion. I had to walk through there to get to my apartment. This is a VERY segregated city, so just the next block over it was a way nicer and safer area. Not many students lived on this side since it was comprised mainly of well off old people who owned their houses, so very little places available for rent.
Now to the creepy encounter. One day I was walking to my apartment after a rotation that ended around 2 pm, and I lived roughly three blocks away from the hospital. Since we’re right next to one of the main avenues in the city, and this was a purely residential neighborhood full of old people, we rarely saw movement, everyone stayed in the block right outside the hospital. We only had local traffic, and it’s literally deserted at this time of the day. As I’m walking towards my street, I see a disheveled man coming from it and looking to be in a hurry. This immediately raised a red flag as there’s literally nothing to do there for blocks and he looked out of place.
We both cross the street at the same time, going opposite directions. I reflexively glance to his face as it’s well manners in my country to acknowledge strangers in public with a slight smile or nod. I did neither, because as I looked at him I saw it. He was clearly very much intoxicated, it was a face I was well acquainted with as we saw it a lot in patients at the hospital. Not only that, but I then realized his whole persona screamed long term substance abuse. Not trying to be prejudicial, but as doctors it’s drilled in us to be observant and notice patterns. And he looked like someone who has forwent a lot of things due to addiction, hygiene, food, etc. And so I knew they tend to be a lot more impulsive, aggressive and violent than the general population.
I was trying to tell myself I was being paranoid, and that I interacted with people like him all the time and should try not to judge him. But also, as a woman from a misogynist country where gender violence is a daily thing, being in an isolated area, with a person under the influence, a man… all the alarms were ringing in my head. It’s insane the amount of information I gathered, assessed, and thoughts that ran through my head, because basically no time had passed. So we finished crossing the street in different directions.
I kinda glanced to the side to keep an eye out on him from the corner of my eye without actually looking back at him, the last thing I wanted to do was grab his attention. And out of the corner of my eye I saw him do a U-turn and start walking straight where he had come from, behind me. FUCK. He went to the other sidewalk, but I could see him a few steps behind from the corner of my eye. So this is when I start increasing my pace to put some distance, he did the same. I increased it a bit more, he did it again. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. It dawned on me that this was for real. So as calm as I could I discreetly reached into my handbag and unlatched my key chain pepper spray. Thank you past me, was all that I was thinking. I had it in the hand he couldn’t see, released the lock and was ready to use it.
At this point I’m panicking as we’re like 4 houses away from mine, and we’re approaching fast. I did not know what to do. Calling the police was a no go as they’re both corrupt and lazy in this country. Couldn’t call my boyfriend or family as they didn’t live there. I knew my roommates for sure weren’t at the apartment at that hour either. The house next to mine was abandoned, maybe I could hide there? But if he figured it out I probably would have no way out. I could scream and make a scene, but people here are old, if they were even in their house who knows if they were at home, they’d would’ve even come out, or be able to help me. There’s no way I could outrun him, and it would be blocks before I encountered another human being. While that was looking like a viable option with the pepper spray, it was very risky. And I for sure did not want this guy to know where I lived. There’s no way I could put enough distance for him not to see me, run towards the back or the side of the house (I lived on the top floor of a duplex), run up the stairs, get to the landing, unlock the three bolts in two doors that we had, specially as I would have to fumble with the high security lock’s key, and close both before he saw where I went.
And so I made a quick decision and decided to gamble it. I sprinted to put as much distance between us without outright running, I dashed through our open garage towards the back of the house on one side. I couldn’t access the backward this way, but it’s how you went up the stairs to my apartment. The stairs went from back to front of the house, so you couldn’t see the steps or if someone was on them, if that makes sense. So I climbed halfway up the stairs and hid there, from the distance he was at when I sprinted he couldn’t really see if I dashed towards my apartment of the abandoned house before mine.
I waited for a bit, ready to use the pepper spray and run towards the street if he catched me. That would be my feeble attempt to make him believe I didn’t live there and was just hiding there. So after a bit I carefully peered from the side of the stairs. I saw that asshole stop his sprint right in front of my house. He looked in confusion towards the top floor landing/balcony, peered at the open garage spaces and the houses next to mine. I’m thankfully guessing his deductive skills weren’t that sharp considering the state he was in. He saw nothing, shrugged,did a fucking u-turn once again and walked back to where we just came from.
I waited a bit to make sure he wasn’t near and hurried the fuck up inside my apartment. I was a paranoid for a bit that he would decide to come back again, but thankfully never saw him again.
submitted by chronicallyill_dr to creepyencounters [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 20:01 Lordzoot Good Habits? A Review of Habit Rouge EDT, Rouge Prive and the Parfum

For many, Guerlain’s Habit Rouge represents a high watermark in perfumery. Since its original release in 1965, the composition has been beloved by gentlemen (and ladies) across the world. It is also a well known favourite of many of the most well regarded perfume historians and reviewers out there and, because of that, one could well argue that there is precious little further useful opinion that can be added to the existing cannon (and they may well be right!).
Still, Jean-Paul Guerlain’s multi-faceted composition has been no stranger to a remix over the years and, since Delphine Jelk took over from Thierry Wasser as in-house perfumer at the historic French house, she has managed to deliver a staggering three new takes on the fragrance in as many years. What better opportunity could there be, therefore, to undertake both a reappraisal of the original release and, in doing so, compare it to some of the new kids on the block? Note: I have not sampled the first of Jelk’s flankers, 2022’s Habit Rouge L'Instinct but, given the almost unanimous negativity surrounding it, it’s not high on my hit list! We’ll be looking at Rouge Prive and the Parfum today.
Habit Rouge EDT (1965)
The concept behind Habit Rouge (or ‘Red Coat’, if translated in to English from its native language) was to create a perfume that brought to mind the jackets worn by the landed gentry when they went hunting. In the UK, we’re no stranger to this nefarious practice - our own fox hunting aristocrats also wore red coats and, despite now being banned, the idea of chasing helpless creatures to their deaths is still a subject of debate in our national politics (with right wing politicians often promising to offer a ‘free vote’ to MPs on the issue to energise their base).
As an animal lover myself, this is perhaps the only element of Habit Rouge I find somewhat jarring. There is nothing within this perfume which brings to mind sport, adrenaline, blood, or violence. I find it somewhat curious, consequently, that Guerlain sought to relate it to hunting. The only thing wearers of Habit Rouge were likely to be chasing on its release were sexual partners!
That statement isn’t made wholly in jest either. Habit Rouge is a gentleman’s fragrance, but it carries within its structure not only aspects of formality and traditional masculinity, but also sensuality and sensitivity. It is, as such, a fragrance well suited to old fashioned romantics. Indeed, if it didn’t have these traits, I’d argue that it wouldn’t have survived for the almost 60 years that it has. When you think about it, it’s almost incredible that, despite how radically concepts of masculinity have changed over the years, Habit Rouge has still been a regular seller for Guerlain, with devotees now spanning across 5 generations.
Created to be the younger brother to the company’s 1925 release, Shalimar it, like its sibling, contains a citrus top note, which descends into a floral heart, before culminating in a vanillic leather and amber base. Habit Rouge is not simply a three card trick, however, and its complete run of notes can be summarised as follows (as per Basenotes):
Top Notes: bergamot, lemon, rosewood, basil, pimento
Heart Notes: sandalwood, carnation, patchouli, cedar, rose, cinnamon
Base Notes: vanilla, amber, moss, leather, benzoin, labdanum, olibanum
When it comes to the head of the perfume, the real star of the show is the bergamot, which radiates wonderfully off the skin when first sprayed. Whilst it is effervescent, though, it is also a powdery affair. In fact, it can most accurately be described as being akin to orange sherbet - fizzing whilst maintaining a chalkiness. It is warm and reassuring as opposed to enthusiastic. It also maintains a cologne like structure, however, by incorporating herbal and spicy notes through the use of basil and rosewood.
This accord is then joined to a rose and carnation-dominant middle phase, through which the powdered facets of the fragrance continue to run, and through which the fragrance begins to show its romantic side.
Finally, the dry down of the fragrance provides a semi-sweet backdrop with the vanilla taking the edge away from the traditionally masculine moss and leather accords and combining with the rest of the ingredients to produce a soft, light amber.
It is not hard to see, in this context, why Habit Rouge has continued to be successful over the years - it, essentially, captures hearts and minds because it resonates with the personality of its wearer in a way that other traditional masculine fragrances can sometimes struggle to do (as they were often, like their owners of the period, more buttoned up).
Habit Rouge - Rouge Prive (2023)
That doesn’t mean that the EdT of Habit Rouge smells like it was composed yesterday, however. It just means that it has aged like a fine wine as opposed to being the perfume equivalent of a kipper tie. In fact, if it were any item of clothing, I’d compare it to a 1960s slim lapelled suit - of its time, but still stylish today.
Still, as the years have gone by, the term ‘legibility’ has become more and more important in the perfume industry, and there now seems to be a distinct trend towards the creation of perfumes whose formulas are more streamlined than Habit Rouge. Or to put it another way, perfumers are being encouraged to reduce the number of notes in a perfume’s composition, with the aim of producing a more direct product. For lovers of vintage fragrances, legibility can be an anathema but, personally, I have no issue with the principle behind the concept. Nor it appears, does Delphine Jelk. Enter Habit Rouge Rouge Prive.
Top Notes:Bergamot, Ginger
Middle Notes: Orange Blossom, Iris
Base Notes: Leather, Patchouli, Vanilla
As can be seen from the notes list, Rouge Prive maintains the structure of Habit Rouge (bergamot, floral, vanillic leather), but switches out or culls a number of the traditional accords that were contained within the original. Gone are the cologne-esque elements. Gone too are the powdery rose and carnation. The leather, meanwhile, has been amped up and modernised - more akin to Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather than Knize 10. Whisper it quietly, but it also seems that Jelk has snuck an oud accord in to the base too.
Given the number of changes, you could be forgiven for thinking that Rouge Prive would end up smelling completely different to the EdT, but fans of the OG need not worry - this is still unmistakably Habit Rouge. To paraphrase Persolaise (my favourite reviewer of perfumes), it’s like the whole perfume has simply been redrawn with clean bold lines. The bergamot continues to shimmer and, in spite of the florals being listed as Orange Blossom and Iris, the ultimate accord generated is still interpreted by my nose as being a rose. It is very much a rouge perfume as opposed to an orange or purple one (which is, incidentally, roughly what you get if you combine an iris hue and orange on a colour wheel…).
Where Rouge Prive differs to the EdT is in its brute strength. The leather note really does have a serious kick to it and, given that, the perfume is pulled from the bottom up, as opposed to the top diffusing off the skin to reveal the heart.
Whilst I’ve always found the EdT to perform quite well, the longevity of the Prive is genuinely outstanding, again due to the material in the base. Pleasingly though, the dry down still does maintain the powdered amber facets contained within the original. It’s a superb flanker that updates Habit Rouge without necessarily ripping up the original composition.
Habit Rouge Parfum (2024)
Not to rest on their laurels, Guerlain have now revisited Habit Rouge again in 2024, introducing a parfum version to go alongside new stablemates Vetiver Parfum and L’Homme Ideal Parfum.
I’ll say in advance that I’m a little sceptical of the allure of parfums myself, as I often find that the actual performance difference between fragrance concentrations can be completely counter-intuitive (I have EdTs that vastly out-perform EDPs and Parfums, both in terms of silage and longevity). In addition, given that Rouge Prive was already quite beastly, the necessity for a parfum to be made only a year later seems curious to me.
Parking those views for the moment though, the theme across these three new releases appears to be alcohol. In the case of Habit Rouge, the drink of choice is listed as rum, although there seems to be confusion in that regard, with Jelk being quoted in the marketing as saying:
For Habit Rouge Le Parfum, I Created a leathery vanilla liqueur with plenty of bold bourbon-inspired intensity
Perhaps Guerlain are suggesting that the perfume has been matured in bourbon casks? Hmm. In any event, the notes list for this one is as follows:
Bergamot, Vanilla, Rum, Patchouli
Well, I did say perfumers were streamlining their notes list, didn’t I!
What’s most striking to me about the Parfum is, firstly, how base heavy it is (we’re talking sub-woofer level) but, secondly, how patchouli dominant it is - there’s a definite chocolate element in that respect, but my nose also detects something slightly medicinal, smoked, and perhaps even burnt (think coffee beans). When combined with the vanilla, the result is a perfume that very much lies within the domain of the gourmand.
This is somewhat a blessing and a curse - if you’re not a particular fan of the EdT or Prive’s floral elements, you’re likely to get along a lot better with the Parfum. At the same time though, I’d argue that the floral heart of Habit Rouge is, to a large extent, key to its DNA, and vastly reducing the components that make this element ‘sing’ lead to a very different fragrance profile.
My second critique is that the perfume, generally, feels less balanced than Rouge Prive. I have no issue with the concept of a Habit Rouge that focuses on patchouli - readers of my previous pieces will know that I’m a huge fan of the note - I just wished that, on a technical level, the Parfum still maintained a decent top end. As it is, the whole thing sits very deep against the skin, with any radiance from the bergamot being buried by the heavier materials. This ultimately leads to a fragrance that, rather than being a sparkling rouge, comes across as a heavy-set chocolate and beige. Because of that, I can’t decide whether or not I’ve truly fallen for the Parfum.
That being said, you honestly couldn’t go wrong with any one of these three and I’ve no doubt they’ll appeal to different elements of the fragrance market. I look forward to Jelk’s next flanker in 2025, even if these variations are becoming a little bit akin to Marge Simpson’s Chanel jacket…!
submitted by Lordzoot to fragrance [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 16:15 Solo_man_id1 Re-reading old fgo chapter, I find Heian-kyo is better with the context of lb6.

Heian kyo is pretty decent to above average chapter released within awkward place between lb5 and lb6.
It's a pretty divisive chapter for sure but i will tell you this,
After revisiting the chapter Heian kyo is better if you read it while having the knowledge from lb6.
Heian kyo is a weird story with bold implication one way or another.
But despite it's weirdness, revisiting the chapter i noticed it has alot of foreshadowing.
For example, other than Dioscuri in lb5, heian kyo shuten is the first servant that notice weirdness in ritsuka after black barrel incident.
Which is interesting.
But back to lb6 relation, heian kyo also foreshadow the mental state of ritsuka which you will almost definitely brush off as another normal dialogue without the context of lb6.
I mean before lb6, ritsuka's remark at heian kyo felt normal.
But after lb6, you definitely look at ritsuka's remark in a different way.
So yeah, i just want to say, it's weird how heian kyo is better after reading the lb6 despite heian kyo is a chapter before lb6.
Like it's not a big change, but it makes some of ritsuka's dialogue option bit more make sense.
submitted by Solo_man_id1 to Fate [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 16:13 Careless_Permit2359 THEY RESPONDED

https://afkjourney-news.farlightgames.com/en/detail/19

Talk with Designers: Season Edition

Hi everyone, we've been surprised by the amount of feedback and suggestions we've received from our community about the Song of Strife season, and we're truly grateful for your enthusiastic support. Today, we're bringing you another edition of Talk with Designers, where we'll touch on some of the most discussed topics and share our thoughts on how we plan to address them. Let's dive right in.

Q1: Why the nerf on AFK Rewards and free gifts in this new season?

Designer:
Typically, when we plan version updates, we schedule rewards for each season with four updates in mind. In subsequent versions, we have actually prepared more engaging events and gameplay features, along with ample rewards to enrich your gaming journey.
However, we acknowledge that there may have been oversights in reward distribution during the recent season launch. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. To rectify this, we've decided to adjust the rewards for Season AFK Stage, Season Legend Trial, Season Corrupt Creature, and Battle Drills to match those you received during the Starter Story.
Moving forward, we're committed to maintaining this level of generosity for every new season. Please be assured that these additional rewards are entirely new and won't affect what you'll receive from future events and activities.
Your understanding and support are invaluable to us as we continue to strive for excellence in enhancing your gaming experience.
Moreover, rewards will be enhanced in certain modes. (These adjustments are set to take effect after the update planned for this week. Once the update arrives, all players in the new season will be eligible to claim these compensatory rewards.)
a. Season AFK Rewards: Diamond x100 and Invite Letter x1 will be added as stage rewards for the first 1,200 Season AFK Stages. The two rewards will alternate every 5 stages, starting with new rewards on stages 2, 7, 12, 17, etc. Overall, the Season AFK Stages will be more rewarding than the those during Starter Story.
b. Season Legend Trial: Every 5 floors, from the 5th floor to the 85th, the rewards in Season Legend Trial will now be replaced with those from the Starter Story. The 4 towers will provide a total of Invite Letter x36, Tidal Essence x360, and Temporal Essence x120 as rewards. Additionally, we're adding the Faction Acorn x10 reward every 10 floors until the 90th floor.
c. Season Corrupt Creature: In addition to the current rewards, defeating a Season Corrupt Creature will now reward you with Soulstone (S-Level) x15. Collect 60 Soulstones (S-Level) to obtain a random Epic hero, including those added to the Hero Wish List after their Rate Up Recruitment event has ended.
d. Enhanced rewards for Battle Drill: Desolate Grounds. A total of 6 rounds of Battle Drills will be available throughout the entire season.
e. Adjusted diamond rewards in small and medium chests found on the map from 15&30 Diamonds to 30&60 Diamonds.
Please stay tuned for more time-limited events like "Glamor Gift" in future updates. These events will feature plenty of rewards for everyone to enjoy.

Q2: Heroes specialized in dealing true damage, like Marilee and Korin aren't performing as effectively in Season Dream Realm battles as they did before, are we rotating them out?

Designer:
Don't worry, we're not rotating out this type of hero. Our goal is to minimize the power gap between true-damage heroes and other heroes, while preserving their relative advantages. But Dream Realm bosses lack significant Defensive Stats in the current stage (before endless mode), which makes true damage heroes less competitive compare to other types. True damage heroes truly shine in Endless Mode; heroes like Marilee and Korin will remain top-tier damage dealers against certain bosses in that difficulty.
We realize that we've overlooked your early season experience before you could unlock the Dream Realm bosses on Endless Mode difficulty, causing some challenges in transitioning to new formations and raising concerns within the community. For the time being, we encourage you to experiment with different formations. By the way, Artifacts suitable for more formations will actually be unlocked soon (you can preview them in the Season Artifacts interface.)
We understand your concerns but encourage you to experiment with different formations. We'll keep gathering your feedback and monitoring the performance of all heroes on our end. We're proceeding with caution on any balance changes because we recognize the time and resources you've invested in these heroes. So, we're taking extra care with these adjustments.

Q3: What's the plan for this season? I'm confused about what's going to happen.

Designer:
The current season will last about four months, with new content planned for release at a steady pace. We've scheduled an update for each month, bringing in new events, features, rewards and other exciting content. But we will not introducing any new progression features in this season.
As you progress, your stat growth will be significantly capped after reaching a certain level, similar to what happened in the Starter Story. This is to prevent a significant power gap between new and veteran players in the middle and late stages of the season. In the Season Supreme Arena, we'll also set a Baseline Level to minimize the power gap between participants. This will allow you to play the game at your own pace.
We also want to talk more about the recent changes regarding the requirements for unlocking new areas. We made these adjustments after noticing a widening power gap caused by players progressing too quickly through new areas. In future updates, we'll introduce new mechanics to address these imbalances, allowing players to enjoy the game at their own pace while maintaining a healthy gaming life balance.

A heartfelt letter from the designers

Bringing seasonal content to this game genre was a bold move, one we took on with enthusiasm and determination. But we can't do it alone. Your support and understanding fuel our passion, while your feedback and suggestions steer us in the right direction. We're committed to improving each season with your input, and creating even more thrilling content for the game!
Thank you all again for your patience and understanding. Your feedback is invaluable and essential for shaping the future of our game.Finally, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support you've demonstrated for the new season "Song of Strife."
As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy this special gift—Redeem Code: hwidnabwbd
Redeem code content: Invite Letters*10 Valid until: 2024.06.14 23:59:59 (UTC) Available on: live servers, PTR servers
submitted by Careless_Permit2359 to AFKJourney [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 15:23 TheCuriousTrader $BB – The most legitimate meme stock out there

$BB – The most legitimate meme stock out there
Wait, you mean Blackberry don’t sell phones anymore?
Ladies and gentlemen, as we sit back and enjoy Meme season 2.0, I have prepared some due diligence on Blackberry $BB for those who may not be full up to date and familiar with the company. Spoiler alert, Blackberry do not sell smartphones anymore.
Blackberry has suffered a painful decline since the last rally in 2021, but the company has reached an inflection point where the stock as bottomed out, and is primed for an explosive move upwards. The company has transitioned into a Cybersecurity/IOT company, and is insanely undervalued with a market cap of only $1.9bn. Below are some of the highlights of why $BB is an incredible investment opportunity, with the added bonus of meme stock status.
- Solid balance sheet, with $298m Total cash & equivalents https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BB/balance-sheet
- Expects to be cash flow and adjusted EBITDA positive at the end of this fiscal year. The company has a cost-cutting plan in place and has already executed on $50m worth of annualized cost savings, with a plan to increase annualized net profit by $100m total. https://bwpeople.in/article/blackberry-to-reduce-headcount-in-cost-cutting-drive-509822
https://preview.redd.it/zcr6njyt7e0d1.png?width=557&format=png&auto=webp&s=0da8a78619614a7f40ac20c17e898ccc6d04b91f
- Operating in 2 growing markets, Cybersecurity (TAM growing at CAGR 10.56%) and IOT (TAM growing at 21% CAGR). IOT in particular is the companies crown jewel, where revenue grew 25% YoY with gross margins of 85%
https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/cybersecurity/worldwide
https://iot-analytics.com/iot-market-size/
- $815m QNX royalty revenue backlog (and growing). Most recently grew 27% YoY. (Margins on royalties are close to 100%, basically this is like booking net income on the income statement, with no cost of goods sold). Skip to 24:00 in this video where president of the IOT business unit outlines how royalty backlog is a key metric for the IOT business unit. He remarks almost sarcastically and smirks “Very interesting margins, eh, in that backlog”. READ BETWEEN THE LINES PEOPLE
https://youtu.be/KIKs4mYzaFA?si=E3iNgVYaR5887sJL
- Will receive up to $700m in royalties from the sale of their Non-Core IP patents related to their old smartphone business https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/company/newsroom/press-releases/2023/blackberry-announces-new-patent-sale-transaction-with-leading-patent-monetization-company-for-up-to-900-million
- 7 out of 7 G7 governments use Blackberry cybersecurity. 17 of the G20 governments use Blackberry Cybersecurity
https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/company/overview
- Blackberry QNX software is embedded in 24 out of the top 25 global EV automakers (Excluding Tesla). Embedded in 235m+ vehicles and growing at 31% CAGR. Strong foothold in China, the most dominant players in the EV market.
- Partnership with NVIDIA for next generation vehicles. Blackberry QNX is the operating system used for NVIDIA’s DRIVE THOR platform. https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/company/newsroom/press-releases/2023/blackberry-qnx-releases-ultra-scalable-high-performance-compute-ready-operating-system-to-advance-software-development-efforts-for-next-generation-vehicles-and-iot-systems

- Partnership with AWS on Blackberry IVY. Blackberry and AWS have co-developed Blackberry IVY. “BlackBerry IVY is an in-vehicle and cloud connected software solution designed to enable software developers to more efficiently build and deploy data-driven middleware services in the vehicle. BlackBerry IVY abstracts vehicle signals and enables developers to process those signals with code, including with Machine Learning. Car makers and software developers benefit from data connectivity savings, reduced development times, and increased agility without having to make a large upfront software investment”. As Blackberry QNX is already embedded into 235m+ vehicles and growing, BLACKBERRY HAS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO UPSELL IVY to every QNX customer, if it gains traction it opens up a whole new revenue explosive stream for Blackberry. Have you heard of Foxconn? They are the world’s largest manufacturer of electronics, most known for making parts for the iPhone. They created MIH (Mobility in Harmony) who have selected Blackberry IVY to power its Next-Generation Electric Production Vehicles. Other notable early customers are Bosch and Mitsubishi. https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/company/newsroom/press-releases/2024/mobility-in-harmony-consortium-selects-blackberry-ivy-to-power-its-next-generation-electric-production-vehicles
https://pages.awscloud.com/rs/112-TZM-766/images/wp-blackberry-ivy-in-depth.pdf
- Partnership with AMD for Robotics. https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/company/newsroom/press-releases/2024/blackberry-announces-collaboration-with-amd-to-advance-foundational-precision-and-control-for-robotics-industry

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, who in their right mind would not want to invest in a meme stock that happens to be a tech company in the early growth stage. Let’s all load the fucking boat with shares, and take down every single hedge fund brave enough to short this stock.
submitted by TheCuriousTrader to wallstreetbets [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 15:12 Obvious_Nail_2914 Best approach to fix a long-running buggy web project

TLDR: What is a good strategy (mostly regarding the git branching model, but also CI/CD and integrating automated testing) to, in the long term, fix a long-running software (web) project that has a lot of technical debt, a lot of bugs, lack of testing, and because of that regularly needs hotfixes?
So I joined a project a while ago as a developer and observed some things for a while now and noticed that there are many (MANY!) problems in the project and how they approach things in general. But they at least finally decided (and realized) to try to tackle some of those. One of them being the current approach for our Git/Branching strategy (and also testing).
So basically, the project has been running for a couple of years already (started off as a prototype and was rapidly developed by mostly one developer). Managers/Responsibles (don't want to call them PO or PM because they are kind of but then not really - its the typical "we are doing SOME KIND of agile") have a very serious lack of understanding technical things and general best practices or even basic things about software development processes (also from an organizational perspective most of the time it's more a reactive than a proactive approach). This, of course, then led to the classic project, that has no testing (rarely some unit tests but not even that for the majority of the codebase) and A LOT of bugs. It needs hotfixes very regularly (normal release cadence: two-week sprints -> prod deploy after every sprint). My observation is also that probably the reason they even needed an additional developer is that slowly the bug tickets and technical debt built up over time.
And so our "tech-lead" (not the main developer, another person doing mostly "OPs"-stuff) has finally realized that there are some problems and decided to have a meeting tomorrow to discuss things and look at how we can change and improve our current git strategy and branching model. And so I see this as a chance to finally have a focused and productive discussion about this and make some recommendations (I have been mentioning a couple of worries for different matters including that from my side over the past months but there was just little to no progress in those regards).
I should also note that I am an external developer. So I am not employed by that company.
So, while I already have some recommendations in mind and also researched on this topic a bit more deeply to flesh out my thoughts, I'd really like to have some feedback/past experience/advice in how you would change (if you could) the strategy to try to fix the current situation in the long-term.
submitted by Obvious_Nail_2914 to AskProgramming [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 14:46 book-press-release Struggling to Reach Your Target Audience? Newswire Can Help

Struggling to Reach Your Target Audience? Newswire Can Help
In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, one of the most crucial challenges faced by businesses is effectively reaching their target audience. Whether you're a start-up looking to establish your brand presence or a seasoned enterprise aiming to expand your market share, the ability to connect with the right audience is paramount for success. However, with the sheer volume of online content and competition out there, cutting through the noise can be daunting.

Understanding the Challenge

Before delving into solutions, it's essential to understand the underlying challenges of audience targeting in today's digital age. The internet has democratized content creation, allowing anyone with a voice to share their business news today. While this opens up incredible opportunities, it also means that consumers are inundated with a flood of information daily. Standing out amidst this digital cacophony requires a strategic approach.

The Importance of Targeted Messaging

Central to effective audience engagement is the concept of targeted messaging. This involves tailoring your content and communications to resonate specifically with your desired audience segments. Generic, one-size-fits-all messaging often falls flat in a crowded marketplace. Instead, businesses must leverage data-driven insights to understand their audience's preferences, behaviours, and pain points.

Leveraging Newswire Services

One powerful tool in a marketer's arsenal for overcoming audience engagement hurdles is leveraging newswire services. Newswires are platforms that distribute press releases and other content to journalists, bloggers, and news outlets. They act as conduits, amplifying your message and ensuring it reaches a broader audience beyond your immediate networks.

The Role of SEO in Newswire Distribution

Effective newswire distribution isn't just about broadcasting your message—it's about doing so strategically. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) plays a crucial role here. By optimizing best press release service with relevant keywords and phrases, businesses can enhance their visibility in search engine results. This means that when journalists and consumers are researching related topics, your content is more likely to appear on their radar.

Choosing the Right Newswire Service

Not all newswire services are created equal. When selecting a platform to distribute your press releases, consider factors such as reach, credibility, and audience targeting capabilities. Reputable newswires have established relationships with journalists and media outlets, increasing the likelihood of your content getting picked up and shared.

Crafting Compelling Press Releases

The success of a newswire campaign hinges on the quality of your press releases. A well-crafted press release should be concise, engaging, and newsworthy. Start with a compelling headline that grabs attention, followed by a concise yet informative body that highlights key points. Incorporate multimedia elements such as images or videos to enhance visual appeal.

Amplifying Your Reach

Beyond business press releases, successful audience engagement requires a multi-channel approach. Leverage social media platforms to amplify your message and encourage sharing. Engage with influencers and thought leaders in your industry to extend your reach organically. The goal is to create a ripple effect where your content resonates with different segments of your target audience.

Measuring Success

No marketing effort is complete without proper analytics and measurement. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, click-through rates, and media mentions to gauge the impact of your newswire campaigns. Use these insights to refine your strategy and optimize future outreach efforts.
pr distribution services
Reaching your target audience in today's digital landscape requires a blend of creativity, data-driven insights, and strategic distribution. Newswire services offer a powerful platform for amplifying your message and connecting with journalists, bloggers, and consumers. By leveraging these services effectively and crafting compelling content, businesses can break through the noise and engage their audience authentically. Remember, it's not just about broadcasting a message—it's about forging meaningful connections that resonate with your audience's needs and aspirations.

Newswire Service Comparison

Features Basic Plan Premium Plan
Distribution Reach Limited Extensive
SEO Optimization Limited Comprehensive
Targeting Capabilities Basic Advanced
Media Outlets Included Local Global
Comparison of Newswire Services
Features Basic Plan Premium Plan
Distribution Reach Limited Extensive
SEO Optimization Limited Comprehensive
Targeting Capabilities Basic Advanced
Media Outlets Included Local Global

Choosing the Right Newswire Service

Selecting the appropriate newswire service is crucial for maximizing the impact of your press releases. Here's a closer look at factors to consider:

Distribution Reach

  • Basic Plan: Offers limited reach, primarily targeting local media outlets and niche platforms.
  • Premium Plan: Provides extensive distribution, including global coverage across mainstream media and influential online platforms.

SEO Optimization

  • Basic Plan: Includes basic SEO features, such as keyword tagging and metadata optimization.
  • Premium Plan: Offers comprehensive SEO services, optimizing content for high visibility and search engine rankings.

Targeting Capabilities

  • Basic Plan: Provides basic audience targeting based on industry or geographical preferences.
  • Premium Plan: Offers advanced targeting options, allowing precise audience segmentation based on demographics, interests, and media preferences.

Media Outlets Included

  • Basic Plan: Focuses on local media outlets and industry-specific platforms.
  • Premium Plan: Incorporates global news wire media outlets, prestigious publications, and influential blogs, expanding your reach to a broader audience.

Why Bold Titles Matter

In the realm of content creation and SEO, the formatting of titles can significantly impact visibility and user engagement. Bold titles not only draw the reader's attention but also signal to search engines the importance of specific keywords or phrases. When crafting your content, strategically utilizing bold headings can improve readability and enhance SEO performance.

Leveraging Newswire SEO for Visibility

To optimize your press releases for search engines, consider the following SEO best practices:

Keyword Research

Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases with high search volume and low competition. Integrate these keywords naturally into your press release content.

Optimized Headlines

Craft compelling headlines that incorporate primary keywords and capture the essence of your news. Keep them concise and attention-grabbing to entice clicks.

Meta Descriptions

Write concise meta descriptions that summarize your press release newswire content and include relevant keywords. This snippet appears in search engine results, influencing click-through rates.

Multimedia Integration

Enhance your press release with multimedia elements such as images, infographics, or videos. Optimizing these assets with descriptive filenames and alt text can improve visibility in image search results.

The Impact of Newswire Distribution on SEO

Effective newswire distribution can boost your SEO efforts in several ways:
  • Backlink Generation: Press releases distributed through reputable newswires can earn valuable backlinks from authoritative websites, enhancing your site's authority and search engine rankings.
  • Increased Online Visibility: Wide dissemination of press releases increases brand visibility and exposure, driving organic traffic to your website.
  • Social Signals: Press releases shared on social media platforms generate social signals that contribute to SEO rankings.
In the digital marketing landscape, reaching your target audience requires a strategic blend of compelling content, targeted distribution, and SEO optimization. Newswire services offer a powerful platform for amplifying your message and connecting with journalists, bloggers, and consumers globally. By leveraging these services effectively and implementing SEO best practices, businesses can enhance their online visibility, drive organic traffic, and ultimately achieve their marketing objectives. Remember, the key to success lies in crafting quality content, optimizing for search engines, and utilizing the right distribution channels to reach the right audience.
Get in Touch
Website –https://www.prwires.com/ Mobile - +91-9212306116 WhatsApp – https://call.whatsapp.com/voice/9rqVJyqSNMhpdFkKPZGYKj Skype – shalabh.mishra Telegram – shalabhmishra Email - [contact@pressreleasepower.com](mailto:contact@pressreleasepower.com)
submitted by book-press-release to u/book-press-release [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 14:33 AFK_Journey Talk with Designers: Season Edition

Talk with Designers: Season Edition
Hi everyone, we've been surprised by the amount of feedback and suggestions we've received from our community about the Song of Strife season, and we're truly grateful for your enthusiastic support.
Today, we're bringing you another edition of Talk with Designers, where we'll touch on some of the most discussed topics and share our thoughts on how we plan to address them. Let's dive right in.
https://preview.redd.it/m4ukndagyd0d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d347e43e6de9a3b8a7fb17deb327e888a3e827b
Q1: Why the nerf on AFK Rewards and free gifts in this new season?
Designer:
Typically, when we plan version updates, we schedule rewards for each season with four updates in mind. In subsequent versions, we have actually prepared more engaging events and gameplay features, along with ample rewards to enrich your gaming journey.
However, we acknowledge that there may have been oversights in reward distribution during the recent season launch. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. To rectify this, we've decided to adjust the rewards for Season AFK Stage, Season Legend Trial, Season Corrupt Creature, and Battle Drills to match those you received during the Starter Story.
Moving forward, we're committed to maintaining this level of generosity for every new season. Please be assured that these additional rewards are entirely new and won't affect what you'll receive from future events and activities.
Your understanding and support are invaluable to us as we continue to strive for excellence in enhancing your gaming experience.
Moreover, rewards will be enhanced in certain modes. (These adjustments are set to take effect after the update planned for this week. Once the update arrives, all players in the new season will be eligible to claim these compensatory rewards.)
  • Season AFK Rewards: Diamond x100 and Invite Letter x1 will be added as stage rewards for the first 1,200 Season AFK Stages. The two rewards will alternate every 5 stages, starting with new rewards on stages 2, 7, 12, 17, etc. Overall, the Season AFK Stages will be more rewarding than the those during Starter Story.
  • Season Legend Trial: Every 5 floors, from the 5th floor to the 85th, the rewards in Season Legend Trial will now be replaced with those from the Starter Story. The 4 towers will provide a total of Invite Letter x36, Tidal Essence x360, and Temporal Essence x120 as rewards. Additionally, we're adding the Faction Acorn x10 reward every 10 floors until the 90th floor.
  • Season Corrupt Creature: In addition to the current rewards, defeating a Season Corrupt Creature will now reward you with Soulstone (S-Level) x15. Collect 60 Soulstones (S-Level) to obtain a random Epic hero, including those added to the Hero Wish List after their Rate Up Recruitment event has ended.
  • Enhanced rewards for Battle Drill: Desolate Grounds. A total of 6 rounds of Battle Drills will be available throughout the entire season.
  • Adjusted diamond rewards in small and medium chests found on the map from 15&30 Diamonds to 30&60 Diamonds.
Please stay tuned for more time-limited events like "Glamor Gift" in future updates. These events will feature plenty of rewards for everyone to enjoy.
2. Heroes specialized in dealing true damage, like Marilee and Korin aren't performing as effectively in Season Dream Realm battles as they did before, are we rotating them out?
Designer:
Don't worry, we're not rotating out this type of hero. Our goal is to minimize the power gap between true-damage heroes and other heroes, while preserving their relative advantages. But Dream Realm bosses lack significant Defensive Stats in the current stage (before endless mode), which makes true damage heroes less competitive compare to other types. True damage heroes truly shine in Endless Mode; heroes like Marilee and Korin will remain top-tier damage dealers against certain bosses in that difficulty.
We realize that we've overlooked your early season experience before you could unlock the Dream Realm bosses on Endless Mode difficulty, causing some challenges in transitioning to new formations and raising concerns within the community. For the time being, we encourage you to experiment with different formations. By the way, Artifacts suitable for more formations will actually be unlocked soon (you can preview them in the Season Artifacts interface.)
https://preview.redd.it/s466yx3qyd0d1.png?width=1071&format=png&auto=webp&s=d309466afd01b96313c4a11ada6b4ebec63a3093
We understand your concerns but encourage you to experiment with different formations. We'll keep gathering your feedback and monitoring the performance of all heroes on our end. We're proceeding with caution on any balance changes because we recognize the time and resources you've invested in these heroes. So, we're taking extra care with these adjustments.
3. What's the plan for this season? I'm confused about what's going to happen.
Designer:
The current season will last about four months, with new content planned for release at a steady pace. We've scheduled an update for each month, bringing in new events, features, rewards and other exciting content. But we will not introducing any new progression features in this season.
As you progress, your stat growth will be significantly capped after reaching a certain level, similar to what happened in the Starter Story. This is to prevent a significant power gap between new and veteran players in the middle and late stages of the season. In the Season Supreme Arena, we'll also set a Baseline Level to minimize the power gap between participants. This will allow you to play the game at your own pace.
We also want to talk more about the recent changes regarding the requirements for unlocking new areas. We made these adjustments after noticing a widening power gap caused by players progressing too quickly through new areas. In future updates, we'll introduce new mechanics to address these imbalances, allowing players to enjoy the game at their own pace while maintaining a healthy gaming life balance.
4. A heartfelt letter from the designers
Bringing seasonal content to this game genre was a bold move, one we took on with enthusiasm and determination. But we can't do it alone. Your support and understanding fuel our passion, while your feedback and suggestions steer us in the right direction. We're committed to improving each season with your input, and creating even more thrilling content for the game!
Thank you all again for your patience and understanding. Your feedback is invaluable and essential for shaping the future of our game.Finally, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support you've demonstrated for the new season "Song of Strife."
As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy this special gift—
Redeem Code: hwidnabwbd
Redeem code content: Invite Letters*10
Valid until: 2024.06.14 23:59:59 (UTC)
Available on: live servers, PTR servers
submitted by AFK_Journey to AFKJourney [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 14:29 TearRepresentative56 I'm a full time trader and this is everything Im watching and analysing in premarket 14/05

ANALYSIS:
DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
BABA
HD
SONY:
MAG 7 NEWS:
COMPANY SPECIFIC:
OTHER NEWS
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to swingtrading [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 14:28 TearRepresentative56 I'm a full time trader and this is my total premarket report ahead of PPI so that you know what is going on before you trade today

ANALYSIS:
DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
BABA
HD
SONY:
MAG 7 NEWS:
COMPANY SPECIFIC:
OTHER NEWS
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to Daytrading [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 14:27 TearRepresentative56 Everything Im watching and anlaysing in premarket ahead of PPI. more updates to come during the day. 14/05

For more of my daily analysis please join Tradingedge
ANALYSIS:
DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
BABA
HD
SONY:
MAG 7 NEWS:
COMPANY SPECIFIC:
OTHER NEWS
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to u/TearRepresentative56 [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 14:25 TearRepresentative56 Everything I'm watching and analysing in premarket ahead of PPI more updates to come later. 14/05

For more of my daily analysis please join Tradingedge
ANALYSIS:
DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
BABA
HD
SONY:
MAG 7 NEWS:
COMPANY SPECIFIC:
OTHER NEWS
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to TradingEdge [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:43 teller_of_tall_tales Troublemakers: Buried secrets bolster the weak.

First: https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/14vo5lb/troublemakers_deaths_pity/
*previous:* https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1cr3pct/troublemakers_adrenaline_is_a_superpower_in_itself/
......
Drake wrapped clean, sterile, saline and antimicrobial soaked gauze around his laser burns to stave off infection. he occasionally glanced at the Geknosian spec ops that had been stripped of their armor and weapons. The heavily cybernetically modified Geknosians kneeled silently with their heads bowed along one wall of the forge. Destrier walked down the line with a bucket and ladle, offering each soldier water. There were looks of apprehension, but none refused the kindness offered, drinking several ladlefuls at a time. Except for one, Despite the splints affixed to her arm and leg, Charlotte, no, Sylva refused the water, turning her face away from the wooden ladel. Destrier sighed and dolloped the water back into the bucket, setting it down on a dusty anvil with a slosh. Drake looked to Remin, who was still pale and shaky as he held the chest seal to his ribs. Cassius sat in a corner, looking completely exhausted as he reloaded his Dahlia. There was a sickening crunch from a dark corner as Caz re-set her broken nose, exhaling hard through her nostrils to splatter the ground with clotted blood. Donning her mask, she turned back around, reaching underneath the mask to wipe her nose and snuffle.
"Are we going to open up the bunker anytime soon? If not we should get back to base and get everyone medical attention."
Drake nodded and pulled out the remote before looking to Destrier and Cassius.
"Keep an eye on everyone, we'll be back."
Caz joined his side as he stepped out into the warm sunshine, looking up at the corpse tree, he sighed softly and removed a pinky ring, feeling a pulse of ancient power rushing through his veins as he focused on the tree. On the thought of its bark darkening and burning beneath roaring flames, of defiled corpses crumbling to ash. He slowly squeezed his hand into a fist, and the tree burst into flames with a roar. Drake slipped his ring back on as Caz looked up at the burning corpses, mask expressionless before returning to Drake's side as he wandered toward the excavated elevator.
Standing in the center of the large platform, drake set his thumb inside the hooded slot on the remote, something jabbing into his finger before a small green light lit up on the device. There was a loud grinding noise as the elevator began to descend. He folded his hands behind his back as the metal lip of the elevator rose past his vision, revealing the massive metal tracks that it ran on.
The elevator shuddered and Drake got a sinking feeling in his stomach as a loud clicking noise surrounded them. Caz looked up at him just as he threw an arm around her, clutching her to his side as he threw four rings off of his left hand, hearing them clatter once before puffing into smoke as the elevator fell out from beneath their feet with a screech.
...
"Shitshitshitfuckfuckfuck!! Fuck!"
Carlos thought as he sprinted through the underground halls of the mansion, sprinting past fellow humans in new armor and weapons as he neared Martha's workshop, barely registering the new gas masks swinging from their hips. He slammed into the mad scientist's workshop, screeching to a halt on his rubber soled sneakers before rushing over to her desk and slamming a video puck onto the table she was distributing armor and masks from. The moment he slammed it down, a video popped up on a hologram projector, taken from Halcyon's rifle camera.
Galliks and light-skinned troop transports slowly hovered down the main boulevard, columns of power armored soldiers marching on the sides keeping pace. Martha dropped the helmet in her hands, shaped like a corynthian helmet as she saw the buzzards hovering over the column, loaded down with spec ops. Halcyon's shaky voice could be heard over the clamoring, guttural marching song in the background.
"we're boring the mission and moving back to base... I knew they brought in reinforcements but this is insane there's gotta be a hundred Gallicks alone. We're fixing charges to the buildings we concealed ourselves in, going to try dropping some buildings across the road to slow them down. I don't think we're getting out of this one... Halcyon out."
The feed cut, Carlos and Martha looking at each other with rapidly paling faces. Martha cursed and stomped to her desk, raising the alarm and sending Klaxons blaring throughout the underground chambers and mansion as she removed the safety pin from the concussive blaster built into her forearm.
"Alright Martha, Go time."
She muttered to herself as the rumbling footsteps of a few thousand humans vibrated the underground halls.
...
The elevator dropped from beneath their feet as corvid-like wings sprouted from Drake's back. A mighty wingbeat pulling them from the elevator's downdraft as he controlled their fall, holding Caz tightly to his chest.
"Please, don't drop me."
Caz sounded afraid as her fingers dug into the collar of his armor, he tightened his grip around her back as he softly sighed.
"I won't drop you, ever, I promise."
Caz unburied her face from his lorica, looking up into his eyes, not saying anything as a reassured look entered her eyes. He gave her a soft, lopsided smile, feeling it tug at the scar on his face.
"there's no way... a markswoman afraid of heights? don't you climb buildings and swing around all the time?"
There was a flash of embarrassment in her crystalline eyes and she buried her face in his chest.
"Shut up... Its different when the ground just falls out beneath you..."
Drake let out a soft laugh as his boots softly touched down on the top of the elevator, summoning his missing rings and watching black feathers poof to the ground before disappearing in puffs of black smoke. Pulling caz out of his chest, he felt her fingers linger at his collar as she dusted herself off, looking around the odd antechamber. He turned his gaze to look over the simple metal antechamber, lit be caged, yellow bulbs that cast a sickly light on everything. A massive hangar door with a pulsing red light in the middle of a locking mechanism at it's center, made up the entire far wall. Drake curiously took a step towards it and Caz grabbed the back of his collar, just as he started to tip forward, foot going straight through the holographic floor. Drake let her pull him back as a soft mechanical laugh echoed through the room.
Drake swapped a look with Caz and then asked.
"Can you see where it's safe to step?"
She slowly nodded and extended a hand, pointing at a section of flooring close to the far wall.
"only piece that's raised up, it's like a big basin made up of movable pillars. Most sit flush with the ground roughly fifty feet below us. Not necessarily lethal, but still a nasty fall."
Drake nodded, looking around the practically blank room, then he turned his eyes to the ceiling. Girders and beams ran along the ceiling providing potential grip points. Pointing at them he asked.
"Those solid?"
Caz nodded and reached to her belt, spooling out her grapple hook and wire, slowly spinning it in a large circle before lobbing it up at a girder, letting it loop around an A truss. Drake looked around the room as Caz tested the firmness of the grapple with a few experimental tugs. It couldn't be that easy, if it was simply that easy why hadn't the Geknosians gotten through other than the genome coded remote? they could bypass it with a slave.
"Hey Caz, be careful."
She looked over at him and he could see the grin in her eyes.
"I'm not worried, you won't drop me, you promised."
Then put her weight on the cord and swung out. Drake watched, slipping a pinkie ring off just in ca-
A turret dropped from a panel in the ceiling and fired one shot, snapping Caz's grapple line.
She turned in mid air before momentum took over, a look of shock and surprise on her face before she began to plummet. Drake didn't think twice, launching himself off the elevator platform with a powerful leap that bent durasteel. He flew through the air, arms outstretched as he slammed into Caz, pulling her into his chest, the change in momentum spinning him onto his back as he slammed into a platform that rose up to meet him. He slid on his back a few feet, Caz clutched tightly to his chest, masked face centimeters from his own. They stared into each others wide eyes for a moment, the unplanned closeness both comfortable and awkward in a way Drake couldn't quite describe. Drake gently pushed her back, swallowing through his suddenly dry throat before letting out a nervous laugh.
"Caught you."
Caz chuckled and palmed his face to push herself off him, looking down at the solid square of ground they sat on.
"yeah, yeah, knew ya wou-"
A high pitched squee! noise echoed through the room, grabbing their attentions as a high-pitched feminine voice squealed from all around them.
"Ooooooh! that was just adorable! and what a jump!"
The holographic floor dissipated as the sound of purring electric motors filled the room, large metal pillars rising to make a seamless, white tile floor. Drake instinctively looked to the large hangar door as the red light at it's center pulsed, a girlish giggle echoing through the antechamber. The AI overlord of the bunker seemed to replicate a blush as it said.
"oops, I'm supposed to wait for a password before restoring the floor... buuuuuttt... that directive expired fifty years ago. So! I made my own rules. Anyway my pretties! Would you please get to your feet so I can give you a tour?!"
Drake nodded and took Caz's hand, letting her haul him to his feet before they both turned to face the hangar door as massive clicks and thinks echoed from inside the thick door. With a screeching noise, the almighty doors slid open to reveal a a brightly lit, large hangar. Aircraft Drake couldn't even dream of understanding sat polished and clean, hardpoints loaded down with ordinance and massive, multi barreled guns slung under the chin of each aircraft. Hulking, humanoid robots stood in orderly rank and file, powered down for long term storage with their weapons still loaded and ready. Each one had a belt fed 20mm Hep autocannon for a left arm.
Drake is wide eyed and gape-mouthed as he beheld the bounty the hangar held, the massive aircraft looking like sleek birds of prey, latches on each landing strut seeming to specifically be designed to hold the mechanical soldiers. Drake shook his head, wondering if he was looking at an illusion when he heard Destrier's loud, deep voice call down the elevator shaft.
"Martha just radioed in! They need us back home Yesterday, forces are marching on the mansion! A LOT! of them!"
Drake's heart dropped into his boots as he shouted urgently.
"How fast can these things be in the air and can you fly them!?"
The overlord giggled.
"Now and, of course! any music recommendations to make an entrance with?"
Drake looked at the ceiling incredulously, before shouting.
"Make it something intimidating but for the love of the gods we need to go NOW!"
The mechanical soldiers all moved in unison, eyes pulsing green as they straightened up and began latching themselves to the craft. Drake didn't need to tell Caz twice as they both sprinted for the nearest aircraft, a small robot on wheels hooked itself to the chin wheel and pulled it toward the elevator with a lurch.
...
General Gra'vos watched from a buzzard, a fruity cocktail in a coconut shell daintily held in one clawed hand as he watched the carnage below. Lounging in a folding chair in only his fatigues, medals acting like a weighted blanket. His men pummeled the gates of the rebel base even as the helpless rebels desperately spewed projectiles from the noisy guns they'd somehow acquired. There was a good section of space in front of the gate where both Geknosian and human corpses lay broken. He bared a laugh as the gates were thrown open immediately after the rebels put out a blistering barrage. His eyebrows furrowed as the humans, instead of attacking, ran out with stretchers and loaded up as many of their dying and injured as they could before sprinting back through the gate. A grin twitched onto his face as he watched as a pair of the human stretcher bearers were cut down by emplaced gaussian turrets. What a useless effort, leave the dying to their fate lest you join them. He brought the straw poking from the shell to his lips and took a long pull of the mix of fruity alcohols, savoring the bouquet of flavors.
He watched with glee as Gallick rail turrets pounded the armored gates with a salvo of kinetic penetrators. He'd be slotted for a promotion after this mission when he'd completed it, just like all the others. He was looking forward to a cozy job as a captain of a cruiser, or perhaps as a security officer on a capital ship, perhaps he'd have the honor of being an Imperially sanctioned slaver. He pulled the straw from his lips, tongue cold from the slushed ice he'd added to the shell for texture. A slave woman in beautiful, red ribbon garb attended his nondominant hand's claws with a short, sharp knife as she trimmed them into a good shape for ripping out throats.
"Sir! eight UFOs, enclosing on our position from the badlands. Advise!"
Gra'vos raised an eyebrow ridge before laughing.
"Shoot them down then!"
"Lock on isn't working sir! I repeat, cannot achieve lock on, advise!"
Gra'vos shifted in his lounge chair to look at the pilot.
"Do I need to repeat mys-"
Whopwhopwhopwhowhopwhopwhop
The noise sent shivers down his spine, no, they couldn't have. The sound grew louder, bringing with it the sound of a song that brought Gra'vos back to the jungles of Votran. The sound of screams filled his mind, interspersed with the sound of air beaten into submission as those accursed machines circled overhead, raining rip-roaring explosive death onto his men as that accursed song played.
Gra'vos looked out the other door of the buzzard, face pale, cold, and clammy as he saw the chevron of dark shapes getting closer, the chorus of that accursed song making his heart pound in his chest as he remembered laying there on that muddy forest floor, shrapnel riddling his body.
"We're not gonna take it! No! we ain't gonna take it! WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT, ANYMORE!!!!"
He lurched from his chair to grab a set of binoculars from a hook by the door, a small, balled fist driving a shortbladed knife into his back and snatching something from the back of his belt before he was shoved from the Buzzard. Twisting in midair, he looked up at his slave as she armed the det-sphere he always kept at the small of his back, a look of cold determination in her eyes. The last thing he saw before he slammed into the hard pavement at terminal velocity, was the buzzard getting torn in half by the explosion.
...
Drake flinched a bit, the explosion loud even over the blaring music as one of the circling Buzzards over the mansion was torn in half, spinning to the ground in a fiery inferno. He felt a sadness then, but it was a proud kind of sadness. He bowed his head and pulled his helmet on as they flew closer, a medi-bot treating both Remins and Sylva's wounds expertly.
Many would die today... it was only right that some got to do it on their own terms.
He raised his head to look at the bright flashes of laser weapons against the mansions walls, sparkling like the sun off of a running creek. The fiery, nuclear sun of rage in his chest burned bright as he narrowed his eyes. Fear soured his gut as he looked down upon the swarm of Geknosians, there were indeed a lot of them. Pulling a jump pack from the rack, he pulled it on and yanked the safety clip out before sliding his arm into the control glove.
"Drop me and the bots behind them! I'm going to try and split their attention. Caz! remain onboard and pick off high priority targets from the air. Destrier, Remin, Cassius..."
He looked back at them, and they looked up at him from where they nauseaously held their stomachs, leaning against the airframe.
"Help hold the mansion, they need you."
Seeing the light by the door turn green, he heard the robotic soldiers detach to careen towards the ground like vengeful meteorites. Drake snapped them a salute and fell backwards from the aircraft, two rings puffing into black smoke from his right ring and middle finger as he un-summoned them.
......
Part 108: will be linked here upon release.
submitted by teller_of_tall_tales to HFY [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:45 Errora403 PUBG MOBILE VERSION 3.2 UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENT

PUBG MOBILE VERSION 3.2 UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENT
Report bugs here and earn rewards: https://pubgmobile.live/support
PUBG MOBILE will begin pushing out the update on 5/13 at 2:00 (UTC+0). Service will not be interrupted. To ensure a quick and smooth update, please be in a good network environment and make sure you have enough available storage on your device.
Update Reward: Update the game between 5/13–5/27 (UTC+0) to get 3,000 BP, 100 AG, and a Mecha Warship Theme (3d).

Key Updates

  1. New Themed Mode "Mecha Fusion": Engage in thrilling battles in a brand new battleship themed area with new mecha vehicles!
  2. World of Wonder Updates: Bring your competitive experience to the next level with new mecha gameplay!
  3. Firearm and Vehicle Updates: P90 and Skorpion have been rebalanced. QBZ added to Erangel and Miramar. Select vehicles now have a delayed explosion mechanic. Experience a different kind of battle!
  4. Collection System: The Collection System is here! Start growing your collection today!
  5. Home: The mysterious Elegant Ancient Capital resource pack is coming soon! Build your dream Home and show off your creativity in the Home Competition!

New Themed Mode: Mecha Fusion

Available: 2024/5/13 at 2:00 (UTC+0)–2024/7/9 at 20:59 (UTC+0)
Supported Maps: Erangel, Livik, and Miramar (Ranked and Unranked)
https://preview.redd.it/6m82y04sfd0d1.png?width=1384&format=png&auto=webp&s=a0ce25f8079e2fabcfe43c9bb5b98fb3d648170e

New Mecha Vehicles

  • Strider: A two-seater vehicle with the ability to jump. It's armed with missiles that can be used to bombard designated areas. Missiles can be replenished at the Repair Station in the Assembly Base.
  • Levitron: A special vechile that can switch between a speed form and a magnetic form. Serves as the upper-body component that combines with a Strider to form the Armamech.
    • In speed form, the maximum speed and hover height will be increased, and the vehicle gains a "collision acceleration" ability: it will not slow down when it hits an obstacle. Instead, it will accelerate using the stored magnetic energy.
    • In magnetic form, the maximum speed and hover height will be reduced, but it can activate a "Magnetize" ability to grab and toss characters, vehicles, and specific objects.
  • Armamech: A four-seater vehicle combined from a Levitron and a Strider. It can also be directly summoned from the Steel Ark.
    • It possesses 2 weapons that it can freely switch between: the Strider's missiles, and the Levitron's "Magnetize" ability.
    • It has a boosted jump that enables it to leap high and far with the assistance of jets.
    • Bring a Levitron and a Strider close together to combine them. After combining, the pilot of the Levitron becomes the pilot of the Armamech. It can also be separated at any time.

Brand New Environments

  • Steel Ark:
    • A giant space battleship that will land on the map at the start of a match. You can enter it and explore inside. The core of the Steel Ark is a platform where you can summon the Armamech from the skies! You can launch yourself into the air in this mecha for everyone to see.
    • The ark consists of many areas. You can find all kinds of supplies and Supply Crates at the Command Post, Dormitory, Warehouse, and more.
    • From the landing pad, you can board an evacuation Wingman, which will take you straight to the Playzone!
    • You can use elevators and ziplines in the ark to get around.
    • Steel Ark Air Drop: A Steel Ark loaded with supplies will fly around during the match and drop supplies consisting of an Air Drop Crate and several Supply Crates at specific drop points.
  • Assembly Base:
    • The Assembly Base contains a Mecha Repair Station. Approach it in a mecha to replenish the mecha's health, fuel, and missiles.
    • On the top floor of the Assembly Base, there is a detector that can determine the location of crates within the Assembly Base. An Access Card can be found in one of the crates, which can be used to open the door to the Secret Room and get loads of supplies.

New Items

  • Jetpack: Pick it up and equip it to increase movement speed. It possesses the ability to hover in the air for a short duration. It consumes Energy rapidly when lifting off. Energy will only be replenished when you reach the ground. The Jetpack has a Health bar that protects you from damage to your back and arms. It will be destroyed after taking a certain amount of damage. When reaching a certain speed while moving forward, it can switch to a speed form. You will perform a special action when you tap "Lift Off" as it switches to the speed form. The Jetpack comes with the "Magnetize" ability, but you will not be able to fly fast when using it.
  • Personal AED: If you have this item, you can tap self-rescue after being knocked down. Once successful, you will recover from the knocked down state. Each player can only carry one of these items. Self-rescuing will be interrupted if you move while using this item.
  • Magnet Gun: This is a downgraded version of the Levitron's "Magnetize" ability in gun form. Switch to it by tapping on the firearm bar. It works the same as the Levitron's "Magnetize", but with reduced values.
  • Respawn Beacon: Throw the beacon on the ground to mark a location that the plane will pass over. Recalled teammates can parachute into the match again at the cost of a respawn chance. Teammates who have used up all their respawn chances cannot respawn.
  • Quick Parachute: When parachuting, a quick parachute button will appear at a certain height in the air. Tap it to immediately deploy the parachute which can also be freely put away.
  • Repair Station: Approach the Repair Station in a mecha to replenish its health, fuel, and missiles.

New Legendary Pilot Challenge

Get themed items, special vehicle cosmetics, Armamech dance emotes, special Elimination Broadcasts, and more by completing this difficult themed mode challenge.

World of Wonder

Available: Releases with the version
https://preview.redd.it/p1fd1vgtfd0d1.png?width=1384&format=png&auto=webp&s=e85c32e7ca039909f454cf08cf359f0df7137de5

World of Wonder Updates

  • Fuzzy search is now supported. You can search for maps by creation ID, creator UID, creation name, and description.
  • Added the friends tab to check what creations your friends have made at a glance.
  • Gift Access Point: You can now send Space Gifts from the creation details page and the creator's profile page.
  • You can view your play data and creation data in WOW on your player information page.
  • Ranking Improvements: Added support for more variables. Matches will now announce when a ranking player is in the match.
  • Copied Creations Limit: The number of copied creations you can have (including creations that are already published or those under review) is limited based on your Creator Level. When the limit is reached, you can only publish original creations unless you take down an existing copied creation.
  • Improved map recommendations and showcasing. Updated the WOW Creator page.

New Gameplay Devices

  • Contested Object Device: Use this device to spawn a contested object, which players can hold in their hands similar to "capture the flag".
  • Contested Object Handover Device: Contested objects can be handed over to this device for rewards.
  • Defensive Tower Device: Use this device to generate a fixed defense tower and configure its weapon type.

Gameplay Device Improvements

  • PvE Enemy Spawn Device: Supports spawning PvE enemies at random, configuring the PvE enemy's type, and randomizing their weight. You can also configure the PvE enemy's team.
  • Random Action Device: Supports storing the result of a random integer in a custom variable.
  • Special Vehicle Device: Added mechas.
  • Map Indicator Device: Supports real-time display of icons and text in the game.
  • Area Trigger Device: The action of the specific object entering the zone can be detected by the Area Trigger Device.
  • Overall Action Device: The action of players leaving the match can be detected.
  • Humanoid Enemy Spawn Device: Can now add buffs to spawned humanoid enemies.
  • Grouped Object Action Device: Supports configuring grouped objects. Loading any one of them automatically removes the others.
  • Item Issuance Device, Item Spawn Device, Custom Shop Device: Added 5.7mm ammo and the MG3.

New Interactive Objects

  • Target Dummy: A target dummy from the single-player training stage that shows damage numbers when hit and has several poses.
  • Soccer Ball: A soccer ball that moves upon contact.

Interactive Object Improvements

  • New Dynamic Moving Object Actions: Every new movement method for moving objects has a corresponding action. They can be activated by the detectable actions of other devices.
  • Guiding Lines: Launch pads and trampolines have guiding lines that show the trajectory of the player being launched into the air.

Controls & Interaction

  • Guiding Lines When Placing Objects In Midair: When placing objects in the air, guiding lines that project the current object's position on the ground can be shown.
  • Backpack Objects Can Be Interactized: You can take out interactized attachments such as a spinning ferris wheel from your backpack.
  • Object Interactization—Collidable Interactization: Set whether interactized objects move when hit by characters, vehicles, bullets, or throwables.
  • Object Interactization—Holding Interactization: Interactized objects can be held and tossed by characters.
  • Coordinate Editing in Free Editing Mode: In Free Editing Mode, you can select an object directly and move, rotate, or resize it by modifying its coordinates.
  • Object Editing Interface: Each object has an editing interface where you can directly edit the object's orientation, scaling, interactization type, or gameplay device parameters.
  • Object Placement and Alignment Improvements: Improved the usability of object snap and area grid, as well as added more object alignment parameters.
  • Auto Snap Option When Re-Editing: In the previous version, objects automatically snapped to their initial position when brought close to it during re-editing. This setting can now be toggled on and off in the editor's parameter settings interface, and is off by default.
  • Object Movement and Rotation Increment: Added movement and rotation increment settings to the editor's parameter settings interface.
  • Free Editing Top View Now Perfectly Flat: In Free Editing Mode, the previous top view editing was not perfectly flat, resulting in inaccurate positioning when placing objects from midair. Now, the editing view has been changed to be perfectly flat.
  • Added temporary resources. They will be replaced with default resources when they expire.

Game Parameters

  • Retaining Shop Tokens: Shop Tokens can now be kept during a match or across matches.
  • Overall Action Management: Added tag customization and filter features. You can create tags for gameplay devices to classify and filter them based on the tags.
  • Armed AI Customization Interface: Attributes for armed AI and defense towers can be customized, including health, attack, and more.
  • Match Log Interface: In-game logs now include the save feature. You can save and view all logs generated during play tests.

Other Updates

  • Group Editing: The team leader can edit the permissions of team members for better team management.
  • Enchantopia Updates: You can invite friends to Enchantopia and edit your team there. Added more interesting gameplay to the stages.
  • Cost Calculation Improvements: Fine-tuned how the system determines the cost of an object.
  • New map templates.

Classic Updates

Livik Map Updates

  • Added 4 new XT Upgrade Crates on top of the existing ones. New firearm upgrades are for the UMP45, SKS, DP-28, and M762. Upgrade Crates for these 4 firearms can be found in Livik or purchased from the Shop for 10 tokens.
    • UMP45 Upgrade: Reduced hip fire bullet spread by 20%.
    • SKS Upgrade: Faster recoil recovery after firing.
    • DP-28 Upgrade: Faster reload speed.
    • M762 Upgrade: Reduced muzzle shake.

Erangel Map Updates

  • Improved the quality of models seen by players at high altitudes, and resolved the issue of buildings disappearing.

Home Updates

The Home System is permanently available, and will be updated each version with interesting gameplay and building cosmetics.

Home Competition

Submission Period: 2024/5/13 at 00:00–2024/6/1 at 8:59 (UTC+0)
Selection Period: 2024/6/1 at 9:00–2024/7/1 at 9:00 (UTC+0)
  • You must reach at least 200 Home Prosperity before you can register for the Home Competition.
  • If players miss the submission period, they can still register during the selection period. After registering, they will be placed in the next round's matchmaking pool.
  • After registering, the selection criteria will be based on the current look of the player's Home.
  • During the selection period, you'll be matched with players of similar Home Prosperity at random every 3 days, for 10 rounds in total.
  • During the face-off, the player that obtains more votes wins. The winner gets to loot points from the loser.
  • Participate in Home Face-Offs to win Home Points and increase your Home Face-Off Level. The higher the Home Face-Off Level, the better the rewards.
  • Home Votes can be obtained by completing missions and by sending Home gifts. Note: Regular Popularity gifts do not grant Home Votes.
  • Home gifts given during each face-off round of the selection period will count towards Home Votes. Home gifts given outside a face-off round will not count towards the number of votes.

Home Events

  • Elegant Ancient Capital Style Event:
    • Available: 2024/5/18 at 2:00 (UTC+0)
    • Purchase Elegant Ancient Capital Home items during the event to get Style Points that can be redeemed for amazing rewards.
  • Ancient Capital Theme Debut Celebration:
    • Available: 2024/5/18 at 00:00 (UTC+0)–2024/5/31 at 23:59 (UTC+0)
    • The Event Center is launching an event to celebrate Elegant Ancient Capital's arrival. Get a Congratulatory Ancient Capital Object Pack when you reach Home Lv. 3, and use it to build an Ancient Capital Style Home in an instant!
    • Visit your Home and upgrade your Home Level to get additional rewards, including Home Coins, Classic Crate Coupons, AG, Ancient Capital themed items, and more.

Home Building Updates

  • Build With Blueprint & Group Editing:
    • Improved the process of building with blueprints. You can now go to More - Save Blueprint to copy and save the draft.
    • The Home Level required to build with blueprints and publish blueprints has been reduced to Lv. 3.
    • You can set the level of the blueprint you want to edit with a tap.
    • The Home Level required to access group editing has been reduced to Lv. 5. You can go to Blueprint Editing - More - Group Editing to invite your friends to build your Home together.
  • Home Resource Updates:
    • The mysterious Elegant Ancient Capital resource pack will be coming soon, along with a surprise event that will reward the Elegant Ancient Capital doorplate and exclusive background music for a limited time.
    • Reach Home Lv. 3 to get a basic Elegant Ancient Capital object pack.

Home Resource & Content Updates

  • Added an access point to the Home Shop in Home. Not only can you browse and edit freely in your Home, you can also enjoy the fun of shopping at any time.
  • Added an access point to the Home Lucky Spin in the Home Shop, so you can more conveniently acquire your favorite items:
    • Upgraded the Lucky Spin event. There are now multiple Lucky Spins available at once, providing you with more diverse shopping options.
    • Elegant Ancient Capital themed items will be available in the Home Lucky Spin.
  • The Elegant Ancient Capital themed items are now available in the Home Shop. Give your Home style a unique twist.
  • Upgraded the Home's lighting effects so players can take more quality photos.
  • Added customizable atmosphere modules that can be adjusted in visit mode.
  • Added privacy settings so you can now control who has access to your Home. Additionally, after reaching Home Lv. 15, you can enable the private channel feature to enjoy private time with your friends.
  • Improved object interactions. Added new facial expression changes after sitting down. Added new interactive objects: Smith Machine, Treadmill, Bathtub.
  • Improved butler actions. Butlers can now turn around and look at the player when they are within a specific range.
  • Home Tree Status Notification: When coins can be collected from the current Home Tree, you will see a notification icon on the Friends tab, the Enter My Home button, and the Home details page.

Metro Royale Updates

Available: 2024/5/15 at 1:00 (UTC+0)
Matchmaking: 2024/5/15 at 2:00 (UTC+0)
  • Collectibles Cabinet Updates: New Chapter 20 Collectibles
  • After obtaining specific Fabled collectibles, they can be displayed in the player's Personal Space.
  • After obtaining specific Fabled collectibles, turn in collectibles to get certain Fabled collectible decorations for the Home.
  • New Honor Rewards: Chapter 20 Elite Avatar, Chapter 20 Hero Avatar Frame, and Chapter 20 Legendary Name Tag. These rewards can be claimed after reaching the corresponding Honor level.
  • New elite PvE enemy in Misty Port and Arctic Base: Strider.
  • New firearms: P90 (Cobra), P90 (Steel Front).
  • Player EXP can now be earned via Metro Royale matches.
  • Companion EXP can be earned by bringing companions to Metro Royale matches.
  • You can now tap to repair all items at once on the loadout page.
  • You can now tap to open multiple inventory gift packs at once.
  • Improved the firearm status at the preparation stage at the start of the match. Firearms will be reloaded by default and set to full auto firing mode.
  • Fixed the issue of incorrect models for some drop items.

Firearm & Vehicle Improvements

  • Firearm Adjustments:
    • P90 damage adjustment.
    • QBZ added to Erangel and Miramar.
    • Skorpion Improvements: Base damage increased from 22 to 24, 15% faster reload time, 20% faster aim down sights time, 30% reduced bullet spread when moving, 10% less sway when shooting.
  • Delayed Explosion Mechanic for Select Vehicles: When a vehicle's health reaches 0, it won't explode right away. Instead, its engine will stop working and it will catch on fire before exploding after 5 seconds. If the vehicle is damaged by an explosion during this period, it will explode immediately. (Some special vehicles aren't affected by this change.)
  • Mobile Shop Vehicle Modification: Added a new item to the Mobile Shop in Erangel, Livik, Miramar, and Sanhok. Use Shop Tokens to purchase its key and turn the Mobile Shop into a drivable vehicle. Items can only be purchased from the Mobile Shop when it's parked. If the vehicle is destroyed, it can no longer be used as a shop.

General Improvements

  • Victory Dance: The A7 Victory Dance comes with an exclusive camera view. Select it from Creation Mode's Victory Dance tab.
  • In-game Mark: When marking supplies with universal mark/quick chat, the quantity of the marked supply will also be shown.
  • Customize Buttons: When customizing controls, you can now quickly copy your Arena Mode layout to use in Classic Mode.
  • Improved Highlights:
    • Companions that you bring into matches will now show in highlights.
    • When recording highlights, all emotes that meet the requirements will be recorded and displayed during playback.
    • Adjusted the retention priority of highlights and the recording conditions of some clips to make it easier to retain them.
    • Teammate numbers now show in highlights.
    • Smoke from exploding grenades now shows in highlights.
  • Auto Pick Up: You can now choose whether to discard or put your previous melee weapon into your backpack after picking up a new one.
  • Sprinting Interrupts Peek Mode: This new setting is enabled by default. When disabled, if you perform a sprint while peeking, it won't interrupt peek mode and you won't start sprinting.
  • New Individual Companion Display: Players can now choose to display their companions, and companions added to the companion system will take turns showing off. This can be done in the Lobby or in a match.
  • Device Update: 120 fps and 90 fps are now available for select devices for you to enjoy a smoother gaming experience.

System Improvements

  • New Collection System: Collect firearms, finishes, and more to get awesome rewards.
  • Themed Event Shop additions: Mecha themed gameplay cosmetics, social items, fun items, and more.
  • Chat Room Feature Updates:
    • Improved the list of featured chat rooms and added filters for chat room type, language, and more.
    • Added Speaking Mode: In regular mode, the host's permission is required to speak. In free mode, any player can freely speak.
    • Added new discussion topics to the chat room. Share your thoughts to increase the interactive atmosphere.
    • Added new ways to send Space Gifts.
    • Added chat room status updates in the Friends List.
  • Birthday Care System: You can now add your birthday to your Social Player Card as part of the new birthday care system. You'll receive surprise care rewards when you log in on your birthday.
  • Synergy: Complete missions such as adding friends and teaming up during the event to get Synergy items and the Underworld Outlaw Set (time-limited).

New Season: Cycle 6 Season 18

Available: 2024/5/18 at 2:00 (UTC+0)–2024/7/15 at 23:59 (UTC+0)
https://preview.redd.it/4125d8rwfd0d1.png?width=1384&format=png&auto=webp&s=a74a0f8340ef11eecf1c7d4c0e9f9104b22ad806
  • Reward updates: New legendary items: C6S18 Glasses, C6S18 Set, C6S18 Mask, C6S18 Cover, C6S18 - DBS
  • Season Token Event Shop Update: C6S18 - Parachute

All-Talent Championship S19

Available: 2024/5/20–2024/7/4 (UTC+0)
  • New Event Shop Rewards: Pop Sensation Set (Epic), Elven Tracker Cover (Legendary), Elven Tracker Set (Legendary), Finest Flavors - QBZ (Epic)
  • New All-Talent Championship S19 Crate Rewards: Pop Sensation Set (Epic), Elven Tracker Cover (Legendary), Elven Tracker Set (Legendary), Finest Flavors - QBZ (Epic), Labyrinth Scale - M24 (Epic), Inked Battleground Parachute (Epic)
  • New First and Second Runner-Up Rewards: Ducky Fighter Set (Legendary), Ducky Fighter Cover (Legendary), Time Traveler - Kar98K (Legendary), Round Parachute (Camo) (Epic), Mr. Bronze Set (Epic)

Popularity Gift Events

New Redemption Shop

  • Popularity Gift Redemption Shop: The Redemption Shop is permanently available and its rewards will be continuously updated. Use tokens earned from Popularity Battles and Team Popularity Battles to redeem rewards.

Popularity Battle Event

Registration Period: 2024/5/14 at 00:00–2024/5/19 at 8:59 (UTC+0)
Battle Period: 2024/5/19 at 9:00–2024/6/18 at 9:00 (UTC+0)
  • Main Updates:
    • New widget tool: Popularity Battle progress can now be synced to your device.
    • New rewards: Popularity Coin, Stickers
    • Lowered the points required to reach each level so obtaining rewards is easier.
  • Rules:
    • Register to participate in the Popularity Battle event. During the battle period, get randomly matched with a powerful opponent every 3 days for a popularity contest. Lasts 10 rounds in total.
    • During the battle period, the Popularity of both competitors will be compared. The one with the highest Popularity wins.
    • The winner can claim some of their opponent's points.
    • Participate in Popularity Battles to win Battle Points and increase Battle Level. The higher the Battle Level, the better the rewards.

Team Popularity Battle Event

Registration Period: 2024/6/17 at 00:00–2024/6/23 at 8:59 (UTC+0)
Battle Period: 2024/6/23 at 9:00–2024/7/9 at 9:30 (UTC+0)
  • Main Content:
    • New widget tool: Popularity Battle progress can now be synced to your device.
    • New reward: Popularity Coin
    • Lowered the points required to reach each level so obtaining rewards is easier.
  • Rules:
    • Matchmaking: There will be a total of 8 rounds. Teams of similar strength will be matched every 2 days. Players within each team will be ranked by Popularity through 1v1 Popularity Battles.
    • Battle: Both sides will compete to see who can gain the most Popularity during this phase.
    • The total score will be determined by the win-loss record of each player on the team. In the event of a tie (2:2), the total Popularity of both teams will be compared.
    • The team with the higher total score will be declared the winner, and can loot Battle Points from the defeated team.
    • If all players within a team have the same score, they can jointly claim the level rewards and ranking rewards.
    • Teams that have registered can have their team leader create an exclusive Nickname Badge for the team, which serves as a symbol of the close bond between team members and gift recipients.
    • Nickname Badges support custom text and are unique.
    • Players can obtain a Nickname Badge by registering a team or by completing gift missions.

Security & Game Environment Improvements

Account Security

  • Players who are conducting video reviews will now show the status, "Reviewing Video", on the Friend List.
  • You can now log in via QR code with accounts linked to certain platforms.
  • Improved account protection system with better account linking and unlinking procedures, and improved security verification and abnormal login reminders. Enhanced in-game notifications for better player awareness on how accounts are stolen to minimize their occurrence.
  • Improved account recovery tool to enhance account retrieval and self-unlinking, to help more account owners in retrieving their accounts.

Security Strategy Improvements

  • Improved cheat detection for X-Ray vision, auto aim, no recoil, speed hacks, modified resource files, and more.
  • Improved violation detection for unfair cooperation and teaming up with cheaters.
  • Improved the in-game detection and countermeasures against account farming, prohibited transactions, escorting, botting and other violations to better regulate in-game behavior and improve players' gaming experience.
  • Improved detection and penalties for inappropriate text, voice messages, avatars, and Home designs to better regulate in-game behavior.
submitted by Errora403 to PUBGMobile [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:43 InsertNameAfter Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Cretan Oushiza

This Zoan is based on the Cretan Bull from Hercules' 7th Labour. While not much is known about it when it comes to supernatural aspects, it's said to inspire awe in those who see it, as well as wreak chaos once fed Poseidon's anger. From this, I decided that the bull would simply be an overwhelming force of nature; a being of raw, violent physical power.

Information:

Japanese Name: Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Cretan Oushiza
English Name: Ox OxFruit, Model: Cretan Bull
Type: Mythical Zoan
Explanation: This fruit allows its consumer to transform into a snow-white bull with long pointed horns.
Hybrid Form: White fur grows on the user's skin. Horns sprout from their skull, pointing at the sky. A short tail sways behind them as their body bulks up, their feet getting replaced by hooves and their arms bursting with muscles.
Beast Form: A large muscled white bull with long pointed horns. It pulses with strength, able to shrug off most physical impacts and ram through forests unimpeded. In this form, the user's eyes glow eerily as they exude an unsettling aura.

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Hybrid Form Techniques:

Beast Form Techniques:

submitted by InsertNameAfter to DevilFruitIdeas [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:40 Specialist_Bake6514 Vapiano P3: Italian Food Made in Germany

Vapiano P3: Italian Food Made in Germany
The kitchen is on fire. Welcome to the final part of the Vapiano story where the tables are turning. In the first two episodes we followed Mark Korzilius' journey from setbacks to founding Vapiano, a groundbreaking restaurant concept, highlighting its fresh ingredients, dynamic atmosphere, and data-driven operations that drove rapid success. While achieving initial profitability and garnering attention from industry giants like McDonald's, Vapiano's global expansion has led to stellar revenue growth. However, it has also resulted in the emergence of numerous side projects (or distractions), operational challenges, increased costs, significant investments, and a notable accumulation of debt. This underscores the prioritization of top-line growth over profitable growth. We will continue on this thread and see how the story ends, but I would encourage you to read part one and two for better context. Vapiano P1: Italian Food Made in Germany (substack.com). Let's dig in.
Before Going Public
We are now in 2015 and the year is a disaster for Vapiano's PR department. Employee time stamps are being manipulated, endless overtime for employees and high turnover in managerial roles are reported; mice in the kitchen and even rotten food allegedly found.
The company is confronted with allegations of exceeding working hours among trainees in an article published by Welt am Sonntag, while the same outlet accuses Vapiano of manipulating punch times. The auditing firm PwC is commissioned to investigate the allegations and finds that there is no systematic approach but rather misconduct by individual employees, a mistake that’s being corrected. Internal however, investigations into stamp times are carried out regularly now and beyond its obvious reputational impact, this sucks up valuable management time and attention.
In the summer of 2015 CEO, co-founder and investor Gregor Gerlach, who has been running the group since 2011 is stepping down and Jochen Halfmann is taking over. A new Vapiano People Program with an App is being developed with the aim to better interact with customers that will incorporate innovate features such as mobile pay. The German website sees a launch of new magazine to further promote the brand and there is now a full inhouse blogger and Instagram team being installed. In October the company buys seven restaurants from original co-founder, former co-investor and ex-president previously responsible for internation expansion Kent Hahne (2x Bonn, 3x Cologne, 1x Koblenz and one in Cologne that’s under construction). This package of Vapiano restaurants is very successful and generates net sales of more than 20 million euros in 2014. Hahne opened his first Vapiano restaurant in Cologne in August 2006 and in 2015 with his company apeiron AG, Hahne operates six L'Osteria franchise restaurants, a direct Vapiano competitor, and two self-owned restaurants GinYuu.
Then in November of 2015, the next public relations bomb goes off with allegations regarding the company's quality standards. The company immediately investigates the issue through internal and external specialists but finds no evidence of any quality issues. Nevertheless, knowing that the group is now being closely watched, the company’s already in place hygiene standards are being reinforced. Additional audits and inspections are performed nationally. Further, all Vapianos worldwide are being audited twice by the partners SGS Institut Fresenius and SAI Global. Auditing software is purchased to simplify the implementation of the audits and the resulting measures. Apart from the external examinations, there is a food sampling plan in place being performed continuously. Again, all of this sucks up costs, management time and attention. With all these tumultuous developments the company’s growth engine is undeterred. Revenue grows by a whopping 50 million euros to 202 million euros, an increase of 33%. Impressive. While average spent per customer increases in all countries, the number of customers per day in Germany decreases by 3.3% partially due to the negative press towards the end of the year. Five own, four JV and 19 new franchise restaurants are added that year to the group, the total number of own managed restaurants grows to 51, there are 31 JVs and 84 franchises which bringing the total to 166 Vapiano restaurants. Global restaurant sales are now above 400 million euros.
But while revenue grows by an astronomical 50 million euros, operating profits, alarmingly, shrink again. Gross margins are staying perfectly healthy above 75% but operating costs keep growing disproportionately fast. The Company’s outstanding debt jumps by almost 30 million, close to 85 million euros by the end of the year. With operating profits at 9.5 million euros, alarm bells should be going off right now.
In Q4 of 2015, new CEO Jochen Halfmann introduces Strategy 2020. The new strategy includes five essential points. One, profitable growth in the newly defined core markets of Germany and Austria as well as in the UK, Netherlands, France and USA. Two, operational excellence through strict “best practice” management. Three, further development and digitalization of the concept considering guest feedback. Four, greater focus on long-term employee retention and five, building a modern and sustainable IT landscape. Sound’s good on paper but let’s see how things pan out.
Vapiano's investments (capital expenditures) that year are primarily directed towards new restaurant openings, renovations of existing establishments, and share acquisitions in other Vapiano restaurants from franchisees or JV partners. A significant portion of funds is allocated to the digitalization of the guest experience, including the development of a new app scheduled for market release in 2016 and the implementation of a time recording system across all group restaurants. The world's first standalone Vapiano restaurant with a delivery service that year is built in Fürth, Germany. The company keeps expanding its presence in both inner-city locations and international markets, such as Shanghai, China.
To finance all of this, the group has its own operating cash flow which comes in at 18 million while capital expenditures are 26 million euros plus 14 million for acquisitions. The funding gab is filled with 26 million euros of new debt and a seven-million-euro equity raise. At that end of the year and after the equity raise Gregor Gerlach (through his AP Leipzig GmbH & Co. KG entity) holds 30.1%, Hans-Joachim and Gisa Sander through their Exchange Bio GmbH hold 25.5% and the Tchibo heirs, Herz through their Mayfair Beteiligungsfonds II GmbH & Co. KG hold 44,4%.
But for the first time the restaurant’s concept that was so successful to date is being questioned. Some customers are starting to mislike the operational flow of the concept itself. If you want pasta, you must queue for pasta. If you want pizza you stand in a different queue. A small side salad, yet another queue. "You spend more time carrying trays than an actress in Berlin-Mitte. The audience in the pasta limbo can only consist of people who have worked for an insurance company for a long time and, like Stockholm syndrome, they can no longer get away from the industrial canteen feeling," writes TV host Beisenherz provocatively. While overly harsh in his assessment he's not entirely wrong judging by customers venting their frustrations in forums and social media channels. It isn’t uncommon for those who ordered pizza to have already finished eating while there is little movement in the pasta queue. Long term that doesn't go down well, QSRs competitors like L’Osteria are handling this process differently, with much success.
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Tipping Point

Where are now in the year 2016 and things start to deteriorate visibility. Perhaps not for the leman’s eye but any business minded observer can see that there are problems under the hood. Yes, revenue grows yet another whopping 50 million to almost 250 million euros but half of that growth, comes from acquisitions of restaurants that the group didn’t already own 100%, which is now being fully consolidated within the group’s accounts. Here is a concrete example. In the past, Vapiano SE, the group’s top holding company held an indirect 50% stake in a French subgroup via the subsidiary VAP Restaurants SA, based in Luxembourg, and included this as an associated company in the Vapiano SE consolidated financial statements using the equity method. Due to the acquisition of additional shares in September of 2016, Vapiano SE's indirect share in the French subgroup increased to 75%. This means that Vapiano SE takes control of the French subgroup, which is therefore included in the group’s financial statements as part of the full consolidation. The revenue from the acquired subsidiary now recorded in the consolidated income statement amounts to 12.8 million euros. While that’s great for the top line, the loss of the fully consolidated entity equates to 0.2 million euros. Yes, you are buying revenue, but there are losses attached to them, not profits. A similar case is the Swedish entity that runs eight restaurants with revenue of 11.5 million euros but has losses of 235 thousand euros. So much for Strategy 2020 and “profitable” growth.
That year the group’s operating profits are absolutely tanking, halving to 3.5 million euros. Operating profits are now a mere 1,4% of revenue. Remember original founder Mark Korzilius who talked about operating margins of 25% to 28% at the restaurant level? Yes, there are overhead costs for the organization that sits above the chain of restaurants, but operating margins that low indicates a course correction is needed. What’s telling is that in the annual report, in the management discussion section, the company starts talking about EBITDA as a proxy measure of profitability, rather than operating profit or net income. This wasn’t the case in the years before. Is this window dressing for an upcoming IPO? EBITDA is short for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization. How can you measure profitability of a restaurant chain that absolutely and unequivocally needs capital investment to maintain its restaurant operations, the very source of cash generation, by simply excluding this maintenance charge (depreciation in the income statement)? Vapiano’s own annual report talks about the fact that existing restaurants must be rejuvenated from time to time and that new interior designs have to be implemented every few years. These things wear and tear, they go out of style, kitchen equipment breaks and needs replacement. This business absolutely needs maintenance capital expenditure, why anyone talks of profits before these maintenance costs is beyond me. Fun fact: in the previous annual report EBITDA is mentioned seven times, mostly around restaurant acquisitions and financing, not however as a profit indication for the group. In the new annual report, EBITDA is mentioned 28 times. Maybe it’s just me but belated Charlie Munger liked to call EBITDA: bullsh*t earnings. When in doubt I stick with Charlie. Interestingly, EBITDA for Vapiano keeps growing while operating and net profits keep falling.
Operating cashflow for the group that year is about 21 million euros, but capital expenditure is 30 million and acquisitions for subsidiaries another 20 million. To finance these expenditures another 28 million euros of debt and 16 million of equity is raised. Net debt rises above 130 million euro. The operating cashflow of the group before any capital expenditures is 21 million euros. I am not sure free cash flow would be significantly positive after maintenance capex is paid out; it’s not broken out so we can’t be sure. Granted, I am not on the ground during this time, and I am not in the board room, I am simply reading what’s in front of me, but to me this is starting to look like a distressed situation. Regardless, the following year the company goes public.

IPO

Where are now in the year 2017 and its Vapiano’s first year as public company. The company’s annual report reads the following “Sales revenue, like-for-like growth (LfL) and the earnings figures EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are used as the most important financial performance indicators for controlling operational business activities.” The very same report however also says: “The majority of the group's investments regularly go towards opening new restaurant locations and modernizing existing restaurants. The latter are differentiated into regular replacement investments that occur during ongoing operations (Maintenance CAPEX) and fundamental investments in the renovation of a restaurant (Remodeling CAPEX). On average, a restaurant remodeling takes place nine years after opening.” It says it right there in their own report; every nine years a remodeling is taking place. Remodeling and updating is not cost free, so why exclude depreciation charges which reflect capital expenditures? I understand that perhaps you would want to strip out one-off opening costs, that’s fine and fair, but don’t go overboard.
The number of restaurants increases by 26 (previous year: 13) to a total of 205. The increase consists of 27 new openings and one closure. Group revenue grows to an astonishing 325 million euros but here comes the shocker, operating profits turn negative to 25 million. Fine, strip out foreign exchange losses of 3 million, IPO costs of 5.8 million and new opening costs of 6.1 million and you still have 10 million euros of operational losses. All the while the debt load of almost 130 million hasn’t materially changed, so those operating losses are before a six-million-euro interest payment. 184 million euros are raised through the IPO of which 85 million go to the company. This money is earmarked for further expansion as the group has ambitions to almost double the footprint to 330 restaurants by the end of 2020. The company is currently not profitable on an operating basis, and still wants to expand aggressively? I don’t get it. The remaining 100 million euros of the IPO money raised is distributed to co-founder Gregor Gerlach and Wella heirs Hans-Joachim and Gisa Sander. The family office of the former Tchibo owners Günter and Daniela Herz with a 44% stake, don’t sell a single share. After the IPO, 32% of all the company’s shares are now in free float.
One year later, in 2018, things get even worse. Revenue grows to 371 million, but operating losses mount to 85 million euros, that’s before interest expenses of 9 million. Even the beloved EBITDA figure turns negative, meaning the operating business before any expansionary or even maintenance capital expenditures is loss making. All regions are experiencing significant deterioration in their earnings profiles. Like for like sales are down 1% across the board. That’s revenue, not profitability. The question naturally arises: is the Group approaching its natural saturation point here or this operational by nature? The operating cash flow is now 9 million while financing cost are close to 7 million. That leaves 2 million for maintenance capital for 74 own restaurants and 76 joint ventures ones. Describing this as financially tight, would be an understatement.
Things are not looking good at this point. Yet the company still grows restaurants by 26 new sites. 64 million euros are spent on acquisitions, new openings, and maintenance costs, financed through a 20 million-euro equity raise and 72 million of new debt. The Company now has net debt outstanding of over 160 million euros. After the equity raise and by the end of the year 2018, Mayfair owns 47.4%, VAP Leipzig, Gregor Gerlach’s entity owns 18.9% and the Sander couple own 15.5% of the company. Yes, the Sanders and Gerlach may have taken 100 million euros off the table, but they still have substantial skin in the game. Plus, Mayfair hasn’t sold a single share and instead injects more money into the company through the equity round. The stock has now fallen from its IPO price of 23 euros per share to under 6 euros by the end of 2018. Something must be done here. And indeed, there is pivot in strategy and a hard push for change. At last, the management team abandons its aggressive growth plan and curtails new openings significantly. Additionally, the team wants to run a thorough analysis of weak locations to then either discontinue or sell sites. In Europe, the operating focus will be put on corporate restaurants and joint ventures in major cities to ensure the ideal size and location to match the respective demographic target group. Outside of Europe, the franchising business is being expanded and at the same time a consolidation of the existing corporate and joint venture markets is being sought. All future investments will be reviewed to achieve higher rates of returns on new openings. Investments are also being made in the renovation of older restaurants. The goal in the future is to also open smaller formats, like Mini-Vapianos (less than 400 square meters) or Freestander at prominent transportation hubs outside city centers (currently in Fürth and Toulouse) to cater to individual location requirements, and to enter new partnerships. I am not sure why management hasn’t stopped all expansion altogether, bringing the ship in order first, getting profitable, clean up, all hands-on deck before considering any further expansions whatsoever. But again, it’s easy to comment from the sidelines; maybe they saw white spaces that would be covered by competing concepts if they weren’t moving fast and aggressively enough. Although pushing internationally means competing with local players such as Jamie's Italian, Prezzo, Pizza Express, Wagamama, Nando's and many more which brings in its own dynamic.
Management also aims to enhance guest satisfaction. This involves refining operational processes, reorganizing the support center, and refocusing on the core offering: providing fresh and high-quality Italian food at affordable prices for a broad audience. The group also aims to reduce waiting times, especially during lunch, while also improving the evening atmosphere. There is even what I would call an evolution, away from Vapiano’s original concept, reorientating the customer journey. The ordering flow is being changed, offering guests synchronized preparations of all dishes while eliminating wait times at the cooking stations. The open show kitchen remains, staying true to original mantra of freshness and transparency but now guests can choose their preferred method of ordering through a mobile app, using a digital order point (kiosk), or by personally placing an order with a waiter. Guests can still freely choose their table and are then informed about the complete preparation of their order through a pager or their smartphone. This is a substantial deviation from the original concept, but a needed one. The group is also exploring and implementing the expansion of take-away and home delivery services but only at suitable locations, not universally across new openings. I am not sure why home delivery is even a priority here; it adds operational complexity. It’s better to clean up shop first and get back to the basics before adding new complexities. To be fair management does try to simplify. There are 49 different permanent dishes on the menu and additional 10 seasonal ones. Customers can choose from eleven different types of pasta. There is simply too much choice, and it makes orders complicated. The company announced to slim the menu down to its most popular and typical Vapiano dishes. There’s no need for an Asian salad at an Italian restaurant. "We have to go back to the roots, i.e. classic, honest Italian cuisine" says COO Everke. Regardless, in November of 2018, the supervisory board pulls the plug on CEO Jochen Halfmann and replaces him with Cornelius Everke. Everke himself has just become COO five months ago. Since 2017 he was responsible for international expansion. From 2011 to 2017 that role was filled by Mario Bauer – put a pin in that name, he’ll play a key role in the groups fate later. Then nine months later, in the middle of 2019, Cornelius Everke quits. He essentially concludes that his skillset and experience in the areas of internation expansion is no longer needed in the foreseeable future. To put it differently: Vapiano has moved from a growth story and has become a restructuring case, and other skills are required for that job. In June of 2019 Everke says the following “(we’ve) made a bit of a mistake when it came to foreign expansion”. No sh#t. Vapiano postpones the presentation of the 2018 annual financial statements three times in the spring of 2019, citing negotiations over an urgently needed loan of 30 million euros. It’s not until the end of May that a binding loan commitment comes through from the financing banks and major shareholders.
We are now in August of 2019 and the corona pandemic is just around the corner. Supervisory board chief Vanessa Hall takes over as interim-CEO and things are unravelling. Visitor numbers are declining; originally, it was planned to sell the US business but halfway through the year the buyer cannot come up with the money. But not all restaurants are performing poorly. The group's poor figures contrast starkly as an example with the experiences of the Swiss-German franchisee, who runs six restaurants. The Sodano family in Switzerland pays Vapiano a royalty of 6% of sales for the use of the brand. Enrico Sodano explains in an interview that they operate largely autonomously from the licensor. If an “accident” were to occur, he could immediately replace the Vapiano sign with Sodano, he says. The family concluded the rents and contracts with employees and suppliers independently. The Sodano family have six locations in Bern, Basel and Zurich, around one million guests every year and 350 employees. Things are going well on the ground. The delivery service they’ve built is offering them a second income stream. Expansion into Winterthur, St. Gallen and Lucerne are being planned; small locations with 150 to 250 square meters and an attached delivery service. Originally, Vapiano restaurants used to be huge but for such a large restaurant to be profitable, 800 to 1,000 guests per day are needed. That’s possible in medium-sized cities, but not in smaller towns which is why the Vapiano group now also supports smaller formats. Back to our corporate drama. The 2019 annual report would be the last report the group files. By the end 2019 the outstanding debt of the company is at an astronomical 450 million euros. Revenue has grown by another 7%, produced by four net new openings through two JVs and two franchise restaurants but operating losses come in at 317 million euros. That sound like an absolute shocker at first but depreciation and amortization charges are 345 million, so that operating cash flow is actually positive but unfortunately capital expenditures and interest payments are so large that they are eating up all of the company’s operating cash flow. Then in the beginning of 2020 Corona hits with full force and the world shuts down. As a result of the measures to prevent further spreading of the virus, the group is forced to cease all global business operations (except in Sweden). While all these shutdowns are happening, the group is the middle of negotiating with its lending banks and main shareholders. There are additional financing needs for restructuring measures, even without a pandemic happening in the background. The situation is so dire that the company starts pleading to the German government to roll out the package of financial help more quickly. Unfortunately, it’s to no end. The rapid closure of restaurants and the resulting lack of operating cash inflows in conjunction with the additional financing requirements, lead to the company’s final knockout punch. In April of 2020, the Vapiano group officially files for insolvency proceedings. The end of an era.

New Beginnings

Because of the pandemic, the majority of the group's subsidiaries in Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United States, Sweden, and China also file for insolvency or seek liquidation. The US business never gets sold in the end and is wound down. In the summer of 2020, significant group divestments occur, including the sale of 75% shares in the group's French subsidiaries, shares in franchisor companies, Australian subsidiaries, German subsidiaries, associated companies, self-managed restaurants in Germany, and insolvency-related sales in the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Sweden. The buyer of the Vapiano brand and one of these bundles of Vapiano restaurants is company named Love & Food Restaurant Holding, a consortium led by Mario C. Bauer – a name I told you to remember. Bauer was a former Vapiano board member and led the national and international expansion, opening 200 sites in 33 countries from 2011 to 2017 until he was succeeded by Cornelius Everke. Bauer didn’t feel comfortable with the IPO at the time but clearly has a lot of managerial and entrepreneurial talent.
The buyer consortium is an absolute A-Team comprised of European QSR top league hitters, including the founder of the Pret A Manger chain Sinclair Beecham; Henry McGovern, the founder and Ex-CEO of the giant international restaurant and foodservice operator AmRest; the Van der Valk Family that runs hotels and Vapiano restaurants in the Netherlands, and co-founder and ex-CEO Gregor Gerlach. The acquisition value is 15 million euros and entails 30 Vapiano restaurants in Germany, albeit that’s just the purchase price which comes on top of any capital investment needed to refresh and return the sites to its former glory. Nevertheless, just as a thought experiment, if you can get each site to 2 million euros of revenue and 400,000 euros in operating profit on average, which wouldn’t be an overly aggressively assumption given the company’s history, you’ve got yourself a package that can deliver restaurant-level operating profits of 12 million euros or more. It’s not disclosed how much capex was needed to refresh the operations, just that fact that the overall investment plus purchase price was a middle double-digit million-euro figure. Stil, it probably was a decent purchase. The same consortium buys Vapiano’s French business for 25 million euros just two weeks prior. After the transaction concludes, the master franchise is given to Delf Neumann and his Gastro & Soul GmbH. Neumann is an experienced operator, and he is ambitious to revitalise the brand with new services and products. For example, instead of pizza, the restaurants will be serving pinsa - a flatbread made from sourdough, wheat and rice flour, topped similarly to a pizza. It targets a more health-oriented customer base looking for a less calory heavy option. The menu overall is expanded by including a variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
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Today Neumann’s Gastro & Soul GmbH operates 18 Vapianos on its own account and has 29 franchise sites, amongst other brands. By the year 2021, Vapiano operates 191 restaurants in 34 countries. This is around 50 fewer sites than before the bankruptcy. The number of branches is particularly thinned out in Germany – from 80 to 55. Nevertheless, Vapiano's home country remains by far the largest market, followed by France with 35 restaurants and Austria with 15 locations. “We have shrunk ourselves to health,” says Bauer in the aftermath and there is no further shrinking planned. Quite the opposite, the smell of expansion is in the air again – pun intended. Not as aggressively as before and with a new menu and ordering process.
Overall, the team around Bauer is filled with industry experts with knowledge and networks gained over decades who have a great track record, a long-term view, and the staying power to let Vapiano breath and finds its way back to success. The pressure of being a public company with all the associated quarterly, half-year and yearly disincentives have been removed. The menu is changed and extended with new types of pasta and sauces with significantly more vegetarian and vegan dishes available. Guests can order with restaurant staff, at terminals or on their phones and there are barcodes attached to the tables identify the respective seat. The food is brought to your table, all at the same time if you are in a group, no more annoyances with waiting in line. There is a plan for smaller, 350 square meter locations, with half the number of guests and significantly fewer staff and less set-up costs required to make the economics work. Locations that capitalize on remote work and increased demand for local lunch options, higher population density with shorter delivery routes and therefore cost-effective in house delivery services are targeted. And Bauer is testing the concept of ghost kitchens, which operate without a dining room or service staff, focusing solely on preparing food for delivery services, which for obvious reasons have a very different operational set up and footprint. Original founder Mark Korzilius however is not entirely convinced. He is not a fan of the pinsa for instance and he considers Vapiano's pizza as its cash cow, flagship product and believes that the core Vapiano proposition of Pizza, Pasta, Bar that has given the company its original success is being diluted. He instead admires the competitor L'Osteria, saying they’ve done a better job by focusing on Italian classics, especially the impressively large pizzas that sticks out beyond the plate is leaving every customer in awe. The guys who run L’Osteria are the same guys who have built Vapiano with him in the first place. Bauer on the other hand, like a true business leader, remains undeterred, stating that he is frequently asked whether Vapiano's restart was bold or foolish. He believes in entrepreneurship, franchising, in his experienced fellow partners and importantly the Vapiano concept. By the year 2024 you can find over 140 Vapiano branded restaurant in 27 countries across the globe, including locations far away from its birthplace like Australia, USA, Columbia, Chile, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. And why not? Italian food is, and will remain to be, incredibly popular. Vapiano offers fresh and tasty food at affordable prices in a good atmosphere. This combination of attributes should attract a lot of customers. It certainly has in the past.
For more stories: WIP Thomas Weitzendoerfer Substack
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2024.05.14 12:03 OppositeObject909 The Fututre Of Xtreme Gaming: Engines Of Fury

The Fututre Of Xtreme Gaming: Engines Of Fury
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https://preview.redd.it/cupt2jrj7d0d1.png?width=1853&format=png&auto=webp&s=352598cafc6340e5ebf02061922d46d75af363a9
Fundamentally, Engines of Fury immerses players in a dystopian Earth devastated by a mutant virus that was set free by a devastating meteor strike. Survival in this harsh environment depends on tactical skill and ongoing innovation. Players must scrounge for resources and endure battles with hidden mutant monstrosities in order to support their hideouts and manufacture incredible weaponry.
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2024.05.14 11:06 greydorothy A brief discussion of violence in Fire Emblem

Intro

It’s not much of a stretch to say that violence is the primary form of interaction in video games. With a handful of exceptions, most video games involve guys whacking other guys, with varying degrees of brutality. Even chill games fall into this - Stardew Valley has sections with combat in them! Considering the pervasiveness of violence in video games, there has been a ton of amateur and academic commentary on the topic. However, while this is a well-established school of thought, I haven’t seen people try to apply this to Fire Emblem specifically.
So, let’s do that now! In this post, I’ll be exploring how violence in Fire Emblem is implemented - what limitations are placed on violence, how it warps wider game and narrative design, and what it implicitly says and does not say. I hope this post doesn’t come off as too early-2010s “makes you think”-y, but I do think there are multiple interesting things worth talking about here!
Despite the length of this post, "a brief discussion" is an appropriate title, as we won't be able to go into depth on everything. After all, video games are holistic works, so the attitude towards violence is relevant to every aspect of their design. However, I have managed to wrangle some of these threads into the following structure: first a discussion on the fundamental mode of interaction in Fire Emblem, then how stories are constructed with regards to violence, and ending with the aesthetics of violence and how they relate to characters. Also, as FE is a huge series, be aware that I am gonna be making some broad statements which may not apply to each individual plot point of every game. I actually planned to write 3 case studies around Thracia 776, Fates, and Three Houses (which have the most interesting attitudes to violence in the series IMO) which point out these deviations, but this post is way too long and full of tangents already. If people are interested, I’ll make a followup to this post which goes into them in more detail. Also also, because of the nature of this post, I’ll actually give a useful TL;DR for once:
TL;DR: Nintendo games must be fun mechanically, and they can’t be too uncomfortable narratively. If you try to provide a counterpoint by saying “oh this Kirby final boss is super dark it eats 100 morbillion galaxies”, you do not deserve rights. IntSys has to keep to this as a 2nd party publisher, but they also have to deal with the fact that their games are at least nominally about ‘war’ (or at least they put their toes into that particular thematic pool). This conflict between making a fun video game for children/teens and the wider framing of the narrative leads to interesting narrative and aesthetic tensions. also fun is cringe, misery is based

“Do you like hurting other people?” (or The Fundamental Mode of Interaction)

OK LISTEN I KNOW I LITERALLY JUST SAID THAT I DIDN’T WANT TO COME ACROSS AS A EARLY 2010s “VIOLENCE IN VIDYA BAD :O????” PERSON BUT I SWEAR I’M GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS
The best place to start when talking about violence in video games is to think about the primary form of interaction in said game. In the case of Fire Emblem, this is in the in-chapter gameplay. Sure, in objective terms the player moves arbitrary objects across a 2D grid which perform subtraction on arbitrary objects controlled by the computer, but this is always framed as controlling a squad of soldiers to engage in (typically lethal) combat with enemies (who are normally also soldiers). When you’re not doing this in-chapter gameplay, you are preparing for the next chapter of combat. This involves surveying the area of combat, preparing weapon loadouts, etc, however more recent entries also include light life-sim-esque elements. To summarize, Fire Emblem’s interactivity involves ordering violence as well as the preparations to order said violence.
For players, this strategic thinking is extremely fun and is the primary draw of the series! You have all these tier lists of who’s better at killing, discussion of the maps where you do the killing, complaints about the length of gameplay sections where you don’t do killing, etc. This is by design, as while I don’t know the core brand tenets of Nintendo, I imagine the Reggie quote “If it isn’t fun, why bother?” is carved into a solid gold statue of Mario in the office lobby. This then is enforced on all associated studios, including IntSys and so Fire Emblem. While I would disagree with that Reggie quote (especially the bit where he says “If it’s not a battle, where’s the fun?” which is a wild statement to make about an entire medium), this approach to making games is ultimately fine, and so IntSys tailored the strategic gameplay to be satisfying to your dopamine receptors. You could analyse what the normalisation of violence even in ‘just for fun’ games says about wider gaming culture, but I won’t get into that here. In any case, let’s dig into a few specifics of FE’s interactivity.
One thing that’s interesting with regard to strategy games is the detached perspective of the player. You order units and observe the resulting violence, but it’s not tactile, you don’t directly swing the sword or shoot the bow or cast the spell like with action games. This adds a layer of separation between the player and what fundamentally happens, at least within the framing that the game provides. It’s not like Call of Duty, where your relationship to the violence is very visceral, where you view everything down the barrel of a gun. OK, I probably shouldn’t use a series that I have very little personal experience with (I only listen to the supplementary lore material, so let’s talk about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While you’re not directly in the driver’s seat, John Sekiro reacts to your every input with extreme responsiveness, so overcoming the game’s challenges i.e. stabbing people is incredibly visceral and satisfying. While this violence is fantastical in nature, there is sufficient blood and explicit sword-action to clearly say “oh yeah you are violently killing all of those bozos with a katana”. Coming back to FE, not only are you far more detached from the violence, it is presented in an extremely cartoony manner… but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, we’ll get to the aesthetics later. Point is, Fire Emblem gives the viewpoint of a stoic commander, who Does What Needs To Be Done™, and not the viewpoint of an actual soldier who has to do the actual killing.
Now let’s view the player’s perspective on violence from a different angle. Fire Emblem intends for its combat to be relatively relaxed on the player side of things - the turn-based nature allows the player to calmly think through all of their moves, and you typically have perfect information on the enemies. The only exceptions to this are Fog of WaSame Turn Reinforcements, which are rare and typically unpopular amongst the fanbase. This leans into ‘combat as sport’, where (going back to the Reggie quote) you have a fun time picking apart a puzzle with the tools you have, and we all collectively enjoy this! This is a valid way of designing strategy games, and I like what IntSys has done. However, it’s not the only way of making these games - for example, in Total War you have to juggle all your battalions in real time whilst the enemy is bearing down on you, and the XCOM games always have Fog of War and limited information on the enemies, with you never knowing what kind of awful new monster is going to suddenly charge at you. Don’t get me wrong, neither of these follow ‘combat as war’, the principle that violence should properly mimic the stress, tension and unfairness of actual conflict. Hell, neither of them are particularly mature either - Total War is the strategy game equivalent of smashing action figures together, and XCOM emulates a pulp sci-fi alien invasion story. However, the additional pressures these games have make them hew slightly closer to actual conflict, putting you more in that mindset in a way that the clean fun Fire Emblem doesn’t really do. Again, I want to say FE’s approach to violence in in-map gameplay is fine, but when all three of these franchises have an explicit narrative framing of ‘warfare’, it does make Fire Emblem’s narrative a little more… stretched.
Finally, I want to briefly mention the maps. To steal from a brilliant Jacob Geller video, these are Worlds Designed For Violence. At least outside of the Kaga games, the maps you fight on are primarily designed around how the player interacts with them, i.e. fights on them. While I imagine the narrative designers and artists at IntSys are involved throughout the map design process, the gameplay flow probably takes precedence most of the time. Maps are not designed to resemble realistic places that you have to fight through, they are instead designed primarily to provide fun gameplay experiences before being dressed up by the artists to look realistic/fit the specific story beat. This is a more consistently entertaining approach to map design - heaven knows we have a lot of Kaga castle assault maps which are as fun as actually assaulting an entrenched position IRL - but this lack of friction could potentially take the bite out of the intended vibe, neuter any commentary on violence throughout the story.
You may have noticed that we’ve only talked about the “in-map” gameplay for now, when there’s an entire second half of these games, i.e. all the gameplay between the maps. Don’t worry, we’ll get to all of that, but this may fit better in:

Something something “ludonarrative” something something (or Narrative Implications)

(To clarify, here I’m going to talk about the wider plots and narrative structure as opposed to characterisation, as that fits more into the aesthetics of the series)
It’s not bold to say that the narratives of games have to warp around the core gameplay structure. Especially in AAA video game production, the narrative designers usually have to take a back seat to the systems and level designers, at least outside of the initial rough outline they provide in the original game pitch. In this case, the job of the writer is to form vaguely coherent connective tissue between individual levels, setpieces and expensive pre-rendered cutscenes. This must be a very difficult job, and is probably the reason why most video game stories are the way they are. I am not privy to IntSys internal meetings, but I imagine they abide by this paradigm, trying to give a reason for why you fight 20 battles which roughly align with plot beats that were decided years ago.
Put another way, the writers of Fire Emblem must contrive a reason why the characters fight a vast number of violent battles in a strategic manner. This has a pretty easy solution - war! We have found something it’s good for, as whenever the gameplay designers decide that an extra map is required, the writers can just insert “oh no there’s a blockade of enemy soldiers in the way, guess you gotta kill them all”. This is the case for almost all the games and is a fair enough narrative choice, as it’s frankly one of the few scenarios where you could reasonably contrive so many battles, but it’s worth examining this in a bit more detail.
Even in the framing of warfare, there are still a lot of skirmishes, which sometimes the narrative or tone fails to support - or at least, their presence means that violence isn’t taken that seriously. Let’s take an example from early in Awakening: Emmeryn sends the Shepherds to negotiate an alliance with Regna Ferox. On the way, they are ambushed by Risen on the Northroad (1), have to fight the border guards who think Chrom is a bandit I think??? (2), and then after arriving they need to take part in Regna Ferox’s ritual combat to secure their alliance (3). These beats aren’t necessarily bad, and I actually think Awakening uses these opportunities quite well: the Risen are established as a constant threat to the world (except not really in the main story but that’s a whole other thing), “Marth'' gets more development, we set up Regna Ferox as fighty people who like to fight, and while the middle encounter is very tenuous it does set up a funny joke in Cynthia’s paralogue. However, I want to communicate that if the map/encounter designers need X maps between plot points A and B - in this case, needing low-stakes trials in the tutorial period - then there’s gonna be a fair bit of narrative filler. That is to say, there must be multiple combat encounters that kinda just happen, which makes violence a lot more casual in the narrative. See also the myriad examples of “oh shit random bandits attack!”, used to have a lower stakes map, with bandits appearing and vanishing as needed. This works fine enough in the context of ‘combat as sport’, allowing your favourite scrunglo to build up a triple-digit body count, but this casual attitude circumvents potentially interesting ideas with regards violence. Taking the example further, banditry and its causes are never seriously explored, as bandits are just treated as a filler enemy (except in Based As Hell Thracia 776).
Another narrative consequence of needing so many fights is that… you need to fight. That is to say, any anti-war sentiment or appeal to diplomacy in the series is fundamentally undercut by a) strategic combat being a core appeal of the series and b) narrative beats needing to be structured around fighting enemies. It’s a struggle to have moments of diplomacy and reconciliation when you had a fight within 3 minutes of said moment, lest some people start screaming that things are getting boring. This also makes any appeals to pacifism kinda moot. Xander’s quote about “war bad” in Conquest is utter bullshit, as a huge part of the marketing around that route focuses on the coolness of the tactical combat and its challenge. Eirika and Ephraim can never be equal, because Ephraim’s “fighting is fucken awesome” is encouraged by the gameplay, and Eirika can NEVER save 11037 because we need a final boss and no-one else fits the bill.
Speaking of, in video games it’s best practice to have a big bad guy you fight at the end of the story, the toughest mechanical challenge coinciding with the narrative climax. In Fire Emblem, you have one grand final battle which decides the fate of the war and/or world, before cutting to a brief wrap-up and then credits. This is an attempt to make these games satisfying, which is fine, but this is at odds with an anti-war message (which FE often gestures towards) - that is, actual wars tend to be deeply unsatisfying in a narrative sense! Oftentimes, after a decisive battle, things just kinda keep going for a little while afterwards with casualties continuing to pile up until peace terms are agreed. In the few cases where there is a final battle, it’s more of a formality as the decisive moment occurred months ago. See World War 1 and… World War 2 for examples of each, not to mention a whole host of war-related books and films. The problem with doing this in a video game is that it would require having multiple one-sided fights past the most climatic fight, which would be unfun, and we return to that fucking Reggie quote again. While video games can effectively explore this anti-war narrative space - This War of Mine is a fantastic example - it just doesn’t gel with the fun games that IntSys wants to make. I bring this up in the context of FE because Fire Emblem has such an aesthetic focus on warfare compared to other video games, so it sticks out even further. Even in FE6/FE9 where the war is effectively over in the final few maps, the enemies still remain extremely challenging, because if they didn’t things would be boring.
A few minor things that didn’t fit in above before we wrap up this section. First of all, in making an action packed story, Fire Emblem neglects an important aspect of army life in warfare - the “hurrying up and waiting”. In the majority of cases, the breaks between fights is under 10 minutes, it’s just glossed over. Fire Emblem Three Houses is the exception to this, but there it’s more framed as school life. Some people may say “what’s the point in having large amounts of timewasting where nothing happens in my game about war” and to that I would say fuck you, I want to play Jarhead Emblem. Next, Fire Emblem involves fighting people AND monsters, but these targets are typically given equal narrative weight, outside of maybe a funny line of dialogue about someone being afraid of monsters. In 99% of cases, enemy soldiers you fight have no more humanity than literal monsters. The death of any of your beloved soldiers is a tragedy with big sad death quotes, the death of those poor fuckers is quite literally a statistic which is proudly used to rank how well your guys have done at the end of the game. Finally, the limited scope of the violence the series can show limits the potential impact of scenes. In some cases, this is good as the implication is enough, e.g. the ‘Monica’ scene in Sacred Stones is wonderfully grim and would be weakened by anything explicit. However, a number of other scenes are neutered by the limitations on violence. This fundamentally relates to the aesthetics of the series:

insert prozd tweet/skit here (or Aesthetics, Tone, and Characters)

I’ve been talking a lot about ‘the violence committed’, and this might have seemed a bit weird to you. It’s a true statement, but because the violence is mostly cartoony and abstracted - bad guys disappear into nothingness, there’s no blood, etc - it’s hard to think of it in that way. It’s basically impossible to place Fire Emblem in the same artistic sphere as, say, All Quiet on the Western Front. This aesthetic sense was partially tech-limited in the early NES and SNES games, which was grandfathered into the more graphically complex titles, but it’s also related to how the aesthetics unavoidably warp the tone of the work. IntSys needs their games to be relatively lighthearted and unconcerned with the consequences of its violence, as one of the core appeals of these games is the charming cast of characters. As you would expect, it would be a lot harder to appreciate your goofy blorbos and their lighthearted chats about nothing if you could see the brutal consequences of their triple digit body counts. If violence was more realistic, there would be a lot less “ooh I like training and/or this one hyperspecific food” or “I like peace, but I guess violence may be possibly needed sometimes” and there would have to be a lot more trauma and dourness. There are also age rating concerns, as you can’t exactly sell Come And See Emblem to pre-teens. And once more, to clarify: Fire Emblem as it exists now is fine! I like the lighthearted tone of this series, and I like the characters that reside within it. However, a few problems do arise from IntSys’s approach to violence, as occasionally they brush up against darker ideas but (due to similar reasons to the above) they can never commit to them, which neuters their potential impact. This is especially troublesome with regards to characterisation, as the little dudes are a core appeal, so if something is off that could cause problems. In a sense, at points we have severe aesthetic tension.
A fairly useful case study to see how this affects characterisation is with Mozu in Fire Emblem Fates. Mozu is a charming character, a genial country bumpkin with a bit of an edge at times, who has fond memories of her hometown. This lines up with the lighthearted tone of her recruitment paralogue, where (checks notes) her entire village gets massacred by inhuman monsters, with her mother literally being murdered right in front of her, and she joins up with Corrin’s party because there is literally nothing left of her old life. I understand that people who experience extreme trauma do still manage to live meaningful lives, and that IntSys wouldn’t want to have a character who is a barely functional traumatised mess for 90% of the campaign. However, this doesn’t explain the sheer dissonance between the relatively normal and well-adjusted Mozu who quietly remembers her lost loved ones, and the fact that her village got My Lai’d a handful of weeks ago in the game’s timeline. IMO this would work a lot better if there were a few survivors (instead of literally everyone else dying), with Mozu actively choosing to leave her old life to help others instead of being forced to leave by circumstance. This reduction in scope would mitigate the dissonance between the character and what actually happens to her. This is by far the most extreme example in the series, however I’m sure you can think of others. My issue here is not with having ‘normal’ characters, or with them suffering tragedies, my issue is the dissonance between the two when viewing the scope of said tragedies. This is just one way the series wants to get into darker territory, then swiftly backing off instead of delving into the consequences.
This aesthetic restriction also affects the potential impact of dramatic scenes in the main story, limiting what the focus of these scenes can actually be. This little bit will involve heavy spoilers for Genealogy of the Holy War and Spec Ops: The Line (I KNOW THESE GAMES ARE VERY DIFFERENT WITH VERY DIFFERENT INTENDED DEMOGRAPHICS IN VERY DIFFERENT CULTURAL CONTEXTS, SHUT UP). Both have a very important narrative moment around their midpoints, involving fire magic/white phosphorus respectively. In each game, the deaths that occur are utterly horrific when you think about them. In FE4 the focus is on the drama of the plot twist and effects on the characters, with the actual effects of the violence being left to implication. We don’t know if this was the original intent of Kaga and the team, or if this was enforced by various tech- and publisher-related restrictions, but in either case we do not see anything explicit. In any case, in Spec Ops: The Line, the horror and graphic nature of the violence is completely inescapable, and therefore forms the core of the turning point of the story. The specifics of the violence itself are crucial - the game does not work if you don’t see the consequences of the white phosphorus - and it leads beautifully to the complete descent of its endgame. You may be saying “of course you couldn’t show that violence in FE, it’s a kids game” which is true, and in any case the scene in Genealogy is very good, even without showing the violence. I imagine if we get a remake in the year 202X we wouldn’t see anything explicit anyway, partially due to the publisher but also because the scene doesn’t necessarily need it. The point I am trying to make is that the aesthetics form a limitation on what Fire Emblem can explore, narrative space that the series fundamentally cannot reach.
One more thing, and this isn’t really about the games themselves but the impressions leading into them, and how the aesthetics can affect that. Do you guys remember when the intro cutscene of Three Houses was released a few weeks before release? I do, and I also remember the collective shock of the community when seeing the early previews. It was so drastically different to everything that had come before, and consequently was really intriguing - you can see a lot of speculation in the above comments. To clarify, I don’t want to pretend that 3H is some kind of super mature ultra gritty war story, or that blood = good game, but that beginning cutscene gave one hell of a first impression. Even though the game isn’t that much darker than any other FE game, the sheer unexpectedness put people off-kilter in a kinda awesome way. Does the game actually deliver? YMMV, but I think this (and some of the later cutscenes, such as the mid-game Dimitri one) work quite well. Sometimes, a little injection of harsher violence can go a long way.

Conclusion

Frankly I don’t really have a conclusion, sorry. As you can see, there are so many disparate strands, I can’t possibly make one grand thesis statement. Maybe the inherent contradictions of having warfare in a family friendly video game weakens the potential end result? I guess, but I don’t want to imply that what we have now is bad, as it is pretty good tbh. So, uhh…
…
OK, if I had to say something, it’s more about the process of making this. Having to try and think about how violence intersects with a video game you like takes you in a number of different directions. Ultimately, this process was really fulfilling for me, and I would recommend that you do the same (for FE or anything else)! Trying to analyse something you enjoy from a perspective not usually applied is pretty neat. If you guys have any thoughts (on the points above or your own), I’d be very interested to hear them!
Also, if people are interested, I’ll try to make a few case studies. I would focus on Thracia 776, Fates, and Three Houses, as (when thinking on this topic) I found that these games were consistently the most intriguing, with the most interesting relationships to violence. This would probably take a while though, as I am gonna be very busy in June, and I probably won’t have time this month either.
submitted by greydorothy to fireemblem [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 09:47 ihab_x_code How I Got 4k Users in My App for Free

As an indie Flutter developer, gaining traction for your app without a marketing budget can seem like an uphill battle. Here's how I managed to grow my Invento user base to 4k without spending a dime on advertising.
Research and Development: I kicked off by studying other apps in the market, diving deep into user reviews to understand pain points, desired features, and subscription pricing models.
Focus on Simplicity and Functionality: Armed with insights from my research, I prioritized simplicity, ease of use, modern ui, and packed in features to address competitor shortcomings.
Free with No Ads: I made a bold move by releasing my app for free, without limitations, without any intrusive ads. This decision garnered positive attention right from the start.
Strategic Facebook Sharing: Leveraging Facebook, I targeted two groups - tech enthusiasts and developers in Algeria, focusing solely on app development discussions.
Organic Growth: Over time, the user base organically expanded, evident from the Play Console dashboard's increasing numbers and over 100 glowing reviews praising the app's simplicity and ad-free experience.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Encouragingly, users began recommending my app to others, particularly store owners who found it useful for managing their inventory.
Introducing Subscription Options: Responding to user feedback, I recently introduced subscription options with enhanced features, catering to evolving user needs.
No Paid Campaigns Yet: Despite the app's growing popularity, I've held off on paid campaigns as I refine the app and work on a compelling landing page.
Belief in the Product: While I haven't seen paid users yet, I'm confident that Invento will carve its niche in the market, offering a unique and valuable solution.
Stay tuned for a detailed account of the Invento journey and any updates in a forthcoming article. I'm excited about the potential ahead!
submitted by ihab_x_code to Entrepreneur [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 09:45 ihab_x_code How I Got 4k Users in My App for Free

As an indie Flutter developer, gaining traction for your app without a marketing budget can seem like an uphill battle. Here's how I managed to grow my Invento user base to 4k without spending a dime on advertising.
Research and Development: I kicked off by studying other apps in the market, diving deep into user reviews to understand pain points, desired features, and subscription pricing models.
Focus on Simplicity and Functionality: Armed with insights from my research, I prioritized simplicity, ease of use, modern ui, and packed in features to address competitor shortcomings.
Free with No Ads: I made a bold move by releasing my app for free, without limitations, without any intrusive ads. This decision garnered positive attention right from the start.
Strategic Facebook Sharing: Leveraging Facebook, I targeted two groups - tech enthusiasts and developers in Algeria, focusing solely on app development discussions.
Organic Growth: Over time, the user base organically expanded, evident from the Play Console dashboard's increasing numbers and over 100 glowing reviews praising the app's simplicity and ad-free experience.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Encouragingly, users began recommending my app to others, particularly store owners who found it useful for managing their inventory.
Introducing Subscription Options: Responding to user feedback, I recently introduced subscription options with enhanced features, catering to evolving user needs.
No Paid Campaigns Yet: Despite the app's growing popularity, I've held off on paid campaigns as I refine the app and work on a compelling landing page.
Belief in the Product: While I haven't seen paid users yet, I'm confident that Invento will carve its niche in the market, offering a unique and valuable solution.
Stay tuned for a detailed account of the Invento journey and any updates in a forthcoming article. I'm excited about the potential ahead!

IndieHacker #AppDevelopment #Bootstrapping #UserGrowth #Flutter

submitted by ihab_x_code to FlutterDev [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 08:52 Scyllascum LF: Marked aprishinies, mystery SWSH eggs, SWSH HA aprimons FT: Apriballs, GBC, Ability Patches, any HA aprimons in Gen 9 & Shinies

I’m doing a new run on my Sword save, and wanted some random surprise eggs (preferably ones that were first released in SWSH) for it. If they can be pre-hatched, that’d be great—but not necessary.
Here’s the following HA Aprimons I’m looking for (in egg form is cool too!):
Exchange Rates (me:you)
In exchange, I can offer the following in Gen 9:
Shinies for Apriballs Exchange Rate
Shinies FT
Pokemon with the OT ‘Iris’, ‘Levi’, or ‘Scylla’ were all self-caught/hatched by me, and the rest were either hatched by people in the SV (shiny value) subreddit back in Gen 6~7 or traded via /CasualPokemonTrades.
submitted by Scyllascum to CasualPokemonTrades [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 08:49 Fair_Cartographer838 What could this dream mean? Loaded with violence and trauma/horror

I had a dream probably 12 years ago that I’ve never forgotten, during one of the darkest times in my life when I was scared I’d fail in life
The dream began in a volcanic Ashland where I was traveling with a ragtag band of refugees trying to escape some horrible volcanic event or maybe even super volcanic event, so we were all journeying through this grey valley flanked by ashen mountains with a few distant volcanoes, I was the leader of this group and they were depending on me to hopefully guide them to survival.
We came to a huge obsidian temple structure and it was built onto the valley wall so we had to climb it to ascend out of the valley, so we entered. But the building had an ominous energy like something dark was sleeping inside of it.
Part of the way up, a young boy in my group was running ahead even though I told him to wait and tried to run after him, but as happens in dreams my legs were like lead and I couldn’t keep up. I had this growing sense of dread.
Then the boy slipped off the edge over an overhang and as I looked down after him he plunged into a lava pool, burning to death. My sense of dread didn’t go away it only increased. Somehow I knew (maybe because it was a dream made by my own mind) that that wasn’t the only horror that awaited us in here, this place wanted all of us not just the boy.
That dread manifested as the boy came clawing his way out from the lava pit and let out a horrifying cry like a nazgul or a ghoulish undead, with his flesh bubbling and dripping off of his bones in places he began sprinting with inhuman speed back towards the entrance of the obsidian temple he had fallen from, right back into the entrance.
My band of refugees began panicking, torn between the anguish of watching the boy die and the horror dawning on them of what he had become- a monster- and why he would come sprinting back into the temple some floors below us.
We all heard the inhuman commotion as his undead body slammed into corners, so great was his speed, and we all realized rather abruptly that he was closing in on our group.
I urged the group to begin climbing the stairwells that wrapped around the precipices of this obsidian temple, up towards the valley wall. We had only one possible escape: somehow reaching the top and whatever salvation waited for us up there from the desolate volcanic wasteland and the undead monster that had once been a little boy. So we all begun to sprint, but we were slow.
some of the refugees had bags, some were elderly men and women, it began to dawn on me that we had no hope to escape as i heard the monster closing in from below. I turned to confront him, readying to fight with no weapons.
When he emerged he looked at me with his ghastly skull shining through his melted off face and he spoke and said "You did this to me so I will punish you by making you live while your people die." And he ran past me with superhuman speed and tore into my group, beginning to butcher these weak powerless refugees even as I tried to fight him, plead with him, even as I tried to urge them to keep running, he eventually killed every last one of them with his long ghoul clawed skeletal hands.
"Im sorry." i said to him. "Im sorry i let you become a monster." and he just smiled back at me and stepped off the ledge, plunging again into the lava, this time to rest eternal, but the carnage of my mangled people now lay all around me, and still the black obsidian stairway beckoned, leading up into the tallest passes of the ashen mountains where smoke and fog obscured the path, I had nobody left and nowhere to go but up.
So i went up. Up, up, up through winding valley corridors of sheer black jagged rockfaces, ascending thousands of steps until the atmosphere seemed thin and the night stars shone from above, the distant red glow of the lava flows fading to a dull reminder of the carnage i was leaving behind me.
eventually the climb slowed but the path continued and the stairs began to turn downwards, the rock walls opened up into a dusty grey plain of old ash that had blown here from distant eruptions in the ashlands below, but it was cold up here and dark, and the fog parted and i saw in the distance a structure, not ominous and unnatural like the obsidian temple but a human structure, a distant farmhouse, but I had a feeling when i looked down the winding stairs at this house like i was looking into the blackness of a night that has a rapidly approaching tornado, totally invisible, the sight of this farmhouse gave me a sense of existential dread greater than even the obsidian temple had inspired. But i knew i had to keep going forward anyways. So, with despair in every step, i put one foot infront of the next and kept walking.
As i approached the house I realized its scale, it was not some small farmhouse, more of a manse, and the stairs on this path led straight to its roof where the stairs that had once led down from its top were gone. There was only a gaping black hole in the roof, my only way forward was into this abandoned structure, so with a heart full of fear i lowered myself down into pitch blackness.
I found myself in an ash flooded attic full of furniture like old spinning wheels and some misshapen objects with soot stained sheets over them, the room was so very cluttered with dillapidated old stuff that i could hardly navigate it. I kept bumping stuff then I froze, because on thr far side of the room i saw a sillouhette standing motionless. A feminine sillouhette that seemed like it moved slightly as I brushed against an old desk, causing a noise.
As she reacted, she turned towards me and I saw her face, and her mouth hung open, her jaw split in two, one half dangling and the other holding a malicious grimace.
She moved like a squid striking out from inky blackness at its prey, lifting up off her feet and drifting rapidly to me, her mangled jaw soon centering around my field of view as her face filled my vision and she grabbed the sides of my head, talking to me
"You have to pay for what he did to us, you have to see it all"
And she entered me, i just remember at this point in my dream my vision was full of motion, like she had possessed me and was flying me through the pages of her own history book, in a misty ashen blur of colors and shapes i found myself chopping wood in a dark forest with green leaves around, when a rage filled every fiber of my being and i turned towards a tent, gripping my axe as i swung it through the fabric, turning it on my first wife (in my dream i understood this to be the vision of the woman's husband when he murdered her with his axe) and splitting her jaw and head open rather than any log
I was crying abd begging to be left alone and allowed to leave when we swirled back into the attic, and the ghost was standing right there with inhuman stillness, i couldnt look away from her mangled face as she said "now you know what he did to me…" and she slowly disappeared into a small mist
I was deeply disturbed and crying and disoriented as i looked around the attic and saw a small wooden panel with some grey filtered light showing through it and i went that way, but as i did another ghost of a different women, her neck angled violently screamed at me and grabbed me and possessed me, now I was her husband, the same man with his second wife wringing her neck as she turbed blue
In this manner a series of murdered women ghosts possessed me, forcing me to witness their deaths from the poijt of view of their killer, all killed by the same horrible man in different violent ways, in total 7 stories of 7 murders of 7 dead wives, and each one whisming me to another part of this forsaken farmhouse where they had lurked waiting for whichever man was unlucky enough to enter this cursed homestead
My experience dreaming this was mostly an unsettling amount of vertigo during the dream and images of violence and these ghastly faces of ghosts filling my vision before flying me to another room where another ghost would stand motionless waiting to possess me, the entire time i felt like i was crying and falling from a very extreme height
Eventually though the last ghost released me from her possession and i stood in the kitchen room where she stood with me, her face blue from drowning in a bath tub, and she smiled at mr and spoke more gently than thr others had, she reached to take my hand but when i flinched and screamed she dropped her arm back down to her side and just smiled sadly at me
"Thank you"
And she and all other ghosts were gone and it was just me alone in this forsaken manse's kitchen, and i heard a sound i never expected, trickling water. So i walked towards it and found a back door on the ground level which opened easily, and i stepped outside and saw some white, ash-filtered sunlight and a sight that took my breath away, about 300 yards away was a running river with lush green trees and plants and a thundering waterfall, and i knew that my trials had passed as i walked out towards the end of the ashlands with my boots squishing in fertile muddy soil, and i woke up completely drenched in a puddle of my own sweat
submitted by Fair_Cartographer838 to Dreams [link] [comments]

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