TheOnlyGuyEver

http://store.steampowered.com/app/248330/Dino_Run_DX/
 
Dino Run DX is as cheap as it's ever been right now. For a little over a dollar, It's well worth I'd say. All sales from here on go towards funding Dino Run 2, as well.

This is the meme I miss most from SPUF, I think.

Had a kick-ass fuckin radical dream last night. I flew to Australia and enlisted in the military. And of course because it's Australia there's giant bugs and shit.
 
During bootcamp I got in the bed on a pickup with some other dudes and we went down this kind of trenched backroad. On the right it was all woods, on the left a big field, which turned into woods eventually. So we're driving and then a fuckin big ass herd of these big ass bugs starts moving down the field going the opposite direction of us. They were called "great converse beetles" and looking like centipedes, except the segments were fatter and rounder, and only had an exoskeleton on the top, which was black, and their bellies were red, with white fur where their legs began. They kinda moved on the back half of their set of legs, with the front half of themselves held up off the ground, looking forward.
 
Oh and they were also 250 feet tall from belly to back and 150 feet long from head to tail. Apparently they were super aggressive if you got near them bu otherwise didn't care if you kept your distance.
 
So we're driving with these giant fuckin great converse beetles going opposite to the left of us, and then a herd of giant fuckin goats the size of the beetles come outta the woods at the far left of the field and start battering the beetles, so now the giant goats and the giant beetles are fighting and killing each other. Shit was awesome.
 
Eventually I left Australia cause I had a dentist appointment.
 
And to think my dream the night before was literally just me taking a shower and then playing SMB1 on the NES.

Mannnnn I don't wanna meet any of you fuckers.

You can always google "HOW TO MAKE BOMB MUST KILL 10+" and get yourself on a couple.

So I bought a PS4 just after Christmas because fuck it I was back home for a bit and didn't have much to do. Literally only own Persona 5 for it at the moment but holy shit the game's good.
 
I'm generally pretty fucking bad at playing Singleplayer games. I've been playing on PC most of my life and I always found myself getting bored of almost every single game after launching it once, bur P5 has been a massive exception. I planned to play Persona 3 and 4 before playing 5, and tried emulating 3 but I found I had the same problem, I was always alt-tabbing, checking discord and shit like that and could never really concentrate on the game. Alongside that I found very quickly that my 'RPG Perfectionism' kicked in and I was looking for the best strategies to do everything before I had even really gotten anywhere in the game. Since then I built a new PC and never got round to re-installing the emulator and downloading the ROMs, so the idea of playing the previous games went on the backburner.
 
Like I said, I'm home for Christmas so I finally decided to bite the bullet and pick up a PS4. I'm honestly shocked at how much I've enjoyed P5 so far. I'm putting it down to playing on console as opposed to PC, but it feels like I'm actually able to concentrate on playing the game, and I'm actively avoiding most resources to do with the game (with the exception of the bios of a couple of enemies who can only be damaged by one element and will run away if not killed quick enough, because those are just fucking frustrating). The game presents its story really well, and going through it genuinely feels like you're uncovering a mystery to some degree. The combat is really fun, and uncovering and exploiting weaknesses is really fun, and in my experience with the game I've felt like that majority of things I've encountered have been challenging enough to the point that I can never just auto though combat, but not so hard that I'm having to continuously re-try the second I make any mistake. That being said, there are some parts of combat that are quite frustrating. If the self insert main character dies in combat then you automatically fail, no matter the status of the rest of your party members. This leads to a lot of situations where if you get unlucky the enemy AI can all target your character in their turn, and you can just get killed in one cycle. Seemingly the only protection against this is to just prioritise the MC over anyone else when it comes to healing etc (if the fight is going to go on for more than two or so turns) or to make sure you get an ambush on whatever enemy you're fighting, and then hope that its a group you can kill within all your party members initial turns (which is how 95% of combat goes). Because of those factors, its hard to really know when you go into combat how it will go. This really isn't a problem in boss fights as when you fail you're allowed to immediately start over from the beginning of the fight, however it's frustrating when you're going through the games dungeons as a lot of the time the save points can be fairly spread out or annoyingly placed. Specifically in the third dungeon there is 1 save point a little way into it, the second save point is only accessible after going through a series of relatively hard to navigate traps, quite a lot of fights, and finally a mini-boss. However immediately after you access the second save point, you go down an elevator, and the first thing you are greeted by is the third save point, which you don't have to go through anything else to access. My final gripe with the game is that as each dungeon unlocks, you get given a certain number of in game days to go through it. The faster you finish the dungeon, the more of those days you have left over to do side activities. This leads to a couple of problems. I've inherently found that I feel like I'm rushed to  go through each dungeon, as the game allows you to do two 'side activities' each day, unless you engage in any form of combat activity (through the main dungeon or the long side dungeon) in which case that eats both actions for the day. Because of this the game goes through a cycle where you'll spend a few continuous hours doing nothing but combat, puzzles etc which will end in a boss fight, and then the next few hours of game time will be nothing but reading (admittedly very engaging) story developments, where despite the 'Visual Novel' type of approach the game takes, I've ultimately felt like I have no real control of what happens past the simple selection of "engage with character X today". The second major problem with how the game sets dungeons out is that in the second dungeon you get told "Hey here's a place that you cant get past, you have to do something outside the dungeon in order to progress further. You're gonna see this shit happen from now on". This only adds to the feeling of being rushed through dungeons, as when you reach a save point your parties health and SP doesn't get restored. Therefore, I feel as though I need to progress as far as I possibly can because I may just be greeted by one of these gated areas at any moment, and the idea that I could enter a dungeon as my action for that day, and in the first door I go through be told "Yeah alright gotta leave the dungeon in order to get past here get fucked". The most annoying bit is that I have only ever encountered this mechanic once, and that was when it was introduced in the second dungeon (I'm currently about 55 hours into the game and I'm about to enter the fifth dungeon) so in my experience so far its as though they introduced the mechanic and immediately forgot about it. If done right that mechanic could help break up the feeling of being rushed through dungeons, however on the opposite end it could be frustrating if they were regular occurrences, as you could be forced out of progressing further in a dungeon even if your party was in perfect shape. Ultimately I don't think it's a problem that could really be solved, however I wish it could be. Perhaps if I continued playing on Hard it would feel better, however I had to turn the difficulty down as it really was Hard and I don't feel as though I know the Persona games well enough to warrant doing that.
 
So yeah, there's all my problems with the game and despite all that I fucking love it. I'm honestly blown away by it. Aside from the few frustrating bits I just mentioned the game has somehow managed to keep the interest of someone who is really never able to play any singleplayer game. From what I've read there's about 100 hours of content in the game for a first playthrough. I feel as though I've probably progressed faster than that, as where I am in the story seems to be getting pretty damn serious now, however I could be completely wrong and I may have ages to go yet (which would make me VERY fucking happy). If I finished the game, and never touched it or my PS4 again I don't think I could say that I feel as though I wasted my money, that's how much I've enjoyed it (although I do plan to play FFXII and FFXV after finishing P5).
 
It's a good game lads, if you have a PS4 already I'd definitely say to pick it up, and if someone was looking to get a PS4 because of Persona 5 I'd say go for it.

So... guard dog update?

Eh, someone's gotta support our local stores. Especially this time of year.

IO! SATURNALIA!
 
Anyway, god damn. It's good to be back. All free time has been gone into being a good student... Welp, I guess now everything will start getting easier as I finally start getting into the actual rhythm.
 
So... how has everyone been?

Character doodles.
 
Michael:
 
 
Austin:

 
Richard:
 
 
 
Timeline here:

 
Just look at that progress! Good shit.

They were trying to warn us when they named the place Disney World.

My aunt knits me socks every year and I love them

I don't know why it took me so long to do this...
 

Read for daily dose of existentialism.
 
On an honest note, well written. I empathize. I personally have never found myself stuck in a rut trying to find the meaning of life and purpose; the closest I can relate is that I do not enjoy doing nothing. As in just sitting around not really doing anything. Not because I constantly need distraction from some profound and potentially grim truth of existence, but because I just don't like wasting time. I could sleep in bed all day as it is the weekend, or I could sweep the house and feel proud looking upon these clean ass floors every day. That's time put to good use.

>be me
>before heist begins, guy says "you sure you want that loadout aabicus"
>i reply "yeah, its a stoic build"
>do the heist
>heist goes to shit, everyone captured except me
>i'm pinned in a corner and cops have me completely locked down, all out of meds
>captain winters is stopping me from respawning them
>guy in chat: "but it was a stoic build tho"
>i sprint through the cops lines, replenishing my health with stoic
>I reach the safe end of the map, replenish ammo at an ammo bag and start singlehandedly taking down winters
>im already composing the shade i was gonna sling that guy when I resurrect the heist
>internet hiccups, im disconnected from server
>from their point of view i ragequit
> https://gfycat.com/ConsiderateAgedKitten
 

I know how to use a semicolon. I am your king, all of you.

Last night I dreamt I was playing a mix of Lego Star Wars 1 and 2, but all the levels were set in various TF2 maps.
 
If anyone needs help getting the Red Brick on Lakeside, you gotta have Boba Fett to get it, after you fight Count Dooku but before you build the giant Lego Sandvich near the Wookies. Hope this helps someone 

I don't know why you guys do stuff like this. Just say the discussion is dumb if you want to. Posting a bunch of meme images after serious posts just makes you look like asshats. If you don't care about the discussion then don't say anything.
 
You guys are good posters on topics you care about but you then have to become ironically detached from discussions that other people care about that you don't. Maybe I'm the only one annoyed by this. If that's true then I guess I'll shut up.

Oh yes, "just move to another state"! It's just a "hassle"!
For many people - myself included - moving that far is impossible for one reason or another, primarily money. I mean, at this point all you're saying is "Well, if that's what happens then too bad, it's what The Free Market wants." This could literally leave whole swaths of people with no internet in the likely event that ISPs decide to do what they've done in the past. Just because some people would still have it doesn't excuse the fact that there'd still be people without. "Well, wouldn't you rather have some people be without instead of everyone being without?" Fuck no, I'd rather that nobody be without without their own choice in the matter, and this is taking the choice out of the people's hands. Corporations should not have that much control over something that has become a pillar of the nation's - and global - society. We don't need ISPs deciding they want to create their own "soft" versions of the Great Firewall of China to gate you into content that's only Comcast/Verizon/AT&T/Dish/etc. Approved - Purchase a two-week pass for just $14.99 and get faster speeds!
Dear god, no!
We're already having to deal with the consequences of having so many different sets of laws and regulations - the easiest examples are the wildly varying minimum wages, education standards, and gun laws - we don't need to add more hammers to the cracking foundations! We don't need more individual sets of laws and regulations, we don't need to add NN to the list of state-by-state variances! The "freedom of choice to live where you want" is not so free, Caveson, you cannot honestly expect people to just pack up and move out because of some of the things you just listed about yourself moving. What about those who can't move? Are they supposed to just suffer in silence until they can oust everyone responsible for preventing NN from being established in their state? That would take years, maybe even decades! You can't boycott the major ISPs, you'll find yourself out of options, the smaller ISPs either can't deliver the same kind of service, or get indirectly shut down by the well-established giants and life gets more difficult if you can't get internet in some fashion.

I'll say it again. Corporations should not have that much power over something that's become a pillar of today's society.

I think I tried explaining this in another thread, but I'll reiterate for clarity:
 
http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/
 
The whole point of "states rights", a.k.a. the 10th Amendment, and really, the Bill of Rights as a whole, is to limit and decentralize federal power. The 10th Amendment helps accomplish this by making sure that States by default have natural autonomy over there territory, unless otherwise outright prohibited by the Constitution or its additional amendments. This hearkens back to one of the main reasons for the American Revolution, that is legislation without representation by a central power an ocean away. This provides numerous benefits:
 
1.) It ensures politicians are physically closer to their constituents....
 
2.) ...Which allows for more efficient governing and experimentation of laws at the state levels before being proposed to the federal level, with the added side effect of...
 
3.) ...That if an experimental law goes wrong or becomes tyrannical at the state level, the damage will be contained within that state's borders, and while it would suck if you were in that state, at least the rest of the country doesn't have to share in your suffering (would you really want the possibility of Texas's laws to run your life? I know I don't want California's laws nationalized). Which leads me to.....
 
4.) ....The fact that you can move to a different state if you really can't stand how that state is run, which a lot easier and less time-consuming than moving to a different country altogether. This freedom of choice of where you want to live without being subject to the same laws is one of the greatest attributes the country has going for it.
 
As for having fewer states, on the contrary, I say the more the merrier. For example, there have been multiple proposals to split California into multiple state, and I'm all behind it, since that would benefit:
 
1.) Me personally, since I won't have to move since I might be able to stay in a state that actually knows what it is doing.
 
2.) The balance of the electoral college, since that means no more free 55 electoral votes for whichever party happens to run the state (in this case, Democrats)
 
3.) The American people as a whole, since it means even more choice in where to live.
 
 
I won't deny that there is a certain cost to these freedoms, namely the responsibility needed to study other state's laws before moving, and staying up to date with your own state, and weighing your options. For example, I am seriously considering moving out of California one day, however I realize that there are disadvantages to leaving:
 
1.) Most of my family lives here.
 
2.) The diverse climate and living environments make it feel like a mini country in itself.
 
3.) Cali makes up most most of the west coast, thus, has most of the tourist attractions are within easy traveling distance.
 
4.) If I do decide to move to a red state like say Texas, the minimum wage is lower, which means I would be making less, however, everything would be cheaper, so I guess that one balances itself out.
 
These are all very serious considerations to take into account. Thankfully it'll be a couple years before I'll have to cross that bridge. But, the point is, I would rather deal with this hassle then not having the choice at all aside from renouncing my own citizenship from the country that I love, all because of some stiffs a thousand miles away from me got their panties in a bunch.
 
 
In which case if it bothers you so much, then I'm sorry, then you would just have to move to a different state. And yes I know, it is a hassle, but compared to renouncing your citizenship, I'd recommend the former option. And besides, if Net Neutrality is thrown out, then it's thrown out federally, as it affects everyone. If you want your state to keep NN, then I;m not against that. Which is why I oppose the notion that states can't make their own NN laws, which thinking on it now, seems unconstitutional.
 

This is such a bizarre argument to make in this particular case. The only way the government is "controlling" the internet is having a regulation that no one is allowed to control the internet. Your stance is basically akin to this:
 
Major automotive companies start adopting highways across the United States. They are granted permits to set up toll stations along the highways they own, so that on a road owned by Toyota, only owners of Toyota cars can expect to drive with any expectation of a reliable speed. Drivers of every other brand have to drive in slow lanes, or pay tolls to get into faster lanes, or may not be able to drive on those roads at all. Clearly no one wants this. The government steps in and says "This fucking sucks. Roads need to be reliable and accessible to everyone within reason." and sets up a regulation to end the practice. By your logic, the government is being the tyrannical party in this situation even though it's clear they're acting in the best interests of the public, which is their job.

I don't know TOGE, I'm not a fan of that look.

Second dream started off in a coastal town. It was just a pleasant sunny day with a nice sea breeze and then my subconcious decided it would brighten the mood by having a maniac behind a sports car plough into the side of a bus, sending them both careening off the road and towards people on the pavement. Fortunately, the people got out of the way before they both ploughed half way through the wall of someone's house. Both instantly burst into flames, the bus passengers ran out of the bus, both drivers weren't so lucky. People began pouring out of the smashed buildings in a panic while I looked on in bewilderment at the hell around me and how fast it had appeared. There was a screech of tyres. I turned to look expecting police or ambulances but, naturally, it was U.S. soldiers... In the middle of the English countryside... They formed two columns and called for people to walk down the middle so they could be searched. One by one, people were escorted away from the danger. I was called, but as I stepped forwards the soldier on the verge of searching me flipped and raised his rifle so that I was looking down the barrel, yelling at me to back up. I did as I was told, hands raised, but that didn't stop someone kicking me in the back of the legs and forcing me flat against the road. Someone else joined the fray and pressed the side of my head into the road. As you can imagine, the panic of this attack made me attempt to break free which only served as an excuse for others to join in. Now I was completely restrained when someone grabbed my lower jaw and yanked it down almost to breaking point, they hooked their other hand under my front teeth and started pulling on the upper jaw.
 
Although being aware I could try to clamp down on whoever was dumb enough to place their fingers in my mouth, I was also aware enough to realise I didn't want my jaw being snapped seconds later, so I froze. Fortunately, he then moved his hands to my chin and forehead instead, maintaining the pressure. I caught the glint of something metallic to my right, I couldn't make it out though since my eyesight was being obscured thanks to the hand pressing my eyelids upwards too. Suddenly, the metal was smashed against my teeth and began brutishly scraping. I then realised my teeth were being filed. I writhed as I attempted escape and then in agony as my teeth (and generally the inside of my mouth) were slowly destroyed. I kicked and screamed, spat blood onto the asphalt. But the onlookers didn't make a move or sound, just kept staring. The only people who kept yelling were the ones who kept my arms twisted behind my back and kept kneeing me in the ribs. A few moments later I was magically back home. In the mirror I could see the extent of the assault. My canine teeth were reduced to bloody stubs and everything else had been filed down to a bloody, uneven line. My mouth was so butchered and my tongue so swollen I was only capable of barely audible gurgles and growls. Fortunately, with the power of dream logic, the random person in my house who I've never met* was perfectly able to understand what I was saying. I can't remember what I said though. So yeah... Basically, I was tortured by being defanged. First thing I did when I bolted awake out of that dream sat upright in bed was roll my tongue around my teeth and sigh in relief. Hopefully my next dream isn't straight out of a body horror film.
 
(*I've heard the theory where anyone you see in your dreams is actually someone you've seen in reality, as the brain isn't capable of creating faces. I'm doubtful of that... If the brain can create something as vivid as I just described, why would it struggle with making up a face?)