Recommended.
Hitman: Contracts can be summed as "The Dark Hitman". The ambience of this game is oppressive, with dark environments and terrifying music. This is presented with improved mechanics and a better game flow. Contracts is not as epic as the last one but it has an identity of its own, shuffling from slow, dark moments, to action pieces.
This game was rushed and it shows, with an underdeveloped training section and weapons cache, weird graphics and glitched animations (especially the fiber wire ones). The game was also too short so Codename 47 missions were remade (not necessarily surpassing the originals). Contracts is noticiably easier than Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, as gameplay is more consistent, but the fun in this game is to try the many different approaches to missions.
The game starts with 47 dragging himself from a hit gone wrong, wounded by a gunshot. He falls on the floor and keeps fading in and out of conscience throughout the game, with actions taking him back to some of his previous missions; starting with the Asylum in Romania. You start from Dr. Ortmeyer's office and go through a place turned upside down, with patients running around, falling from ledges or dead on the ground - riddled with bullets - and SWAT teams running around looking for you. This game was heavily inspired by the classic "Léon: The Professional" and, because of this, SWAT teams are very present with 47 having many opportunities to slip past dressed as a SWAT commando. In one occasion you even take part in a SWAT assault in Rotterdam - which is very cool.
The sneak mode was fixed, with a more appropriate moving speed enabling the player to approach the enemy from behind. Enemy AI was improved, thus reducing random violence towards the player to the point of it being just an occasional nuisance rather than a constant source of frustration as in the previous game. Agent 47 can now run once in a while without being attacked and even 47's walking pace has been sped up, thus making gameplay more dynamic. The suspicion meter stopped being a slot-machine and is now actually useful.
The sniper rifle case was re-introduced (Thanks God!) stopping those awful missions were you had to slip by with a gigantic sniper rifle amid civilians in random paths. The Walther WA2000 Sniper has now a silencer and can be used with much more convenience.
The game introduces the options of poisoning (both lethal and non-lethal) that became a trending pattern in the series. Another refinament is the circular inventory system, that is really helpful. The system for replaying the missions is pretty bad, however.
Balcony jumps make a return and are used all the time. Changes in remade missions are made because "47 remembers them differently", like the balcony next to Frantz Fuchs room being on the opposite side, but like with nanomachines, this is also used as an excuse for lazyness and oversights.
Graphics took a dive and character models look more square and are noticeably uglier than in previous installments. The Rotterdam strippers are the worst examples, coupled with an awful voice that is far inferior to the original - Sandy deserved better. The guns are really weird, painted in silver and looking like toys.
Lei Ling, remembered as Mei Ling (a nod to the Metal Gear series), is now reimagined as a younger woman, with a teenage voice - not my cup of tea - but is more responsive in-game, keeping up with you instead of presenting those boring escorting tasks. The bartender doesn't want to speak with you because 47 is feeling stomach pain due to his bullet wound, but this surely impoverishes the game's dialog as devs were cutting corners. They even forgot to translate Lee Hong and Tzun/Zhun in the restaurant - and 47 never says he needs to use the bathroom!
The cinematics blend in the chaotic police build-up around 47 with transitions to the different mission settings. The soundtrack is dark with great immersion. In one mission you go deep into a dominatrix party in Romania, with people dressed in leather partying amid a butchery. Maps are also big and you can get lost. One of the most iconic missions in this game is The Beldingford Manor, where you have two separated buildings, the stable and the manor (which has lots of secret passages). Not only that, being tasked to rescue the son of a millionaire following the plot of Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game, you have to do it with a dark, gloomy soundtrack, presenting some phantasmagoric laughter in the back.
Every Hitman has "THAT" mission, which is the Bjarkhov Bomb (aka "The obligatory Russian mission") in Contracts; that while impressive, with snow falling and multiple NPCs walking around in different outfits (including hazmat suits), is too big for its own good and has some annoying tweaks like the first target having to be poisoned in order to be garroted in the bathroom; but if you mistime it, he sits there for an outrageous long time, forcing you to restart - why not simply use regular poison? Another problem is the distance from the submarine to the plane, which can cause an alarm (which can cause two alarms in one because of course it did...). Bjarkhov also suffers from incredibly lazy writing, with the first target being one of the Fuchs brothers for no reason at all. The flag of Chechnya appears in evidence in the mission, so why not make the arms dealer a Chechen or any other sympathizer for that matter?
The game is short, with half its missions being remakes. The Colombian missions weren't remade, since players hated them so much. This was a wasted opportunity, since all missions are remembered at night and under constant raining. A jungle infiltration under the cover of darkness and rain would really fit in here.
There are some interesting easter eggs and nods to the player, like the opium pipe in the Meat King's party having Lee Hong's Red Dragon triad symbol. The haunted part of the Budapest hotel, or the hidden stuff in Hong Kong; but the best one is Dr. Ortmeyer's card in Lee Hong's office.
Aside from technical problems, the veteran player will mostly just ace every mission and beat the game in one day (like I did), but it is fun to keep testing the new ways Contracts presents. The final mission, Hunter and Hunted, does not deliver the promised showdown the cinematic was hinting at but the ending sure pumped me up for the development of the story. I really wanted to run to the tv and watch The Professional again!

There's really no reason to be downvoting this post. Let's take a note from Kev and be kind to each other. The downvote button is for low-effort or inappropriate posts. This post is neither of those things.
This is a pet project I've been thinking about and vaguely working on for ages, but I'm finally taking a few steps toward actually doing this. I've been obsessively mapping out the lay-out of the Quick Stop and RST in absurd detail (I'm going for really absurd detail -- down to the Batman 1989 Annual sitting on the counter of the Quick Stop, or the Amazon Iced Tea and lighter on the counter at RST).
Why am I doing this? Two reasons. #1 - Because the hunt is fun. Learning about the history of the Quick Stop and neighboring business and identifying as many small details as possible has just been fun in and of itself, without an end-goal. #2 - Because I think it would be really cool to make a digital recreation of the 1993 Quick Stop that you can explore as if you were killing a day with Dante and Randal. A video game without the gameplay, if you will.
I think I am planning on creating a 2D point-and-click style environment, though I'm still in the early stages of scanning for details and establishing the layout. I've been having a lot of fun doing this, and I figure this is the type of thing a team could have a lot of fun working on together and really make some cool progress, so I figured I'd see if anyone was interested! Any contributions could be helpful really -- from an artist who wants to help with the actual recreation, to anybody just interested in scanning the movie and identifying products/fixtures/etc, to anybody digging up information on the history of the business and surrounding businesses, to anyone with experience making video games or virtual environments.
Currently, there's really only one spot that is still a mystery -- the area behind the walk-in cooler, where the bathroom and security monitor must be. Using Google Earth, footage and photos I took when I visited in 2008, and shots from the movies, I determined that there is a small area between the back-door inside the walk-in cooler (which we catch a glimpse of in Clerks III) and the door in the back of the building (which I photographed when I visited). This must be where the bathroom is, and I assume this is also where the security monitor is that Randal turns off in the infamous "Pelican flying" deleted scene. Aside from that, there's only a few minor areas left mysterious -- most of the Northern wall of the walk-in cooler, the two rooms in RST (one is the porn room, the other must either be a bathroom or a closet), and the area behind the children's shelf in RST. That, and of course, the two neighboring businesses (however, I even have some leads on those as well -- including a relatively detailed description of the interiors at the tattoo parlor next to RST which opened in 1993).
I am considering options for how we can learn more about the backrooms of the Quick Stop and other mysterious details. I am planning another trip down there, and willing to pay the owners (or the clerk) $100 (or even $200) to just let me take a peek, or to even just send me some pictures. I was thinking of reaching out to the people who made Shooting Clerks to see if they know anything (they filmed on location, didn't they?). I'm also wondering if there's any official information on the location and it's history we can obtain from the local government.
Again -- this is just for fun. If you think this would be fun, lemme know and I'd be happy to share what I've got so far. I've got lots of little ideas for ways we could make interacting with or exploring the environment slightly more interesting than it sounds -- holes we're unable to fill with exact details could be filled with easter eggs and nods to the franchise (Mooby's wrappers in the trash, Flintstone's List or Mighty Ducks 9 at RST, etc). This could make for a really cool end-product, and I'd love to tackle Mooby's 2005 afterwards if this works out well.
Anyone interested, or just me and my weird brain? 😝

The quick point: the art designers making cosmetics would be done at the the same time as the the coders are coding, if they didn't make cosmetics it would only reduce the amount content added overall, you are all just mad that the only satisfying piece of the update is the performance pass.
With that being said, the long point. Despite this Season having the longest gap they didn't work on it for that long, the couple weeks after season 3 was spent on patches and the Christmas event, they then took a break till the new year, in which they probably started throwing around ideas for season 4, but they still were not working on it. They were doing holiday events, the new years ,anniversary, Easter, even Halloween, they were decorating the hubs, adding the new in game events, doing the cosmetics, plus they had the beta build for the anniversary ( and they were publishing but that had no effect on development on the game. When asked in dev streams up untill February they said they still didn't know what they were doing for season 4. It wasn't untill the anniversary stream did they release the road map, which at 3 to 4 months in was the latest roadmap yet (normaly within a month or two). My point being that season 4 was never going to live up to the 7 and a half months of time because it was maybe 5ish months of work. A side point is remember what they did to holiday events during this Season and add that to your season expectations. Point 2, their is a good amount of content, it's just not the in your face kind. We got 7 new enemies (+2 cut ones that could return) one of which is a new boss type event like the Korlock or BETC, and 2 that are now part of the normal pool that will continue to spice up all missions from now on, and the other 4 being a much needed bolstering to the rock pox, making it a worthy addition to the game. Rocket Boots, that alone are cool and add a new layer to traversal in some missions, but also adds a new mechanic "power up" which could be added onto in the future. A new little mini game (which I'm sure will get me killed hundreds of times) which was then added to the hub, for more hub based fun, a staple of each season. The new beer, which introduces a new layer to the game, randomised builds, which is fun for every teir of player, but is for the dwarf who have done everything. It has the potential to define people's experiencinces with the game, some player might love randomness and use it on all missions, others might use it for the extra challenge it provides, or just for a little fun with friends. The randomising you can do your self is a more controlled form and pairs well with the cosmetics randomiser. Then copy and paste loadouts, consdering that people have been begging for this for years their real quiet about ghost ship finally adding it. For the fashionista s (me included) they added sleavless armour for all the mrks and scale brigades, essentially adding six new armour to each dwarfs, also adding the opportunity for tattoos as a cosmetic options, and showing that they are capable of taking apart old cosmetics(which they should use for alot of headgears). Then weapon input buffers, I have no idea what that means but they did it. And while that weapon balancing don't his season was only on one weapon, they chose the exact right weapon that needed it and radically changed it's mods, I haven't used it but I have heard good things. And while that all the main headline stuff there is some gold hidden in the misc. "Fixed that drop pod would sometimes land inside walls","Rock pox wave now have a chance to spawn uring normal missions","sabotage missions now have mutators","tweaked the terrain generation around that caretaker, to improve veriaty and allow biome and cave generation to have a greater impact on the area.","the litho-equipment have a hologram above them". My point being having read all that you can't say their isn't enough content, I didn't even mention the profomance pass content, the issue is there isn't an equipment or map icon based addition.
Point 3, there isn't too little content, it's just not the right content. With a reminder that they spent the normal or less time on this Season, the volume and quality we have come to expect is there. It's just the areas of the game it has been put into has thrown people off, this Season will improve the game more than season 3 did, So why are people upset, because their isn't a icon on the map saying "new content over here!" Or anything to new to experiment with in the weapons terminal, and despite my tone so far, that was a mistake on their behalf, they should have known that this would happen if they didn't add either. But i don't blame them since seasons they have never not had both, season 1- game mode, primary weapons season 2- warning, secondary weapons season 3- warning, grenades season 4- n/a, rocket boots or the beer, both carry the spirit of equipment changing how you play the game, but neither carry experimentation so ultimately fail to hold the weight of the desire, this is where thay slipped up again, this I the worst weapon balancing since seasons, only one weapon was changed in a way that would warrant experimenting, so that part of the seasons, the part where you would try the new equipment or the change you faverate weapon got doesn't exist. Resulting in a very stale season to look falward to, plus with no new thing to try in mission or warning. That is the issue with this Season not cosmetics.
This leads me to my final point. Leave the cosmetictic out of this you morons, if I see one more person want less cosmetics next season I will break into their house and sleep under their bed but only when their not home. I cannot put into words the rage I feel when someone want to reduce the only guaranteed content we get each season, not to mention that making you dwarf look drippy as hell is the only incentive to play after getting all the overclocks. To ever one who complains about "having too much in cargo crates" has clearly never emptied it, I would crack steeves head on a mug like an egg and drink his blood to get a single thing in my cargo crates again, the best thing about the new weopons was that they added the new weapons old frameworks to the crate.
In conclusion, the cosmetics have nothing to do with the season being lack luster, you are just jealous that the only people happy with this Season are the people who value a good looking dwarf over anything else.

Foreword:

I've asked her to do this before with Guilty Gear characters and we all had a great time. So, I thought we'd do it again with HSR!
The process was simple: I showed her the character's splash art and 3D model, then asked for the character's name, rarity, and description. I wrote down her stream of consciousness as she dictated.
She has never played Star Rail and knows nothing about it. So, who better to explain the game?

Game Premise:

There's a train that needs to built in space. The first space train. A passion project. Needs to zip around space, like on a ring of Saturn. For bougie people. Maybe they'll make new tracks and connect em.
Space has a lot of problems, including monsters. They don't know what to expect. The people working on the tracks are like excellent fighters. They're almost like military slaves. That's the gist of the world. Something like that.

Saber (Arlan)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

His name is Ian, but his friends call him Saber because he lies about his name. His dog's name is Chachi. He's an orphan. Terrible childhood accident, and since he had no one, he had to join the military. Found Chachi on a mission. He's his only family, now. He's just looking for a place to settle down, but the military is preventing that. He's a bit broken. In the middle of his story, yknow. He's not finished.

Stella (Asta)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's smart, because she's in a lab coat, but she's stupid because she's in the military. She's a space navigator type person. Helps on the project of the train tracks. Sails the seas of the stars. She's good at nothing else, she just likes stars. Just really lacking everywhere else.
The type who would wake up without underwear and wouldn't know why. She's messy and lacking. She has no one at home. Maybe like, supportive parents, but that's it. Good relationship with them, but theyre galaxies away. Keeps to herself.
Trash waifu. If you like her, you're a basic bitch. 5 stars because shes basic bitch waifu bait. If I could give her 6, I would.

Alfengunshia (Bailu)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A native of one of the planets. Uh, planet like Earth, but it's not. It's 95% water. Her name is hard to pronounce, so people just call her Alf. Normal name is too long. She has no trauma, she's too young for that. Nothing has happened to her planet, yet (spoilers). Look out for that in the next patch, or maybe the next season or something. Something will happen to the planet Ulxia.
Lots of "ia's" on this planet (because the creators are uncreative). "ia" is to give homage to the planet, "Children of Ulxia", basically. A little tribal, a little cute, pure. Nothing wrong here. Pretty basic. Probably greets the main character and says "here have some fish", just being nice to the scary policeman because he's trying to ruin the planet with train tracks.
She's going to teach the younger generation about pollution and stuff. She'll get sick and it'll be the climax in a much later season. We'll be upset by her near death symptoms. Also, looks like her gills haven't come in, yet. The pollution is to blame.

Alixandre (Blade)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is going to be a bitch. He's one of the people opposed to the train tracks. They can't build through his property. He wants to be left alone. He's brooding, mourning, pushing people away, and doesn't want anyone building rails by his house.
It's been 5 yeas since he lost his wife. This is the most alive he's been ever since. He's an opposing force.

General Chief Deputy Yasmin (Bronya)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's trained, very skilled. A lil scary and abrasive. Actually soft on the inside and loves cute things like bunnies and cats and birds. No one sees that side of her because she's diligent and does her job. She owns a few fish.
I like her boots. IDK if they're one piece or two, and I like my women confusing.

Amelia (Clara)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story isn't so much about her, as much as it is about the dude next to her. She's 3 years old, lost in the farmer's market, her mom left her there. She's lookin for her mom, crying, doesn't know what to do. Doesn't realize she's been abandoned. Farmers are mad at her for crying and hanging around for 3 days. They're about to kick her out, but THIS homie boy, this fucker right here (whose name is Creed), this G, comes in and stops these people.
He steps in and takes over the situation. He's like woah they said she's been here 3 days. He takes her to McDonalds, Mickey D's, you know. They're at Mickey D's and asks "where's your mom, kid?" She's like, "Googoo gaga, I don't know." It has a lot of typos and garbos because she's a baby and can't type.
"Damn, she can't speak and she's 3 years old." He takes her in and cares for his mentally disabled child. It's sad because it's like Forrest Gump. I can't describe it. She's disabled in the like, clinical sense. He's teaching her about the world, she's just trying to experience life. He's doing a good job being a papa.
Amelia is 100% fixated on the train. She wants to learn about it, she always tries to sneak to the station, causing trouble. Creed keeps getting called and he's at his wits end. But he's patient. IDK how he does it.
Not important to the main story. The interesting thing about this game is that it's about the people. You get a glimpse into the lives of the planet natives. We don't care about how space trains work.

Erik/Eden (Dan Heng)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh my god. He's fucking breathtaking.
(Side note about the game lore). Interesting thing you may not have noticed, is that that there's an abundance of gold on this planet. They don't really have silver on this planet, so you'll see an abundance of gold on these characters. They just keep finding more gold.
He doesn't exist in this game. He actually exists in reality and we are now married. Goodbye, Andre.
Im sorry, just, what a pretty design. Sigh, I'm rejecting him for you. Just to show you I love you. This is a power move, remember how good you have it.
He's young, single, but a family man. He's the oldest sibling, taking care of the younger ones. Has a single mom. He's trying to take care of her. The problem is, some of the natives aren't on board with the train idea. He's from one of the towns that opposes the train.
Spoilers, in case you haven't gotten this far: Later, he learns they mean him no harm. Same with the whole town. He's a trained fighter who wants to protect his home. He gets off on the wrong foot with the train workers. He fights a bear with them and they clear up their misunderstanding. They start to see eachother as people and stop trying to kill each other. We're all just humans / whatever-the-fuck-ulxia-is.
IDK if he has friends. He probably does, just not any best friends. He's so devoted to his family, he doesn't have the time to nurture a friendship. He makes mistakes, but he's a good boy.
He's like, because I like him, a 2* character. (Me: because you're not a basic bitch?) Yeah, he's low tier and I have good taste.

????? (Fu Xuan)

Rarity: -----

Interesting character because, as we know, gods don't exist. She's a complicated hidden cosmos goddess. I can't explain the celestial realm to you, but she's the embodiment of some celestial bodies.
She acts a little nosy. Acts like she's holier than though, but she meddles with peoples' affairs. She's a narrator and wants people to know she was involved. It's unfair, she shouldn't be meddling.
They never show her name. Just ????. Maybe we'll find out later in the game. They'll suddenly change the ??? to a name out of nowhere and it will be disappointing.
Not a playable character. More like a mascot. She's the narrator, and (easter egg) she shows up in every scene of the game and in every promo.

Doug (Gepard)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Damn, everyone looks so god damn buff. Why can't there be scrawny ones who can't pick up a kitchen knife?
He's a little cringey. He's really loyal to a fault. He really really likes wolves/dogs/canines. He feels like theyre his spirit animal. He likes them because they're loyal. He has lots of pride, uhg. He does shit on his own.
Let me explain, he does shit on his own. Sometimes he makes mistakes. Like, he messes up but thinks his decisions are correct. He thinks he's on the side of law, on the side of truth. He has the declaration of independence on his side. He's very bland and stoic, and white (like morally speaking life is black/white.). He just says things that make you think, "what a dick". You hate seeing him, but you can't hate him because you know he's a good guy. But still you get upset.
In reality, he's a fan favorite; ranking at #2 on a weekly poll. I can't stand him, idk why people like him so much.

Nona (Herta)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beautifully tragic character. So, one look at this character and I know what you're thinking: "What a beautiful human girl?" And why? Why did you have to say "human girl?" Why couldn't you say "girl?" Well, that's because when you look at her, you notice, she's not a human. That's when it dawns on you: she's not a human.
I have to tell you, her name is Nona. Because she aint got no no na naay n- she's got no name okay. It's sad, who doesn't name her dolls?
This game doesn't always give you the answers. We're still in the middle of figuring her out. We know a little about her past, but we don't know her true past. We know she's been alive for 72 years and, in that time, she's had quite a love life.
This is one of those things you like to see in media, a tragic love story, and you wonder if they'll ever see each other again. You wonder if they'll be okay, and life will be as they wanted it.
So, her and Creed, were in a relationship years ago. I know; I gasped, too. She used to own an orphanage. Do you own orphanages or work at them? Wait, is it bad to own an orphanage? Do we want orphans or not? If you shut down orphanages, would there be less supply of orphans?
Anyway, that's when she met Creed. 10 years ago (8, rounding up). He was a prickly person, kind of a shithead, a thug. He tried to rob/murder the orphanage, but a fire happened and he was injured. She took him in and nurtured him and cared for him.
They fell in love and he stays with her. They get married and they have a life with their orphans.
It happens again. Years later, the orphanages burn down. He's in town when it happens, and when he comes back, it's gone. He runs into the orphanage and they're all dead. But none of this is in the game, to keep it PG.
He assumes she dies too but, the weird thing is, she had just left 5 minutes ago. She was just there thinking the orphans were dead, Creed was dead, it's all gone. So she leaves. And then Creed shows up and thinks she's dead.
They're both dumb. Creed's had a rough past. She eventually figures out she's the cause of the fire, and that Creed is still alive. We find out she's really valuable/important. Not to the game, but, to someone.
She's staying away from people to prevent hurting anyone else. Creed's been pushed away and he's travelling alone, mourning. Stumbles upon a child. I can't believe he's not important to the story. Maybe we can complain as fans and at least get a sprite for him into the game.
So yeah they're the OTP, and we're asking "what's up with nona?" Eventually they'll be together, and she'll raise Amelia like a daughter. It's nothing but up, for her.

Tristan (Himeko)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's a higher up in the military. She's kind of interesting because they took her out of retirement to come back. She's hella OP, hella experienced. They had to really really bug her to come back. She has two whole planets to her name. She's integral to the train project. There's more to it than just the trains. They had to take this legendary machine, so something's going on. We're not sure why she's here.
Everyone loves her and looks up to her. I look up to her. But that's why im like, woah, why is she here? The fans are like, woah why is she here? She treats everyone equally. She should be the goddess that's narrrating, and not ?????.

Ulma (Hook)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a confusing character. Not very confusing, but she's a long way from home. She's one of the Ulxians, water beasts. Like, only half. She has a family that loves her. But there are always inter-species hate. She's in a human town with adopted human parents. She hides her ulxian-side. She's loved to high hell and I wish her the best.
Her real parents died. Her ulxian mom died in childbirth and her human father took her to a town, and later died. The humans that took her in were friends of her father. Her backstory will be sad and traumatizing to her when she gets older.
The fans will love it. I recommend this game, honestly. I'm having a lot of fun.

Reggie (Jing Yuan)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

He kinda counteracts Doug. He's one of the train opposers. He's a bad guy from like a long time ago. All these people are like, a nation and they all go long back. An ancient galactic empire. They're from part of this place's military and were like generals. He and Doug butt heads. They don't really get along, but their personalities complement each other.
It's kinda joked about in the community, that they'd be best of friends. It's comedic that people ship them. But it's so obvious they would actually get along. They deny it in the game, but they actually give a shit about each other. They're like frenemies.
He's a little pompous, but you know his family line. You can can see what he can do. He's proved his worth, but it feels expected of his genetics.

Lorena (Kafka)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one's fun. This is Stella's older sister. She's pretty cool. She's high up and successful. She works in a private militia, well respected by the empire. Part of a secret sect of the empire, which spurs a lot of debate in the community.
Lorena is kind of cold. She's a lot more heartless, which makes you wonder what her parents did so wrong with her, and so right with Stella. She could probably kill some people, and probably has already. Everything she does is secret. I don't want to be in a room with her, ever. I don't want her to know my name. Goodness. Heebie Jeebies.

Lester (Luka)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Again, the interesting thing about this game is that sometimes it's not about the plot. It's about the people. He's a grungy, underground, fighter. Hes strong, and kicks peoples' ass for judging him a certain way. He thinks its faster than having a conversation. He's just tired of people and will kick your ass. Fan favorite. Very based. The guys want to be with him, the girls want to be him.
He's not that important, but you're always happy whenever he makes an appearance. He's fun. I like him.

Horaldo (Luocha)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Either people care for him, or they don't. But no one holds strong opinions on him. Weaker character, 4*. He's kinda like this other soldier. He's a bit broody. Does his job, but that's it. He's unfriendly, but polite. He's hasty. Just wants to get his job done, but it's hard to invite him to drinks.
Nobody really knows his story. But nobody really cares. The game messed up and made us not care, but you can tell they wanted him to be important.

May (March 7th)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's actually a friend to the main character. You start off with her. The best friend. You start in a flash back with her, going to the academy. They teach you the controls, there. Then it goes back to the present day. Silly timeskip. You can find memories across the game.
She's been with the MC a long time. They're still in the academy, kinda in the train station area for some kind of program.
IDK if we'll find the MC in this character lineup. But she's the best friend, pushes the kinda lazy MC to go do things like, get crepes, or a sundae on Sunday. No one can really complain about her.
She's a basic bitch waifu pick.

Mason (Natasha)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Interestingly, she's in town, the local botanist. Kind of the town doctor. This town don't have much people comin and going. It's like the boonies. She used to work for the militia. She's retired, taking care of her people. She knows about the train stuff; she denied their request for her to rejoin and help. She's happy where she is.
The game is young. People don't know why she's a 5*.

Kunilla (Pela)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another student of the academy. Idolizes Stella. She met her and now she thinks of her as a mentor. She self appoints her self as Stella's apprentice. She annoyingly brings up Stella in every conversation. Her obsession prevents people from wanting to get to know her. She's kind of a mean person, who only cares about Stella. She's even considering changing her name. A bit insane.
Garbage pick.

Annie (Qingque)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's slightly abrasive. Not as bad as Doug. She will apologize and is pretty nice. Owns up to her mistakes but is still a bit abrasive. A childhood friend of Eden. Like were friends as a kid, not much now. She knows his deal and is fine with it. She doesn't bug him. She lets people be themselves. Some people wish Eden was better friends with them, but she accepts it. They're a good pair. She's growing. She's trying, but awkward. I like her.

Dio (Sampo)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

How to start talking about him... This is Creed's younger, mental, brother. They don't really know each other. Dio is 10 years younger. They're related, but by the time they were to leave the house, Creed had already turned to robbing/pillaging. Like a stupid, innocent type of evil.
But Dio got some pretty bad abuse while Creed was gone. He's like an assassin, and is kinda scary. He goes toe-to-toe with Lorena on scariness. They've worked together but it's hard to tell what kind of relationship they have. Do they get along or do they hate each other? A fun character but has tons of red flags. You wanna look at him, but you don't wanna get to know him. He doesn't care about anything anymore, so is just having fun with life. It got dark and he kills people. Doesn't care what side he's on. Just does the fun thing. Taking whatever job.

Ursula (Seele)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

We're back at the academy. This is actually another childhood friend. The MC fell out of friendship with her at some point. She's an antagonist of sorts. She cares about what you have to say, but she's also a bully. She secretly tries to push you to be better, and she is a sort of nemesis. We don't really know her deal.

Tesla (Serval)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of Lester's groupies. She REALLY cool, okay? She knows she's cool and likes Lester. Who doesn't? She goes for what she wants, and she wants Lester. She acts like they're together and tells people to back off him. She's strong willed. 4 years older than Lester. You sorta give her a pass for the shit she does because of her confidence. An accomplished musician. She plays every part of her band. She's a musical genius. She is admired. She's really cool. People will gladly be stepped on by her.

June (Silver Wolf)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Twitch gamer, obviously. In the same district as Lester and Tesla. She frequents the arcade. Goes once a week to maintain her high scores. Goes monthly now because she's untouchable. She realizes she can make money doing basically anything. She starts vlogging and carries a camera everywhere with her.
People send her superchats and she just ignores them, but they still love it. She's got a huge fanbase but does nothing to deserve it besides being good at games. Doesn't interact with her fans in the slightest.
She was a 5, but got nerfed, and is now a 4.

Rachel (Sushang)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of Nona's old coworkers, back when they both worked at the orphanage. She was volunteering then moved to the big city for college. She's on her own adventure. She's new to the story, so we don't know much yet.

Julia (Tingyun)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's almost like a princess, for her tribe. The animal folk, they have their own dynasty. She's just a princess, idk. You don't see her much, but theyre there, you have to hear about them. But you don't know much. Boring.

Marcus (Welt)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Works in a detective agency. The agency's gimmick is that it's actually 3 detectives, disguised as one. 1 looks up the means, 1 looks up the motive, and 1 looks up whatever the third one is. They're not very quick outside their job. The 4th sort of acts like the assistant, but actually pieces together the information gathered by the other 3. That's his job. He's figured out how to use them to solve cases.

Cris (Yanqing)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Mulan story. A rich kid who entered training under false pretenses. She really wants to learn under a specific person who teaches at an all boys school. She's faking being a boy to get in. Keeps some guards around, cuz she's rich, but doesn't let them bother her at school. No one knows she's not a boy. Her dad is overprotective of her. She's a fun character. Crosses those boundaries. Real name is Crissie, goes by Cris at the school.

Monica (Yukong)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of the generals for the empire. She both works for the empire and is Julia's lead general. She was part of a personal militia for a country, but was given a pass by Julia to join the empire's military. She goes on missions and brings back souveniers. She's really nice and cares about who she's protecting. Knows all the kids in town. Knows a lot of locals. Outstanding member of her society.

Zephyr (Female Trailblazer)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the main project leader for the trains. She's taking care of the whole god damn thing. She's going to drive it. Her personal philosophy is that she won't drive any train she didn't help build. She fuckin loves trains. Dont come at her unless you love choo-choos.
She's smart, she's an engineer, great driving skills. Of course she was asked to be the first space train driver. It's great. Kudos to her. She's earned her place.
She has a train bed. And train sheets. Actually two train beds, because it needs a caboose. Has a little too many train books.

Foreword:

I've asked her to do this before with Guilty Gear characters and we all had a great time. So, I thought we'd do it again with HSR!
The process was simple: I showed her the character's splash art and 3D model, then asked for the character's name, rarity, and description. I wrote down her stream of consciousness as she dictated.
She has never played Star Rail and knows nothing about it. So, who better to explain the game?

Game Premise:

There's a train that needs to built in space. The first space train. A passion project. Needs to zip around space, like on a ring of Saturn. For bougie people. Maybe they'll make new tracks and connect em.
Space has a lot of problems, including monsters. They don't know what to expect. The people working on the tracks are like excellent fighters. They're almost like military slaves. That's the gist of the world. Something like that.

Saber (Arlan)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

His name is Ian, but his friends call him Saber because he lies about his name. His dog's name is Chachi. He's an orphan. Terrible childhood accident, and since he had no one, he had to join the military. Found Chachi on a mission. He's his only family, now. He's just looking for a place to settle down, but the military is preventing that. He's a bit broken. In the middle of his story, yknow. He's not finished.

Stella (Asta)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's smart, because she's in a lab coat, but she's stupid because she's in the military. She's a space navigator type person. Helps on the project of the train tracks. Sails the seas of the stars. She's good at nothing else, she just likes stars. Just really lacking everywhere else.
The type who would wake up without underwear and wouldn't know why. She's messy and lacking. She has no one at home. Maybe like, supportive parents, but that's it. Good relationship with them, but theyre galaxies away. Keeps to herself.
Trash waifu. If you like her, you're a basic bitch. 5 stars because shes basic bitch waifu bait. If I could give her 6, I would.

Alfengunshia (Bailu)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A native of one of the planets. Uh, planet like Earth, but it's not. It's 95% water. Her name is hard to pronounce, so people just call her Alf. Normal name is too long. She has no trauma, she's too young for that. Nothing has happened to her planet, yet (spoilers). Look out for that in the next patch, or maybe the next season or something. Something will happen to the planet Ulxia.
Lots of "ia's" on this planet (because the creators are uncreative). "ia" is to give homage to the planet, "Children of Ulxia", basically. A little tribal, a little cute, pure. Nothing wrong here. Pretty basic. Probably greets the main character and says "here have some fish", just being nice to the scary policeman because he's trying to ruin the planet with train tracks.
She's going to teach the younger generation about pollution and stuff. She'll get sick and it'll be the climax in a much later season. We'll be upset by her near death symptoms. Also, looks like her gills haven't come in, yet. The pollution is to blame.

Alixandre (Blade)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is going to be a bitch. He's one of the people opposed to the train tracks. They can't build through his property. He wants to be left alone. He's brooding, mourning, pushing people away, and doesn't want anyone building rails by his house.
It's been 5 yeas since he lost his wife. This is the most alive he's been ever since. He's an opposing force.

General Chief Deputy Yasmin (Bronya)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's trained, very skilled. A lil scary and abrasive. Actually soft on the inside and loves cute things like bunnies and cats and birds. No one sees that side of her because she's diligent and does her job. She owns a few fish.
I like her boots. IDK if they're one piece or two, and I like my women confusing.

Amelia (Clara)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story isn't so much about her, as much as it is about the dude next to her. She's 3 years old, lost in the farmer's market, her mom left her there. She's lookin for her mom, crying, doesn't know what to do. Doesn't realize she's been abandoned. Farmers are mad at her for crying and hanging around for 3 days. They're about to kick her out, but THIS homie boy, this fucker right here (whose name is Creed), this G, comes in and stops these people.
He steps in and takes over the situation. He's like woah they said she's been here 3 days. He takes her to McDonalds, Mickey D's, you know. They're at Mickey D's and asks "where's your mom, kid?" She's like, "Googoo gaga, I don't know." It has a lot of typos and garbos because she's a baby and can't type.
"Damn, she can't speak and she's 3 years old." He takes her in and cares for his mentally disabled child. It's sad because it's like Forrest Gump. I can't describe it. She's disabled in the like, clinical sense. He's teaching her about the world, she's just trying to experience life. He's doing a good job being a papa.
Amelia is 100% fixated on the train. She wants to learn about it, she always tries to sneak to the station, causing trouble. Creed keeps getting called and he's at his wits end. But he's patient. IDK how he does it.
Not important to the main story. The interesting thing about this game is that it's about the people. You get a glimpse into the lives of the planet natives. We don't care about how space trains work.

Erik/Eden (Dan Heng)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh my god. He's fucking breathtaking.
(Side note about the game lore). Interesting thing you may not have noticed, is that that there's an abundance of gold on this planet. They don't really have silver on this planet, so you'll see an abundance of gold on these characters. They just keep finding more gold.
He doesn't exist in this game. He actually exists in reality and we are now married. Goodbye, Andre.
Im sorry, just, what a pretty design. Sigh, I'm rejecting him for you. Just to show you I love you. This is a power move, remember how good you have it.
He's young, single, but a family man. He's the oldest sibling, taking care of the younger ones. Has a single mom. He's trying to take care of her. The problem is, some of the natives aren't on board with the train idea. He's from one of the towns that opposes the train.
Spoilers, in case you haven't gotten this far: Later, he learns they mean him no harm. Same with the whole town. He's a trained fighter who wants to protect his home. He gets off on the wrong foot with the train workers. He fights a bear with them and they clear up their misunderstanding. They start to see eachother as people and stop trying to kill each other. We're all just humans / whatever-the-fuck-ulxia-is.
IDK if he has friends. He probably does, just not any best friends. He's so devoted to his family, he doesn't have the time to nurture a friendship. He makes mistakes, but he's a good boy.
He's like, because I like him, a 2* character. (Me: because you're not a basic bitch?) Yeah, he's low tier and I have good taste.

????? (Fu Xuan)

Rarity: -----

Interesting character because, as we know, gods don't exist. She's a complicated hidden cosmos goddess. I can't explain the celestial realm to you, but she's the embodiment of some celestial bodies.
She acts a little nosy. Acts like she's holier than though, but she meddles with peoples' affairs. She's a narrator and wants people to know she was involved. It's unfair, she shouldn't be meddling.
They never show her name. Just ????. Maybe we'll find out later in the game. They'll suddenly change the ??? to a name out of nowhere and it will be disappointing.
Not a playable character. More like a mascot. She's the narrator, and (easter egg) she shows up in every scene of the game and in every promo.

Doug (Gepard)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Damn, everyone looks so god damn buff. Why can't there be scrawny ones who can't pick up a kitchen knife?
He's a little cringey. He's really loyal to a fault. He really really likes wolves/dogs/canines. He feels like theyre his spirit animal. He likes them because they're loyal. He has lots of pride, uhg. He does shit on his own.
Let me explain, he does shit on his own. Sometimes he makes mistakes. Like, he messes up but thinks his decisions are correct. He thinks he's on the side of law, on the side of truth. He has the declaration of independence on his side. He's very bland and stoic, and white (like morally speaking life is black/white.). He just says things that make you think, "what a dick". You hate seeing him, but you can't hate him because you know he's a good guy. But still you get upset.
In reality, he's a fan favorite; ranking at #2 on a weekly poll. I can't stand him, idk why people like him so much.

Nona (Herta)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beautifully tragic character. So, one look at this character and I know what you're thinking: "What a beautiful human girl?" And why? Why did you have to say "human girl?" Why couldn't you say "girl?" Well, that's because when you look at her, you notice, she's not a human. That's when it dawns on you: she's not a human.
I have to tell you, her name is Nona. Because she aint got no no na naay n- she's got no name okay. It's sad, who doesn't name her dolls?
This game doesn't always give you the answers. We're still in the middle of figuring her out. We know a little about her past, but we don't know her true past. We know she's been alive for 72 years and, in that time, she's had quite a love life.
This is one of those things you like to see in media, a tragic love story, and you wonder if they'll ever see each other again. You wonder if they'll be okay, and life will be as they wanted it.
So, her and Creed, were in a relationship years ago. I know; I gasped, too. She used to own an orphanage. Do you own orphanages or work at them? Wait, is it bad to own an orphanage? Do we want orphans or not? If you shut down orphanages, would there be less supply of orphans?
Anyway, that's when she met Creed. 10 years ago (8, rounding up). He was a prickly person, kind of a shithead, a thug. He tried to rob/murder the orphanage, but a fire happened and he was injured. She took him in and nurtured him and cared for him.
They fell in love and he stays with her. They get married and they have a life with their orphans.
It happens again. Years later, the orphanages burn down. He's in town when it happens, and when he comes back, it's gone. He runs into the orphanage and they're all dead. But none of this is in the game, to keep it PG.
He assumes she dies too but, the weird thing is, she had just left 5 minutes ago. She was just there thinking the orphans were dead, Creed was dead, it's all gone. So she leaves. And then Creed shows up and thinks she's dead.
They're both dumb. Creed's had a rough past. She eventually figures out she's the cause of the fire, and that Creed is still alive. We find out she's really valuable/important. Not to the game, but, to someone.
She's staying away from people to prevent hurting anyone else. Creed's been pushed away and he's travelling alone, mourning. Stumbles upon a child. I can't believe he's not important to the story. Maybe we can complain as fans and at least get a sprite for him into the game.
So yeah they're the OTP, and we're asking "what's up with nona?" Eventually they'll be together, and she'll raise Amelia like a daughter. It's nothing but up, for her.

Tristan (Himeko)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's a higher up in the military. She's kind of interesting because they took her out of retirement to come back. She's hella OP, hella experienced. They had to really really bug her to come back. She has two whole planets to her name. She's integral to the train project. There's more to it than just the trains. They had to take this legendary machine, so something's going on. We're not sure why she's here.
Everyone loves her and looks up to her. I look up to her. But that's why im like, woah, why is she here? The fans are like, woah why is she here? She treats everyone equally. She should be the goddess that's narrrating, and not ?????.

Ulma (Hook)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a confusing character. Not very confusing, but she's a long way from home. She's one of the Ulxians, water beasts. Like, only half. She has a family that loves her. But there are always inter-species hate. She's in a human town with adopted human parents. She hides her ulxian-side. She's loved to high hell and I wish her the best.
Her real parents died. Her ulxian mom died in childbirth and her human father took her to a town, and later died. The humans that took her in were friends of her father. Her backstory will be sad and traumatizing to her when she gets older.
The fans will love it. I recommend this game, honestly. I'm having a lot of fun.

Reggie (Jing Yuan)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

He kinda counteracts Doug. He's one of the train opposers. He's a bad guy from like a long time ago. All these people are like, a nation and they all go long back. An ancient galactic empire. They're from part of this place's military and were like generals. He and Doug butt heads. They don't really get along, but their personalities complement each other.
It's kinda joked about in the community, that they'd be best of friends. It's comedic that people ship them. But it's so obvious they would actually get along. They deny it in the game, but they actually give a shit about each other. They're like frenemies.
He's a little pompous, but you know his family line. You can can see what he can do. He's proved his worth, but it feels expected of his genetics.

Lorena (Kafka)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one's fun. This is Stella's older sister. She's pretty cool. She's high up and successful. She works in a private militia, well respected by the empire. Part of a secret sect of the empire, which spurs a lot of debate in the community.
Lorena is kind of cold. She's a lot more heartless, which makes you wonder what her parents did so wrong with her, and so right with Stella. She could probably kill some people, and probably has already. Everything she does is secret. I don't want to be in a room with her, ever. I don't want her to know my name. Goodness. Heebie Jeebies.

Lester (Luka)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Again, the interesting thing about this game is that sometimes it's not about the plot. It's about the people. He's a grungy, underground, fighter. Hes strong, and kicks peoples' ass for judging him a certain way. He thinks its faster than having a conversation. He's just tired of people and will kick your ass. Fan favorite. Very based. The guys want to be with him, the girls want to be him.
He's not that important, but you're always happy whenever he makes an appearance. He's fun. I like him.

Horaldo (Luocha)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Either people care for him, or they don't. But no one holds strong opinions on him. Weaker character, 4*. He's kinda like this other soldier. He's a bit broody. Does his job, but that's it. He's unfriendly, but polite. He's hasty. Just wants to get his job done, but it's hard to invite him to drinks.
Nobody really knows his story. But nobody really cares. The game messed up and made us not care, but you can tell they wanted him to be important.

May (March 7th)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's actually a friend to the main character. You start off with her. The best friend. You start in a flash back with her, going to the academy. They teach you the controls, there. Then it goes back to the present day. Silly timeskip. You can find memories across the game.
She's been with the MC a long time. They're still in the academy, kinda in the train station area for some kind of program.
IDK if we'll find the MC in this character lineup. But she's the best friend, pushes the kinda lazy MC to go do things like, get crepes, or a sundae on Sunday. No one can really complain about her.
She's a basic bitch waifu pick.

Mason (Natasha)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Interestingly, she's in town, the local botanist. Kind of the town doctor. This town don't have much people comin and going. It's like the boonies. She used to work for the militia. She's retired, taking care of her people. She knows about the train stuff; she denied their request for her to rejoin and help. She's happy where she is.
The game is young. People don't know why she's a 5*.

Kunilla (Pela)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another student of the academy. Idolizes Stella. She met her and now she thinks of her as a mentor. She self appoints her self as Stella's apprentice. She annoyingly brings up Stella in every conversation. Her obsession prevents people from wanting to get to know her. She's kind of a mean person, who only cares about Stella. She's even considering changing her name. A bit insane.
Garbage pick.

Annie (Qingque)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's slightly abrasive. Not as bad as Doug. She will apologize and is pretty nice. Owns up to her mistakes but is still a bit abrasive. A childhood friend of Eden. Like were friends as a kid, not much now. She knows his deal and is fine with it. She doesn't bug him. She lets people be themselves. Some people wish Eden was better friends with them, but she accepts it. They're a good pair. She's growing. She's trying, but awkward. I like her.

Dio (Sampo)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

How to start talking about him... This is Creed's younger, mental, brother. They don't really know each other. Dio is 10 years younger. They're related, but by the time they were to leave the house, Creed had already turned to robbing/pillaging. Like a stupid, innocent type of evil.
But Dio got some pretty bad abuse while Creed was gone. He's like an assassin, and is kinda scary. He goes toe-to-toe with Lorena on scariness. They've worked together but it's hard to tell what kind of relationship they have. Do they get along or do they hate each other? A fun character but has tons of red flags. You wanna look at him, but you don't wanna get to know him. He doesn't care about anything anymore, so is just having fun with life. It got dark and he kills people. Doesn't care what side he's on. Just does the fun thing. Taking whatever job.

Ursula (Seele)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

We're back at the academy. This is actually another childhood friend. The MC fell out of friendship with her at some point. She's an antagonist of sorts. She cares about what you have to say, but she's also a bully. She secretly tries to push you to be better, and she is a sort of nemesis. We don't really know her deal.

Tesla (Serval)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of Lester's groupies. She REALLY cool, okay? She knows she's cool and likes Lester. Who doesn't? She goes for what she wants, and she wants Lester. She acts like they're together and tells people to back off him. She's strong willed. 4 years older than Lester. You sorta give her a pass for the shit she does because of her confidence. An accomplished musician. She plays every part of her band. She's a musical genius. She is admired. She's really cool. People will gladly be stepped on by her.

June (Silver Wolf)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Twitch gamer, obviously. In the same district as Lester and Tesla. She frequents the arcade. Goes once a week to maintain her high scores. Goes monthly now because she's untouchable. She realizes she can make money doing basically anything. She starts vlogging and carries a camera everywhere with her.
People send her superchats and she just ignores them, but they still love it. She's got a huge fanbase but does nothing to deserve it besides being good at games. Doesn't interact with her fans in the slightest.
She was a 5, but got nerfed, and is now a 4.

Rachel (Sushang)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of Nona's old coworkers, back when they both worked at the orphanage. She was volunteering then moved to the big city for college. She's on her own adventure. She's new to the story, so we don't know much yet.

Julia (Tingyun)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She's almost like a princess, for her tribe. The animal folk, they have their own dynasty. She's just a princess, idk. You don't see her much, but theyre there, you have to hear about them. But you don't know much. Boring.

Marcus (Welt)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Works in a detective agency. The agency's gimmick is that it's actually 3 detectives, disguised as one. 1 looks up the means, 1 looks up the motive, and 1 looks up whatever the third one is. They're not very quick outside their job. The 4th sort of acts like the assistant, but actually pieces together the information gathered by the other 3. That's his job. He's figured out how to use them to solve cases.

Cris (Yanqing)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Mulan story. A rich kid who entered training under false pretenses. She really wants to learn under a specific person who teaches at an all boys school. She's faking being a boy to get in. Keeps some guards around, cuz she's rich, but doesn't let them bother her at school. No one knows she's not a boy. Her dad is overprotective of her. She's a fun character. Crosses those boundaries. Real name is Crissie, goes by Cris at the school.

Monica (Yukong)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of the generals for the empire. She both works for the empire and is Julia's lead general. She was part of a personal militia for a country, but was given a pass by Julia to join the empire's military. She goes on missions and brings back souveniers. She's really nice and cares about who she's protecting. Knows all the kids in town. Knows a lot of locals. Outstanding member of her society.

Zephyr (Female Trailblazer)

Rarity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the main project leader for the trains. She's taking care of the whole god damn thing. She's going to drive it. Her personal philosophy is that she won't drive any train she didn't help build. She fuckin loves trains. Dont come at her unless you love choo-choos.
She's smart, she's an engineer, great driving skills. Of course she was asked to be the first space train driver. It's great. Kudos to her. She's earned her place.
She has a train bed. And train sheets. Actually two train beds, because it needs a caboose. Has a little too many train books.

Summer is cancelled and Icewind Dale is screwed unless you can figure out what the hell is going on...

Hello, my friends! My name is Alex. I've run this campaign twice before and I'm pretty excited to see what kind of horrible wackiness we can get up to this time around! This will be an above average experience if I can help it and I hope to make tons of friends along the way! If you're into roleplaying, jokes, subversion of expectation, mystery, whimsy, or simply "clownin' around", if you like Dimension 20 or anything Brennan Lee Mulligan or Emily Axford does, or if you're looking for a D&D game with a mix of goofy, weird, stupid, and serious with a splash of storytelling pizzazz, then this is the game for you!!!I recognize that this is supposed to be an overall serious campaign, and it is, don't get me wrong! But I'm a pretty wacky guy and this game will lean less on the harsh atmosphere and more into the interconnected story threads, personal plots if they arise, and the fear that something more powerful than you could be hiding around any corner. Utilizing Foundry VTT, I've been able to enhance the adventure with musical themes and sound effects for most scenes, automation, and animations for tons of spells, quest tracking, and several leveled maps with dynamically changing walls, lighting, and 3d vision calculation!
Icewind Dale Player Commercial
Let me tell you a bit about myself, though...
I come from a writing, directing, and video production background and have been putting these skills to good use at my digital gaming table for over 3 years now. I'm hoping I can apply the skills I'm good at to provide an above average experience to new and experienced players alike. I love to get into character and on top of accents here and there, I have my video feed switch to show images of significant NPCs when possible, not to mention all the music I have picked out for each unique encounter. I spend time picking from backstories and integrating fun easter eggs/story content for each player.
Overall, I'm a goofy guy, looking to land a joke whenever possible, but I have a knack for narrative thread and always set out to weave an interesting tale.
"...The overall value on your end was worth it, 100%. You ran an engaging, entertaining game and I enjoyed being one of your players." - Previous Player
"...This has been one of the best roleplaying experiences I've had!" - Current Player
"...You are a great and creative DM. I appreciate the effort you put in." - Current Player
Read more reviews on my StartPlaying profile
To get a sense of my style, feel free to check out episodes of my previous Witchlight campaign where two of our players will be joining us from. The Wild Beyond Playlist

Game Details and Extras

• Open to players of all experience levels.
• I lean heavily on the concept of "yes, and..." I like to go with the flow of what you're putting down and tend not to "no, but..." unless it conflicts with existing world elements...
• I'll work with you outside (and inside) of the game to build a character that fits into the setting and story line. I like to spread bits of information out across players so they can roleplay to put them together.
• Character creation will be done on dndbeyond and you will have access to a vast majority of the sourcebook bundle to choose from, as far as races and classes go, for as long as you remain in the game.
• Previous games have been 60/40 roleplay/combat with the potential swings in either direction depending on the chapter, but the ending chapters do lean into combat much more.
• Although I'll be running the main essence of the module, I'll be adapting bits as necessary to help with story flow, mystery, and suspense, as well as incorporating character backstory here and there.
• We will be running the official Rime of the Frostmaiden module with all the included maps and artwork (that I've digitally enhanced), including a number of extra maps and NPC art I've collected or created personally. All of these with dynamic lighting effects and.
• A number of maps have been expanded utilizing Forgotten Adventures beautiful assets.
• Due to the voice and video content, our game will be played with voice and video through discord. Please have a decent microphone.
• We will be using Foundry VTT for play, but you will still create characters in dndbeyond to be imported over. Foundry has outdone Roll20 in my opinion and has a large number of modules to help with combat automation, attack animations, music, sound effects, lighting effects, time tracking, etc. Additionally, there are a number of per-user settings you can customize such as choosing your own on screen 3d dice, picking animations for the summoning of your various beast or familiars, turning down the music, etc
• I have collected a large number of sound effects, music, and ambiences that I incorporate into each scene. I like to hand pick songs to accompany each unique encounter, with variations depending on possible outcomes.
• I try to change my voice to imitate various monsters and NPCs and utilize imagery in my webcam for all significant characters who have art in the book.
• Foundry has the potential to be processor intensive and a decent computer is recommended, but there are settings that can be lowered to allow for some lower end machines.
• Sessions are streamed live on Twitch and then archived on YouTube.
• $15 per session.

How to Apply

Quick google form, post here, or DM me if you have questions.
Player Application

Summer is cancelled and Icewind Dale is screwed unless you can figure out what the hell is going on...

Hello, my friends! My name is Alex. I've run this campaign twice before and I'm pretty excited to see what kind of horrible wackiness we can get up to this time around! This will be an above average experience if I can help it and I hope to make tons of friends along the way! If you're into roleplaying, jokes, subversion of expectation, mystery, whimsy, or simply "clownin' around", if you like Dimension 20 or anything Brennan Lee Mulligan or Emily Axford does, or if you're looking for a D&D game with a mix of goofy, weird, stupid, and serious with a splash of storytelling pizzazz, then this is the game for you!!!I recognize that this is supposed to be an overall serious campaign, and it is, don't get me wrong! But I'm a pretty wacky guy and this game will lean less on the harsh atmosphere and more into the interconnected story threads, personal plots if they arise, and the fear that something more powerful than you could be hiding around any corner. Utilizing Foundry VTT, I've been able to enhance the adventure with musical themes and sound effects for most scenes, automation, and animations for tons of spells, quest tracking, and several leveled maps with dynamically changing walls, lighting, and 3d vision calculation!
Icewind Dale Player Commercial
Let me tell you a bit about myself, though...
I come from a writing, directing, and video production background and have been putting these skills to good use at my digital gaming table for over 3 years now. I'm hoping I can apply the skills I'm good at to provide an above average experience to new and experienced players alike. I love to get into character and on top of accents here and there, I have my video feed switch to show images of significant NPCs when possible, not to mention all the music I have picked out for each unique encounter. I spend time picking from backstories and integrating fun easter eggs/story content for each player.
Overall, I'm a goofy guy, looking to land a joke whenever possible, but I have a knack for narrative thread and always set out to weave an interesting tale.
"...The overall value on your end was worth it, 100%. You ran an engaging, entertaining game and I enjoyed being one of your players." - Previous Player
"...This has been one of the best roleplaying experiences I've had!" - Current Player
"...You are a great and creative DM. I appreciate the effort you put in." - Current Player
Read more reviews on my StartPlaying profile
To get a sense of my style, feel free to check out episodes of my previous Witchlight campaign where two of our players will be joining us from. The Wild Beyond Playlist

Game Details and Extras

• Open to players of all experience levels.
• I lean heavily on the concept of "yes, and..." I like to go with the flow of what you're putting down and tend not to "no, but..." unless it conflicts with existing world elements...
• I'll work with you outside (and inside) of the game to build a character that fits into the setting and story line. I like to spread bits of information out across players so they can roleplay to put them together.
• Character creation will be done on dndbeyond and you will have access to a vast majority of the sourcebook bundle to choose from, as far as races and classes go, for as long as you remain in the game.
• Previous games have been 60/40 roleplay/combat with the potential swings in either direction depending on the chapter, but the ending chapters do lean into combat much more.
• Although I'll be running the main essence of the module, I'll be adapting bits as necessary to help with story flow, mystery, and suspense, as well as incorporating character backstory here and there.
• We will be running the official Rime of the Frostmaiden module with all the included maps and artwork (that I've digitally enhanced), including a number of extra maps and NPC art I've collected or created personally. All of these with dynamic lighting effects and.
• A number of maps have been expanded utilizing Forgotten Adventures beautiful assets.
• Due to the voice and video content, our game will be played with voice and video through discord. Please have a decent microphone.
• We will be using Foundry VTT for play, but you will still create characters in dndbeyond to be imported over. Foundry has outdone Roll20 in my opinion and has a large number of modules to help with combat automation, attack animations, music, sound effects, lighting effects, time tracking, etc. Additionally, there are a number of per-user settings you can customize such as choosing your own on screen 3d dice, picking animations for the summoning of your various beast or familiars, turning down the music, etc
• I have collected a large number of sound effects, music, and ambiences that I incorporate into each scene. I like to hand pick songs to accompany each unique encounter, with variations depending on possible outcomes.
• I try to change my voice to imitate various monsters and NPCs and utilize imagery in my webcam for all significant characters who have art in the book.
• Foundry has the potential to be processor intensive and a decent computer is recommended, but there are settings that can be lowered to allow for some lower end machines.
• Sessions are streamed live on Twitch and then archived on YouTube.
• $15 per session.

How to Apply

Quick google form, post here, or DM me if you have questions.
Player Application

So I have played through CouncilRys RPG and absolutely love it (already on my third playthrough, aiming for at least 6). However, being the completionist that I am, just wondering if I have missed out anything.
Things I have found so far (spoilers below): 1. To get to the second boss, you have to place plushies in a particular order, but you can take them back after the puzzle is completed (and they do carry over into NG+) 2. All of CouncilRys have a weapon equipped by default, except for Sana who has a weapon and a Limiter equipped (again, they carry over into NG+) 3. The secret password at BaccaRat Casino is 1111 in reference to one of Bae's streams, with a bonus response to 6969
Things that still bug me: 1. There is a chest behind the counter, in the building where you fight to get back your concert tickets. The Brat says it has not been 'opened in over a year'. Is there any way to get to it? 2. There is a Brat in BaccaRat who asks for 100 Gold to kickstart his business. Does anything change if you decide to give him Gold or not? 3. Does anything different happen if Sana unequips her Limiter? Did not find anything different in my playthroughs (apart from a stat change) 4. The only buyable equipment I can find is at the Casino. Any other ways to get equipment? 5. The flower, the description says it does nothing. Does it truly do nothing? 6. Is there more than one ending?
Last random unrelated thing: When looking in the game folders, I noticed a bunch of unused assets. Highly doubt they are related to the game itself, but could have been used as references for making the art in this game.
Would appreciate if anyone has answers to these questions (or any other Easter Eggs I missed). Thank you!

Im currently planning to build a budget Pc mostly for 1080p gaming like valorant and GTA V and Nba 2k23. Do you guys recommend to change anything here or is this good enough?
CPU: Ryzen 7 5600g Gpu: 3060Ti Mobo: MSi B550M Pro - VDH PSU: Silverstone ST60F - ES230 600W RAM: Kingston 8GB DDR4 3200MHZ x2 Storage: Kingston 1TB NV2 Nvme ssd Monitor: AOC 24G2SR 165Hz
Edit: 16gb ram, not just 8 Edit 2: decided to go for the 5600g and pair it up with the 3060ti

Welcome to Paws and Claws, a PvE ARK cluster on PC!
We are a small, but active community looking for more players like you! So here’s the quick TLDR I know you’re wanting to know about before we get into the detailed stuff: https://discord.gg/JyTU4V2R
Overview:

• Beginner Friendly
• Maps: Fjordur, Gen 2, Ragnarok (With Primal Fear!) + Varying Rotating Servers
• Active Discord Server! (I'd recommend joining this to keep up with updates!)
• No Wipes!
• Active and Friendly Admins!
• Steam Only PC
• Admin sponsored events with prizing!

Rates
TamingHarvesting 5x
FarmingXP 5x
Egg Hatch 25x
Baby GrowthRate 25x
Other Stuff

• Loot Quality: 10
• Fishing Loot Quality: 10
• Max Wild Dino level: 150
• Tribe Tame Limit : Unlimited (We do however recommend that you ball up most of your dinos that are not in use to reduce server lag!)

Mod List

• Structure Plus (S+)
• Dino Storage v2
• HazeStacks
• Dino Tracker
• Awesome spyglass
• MarniiMods: Wildlife
• Extra QoL Items
• Peachy Decor
• Peachy Furniture
• Castles, Keeps, and Forts Remastered
• Peachy Vikings Decor
• TC Auto Rewards Vault v1.12.16
• (Other mods may be added by community vote or on rotating servers for various events!)

Short Rule List

• No harassment
• No PvP behavior (Insiding, dropping dinos in bases, drowning players, stealing items etc)
• Loot beacons are claimed by whoever landed first
• No cave/obelisk building or resource blocking
• Build out of render distance of other bases
• 1 Land Base - 1 Water base (Exceptions may be made but we’re aiming for longevity and avoiding server lag)
• No Littering (Pick up your taming traps please!)

Community
We are a laid back, active community that is also very active in the Discord! If you ever have any questions or concerns we’re there to help! And its a great place to ask for a little assistance when you’ve found yourself in a sticky situation. We have a variety of new and veteran players so wherever you fall on that scale, we’d love to have you! We also have two Conan Exiles servers as well if that interests you! We also have people playing a variety of other games as well if that interests you!
Maps
In our cluster we have two main maps, Fjordur and Gen 2. These maps do not wipe, and the only changes made to them are event based, or adding mods by community vote. We have a 3rd map that rotates every week, giving players a chance to do bosses and obtain tames not available on any of the ‘home’ servers. (Extended for tough maps like Extinction by community vote).
Our 4th server is set up with Primal Fear! Transfers are open so feel free to take dinos and items over but remember, Primal Fear dinos cannot be transferred to a non PF server.
Starter Packs
Starting on a new ARK server can be fun but the early game grind can really be a chore. If you’d like a little boost to get you started, we have a free starter pack in the TC Auto Rewards Vault! Just head on over to our Welcome Center and use the one located inside the doors. If you are unable to locate the welcome center you can teleport there with an Omni Tool! Just make one with 1 thatch. There are also other items in the community center you can take, graciously donated by other players on the map.
TC Auto Rewards Vault
One of the mods that we utilize is the TC Auto Rewards Vault. This allows us to give you a currency to purchase different items in the store! We have rotating dino packs with various dinos and one specifically for modded dinos (They can be tough or impossible to get on some servers). We also have hard to get items like honey and milk(mod)!You will receive 10 ARc for every 15 minutes of gameplay, along with 100 per week that trickles in daily.
Events
We host a whole slew of events like hide-and-seek, geocaching, various races and other unique challenges! These events come with prizing that can range anywhere from sets of breeding dinos to dino recolors, or element and other resources/items!
We also tend to run bosses together on the rotating maps and there is always someone providing armor and resources so you can join in on the fun even if you yourself aren’t prepared to run bosses yet!
We also rotate out events based on community interest such as the Easter event, Halloween etc. We know this doesn’t give all of the benefits of the event when its the wrong time of the year, however it does allow different dino colors to spawn! Giving a little variation to your tames.

You can now insert images as comments when you seek for in-game help in Megathreads! Check out this mod post HERE for more information.
​
Use this Megathread if you have general questions or need advice! e.g. asking for EX / Candy recommendation, gems usage, "Should I pull this banner?", "How do I build a team on this stage?", etc.
If you need team building help specifically for Champion Stadium, you may use the Champion Stadium Megathread to receive a quicker response.

Installing Pokémon Masters

Pokémon Masters is available worldwide except for Belgium and The Netherlands due to bans on loot boxes.
We will go over the two main platforms on installing the game, IOS and Android.
According to the official site, the game is most compatible in these devices:
iOS: 11 or higher / 64 bit / at least 2 GB of RAM
Android: OS 7.0 or higher / 64 bit / at least 2 GB of RAM
IOS:

1. Via Apple Store: HERE

Android

1. Via Google Play Store: HERE
2. Others

If the game is unavailable in your country or shows as not available for your device, you can download the APK directly from APKPure or QooApp.
You can also use VPN to download it from the application store, but it requires longer downloading time compared to the above recommended methods.
​

Reroll Guide

Reroll means that you make a new account and look at what you got from your scout. If you don't like your first few multi-pulls, you delete the account and create a new one again and so on until you are satisfied.
​
Why reroll?

• You're a new or returning player and you want to get your hands on meta Sync Pairs for easier clears.
• A favourite/meta Sync Pair has been released and you want to get him/her no matter what.

​
How to Reroll?
If you're an existing player, delete your local data or cache first. Otherwise, do not link your account to Nintendo. Doing so will bind your Pokémon Masters account to your Nintendo profile permanently and can no longer be removed.
As of now, if you progress up to the point when co-op mode is unlocked, you can get at least 21.000 gems, the equivalent of 7 multis, earning at least 231/400 scout points (33 scout points per multi scout), allowing you to scout at least 77 Sync Pairs. Completing the following checkpoints will let you receive gems as completion rewards:

Gems	Notable Rewards	Additional Notes*
Starting the game (Part 1)	Finish Champion Stadium: Kanto Challenge (Normal)
150	MC & Pikachu, Misty & Starmie, Brock & Onix	You can reuse the same Sync Pairs after each round.
Starting the game (Part 2)	Special Completion Rewards: Champion Stadium (Normal)
500	Egg (BulbasauCharmandeSquirtle). Clear 5 quests to hatch it.
Blue & Pidgeot Guaranteed Scout	Finish Champion Stadium: Victory Road
5000	Blue & Pidgeot, your first 5★ Sync Pair
Choosable 4★ Sync Pair	Pick anyone.
Finish Chapter 1 (Normal)	90	Rosa & Serperior
Finish Chapter 2 (Normal)	200	Barry & Empoleon. Professor Oak and Legendary Arena unlocked.
Finish Chapter 3 (Normal)	150
Finish Chapter 4 (Normal)	170	Erika & Vileplume
Finish Chapter 5 (Normal)	160	Skyla & Swanna
Finish Chapter 6 (Normal)	200	Korrina & Lucario
Finish Chapter 7 (Normal)	250	Norman & Slaking
Finish Chapter 8 (Normal)	170	Pryce & Seel
Finish Chapter 9 (Normal)	240	Iris & Haxorus
Finish Chapter 10 (Normal)	250	SS Brock & Tyranitar
Finish Interlude 1 (Normal)	60
Finish Chapter 1 (Hard)	100
Finish Chapter 2 (Hard)	200
Finish Chapter 3 (Hard)	100
Finish Chapter 4 (Hard)	200
Finish Chapter 5 (Hard)	100
Finish Chapter 6 (Hard)	200
Finish Chapter 7 (Hard)	300
Finish Chapter 8 (Hard)	200
Finish Chapter 9 (Hard)	300
Finish Chapter 10 (Hard)	300
Finish Interlude 1 (Hard)	100
EX Plaza: Special Training: Battle Techniques	60

These missions are completed progressively as you play the game, so they are not listed in numerical order.
These missions can be completed multiple times as the player reaches new checkpoints.

Checkpoint (Missions)	Notable Rewards per level
Mission 1: Log in to the game	10 Gems
Mission 21: Raise team strength	10 Gems
Mission 3: Obtain Pearl	10 Gems
Mission 4: Obtain Big Pearl	10 Gems
Mission 5: Obtain 1★ Level-Up Manual	10 Gems
Mission 6: Obtain 2★ Level-Up Manual	10 Gems
Mission 7: Obtain 3★ Level-Up Manual	10 Gems
Mission 62: Evolve a Pokemon	10 Gems
Mission 91: Obtain a Lucky Cookie	10 Gems
Mission 125: Raise your player rank	10 Gems
Mission 262: Have a number of interaction(s) in Trainer Lodge	100 Gems
Mission 263: Reach friendship level 100 with a number of guests	100 Gems
Mission 264: Reach a certain friendship level with any guest	100 Gems

These missions can only be completed once but give a high amount of gems.

Checkpoint (Missions)	Notable Rewards per level
Mission 82: Link to your Nintendo account	600 Gems
Mission 89: Participate in the Battle Villa	1000 Gems

​
If you are not satisfied with your pulls, click on the Poryphone at the right-bottom corner in the Pokémon Center -> Account -> Delete Save Data. Repeat the above steps until you pulled the Sync Pair you want.
Now that you're ready to go on an adventure, link your account through Poryphone Menu by tapping "Account", then "Link a Nintendo Account" to save your progress. After that, try to get any free Sync Pairs as you progress:

• Professor Oak & Mew: Complete his Sync Pair story and finish the bingo missions from Professor Oak & Mew Special Missions.
• Rosa & Serperior: Complete all bingo missions from "Rise to 6★ EX wtih Rosa!" and upgrade her to 6★ EX.
• Legendary Event Sync Pairs: Obtainable via Legendary Adventures. Reach the end of story to obtain the legendary Sync Pair, character-exclusive 5★ promotion tickets and event vouchers. Try to upgrade them to 5/5 20/20 as soon as possible and invest in their Sync Grids; they will be valuable assets for content clearing. Do note that exclusive materials such as Champion Spirit and Sync Grid expansion for these Sync Pair are only obtainable in event reruns, and hence event-limited.

​

EX Gear Type Chart

Note that these co-op stages only drop 2★ Gear as the highest rarity for their corresponding Gear Type. 3★ Gear is restricted to Type Gear Events and Pokémon Masters Day every month, and they can be exchanged in the time-limited event shop and in the General tab for 3★ gear material co-op stage drops.

Stage	Gear Type
EX Brock	Grass/Steel/Rock
EX Misty	Flying/Fairy/Steel
EX Barry	Grass/Dragon/Water
EX Flannery	Bug/WateGhost
EX Erika	Fire/Poison/Ground
EX Skyla	Rock/Normal/Flying
EX Korrina	Fire/Fighting/Psychic
EX Pryce	Electric/Ice/Bug
EX Marshal	Psychic/Dark/Ice
EX Hau	Ground/Electric/Fairy
EX Clair	Dragon/Dark/Fighting
EX Janine	Poison/Normal/Ghost

​

In-Game FAQ

1. When is anniversary coming?
​

Half-year	28 February 6AM UTC
Full-year	28 August 6AM UTC

2 Why hasn't my Pokemon evolved? It's at Level [X]!
Evolution requires an evolution item available in the Training Area (Evolution Material Area). Upon earning the Evolution Materials, you need to go to the Sync Pair Stories to trigger the Evolution Story.
3. Should I save to do 11 multi-scouts instead of single scouts?
You can now get x11 units instead of 10, so yes, but we strongly recommend you to save gems for Poké Fair or Master Fair banners (which has a higher rate for 5★ characters).
4. How many gems are required to receive a Sync Pair of my choice?
36.600 non-paid gems (or 36.300 gems + 100 paid gems for a daily single pull), which is the equivalent of 400 scout points. Scout points do not carry over between banners.
5. What does [X]/5, [Y]/20, etc mean?
When you obtain a Sync Pair, they're at 1/5 Sync Move level. Rolling a dupe of that Sync Pair, or using a Move Candy will increase it by 1 level. 3/5 is the minimum for most sync pairs to complete their Sync Grid, but some Poké Fairs have grid expansions that require their Sync Move to be completely maxed out at 5/5 for their full Sync Grid.
At the same time, Sync Pairs are at 0/20 Potential when they're just obtained. Giving Sync Pairs Powerups will raise their Potential and stats. When a Sync Pair is given 20 powerups, their star level will be increased. Getting a unit to 5★ 20/20 is mandatory for it to further upgrade to 6★ EX (if it has one).
6. How do I Unlock The Level cap of my units?
Training Area (Cap Unlock Area), (Cap Unlock Area 2), Exchange in the shop, Events.
7. Where do I get the manuals to level up my sync pairs?
Training Area (Level up Area), Exchange in the shop, Events, random drops in Trainer Lodge.
8. How do I get Sync orbs?
Training Area (Sync orb Area), Exchange in the shop, Events, Champion Stadium Master Mode (6K & 7.5K), random drops in Trainer Lodge.
9. What are Theme Skill and how do I get items to power them up?
Theme Skill is a new ability that raises the stats of your Sync Pairs if any of them has a common position, type, region, trainer group, or other features with another pair (or pairs) in the same team. Skill Spheres, which can be obtained in Theme Skill area and Champion Stadium Master Mode, are required to upgrade them.
10. What Lucky Skill should I roll for [X]? How do I get Lucky Cookies and Scrolls to unlock a Sync Pair's Lucky Skill?
Refer to Sync Grid Builds & Lucky Skills (by u/MomoSpark) for more details.
In general, the choices of Lucky Skills follow the roles of Sync Pairs:

• Striker: Critical Strike 2 (3★ Crunchy, RECOMMENDED)
• Support: Vigilance (3★ Creamy), unless the Sync Pair already has Vigilance in his/her kit
• Tech:
  • Refer to Striker if the Sync Pair's kit is Striker-based (e.g. Marnie & Morpeko, May & Swampert, P Serena & Whimsicott, etc.)
  • Refer to Support if the Sync Pair's kit is a tanker and/or a healer (e.g. Prof Oak & Mew, SS Leaf & Venusaur, etc.)

There are exceptions to some Sync Pairs. For example,

• Iris & Haxorous favours Lessen Confusion 9 (2★ Crispy) to increase DPS under confusion with Confusion Boon 5 in grid.
• Serena & Delphox and most other sleep-inducing units favour Troublemaker 1 (3★ Crunchy) to increase the accuracy of sleep-inducing status moves.
• Zinnia & Rayquaza can go for either Dauntless (3★ Creamy) to mitigate SP ATK debuffs after each use of Draco Meteor, or Weather Surge 3 (3★ Deluxe) to stack with her weather-based multipliers.

Lucky Cookies and Lucky Scrolls can all be obtained in Battle Villa (Single Player & Co-op), Blissful Bonanza, and Legendary Gauntlet. Legendary Gauntlet can provide unlimited 3★ Lucky Cookies as well as Deluxe Cookies exclusive to that mode after each successful stage clear, and their drop chance increases with longer win streaks.
11. What are the Sync Move effects of 6★ EX Sync Pairs of different roles? Who should I promote to 6★ EX first?
Each role gives different effects to Sync Moves when upgraded to 6★ EX.

• Striker: Sync Move becomes AoE. (Its power is not reduced against multiple targets.)
• Support: Sync Move raises sync buff by +2 instead of +1 when it is used for the first time. (Each sync buff raises damage output by 50%.)
• Tech: Sync Move power x1.5

Support is usually prioritized for promotion to 6★ EX because its EX effect effectively doubles the damage of all allied sync pairs after first sync and is more widely applicable across most game modes, and the increased stats from raising the support's Potential greatly enhances its bulk to tank stages.
For Strikers, if their kit has a very high DPS (e.g. SS Red & Charizard, Diantha & Gardevoir, etc.), or includes a powerful Sync multiplier (e.g. Steven & Metagross's Haymaker, Barry & Empoleon's Inertia, etc.), you are highly recommended to upgrade them to 6★ EX to apply the damage to all opponents. This applies to Tech, but only if the unit is a Sync nuker (e.g. Marnie & Morpeko, May & Swampert, etc.).
Promoting Support-type units to 6★ EX is not a must, but it's always an added bonus, especially if their Sync Move can provide any additional effects via passive or grid skills.
Always remember to upgrade Rosa to 6★ EX because the materials are obtainable for free.
12. Which Sync Pair should I use my candy on?
Refer to Which Sync Pair Should You Give Your Candy To? (Infographic) (by u/MuddyDummy) for more details.
Always save your candies unless the Sync Pair is exclusive to Seasonals, Poké Fairs or Master Fairs. Most Sync Pairs are usable at 1/5. You can always "accidentally" pull the unit you've been looking for from the normal pool, but you never know when limited Sync Pairs will rerun again. This may not apply to Sync Pairs that are your favorite.
​

Common Technical Questions/Errors

Below lists all common technical errors you may encounter during the game, as well as how you can fix it. You are strongly encouraged to contact DeNA with any problems at [[email protected]](/) if any of these advice do not help.

1. Error 20103 — Please check your connection and try again: Usually caused due to lack of connection or sudden disconnection. Try playing the game in a place with more stable connection.
2. Error 10102 — An error has occurred. Restarting the game: This error is often triggered because it detects your phone is rooted, or that you are using external applications which allows opening multiple accounts on the same device. For rooted phone users, make sure you hide your rooted status.
3. Game crashed mid-battle: Restart the app and clear your cache. This option is available in the bottom-left corner of the title screen.
4. Does Pokémon Masters work on emulators? No. As of now, PM is not compatible with any of the emulators (including Bluestacks, Nox, etc.) However, playing two accounts on the same device is possible on Android by cloning with Island.

​

Tools

• Events Countdown Timer (created by u/antocs, updated by Thunder#4694)
• Sync Grid Helper (u/endurance12916)
• Sync Grid Planner (u/stdk12)

​

Guides

• A Beginner’s Guide for Building Teams and Training Pokémon (u/Stitch426)
• Pokémon Masters: Tier List & Resources (PokemonMasters Guide Writer Team, Gamepress)
• Pokémon Masters EX: Datamine Analysis (PokemonMasters Guide Writer Team)
• Sync Grid Builds & Lucky Skills (u/MomoSpark)
• Eggmon Compendium (u/Zinfogel)
• Pokémon Masters Damage Formula (u/stdk12)
• More guides can be found HERE.

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Reminders

• To receive quicker response from other fellow users, it is strongly recommended to enlist your roster, Lucky Skills, Sync Grid builds and other information deemed necessary, such that you can be provided a strategic team with higher chance of success when battling.
• If you would like to provide images and videos, you may use external websites such as Imgur, Gyazo and Streamable to embed links.
• Do not force your own playstyle onto others as it is completely subjective. Different kinds of players, veterans and novices, casual and hardcore, may all share different opinions and playstyles. It is fine to give suggestions, but forcing your ideas and way of playing onto others is not something to be condoned here. No one's way of playing is completely right.

Death Stranding plays in the past(1) oand future(3) in a Timehideout 3=1=2
Babys (parents) born in the past can savely build a Commuinty who is immune to timetravel paradoxes. like vanishing from existence
As long as the people who managed to build the timemachine and used it are in controll of the merged TImeline (Future=Past=!
When you dont know who build the timemachine and when and where
you cant fuck up his her plan.
Even if you managed to accuire a timetraveldevice the only thing you can do is search in every year since the existence of earth. (in order to hold control over the TIMELINE i would advice people i trust to build one in my timehideout.
Because iam a sick bastard i would travel to the first day of existence to maximice the possibilty to hold all timelines Together because i traveld from the future to the past the possibilty is high that i make myself vanish from existence if i play god.
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To minimice that possibilty i need people who can deliver!
People who understand that even one wrong word could change everything
Donna Burke - Sins of the Father [lyrics] - YouTube
Rick and Morty Snake time travel ft time travel police - YouTube
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Butterfly effect - Wikipedia
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So i managed to travel back in Time I have an army of trusted people some people talked i vanished from existence my community fell apart because i was only one men from the future...NO I would never make that mistake but you did!
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On what side iam? What is my goal?
Its hard to explain
I am a big (gaming) Metal Gear fan thats why i Kidnapped Kojima because i dont want you to miss out on this great titles i managed to make a (brainwashed doppelgänger) Call him Kojima 2! who still works at Konami!
I also kidnapped many other people from the MGS Timeline and for everyone vanishing we made a person who will take there place
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Timetravel1 I even saved every Person ever born in the moment close to there death we snatched them away (we trasported there mind in new bodies ) to leave no traces of our involvment we where bringing fake doppelgängers in that timeline where the people are close to there death.
Timetravel2 Then we asked them how old do you wanna be and snatch them away at that age again :)
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leaving behind a new form of Metal Gear without gears
I Am Alive (Rick and Morty Remix) - YouTube
I want to save you all in the future we will be on so many diffrent planets and you all deserve to life!
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I hope you are not mad about stuff like episode 51
or everythign else that happend will happen in the timewars.
Maybe Kojima and other developers will make more Games about all that happend in the meantime enjoy what you are reading here.
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Sorry English is not my native language sry for mistakes.
If you have questions feel free to ask
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1. 1964: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (first time we here about time paradoxes + The Sorrow)
2. 1970: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
3. 1974: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
4. 1975: Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
5. SURVIVE (Timetravel) P.T

https://preview.redd.it/ojaboecrc44b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=309280c91855057ba22eb87720ea578ebf2fcf8e

1. 1984: Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
2. 1995: Metal Gear
3. 1999: Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
4. 2005: Metal Gear Solid
5. 2007 - 2009: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
6. 2014: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
7. 2016 - 2018: Metal Gear Rising: Revengance

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Metal gear solid Delta i need some samples for future weapons.
We also need to make sure nobody fucks up our future mankinds future!
For those who are ready to know more we will leave traces
Use your time and learn more about our beautiful worlds we have created trough art
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The only thing that gives me Joy is learning stuff about our World.
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https://youtu.be/pTA0DSfrGZ0
Can you take me now?
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Rick and Morty Soundtrack - Evil Morty's Theme (Quality Extended) [For the Damaged Coda] - YouTube
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https://preview.redd.it/s4kw0koqh44b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=a829b9a7e3c4d082c7d0a5a3fb9fe77952c08ea0
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https://preview.redd.it/f3pe4u9hi44b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=0cc95555058dd49153c4a38800224f85f86b212f
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future past present in one
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Preserving my timeline could mean iam the enemy :( in your time.
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https://preview.redd.it/2eu4jhl3va4b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f060eafcc3d299d7b9c49b3e7476da10e37155ca
Olga Gurlukovich gave birth to Sunny at a hospital run by the Patriots, who immediately took the child from her. Her only contact with the baby from then on was a monthly photograph, sent by the Patriots. They later injected Sunny with life-monitoring nanomachines designed to end her life should a listed operative fail or die during their mission. The Patriots used this to force Olga to assist Raiden during the Big Shell Incident. If Raiden died during the incident, then Sunny would have been killed by her nanomachines. Olga eventually gave her life to protect Raiden, and the child whom she never got to raise. After Raiden accomplished his mission, Solid Snake decided to rescue Sunny himself, telling Raiden to stay put and that keeping himself alive would ensure the child's safety.
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Creepy Easter Egg inside helicopter MGSV The Phantom Pain (kind of spoiler) - YouTube
Creepy Easter Egg inside helicopter MGSV The Phantom Pain (kind of spoiler) - YouTube
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https://preview.redd.it/szw22dohwa4b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=15406344f886aff5e97f9bc5c4eeb1ff50c10486
Spy "Face Off" Clip [HD] 20th Century FOX - YouTube
Anchorman (5/7) Best Movie Quote - Prank Phone Calls (2004) - YouTube
MGS2 - All Crazy A.I Colonel Codec Calls - YouTube
P.T. (Silent Hills) - The Phone Call - YouTube
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The Naked Gun -
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The Naked Gun -
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The Naked Gun
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https://preview.redd.it/r2rna24i2b4b1.jpg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=678bc579ace1c5b11fee24d89c845f22bf111b6c
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https://preview.redd.it/9cqz5mte3b4b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c78ffea085a7de992712c279de05b8eb9ebc8c2
Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers (Lyrics) - YouTube
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Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - Announcement Trailer PS5 Games - YouTube
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - Announcement Trailer PS5 Games - YouTube
Why Konami Pushed Hideo Kojima Out of The Company - YouTube
Rick and Morty Rattlestar Ricklactica - Time travel scenes in order - YouTube
Time Loops are Impossible - YouTube
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https://preview.redd.it/gumvjr945b4b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=60229be28b6218e93d400a501267f0a549f9f7c1
Death Stranding - Launch Trailer PS4 - YouTube
Death Stranding - Launch Trailer PS4 - YouTube
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https://preview.redd.it/mzpxa4or5b4b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=ce1a2af7217e3fa413f6ae3b6e249cfce84b62fa
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https://preview.redd.it/ej2fcf126b4b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=8b3b79482998cb186022c44e1765fd2eadcdf8a1
Animadrop - Escaping The Timeloop - YouTube
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Welcome to Paws and Claws, a PvE ARK cluster on PC!
We are a small, but active community looking for more players like you! So here’s the quick TLDR I know you’re wanting to know about before we get into the detailed stuff: https://discord.gg/JyTU4V2R
Overview:

• Beginner Friendly
• Maps: Fjordur, Gen 2, Ragnarok (With Primal Fear!) + Varying Rotating Servers
• Active Discord Server! (I'd recommend joining this to keep up with updates!)
• No Wipes!
• Active and Friendly Admins!
• Steam Only PC
• Admin sponsored events with prizing!

Rates
TamingHarvesting 5x
FarmingXP 5x
Egg Hatch 25x
Baby GrowthRate 25x
Other Stuff

• Loot Quality: 10
• Fishing Loot Quality: 10
• Max Wild Dino level: 150
• Tribe Tame Limit : Unlimited (We do however recommend that you ball up most of your dinos that are not in use to reduce server lag!)

Mod List

• Structure Plus (S+)
• Dino Storage v2
• HazeStacks
• Dino Tracker
• Awesome spyglass
• MarniiMods: Wildlife
• Extra QoL Items
• Peachy Decor
• Peachy Furniture
• Castles, Keeps, and Forts Remastered
• Peachy Vikings Decor
• TC Auto Rewards Vault v1.12.16
• (Other mods may be added by community vote or on rotating servers for various events!)

Short Rule List

• No harassment
• No PvP behavior (Insiding, dropping dinos in bases, drowning players, stealing items etc)
• Loot beacons are claimed by whoever landed first
• No cave/obelisk building or resource blocking
• Build out of render distance of other bases
• 1 Land Base - 1 Water base (Exceptions may be made but we’re aiming for longevity and avoiding server lag)
• No Littering (Pick up your taming traps please!)

Community
We are a laid back, active community that is also very active in the Discord! If you ever have any questions or concerns we’re there to help! And its a great place to ask for a little assistance when you’ve found yourself in a sticky situation. We have a variety of new and veteran players so wherever you fall on that scale, we’d love to have you! We also have two Conan Exiles servers as well if that interests you! We also have people playing a variety of other games as well if that interests you!
Maps
In our cluster we have two main maps, Fjordur and Gen 2. These maps do not wipe, and the only changes made to them are event based, or adding mods by community vote. We have a 3rd map that rotates every week, giving players a chance to do bosses and obtain tames not available on any of the ‘home’ servers. (Extended for tough maps like Extinction by community vote).
Our 4th server is set up with Primal Fear! Transfers are open so feel free to take dinos and items over but remember, Primal Fear dinos cannot be transferred to a non PF server.
Starter Packs
Starting on a new ARK server can be fun but the early game grind can really be a chore. If you’d like a little boost to get you started, we have a free starter pack in the TC Auto Rewards Vault! Just head on over to our Welcome Center and use the one located inside the doors. If you are unable to locate the welcome center you can teleport there with an Omni Tool! Just make one with 1 thatch. There are also other items in the community center you can take, graciously donated by other players on the map.
TC Auto Rewards Vault
One of the mods that we utilize is the TC Auto Rewards Vault. This allows us to give you a currency to purchase different items in the store! We have rotating dino packs with various dinos and one specifically for modded dinos (They can be tough or impossible to get on some servers). We also have hard to get items like honey and milk(mod)!You will receive 10 ARc for every 15 minutes of gameplay, along with 100 per week that trickles in daily.
Events
We host a whole slew of events like hide-and-seek, geocaching, various races and other unique challenges! These events come with prizing that can range anywhere from sets of breeding dinos to dino recolors, or element and other resources/items!
We also tend to run bosses together on the rotating maps and there is always someone providing armor and resources so you can join in on the fun even if you yourself aren’t prepared to run bosses yet!
We also rotate out events based on community interest such as the Easter event, Halloween etc. We know this doesn’t give all of the benefits of the event when its the wrong time of the year, however it does allow different dino colors to spawn! Giving a little variation to your tames.

The rubber cap of the joysticks can spin around freely and it is really annoying and makes the controller feel really cheap. I am pretty sure it is an official one as the build quality is great aside from that and the easter egg right under the right joystick is there.
I might order replacement caps but I just wanted to check if anyone has this issue as well. I googled it and tried to phrase it in many ways and not a single person talked about this. It works fine but it makes me mess up stuff like moving quickly
Ps: it's fixed now, I used superglue to put the caps onto the joystick as they had zero adhesive or anything to hold them in place.

I watched the Spider-Man Across The Spider-verse and in as much as they’re many Easter eggs hidden I think a lot of people might not notice this one. In the first movie where Miles wanted to jump off a much taller building when he just got his powers, he got scared and ran down the stairs. In the second movie Miles’ dad wanted to jump into one of Spot’s portal then got scared and ran down a stairs too. This two scenes happened the exact same time in both movie’s run-time (33:20 or so) and I think it’s pretty cool

I watched the Spider-Man Across The Spider-verse and in as much as they’re many Easter eggs hidden I think a lot of people might not notice this one. In the first movie where Miles wanted to jump off a much taller building when he just got his powers, he got scared and ran down the stairs. In the second movie Miles’ dad wanted to jump into one of Spot’s portal then got scared and ran down a stairs too. This two scenes happened the exact same time in both movie’s run-time (33:20 or so) and I think it’s pretty cool

come up with a 13+ roblox game called "Old Fashion MURDER" and it would also be filled with humor
6/4/2023, 10:10:35 AM
Sure, I can help you with that! Here's a brief overview of what the game "Old Fashion MURDER" could look like:
The premise of the game is that players are transported back in time to a murder mystery party set in the 1920s. Each player takes on the role of a unique character, such as a wealthy heiress, a bumbling detective, or a grizzled mobster.
The game would be played in rounds, with a certain number of players randomly selected at the beginning of each round to play the part of the murderer. The rest of the players must work together to solve the mystery and identify the killer before they strike again.
Throughout the game, there would be plenty of opportunities for humor and lighthearted fun. For example, players could collect silly hats and accessories to wear during the party, or stumble upon hidden rooms filled with goofy gags and pranks.
To add to the comedic elements, players could also have access to various gadgets and tools that could aid them in their investigations. These might include things like oversized magnifying glasses, comically large keys, or even a monocle that provides ridiculous commentary on the events of the game.
Overall, "Old Fashion MURDER" would be a great way to combine the excitement of a murder mystery with the humor and charm of a classic comedy.
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6/4/2023, 10:13:26 AM
so what i was going for is there are 5 chapters and the 1st chapter basically introduces the players to what is going on and the main characters: norman and allissa. they are both cube-like things that evolve into major friends and helpers for the players. every other character is also a cube. also norman would die in the 4th chapter... yep...
6/4/2023, 10:13:39 AM
I see, sounds like an interesting concept for a story or game. So the first chapter serves as an introduction to the world and characters, with Norman and Allissa being the primary focus. As cube-like beings, they evolve throughout the story and become important allies for the players.
It's also intriguing that all the characters in this world are cubes, which could make for some unique visual designs and gameplay mechanics.
And it seems that Norman's eventual death in the fourth chapter will be a significant turning point in the story, leading to new challenges for the players and potentially affecting their relationships with other characters.
Overall, it sounds like you have a solid foundation for a narrative-driven game or story, with interesting characters and a unique setting.
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6/4/2023, 10:15:08 AM
i feel like it would be funny if the first chase monster is incredibly slow and the allissa and norman just did a very sarcastic scream and just slowly walked away.
6/4/2023, 10:15:19 AM
That could definitely add some humor to the story! Having a slow chase monster that the characters can easily outrun would create a comedic moment, especially if Norman and Allissa react in a sarcastic manner as you suggested.
It could also serve as a way to introduce the player to the game mechanics without immediately overwhelming them with high-stakes challenges. By starting with a slower and less intimidating monster, players can learn how to navigate the game world and control their characters before facing more difficult obstacles later on.
Overall, incorporating humor into the game can be a great way to keep players engaged and create a memorable experience.
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6/4/2023, 10:17:57 AM
at the 2nd chapter is where it's actually hard, incorparating the first actually serious chase scene. the players have to run away from a giant... thing. it's a large and slimey void colored thing that has the classic "no eyebrowed frowning heads on the horror game creature"
6/4/2023, 10:18:11 AM
Ah, I see. So the second chapter will step up the difficulty and add some tension to the game with a serious chase scene involving a giant, ominous creature.
The void-colored, slimy creature you described sounds like it could be quite intimidating, especially with the "no eyebrowed frowning head" design characteristic of many horror game monsters. This could create a sense of dread and fear in players as they try to outrun the creature and avoid being caught.
Introducing this type of challenge in the second chapter is a good way to ramp up the difficulty and keep players engaged, while also building on the established mechanics and world introduced in the first chapter.
Overall, it sounds like you have a solid structure in place for your game, with a good balance between humorous and serious moments to keep players engaged and interested.
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6/4/2023, 10:20:38 AM
also at the end oof the chase scene norman just ragdolls the thing with that one heavy kill taunt from TF2
6/4/2023, 10:20:50 AM
Haha, that could definitely be a funny and surprising moment for players! Having Norman suddenly take down the giant creature with a heavy kill taunt from TF2 would add a comedic element to what was previously a tense and challenging chase sequence.
It's always good to balance out serious moments with humorous ones in a game or story, as it keeps the experience varied and prevents it from becoming too overwhelming or monotonous. Incorporating unexpected elements like this can also help keep players engaged and interested in the game world and characters.
Overall, it sounds like you have a good sense of how to create a compelling narrative-driven game with a mix of humor and tension!
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6/4/2023, 10:30:19 AM
the 3rd chapter is one that finally introduces enemy combat and boss combat. the players get a weapon with they have for the rest of the game. The boss is the painter, which is the only boss that can talk and that has emotions. He moves in stop motion and he paints in enemies. Speaking of that, the combat is with enemies if it wasn't obvious.
6/4/2023, 10:30:24 AM
That sounds like an interesting chapter for a game! Can you tell me more about the gameplay mechanics for the combat with enemies and the boss? And what kind of weapon do the players receive?
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6/4/2023, 10:31:50 AM
the players get a sword. it's basically roblox combat because it's a roblox game. also because it's a horror game
6/4/2023, 10:31:55 AM
I see! So it's a sword-based combat system, similar to what you might find in other RPG or adventure games. Do the enemies have any unique abilities or weaknesses that players need to exploit in order to defeat them? And how does the boss fight with the painter work?
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6/4/2023, 10:32:06 AM
nah they just attack the player
6/4/2023, 10:32:11 AM
I see. So the enemies are pretty straightforward in their mechanics, then. And how does the boss fight with the painter work? Does the player need to use any special strategies or techniques to defeat him?
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6/4/2023, 10:33:10 AM
nah he just has 1000 health. normal enemies have 50 and the sword deals 30 damage
6/4/2023, 10:33:15 AM
I see. So the boss fight is more of a battle of attrition, where the player needs to whittle down the painter's health over time. Do you have any plans for other bosses or enemy types later in the game?
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6/4/2023, 10:34:33 AM
nah. onto the 4th chapter, (where norman dies) basically at the start of the chapter norman dies but not allissa, norman just pressed esc+r+enter. the chapter doesn't have a boss but does have a lot of puzzles and enemy combat
6/4/2023, 10:34:40 AM
I see, that's an interesting twist. So the player character Norman dies in a strange way, but the other character Allissa is still alive. What kind of puzzles can players expect to encounter in Chapter 4? And are there any new enemy types or mechanics introduced here?
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6/4/2023, 10:40:03 AM
players can encounter a candle. why a candle? well, it's a reference to that one roblox player, chuck lloyd. why him? well, he makes odd and creepy roblox games and usually invites youtubers to join him in them. when players go to the puzzle, the candle gets lit and when they go away, it is no longer lit. there is a screen where players have to enter, "is that a hint?" why tthat? well, chuck lloyd invited popular roblox youtuber Flamingo to join him. Flamingo was so invested in the story that he said when chuck lloyd lit a candle he said, you guessed it, "i that a hint?"
6/4/2023, 10:40:14 AM
Interesting! It sounds like the candle and the prompt "is that a hint?" are references to Chuck Lloyd, a Roblox player known for creating creepy games and inviting YouTubers to play them. The candle getting lit and then extinguished when players leave the puzzle adds to the eerie atmosphere of the game. And the prompt "is that a hint?" is a nod to Flamingo, a popular Roblox YouTuber who got invested in Chuck Lloyd's story and asked that question when the candle was lit. It's always fun when video games include Easter eggs or nods to pop culture references like this.
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6/4/2023, 10:48:08 AM
the 5th chapter is the conclusion to the story where the players finally make it out of the cartoon. It has the players escape all the monsters AND with an escape time limit. It has every soundtrack mixed into one. Instead of being tense, the soundtracks theme makes it feel like more of an accomplishment. It has every mechanic in the game and every monster. How does it end? Well the player breaks the screen of a TV, specifically the one that sucked them i at the start. The textures of the map then glitch, the enemies play different animations, until the players FINALLY get teleported back home after 5 chapters. Credits roll.
6/4/2023, 10:48:21 AM
That sounds like an exciting conclusion to the story! The mix of all the soundtracks and the feeling of accomplishment give a sense of closure and satisfaction for the players. Breaking the screen of the TV that sucked them in at the start is a great way to symbolize their escape from the game world. The glitching textures and different animations add to the surreal atmosphere of the moment. Finally getting teleported back home after 5 chapters is a great way to end the game, leaving the players with a sense of relief and accomplishment. The credits roll is a nice touch, giving credit to everyone involved in creating the game. Overall, it sounds like a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the story.

So, I immediately hit up my local LEGO Store to grab the PAC-MAN arcade set #10323.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable, interesting, and satisfying building experience, but while building the cabinet, there was a building technique that had me stumped as to why the designer chose to build the way they did.
The cabinet’s side walls are “laminated” with two rows of brick in yellow and black, outside and inside, respectively. In four places, twice on each side, the designer uses two set of brackets to interlock the two layers.
The second image is a stud.io mockup to illustrate the technique, with red substituting for black to help visualize.
In the end, as you can see from main image, this adds a lot of seams and brick edges that are hard to align cleanly and give a less tidy look. From LEGO’s Quality perspective, they would prefer to give something with fewer bricks and more sturdiness, which stacks of separate bricks would suffice here (as it does throughout the rest of the wall).
So does anyone have any idea why they built it this way?
I have three theories at the moment:
A) It improves structural stability in some way I’ve overlooked
B) It is a reference/Easter Egg/nod to some design feature in the original arcade machines
C) It is overengineered/needless complexity that somehow got through the design review process or somehow was otherwise justified (i.e. piece count target was set before the design was finalized, and this was deemed acceptable)

Not only does Sequel Wars outdo Mega Man 4, which is already a high benchmark of a game, but it also outdoes Wily Wars in every conceivable facet, which is ALSO already an excellent THREE games and was an incredible labor of love and expansion on the series roots.
I am kind of in awe at the attention to detail, the polish, the Easter eggs, the features, and I am completely excited that we still have two whole other games to look forward to. And I am all the more impressed, because I already held the long-standing opinion that by the time we got to the MM4-6 stretch on NES, the series decided to stagnate in place after MM3 proved that there was so much world-building, ambition, and innovation to be done.
Say what you will about this opinion, but, popular consensus is that after Mega Man 3 the (Classic) series got left well behind on old hardware, retelling narratively insignificant stories and iterating instead of innovating on the then-current hardware that everyone had moved onto.
Allow me to digress a bit - Mega Man 3 showed, unfinished though it was, that there was so much potential and a story to tell here. It was the first time the series pulled a plot twist on us (passé as it is to have Wily be the bad guy, it was a plot twist all the same back then when there were only three Mega Man games). It introduced Proto Man, Rush, and the Slide. It broke the immediate formula of Robot Masters right into a Castle stage. It had a deeper story in the manual, the return of the Yellow Devil and Copy Robot(s), and a giant screen-filling final boss robot with a shitload of new music and some of the most impressive graphics on the NES to that point. Mega Man 3 - perhaps slightly more in concept than in execution - carried a torch, capped a trilogy, and evolved things in a way that Mega Man 4, 5, and 6 simply didn't aspire to. And I like all six games but I think there is little doubt that it would've been in the series' best interests to leave Dr. Wily and the NES behind them in favor of bolder pastures.
But that didn't happen, and Mega Man became temporarily uncool by the time we hit these latter entries - hell, as solid of a game as MM6 is, I've always been insulted as someone who was interested in the series lore to get something as dumb as Mr. X played completely straight. I'm pretty damn certain people in the mid-90s felt the same way. Mega Man Classic got a huge image problem by staying on the NES and relying on old tricks this way - nowadays it just means we have a wealth of NES Mega Man to sift through in hindsight, but in the early-mid 90s he was just fighting cartoonish world caracatures and not pushing forward with an interesting story, lasting new characters, or fishing where the fish were biting (SNES or Genesis). Cossack didn't matter, Protoman's not the complex and layered character he was in MM3 anymore, and in Mega Man 6 you fight a snowball on skis, a racially charged turban man, and you get fooled by Dr. Wily in a Party City costume. Slap in the face to anyone hoping for something greater.
But man, holy shit, does Sequel Wars scratch that EXACT itch of feeling like these games should've done something new by now. Not narratively, of course, but in every single other facet. The graphical and sonic boost is already worthy of applause and aplomb, but seeing the bosses introduce themselves before each boss battle, hearing the original score play right before the boss chamber to intimidate the player right before heading into Pharaoh Man's tomb, makes me feel like the ACTUAL MM4 is some kind of weird, slow, colorless 8-bit beta to this. And it's literally a fangame.
Watching the title screen animate with daunting Russian buildings silhouette the background, watching the clouds layer the stages, makes me think that there's something different to Mega Man 4, or the vision of Mega Man 4 at its core. I want to believe Dr. Cossack is actually a part of the series, like in the Archie series, and not the one-time red-herring Russian stereotyping throw-away he is. I want to believe this one is bigger and badder than Mega Man 3, the same way that Mega Man 3 is bigger and badder than 2. And this game helps me to actually feel that like I've always wanted.
And it pushes the bar in other ways too! I can rely on a save system AND an Exit Stage Button at all times. The quick select, and the new weapon get demoes (even for Wire and Balloon Adaptors) make the already sped-up game flow now with extra blast processing. To top it all off - playing through 4 with Protoman AND Roll makes me feel like this is how the series SHOULD'VE played out - and this makes sense, too. Protoman is introduced in MM3, has fuck-all to do in MM4 and MM6, and he's been framed in MM5 only to still do the bare minimum while off-screen. I've always felt that in that regard, Mega Man 7 is the true continuation of the story after Mega Man 3, because it's not a one-off for Protoman's character. But here - I can play as him and get revenge on Wily, and see this badass character take the initiative for once in the franchise. It feels less awkward of a story now. And seeing Roll step up in literally any way from being "50's house girl who does chores", to being an excellent playable character, is great in any Mega Man game.
I cannot wait for MM5 and 6 to drop - so it can effectively replace the originals going forward for me the way that this replaces MM4. Whereas Wily Wars came close to being the definitive ways to play the original trilogy, I have always felt that A. Something, somewhere, was just off for that to happen, B. The originals work excellently as NES games and it feels somehow more dishonest to play Wily Wars over these landmark NES titles, and C. I would have to go from three Sega Genesis games backwards to three more NES games, de-evolving the franchise even more literally than it felt like before. But because 4-6 are a bit more obscured than 1-3, AND because this remake is absolutely top tier, I have absolutely no doubt about Sequel Wars will outdo Capcom twice more with both other episodes and become the de facto method of playing the Mega Man Sequels.
Holy shit, this game is exhilarating.