I use to think that being comfortable with where I'm at in my career meant an upscale apartment in a city without a care in the world. This weekend I learned I'll be comfortable when I don't have to convince my 6 year old at a Walmart that baby sister will like the fox more than elmo because it's softer, but in reality it's because the fox is $5 and elmo is $15. I feel like I have so much to offer to my career and a company I'm working for, whether it my current nonprofit or a new one.
I've given quite a bit of my time to a company for years only to be turned down for promotions multiple times. Ive worked countless hours of overtime on hours that have kept me absent from my babies. All this while I watch new hires get places on my ideal shift for my family. Now, I'm planning on going back from maternity leave early because it's rumored a position I really would like will be opening up again.
I crave the reality of being able to be a successful working mother, and I firmly believe that the possibilities are endless. My husband is a stay-at-home dad, and we homeschool our children. We have even discussed the possibility of relocating for a job if it's truly worthwhile for me. However, the prospect of finding a position that truly values my contributions and respects my time seems like an unattainable dream. I feel trapped and unsure of the next step to take for the betterment of my family.
I just want to take a Friday morning trip to Walmart with my kids and not be in a panic attack/ cold sweat the entire time over the total. I'm just not sure where to start.. I've been spinning in a circle my entire maternity leave.

I use to think that being comfortable with where I'm at in my career meant an upscale apartment in a city without a care in the world. This weekend I learned I'll be comfortable when I don't have to convince my 6 year old at a Walmart that baby sister will like the fox more than elmo because it's softer, but in reality it's because the fox is $5 and elmo is $15. I feel like I have so much to offer to my career and a company I'm working for, whether it my current nonprofit or a new one.
I've given quite a bit of my time to a company for years only to be turned down for promotions multiple times. Ive worked countless hours of overtime on hours that have kept me absent from my babies. All this while I watch new hires get places on my ideal shift for my family. Now, I'm planning on going back from maternity leave early because it's rumored a position I really would like will be opening up again.
I crave the reality of being able to be a successful working mother, and I firmly believe that the possibilities are endless. My husband is a stay-at-home dad, and we homeschool our children. We have even discussed the possibility of relocating for a job if it's truly worthwhile for me. However, the prospect of finding a position that truly values my contributions and respects my time seems like an unattainable dream. I feel trapped and unsure of the next step to take for the betterment of my family.
I just want to take a Friday morning trip to Walmart with my kids and not be in a panic attack/ cold sweat the entire time over the total. I'm just not sure where to start.. I've been spinning in a circle my entire maternity leave.

I use to think that being comfortable with where I'm at in my career meant an upscale apartment in a city without a care in the world. This weekend I learned I'll be comfortable when I don't have to convince my 6 year old at a Walmart that baby sister will like the fox more than elmo because it's softer, but in reality it's because the fox is $5 and elmo is $15. I feel like I have so much to offer to my career and a company I'm working for, whether it my current nonprofit or a new one.
I've given quite a bit of my time to a company for years only to be turned down for promotions multiple times. Ive worked countless hours of overtime on hours that have kept me absent from my babies. All this while I watch new hires get places on my ideal shift for my family. Now, I'm planning on going back from maternity leave early because it's rumored a position I really would like will be opening up again.
I crave the reality of being able to be a successful working mother, and I firmly believe that the possibilities are endless. My husband is a stay-at-home dad, and we homeschool our children. We have even discussed the possibility of relocating for a job if it's truly worthwhile for me. However, the prospect of finding a position that truly values my contributions and respects my time seems like an unattainable dream. I feel trapped and unsure of the next step to take for the betterment of my family.
I just want to take a Friday morning trip to Walmart with my kids and not be in a panic attack/ cold sweat the entire time over the total. I'm so exhausted of this.

Today thanks to a tip from Faraday_Rage, I bring you a ghost story from West Lake Hills, although saying that might be a bit misleading because West Lake Hills is a mid-20th century invention and the events of this story happen mostly before that. There used to be a village called Eanes in that general area full of farmers, ranchers, and cedar choppers before it was subdivided into one of the nicer suburbs.
There was only one bridge for vehicle traffic (besides the train bridge) from Downtown into South Austin before the 1940s. Because of this, the western part of Travis County was separated from the growth of Austin and the eastern part of the county, and remained sort of a wild frontier well after the surrounding lands were settled.
Among the early settlers in that area were two brothers named Alexander and Robert Eanes. There is a historical marker at the intersection of Red Bud Trail and Loop 360 which says the following:

Alexander Eanes (1806-1888) moved to Texas from Mississippi in 1845 and acquired this ranch by 1857. In 1873 he sold the property to his brother, Robert Eanes (1805-1895), who had moved to the area following the Civil War. A log cabin built on the Eanes ranch was the first Eanes school, and the community also assumed the Eanes name. Robert Eanes sold the ranch to his son-in-law, Hudson Boatner Marshall (1862-1951) in 1883. Marshall dismantled the ranch house and moved it to a site adjacent to the nearby creek.

So there was a man named H.B. Marshall who lived on the former Eanes Ranch with his wife Viola (Robert Eanes's daughter) and family.
H.B. Marshall was a Civil War orphan. His mom died shortly after childbirth and his dad died as part of Hood's Brigade. He spent his early life in Austin-area orphanages until he graduated high school at the age of 19. That was when the doctors of the era diagnosed him with "consumption", otherwise known as Tuberculosis today. There was no cure in the 19th century. Afflicted people were told to go live in the country and get some fresh air, and that's exactly what he did.
Lucky for him, HB's dad well fairly well off when he died and left him an inheritance. After he left the orphanage he used this money to buy the ranch from the Eanes family, met and married Viola Eanes, and started a family. Legends say a Mexican folk healer convinced him eating goat meat and drinking goat's milk was an excellent remedy for consumption, and so he raised goats.
The book Eanes Portrait of a Community has this photo of H.B. and Viola and their dog, along a brief biographical bit:

H.B. and Viola Marshall sold honey and butter and raised goats. At one time H.B. was president of the American Goat Association and traveled to Chicago to attend that organization's national convention. There he met and talked with Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. In its early days the Ford Motor Company used mohair from goats to make a soft, long-lasting fabric which was used to upholster the seats in its "tin lizzies". H.B. Marshall was one of the company's first mohair suppliers. Later, after Bee Cave Road became a better, more reliable road, Marshall, who was a skilled printer sometimes worked in Austin at that trade.

So HB Marshall and his family were very good at raising goats.
The Marshall Family were also beekeepers. HB liked to be called "Honey Bee" Marshall later in life. He lived the rest of his life on that ranch and died in the 1950s.
Now that you have that little bit of backstory, on with today's tale. The following article appeared on page 21 the Austin American-Statesman on May 16, 1966:

MYSTERY
Old Grave Beside Creek
The mystery of who is buried a shallow grave beside Smith Creek, seven miles southwest of Austin, may never be solved.
With it goes a tale of a robbery and killing said to have occurred more than 60 years ago on the Bee Cave Road.
But at least one story told by a man who died last year sticks in the minds of some residents of the hill country behind Zilker Park.
The man was long-time stock man and World War I veteran John Marshall, who lived out his life on the Eanes-Marshall Ranch seven miles southwest of Austin. His story told him as a child by his father, early Travis County settler and school teacher Hudson Boatner (Honey Bee) Marshall goes something like this:
In the late 19th century, a man from Bee Caves came to Austin with a wagon load of cotton. After selling it, he was returning home when his hired hand killed him and took the money. The slain man was not found for several days, and when he was, he was buried on the spot, several hundred feel off the road.
This is the way Cecil Johnson, of 1500 West Bee Caves remembers the story. He heard it in 1956 when he and his brother-in-law, Elmo Freitag, dug into the grave and found a skeleton. Freitag and Johnson went from where they live to buy a dog killed by a car on the Marshall ranch, Johnson said. "When we found the bones, we were pretty scared," Freitag said. "We went up to the ranch house to tell John Marshall about them." "That's when John told us the story," Johnson recalls. "He said we should cover the bones back up and let the old man rest."
The story was brought to the attention of the American- Statesman by Bruce Marshall of Houston, a nephew of John Marshall and an heir to 10 acres of the old ranch land. Others who lived along Bee Caves Road, or who knew John Marshall, recall hearing him tell the story, but no one contacted so far remembers hearing the story from anyone else.
Sheriff T. O. Lang said he has no records dating back that far, Marshall was born around 1887, and Johnson said the killing and robbery occurred "before John's time."
A check into the archives in the Austin Library's Austin and Travis County Collection reveals a similar crime which occurred in 1871. On Feb. 7 of that year, according to Frank Brown's Annals of Travis County, "an old citizen" named Charles Barnes, who "lived seven miles north of Austin," was killed and robbed after he had come to town and sold a wagon load of hay. He was shot and killed "probably for his money," and his body was found 30 yards from the road, three-fourths of a mile from his dwelling. A $1,000 reward was offered for the criminal, but he was never captured.
This "official" report is quite similar to the story told by John Marshall, but the directions from Austin do not coincide.
There are descendants or a family named Cotton who live in Bee Caves, according to Miss Jessie Roy, former teacher who lives on the Rob Roy Ranch on the Bee Caves Road two miles beyond the Marshall ranch. But she said she never heard of any of them being robbed or killed. Her family moved here in the 1890s.
Conceivably, with the tale handed down by word of mouth for three generations, the name Cotton, and the product "cotton" could have gotten confused. And the Brown report, probably taken from a newspaper account, could have been mistaken about the direction (north or west) from Austin where the crime was committed.
But if the wagon load was cotton instead of hay, the crime would have occurred most likely in October, according to Austin rancher and historian Carl Widen. Widen said in the old days Austin, it usually came from the south and west, from Dripping Springs and Bee Caves, in October, "in time for the circus." "The whole family would come to town with the load of cotton usually one or two bales to a wagon and after it was sold the women bought cloth for dresses and the kids went to see the circus. Then they got back home late that night.
Another hill resident, Charles Roberts, 80, who lives on a creek near the Rob Roy ranch, said he remembered people hauling cotton in trains of three or four wagons pulled by oxen, rather than by horses or mules. And Austin resident Charles Dellana said it used to take at least four mules to pull a wagon load of corn out of the bottoms or "The Narrows" between Bee Caves Road and the Colorado River. He opined that the murder and robbery must have occurred "earlier than 1903."
Besides the Cotton family out Bee Caves way, other family names familiar to those still living are Theodore Bose, Joe Beck, the Freitags, the Teagues, the Simpsons and the Moores. But who is buried beside Smith Creek on the Marshall ranch, how he died, and when he was buried, no one seems to remember.

Well this old story was apparently told far and wide. There was another article on that same day (May 16, 1966) in The Statesman: (h/t/ jbjjbjbb)

Ghost Hunters Have a Go at Ghosting
San Antonians Learn of Murder and Such Things on Austin Ranch
Ghosts, anyone? A strange tale of murder and theft was spottily told Saturday night by a "spirit" who was supposedly in communication with a group of ghost- hunters seven miles southwest of Austin. The ghost hunters, five people from San Antonio, gath ered on the old Marshall Ranch in West Lake Hills with two news reporters. They apparently believed they were communicating with a ghost named Tom Burns.
"Margaret, Margaret, Margaret," the ghost kept repeating through the automatic-writing technique of Mrs. Joan McKee, wife of Don McKee. McKee is manager of the Builders Exchange of Texas, in San Antonio. He and his wife say they are "student" parapsychologists. Spelling out the name of Margaret Owens, Tom Burns said, "She is dead now. She is my love."
The names of Margaret Owens and Tom Burns were interpreted by the McKees from an almost indecipherable scrawl which Mrs. McKee transmitted to sheet after sheet of paper with a pencil, while her husband held her elbow. They were seated at a table in the single upper room of the old Marshall ranch house. With them were this reporter, ranch owner and Houston Post business writer Bruce Marshall, and San Antonio residents Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gibson, Mr. and Mrs. John Mac-Donald, and Mrs. Mary K. Cook. The only light in the room came from a lantern.
"Burns" said Margaret "Owens" was buried on a mountain top east of the ranch, and had been killed in or near some water. Burns also said he had been killed by three men on a road near the ranch as he was hauling a wagon load of hay. Placing the date at 1904, possibly on a Monday, he said he was shot as he got down off the wagon to move a rock that was in the way.
Although at least two other spirits were supposedly contacted beyond the pale, that of Burns appeared to be the most communicative and the most interesting. It was either Burns, or a ghost named Nathan Anderson who spoke of a John Anderson who came "often" to the ranch to drink "rum from South America" with Robert Eanes.
Eanes, according to Marshall, was the first man in the family to own the ranch property. He died in the 19th century and is buried in a family plot on a hill near the ranch house. Marshall said later there had been a man named John Anderson who was a friend of the Eanes family. Marshall and this reporter have established, from local folklore and from written records, that a man, possibly named Charles Barnes, was killed seven miles from Austin around 1871, after selling a load of ether cotton or hay in town.
There is a grave of an unknown man beside Smith Creek on the Marshal ranch, not far off the Bee Caves Road, which is seven miles from Austin. Neither Marshall nor this reporter have verified that the grave on Smith Creek is the one in which the robbery victim was buried, but the coincidences of the known facts leaves room for speculation that it may be the one.
Burns said he had worked for a man named Cotton Roberts, and that Roberts had worked for a man possibly named Mitchell Treadwell. The name of Treadwell first came to the attention of the group when MacDonald, a former announcer for KONO-TV, fell into a trance through what was called auto-hypnosis. He said he got the name from a ghost present in the room, and that he also received "an impression" of the dates 1890 to 1901. Marshall later disclosed that the old ranch house had been built sometime between 1890 and 1905.
The name "Mitchell" was written on the paper when one of the persons asked aloud, "Does the name Treadwell mean anything to you?" Burns also spoke of his mother, naming her variously Mary Markham, Marstur, Masters and Markem, who he said had been sick in a barn and subsequently died.
Mention was made of a bearded man who wore a big hat and was deaf in one ear, of a box buried beneath a barn, and of wild mohair goats. Marshall said the last man to live on the ranch, his late uncle John Marshall, found a hole on the ranch about 30 years ago where a box apparently had been buried. This was when Miriam A. Ferguson was governor of Texas, he said.
He also said a bearded deaf man had once been a ranch hand there and that John Marshall's father, H. B. Marshall, had raised Angora goats on the ranch. Burns said Roberts had buried the box, and he (Burns) had dug it up. "Money means death," came the scrawled message on the paper.
Two of the most dramatic events of the evening occurred when the McKees tried to communicate with a ghost named "Robert" Both of them believed the ghost to be that of Robert Eanes, whom they described as having a very powerful, domineering personality. Mrs. McKee broke down and could write no more after transcribing the words, "My time is up now. Many have come but nobody will listen." Later McKee tried to communicate, and apparently went into a trance after receiving the word "yes" to the question of whether "Robert" had been born in July.
Just before McKee went into a trance, Marshall and this reporter were curious to notice that a strong wind the only one noticed during the entire night rattled the eaves of the house for about a minute.
The time was shortly after midnight Mrs. Cook, who writes radio and TV commercials, took down the following from McKee's barely audible words: "I have many children. I am as Abraham I shan't stay around where my people don't want me. It is dark. Darkness is in the land. We shall bring light."
Further efforts to communicate with "Robert" failed. After this incident, the "ghosts" seemed to leave the parapsychologists and their fellow delvers into ESP (extra-sensory perception).
A long vigil at the family cemetery until almost dawn proved fruitless. Gibson, sales manager for Pratt and Lambert varnish makers, whose supposedly "haunted" house in San Antonio was the subject of a Houston Post story several months ago, conceded with high good humor that he had seen no ghosts Saturday night "But Robert was around," he affirmed confidently.
Marshall and this reporter scratched their heads, totaling up the number of "unexplainable coincidences" which made the night at least a little provocative if not downright exciting. It would take a patient historian to check the names listed. As for the "ghosts" well, who knows?

H.B. Marshall had a son named John and he in turn had a son named Bruce. Bruce Marshall was an artist who spent most of his time in Houston but moved back to the family ranch in 1974. Marshall recounted the story of the 1966 ghost hunt in this 1983 article:

THE SEARCH FOR ghosts is not uncommon with visitors to the Marshall Ranch off Loop 360 South. It is the home of artist Bruce Marshall and his family and nine ghosts, those of seven people and two horses.
Marshall studio and gallery is a restored, pre-Civil War ancestral home located next to the family residence. Parapsychologists visited the building in 1966 and declared it to be haunted by a man who was attacked, shot and killed near the original entrance of the ranch. The ghost of the dead man, whose unmarked grave is still on the ranch, reportedly told the ghosts hunters about his fate. The ghost also admitted that he had committed murder, killing a woman named Margaret by drowning her.
There are two creeks near the ranchhouse that are the source of several other ghost stories.
"SUPPOSEDLY ONE GHOST walks the creek towards Eanes (Elementary) school calling for someone," said Marshall. "There were some kids camping near the creek about six months ago, they heard dogs barking and the noise of a wagon drawn by horses. The wagon has no driver and follows an old road which used to connect to Bee Cave Road."
Marshall said his family tries to play down the ghosts tales surrounding his homestead. "If we really become convinced that we're haunted, we really lose our enjoyment of the place. People seeking ghosts out here are very unwelcome," he said. "If there are such things, they don't bother me. They like me. They probably feel that if I go, the house goes, the property changes, and they're evicted.

In 1999 Marshall sold the house and the ranch to The Eanes Historical Society, who moved it next to the current location of Eanes Elementary School, where it has become the home of the EHS and serves as a small museum today.
So who is in the mystery grave at Smith Creek? I found one lead.
Back in February of 1916 a 20-year-old man named Albert Cook had an unfortunate accident and was killed. The Statesman reported it like so:

While setting a wolf trap on the Marshall goat ranch, eight miles from Austin, Alfred Lee Cook, 20 years old, accidentally shot and killed himself at 8:30 Friday morning, a charge of buck-shot from the left barrel of a double-barrelled shotgun entering his abdomen.
Cook was a laborer on the Marshall ranch, near Summitt. Early Friday morning he attempted to set a steel trap for wolves. He was carrying a shotgun and was accompanied by two small boys.
Setting his shotgun, both barrels of which were loaded, against a bush, he advanced to the trap. The gun fell across his path and he shoved it aside. As he did so, in some way the left barrel of the gun was discharged, the entire charge taking effect in his abdomen at short range and badly lacerating his body. Death was almost Instantaneous.
Justice of the Peace George W. Mendell, Deputy Sheriff Jim McCoy and Deputy Constable Matt Turner went to Summitt this morning for the Inquest. Justlce Mendell rendered a verdict of accidental shooting. The name of one surviving relative was reported to the Justice of the Peace, being Mrs. Rebecca Ann Brown, mother of the young man

Is this the person in the grave? I can't say for sure without DNA testing, but poor Mr. Cook might be the best candidate.
Time is short and space is long today so I'll leave it there. The Eanes-Marshall house today is called the Eanes History Center, and sits next to Eanes Elementary School at 4101 Bee Caves Rd. Bonus Items to follow:
Bonus Pic #1 - Photograph of Bruce Marshall standing next to the graves of his ancestors in Eanes-Marshall Cemetery - unknown date (mid 1970s?)
Bonus Pic #2 - "Photograph of Bruce Marshall and Dorothy Depwe in the Eanes-Marshall Cemetary looking down at a tombstone." - unknown date (mid 1970s?)
Bonus Video #1 - Eanes History: HB Marshall (from Eanes History Center)
Bonus Video #2 - Eanes History: HB Marshall Ranch House Tour (from Eanes History Center)
Bonus Article #1 - Masons BBQ meet at The Marshall Ranch - November 17, 1919
Bonus Article #2 - "Better watch out! Spirits on the prowl!" - May 14, 1966
Bonus book excerpt? - Notes from an interview with Earl Short (a reformed bootlegger), in which he mentions he saw H.B. and John Marshall setting up a soda stand one Election Day after he bribed some illiterate people for their votes.

I recently tackled Raymond St. Elmo’s “The Blood Tartan,” and so I thought I’d share my thoughts.
This book is madness. It says as much in the blurb, of course. But it is indeed madness. I mean, what do you make of such a cover, with a hardy bear-man wearing a kilt? Symbolic, from what I understand, representative of the main character Rayne Gray, but don’t hamper your imagination, dear reader. Things are not always as they seem, and so at times, the narrative of The Blood Tartan suggests that you can run in whatever direction your whimsy carries you, for there is much whimsy in this book. It’s St. Elmo’s poeticism that is at once deft and clever but completely fantastic at the same time. He doesn’t often spell things out for you, creating an alluring ambiguity where you sometimes question Rayne’s own sanity.
There is also some spadassery (yes, you will learn new words such as spadassin), though insofar as our hero is a spadassin, he doesn’t always “lead with his sword.” He’s intelligent, has a heart, and enjoys the finer things in life, despite the fact he is somewhat roguish and very dangerous. The danger is there from the start, of course, where Rayne is set up by a former ally, a city alderman turned tyrant who doesn’t care for Rayne’s interest in the poor in what I take to be pre-industrial England. And so starts a series of events which sees Rayne lose everything: friends, home, and reputation.
But all along the way, Rayne crosses paths with strange, elusive characters who are sad and poetic and fancy free, brimming with a madness tinged with holy reverence. Who are they? Why are they interested in him? From street urchins to pious singing ladies to Scottish vampires—even a half-woman half-snake creature—Rayne finds they won’t leave him alone, constantly interjecting in his life up to the point of springing him from prison after which he absconds with them to Scotland.
Here Rayne learns of the old clans, families of the type who were said to have “Wandered the earth as the wind. Running through forests laughing, or standing silent on the shore of the sea. Masters of every tongue, every art, every secret of star and stone.” The family with which he’s fallen in is the Mac Sanglair, who decided to settle and take a name after wandering so long. Alas, the clans are no longer united due to rivalries, spats, and jealousies from alliances and marriages made with magic folk and “pale brides” (read: vampires). Herein lies the crux of the matter, as the reader will see later.
But more pressing is Lalena, a “mad creature” whose vampiric feedings aren’t enough to deter Rayne from being drawn to her romantically. It is her beguiling nature that ultimately allays any fears that would otherwise be strong enough to compel Rayne to try and escape his rescuing captors. He goes along willingly in that sense, delving into nightmarish memories of his own, participating in dreams and other madness, including a marriage proposal to Lalena. It seems to be the only way forward even though there can only be death at the hands of a vampire bride. But she is the Lady of the Mac Sanglair Clan, and she’s set out to find a suitor—specifically one who would see her “as someone past the name, past the blood, past the idea of a mad thing,” and “someone just as dangerous and twice as mad.” I took this to mean Rayne, though it seems to have flown over his head at that point in the story. Still, he understands he has very little choice in the matter and goes along with it despite his misgivings.
As a narrator, Rayne can be somewhat though not quite stream of consciousness; he has a very specific cadence at times. Though he is able to wax poetic when needed. For example, one of my favorite passages is as follows:
“Fresh cut grass. Lilac and rose from gardens, cow-dung and moldering hay, river-scent of watercress and weed. Frog-song mud-scents from ditches and ponds, spiced dust rising up from the road beneath the horse hooves. Fire-side smoke from cottages where families gathered about the hearth, reading stories, sewing socks. Did they know the essence of their domestic heaven rose as a spirit up chimneys, wafted across the world to comfort night-travelers with the reminder that somewhere waited warm bright corners?"
The book isn’t terribly long and while you meander a bit in Rayne’s thoughts, his mind is an amusing place to spend time, and it all serves a purpose that leads to a final chapter which hints that his destiny, if you will, is far more expansive and fantastic than his previous aims.
The Blood Tartan was a good read, though hard to capture in a concise summary. You really just have to read it. I would recommend it to those who enjoy literary tales, magical realism, subtle wit, and allusions to Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress.”

the introduction

As we all know, the year 2023 (Twenty Twenty-Three, or Two Thousand Twenty-Three) is the year of accuracy. Why? Because I just made it up. Because it kinda sorta rhymes if you squint your ears. Therefore, I set out to complete the most accurate bingo card for the 2023 Bingo challenge. I am not Raymond St. Elmo, I swear. We've never even been in the same room before. I looked at the card, and I looked at each name in the square. Then I thought, "What type of book is this square name telling me to read?" Then, I read that book. Below, when I discuss the books, I will include an explanation if it's not clear how the book fits the square; it's hard to know just by looking sometimes. If no explanation is given, the reasoning (to me) is already evident. Feel free to ask, though, if you're confused. Without further adieu, settle in cause this is gonna be a long ride:

the visual card

Thanks to shift_shaper for making an interactive bingo card, which helped the image-making process so much easier.
My Card

row 1

• Title with a Title: S. by J.J. Abrams & Doug Dorst
  • Explanation: The front box says "S.", but the book itself says "Ship of Theseus," which makes this book have a title with a title.
  • Review: Two people relay messages in the margins of a book about a man who doesn't know who he is and is forced to be a part of a ship crew; he tried to escape them. House of Leaves did it better; I said what I said. This felt like a cheap knockoff trying to capture the magic and feel, but it missed the mark. It was a cool idea that didn't go any further than the cool idea itself. It wasn't all bad, and I liked how they never really explained the weird time stuff that happened on the ship, since that wasn't the focus (and was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it detail anyway). Still, nice to finally have it off my TBR after years of collecting dust.
• Superheroes: Glass Soup by Jonathan Carroll
  • Explanation: Please see the second word in the title; also, some of the characters can rightfully, er...probably, be called heroes.
  • Review: A man must figure out his death; another woman must try and stop Chaos from trapping her in the death realm. This was such a bizarre trip that I don't even know how I feel about it. As an overall concept, I loved it. I loved the absurdist world and situations. However, I thought it dragged in places, and I found myself getting bored at times.
• Bottom of the TBR: Robot Tom by Craig S. Morgan
  • Explanation: See title of book
  • Review: I was pleasantly surprised. It's a book that's centered around a robot running for local office and how he handles the job, which doesn't sound like it'd be for me at all. But it had a lot of heart and some engaging writing. There are some racist references, such as a strip club featuring confederate flag apparel. However, these references are from characters intended to be the bad guys, and they do receive comeuppance. My biggest qualm is there's one character who has a random, no lead-up or explanation, change of heart. It was very jarring. I appreciated how the parts set in New Orleans felt like they were written by someone who wasn't using it as an exotic set piece but by someone who had actually frequently been there.
• Magical Realism: Miró by Janis Mink
  • Explanation: Joan Miró was an artist whose prominent work is often categorized in the Magical Realism genre of art
  • Review: It was an art history book about Joan Miró that went into some detail about his life and various art. It was intriguing.
• Young Adult: The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young
  • Explanation: See the last name of the author; this is an adult book.
  • Review: A woman who receives visions about horrific things about to or that have occurred is offered to write about an unsolved mystery in Louisiana. lol I hated this book so much. It was offensively inaccurate towards Louisiana. Characters spoke in the worst written eye dialect I've ever seen. Characters with "Cajun" accents were portrayed as being unintelligent simply because of their accent. There was a made up town (fine, whatever) in a made up parish (why?) that didn't make any sense location-wise. It's like the author spent 3 days in the state and decided, "Yep I know everything there is to know." It did the thing I hate in books set in Louisiana, which is make it seem like the entire state revolves around New Orleans, like it's the only "real" city (the book literally calls it "the city"), and everywhere else is small towns buried in a swamp. Also, the plot and characters were boring.

row 2

• Mundane Jobs: The Book of Joby by Mark J. Ferrari
  • Explanation: He's just an average guy from Earth; also, his name is Joby, not Job.
  • Review: God agrees to let the Devil torment a boy named Joby for about 35 years in a wager. Wow was I surprised. Truth be told, I had to idea what to expect from a Book of Job retelling. One thing I'll say off the bat is that I did not find it to be proselytizing at all. I thought the writing was super engaging, as well as the plot and characters. It features Arthurian elements that I normally don't like in books, personally, but didn't mind here. (That's not a major spoiler btw.) All in all, this was an epic slice of life with lots of magic that I wasn't expecting to like but ended up being enthralled by.
• Published in the 2000s: Gilgamesh by Anonymous, translated by Herbert Mason
  • Explanation: Gilgamesh has been dated to have been composed sometime in the 2000s...BCE
  • Review: It sure was an epic poem! No, but really I actually had no idea what the story was about. In short, it's about a guy name Gilgamesh whose best friend dies and the grief he goes through because of it. As a modern-day reader, I liked it.
• Angles and D(imensional)-men: Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott
  • Explanation: Yes, that's his real name. Also, it's about dimensions and angle creatures.
  • Review: You really should know that this is meant to be a satirical novel about Victorian society. I know it's often mentioned in discussions about multiple dimensions, but people so often don't mention the satirical aspect that I was a bit taken aback. Anyway, it was alright. Kinda boring at times but interesting at others. Not much else to be said.
• Five Short Stories: Witch Way to Spellbinder Bay by Sam Short
  • Explanation: Okay, I'm kinda cheating. See the author's last name. I didn't read 5 books by the author, but I did read the 5th book published.
  • Review: A standard magical cozy mystery about a young woman who discovers she's a witch and has to solve a murder case. Fun times.
• Horror: Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal
  • Explanation: The word "Ghost" is in the title; ghosts are scary.
  • Review: The main character's significant other dies; she and his ghost try and figure out why, while also needing to not tip the enemy that she and others can speak to ghosts. I'm not normally one for historical military fiction, but this one was good! I think it's because while WWI was certainly an important aspect of the book, the major focus was on the characters and the mystery, which I found great to read about.

row 3

• Self Published or Indie Publisher: Hello from the Hallowoods by William A. Wellman
  • Explanation: It's an audiodrama that was self-produced and self-published probably
  • Review: A tale about a mysterious and spooky place called the Hallowoods and everything that takes place inside this nightmare world. I listened to season 1. I liked the atmosphere, but all the details got muddled with so much going on. I found myself disinterested in a lot of it, but I liked the sub-plot with the narrator and the rival host.
• Set in the Middle East: The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
  • Explanation: Part of the inspiration is set in the roots of Middle Eastern mythology
  • Review: A girl must find a way to defeat tyrannical leaders who make her world a dystopic nightmare. I liked this book. Did it do anything incredibly innovative and unique in the realm of YA? Not really. But it featured characters and mythologies in such a setting where they're normally not featured. I think if you liked Children of Blood and Bone, you might like this.
• Published in 2023: To Ride Hell's Chasm by Janny Wurts
  • Explanation: Janny Wurts is a time traveler. ISBN: 978-1592220236
  • Review: Epic fantasy about an outcast whom most everyone despises but is determined to save the princess who suddenly vanished and save a kingdom about to be succumbed by evil forces. Another book that'd been sitting on my shelf that I finally had the courage to read; it was also a bingo prize from a previous year, so thank you to the author! I'm currently in the middle of reading the Wars of Light and Shadow books, which feature the most "These words would be on the SAT/ACT" writing I've ever seen (great series, just gotta be patient while reading lol). TRHC was much easier to read in comparison. I thought it did a great job focusing on multiple POVs without also losing sight of the main character or the plot itself.
• Multiverses: The Honey Month by Amal El-Mohtar
  • Explanation: This book features multiple poems with multiple verses
  • Review: Anthology revolving around a different type of honey for each month. What a wonderful, whimsical ride! Lush descriptions, poignant imagery. A fantastic anthology of stories.
• POC Author: FIYAH, Issue #25
  • Explanation: Try to tell me to read just one POC author for this square; I read from multiple.
  • Review: Anthology. Some of the stories were pretty disturbing, ngl. But I liked everything for the most part. I wasn't the biggest fan of the poems, but that's just a personal thing. The nonfiction was my favorite section, especially the essay lamenting how "magical realism" is oftentimes referred to as a "Latine exclusive" genre, when other cultures from different diasporas, especially African, have just as much of a right to Magical Realism.

row 4

• Book Club or Readalong Book: Building Stories by Chris Ware
  • Explanation: This is a physically long book, with the dimensions coming in at 11.1 x 1.92 x 16.6 inches (28.032 x 4.8768 x 42.168 centimeters).
  • Review: Slice of life focused mainly on a woman as she, well, goes through life. Truth be told, this barely counts. There is one single row of panels featuring a futuristic setting, and there are two short sections that are narrated by an apartment building. Otherwise, it's a mundane slice of life. It was another book that was just alright, but I'd owned it for years, so I'm happy I finally read it.
• Novella: The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes
  • Explanation: Google Translate tells me the title translates to La Hacienda Encantada. The word Enchanted also has roots in the word Chant, which is a type of music, and La is a note that follows So in the solfège; ergo,
  • Review: A young woman with no magic must take care of her family's magical garden. It was fine. I didn't buy the romance, even at the end, but I liked the magical realism aspect.
• Mythical Beasts: The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges
  • Explanation: See the title
  • Review: This is basically an encyclopedia of many different mythological creatures from around the world in different cultures. It features an explanation as well as notable examples. Very interesting.
• Elemental Magic: The Qubit Zirconium: A KeyForge Novel by M. Darusha Wehm
  • Explanation: Zirconium is an element on the Periodic Table of Elements; this book is magical.
  • Review: Yes, I did purchase some actual KeyForge sets to see what it was all about. It's a card game similar to Magic the Gathering (I guess? I've never played MTG or anything similar, so I assuming). What sets KF apart is that every single deck is instantly playable and unique. There is no deck building or swapping cards; the deck you get is the deck you play with. Anyway, the book itself is a cozy SF mystery at its heart—who stole the qubit zirconium? It was wonderful.
• Myths and Retellings: That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming
  • Explanation: This is a retelling of the same book by the same author, but this time it's told in Traditionally Published. Also, it features sex scenes that are retellings of the scenes in the main character's smutty romance books.
  • Review: A woman dodges a love potion that hits a werewolf who swears he's imprinted on her and that it's not just the love potion. Features a variety of magical beings: werewolves, dragon shifters, incels, and more. Hilarious and heartwarming. Lots of explicit smut, but the relationship and world were the main focus, so I wouldn't call it an erotic novel per se. This and The Enchanted Hacienda both feature the trope of: "Is the love real, or is it because of a love potion or spell?"

row 5

• Queernorm Setting: Exodus 20:3 by Freydís Moon
  • Explanation: This features a queer, trans main character who works as a carpenter for the summer.
  • Review: Now this one I would call an erotic novel, since the main focus is pretty much on the sex. It's about a young trans man forced to work as a carpenter to rebuild an old church. He discovers that he's the only worker and that the foreman is actual an angel (as in, biblical form). The two have sex. Not bad, actually.
• Coastal Setting: Roller Coaster World by Kenneth Bulmer
  • Explanation: See the title of the book
  • Review: A man tries to find his purpose in life, while the world itself might be in trouble. It was okay. Not bad, not anything I overly loved. Solidly average.
• Druids: Dark Moon by Meredith Ann Pierce
  • Explanation: Yeah so I don't really know what a Druid is, so I read a book about unicorns instead.
  • Review: Loved this. The series is about a young unicorn who finds that he is the Firebringer, the one who will lead his people (you know what I mean) from exile back into their rightful land. This sequel was filled with adventure and felt like it belonged; that is, I appreciated how it didn't suffer from the sophomore slump.
• Features Robots: Blackberry Blue by Jamila Gavin
  • Explanation: I kinda cheated on this one, too. I read it on ebook using the Roboto font, but it's close enough; so it counts.
  • Review: Anthology featuring dark, whimsical tales. Pretty good!
• Sequel: The Following Story by Cees Nooteboom
  • Explanation: "Sequel" indicates a story that follows another; hence, the title of the book.
  • Review: A philosophical, surrealist book about a man who goes to sleep in a hotel room and wakes up as a school teacher elsewhere who just slept with a woman in a relationship. Ehh, I wasn't a big fan. I found it too caught up in itself, like it was trying to make a big existential point. It just wasn't for me, but I do understand why it's acclaimed.

the conclusion

As you can hopefully see by now, this card is probably the most accurate one you will ever see and that I will ever produce. If I do another card this year, it will not be as accurate. Anyway, I did a ton of reading in April and May to complete this early because otherwise I would forget about it lol. Thanks for reading.

Welcome back. Very short installment today, but that should be fine since we're getting some quite a bit longer ones for our next two chapters.
I'm working on standing up a basic blogger style website for these posts to live permanently within the next day or two. I would like to continue doing all the initial posts here, but I admit to feeling a bit conflicted. I like these being part of this community and it's definitely the most straightforward way for the re-read to get exposure; however, I'm not sure about producing this volume of posts on a sub that (for understandable reasons) doesn't have a high daily post count. Any thoughts are more than welcome.
If you're looking for the previous installment of this re-read, here ya go.
Chapter 2.09 - Text Message from an Unfamiliar Number
What happens:
Sunday rolls around and Strike once again play acts as the University of London’s surliest student to shower at their facilities. Freshly presentable, he begins his journey to St. Elmo’s Hostel, last location he has for Rochelle Onifade. On the way, he phones John Bristow to ask if he has any information on the identity or location of Lula’s “Vashti friend”. Bristow is immediately upset, close to angered at this inquiry, saying that it would be a waste of time to talk to Rochelle since Tansy Bestigui had heard a male voice that night. Although Strike clarifies that he wants to interview her as a witness instead of a suspect, Bristow dodges the question and changes the subject.
Evan Duffield has caused a bit of drama by making a surprise visit to Bristow's mother Yvette on Saturday, press suspiciously already in place for photographs. It was covered in News of the World. His motivation is unknown, but Bristow considers it a silver lining that his mother is so dosed up with heavy painkillers that she didn’t even know who was visiting. Apparently she is basically on death’s door.
While Bristow remains dismissive of Strike’s reasoning for wanting to interview Rochelle, his mood is improved when the latter informs him that he will be meeting Inspector Wardle the next day and likely obtaining the official case file. The call ends on good note, with Bristow also letting Strike know that he’s arranging for the detective to meet Tansy Bestigui this coming week.
Cormoran arrives at the grimly institutional St. Elmo’s Hostel and inquires after Rochelle. The lady at the front desk is suspicious, it certainly not helping that, despite claiming to be “a friend of a friend”, he can only say her name is “something like Rachel.” When Strike says that he is a PI, another staff member, more charitably disposed, lets him know that the girl's name is Rochelle and that she left probably months ago. He calls one of the residents, Carrianne, over to see if she has any more information. The rather salty Carrianne, who clearly dislikes both Rochelle and Landry, says she hasn’t seen her. The only other bit of information Strike gets is that Rochelle has been an outpatient at St. Thomas’s.
Before leaving, Strike notices and nicks a copy of News of the World off the front desk. He then settles onto a park bench to peruse the paper and enjoy the good weather. He is pleasantly surprised to get a text from the ever-proactive Robin pointing him to the Evan Duffield article.
Commentary:
On an initial read, Bristow’s immediate irritation and dismissiveness when Strike brings up Rochelle didn’t hit me as particularly suspicious, especially given his clear hyper focus on The Runner. Re-reading, I think Bristow could definitely have played it a bit cooler, although playing things cool isn’t necessarily his wheelhouse.
Not much else to say, very short and straightforward chapter, though we do get:

Strike’s mobile vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out.
News of the World page four Evan Duffield. Robin.
He grinned at the small screen before slipping the phone back in his pocket.

First Robin-to-Strike text, and his grinning. I don’t need to tell y'all what that means.
Finally:

While their attention was thus engaged, he deftly twitched the gum-chewing woman’s News of the World out of the small opening at the bottom of the grille and stowed it under his arm. He then bade them both a cheerful goodbye, and left.

What the hell, Strike? You just don’t want to spring the 50p for a copy? Or have you turned into a video game character, just grabbing everything that isn’t nailed down?
Actually, I think this brings our “Strike petty theft” count in this book to three, since we already had the SIB notebooks and the ashtray from a bar in Germany. Does this show up in later books? IIRC, he did “borrow” a pair of handcuffs before departing the service, but am I missing anything else?

Crownlands

Garth meets with the king following the murder of the Prince, and reveals that Dragonglass may be the best weapon against the Long Night
Alys visits the market in King's Landing, only to be confronted by Elmo & Kermit Bracken, who try to coerce her into telling them where Tommen Blackwood is. A Gold Cloak steps in before things devolve into a street brawl.
Tommen Blackwood and Alys discuss their futures, and the futures of their newborn twins.
In a bold attempt, a stranger attempts to kidnap the Princess Rhaenys Targaryen from the Red Keep. However, this attempt is stopped by the brothers Bracken, and the spy reveals his orders came from Harwin Manderly. For this, the King grants the two White Cloaks.
North
At Winterfell, its Lord Corin and the princess Gaelyn find themselves at odds over how to address the instability north of the wall.
A fortnight later, the princess receives word of her brother’s murder, soon resolving to meet with her childhood friend, Tywald Lannister.

Vale

Arwen Arryn feels guilty for the conflict with the West and believes it is all her fault. She decides to put a stop to it all before it begins and plans to go to Tywald Lannister alone. Arwen changes into simple peasant clothes and sneaks off from the Eyrie, riding towards the West.
Gretchel Waxley and Jasper Corbray have a wedding before the armies begin to march.
Under the command of Ethan Redfort, a massive host departs the Vale via the Bloody Gate.
Alysanne Velaryon swears a righteous oath, joining the Order of the She-Hawk as its newest member.
The Burned Men strike. Ottar son of Errok strikes a deal with the Howlers, and begins raiding the lands of House Egen. Kurz the Andal, a convert to the Cult of the Cannibal, works the forge and provides the clansmen with something they'd never had: steel and iron of their own make.

Stormlands

The tourney to celebrate the weddings of Dondarrions, Toynes, Selmys and Baratheons has come to an end. The Lady Tyana Dondarrion claims her place as the victor of the melee, Briony Doggett has won the Joust and Marigold of the scourge, the archery.
The lord of Crow’s Nest has died, and Cassandra Morrigen must now cope with the fallout of this action, relying upon her friend Marianna Toyne for guidance.
THe lady of Storm’s End has returned, having been pushed to flee from the capital, her life spared by the wise word’s of the lord of White Harbour. Tyana DOndarrion, her commander, seeks to know what she wishes to do, whether it be vengeance or blissful isolation.
The Conningtons arise from their slumber once more, finding the lady of Storm’s end upon her return. Business and pleasure on the mind of both it would seem.

Reach

In Highgarden, Eden Oakheart experiences the beauty of the world, writing poems and talking with Lady Merryweather, getting to know the newborn Lyla.
Lady Aurola Tyrell and Reach nobles finally arrive to Highgarden, where they enjoy the first supper. Later, they discuss the situation in Dorne, where Lord Daven Chester allegedly killed Mors Dayne.
While Lord Daven Chesterack gallivant around Dorbe. Back in Reach his wife Fiona seeks the advice of her cousin Agnes after realizing she is with child.
Lucia Tyrell has just returned to the Reach and currently staying at Oldtown, where she officially end relationship with Eden Oakheart.
At Oldtown, Ser Theomar Flowers enjoys an exquisite breakfast in a company of bastard of house Bulwer, Marq Flowers. After some talking, Marq "Muffin" spills the beans on house Bulwer in exchange for money.
Meanwhile, Warryn Bulwer invites Florys Fossoway to a private dinner with the intent to surprise her with question.
Lady Cynthea Tyrell returns back to Reach after an absence, Theo Casswell and a baby alongside her.

Riverlands

Lord Frey decides that wood will be of great benefit to his efforts, purchasing some from House Piper. Similarly, he organises a marriage pact with House Lefford, his son and heir will marry Lord Lefford’s sister in return for a defensive alliance, and the exchange of information.
The West begins their invasion of the Riverlands, Lord Tywald leads the main force while his brother, Ser Tygren, leads a smaller force to Pinkmaiden to deliver Lord Piper an ultimatum.

Iron Islands

At Seagard Rodrik Orkwood broods and seethes over slight of the past he suffered from Jeyne Farman.
The Queen travels to Seagard to deliver the body of Davos Doggett to the person who loved him most.
Eurona Greyjoy marries her former Ravenmaster, Lord Sigfryd Farwynd of Sealskin Point.
Lord Orkwood offers Lady Greyjoy to bind their houses in marriage.
Gynir Greyjoy’s father reminds him he must be careful not to choke on his aspirations.
The Ironborn meet for an Iron Council to decide their part in the coming war.

Westerlands

Arwen continues her journey in an attempt to stop the war. After days spent on the road, she at last arrives at Casterly Rock, where she encounters the colossal army of the West. She announces herself and is then reunited with Tywald Lannister.
The new Lady Regent of Ashemark, Mina Marbrand takes care to remove the last vestiges of her sister's influence in the castle
A war tax and trade negotiations break down at Casterly Rock, fracturing the alliance between the Lannisters and Hightowers.
Lord Lefford evades taxes and forms a marriage alliance with House Frey.
Tygren Lannister arrives at Pinkmaiden and raids the lands of House Piper.

Dorne

Guilan Dayne attends the wedding of Eurona Greyjoy and challenges her to a duel, following the death of Mors Dayne
Mors Dayne is killed in an incident of perfidy by Daven Chester in the waters off of Starfall
Arthur learns of the death of Mors, meets with Manderly, cultists, and has plans
Larra Toland reports to Arthur Dayne that Aerys Targaryen has written to Aurola Tyrell, offering for the Reach to forcefully collect the taxes that Dorne refuses now to pay.
Larra Toland's contact with the Dornish cultist remnant arrives at Ghost Hill with a message from Lady Frynne, the Regent of the Newborn Neo-Dorne, and shares the letter with Arthur Dayne.
Sarella Toland arrives in White Harbour, intent on a potential courtship with Harwin Manderley, but mistakes his brother Theodan as he.
Daven Chester sends a letter to Larra Toland requesting to resupply his navy at Ghost Hill as he prepares to engage in combat with corsairs at the Stepstones. Larra informs Arthur Dayne, insists that she and Daven discuss this in person and invites Daven to the upcoming wedding of Arianne Toland and Nyessos Nogarys.
Arianne Toland and Nyessos Nogarys are married
Daven Chester sends a messenger with a private message to Arianne Toland. Since he fears the wrath of Arthur Dayne, he asks for her to visit him on his ship so he can give her a wedding present directly instead of coming to the wedding.

Faith

The Faithful lie in wait this moon.

Essos

Across the sea, all appears quiet in Essos…

The Wall and Beyond

The surviving women and children of Thenn are evacuated from Crowtown by the Skagosi, while their healthy men linger to fight off the encroaching threat.
Some time after, the clansmen of the Antler River arrive at Crowtown to seek refuge ahead of the marching dead.

Caveat: A lot of these are just ideas that I have that could be interesting or would like to see. I'm not demanding them to appear. Nor do I expect the devs will likely see it and if they do, there's a low chance they will be interested in any of the ideas on here. And I imagine some of the ideas just don't work... I'm not a programmer, my flavor of game dev is tabletop RPG, so different constraints going on.
However, I have in the past, done random pondering as a between calls thing while at work, so this is more just casual sanity-keeping... and maybe I can find it easier on Reddit than Steam. So, I'm just going to paste some of the collected stuff that went into my post on the Steam forums.
I won't post other people's commentaries from there, because it's not content to repost. But anyway, onto the stuff. And if there's too much for one post, I'll put some in the replies. But I will continue to credit Steam user IDs that inspired me posting an idea.
(Also note that these are being pasted from something that dates to September of 2021, so lots of changes have happened which may have addressed some of the issues... I'll try to drop those as I see them, but won't catch everything... also, keeping in my "EDIT" markers and strikeouts from the original Steam forums post)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Gear: (reorganizing based on gameplay rather than theme)
Quality of Life (similar to Tripods and Strong Flashlights)

• Stand up lights you can place in a trail (maybe max of four or six) that are light independent of the breaker, make it easier to leave off the flashlight. (less sanity protection than the house lights)
• Bag (increases carry limit, but getting into the bag is slow)

Hunt Defense (Sanity Pills, Crucifix, Smudge Sticks, Candles)

• Speakers/Noisemakers (Allows someone in the truck to decoy a ghost, but is a one-shot, after it's used, the batteries die/ghost destroys it, also doesn't help if the ghost sees someone)
• Prayer Bracelet/Rosary Beads - Unlock one door during hunt, takes 10 seconds
  • Struck out for being very similar to one of the Monkey's Paw wishes.
• Ofuda - placed prior and acts as a wall for the ghost, but burns 6 seconds after contacting a hunting ghost, basically a pre-placed Smudge in some ways, but doesn't set wander mode
• Alternate, Ofuda as alternate version of Crucifix allowing four items of each once use instead of two items each with two uses.
  • Similar to existing counter-hunt stuff, limited use, can’t actually let you fight the ghost. Pre-placement may result in it being poorly placed.
• - Holy Water – Prevent sanity loss in an area for a brief period while the blessing lasts.
  • Crossed out for being too similar to a candle and not really presenting a new puzzle. See alternate idea for Holy Water below.

Sensors/Detection (Sound Sensor, Motion Sensor)

• Microphones, so you can hear different locations from the truck
• Thermo-Sensors, to track ghost roaming by temperature shifts in the map.
• Motion Detector upgrade potential - counter on motion detectors telling us how often they've been triggered.

Behavior Encouragement/Detection (ParaMic, Salt)

• Seance Candle (black or red) - burn it to call a ghost to a room, increases the chance of the ghost appearing, one shot use
• Ghost Money (ie Chinese culture, not sure that's the proper term) - burn to appease a ghost and prevent it from roaming for a long while, but won't stop a hunt and the hunting ghost will leave the area
• Alternate Holy Water - Briefly cause ghost to become visible if splashed in a small radius.
  • Alternate Holy Water from Merlos the Mad - Chases the ghost out of the current ghost room/forces roaming to a new room.
• Spectral Beacon from Merlos the Mad - reveals whether the current room is the ghost room or not.
• Thermal Sensors to place in rooms to match shifting temperatures and possibly track a roaming ghost.
• Adjust Sound Sensors to cover a larger area so that they are useless for small maps (cover practically everything), strong for medium maps and still useful for large maps.
• Potential upgrade to the Motion Detector... a counter showing how many times each particular motion detector is triggered

Money/Objective

• Video Cassette (for that retro feel) - used from the truck to record a couple of seconds of activity for video rewards and completion of objectives.
  • Struck out for being on the roadmap

Stuff I've already seen mentioned on the trello

• Space Heater (warm up a location independent of the breaker... really only if they could produce more hot/cold interactions, otherwise this is only useful for Hantu, and detrimental for identifying Freezing ghosts - there's notes on the trello related to this.

----
The gear I think could benefit the most from having increased item caps on larger maps:

• Sound Sensors
• Motion Sensors

I think we generally have enough cameras and having more crucifixes would make it less frustrating for getting the objective in big rooms like the gym or cafeteria, but I also think that would be too much if it showed up on a smaller room in a big map.
But having more coverage on Sound Sensors and Motion Sensors would make them really useful and I don't think it would make things too easy. Having Sound Sensors for tracking broad scale roaming and then motion sensors for smaller scale roaming would be nice.
----
Gear Limits
If more gear gets added, then thoughts about a truck limit should be applied.
Currently the truck has:

• 4 defense items (Candles x4, Smudge Sticks x4, Crucifix x2, Sanity Pills x4)
• 6 basic evidence gear (UV Light x2, Spirit Box x2, DOTS x2, Book x2, Video Cameras x6, EMF x2)
• 2 basic evidence upgrades (Tripods x5, Thermo x3, Glowstick x2)
• 5 secondary evidence items (Photos x3, Salt x2, ParaMic x2, Sound Sensor x4, Motion sensor x4)
• 2 Light sources (Flashlights x4, Strong Flashlights x4)
• 1 Utility item to trigger other gear (Lighters)

If, for instance, you add more defense items (Ofuda, Prayer Bracelet, Noisemaker, etc) then maybe you'd have to trade it out for one of the other defense items (Sanity Pills, Crucifix, etc)

• Truck Upgrades
• Currently the Truck has:
• 1 Activity Chart
• 1 Video Monitor
• 1 Map screen
• 1 Sanity Tracker
• 1 Sound tracker
• 1 Gear Shelves
• 1 White board

Perhaps this could be a more upgraded truck or mid-level truck and you can start with just basics: Gear Cabinet, Map, Whiteboard, Video Camera, Sanity Monitor
And expand as you level/spend money.
Especially I'd like to see a sound over time event for sound sensors and paramics similar to how the
Activity Chart works for EMF and being able to get maybe a max of 4 video monitors.
------------------------------------------------
Optional Objectives:
Above I mentioned the idea of being able to switch out gear for other pieces. If this is the case, then the order of operations would be:

1. Select job
2. See Optional Objectives
3. Select Gear
4. Load in Map

As such, you could see "Stop the hunt with a crucifix" and thus know you should take a crucifix.
Other objectives to be added associated with the new gear.
I know the devs are thinking of revamping and making objectives more interesting, so not sure what to consider here until I get to see the new benchmarks.
------------------------------------------------
Ghost Powers

• Ghost that can interrupt its hunt in order to lull players into a false sense of security. For purposes of the puzzle aspect, make this something that any ghost can do, but one ghost does a lot more frequently, or else twice in one hunt...
  • Weakness, has a shorter total seconds of hunts.
• Ghost that could possibly kill two players at once... if both are close enough too each other when it reaches one of them in a hunt (dangerous as it can just reveal the ghost identity in one go if it does happen)
  • More prone to switching targets and being distracted/ping-ponged.
  • Extended hunts mode for difficulty does this.
• Ghost that causes doors in its line of sight to slam open or shut randomly (again, for puzzle purposes, maybe something that always can happen but more frequent with this ghost)
  • door interactions are sometimes louder and more vigorous.
  • EDIT: Yurei does this now... sort of.
• Ghosts that interfere with investigator gear (sensors fall off walls, tripods knocked over, etc)... (again, for puzzle purposes, possible any ghost, but more common with this sort)
  • Sometimes performs ghost events when players aren’t nearby…which can be seen on camera.
• Ghosts that are better at tracking the players. Maybe will track the players a second or two past a line-of-sight break. (very dangerous)
  • Will stubbornly follow the line past that second or two of extra tracking regardless of whether the player continued that way or not for 2-3 seconds after losing tracking.
  • Deogen and Updated Revenant is similar to this basic idea, although with different mechanics.
• Ghost that’s much faster when it doesn’t see a player. (The Jinn does not do this, it only speeds up when it sees a player.)
  • Doesn’t check hiding spots as thoroughly.
  • Deogen does the speed part of this.
• A needy/attention-seeking Ghost that spawns more ghost events when you talk to it.
  • Ghost that hunts less when you talk to it. (eventually the increased ghost events will still get to chain hunting).

EDIT:

• A ghost that gets progressively angrier and more dangerous. Each hunt increases the sanity threshold for future hunts and ghost starting speed. Start at a 45% threshold, then 60%, then 75%, then max out at 85% (I max out at 80 since I think in most cases after three hunts, it'll be hard to get sanity back up to a level where that would matter). Increased threshold would come with increased chance for hunt happening.
  • Weakness, start at lower sanity threshold and lower starting speed. Slow to get angry, but builds a grudge.
  • Probably unworkable given how difficult it is to regain sanity. Also, while it is a reverse Thaye, that is also functionally how Moroi work.

EDIT:
Barghest

• When it loses a target after spotting one, add time to the hunt.
  • Weakness: If it doesn't find a target within a certain amount of time, it ends the hunt early.
  • Nightmare-Only Weakness: When it kills, it becomes distracted for 3-6 seconds like a smudge stick.
• Ghost that doesn't trigger hunting signs (flashing lights, broken comms) for the first couple of seconds OR until it first has line of sight on a player. basically have it trigger when in same room as player and/or after a couple of seconds to confuse people with whether or not it’s this ghost or just it happened to start hunting right then.
  • Weakness Longer time between hunts.
  • Myling does something similar to this.
  • EDIT due to effectively removing grace period, maybe also cannot hunt when too close to a player.
  • Also, this is similar to the effects of ghost hunts and hunts having some similarities already.
  • Other possible idea, a ghost that rotates hunting sounds.

------------------------------------------------
Ghost Events

• Twisting perspective
• Slamming doors
• St Elmo's Fire
• Ghost on TV
• Bleeding walls
• Writing on walls
• Throwing furniture
• Death re-enactment.
• Past victims or ghost asking for help
• Tremors (camera shake)

Options to turn off some ghost events as accessibility issues

• Turn off flashing lights as a player-side option
• Prevent some events next to common phobias (bugs, snakes, spiders, fire, etc... if such events get added)
• Turn off perspective modifications (dutch angle, single-point perspective, spinning, warping, camera shakes) for people with motion sickness issues

------------------------------------------------
Ghost Models: (despite descriptors on the inhuman, consider any ghost type could look like any ghost model… so you could have a Hantu with a design like an oni)
Animal ghosts

• Hounds
• Cats
• Birds
• Goats

Inhuman ghosts

• Oni (both big damn ogre and ancient spirits formed of dark mists)
• Demons
• misshapen horrors
• Goatman (similar the monster from G&S Sagas of Sundry: Dread game)
• Mothman (urban legend)
• Faceless
• Featureless

Humanistic ghosts

• Translucent human looks
• Feetless phantoms
• Could be mistaken for a player
• Disturbing facial expressions

Paired Models

• Two or more distinct ghost models
  • One model for hunts and the more aggressive events
  • A different model for the less hostile/aggressive events.
  • Possibly a way to duplicate a murderer and their victim stuck in a loop or a guardian driven insane and trying to protect a ward who is already dead.
  • Typically the hunting ghost is the more terrifying and inhuman but could be reversed as a surprise.

Ghost Model Hope:

• Thematic Scares (Horror 2.0) tied to model not type. (devs have confirmed this)
• Ghost models getting powers and weaknesses of their own.
• Allows for powers that have inherent visual aspect without exposing ghost type.
• Crawling ghosts are a good example of a model power.
• Affects gameplay (crawling ghosts are hard to see)
• Visual
• Creepy
• Ghost that spawns hallucinatory doubles during a hunt to startle players and confuse them which is the real ghost. Doubles stand still.
• Ghosts that have different appearances between ghost events and hunts.
• A ghost that has a more human-like appearance for some events but switches to a more terrifying form for more aggressive ghost events or hunts.

Basically if there's a stereotypical ghost power that would be too obvious and ruin the puzzle, tie it to model instead of type.
------------------------------------------------
Maps:

• Ship maps
• Cubicle farm / Call Center
• Church and Graveyard (Indoooutdoor elements)
• Ghost Town
• Campsite
  • We have two of these
• Library (Ghostbusters as an example)
• Warehouse
• Police Station
• Subway line / underground shopping stretch (ie, that one scene in American Werewolf in London)
• Lighthouse with keeper's house and storage shed (small/Medium with three buildings and spaces between.
  • I suspect Point Hope will be this.

For outdoor maps use terrain to create rooms.
Campsite - use cliff-faces and trees to create hallways and rooms/clearings
Ghost-Town - the hallway is the outdoor section, the rooms are the individual buildings (huge)
Cemetery - use hills, gates, fences, tombs, mausoleums, groundskeeper's hut, church to create rooms (I know they've said cemetery is hard because it would be too open and the above is my suggestions to hopefully see it come about eventually)
------------------------------------------------
Alternatives to the Bone as “Anchors” or “Fetters” (All of these would be unique item models not similar to common stuff around the map)

• Lockets
• Diaries
• Photos
• Bones
  • We got a bunch more variety here.
• Special Toy
• Musical Instrument

CJ has mentioned on Insym's stream a similar idea to this.
------------------------------------------------
Cosmetic localizations
Optional location maps to the US, either similarly large scale countries and regions or zoomed in:

• New England
• Texas
• Europe
• England
• Japan
• East Asia
• Southeast Asia
• Australia
• Egypt
• South Africa
• Ethiopia
• Pakistan
• Iraq
• India
• Thailand
• etc

Probably best to wait until it's possible to build maps along the preferred architectural designs of those regions and hire artists with connections to said cultures.
Side note... doubt it would happen, but a change from set maps to procedurally generated ones would be interesting. Feels like it's a bit too fraught with peril and glitches to try that. Especially when you take into account having two floors. Would make adding some uniqueness to each investigation a bit easier since learning the map would be part of the investigation.
------------------------------------------------
The alternate defense items has two motivations:

• adding some more diverse culture with bringing some things characteristic of the pop culture from non-English speaking cultures (granted I have minimal experience of this, mostly just Japan and Korea as I spent some time living in those countries which is like, a drop of the ocean overall.)
• adding diversified gameplay elements providing more objectives and having the option to challenge ourselves to try out a different sort of way to handle things. We certainly don't need all of these in a single game. But the gameplay you'd take to protect yourself with one set is going to be very different from another.
• This could expand to the secondary investigation items as well. For example, the Seance candles might be alternate for the motion sensosound sensoparamic slot.
• Another optional challenge mode would be to have the game roll a random load out if there gets to be a lot more gear. Like the current Randomizers, but instead of randomizing the three items you can carry, you just randomize the entire truck load out.
• At which point you could have settings like "Primary Evidence + Random All" or "Evidence + Random Defense" or "Primary Evidence + Chosen Defense + Random Secondary Evidence" or even "Random All"
• I kinda feel for that really work well, you should have at least 2-3 times as many possible items as truck slots to carry.
• Another thing that could be done is you could have different "skins" for the items, so like a crucifix repainted as an Ofuda but otherwise same functions. A Smudge Stick repainted as a bundle of funeral money or incense sticks... etc. It lacks the versatility in game play issues, but still adds some cosmetic niceties.

------------------------------------------------
Going to expand on my hunt defense suggestions a bit just by giving my criteria:

• Every hunt defense item should be fodder for a new optional objective which should be a risky objective. Sanity Pills seem to be the exception here.
• Defense items should not block a hunting ghost longer than 6 seconds (smudge stick wander duration). Our characters are not expert exorcists.
• Hunt defense items need to be consumable. Candles seem to be the exception here.
• If we get more hunt items there should be a loadout limit. So you can't have all defense items at once in one investigation.
• Additional hunt defense items should present alternate gameplay methods of dealing with hunts, not stronger or weaker versions of current ways.

Basically, every hunt defense item is a different puzzle.
------------------------------------------------
Expanded Pondering on Paired Ghost models
Ghost model idea
Cursed pairs/groups
The ghost is two ghosts perhaps one ghost murdered the other(s) or perhaps they died in a disaster and one ghost is the more aggressive.
Most ghost events are from one model: the victim/less aggressive ghost. Hunting is always from the other associated model: the murderemore aggressive ghost.
Accompanying ghost sounds include warnings from the non-aggressive ghosts such as "he's/she's coming" and shouts like "leave us alone" from the aggressive ghost.
Evidence and other things based on type. But this model combo might allow for ghost events/activity in two different rooms simultaneously.
I'd tie this to a model set rather than a ghost type.
That said, I wouldn't set this to just one combo... you don't want it always be the same models for aggressive and non-aggressive.
You could have a pool for the friendlieless aggressive ghosts and use the existing pool of models for the hunting model.
Let the lore be imagined/created by the players... maybe it's a mother and her child and the mother is protecting the child from intruders (the player). Maybe it was siblings that died in a fire. Maybe it was a murder suicide. Etc.
Alternately have the hunt be a random thing so sometimes either model will hunt and sometimes only one model will. Further allowing RNG to develop a story.
This would be a lot of work I expect... but feels like the kind of flex I'd like to see in models.
---
Just a commentary on the cursed-pair model set idea.
The haunted hotel in Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines sort of matches the idea I had for this.
There's a lot of events with the woman appearing and pointing you toward clues or running through hallways away from someone.
And when dangerous things happen they're often proceeded by a man's laughter.
So that's pretty much what I'm thinking of:
Events - woman being scared or helping investigator. Hunts - man trying to kill investigator.
And of course, the exact model for ghosts can be different. Two men, two women, two children, child and man, child and woman, etc.
The sheer number of models to make this model set feel unique each time would be effort intensive though.
------------------------------------------------
Alternate Idea for Ofuda / Alternate Crucifix
Heard insym comment that he'd like to have four crucifixes that each worked once in some circumstances. I'd like to suggest that as a potential side-grade (as in if you have this, you don't also have the Crucifix).
Instead of two crucifixes you can get up to two ofuda to place on walls or floors and do the same task as a crucifix, but each has one use.
------------------------
Allow for cosmetic sidegrades of different gear.
Incense sticks instead of smudge sticks. Alternate religious symbols in place of crucifix. Cobbled together handheld-radio version of a spirit box. Clipboard or academic spiral notebook for ghost writing, etc Some sort of chemical spill in place of salt.
Also, my alternate hunting items ideas as use-sidegrades.
So, the Ofuda as a side-grade replacement of the Crucifix, the speakers in place of smudge sticks. (Might also be used outside of hunts to provoke a response or ghost event from the truck, but would also consume the speaker after the ghost event.)
------------------------------------------------
When we get career stats, have funny graphical representations of different stats.
Conumables used and next to a list of consumables a trash can showing the remains of the most recently used up consumables. So like empty pill bottles, half-burned and fully burned crucifixes, remains of smudge sticks, and so on.
Times killed: A pile of job-ID lanyards/badges put on like a memorial wall.
Ghosts discovered: Any ghost-photo we collected next to a name and location, or "no image available" thing for cases where we got no ghost photo.
------------------------------------------------
Rename the difficulty levels to something more thematic in nature
So:

• Amateur - Sighting - Description: There's been a confirmed sighting of a ghost. Looks like this activity is still low.
• Intermediate - Haunting - Description: There's been a lot of activity reports and injuries have been reported.
• Professional - Curse - Description: A truly lethal haunting.
• Nightmare is pretty good as is.

It doesn't affect gameplay but does add a bit to immersion. As I think the gig-economy would paint everybody as professionals.
------------------------------------------------
Making ghosts have personality:
Issue: Ghosts tend to seem very samey, ghosts with personality come about as a result of basically RNG with some adjustment by ghosts types that personality cues not possessed by other types. However, ghost type behavioral differences are by necessity mostly pretty mild in order to preserve the puzzle aspect of the game.
Idea: Using the ghost models to introduce more of the obvious behavioral bits. This is something that has already been discussed as being in the works by DK and CJ with Horror 2.0 apparently planned to have different events tied to different models.
Terminology: I've been using the term "Model Set" to refer to both the graphical model and the events and environmental pieces that would be tied to it.
Expanding on the idea of the model set, it would be interesting if the ghosts had a sort of "load out" of ghost events.
Assume there is a pool of General Ghost Events available to every ghost model, a pool of Map Events connected to each map, and a pool of Model Set Events tied to specific model sets.
Going to assume some arbitrary numbers here.

• 40 General Ghost Events available on every map and ghost model.
• 30 Model specific ghost events.
• 15 Map specific ghost events.

Let's assume each ghost has a loadout of:

• 8 General Ghost Events
• 6 Specific Model ghost events
• 10 Map specific ghost events

Thus each ghost would have 24 separate possible events it could use (which is far more than most ghosts would do in general) which would encompass:

• 20% of possible General events
• 20% of possible Model specific events
• 66% of possible Map specific events

As a note, by map specific event I mean something more than an object interaction such as moving the rocking chair or tapping the piano. All object interactions should be available to all ghosts, perhaps with a ghost have a set of favorite/preferred objects that it has a much higher chance of returning to and interacting with.
A map specific event might be something like the TV going crazy in Tanglewood or Willow... or the Fireplace ejecting flame in Ridgeview (I think there's a fireplace in the living room? I might be wrong there) stuff like that. actual Events.
For further note, if implementing this, perhaps put Manifestation (where the ghost appears) on a separate activity chart so that you could have a lot of these elements appearing that don't necessarily produce a ghost photo op every time. That said, any additional activity is a lowered likelihood of photo op as the manifestations are, no matter what you do, working against a pool of other possible events.
If you throw in the items I have earlier that could potentially force a ghost to appear (tossing holy water in the right place... using Seance candles, I think those are the only two I suggested) then increased non-manifestation events wouldn't be as much as an issue.
------------------------------------------------
Mirror evidence ghosts --- this entire section was posted before cursed objects were released, but leaving them here... I've re-worked one or two of these but keeping these just for the same sort of shrug pondering purposes.
The idea of mirrors as evidence came from Mynx-in-Match and my development of that was:
Mirror fogs - Ghost is present
Mirror cracks - Evidence
-----
Strigoi - A parasitic entity that projects itself into the physical world to prey upon the living.

• Strength - Weakens the living around it. (During a hunt, sprint recovery time is slightly slower)
• Weakness - It takes more effort to project into the world. (It is visible during the grace period, slightly longer grace period or both)

Evidence:

• Mirror
• Ghost Orb
• Freezing Temperatures

-----------------------------------------
Vrykolakas - A bloated creature that kills those who reply to its knocking.

• Strength - Those who answer the knocking are doomed to die. (Hunters that approach a door that has been touched or window that's been knocked on might trigger an early hunt, similar to triggering a motion detector.)
• Weakness - Normal hunts start slower. (EDIT: I forget what I meant by this. the ghost above has a slower grace time in nightmare... I think maybe, it starts hunts at a slower walking speed... or maybe it has a lower normal hunt threshold, like 40 or 45)

Evidence

• Mirror
• Spirit Box
• Fingerprints

------------------------------------------
Jiangshi - A spirit with stiff limbs that pursues the living with tenacity and seeking the breath of the living.

• Strength - Traces the breathing of the living. (The sprint recovery attracts the ghost like electronic device or calling)
• Weakness - It's stiff body makes it slower. (It accelerates slower than other ghosts)

Evidence

• Mirror
• Ghost Writing
• DOTS

-------------------------------------------
Empusa - A devouring spirit sent to guard roads and devour travelers.

• Strength - They are used to pursuit and hold it longer. (Some portion of the ghost's acceleration is permanent for the rest of the investigation, it starts at a higher and higher base speed with each hunt.)
• Weakness - It focuses too much on the chase and not the hunt. (Doesn't check doors and hiding spots as often as other ghosts.)

Evidence

• Mirror
• EMF Level 5
• Spirit Box
  ------------------------------------------------
  

More potential Mirror Ghosts (a bit inspired by having started playing Black Book)
Eretnik
Said to be a sorcerer who died before they could pass on the spirits that they had bound to a successor. Their presence is betrayed by these former servants turned jailers. (fluff. I figure DOTS and Orbs represent the swarm of familiar spirits they had in life).

• Strength - The eretnik responds aggressively to intrusion on its domain. (Uncertain if this is possible, hunt threshold and chance increases based on the number of rooms with investigators or investigator gear.)
  • Each different room with an investigator in it +5% to Hunt threshold
  • Each different room with investigator gear but no investigator in it +2%
• Weakness - Accompanied by the swarm of spirits they bound in life. (Occasionally DOTS and Orbs will spawn multiples at once, so you might see two or three DOTS at one time or two-three orbs on camera at once.)

Evidence

• Mirror
• Ghost Orbs
• DOTS Projector

-----------------------------------------------
Ikota
A ghost that possesses the living. The possessed person may not be aware of their situation and they become a center of misfortune.

• Strength - The Ikota marks one investigator. In the presence of that investigator brings misfortune. (Sanity drain around the marked investigator is increased - causes some sanity drain even with candles and room lights. In multi-player, [b]EDIT: there's a chance of a special hunt happening as long as the marked hunter is outside of the house.[/b] --- so sort of a reverse banshee, saving the marked one for last by hunting more often when the marked is safe.)
• Weakness - Sometimes the marked investigator will leave evidence behind. (There's a chance of the marked investigator leaving fingerprint evidence when they interact with objects...
  • [b]EDIT: Alternately, to avoid a forced fingerprints ghost in nightmare, the marked investigator will either have low temps or occasionally leave fingerprints... not just one type of evidence.)[/b]
  • If the marked investigator dies (during a normal hunt), a new investigator is marked.

Evidence

• Mirror
• Fingerprints
• Freezing Temperatures

-----------------------------------------------
Bannitsa
A demon of bath houses that is angered by those who don't follow proper rituals and punishing those that enter it's space without permission.

• Strength - Bannitsa act through the waters it haunts and will seek them out. (The Bannitsa has a chance to hunt whenever water is turned on and they have an increased chance to wander in the direction of sinks and showers on the map)
• Weakness - The area around the Bannitsa is touched by its heat and steam. (Temperatures around the Bannitsa are hotter than normal.)

Evidence

• Mirror
• EMF Level 5
• Spirit Box
  ------------------------------------------------
  

Coming from the suggestion by HyperFusedBlur and expanded upon by TamTroll, I'm listing the idea of having upgrades to the truck.
HyperFusedBlur suggested having multiple cameras to accommodate the 6 placeable video cameras and 4 head cameras.
TamTroll expanded on that suggesting the ability to set some monitors to be "facility" "investigator" "head cams" and "placeable video cams." To make cycling easier.
Expanding, because having upgrades to the basic truck has been something I've wanted... if it's feasible (I'm uncertain if the trucks are part of the map or not).
Truck progression:

• Electronics/Surveillance Van - 5 Photos, 2 optional objectives
• Truck (current version) - 10 Photos, 3 optional objectives
• RV/Mobile Lab - 15 Photos, 4 optional objectives

Video Monitor progression:

• One monitor
• Two monitors
• Four monitors

Activity Chart:

• No chart
• Chart as exists
• EMF readers in hand appear on chart as different colored lines.

Sound Sensor:

• One sensor at a time
• As currently exists
• Sound sensor as line graph so we can see sound over time. Different sensors different colors, labeled at bottom.

Sanity Chart:

• Shows average sanity only
• As currently exists
• Can switched to a line graph to show Sanity change over time.

Map:

• No map
• Map as exists
• Map refocuses to associated level whenever it detects an interaction like a motion sensor going off.
  ------------------------------------------------
  

From Teirdalin's suggestion:
Motion triggered cameras. Cameras tied into something like the motion sensor so it will trigger to be the focus camera on the screen when it detects movement.
This could potentially cause issues with teammates not being careful about triggering one when another camera is being watched elsewhere.
------------------------------------------------
Alternate Bannitsa write-up for the existing evidence types
Also looking at this as a possible solution to the fact that EMF Level 5 + Ghost Orbs on Nightmare is always a Raiju due to Obake fingerprints being forced
Bannitsa
A spirit associated with bath houses, banniks are intolerant of visitors and react poorly to uninvited guests.

• Strength - The Bannik will seek out water and attack through it. (Increased chance to wander toward sinks and showers. Turning water off creates a chance for the bannik to attack instantly. The sound of running water causes sanity drain.)
• Weakness - The Bannik carries an aura of steam about it. (The area around the bannik is hotter than other rooms.)

Evidence

• EMF Level 5
• Spirit Box
• Ghost Orb

Regarding sounds of running water and Rain.

• Rain sounds with a Bannitsa do a very small increase to sanity drain across the map. Only safe out of the haunted area.
• Running sinks and showers have larger increase to sanity drain within certain area radius, ideally matching the distance it can be heard from.
  ------------------------------------------------
  

Jiangshi - non-mirror version
When a person is improperly buried sometimes the brutal part of their soul remains behind when the rest passes on and they rise as these blind but relentless ghosts.

• Strength - It hunts by tracking your breath. (Sprinting creates a noise the jiangshi can hear from a far distance)
• Weakness - If you don't move, the Jiangshi loses track of you.

Evidence

• Ghost Orbs
• DOTS
• Ghost Writing

regarding the evidence, the myth is that the good/intelligent part of the soul has passed on but the evil/animalistic part remains... so I figure the Ghost Orbs, DOTS, and Writing are the good parts of the soul trying to warn people while the evil parts flail about like a monster.
------------------------------------------------
A ghost that likes the light.
Uncertain what folklore to match with this idea.
Idea isn't just an anti-Mare that hunts early in light but where light makes it more active. More ghost events, more interactions, maybe a chance not to turn off the light when a ghost event happens. So, not technically an early hunter, but drawn to well-lit areas and barraging the investigator with Oni-like activity and sanity draining events. Making the typical "safe trail" of lights a gauntlet.
Possibly a hidden ability to give spirit box response in lighted areas as well as dark ones.
Never does a light bulb explosion event. Does lots of red-light events. Maybe doesn't turn off lights except end of hunts and ghost events.
Weakness is that darkness drains sanity slower and activity in shadows is lower... making dark areas not safe... but safer... reversing the normal expectation of light v dark in the game.
------------------------------------------------
Ghost that likes noise.
High chance to do interactions that create ongoing sound (radio, car alarm, shower, sink)
Interactions that cause sound (guitar, piano, shower, car alarm, phone, radio, giggle) drain sanity for nearby hunters (2-4 meters) not throws (that's arbitrary, I know, but leave that a poltergeist thing).
Ongoing sounds do an initial sanity drain like momentary sounds, and maybe a small ongoing drain about half the rate of normal darkness sanity drain.
Weakness is that it's paramic and sound sensor readings linger longer. If it's just standing around it doesn't make a sound, but if it does an interaction the paramic/sound sensor readings last longer. And if it starts walking, it makes maybe a 0.7 - 1.0 sound on the Sound Sensors and paramic and this will start to fade slowly dropping by 0.1 per 0.5 seconds or so.
So, if you're lucky and you catch it at the right time, you can use the paramic to trail the stronger sound signals and follow it. This would be one of the more glaring weaknesses, like Wraith footsteps in salt... but as the devs have said, "not every ghost needs to be strong".

As the title states I am currently looking to make a decision on a new TV. Looking for an oled preferably. I am stuck in this endless loop of reviews and YouTube videos and can’t make a decision
As much as I want to make this decision in a very selfish manner I have to be realistic. I am a dad of three little kids and during the day the TV is used in a somewhat bright room and the content is usually Disney+ or YouTube kids ect. It’s the family TV so while I do care about picture quality my kids don’t care how red Elmo looks lol.
With that being said …. I do a lot of gaming at night and I have been wanting to pull the trigger on a new OLED tv.
I’ve had my eyes on the S95b but wonder if the lack of Dolby vision is a big deal. Then when I look at reviews some say the c2 is better but the qdoleds have more vibrant colors ect. Currently I own an older 4k Sony from 2016 or so anything I get will be an upgrade, but what would you guys recommend that’ll last me a long time but have the best of both worlds when it comes to gaming and day to day usage.

Hi all,

• Selling off some items. Please look at all pictures carefully and if you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out.
  
• Local is 43230
  

———

• SNES Package **(not splitting up, please don’t ask)

x2 SNES consoles, x2 OEM power bricks, x1 Rf unit, x3 Controllers (2 OEM), 10 cart protectors along with 33 games:

• ~~Earthbound
• Chrono Trigger
• Final Fantasy II
• Final Fantasy III
• Ogre Battle March of Black Queen
• Super Mario RPG
• Secret of Mana
• Secret of Evermore
• Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons
• Zelda LttP
• Super Mario All Stars
• Donkey Kong Country 2
• Lemmings 2
• Super Mario World
• Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
• Street Fighter II
• Lion King
• Wheel of Fortune Deluxe Edition
• Justice League
• NBA Jam
• Tommy Moes Winter Xtreme
• Space Football
• NBA Showdown
• Tecmo Super Bowl III
• NCAA Basketball
• SimCity
• Monopoly
• Beavis and Butthead
• WWF RAW
• Super Bases Loaded
• Bulls vs Blazers
• NBA Live 96
• Micheal Jordan Windy City
  
• Asking price is $1500 shipped
  

SOLD
https://imgur.com/a/neOllLL/
https://imgur.com/a/FIH0UDd/
———

• x2 SNES Classics - $110 shipped/ea

These will have all the necessary cables that were included originally. Power bricks may be 3rd party, please inquire. (I should have enough OEM bricks available, but throwing this out as a disclaimer)

• (pics are below the NES Classic Listing)

——- * NES Classic - $110 shipped
All necessary cables included, power brick may be 3rd party, please inquire.
https://i.imgur.com/vKTkAqM.jpg
——

• Nintendo 64 Bundle (not splitting up)
  
• Comes with OEM cords, Exp Pack, Atomic Purple Controller, and 9 cart only games:
  
• Zelda Majoras Mask (cart damage, screws missing, plays as it should)
  
• Zelda OoT
  
• Super Mario 64
  
• Super Smash Bros
  
• Donkey Kong 64
  
• Elmo’s Number Journey
  
• Namco Museum
  
• A Bugs Life
  
• Banjo-Kazooie
  
• Asking price is $320 shipped
  

https://imgur.com/a/EjDbMO7/
——

• x2 N3DSXL
  
• Both come with a charger and your choice of two games from the top section of the gaming list.
  
• One has a tiny corner of screen bleed on the top panel in the lower left corner and the other is missing the rubber C-Stick and thumb pad. (Check pics for back peeling also)
  
• Both are without a stylus
  

Black N3DSXL has CFW on it (no games included)

• Asking $170/ea shipped.

https://imgur.com/a/XZURaYs/
—

• Choice of 2 free games with purchase of one N3DSXL (otherwise $5/ea):
  
• Sims 3
  
• Hot Wheels
  
• Lego City Undercover
  
• Star Wars
  
• Angry Birds Star Wars
  
• Farm Simulator 18
  
• Super Monkey Ball
  
• Kung-Fu Panda
  
• Wipeout
  
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  
• x2 Lego Marvel Superheroes
  
• Minecraft
  
• Adventure Time
  

—

• This list not part of the free games included with the handhelds :
  
• Mario & Luigi Paper Jam- $15 SOLD to u/rinsenim
  
• Super Mario Maker 3DS - $15
  
• Luigis Mansion Dark Moon - $10
  
• Super Smash Bros 3DS - $13
  

https://imgur.com/a/BK942YO/
https://imgur.com/a/rzE9VG8/
Any questions again, feel free to reach out.

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ElmoERC #ELMO #BitMart #CryptoListing #MemeCoin #CryptoTrading

https://thecoinrise.com/elmo-erc-elmo-memecoin-takes-a-giant-leap-primary-listing-on-bitmart/

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Stay tuned for updates, as ElmoERC continues to make waves in the crypto market. Whether you're a seasoned investor or a curious enthusiast, ElmoERC presents an opportunity to ride the meme wave and potentially reap the rewards of its unique burning mechanism.
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ElmoERC #MemeWave #EthereumBlockchain #CryptoSensation #BurningMechanism #DeflationaryToken #CryptoCommunity

https://thecoinrise.com/riding-the-meme-wave-elmoerc-the-new-crypto-sensation-on-ethereum-blockchain/

So the Ancient Weapon is clearly not the One Piece as according to Shiki Roger already had it before he got to LaughTale. So Roger learned about the One Piece at LodeStar island from the message left there by Joy boy.
​
https://preview.redd.it/x7q54kyz150b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=98f0019c284b6689f01410c9640d30f493a30b7c
​
​
Said ancient weapon was probably in the bag Roger had when he met Rayleigh. Said weapon has the power to turn the word upside down. It's a version of Saint elmo's fire, which screws up GPS location for real ships/planes/compasses/log poses.
https://preview.redd.it/sqmo95xv250b1.png?width=673&format=png&auto=webp&s=a6f62e8ab84bf6055c3ad7927b777880ddf89cd3
The ancient weapon is likely used to prevent Imu from using his power to destroy an island.
​
https://preview.redd.it/d0mqqv9l350b1.png?width=596&format=png&auto=webp&s=9f3649484a918874a891ee1958bcd43ed1882d62
The 3 skulls on Oar's waist and on Little oar's Jr's neck are a tribute to their brotherhood during the void century. (Just like Roger, Luffy, and Sabo)
​
https://preview.redd.it/3f22th2s350b1.png?width=430&format=png&auto=webp&s=bb734a5dff857ea0f6c85ae99b7de72220512b1a
There were 3 brothers: Joy Boy, Oars, and Binks.
Joy Boy went the wrong way because the world had turned 'upside down'. He also froze to death on Lodestar Island and left his story for Roger to find. (It's why during punk hazard you saw all of the frozen giants as foreshadowing along side the ancient giant logo not to mention the Yeti Brothers in Straw Hats)
​
https://preview.redd.it/6tunvkcs950b1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=29b9fa75df3b7f3a7a567d47eefe3a0c774e311c
https://preview.redd.it/m7zms1ih450b1.png?width=894&format=png&auto=webp&s=0395a8a4e87ea9b24c40706db493bd1d2c672c95
​
https://preview.redd.it/cqk68lpa450b1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=06b4fbab4883bda9125063baf44df9c2312ac45d
​
So Joy Boy wrote of the sadness of leaving his greatest treasure on laughtale..........as it would have saved his life.
The One Piece is Joy Boy's Giant One Piece Thermal Long John Underwear.
He didn't wear them because he thought he was going to WANO but the world turned upside down so he went the wrong way.
​
It's why Roger and the gang laughed so uncontrollably and why Roger said: "How could you leave behind such a STUPENDOUS TREASURE" It's also why we never see panties aside from Oden's and Frankies, and why Brook asks to see panties but never gets to. It's a long running gag.
​
https://preview.redd.it/8ir8yrz3550b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=45fa6fa4b63b938e1860f223eb727bf41eac4092
​
Oda took the idea of the world turning upside down from the Rubber People of the anime Estaban No Taiyo. As well as the cloning.
​
https://preview.redd.it/xhxts6vp550b1.png?width=259&format=png&auto=webp&s=a09230cfc6dabad1d83a4e1389054db8a5e4774a

Hi all,

• Selling off some items. Please look at all pictures carefully and if you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out.
  
• Local is 43230
  

———

• SNES Package (not splitting up, please don’t ask)

x2 SNES consoles, x2 OEM power bricks, x1 Rf unit, x3 Controllers (2 OEM), 10 cart protectors along with 33 games:

• Earthbound
• Chrono Trigger
• Final Fantasy II
• Final Fantasy III
• Ogre Battle March of Black Queen
• Super Mario RPG
• Secret of Mana
• Secret of Evermore
• Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons
• Zelda LttP
• Super Mario All Stars
• Donkey Kong Country 2
• Lemmings 2
• Super Mario World
• Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
• Street Fighter II
• Lion King
• Wheel of Fortune Deluxe Edition
• Justice League
• NBA Jam
• Tommy Moes Winter Xtreme
• Space Football
• NBA Showdown
• Tecmo Super Bowl III
• NCAA Basketball
• SimCity
• Monopoly
• Beavis and Butthead
• WWF RAW
• Super Bases Loaded
• Bulls vs Blazers
• NBA Live 96
• Micheal Jordan Windy City
  
• Asking price is $1550 shipped
  

https://imgur.com/a/neOllLL/
https://imgur.com/a/FIH0UDd/
———

• x2 SNES Classics - $115 shipped/ea

These will have all the necessary cables that were included originally. Power bricks may be 3rd party, please inquire. (I should have enough OEM bricks available, but throwing this out as a disclaimer)

• (pics are below the NES Classic Listing)

——- * NES Classic - $115 shipped
All necessary cables included, power brick may be 3rd party, please inquire.
https://i.imgur.com/vKTkAqM.jpg
——

• Nintendo 64 Bundle (not splitting up)
  
• Comes with OEM cords, Exp Pack, Atomic Purple Controller, and 9 cart only games:
  
• Zelda Majoras Mask (cart damage, screws missing, plays as it should)
  
• Zelda OoT
  
• Super Mario 64
  
• Super Smash Bros
  
• Donkey Kong 64
  
• Elmo’s Number Journey
  
• Namco Museum
  
• A Bugs Life
  
• Banjo-Kazooie
  
• Asking price is $340 shipped
  

https://imgur.com/a/EjDbMO7/
——

• x2 N3DSXL
  
• Both come with a charger and your choice of two games from the top section of the gaming list.
  
• One has a tiny corner of screen bleed on the top panel in the lower left corner and the other is missing the rubber C-Stick and thumb pad. (Check pics for back peeling also)
  
• Both are without a stylus
  

Black N3DSXL has CFW on it (no games included)

• Asking $180/ea shipped.

https://imgur.com/a/XZURaYs/
—

• Choice of 2 free games with purchase of one N3DSXL (otherwise $5/ea):
  
• Sims 3
  
• Hot Wheels
  
• Lego City Undercover
  
• Star Wars
  
• Angry Birds Star Wars
  
• Farm Simulator 18
  
• Super Monkey Ball
  
• Kung-Fu Panda
  
• Wipeout
  
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  
• x2 Lego Marvel Superheroes
  
• Minecraft
  
• Adventure Time
  

—

• This list not part of the free games included with the handhelds :
  
• Mario & Luigi Paper Jam - $15
  
• Super Mario Maker 3DS - $15
  
• Luigis Mansion Dark Moon - $10
  
• Super Smash Bros 3DS - $13
  

https://imgur.com/a/BK942YO/
https://imgur.com/a/rzE9VG8/
Any questions again, feel free to reach out.

'The duke returns from campaign!' it thundered through the streets of Piacenza. 'The duke returns!' was the word on the street for weeks - after leaving Piacenza in the capable hands of his eldest son Antonio Pallavicino had been on campaign in southern Italy for almost three years. One of which he spent against the Borgias, two of which under the French banner fighting the Spaniards in Naples.
He had seen many great cities fall under the bombardement of cannon. The relentless thumping of rock against rock, lead against wood in grueling sieges had made him wary and more than aware that the world of warfare was changing rapidly.
Elmo Sibbiline, the courts architect, was summoned before the duke. "Elmo you have been of great service to me, constructing the harbour, university, and many great buildings to serve the realm. Now comes your greatest challenge yet, for which you shall travel along the dangerous roads of Italia. We must construct a bastion capable of holding back any foe from any side. Since our west and northern flanks are protected by the river, we shall build it on the hill overlooking the city in the south. Our walls will protect us, but the bastion will be our saving grace." Elmo noticing the great intent, and some signs of weakness in the voice of his lord, let down his eyes and said. "My liege, I will begin preparing the base for it immediately and start drawing the designs, it will be work unlike any you have seen." And he took his leave...
The duce called upon his eldest son, who had acted as regent and gone on some campaigns with him, to attend to him.
"Ugolino, my boy, I am dying. You have married a beautiful woman from the house of Goganza, but remember that our position is fragile. We sit on the border of France, the Holy Roman Empire and the Papal States. We are surrounded by more powerful lords and republics in Genoa, Ferrara-Modena and Milan. The peace we have known has been tense and maintained only through great networks with our neighbours, allies and enemies. It will soon be up to you to maintain the balance, to serve his holiness the pope and remain amicable to those who would see our ancient lands stripped bare and divided. Promise me you'll take care of our family, our state and above all our dignity. Swear upon it by our ancestors, Jesus Christ and Maria."
[M]
A bastion gets built, 250.000 fl. To be spent on it. Antonio Maria Pallavicino dies, his son Ugolino Pallavicino becomes the duke of Piacenza and Busseto.

Hi everyone. OV here back to review anothr episode from our favourite blue boy😄.
(1/3) Episode review and thoughts: Well shiver me timpers and call me nuts because you're gonna think I'm crazy when I say that I didn't like it😀. Yeah, I know crazy that it's bad. Well, if you watched the episode you're gonna know that this basically makes a trilogy. BvG, Mario goes fishing, and this. W U T! Who told you to do that? So, this episode starts off with Mario just trying to get some wood to build a pizza shop which is normal. Surprisingly Tari is in Boopkin's place this time and it's just as bad (Why Tari? Finally giving her a main role and you chose an unlikeable one😀). First of all, trees don't have feelings and second Mario isn't gonna chop up ALL the trees! Just enough to make a pizza shop becaue the last episode got retconned- W U T-. Anyway, it eventually evolves into a battle between the four SMG3, Mario, Tari, and Meggy which was not good to watch especially as an MxM shipper. Tari what is chaining yourself to ONE tree gonna do? The "emotional" scenes aren't even good especially with how they are aupposed to land when it didn't. I get the message was to preserve nature but the execution is bad and don't even get me started on that choper scene and polluting the forest with paint. Also the pizza shop from Mario can actually help feed the others ya know? I mean they probably won't be free but come on, it can help.
However, there are some factors that I like. The elmo's world reference was pretty funny, the animan meme made me laugh for some reason, the lorax was pretty funny, and the ending isn't as bad as the other 2 in the "Bad episodes trilogy" (which were BvG and Mario goes fishing). Another is the fact that Mario kept his promise with just wanting to make a pizza shop.
2/5
(2/3) MxM review: Nothing to see here folks! Just dead flowers and rain! Move along! Yeah, it's not looking good for this part...
0/5
(3/3) Conclusion with the emoji scale: 😄 🙂 😐 😕 >🤦
1-2/10
So this was bad. This was not an enjoyable one for me. Only a handful of positives in a sea of bad is not good. I thought they kind of learned in the Mario goes fishing episode and thought they won't do anything like that again but then I realize that the term "Anything can happen" can also be negative. I personallyn don't recommend this episode but it's up to you if you wanna watch it. But what do you think? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Let me know in the comments and I'll cya guys there. +-------------------------------------------------------+
I actually wanna say thanks for 310+ reads for the fanfic! This is awesome!😄. Do you guys have any questions revolving around the "Haunted surprise present from the past" book? Let me know and I'll answer it!

PTS Phase 2 Patch Notes

 
Hello Agents,
 
We opened Title Update 18 Public Test Server (PTS) for PC Players on Ubisoft Connect on April 21st. Here you can find some of the changes and fixes we implemented based on your feedback. You can also find Known Issues for the TU18 PTS phase 2 in the end of the card.
 

DESCENT

Many of you dove straight into Descent to explore the new 1-to-4 player PvE mode and were quick to share your thoughts. We wanted to acknowledge some of the key changes:
 

DIFFICULTY

• POST-NEMESIS LEVELS DIFFICULTY
  • Based on the feedback we received during the PTS Phase 1, post-Nemesis difficulty was dramatically increased up to 39% compared to the previous version
• DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINGLE AND CO-OP EXPERIENCE
  • Better balance between Health, Damage and Armor
  • Increased difference between Veteran, Elite and Boss-level enemies
  • Adjusted the Rational Level Design system used for balancing and difficulty scaling

‌
 

HAZARDS

• Changed the placement and affected areas for some of the hazards, making them more intrusive/visible during gameplay
• Removed the option to bypass Hazards from the shop
• Increased the frequency of occurrence

‌
 

XP & REWARDS

Starting with the PTS Phase 2 the new reward system will be in place.

• XP earned for completing Descent levels will be split into 3 categories:
  • XP awarded to players that have not yet reached level 40
  • XP awarded to players that have reached level 40 and moved on to the SHD level progression path
  • Seasonal XP to help level 40 players progress though the Seasonal Rewards track

 
Rewards are based on the maximum Descent loops reached and comprise of sealed caches that will be sent to the player’s inventory upon completing the Descent run and returning to their main character. Please note that the LEVEL mentions refer to the main game character outside Descent:
 

• 1-29 LVL: Field Proficiency Cache containing Standard, Specialized and Superior quality items
• Crafting Material Cache containing crafting materials of all sorts
  • 11-29 LVL: Weapon Crafting Cache
  • 11-29 LVL: Gear Crafting Cache
  • 11-39 LVL: Recalibration Crafting Cache
  • 30-40 LVL: Crafting Material Cache
• 11-40 LVL: Exotic cache excluding Raid Exotics
• NEW! Simulation Cache
  • 30-39 LVL: Simulation Cache containing Superior and High-End quality items
  • 40 LVL: Simulation Cache containing High-End quality items with a 15% chance of dropping Gearsets and Named gear & weapons
• 40+ LVL: NEW! Reconstructed cache containing Named weapons and gear from S1, S2, S3 and S4

‌
 

STABILITY IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER CHANGES

• Improved stability to prevent crashes
• Updated Talents descriptions
• Items are no longer shuffled in the NSA store
• Added NSA store tutorial
• Added a pop-up message when pressing “Depart” button in SP – now a confirmation is required for exiting to DC
• Added missing sounds & various sound design improvements
• Fixed the NPC spawn
• Fixed the wave counter starting from 1 instead of 0
• Fixed the Revive Token UI in the shop
• Added Missing "Start simulation" and "Matchmake" buttons from the AR panel of Descent near the White House for Xbox
• Added departure timer

 

YEAR 5 SEASON 1 BROKEN WINGS

 

TALENTS

• The Perfect Companion Talent is used on the Named Chest Henri
  • Was not a mistake and we intend to keep it
• Revamped the damage reduction from skills to damage reduction from all sources so the Charging Talent won’t affect other damage-dealing talents and grenades
• Updated the Defibrillator Talent description
• Updated the Overcharging and Safe Charging Talents descriptions
• Fixed the issue with the Defibrillator Talent not activating on a newly equipped item with the same Talent – equipping, unequipping or swapping items will no longer cause the Talent to stop working
• Added Thunder-Strike Talent to the Recalibration Library
• Fixed the issue with the Thunder Strike Talent and its perfect version amplifying damage from all sources, including skills, grenades, status effects with DOT and any damaging Talents like Toxic Delivery from the Vile Exotic Mask. Now Agents can only deal extra damage to shocked targets with the Named weapons or any other regular weapon that has the normal version of the talent
• Fixed the issue with the Charged Talent speed boosting agents in co-op when near other agents

 

GEAR & WEAPONS

• Changed the “incoming skill damage” to “incoming damage” and lowered the value for “The Cavalier” Gear Set
  • Talent “Charging” – For each second spent out of cover during combat Agents will get 5% reduced incoming damage. Max 40%
    • Reduced from 50% to 40%
  • Talent “Charged” – While fully charged, gain immunity to any movement speed debuff and share hazard protection and the damage reduction with all allies for 10 seconds.
    • Removed skill damage reduction
  • Chest Bonus – Talent “Overcharging” – Increases Charger max incoming skill damage protection to 50%
    • Reduced from 70% to 50%
• Cavalier Gear Set has the correct name
• Removed a dye slot from the St. Elmo's Engine Exotic AR
• Fixed the mod slots for the Cavalier Gear Set Holster are placed outside the screen
• Fixed the issue with the St. Elmo's Engine Exotic AR obtained from the PTS Crafting Cache having no Attributes and Core Attributes
• The Shocker Punch Exotic Holster no longer has maxed Core Attribute
• Fixed the Cavalier Holster and Mask mod slots placement
• Named weapons from the PTS Crafting Cache no longer have the base gear rarity (grey)
• Added missing visual representation Mod icons for the St. Elmo's Engine Exotic AR in the Inventory

 

QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS

• Conflict XP rebalance
  • Added SHD XP progression
• The living world activities XP gains revamp
• Added the Grants Tab to make the compensations process more streamlined and items easy to obtain
  • Grants Tab can be found in the Store
• Added an option to allow players to change mission difficulty regardless of the world difficulty setting
• Added quick grenade selection menu
  • Hold G for PC
  • Hold D-pad Left for the consoles
• Added an option to mark Apparel Items as favorite
• Added Directives selection for Raids
• Added the option to Show selected mission Directives on the Mega Map
• Added the possibility to hold ESC/SPACE to skip videos and epilepsy warnings
  • Equivalent of Space button is X (PS) and A (XB)
  • Equivalent of Escape button is Options (PS) and Map/Hide Map (XB)
• Added a new In Loadouts section at the bottom of the Item Details window in the Inventory (under a gear piece's talent and mod slots) to display the current loadouts where the selected item is present
• Added the Hide/Show Mask’ and ‘Hide/Show Signature Weapon’ buttons in the Inventory when hovering over the specific tiles/tabs
  • Currently present in the cross Options layout
• Added a notification widget for modding Primary, Secondary and Sidearm weapons' skin slot, which appears if the player has any custom skin available for that weapon in the Store. The notification also has a quick button that redirects to the Weapon Skins Store tab
• Added visual feedback for locked Grenades
  • When browsing through the Grenades menu in the Inventory, players will see a notification which lets them know if the selected Grenade can be equipped or not

 

KNOWN ISSUES

TALENTS, GEAR & WEAPONS

• Missing text highlights in various Talents’ descriptions
• Placeholder images are displayed instead of the correct icon and mods for the St. Elmo's Engine Exotic AR in the Crafting Station menu
• Placeholder image is displayed instead of the correct icon for Shocker Punch Exotic Holster in the Crafting Station menu
• The PTS Crafting Cache does not mention the new TU18 gear in its content description
• The Charged and Changing Talents can be stacked in co-op
• St. Elmos Engine stacks can be earned with shock ammo from the Talent (only standard ammo should count towards the 100 stacks)

‌ 

DESCENT

• 40-level players with SHD progression unlocked may receive a much higher amount of XP than designed after completing any number the Descent game mode loops
• A door will automatically open if you wait for too long in the corridor. On Darpa maps please interact with the door console before entering the room

‌
 

QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS

• The living world activities rebalancing revamp is only available to players who have their difficulty set to Heroic. Please be aware that since we do not have difficulties activated in the PTS build and players join in with their own difficulty settings, the ones who don't have Heroic on won't be affected by the XP revamp
• Items claimed from the Compensation Vendor won’t drop on the ground if the player has their Inventory or Mailbox full. Please make sure that your inventory has enough space before attempting to claim items from the Compensation Vendor

‌ 
Thank you again for partaking in the Phase 1 of the Title Update 18 PTS and please do keep your thoughts coming as community feedback has always been helpful to us in making the necessary adjustments to the upcoming content.
Until next time!
/ The Division 2 Development Team
=> source

I’m sure this has been done to death but here we go. What are some ideas you have for original houses for Halloween Horror Nights (or similar events)? I’ve got three and I’m gonna put them from most likely to least likely though you don’t have to follow suit.
House 1 is basically Anarcade as a house, going through various “games” themed after popular arcade games with the neon colors from Anarcade. My thoughts on sections include
A section with mutant warriors based on the Teenage mutant ninja turtles
A Contra/ Aliens inspired section with soldiers fighting off insectoid aliens.
A mortal Kombat- esque tournament that facilitates the Neon heart Rip that made me conceptualize the house to begin with.
Hell. Arcades are such a varied concept you could put just about anything in an Arcade themed maze. Slasher themed villains. Neon green Yeti’s. And so on. But save some for a part 2 if that seems lucrative.
House 2: if anybody has seen the black and white diners themed after old cartoons you might have a good idea where this is going. But a “Black and White Cartoon” house. I’m not sure what kind of Scareactors you could see in the house honestly because some of them might come a little too close for comfort from the other park in Orlando. But notable scenes could include dead normal people in the cartoon world with thei red blood contrasting greatly with the black and white scenery.
House 3: A muppets house. Not Puppets. Not animatronics. Muppets (but not the actual muppets. Just characters themed conceptually like the muppets). Least likely because either this would require a lot of puppets or way too many uncomfortably warm costumes.
Notable scenes could include
A shining shout out with some wooden blocks spelling Red Rum. Next to a creepy Elmo-esque muppet.
A Giant muppet (think Huggy Wuggy from Poppy Playtime, if you’re familiar) ‘guarding’ the exit similar to Clownzilla from Killer Klowns, or the giant bug from Bugs eaten alive.