Lurker > Thorn

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TopicTrails in the Sky 1st Chapter demo is out.
Thorn
08/25/25 12:22:56 AM
#61
You could steal AT Bonuses with S-Crafts in OG Sky - in fact it was explicitly encouraged in the tutorial!

I think that stopped being possible in Daybreak though (but was possible in the previous 10 games) and since the battle system appears to be built on Daybreak's...

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/23/25 11:47:48 AM
#407
Leonhart4 posted...
Oh hey it's Squall's birthday
...Whatever

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/22/25 9:10:22 PM
#190
Dancedreamer posted...
You know, I'm not sure I really trust someone who facilitated sex trafficking children's definition of 'inappropriate'
She also claims she's innocent so I'm sure this is absolutely all above board and true despite the fact that the DOJ previously asserted she was entirely untrustworthy and would say anything to save herself.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/22/25 8:54:03 AM
#170
FBI raided John Bolton's house this morning. Not clear why.

Bolton might be a terrible person but this sure seems like weaponizing the FBI and sending them out for retribution because Trump hates Bolton (now.)

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicTrails in the Sky 1st Chapter demo is out.
Thorn
08/21/25 3:23:43 PM
#36
I liked a few of them but I would broadly agree they're way overrated.

Though the use of them in 3rd's Abyss and the reprise in Sigmund's Realm in Azure was pretty good.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/21/25 10:57:06 AM
#389
Abyss > Vesperia >= Symphonia of those 3 IIRC. I haven't played Vesperia in ages though and only the old 360 Version without Patty or playable Flynn.

Rita the best. I also recall having Raven a lot higher than you. My bottom tier would likely be Karol and Judith.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicCould Donkey Kong defeat Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail) in a fight?
Thorn
08/20/25 7:35:38 PM
#19
is the battle with dk in elio's script? because if it is she might know exactly what she has to do to win

...or lose if the script calls for it >.>

(Elio is basically the boss of the group she's a part of and can basically see all possible futures and assigns "scripts" for the group members to follow to try and guide the universe to a particular future)

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPlaystation 5 price increase going into effect tomorrow
Thorn
08/20/25 3:03:44 PM
#6
NBIceman posted...
I made a good decision getting one a few months back, it seems.
same

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicTales of Xillia Remaster - October 31
Thorn
08/20/25 10:19:00 AM
#20
I definitely feel like Abyss may be the king of "oh this multi-stage sidequest has steps in this incredibly limited period of time where it makes little sense to go exploring off into this little corner on the opposite side of the world and if you miss a step the entire sidequest chain is now broken" Tales sidequest design.

Especially when some of the sidequests contain content that really feels like it ought to have been provided in the main story!

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/20/25 9:59:46 AM
#156
"nothing about the Future"

ah yes. when i think of the future i think of museums

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/19/25 10:41:59 AM
#375
Maniac64 posted...
Yeah i found the fell arms disappointing.

I think they power up over time or something? I dont remember and never used them.
I forget if the mechanics change between games but IIRC Fell Arms generally work where each kill a character gets in battle adds 1 power to the weapon. So if in your game Yuri has defeated 1000 enemies so far, the Fell Arms has a +1000 ATK boost applied to it that will continue to go up with more kills.

But you usually need to defeat a superboss to unlock that feature and until you do it just sits at its weak base power (but it's still keeping track of the count for each character.)

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicTales of Xillia Remaster - October 31
Thorn
08/19/25 10:31:24 AM
#2
no xillia 2

it's over

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/18/25 11:16:36 PM
#152
https://bsky.app/profile/peoplefor.bsky.social/post/3lwpfao2nhi2t

Texas Republicans have locked a Democratic Rep inside the state house chamber and are refusing to let her leave. They're making Dems sign "permission slips" and have a police escort to leave and she refuses. Good on her and fucking hall monitor level of fascism by Republicans.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHonkai Star Rail Topic 16 -- 33,550,336th Attempt at Scepter% Clear
Thorn
08/18/25 10:45:17 PM
#160
6356 on Apocalyptic Shadow. Feels kinda taunting but that Side 2 fight was giving me issues. Had to throw Castorice at it because everyone else was just flopping. Archer handled Side 1 like a champ though.

Specifically: Archer/RMC/Ruan Mei/Gallagher and Castorice/Blade/Hyacine/Tribbie. Archer side has the higher score by a tad but what kills me is that Castorice's squad can't quite take out Feixiao in a single weakness break. They don't need to enter a second, thank god, but if they could manage to pull it off in a single cycle I think they might make up the missing points by themselves but I don't really see how they get there (without "get better relics lmao") so I think 12-star AS will again elude me. one of these days...!

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/18/25 1:58:05 PM
#124
Trump is now taking advice on "honest elections" from *checks notes* Putin - and says he will issue an executive order to ban mail-in voting and voting machines for the 2026 midterms.

https://bsky.app/profile/marcelias.bsky.social/post/3lwofua76ic2l
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-putin-agrees-with-him-us-should-not-have-mail-in-voting-2025-08-16/

Reuters reports...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agrees with him that letting voters send in ballots by mail puts honest elections at risk.

"Vladimir Putin, smart guy, said you can't have an honest election with mail-in voting," Trump told Fox News Channel's "Hannity" after a nearly three-hour meeting between the leaders in Alaska. "He said there's not a country in the world that uses it now."

Also from his social media screed on how he's going to ban mail-in voting and voting machines...

"Remember, the States are merely an 'agent' for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do."

states rights!

glad to hear that actually the president is a king now and represents the entirety of the federal government and the states must obey him

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/17/25 5:25:01 PM
#118
redrocket posted...
Remember, Congressional elections can also be RCV. Theres nothing stopping any state or states from doing this now.
In this hypothetical of "a few states go RCV and cause third parties to do better" I'm assuming enough states still aren't RCV such that the major parties retain control nationally through them.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/17/25 5:21:53 PM
#116
Leafeon13N posted...
We will never abolish the EC through our current system of government.
If we're defining abolish in the technical sense of "amend the Constitution to get rid of it" then absolutely not that'll never happen. But something like the interstate popular vote compact is still plausible even if it feels more unlikely these days.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/17/25 5:20:47 PM
#115
Uh, I think the idea of a few states implementing RCV leading to third party wins in a handful of states would serve the major parties just fine. Remember, if no one reaches 270 EVs then the House picks out of the top 3 Electoral vote getters, so since presumably the major parties would still control Congress they could just freeze out the third party candidate and the presidential election would just default to a "which (major) party won the most House seats"

This is the exact reason why I say you'd have to get rid of the EC for a third party to truly break through.

...which wouldn't actually be terrible except for the fact that the current House is distorted - even if not to grotesque Senate levels - by the Apportionment Act that capped it at 435 seats.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicIceman's 30 for 30: Thirty Games, Characters, and Moments for my 30th Birthday
Thorn
08/17/25 5:11:06 PM
#67
glitz pit WAY too low

deserves higher just for the rawk hawk theme alone

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/17/25 5:01:16 PM
#354
There's a few connections like Symphonia-Phantasia and of course Berseria-Zestiria but they're otherwise generally self-contained. Like Abyss, for example isn't connected to any of the others AFAIK nor is Graces or Arise, etc.

Obviously the series has common themes though and the elemental spirits is one of the bigger ones.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/17/25 4:01:56 PM
#109
Seanchan posted...
Now imagine half the country being (maybe literally) up in arms because the person ranked 2nd or 3rd after the first round wins.
*looks at EC*

i am trying

(You're right getting it implemented is impractical. But the major reason is that elections, even at the federal level, are controlled by the states - so you'd need to pass it 50 times)

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/17/25 2:40:46 PM
#102
For the record, I brought up abolishing the EC and implementing RCV up in the context of the "how do we break the two party stranglehold on America?"

Since I don't feel like writing like my 29th essay on the subject, I put those two as the tl;dr version - but I guess I have to explain a bit more because despite feeling I was pretty clear about that in the post it's being treated like I just threw it out there out of nowhere as something to do or do instead of compulsory voting, etc.

The reason we have a two party system and any serious third-party bid is doomed before it even begins is because of the FPTP voting and the Electoral College. I was saying that if you want to break that paradigm you need to do those two things first to even open up the chance of a successful third-party bid.

Both FPTP and the EC are designed such that the "optimal" strategy is a two-party system and actively quashes the efficacy and viability of third parties. (Single-member districts do too while we're at it.) They all encourage the formation of political parties and for the state to try and settle into two major parties that smother and consume any burgeoning attempt at a third party - because quite literally a third party bid can only play spoiler for the side closer to it ideologically, benefiting the "worse" option.

Now, let's say you replace FPTP with RCV (again doesn't have to be RCV but it's probably the easiest to understand and likeliest replacement) the Electoral College still serves as the final obstacle in creating a successful third party because it itself is a constitutionally enshrined FPTP system that determines the presidency. I'm not coming for it because of how it overturns the popular vote (though that's also a good reason it should go!) I'm just saying it is an impediment to breaking the two-party system and if you want to toss that you need to toss the EC too.

That's all. I wasn't talking about either of these policies in any way except their impact on how/why America is locked into a two major party system since "why can't we have a third party that isn't Dems/GOP?" came up for the umpteenth time in the discussion last night.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/16/25 10:31:13 PM
#70
Think it's more that we've discussed third parties and how/why they can't exist in the political structure of the US like 38 times in this thread.

tl;dr: You need, at minimum, a Constitutional Amendment to abolish the Electoral College and to eliminate FPTP voting in elections - probably replacing it with RCV.

Otherwise all efforts will fail. A two-party system is built into our electoral system - which is ironic for all the teaching we tell kids about how Washington didn't want parties. Nah, the way they built the system it was always going to immediately become that - and lo and behold it did.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/16/25 8:25:16 PM
#27
Paratroopa1 posted...
I legitimately do not understand what problem mandatory voting is even supposed to solve. Do you think democracy is failing because good, upstanding citizens are sitting on the sidelines?
I don't think it solves a problem, per se. I don't even think it necessarily benefits Democrats! I just think civic participation is a good end unto itself.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/16/25 8:15:02 PM
#23
I support mandatory voting (and think cries that "oh people would just punish whoever introduced it and vote against them in droves!" is overblown) but haven't thought hard on how implementation would go because we don't live in such a good world. I'd probably just point at Australia and say "it seems it works just great over there, do what they do?"

I will say that that video idea is a recipe for disaster though. I get where you're coming from but the implementation of that would be a nightmare. Who is controlling the fact-checking here? Because it's going to have to be political in some way (I can't imagine an implementation where you just get an independent org doing this - there'll be appointees or selecting the org or something that'll be controlled by politicians) and so, like, under this admin it'd be some shit like PragerU doing it. Letting the candidates submit their own thing would be a step up probably but still not great I think because we now live in two realities and one has no basis in fact. ...I think Para (?) posts those info sheets from Washington (?) for voting that include like little summaries of the candidate platforms? That seems the best off the top of my head/not putting more than 2 minutes into thinking about it.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/16/25 7:27:04 PM
#14
also pretty sure they're not losing on the issues when poll after poll shows the opposite is true.

The Democratic Party is unpopular (with both sides of the political spectrum). Its policies are not unless we're seeing the biggest polling error in history sustained over decades at this point. They range from "less trusted, but still competitive" on certain issues to "support is at like 70-90+ percent and bipartisan."

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 463: ACAB/DC
Thorn
08/16/25 11:06:18 AM
#3
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08/16/world/trump-putin-meeting-alaska

A bit more time from the meeting with Putin and what a surprise, Trump has moved away from what was previously agreed upon by the US, Ukraine, and Europe about seeking a ceasefire before lasting peace negotiations over to Russia's position that forget a ceasefire, negotiate an end to the war even as fighting continues and lying that this is a position "determined by all."

Also claiming that a peace deal could quickly be achieved if Ukraine agrees to surrender the entire Donbas region to Russia, including the parts that Ukraine actually still holds, with Putin putting in writing that he won't attack Ukraine or Europe again in exchange (he has done that before and broken it repeatedly.) Surrendering Donbas, aside from just giving the belligerent invaders what they want, would basically strategically compromise Ukraine for when Russia inevitably gears up to renew its invasion. And he's supporting Ukraine ceding land like this.

(Also less important but still a sign of how unserious this administration is - they left sensitive papers for the meeting in a hotel's public printers. Guests there found it just laying there and turned it over to NPR who reviewed and confirmed it's legit. god knows what leaked out to Russia/other hostile powers.)

---

I've started coming around to the thinking that Dems might be more effective in resonating with people if they basically dumbed their language down and kinda acted like they were talking to fifth graders. I know that sounds condescending and all (though the way Republicans have gutted education over the years it's honestly just the natural outcome of that) but I think if these kinds of things were framed as analogies for like common school shit it'd be more digestible to people. Instead of talking about this in the language of "Ukraine is a US ally, they literally gave up nuclear weapons because we promised shit like this would not happen. Russia's invasion threatens Europe and the post-WW2 order, etc etc." to instead basically go something like:

"This isn't a complicated issue. It's like your friend is getting bullied by some jerks at school and instead of standing up for them against the bullies, you go up to them and say, 'Please stop it. If you do, I'll give you my friend's lunch money (land/mineral rights in Ukraine) and even some of mine! (lifting sanctions, possible mineral/oil rights in Alaska.)' Come on, everyone knows that's not going to stop the bullying. Hell, they'll keep it up in the hopes of getting more lunch money out of you both. Any junior high kid knows this, and yet that's exactly how weak this President is!"

Put it in language that everyone is going to understand. Not everyone is going to "get" complex geopolitics. Everyone can relate to and understand schoolyard dynamics.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 462: The Guy Who Never Dies
Thorn
08/15/25 7:14:29 PM
#497
so trump's meeting with putin is over and sounds like it was just a big load of nothing

https://bsky.app/profile/chadbourn.bsky.social/post/3lwhxugiqgk2f

"We didn't get there... but we have a very good chance of getting there." lmao

also "Next time in Moscow" (this was Putin's suggestion at least lol)

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 462: The Guy Who Never Dies
Thorn
08/15/25 5:42:32 PM
#491
colliding posted...
Are people in here seriously thinking Trump gave away Alaska?
no

i just didn't think i needed the /s tags on all those posts - i didn't exactly think i was being slick or anything, just pointing out the confluence of: Trump repeatedly saying that he's going to Russia when he's actually going to Alaska, the fact that he basically a known useful idiot for Russia at best, and how the media would have gone wall-to-wall coverage if Biden had made such a mistake at a press conference once, let alone multiple times in succession. just resigned dark humor.

It is the case that reporting indicates that Trump is willing to give Russia the rights to minerals and oil in Alaska as part of a deal to end the war in Ukraine though.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 462: The Guy Who Never Dies
Thorn
08/15/25 4:55:28 PM
#484
paulg235 posted...
They're in Alaska.
I know, that was my point. This meeting was always set for Alaska but Trump, on multiple occasions at his press conference two or three days ago said he was "going to Russia" for it.

i mean the reality is that he is totally senile but maybe we can't rule out that he gave alaska away and really is "going to Russia!"

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 462: The Guy Who Never Dies
Thorn
08/15/25 4:31:59 PM
#479
PerfectChaosZ posted...
Putin is in the US.
We sure?

Because Trump said repeatedly at a press conference like two days ago that he (Trump) was "going to Russia on Friday" so it might turn out that actually he gave Putin Russia and we're about to find out today.

(in a quiet voice) "imagine the media if biden had said that. multiple times."

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
Topic4700 Japanese gamers rank the top 40 rpgs that made them cry the most
Thorn
08/15/25 2:17:36 PM
#21
Kenri posted...
I truly can't understand how some of these would make someone cry. Maybe I'm dead inside.
Same, LOL.

Actually... games I've played and if I understand it being here.

1) Final Fantasy X - Personally, no... but I can see the ending getting there for some, I suppose.
3) Persona 3 - Yes
6) Tales of the Abyss - Not really, tbqh.
8) Final Fantasy IX - No.
12) Nier: Automata - Yes
15) Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - If Torna is included, yes. Otherwise... eh, not really.
17) NieR Replicant - Yes.
19) Final Fantasy Type 0 - Not really.
23) Persona 4 - ....Again, not really, but when Nevermore hits there is a kind of nostalgia hit I can sorta see.
24) Final Fantasy VII - No.
25) Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Yes, and in fact I did cry.
29) Tales of Xillia 2 - Ehhh... Gonna say no.
33) Kingdom Hearts II - No.
36) Lost Odyssey - Memory is bad here but I think some of those short stories put this in the yes column.
37) The Legend of Heroes: Trails series - Yes, and in fact I did cry... but it's a bit unfair to give the whole series because Sky 3rd hard carrying here.
38) Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - No. Not even for the ice cream.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
Topic4700 Japanese gamers rank the top 40 rpgs that made them cry the most
Thorn
08/15/25 10:56:25 AM
#6
Xenoblade 2 over Xenoblade 3 is really surprising to me... unless they're giving XB2 the Torna expansion, in which case it's a fairer fight.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHonkai Star Rail Topic 16 -- 33,550,336th Attempt at Scepter% Clear
Thorn
08/15/25 10:50:58 AM
#147
HeroDelTiempo17 posted...
Finished the restaraunt minigame, great patch.

Oh right, there's a story quest too I guess
this is where i'm at too lol

Well, I did the very first part of the main story but I've been ping ponging between other gachas and rpgs the past few days.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHonkai Star Rail Topic 16 -- 33,550,336th Attempt at Scepter% Clear
Thorn
08/14/25 9:10:48 AM
#141
I think I do have The Story's Next Page but I also think my Hyacine's SPD substats aren't quite good enough without the Herta LC to hit 200+ so I'd have to get better ones/reroll my existing ones.

just give us a decent f2p hp remembrance cone beyond the one herta shop one hoyo

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 462: The Guy Who Never Dies
Thorn
08/14/25 8:59:59 AM
#465
Oh, this would absolutely be dead on arrival for Ukraine (who is not represented at Trump's meeting with Putin, nor is Europe) but the danger would be if Putin accepts (and I think the smart thing would be to do so if these are the terms - when the fuck else are you getting an in to Alaska? Just take a few years to rebuild and restock before invading again like with Crimea) you absolutely know that Trump will immediately turn on Ukraine and do everything in his power to browbeat them into taking it - cutting off all support/aid, etc.

It'd be up to Europe to keep Ukraine supplied.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHonkai Star Rail Topic 16 -- 33,550,336th Attempt at Scepter% Clear
Thorn
08/14/25 8:52:18 AM
#138
that evernight LC. there's no way i can go for it unless i get evernight on like my first multi but like what would be my option other than to sign up for battlepass again for a not-atrocious LC for an HP Remembrance character? f2p dying

also the evernight e6 graphic oh boy

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 462: The Guy Who Never Dies
Thorn
08/14/25 8:35:35 AM
#463
So, I know the Telegraph is considered a right-wing rag but this story has been picked up by Fox, Newsweek, and some others and it does make a certain sort of sense that right wing outlets would have deeper access to this sorta stuff.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/08/13/trump-to-present-minerals-deal-to-putin-in-alaska

In Trump's meeting with Putin tomorrow about Ukraine he's reportedly willing to offer Putin: rare earth minerals from Ukraine, mineral rights in Alaska, and using the West Bank as a model for how to handle the governance of the Russian-occupied Ukraine.

I wasn't totally aware that you could surrender in a war where you were not invaded, but apparently you can! Art of the Deal!

The Telegraph reports...
As well as lifting sanctions, The Telegraph can now reveal that the US is preparing to offer Putin other financial incentives to end the war, including access to rare earth minerals in the areas of Ukraine currently occupied by Russia

Mr. Trump is also considering offering Russia opportunities to tap into the valuable natural resources in the strait that separates it from the US. Alaska, separated from Russia by just three miles of the Bering Strait, is estimated to hold significant undiscovered oil and gas reserves, including 13 per cent of the world's oil.

Developing Russia's presence in the strait would bolster Putin's strategic interests in the Arctic region, which accounted for 80 per cent of Russia's gas production in 2022.

Israel's occupation of the West Bank could be used as a model for ending the war. Russia would have military and economic control of occupied Ukraine under its own governing body, similar to Israel's de facto rule of Palestinian territory.

The idea was raised in discussions between Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump's special envoy and his Russian counterparts, according to The Times.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/14/25 8:26:22 AM
#336
Happy birthday!

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/13/25 2:34:34 PM
#328
MacArrowny posted...
Hours I meant. Thought it'd be more than 5 hours less time.
Oh! No, it very much was a lot shorter.

I meant that the OG playthrough's final save was something like 8/12/2024 10 PM and the replay finished at 8/12/2025 5 PM or whatever.

I didn't keep track of the actual playthrough time but it was a lot shorter. Probably over half? Definitely over half if you take out idling.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/13/25 1:50:01 PM
#324
there were a lot of irl delays where i'd go several weeks without playing at all

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/13/25 1:18:05 PM
#322
Yeah, I started feeling like it was a mistake at some point but I was in too deep by that point lol.

---
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/13/25 12:39:36 PM
#320
Finished my Daybreak replay yesterday so I'm hoping to start Daybreak 2 sometime today/tonight. Kinda funny/neat moment is that with all the IRL delays that happened I eventually ended up falling into a perfect sync with my first playthrough save files. I left a save at every Chapter End and a few other major moments like the Chapter 5 decision and it was around Chapter 5 where I was exactly a year ahead of those files. Some more delays over the Finale and I ended up completing the replay exactly one year after the OG playthrough. 8/12/2024 to 8/12/2025. Almost to the hour too LOL, but the replay beat it by a about 5 hours.

Won't rehash my thoughts on the game in general but I will leave some thoughts on the different Chapter 5 Routes since I blitzed through the remaining two for the trophies.

Trails through Daybreak Chapter 5 Spoilers

For reference, my OG playthrough took Ouroboros, my replay took Ikagura as the route I took into Finale, and before actually starting Finale with it I did super quick runs of Bracers and Heiyue. So technically my Ouroboros memories are about a year old but yeah - that'll be the order of my commentary.

Ouroboros: So, I picked this on my first playthrough hoping for DEEP OUROBOROS LORE and in that regard I was disappointed because you don't get that. Lucrezia is a fun guest character with her "what if everything is all cancel?" attacks. I will say that after playing the other routes though there is one aspect of this route I actually really liked more than the others (and when it *didn't* happen in the natural course of my Ikaruga run I was confused at first. Ellroy's plan to use chemical weapons to just win the entire game and take out Almata at the same time. In the other 3 routes, this is revealed when you face Ouroboros which for the Bracers and Ikaruga is the final day (and which introduces a bit of a plothole in Ellroy just giving up IMO, more on this in Heiyue) and you fight them to stop it. But in the Ouroboros route you obviously never fight them so instead what happens is early Day 2 (IIRC) shortly after Renne tells you what she knows of Ellroy's background, Van actually begins to put the pieces together that he's up to something (forget if Renne tells him a bit more - I know there's additional dialogue with her if you talk to her as an NPC during this whole bit) and confronts him about it in the bar. After being found out, Ellroy agrees to drop it as a reward for Van discovering it and when Van is skeptical, Ellroy specifically renounces his individual right to participate in the game (complete with the Genesis hearing and confirming it with an announcement) and you just continue on with Walter and Lucrezia (though Ellroy never accompanies you to the underground anyway.) This was a much cooler way of going about this subplot IMO.

Ikaruga: So, while the Bracer route is probably closest to "canon" this feels like the easy second place in that regard since Ikaruga are the new characters and all. Shizuna is an absolute delight just trash talking the shit out of everyone you encounter. You get some of it, like with Fie, even on the opposing side - but it tends to be extended on the Ikaruga route (which again makes some of the dialogue flow better, like Fie going, "call me little squirt one more time and I will *end* you" being after like the third time Shizuna does on Ikaruga route v only once on Bracer.) Also, straight-up laughing at Viola when she takes the Gnosis-based drugs and outright telling her "You're way out of my league. Come back after you down a few more bottles of those pills maybe." Shizuna also does mention the partnership in the Finale during her car ride with Van right before Pandemonium hits too so it gets some mention later. This is also, I think, the only route where the player learns who is contracting them - Gramheart. And they give a few droplets of info on the East - nine different tribes, naming a few of them (Themselves, Arioch's people, Heiyue's ancestry, etc.) which might come up later idk.

Bracers: Again, probably the closest to canon since it's the default option if you don't have the LGC ranks for anyone else. It's not bad, and foreshadows some of Elaine's stuff a bit more heavily and the whole "Elaine's missing" subplot flows better since you're already partners with the guild. Fie, being as well-connected as she is, basically has something to say at every encounter too. Changes some Bracer NPC dialogue in the city too since in all other routes they get eliminated first while obviously they end up winning here.

Heiyue: By far the most pointless route IMO. It's basically a discount version of all the other routes and doesn't even really add anything to the *one* interesting subplot going on here... and then you get follow-up on it in the general story during the Finale anyway. Seriously, they basically don't add anything about the second Heiyue group opposing them other than Cao going, "oh that's not us" right before Shizuna murks them all. The ATE voicing when that team is eliminated is also the exact same as all the other routes. What a waste. You basically get a single line exchange between Judith and Rixia about Lloyd, Rixia name dropping Wazy in one line when meeting the Dominions, and maybe most significantly, you face Ouroboros Day *2* instead of 3 here. I think this actually makes more sense because Ellroy gives up in large part because he says now that the chemical weapon plan has been uncovered, every team will move to stop him... but if you do this on Day 3 not only is like no one left, but they might just try to take out Arkride Solutions rather than talk. But on Day 2 there would be time to contact the other teams between rounds and get some coordination going to shut them down. I mean, it isn't strictly a plothole it just makes less sense on Day 3 IMO and this is the only route where you fight them earlier.

Overall Route Rankings: Ikaruga > Ouroboros > Bracers >>> Heiyue but they're all pretty similar so meh.

Falcom definitely did not think this through super well IMO. Depending on what you do there can be a bunch of dialogue that doesn't really make sense because it's largely static across all routes even when it should cause a change - even when it's not as big the route selection but something you'll encounter in all of them like the Eisenschild v Kruga decision where Feri's ATE reactions only really make sense if you picked Kruga.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHonkai Star Rail Topic 16 -- 33,550,336th Attempt at Scepter% Clear
Thorn
08/13/25 9:40:28 AM
#123
UshiromiyaEva posted...
Let me just peek into this restaurant event

*Almost three hours later*
this was me last night too lmao

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80 pulls, but I finally broke my 50/50 losing streak and got Kafka.Time for her to do absolutely nothing since I have none of her team and I have to save for Evernight and Cyrene lol.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/11/25 10:55:08 PM
#315
Honestly, my shaky memory had me thinking most of the upgrades for that in Vesperia were backloaded.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicSaveEstelle and LeonhartFour in Separate Houses: Smiffic Edition [SELF]
Thorn
08/11/25 7:29:43 PM
#309
IIRC, I really liked the design of Dein Nomos. cool sword.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicPolitics Containment Topic 462: The Guy Who Never Dies
Thorn
08/11/25 12:21:56 PM
#447
I mean, I don't see how this isn't just them trying to create another diversion from Epstein by trying to recreate what they did to LA before.

Fucking awful shit, of course, and completely nonsensical since pretty sure violent crime is at like a 20 year low in DC in 2024 and is just them wanting to be as authoritarian as possible and torment a very blue population but they'd rather talk about this than Epstein.

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHow many of Glitchwave's top 100 games of the 20th century have you played?
Thorn
08/08/25 10:23:40 PM
#11
20, it looks like. I could maybe squeeze a few more on here like Banjo but it'd be stuff I only very briefly played at like a friend's house to the point I can't even be entirely sure which game it was (well Banjo is Banjo but like I couldn't tell you which DKC with any certainty)

Tetris [AcademySoft/Mirrorsoft]
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario World
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Final Fantasy VI
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Chrono Trigger
Super Mario 64
Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy Tactics
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Metal Gear Solid
Xenogears
StarCraft
Planescape: Torment
Pokmon Gold & Silver
RollerCoaster Tycoon

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHonkai Star Rail Topic 16 -- 33,550,336th Attempt at Scepter% Clear
Thorn
08/08/25 3:11:39 AM
#88
i have exactly 0 sampos

one of three 4-stars i just don't have alongside arlan and luka

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
TopicHonkai Star Rail Topic 16 -- 33,550,336th Attempt at Scepter% Clear
Thorn
08/07/25 10:32:54 PM
#86
UshiromiyaEva posted...
but if you aren't gonna pull both don't pull either
me, pulling kafka cuz i like her

>_>

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May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
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