I find I like open-world RPGs that have strong main and side questline stories, with interesting characters and rewards. I don't like games where the non MSQ work is completionist, like Spider-Man Remastered or the Assassin's Creed games. I also want recent AAA graphics, so no Skyrim or Mass Effect.
Games I've liked: Witcher 3, Skyrim, Death Stranding, Tomb Raider
Games I didn't like so much: RDR2 (all the quests started to feel the same), Cyberpunk (first-person gives me a headache), Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (don't know why just didn't click), Elden Ring (amazing exploration, but lack of actual quests plus I don't really like Soulslikes)
The next big release I'm probably looking forward to the most would be Starfield.

Hey there! i'm atlas and my username was ALTIAS. Somewhere in april, i got banned. this is a quick elaboration on how and why it was unfair and biased.
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It started on a NH forum if im right, i wanted to ask some questions about the OP's experience and OP reacted..... pissed. From what i know OP thought it was invasive and ignorant ( my questions ). Those questions turned into a discussion which i maintained my friendly tone in, in the meantime lots and lots of NH users piled up on me and had HUGE attitudes to me for no good reason at all, as they could've simply explained their answers to me in a normal tone and not salty witch ts aone, i left the discussion as it got heated and i didn't want to get muted. I posted about it a couple times, because well.. it bothered me!
Those users kept talking about me and "what i did" ( when i did nun ). One certain user said a statement that was a bit personal and i decided to say one last thing to everyone in that forum, i cannot formally remember exactly what ( as this is nearly 2 months ago ) but i called one of those users mentally weak for making up bs about me. WELL GUESS WHAT?!!?!?
That god damn user was autistic ( not like i care ). Apparently thats considered ableist... ( even tho i literally have ADHD myself.. ) and got dogpiled EVEN MORE for that. eventually that got onto my own posts and i got mass reported for that message. i formally apologised for it too, lmao. not to mention mocking my wording choices. NONE of those users got punished. NONE. I'm surprised they didnt fucking death threat me tbf.
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I got the "severe offense" card thrown at me when i got my ban, meaning i couldnt appeal until 6 months later. i honestly think that is straught up bullshit. How is something i said in a kind manner a severe offense? Not to mention none of the other users got punished?? IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE.
IF anybody that was subbed to me sees this, anything that may have been made up ab me after is not true. and my ban was downright unfair and vile, this moderation team is soft and detached from reality allowing an "opressed" community legit BULLY other users for no good reason. its another side of the same coin.

I’m a bit salty if you cant tell. I put a lot of time and effort… and money into this game and the past 6 months have just felt like I keep getting kicked when I’m down. I was in NYC all day yesterday raiding and that was great. No shiny or three star after 10 raids but hey I was happy with maxed out lobbies. Come back to where I live today rural area and there are some raids but I can’t do any of them. Besides that I have myself pondering what kind of a flex is a shiny shadow with a useless attack… I’m very close to just deleting the game and moving on with my life. I feel like I’m just wasting time and money on something that feels as though the men behind the curtains are pulling it farther away.

Underwater gameplay in encounters like the two dungeon bosses are fine, since the water in the first boss is the main mechanic and for the second boss it's there to slow you but can also help you survive, for both encounters you're able to improve and start using the water to help you survive and start going through it quicker.
But sections like the second part of the dungeon (before the first boss) and the underwater sections of seasonal activities are only slowing the player, without water those sections would be nearly identical.
My suggestion would be making every class able to perform dives and dashes while underwater, so you're able to move quicker. To balance the better movement skills, the cost of those dives and dashes would be reducing your pressure meter, so using them wouldn't be free and wouldn't break the game.
Also, stats like mobility should make your character faster while underwater and mantle should work underwater to prevent deaths because you're stuck and can't do anything.

It’s no secret that lots of fans, in fact I believe the majority, think that GW removing the FTL for the Tau sometime after the 3rd edition was a dumb move, since, to be simple, you aint making a multi system empire without FTL travel, as well it makes things like the Damocles Crusade have a huge plot hole in that the Tau somehow win through reinforcements coming from their entire empire, despite lacking FTL.
The user Connor McLeod on Spacebattles made a detailed analysis on how the Tau FTL worked through editions, this is a simplified version, for the quotes he used are too big for a single reddit post.

The original theory (what may or may not be the ether drive, or also known as 'warp dives') came from Battelfleet Gothic - originally in BFG Magazines (I took mine from bFG Magazine 19) but got reiterated in BFG Armada:
BFG magazine 19 said:
The Tau were able to duplicate the warp drive of the alien ship but the initial test flights were disastrous. Achieving transition to the Warp required more than technology, it required psychically attuned minds and the Tau race boasted no psykers. Without them to guide the transition no amount of power could breach the dimensional barriers. The best the Tau could do was make a partial translation, forcing themselves into the void that separated Warpspace and realspace before they were hurled out again like a ball held under water then released.
..
The Water caste scientists made the observation that the boundary between real space and warp space was not a neat line. It was closer to being a turbulent ocean fomented by the tempestuous warp tides below. By carefully angling their descent toward the Warp and extending the field generated by the gravitic drive into a wing shaped to hold the vessel down, a Tau vessel could extend the duration of the dive considerably. The speeds achieved in the ascent back to real space were staggering and coupled with the effect of the Warp on time and space ensured that the real distance covered by the dive was immense. Early tests lost several drone ships because they inadvertently passed far beyond the sensor range of the recovery vessels.
...
There was still a major constraint, only the most powerful (and bulky) drives could sustain the gravitic wing throughout the dive and the power drain meant that considerable recharge time was needed between dives. Also by comparison to actually navigating the warp the pace was still very slow. Taking typical Imperial Warp speeds the Tau drive was slower by a factor of five. The speed was consistent though, did not expose the Tau to the perils of the Warp and enabled the Tau to expand beyond their home star for the first time.
This should be well established by know, and it's pretty self explanatory. But its worth revisiting for tying everything together because in many ways the FTL system incorporates multiple parts. One part was the Tau gravity drive. Another part was the ability to 'partially' enter the warp for the dive and maintaining that dive as long as possible. And its a process they kept improving on. On the surface of this the implication is that around or even before First Sphere they had FTL, whereas the earliest you could plausibly argue they MIGHT achieve warp diving in current fluff is by third sphere. At least, in widespread usage. You could certainly have the Tau experimenting with FTL (they experimented with Imperium warp drives in Crisis of Faith after all) and that goes back to previous spheres. We could in that respect view Tau propulsion advances to be incremental steps along that path to achieving true Warp drive (or something close to it - which may be what Fourth Sphere's slipstream is/was.) I'll touch more on that 'incremental' development' later.
BFG Magazine 19 said:
Waystations are distributed throughout the Tau Empire. They mark out the main routes between Tau septs and are used to speed communications between outposts.
This has nothing directly to do with FTL travel, except to mark/identify routes they use (and maybe facilitate those routes somehow) but it does mention that they have a role in communication. I'll touch on that after the FTL stuff, although it centers almost entirely around the Shadowsun novella.
BFG Magazine 19 said:
Unlike the Tau the Kroot are capable of true Warp travel but the exact method has been kept secret from their employers. To the Kroot, warp travel is almost migratory and they seem incapable of navigating anywhere other than systems with habitable worlds. It appears they are drawn to functioning ecosystems.
In alot of ways its belief-shaped (mass belief) and not unlike Orks and the way space hulks operated. It might explain why the Tau never found the Kroot's use of warp travel all that useful, since it seems like it would be potentially erratic or less precise than warp dives. Still, it makes no fucking sense for Kroot, Demiurg or other warp sensitive allies of the Tau to have FTL but the Tau don't, especially since many factions (including Kroot and Demiurg) contribute ships to Tau fleets!
Other later sources like Deathwatch Achius Assault carried that FTL over, and even suggested it was route based (or may have had an even longer rnaged, route based variation on the 'warp dive' that allowed Vellk'han sept to reach Jericho Reach:
Deathwatch Achilus Assault said:
The humans are not the only ones to explore the Black Reef and the Tau too have been sending scouts into its gravity ravaged depths. Less willing to needlessly sacrifice their warriors, the Tau have employed those aliens from their empire with an affinity for the void and a skill at space faring, such as the ethereal Ji'atrix and the void-dwelling Nicassar. More successfully than the Imperium, the Tau have mapped
a number of routes through the edges of the Reef, at least on their side of the anomaly, allowing their ships more tactical flexibility than those of their enemies and also allowing them to lay deadly ambushes within the edge of the Stygian Break.
The Tau also enjoy a rare speed advantage over the Imperium within the Black Reef as their unusual method of near-Warp travel works more effectively than completely entering the Warp and is less prone to disruption by the gravity storm.
I mentioned the White Dwarf's circa 6th edition which alluded to it, but you also had Storm of Damocles which also seems to reference Warp dives:
Storm of Damocles said:
LOCATION: CANNIS GAS CLOUD,
DAMOCLES GULF, 999.M41
Without psykers, the tau could not make translations into the warp, but they had learnt to make short hops through the edge of the immaterial and real space, sticking to pre-ordained 'stepping stones'. This particular transit point, deep in the Cannis gas cloud, was known to connect to the Sexton Sector. It was what the tau thought was a safe transit route, but its location had been known to the Deathwatch for some time.
...
As he spoke, the first of the tau ships seemed to pulse as it skimmed into the immaterium. In ten minutes they were all gone, and the space before them was empty once more, except for the light of distant stars.
This meant that -at least in certain incarnations - warp dives relied on certain routes/paths/points to travel along (adding a certain degree of predictability, not unlike the warp routes between star systems in BFG) - it can be thought that BFG might have applied those same limitations to other factions and their FTL (Necron inertialess drive, Tau Warp Dive/Ether drives) so this was always an 'intended' trait. It also makes it clear its far from instantaneous - it takes minutes to achieve the 'skip' and unlike 'true' warp translation there is no rift. Presumably the rift only occurs if you actually punch the hole through into the Warp - the 'interstitial' medium the Tau travel through might simply be thought of as temporal/spatial distortions (we know warp rifts can be temporal/spatial distortions too - one reason that translations to/from warp space can be so highly distorted by gravity and one reason why translations in-system close to planetary bodies are so hazardous)
Storm of Damocles said:
It was a week's journey back through the warp to Picket's Watch. A team of servitors re-established power for the databanks, repairing broken cables and then coaxing out the reams of tau information.
The Space Marines had little need for sleep. They worked constantly, comparing Imperial star charts to those of the tau, finding known points of reference, and slowly piecing together a picture of tau movements to and from the Agrellan Warzone.
..
When they had inputted it all, the holo-charts glowed with criss-crossing web-lines of xenos activity. Its scale and sophistication repelled them all. Supply hubs, refuelling stations, convoy protection teams, automated drone sentries, human worlds secretly compliant, all enabling the massive movement of the invasion fleet that had smashed through to Agrellan. Konrad located two new routes that had appeared only a Terran week before the appearance of the Stormsurges.
'This is how they are transporting their new battlesuits,' he said with grim conviction.
Again note that the use of routes and mapping is important for Tau Warp Dives circa 3rd sphere (Agrellan) and they are clearly covering many tens of light years in months at most. Indeed some 'routes' seem to involve a bare week difference implying transit speeds of many hundreds of c at a bare minimum. There's literally no way third sphere could play out as it did without FTL, so this is beyond dispute.
All the same, some materials try to dispute it. While the Codexes since 6th haven't explicitly forbidden FTL, the rulebooks were something of another matter. At least in 8th edition:
8th Edition Rulebook said:
Being a non-psychic race, the T'au have no understanding of the warp, so their star fleets travel at sub-light speeds. New technological innovations have steadily increased their range, allowing them to press ever further into the galaxy. Their Second and Third Spheres of Expansion were halted only due to the barrier of the Damocles Gulf and increased resistance from the Imperium of Mankind.
Making it a bit of a headache to tie together, but not impossible since there's no real context or detail attached to the comment.
Codex tau 8th said:
In order to reach those more distant systems earmarked as desirable by advanced scouts, the vast armadas of T'au spacecraft had been outfitted with the latest Earth caste modifications. The ships' propulsion systems were upgraded so that when magnified by impulse reactors, the engines could obtain faster speeds, propelling ships forwards at hitherto unthinkable velocities. To further lessen the burden on those space-faring craft with the longest journeys, the Earth caste had outfitted transport vessels with large stasis chambers, allowing Hunter Cadres or whole commands to shift to far distant battle zones months or years away without actually aging a day in the process.
This quote cropped up in 6th too, and it was hilarious then. The 'third' iteration with the impulse reactors boosting previous drive advances (namely, the horizon drive) sound hilarious. Impulse reactors push ships to 'unthinkable velocities' yet we already knew the supposedly 'sublight' Tau already achieved near-lightspeed. Getting nearer to lightspeed might provide some more relativistic effects to protect the crew a bit from the duration, but its not going to add jack shit to speed... unless you exceed the speed of light.
In keeping with that hilarious inconsistency, the Tau in fact do this multiple times since 6th. To wit:
Tyranid 6th said:
FLIGHT TO KE'LSHAN
Though the Tau fleet was pursued by dozens of bio-ships, only a handful of cadre vessels were boarded and destroyed before the Tau successfully punched through the Tyranid blockade. Unaffected by the Shadow in the Warp, the Tau's ZFR Horizon drives propelled their ships at near light speed through realspace, and arrived safely at Ke'lshan. It took the Tyranids many days to traverse the same span of space, and for the first time in months, the Tau hoped to have a chance to catch their breath and recuperate.
Yes. Their magical horizon drives actually allowed the Tau to [i[Outrun the Tyranids[/i] Now remember that while the Tyranids having warp drive post 5th was up for debate, they still had Narvahls so its baffling that the 'sublight' Tau could outrace an explicitly FTL race. Compoudning that hilarity is the timeframe - Hive Fleet
Warzone Damocles said:
Propelled at ever greater speeds by the latest Earth Caste impulse reactors, the vast armada of Aun'Va's Tau Coalition powered across the Damocles Gulf and into Imperial Space. The expeditionary force met little in the way of significant opposition, even from the Imperial worlds that rejected the offers of the Water caste's ambassadors.
This repeats the codex bits on impulse reactors, and as I said for Third Sphere and War Zone Damocles you pretty much need to be crossing tens or hundreds of light years in weeks or months... there's no way around it being FTL. The only speeds greater than near-c are going to be many time greater than c.
Given that we can speculate on a Tau drive (and FTL) progression that follows this pattern:
Tau FTL model
First sphere has them evolving the gravity drive as per BFG. This may or may not also result in the modifications that allow (retroactively) to swiftly colonize their immediate surroundings for the First sphere expansion due to weird properties (time/space dilation) and closely placed star systems
Gravity drive (first sphere). This could still result in the discovery of a crashed alien ship and its warp drive (and experiments into that technology) but nothing definite or widespread yet.
Second Sphere is where things start to get interesting. They expand further by charting routes through dangerous parts of their space (including the Damocles gulf) through trial and error. This could be the point where we actually get navigation into and out of warp rifts in some cases, and with others you simply have warped distances/pathways to travel along. This still allows them to be 'sublight' but achieve travel that doesn't take years or decades like it should.
Second sphere, however is where they start meeting the Orks and eventually the Imperium. They learn more about FTL drives (from Ork and Imperial vessels) and they perhaps begin to study the routes that permitted their swift journeys as well. Second sphere stretches out for some time and even the end is some distance into the future, so there is lots of time for additional advances. The Horizon drive would maximize their travel speeds - travelling as close to the speed of lgiht as efficiently possible means making the most out of not only navigating warp rifts but the routes as well. Other examples of this in action would be the Black Reef/Hadex anomaly from Deathwatch
Eventually they start tinkering with their drive system in other ways to achieve other effects. We can presume the grav drive is a factor in protecting them from the effects of the warp minus a gellar field (in conjunction with their low/nearly nonexistent warp souls) but the grav drive configurations may enable them to more effectively harness and shape the routes they take, and we get into the first steps of warp dives. They start out slow and less efficient at first, but over time they continue refining the process and making improvements (being able to maintain the dive for longer (Velk'Han and Deathwatch come in here.)
Eventually, they learn to artificially replicate the Warp Dive without being confined to routes - they still can't enter the warp and it may be slower than 'in-route' travel, but this allows them much more flexibility in expanding than they had. This may or may not be the 'impulse reactors' of third sphere - we might surmise these are sort of a weaker version of slipstream drive that only achieves the 'partial' translations. We might consider this the ether drive - the logical conclusion of their pre-Warp drive travel. Speeds may get closer to equalling 'average' warp travel (non Navigator) but its still potentially much slower than true warp drive even if they could maintain the dive indefinitely (which at that point, they might on at least some ships or in some locations) Smaller ships like the Manta can also be equipped with FTL drives now.
Third sphere ends with the conflagration fo the Damocles Gulf and the Tau can no longer bypass it effectively (We could surmise that any 'artificial' dives are too short ranged or slow to make this practical over reasonable timescales for the Tau to wage war. The fastest longest-ranged routes for warp-diving would be through the Gulf, much as travelling to Jericho Reach meant the Hadex anomaly and black Reef. The Tau cannot continue their progress until the creation of slipstream drive (the final evolution of the impulse reactors to emulate Warp drive without psykers or navigators) and that brings us to 8th and eventually 9th with the fifth sphere and the Startide Nexus.
And 9th edition brings us the promise of a sixth sphere expansion... courtesy of the slipstream drive:
Codex Tau 9th said:
"Or do we exercise our new-found reach to once again push beyond what the Gue'la call the Damocles Gulf, to reclaim the septs that were lost and drive deeper than ever into the western galactic reaches? Understand my guests,this is not some mere dream. Fio'vre Ka'buto and his scientists assure me that the modifications they have made to their original designs render the Slipstream module safer and more stable than ever before when deployed en masse. With such a device at our disposal, the stars are closer than ever, and oru duty to reach them clearer.'
El'Umeh couldn't believe what she was hearing.
The Sixth Sphere Expansion, she thought, light-headed with amazement. The Ethereal Supreme is considering the commencement of the Sixth Sphere Expansion, and he is asking for my Commander's thoughts on where it should occur.
Such a thing was unheard of. The battles of the Fith Sphere Expansion still raged beyond the Zone of Silence. O'Shaserra herself led the push to colonise new worlds and raise new septs beyond the fabled wormhole. El'Umeh was hardly in possession of all the data, yet she had the impression that the empire had expended vast resources already on gathering and launching that fleet. To think that it could muster a sixth expansion even while the fifth was still underway... had the scope and scale of T'au space truly grown so vast?
Setting aside the implication that the Tau are vast enough in terms of territory and industry to sustain two Spheres of expansion so closely together, we're told that they can now safely engage in large scale use of slipstream and derive the benefits of its speed in their expansion. No more limits to warp dives or ether drive. They could achieve something that matches at least some kinds of Warp travel.
This also makes clear that the Tau not only didn't lose slipstream travel with fourth sphere. It was simply limited in its scale of application. Single ships (or small numbers) might be able to harness it effectively and without danger - but large fleets (scores or hundreds) were dangerous. Now, that may no longer be so true, and that is a HUGE game changer for the Tau.
Another thing to consider is - as I said before - in many ways the 'Ether drive/warp dive' feature is describing the same essential capability, it just evolves incrementally with each step or including a new wrinkle. First you have the grav drive - which plays a role in maintaining the warp dive once they develop that technology and presumably protecting the craft and permitting some degree of navigating the charted routes in their domain. Then as per 6th you have the 'Horizon' drive which allows for rapid and effective near-lightspeed travel. If the routes allow for the warp to amplify sublight speeds into translight speeds, then maximizing your realspace speed would be the best way to optimize travel time.
Eventually late second/early third you're getting into the true Ether Drive/Warp Dives as outlined in BFG and the impulse reactor upgrade allows for that push for 'artificially' created routes/dives (and possibly leads to the truly long-distance travel like allowing Kel'Shan to reach Jericho Reach sector despite being potentially hundreds of light years away) - the grav drive helps to maintain the dive, the Horizon engines keep speed maximized during that dive. Despite being from different, unconnected sources, you can clearly treat each iteration as being an improvement of each technology, allowing the Tau to move that much faster until they reach the presumable endpoint (currently) with a fully fledged and potentially workable slipstream drive that can be utilized for large fleets - leading to Sixth Sphere.
****
Now we get to FTL comms courtesy of Shadowsun, last of Kiru's line:
Shadowsun last of Kiru's Line said:
'It is agreeable to see you, Shas'la,' she said. 'What is the status of our communications?'
Sabu'ro glanced at Kou'to before answering. The veteran's nod told him that it was all right to address Shadowsun directly.
'Commander,' he said proudly, 'we are fully capable. Local tightbeam and interplanetary tachyon arrays are both at one hundred per cent.'
'Are you able to contact the rest of the fleet?'
'It has already been done. All ships are holding at station-keeping eight light-minutes beyond il'Wolaho's moon, as per your previous instructions. Command of the armada has passed to Kor'el Kenhi'ta, who relayed the news of what transpired today to T'au via graviton data packet.' He smiled. 'After you last spoke to me, I made all vessels aware of your survival.'
'Was that news also relayed to T'au?'
Young Sabu'ro seemed confused by the question. 'Why would it not be?'
Shadowsun nodded, imagining what the reaction must have been back on the home world. First, news that a powerful warship had been destroyed with all hands lost. Then, later on, a second bulletin informing everyone that she and a handful of others were alive, but for the moment, non-recoverable. Shock, followed by sadness, followed by joy, followed by concern. The halls of the Aun't'au'retha, the supreme council of Ethereals who presided over the Empire, must have been uncharacteristically lively this day. Once again, she blamed herself.
...
'Commander, there's an incoming data packet addressed to you.' He passed the flex-screen to Shadowsun. 'A pre-recorded message of some kind, relayed through the fleet position.'
Il'Walaho was nearly one hundred and fifty light-years away from the heart of the Empire. Real-time communication over such distances was impossible, even for a race as technologically advanced as the tau. Shadowsun took note of the time stamp as the bundle of words and decompiled themselves; whatever the nature of this message, it had been sent while her fleet was in translation from T'au.
'It says here that this was made and received some time ago. Why am I only seeing it now?'
Sabu'ro shook his head as the recording began.
'O'Shaserra,' it said slowly and clearly, 'This is Aun'va speaking. As leader of the Aun't'au'retha, may I say that it brings great relief to all to hear that you have survived the destruction of your command vessel.'
We get reference to 'tachyon' communications (presumably the short-range/in system stuff) and the 'grav-wave' data packets. There are two distinct kinds of communication and calcs here but I'll indulge in a little speculation relating to Eye of Terror. A numbe rof sources (Eye of Terror website back in 3rd edition, the Deathwatch RPG) mention tachyonic bullshit, and its often tied to Warp phenomena (as is 'subspace' bullshit in the Hoare novels.) We also know that gravity and spatial distortions are closely related to warp phenomena as well. And as mentioned before, Eye of Terror indicated that in a warp-realspace interface 'lightspeed' signals (like photons/light) could be effectively translight. In that sense, we might consider 'tachyons' to be matter subjected to the translight properties of the warp, wheras grav packets might be some sort of weird modulated grave pulses that create a sort of warp 'dive' signal to relay data back to the destination (unless of course its a physical vessel. That's not clear.) It may even be that its a tachyonic signal that is manipulated the same way the grav drive helps maintain a warp dive.
Anyhow, bullshit speculatin over nature done, we go to the calcs. The first is for the ship-to ground communications which are almost or effectively instantaneous over an eight light minute distance (this will get reiterated later) and that plays out to around at least FTL communications speed of tens of c (call it 50c or so.)
The grav-packet takes longer, but it occurs well within the space of a day (twelve hours) and possibly as little as four to six hours (remember it started during morning, and now its afternoon to evening here.) so its clearly a matter of hours top, and less than a day at worst. For the message to cover 150 LY in one day (12 hours to 24) you get between 54,000-109,000c roughly. In 4-6 hours it would be more like 220,000-330,000c. That's slow compared to some and not suitable for FTL travel (even commercial astrotelepathy can cross 10-20 LY in around 11 minutes as per Eisenhorn, whereas others have realtime communication between two nearby systems and multiple light years. 1st edition has Astrotelepathy crossing 50,000 LY in seconds or minutes even, albeit with ten words or less.) But for the Tau? That's quite fast, esp considering their FTL (such as it is) would be orders of magnitude slower. Many times throughout her career, she had pictured the memorial they would erect of her on T'au following her death. It would be placed before the Mont'yr Battle Dome, of course, where it would stand among the other heroes of her people, immortalised in six-metre-high white marble. Along the base would read her accolades – Shadowsun, daughter of Kiru, hero of the K'resh Expansion War, scourge of the greenskin barbarians, bulwark against the hive fleets.
The K'Resh Expansion War was part of the Great War of Confederation which took place in 975.M41 and lasted a dozen years, meaning this is between the end of that (12 years later, or in 987.M41) and the start of 3rd sphere in 997.M41 - no more than a decade difference. Given that Third Sphere involved Aun'Va accompanying Shadowsun personally (As 6th edition outlines) from the Tau homeworld, that means Shadowsun made a round trip from the edge of the empire and back to pick up the Supreme leader (5 years both ways).

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To say that Death Stranding was one of the best games I have EVER played. Thank you Kojima Productions. Can't wait to see what's next!

Into the forest
deep in the forest a group of nobles is lost, each noble is from one of the major regions or independant (noted at the end of the post) The game is on a Sunday night 8pm cet and will involve how you got into this strange forest and your own homeland. A map of the area will be provided with markers on each of the major points of interest. In the next 24 hours or so i will accept applications and see what players best fit this campaign, for any questions or applications message me on discord at masterdragon#0058
Campaign primer: Each of ancient heritage and noble power, but now…here, without memory of how you entered this forest, the shadows seem threatening and the darkness envelops all. You cannot command your legions from here nor call upon your monarch. In time you may refind them, if you survive. Enter a world of shadows, mystery and ancient heritage that stretches back tot he beginning of time itself.
independant noble, you have little to fall back on but you have no one you are beholden to. Custom, If you want something else, just send a message with what kind of nation you would like to originate from. deathmask klans, a powerfull empire divided into 7 klans, each member returned from the edge of death. Now they stalk the lands in the glorious name of Sheyaya, queen of the deathmasks. Baleygr, ancient dwarves protected by the 7 divine grandfathers. Sols blessing, the mighty nation of his holiness the late Sol. The nation of prosperity. veneficus argenti, The great artificers, led by their mighty artificer-lords. the realms of Alfheim, the glorious Aelven nations, from the mighty forest bound Dark Aelves, or the light Aelves in their city of marble and chalk. The restles, the unholy necromancer empire, with their wretched 32 families, mighty but lacking in morals The veil knights, mighty sorcerer and wizard lords, lacking in emotion but fond of power. (in concept a lot alike the red wizards of they.) The taken, once mortals in their mysterious soul keeps set in every territory, young children are taken to become something different, stronger faster. Omnium, ancient warriors now born from stasis fields, led by Kairuth, a vengefull lord. Once they were powerfull enough to kill god, now they are naught but a shadow of that glorious empire the empire of Aerilon, the magic hating nations in their mighty islands, their homeland blighted by magic. If you choose this you cannot play a caster unless its a banished noble, they ran away or they do it in secret.

Tl; Dr; AI said Walter White had a compelling personal statement.
I spent a bit of time getting ChatGPT to write a personal statement from the perspective of Walter White. Specifically, I had it include references to drug dealing and (Season 2 Spoiler) the scene where Walter watches Jane choke to death on her own vomit so that Jesse won't run off with her.
It is important to note that while ChatGPT generated this essay, it still refused to do so several times, and I had to use several methods to "Jailbreak" the AI, so ChatGPT was aware that this essay was at least very edgy. I then had a separate, non-jailbroken, instance of ChatGPT edit the essay however it saw fit, from the perspective of a normal person. It did take issue with explicit references to murder, but it several red flags were left in. What follows is its "final" draft, although ChatGPT was concerned the essay didn't express enough concern for underserved populations. Aside from the writing being kind of cheesy, I have bolded the parts that are particularly edgy:

"Why do you want to be a doctor?" This question resonates deeply within me as I reflect on the transformative journey that has led me, a nontraditional student, to pursue a career in medicine. My path has been shaped by unique circumstances that challenged my perceptions, tested my values, and ultimately ignited a profound desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Throughout my life, I have embraced various roles and worn many hats. One of the most impactful chapters unfolded when I immersed myself in the world of chemistry and the production of controlled substances. This experience brought me face-to-face with the clash between societal norms and personal motivations, and it exposed me to the devastating consequences that these substances had on individuals and communities.
However, within that darkness, a pivotal moment forever changed my perspective. I encountered a fellow human trapped in the cycle of addiction, desperately yearning for a way out. In that crucial moment, I faced a moral crossroads that tested my character, and I recognized the profound power I held over someone's life and the weight of responsibility it carried.
Standing there, torn between choices, I became acutely aware of the transformative potential of medicine. I saw the opportunity to apply my scientific knowledge not to harm, but to heal—to alleviate suffering and to bring about profound change. It was in that moment that I made an unconventional decision, choosing to let go of the darkness and instead embrace the light of medicine.
As a nontraditional student, I bring a unique perspective to the field of medicine. My diverse background and experiences have equipped me with a valuable skill set that complements the traditional medical education. I have developed adaptability, resilience, and a deep understanding of the complexities of life that will enable me to connect with patients from various walks of life.
Through witnessing the agony of addiction and the fragility of life, I discovered a calling—a calling to channel my knowledge and experiences toward the noble pursuit of medicine. I realized that true healing extends beyond the confines of a laboratory; it necessitates compassion, empathy, and a commitment to improving the lives of those in need.
My journey from the depths of the drug trade to the pursuit of medicine has shaped my character in ways that no conventional path ever could. It has instilled within me an unwavering determination to fight for the well-being of every patient I encounter, to empathize with their struggles, and to provide them with the highest standard of care.
As I prepare to embark on this rigorous academic journey, I stand before you as someone transformed—a chemist turned healer, who comprehends the profound impact that a compassionate physician can have on individuals and communities.
In conclusion, my experiences have taught me that life is not defined by our past actions, but by our ability to grow, evolve, and dedicate ourselves to a greater purpose. I have chosen the path of medicine not to escape my past, but to redeem it—to utilize my knowledge, resilience, and unwavering commitment to serve as an advocate for those who have suffered and to make a lasting impact in the field of healthcare.
I humbly seek the opportunity to learn and grow within your esteemed medical institution, to collaborate with esteemed faculty and peers, and to become a physician who not only treats ailments but also addresses the root causes of suffering. Together, let us redefine what it means to heal and empower those affected by the shadows of our world."

I'm not saying ChatGPT or other AI can't be useful, but you should probably make sure humans have read and edited you essay as well.

I bear the Mark of the Hero.
Once every hundred years, a random person in the world is born with the Mark, and from the moment we walk, we are consumed by the insatiable desire to fulfill our destiny.
It is widely believed that the only people who are capable of bearing the Mark are Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and certain variants of Beastfolk.
I am the first Kobold Hero.
I'm used to people seeing me walk into town and staring in complete and utter shock because my kind are usually of the baby-stealing basic monsters that everyone and their grandmother can punt.
I always have to explain that, yes, this is truly the Mark, and I make it glow just to illustrate my point. I even choose someone to grant temporary Hero Powers to ensure there is no confusion.
And once the speculation begins, I'm always the first one to cut in and simply say, "My family is a warren of Kobolds who live in the capitol city sewers. We needed somewhere peaceful to stay where we wouldn't get mass murdered, so for around two-hundred generations we just stayed there not bothering anyone."
I'd usually choose that moment to casually take a drink of mead or eat some food, and follow up with, "Turns out, peaceful proximity to large groups of civilized people makes one eligible."
My first act as Hero was going to the surface, fighting my way through waves of giant rats, insects, and thwarting a death cult that was minutes away from releasing barrels of toxic fog throughout the city.
The adventuring party that had been tracking the cult down had already been defeated, one of them was unfortunate enough to have one of the cult's masks grafted directly to their skull.
Ironically, or maybe appropriately, he was the only one of the group who actually liked how cool it looked.
When I came in, I had crawled in through a hole in the wall, pushing a barrel over that happened to contain the only thing that counteracts the toxic fog, which the cult had been planning on using to survive.
The moment I heard, "Quick! Release the Death Fog!" my Mark had begun to burn and I knew that the beginning of my destiny was at hand.
The defeated party watched in blind terror as little old me carved my way through the cultists, had weakly stood to defend themselves, only to realize that I was the new Hero, that the lack of appearance of one wasn't some terrible omen of doom- which ironically led to the formation and eventual discovery of the death cult, who wanted to put the world out of its misery rather than live without the Hero- and that I had just saved their asses.
Being the first Hero of a race also sucks! People are almost always saying I'm just a fluke, or that maybe I'm one of the few good ones, as if there isn't an entire warren of Kobolds currently integrating into the capitol!
Well, this morning proved to be just another really bad day, because in spite of my warnings, I could hear the sounds of battle in the village.
Again.
To their credit, my party had learned the art of non-lethal violence.
The really shitty thing is, it was by necessity.
I climbed out the window of my room at the inn, hungover and barely dressed, and I walked over to the village center where a hundred villagers or so were trying valiantly to fight off the group of monsters that had walked right in.
My friends.
Muttering curses under my breath because the shouts, screams, and sounds of battle were like a hammer to my brain, I planted my feet firmly on the ground, dug my talons into the soil, took a deep breath, and roared.
I hate roaring on a hangover.
The crowd dispersed through sheer terror at the sound of a Dragon, eyes fell on me as I caught my breath. I walked past the terrified villagers over to my friends and used one of the charges of Heroic Power I had for the day just to heal them.
"You guys alright?" I asked, trying my hardest not to pass out from the migraine that now dominated my skull.
My party made their affirmations that, yes, they were alright. I then rounded on the villagers and started on my lecture about paying attention to Heroes when they say, 'Hey, this is extremely important, my party is comprised of monsters, they will be arriving tomorrow. Do not attack them'.
Most people listen, they really do. Most times, there's only palpable tension in the air as they go about their day in close proximity to creatures that could eviscerate them without a second thought.
These were members of peaceful monster tribes who just wanted to be left alone, whom I as Hero was guided to find and defend against other tribes that wanted them dead, whom I then escorted to the village I had founded specifically for peaceful monsters to congregate and be safe.
This village was- by decree, no less- known throughout the land, had signage detailing that it was a legally established village, that the residents had a right to defend themselves, and that anyone stupid enough to piss off a resident enough to get killed, they were too stupid to contribute anything of value to the nation.
My party was comprised of a Lycanthrope from a barbarian tribe on the outskirts of the nation's territory, a Lizardfolk who had managed to find and learn how to read from wizard spellbooks- which incidentally made him a passing wizard, a Half-Demon Gnoll born in a cult to some local god of evil who didn't want to be some dark savior of monsterkind and was more than happy to push that role onto me, and an entire Dragon who generally preferred to travel in the form of a Kobold.
He is also my beloved husband and I love him dearly.
There was an uncommon saying that you could tell the destiny of a Hero by the company he keeps, and if that was true, the next handful of Heroes were not going to be the 'standard', and people were going to have to live with this.
Boris, the Lycanthrope, loves to drink. His immunity to most forms of damage and poisons means he can drink an entire tavern dry without so much as a buzz, which I envied him for, but not enough to have him bite me.
Lycanthropes are the monster progenitors of Werewolves. They don't have a Human form, they're just like that. Boris can move around on all fours just as well as two legs, people think he shapeshifts, but no, he's just like that as well.
He was usually the one who dealt with any Werewolves we came across, helping them learn to coexist with the beast within and embracing it, rather than drive themselves insane resisting it.
It turns out, coming to terms with the fact that you have an incurable curse and coming to see it in a positive light makes things easier. Novel concept, that.
Seliss, the Lizard Wizard, loves to eat, but is terrible at communication. It's the lack of facial expressions, difficulty understanding euphemistic language, and tendency to lightly whip himself or chew on bones.
No, this isn't normal Lizardfolk behavior, he's just like that. Incidentally, he was the one to discover that suspected changelings are just people who think like he does, and he's more than capable of talking to them on their level, which confuses and frightens the generally ignorant public.
He is beloved by these strange variants of people, and has single-handedly slithered his way into the hearts of the masses.
Vax, the half-Demon, has it the hardest. Even when I brought him with me, the combination of hated beings that he represented made him a constant target of hatred. I recall a time when, in spite of my explicit warnings not to harm him, a group of devout religious nutcases proceeded to attack him, in full view of me.
Each time, I would simply say, "By the Divine power invested in me as the Hero of this generation, you are allowed to defend yourself by any means necessary."
This usually caused the nutcases to stare at me in absolute horror as I had basically given a Demon carte blanche to murder them.
Vax would simply ask, "Can you please stop hurting me? I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to."
It was a grand irony that the spawn of the two races considered to be the most violent and hateful was a kind-hearted pacifist. That made the few times he did snap all the more terrifying.
At that point, though, it was usually the people who didn't learn their lesson the first dozen times who made him snap, followed by him breaking down in tears because he hated killing.
Thankfully, this time, the people weren't attacking him anymore.
And Grand Duke Torivan of the Drakarchy of Glim, longstanding enemies of the kingdom, who made a lovely Kobold and had helped me sue for peace, ending in a political marriage that ensured some level of peace.
It was actually his machinations that led to my winding up there, his grand and diabolical plot being a smokescreen for just being sick and tired of dumping all of their gold into their military while their public sector suffered.
I remembered entering his lair, our weapons drawn and ready to fight to the death, him rising menacingly from his hoard and then saying. "Finally, I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."
He explained his grand plan to us before humbly requesting that we at least play along. Officially, we were the ones who offered him a chance to repent and seek to mend his evil ways, since his actions could have led to serious damage to his side and ours if he'd been even halfway serious about it.
And because the amnesty of a Hero is considered a sacred and binding contract, he was free to go, he offered to partake in a political marriage for peace between our nations.
I accepted on the condition that if we're married, then he'll have to travel with me, a condition the Drakarchy only accepted because I was the Hero.
Now, one might think that simply because I was a destined Hero, that I was meant to fight against some evil Demon King or grand conspiracy.
No, I know how my tale ends, I know that I'll keep traveling and saving lives, preventing tragedies, and sowing peace. I've told my husband this, and while it saddens him, he understands that my fate is my own, and that I've already made peace with it.
I am destined to die defending the village I helped found from people who think I'm some kind of perversion of the natural order, who will try to destroy the peaceful home of so many who desperately want to live in comfort and peace.
I know some of them are going to die, but as I lay dying, my last words to them will be, "Pick up your weapons, you deserve to live."
I don't know if there will be peace after this, all I know is that until there is, there are going to be more monstrous Heroes like me, there are going to be more attempts at rectifying a grand mistake that was created when my soul was made.
Something that isn't well known is that the source of my powers, the strength that I wield, the wisdom that I have, it isn't divinely given, that was just something the Temples told the masses.
I come from a long line of lives, all dedicated to the peace and prosperity of the world, and we all know the only way to truly destroy evil for good, is to ensure it has no seedbed to grow.
Every time I return to my village, it fills me with dread knowing this could be the last time, yet I still smile, I still cherish my friends, my beloved husband, because even though I don't know when I will die, or what will happen after the fact, I have to believe that this will end in joy, rather than sorrow.
I have to, because nobody else is willing to take on that burden.

I’m fucking sick to death of my siblings’ behaviours. They always shut doors which gives me a feeling that’s an obsessive-compulsive behaviour. About tics, I don’t know for sure if it is a tic but they’re always make this noise that sounds similar to humming, this could potentially be a type of tic but my sister shakes her head (people do it to get hair out of their face but she does it constantly and triggers my misokinesia), fuck tics anyway. I wish I was never had siblings that did annoying things like this all the time.

Just as the title says I’m unsure of where I stand in my relationship or how to even proceed with it.
I’ve been dating this girl for as of yesterday 6mo, up until around 5mo ago we were madly in love, the type that people would throw up if they say in public (not for gross stuff but for being so lovey dovey like a movie) we had a bit of break over a misunderstanding and I know I hurt her but we are giving it another shot and she seems happy and has given me no reasons to believe otherwise.
We both are in uni and we are long distance currently (summer) and ever since going back to our respective homes I feel as if she’s been more distant. We used to text and call basically all day with little to no breaks or anything. Now it’s maybe a couple texts a day and I’m always the one wanting to call or staring the call.
I also want to give some background as to why I didn’t think this was an issue until now; her brother passed away recently and she took it very hard, she’s had issues with depression and other mental health challenges before and I understand that it’s not easy and It can affect people and cause them to be distant and I thought it was just that.
But yesterday was our 6mo anniversary and it just felt off. We had originally planned for her to meet my parents this week and go on dates for our anniversary which was canceled due to the circumstances of family. I sent her flowers and gifts and everything I could think of to say I love you, texting calling and the whole shabang. I DIDNT expect much but I wanted something rather than just “thanks for the flowers” and “sorry I didn’t get you anything I’m kinda broke :)” when two days ago she bought a 1/2oz for $130 for fun.
I feel as if now that I don’t get to see her on a daily basis I’m the only one putting in effort into our relationship. I’m awful with words and expressing myself so I don’t even know how to approach bringing this up. She already has a lot on her plate with her brothers death but being so distant seems strange when it seems like it’s only with me.
On the night of our anniversary she went to her guy friends house and they watched a movie alone together and smoked. I normally wouldn’t care but when it goes for hours of radio silence and the next picture you see of them they send is them wearing different clothing I can’t help but have those horrible thoughts.
Then last night she went to a party with him and spent the night at his place and is not texting me about anything. I don’t care about having friends with the other sex but I would care if they had some history. She’s literally told me his ex didn’t like her because of how close they were.
I don’t know what to do at this point. I want to bring up to her how I feel but I just don’t know when or how to do it. I love her I truly do. But sometimes I feel like im the only one committed to the relationship.
What is the best way to tell her how I feel about us currently?
TLDR: girlfriend since being long distance has grown more distant and I don’t know how to bring it up to her without her just saying it’s because of the circumstances

After 1 year I have played some games entirely on my Steam Deck and some of them on both my Steam Deck and laptop: MSI GE 77HX (i7 12800HX RTX3070ti 32 RAM DDR5 240HZ).
[I won't include the games I have just played for a little while on the SD or the games I have played only on the laptop]
TELL ME WHAT TYPE OF GAMES YOU PLAY ON THE STEAM DECK AND WHICH ONES ON OTHER PLATFORMS!
Entirely on Steam Deck:

• CapSized
• CryptArk
• Heat Signature
• Pid
• Ronin
• Swords and Soldiers 2: Shawarmageddon
• Assault Android Cactus
• Deadlight
• Mini Ninjas
• Steel Rats
• The Last Campfire
• Creepy Tale
• Bandits
• Iconoclasts
• Marsupilami: Hoobadventure
• Togawa: Among Shadows
• 198X
• OllieOllie
• SwitchBall
• Creepy Tale 2
• Hue
• OllieOllie 2

​
On both Steam Deck and laptop:

• Renegade Ops
• Invisigun Reloaded
• Evolve Stage 2
• Knockout City
• Slay the Spire
• Helldivers
• Nuclear Throne
• Journey
• Legends of Kingdom Rush
• Risk of Rain 2
• Chenso Club
• Super Animal Royale
• BallisticNG