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We've gone all electric ... so I drove a pony ...

We just can never get rid of the Eldar alts. Welcome back!

The Goblet of Fire film was tonally different in many ways too, like the angry Dumbledore while book Dumbledore was always friendly and supportive. Not that I would have known, having experienced it the other way around, but he was noticably acting out of character with no explanation. Could have been the best, the basis was there. Whacky, fun characters, a school ball, visiting students from different schools. I don't know if some parts of the novels were written with a movie adaptation in mind, but what I recall having read is that Rowling specifically adapted some parts of the movies for her later books, like Alan Rickman's performance of Snape influencing how she wrote and imagined the character. The first movie came out after the Goblet of Fire book, and while negotiations for the rights to the books might have happened significantly earlier, dunno - well maybe Rowling thought she could get a movie adaptation after the runaway success of the Philosopher's Sorcerer's Stone, but that just complicates things unnecessarily. She's just not that good of a writer, and I suspect that, given the success of the books and films, her audience was not overly interested in class hijinks. What is somewhat noticable is that plot elements keep popping up without much prior notice. I have honestly no ideas how much of the overarching story she had in mind while writing the early entries, but given how the series just keeps coming up with elements that should have always been a part of the universe but just never came up before, it cannot have been a whole lot. If I would want to be especially snarky it was fairly obvious that she didn't even have an idea how to finish the first book, and Quill just defeated himself by touching Harry. Because love. Okay, that is probably something specific to watching the film/reading the book as an adult, but that's a major asspull that never sat right with me. Then there are the titular Deathly Hallows, retconning Harry's cloak and Dumbledore's wand into a group of three items that are only necessary so that Voldemort can inadvertently destroy the one Horcrux he did not intend to make without actually having Harry die in his final confrontation. Not that Chamber of Secrets is free of asspulls, there is enough setup to explain how Harry survives his poisoning, and that the Sword of Gryffindor is enchanted to help brave Gryffindors in times of dire need, but there's zero indication that the Sorting Hat can just act as dimensional portal. Whee, enough of that before Hurlshot says I'm overthinking a silly fun fantasy series with magic (which is probably not wrong), but Chamber of Secrets is a good example that if everything else is good enough, a little plot hole or deus ex machina does not hurt one's enjoyment. I was looking forward to reading The Order of the Phoenix because I expected it to explain the film and fill in gaps - what I got was a novel that I actively had to force myself through reading at times. It was easily the worst of the books, and inexplicably the one with the most pages, with a lot of them spent on going nowhere at all while Harry mopes around enough to get Gary Oldman killed. I guess I should really watch the film again after reading the book, it might really change my view of it.

Hello, my game keeps constantly crashing after recent update. I can't even finish a single fight. Sometimes game just crashed to desktop without any information, sometimes I get notification that Unity stopped working and once my computer completely frozen. I can't play more than 5 minutes. Game worked smoothly before that. I have my drivers up to date. Files integrity checked, game reinstalled. Nothing helped. Cheers. DxDiag.txt Player.log

While I appreciate the effect Harry Potter had on getting people back into reading, I have to say my enjoyment has always run into the slight wall that I'd just finished re-reading a batch of the Books of Magic comics from Neil Gaiman. And that always makes me go "Huh." when it comes to Harry Potter. Much as I know that idea is sharing from the same background. Gaimain himself has repeatedly said that any similarities are merely because Rowling and himself are drinking from the same well. Still, it always had a slight jarring effect for me. That, and how much the story beats are repeated through the series. Harry is excited. Harry has a fun time with friends. Mysteries ensure. Harry has a falling out with friends. Friendship triumphs and mystery is overcome with the help of those friends.

Well, it reads The Acolyte - re:View, but it is a little like part one of the Star Wars Holiday Special re:View. They talk about everything else but The Acolyte. Well, almost. They talk about the show for 10 minutes or so. Speaking of The Acoltye, the show continues to be mostly uninteresting, flat and boring (and Qimir had better turn out to be the titular Acolyte, if he's really Mae's master then the entire creative team needs to be detained). Mike and Rich got it right, the show is pretty bland mostly because 90% of the characters are cardboard cutouts, and it would not change a bit even if all the actors were white heterosexual men. They also really have a point in critics being utterly unhelpful by giving all these shows and movies a pass or even praising them for nothing but being inclusive, even if they are complete garbage, something I've complained about for a while now. It is actively hurting their cause. The incels in the comments are pretty funny though, calling them paid Disney shills. Must have been a rough year for them, first they finally realize The Boys is satire and Homelander isn't a misunderstood hero but the villain, and then they have to watch Mike and Rich making fun of them.

Not quite as much as I used to half a year ago, but I still play in an organized group on some week days (wvw, i.e. world vs world which is the large scale pvp). The banter alone in Discord is worth the price of entry

Not at all! I will continue to change my opinions even after this list is released, I'm sure.

Fair correction, I've been trying to give an even-keeled impression of Whispers of the Endless, and a 100 percent chance to hit would make it seem better than it actually is. But since it's outside of SenSx's build concept and RP, which I totally respect, I promise to stop bringing it up!

*stares at the big banner selling Avowed sweatshirts and such* "Is Avowed out yet? .... ah, apparently nope." *returns to her sleepy/quiet life and lurking*

Looks like Arenanet is caving in to popular demand... at last as far back as I remember, people have been clamouring for "player housing" in the game. Looks like they listened... 10 years late, but they listened Do be fair, it looks like a number of neat ideas are getting added to it. I know I'll love that "collect all resources" button once it gets implemented!

Resident Evil Bundle just landed on GOG. RE1 already playable, the other two are for preorder, released in 2024 https://www.gog.com/en/game/resident_evil_bundle Original versions, not the remasters.

Cipher is a mediocre support who has one important niche : avoid ressource depletion. And a secondary niche : being a mediocre healer, but with infinite ressource and at the cost of 1 ability point. It clarifies the reaonsing, not the conclusion Because you can still complete it with another subclass. Herald for example, still beat every combination above in the persisting tanking + support department. Basically you need a shield, stoic steel, some source of non stackable AR and that's about it. Maybe you invested too much in Paladin defense to begin with. Nobody build around healing (except when I cast Nature's Balm at the beginning of combat, but that's because it is absurdly optimal at this point and last a bit) But are you going to pretend healing never happens ? In a party of 5, having a character using 1 healing from times to times isn't going to brutally kills your DPS. Especially if you build around DoT. Also White Flames are exceptionnal at combining attack and healing. Most well rounded Paladin subclass IMHO. Nope, I don't think so. Neither Warcaller not Cantor are not as good support. They almost have no spike heals (the Chanter double ray of light is mediocre at best). Double source of party-wide constant healing + Mercy and Kindness will prevent any further heal but you will still have it if needed. Because your topic is literally called "Advice needed" ? Because you asked for "peer reviews" ? If a widespread opinion does not make you hesitant about your conclusions, why are you here to discuss ?

Driving Roar is arguably the best ability for SC Barbarian. It really does a crapload of damages, pushing and interrupting and can be spammed. Dazzing Shout isn't bad though.

Free Guy I thought it was fun and funny, but I also like Ready Player One.

Should just link to Tim directly.

I took a long break and will try to do an illustrated picture book once more. But I am looking more at pre-schoolers. Mostly because I want to draw unicorns. She might not get the message, but I am noting the idea down for consideration.

Those things are always "what benefits us the most" kind of things. If there is more value/less cost in getting rid of him than detaining him, it's almost a given, they will give him an economy one way ticket to some former prison colony and focus on the important stuff at hand (like current domestic scandals and campaigning). Ethics and justice has nothing to do with it.