#rockfish games

[linuxgamenews]

Explore New Additions with the Incursions Update for EVERSPACE 2

Incursions update is out now for EVERSPACE 2 with new game additions, playable on Linux and Steam Deck via Proton with Windows PC. Thanks to the skilled team at ROCKFISH Games for their hard work. Available on Steam, GOG, and Humble Store. ROCKFISH has just launched a major update for EVERSPACE 2, called Incursions, and it's available to play now on Linux and Steam Deck via Proton. This update packs a punch with new features, items, and much-needed upgrades. First off, let's talk about the timing. This update comes right on the heels of EVERSPACE 2's big win at the 2024 Deutsche Computerspielpreis, where it was honored as the Best German Game. That's a pretty big deal! The Incursions update really expands the universe of EVERSPACE 2. It adds some intense space battles to the later parts of the story. Where the actions of Adam Roslin and his crew have are weakening the fabric of the universe. This chaos allows the Ancients to invade from another dimension. In the new Incursions activities, it’s your job to take on waves of enemies and shut down the beacons that let them through. The Incursions update also brings a bunch of new gear — like legendary items. There are also new modules for the front, rear, and cockpit of your ship. There's even a treasure hunt in the updated Ancient Rift mode. Since you can find some unique relics.

EVERSPACE 2 | Incursions Update Trailer

For those who like to tweak their gameplay, the Incursions update brings an upgraded photo mode. There is also a reworked Scout “Shadow Strike” ultimate ability. And an increase in how many legendary items you can load out. Switching gears to the tech side, the update transitions EVERSPACE 2 to Unreal Engine 5.3. This big leap lets the ROCKFISH Games team use the latest development tools and introduce some nice new features. Such as Lumen GI on DirectX 12, Nvidia Reflex for reducing latency, and a couple of new upscaler for smoother visuals. ROCKFISH CEO, Michael Schade, mentioned that moving to Unreal Engine 5.3 was a massive challenge. But it was all about setting the stage for future expansions. They've got more exciting content in the pipeline that they'll unveil later this year. In the meantime, whether you’re returning to the cockpit or just starting out, there's plenty to explore and enjoy with all the new Incursions Update additions. And there's more for the fans. ROCKFISH also released a new EVERSPACE 2 Supporter Pack on Steam now. For $9.99 USD / £8.49 / 9,99€, you get a collection of stylish ship skins, decals, and lighting effects. Plus some engine effects. It’s a great way to show your support for the team. EVERSPACE 2 with its new Incursions Update is available for purchase on Steam, GOG, and Humble Store. The title features full voiceovers in English and German and is localized in thirteen languages. Due to ensure that many more fans worldwide can join in. Playable on Linux and Steam Deck via Proton with Windows PC.

#everspace 2 #incursions update #linux #gaming news #rockfish games #ubuntu #steam deck #windows #pc #unreal engine 5 #Youtube

[overlandgamer]

In the pilots seat you will explore strange locations in Everspace 2. There are a lot of ships to choose from. Each ship has it's own flying style and abilities. In this article I wrote I highlight the ships that I have used in the game.

What ship will you choose?

#everspace 2 #everspace #rockfish games

[gamunity]

سيتم ترقية EVERSPACE 2 الى محرك UE5

أعلنت شركة Rockfish Games أن تحديث لعبة EVERSPACE 2 سيعمل على ترقية اللعبة إلى محرك Unreal Engine 5. ووفقًا للفريق، فإن هذه الترقية ستساعدها على تحصين اللعبة في المستقبل من ناحية جلب التحديثات ومحتوى التوسيع إليها. EVERSPACE 2 هي لعبة إطلاق نار سريعة الوتيرة للاعب واحد على متن سفينة فضائية مع استكشاف الفضاء والكواكب والعديد من الغنائم وعناصر RPG والتعدين والتصنيع. يمكن للاعبين تجربة قصة خيال…

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#EVERSPACE 2 #Rockfish Games #UE5

[thelatenightsession]

Everspace 2 (Review)

Rockfish Games’ Everspace is the kind of game that ages well over time thanks to an impressive art style and rogue-like mechanics that added a significant amount of replay value to it. I would have thought it was the kind of game that didn’t need a sequel however with Everspace 2, the developers have made enough changes to make it an experience that stands apart from its predecessor. The game…

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#PC #PlayStation #Rockfish Games #Xbox

[capsulecomputers]

EVERSPACE 2 to Launch on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 August 15

Rockfish Games have announced that they will be bringing the space looter shooter EVERSPACE 2 to the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 on August 15th where it will be priced at $49.99 USD / £49.99 / €49.99 though those who want to play the game on Xbox will find that the game will also be releasing on Xbox Game Pass on the same date. 

#everspace 2 #everspace #space #sci-fi #rockfish games #action #action rpg #video games #games #gaming

[srepgames]

EVERSPACE 2 estrena Ancient Rifts, la última actualización de su early access.

La desarrolladora ROCKFISH Games anunció que Ancient Rifts, la actualización final del early access de EVERSPACE 2, ya se encuentra disponible en Steam. La versión final llegará a principios de 2023 para PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One y Xbox Series.

"'Ancient Rifts es una gran adición a EVERSPACE 2, que muestra la increíble profundidad y variedad de lo que creemos que será el mejor juego de acción espacial que saldrá en 2023", dijo Michael Schade, CEO y cofundador de ROCKFISH Games. “Visualizamos Ancient Rifts para traer de vuelta algunas de las locas mecánicas y desafíos y esa sensación de “solo una partida más y basta” del primer EVERSPACE que le encantó a los fanáticos. Estamos deseando que llegue el día en que salga la versión final de EVERSPACE 2, que ofrece una combinación única de juego de acción de alto plasma, exploración del espacio profundo, muchas actividades y una emocionante campaña ambientada en un impresionante entorno de gravedad cero”.

Acerca de la actualización:

Ancient Rifts es una actualización que cumple con la promesa de la campaña de Kickstarter de 2019, en la que unos 8000 financiadores desbloquearon contenido importante para el endgame de EVERSPACE 2.

Al igual que en EVERSPACE original, donde los jugadores podían aumentar la dificultad de cada partida y elegir desventajas entre sectores en el modo Hardcore, ahora pueden aumentar la locura antes de abrir una grieta y elegir un portal con diferentes modificadores que conducen a la siguiente etapa para definir su desafío individual. Por supuesto, los riesgos más grandes generarán mayores recompensas, como una mayor probabilidad de dropeos legendarios y un mejor botín en general.

Como una actividad endgame en un shooter espacial de ritmo rápido, el equipo quiere que los jugadores se sumerjan directamente en la batalla con una construcción optimizada y desatar el caos sobre sus enemigos en lugar de acampar detrás de un asteroide y elegir un objetivo tras otro desde una distancia segura. Entonces, para no ser expulsados de la grieta, los pilotos deben mantener su puntaje de Resolución en Ancient Rifts al derrotar a los oponentes rápidamente y también mantener la integridad de su casco por encima de cero.

Si bien ROCKFISH Games está lejos de terminar con esta primera implementación, los pilotos atrevidos también pueden participar con otro contenido emocionante en la actualización Ancient Rifts, que incluye eventos de carreras revisados, nuevas misiones secundarias en Union y Khaït Nebula, nuevos trabajos, nuevas señales de socorro, nuevas rompecabezas y mejoras visuales.

Las naves son la clave de la experiencia de EVERSPACE 2 y expresión de los jugadores, por lo que, por supuesto, ROCKFISH Games también agregó algunas características nuevas para jugar. El Bomber ahora puede convertirse en el Titán y el Gunship en el Dominator con un nuevo conjunto de alas, y hay dos nuevas unidades Outlaw: el Raider y el Tormentor. Un nuevo dispositivo llamado Front Shield Generator también se suma a la variedad de estilos de juego, brindando a los pilotos tres modos para trabajar. Avenger refleja los disparos hacia los atacantes, All Day convierte el daño bloqueado en energía de arma y On Your Left proporciona un escudo más pequeño que gira automáticamente hacia el enemigo más cercano que enfrenta el jugador.

El equipo de ROCKFISH Games tomó nota de los pilotos que no estaban contentos con la escala de nivel, especialmente al comienzo del juego. Fue un desafío encontrar un equilibrio para aquellos a quienes les gustan los desafíos difíciles y aquellos que quieren sentirse poderosos en todo momento, pero el nuevo sistema hace precisamente eso. Hay varias capas sobre cómo funciona el nuevo sistema pero, en lugar de que los enemigos suban de nivel con los jugadores constantemente dentro de un rango de nivel dado por sistema estelar, su progreso se adjuntará a la progresión mundial. Ya sea el nivel del jugador, los puntos principales de la trama o el ingreso a un nuevo sistema, los jugadores podrán subir de nivel más allá de sus enemigos hasta cierto punto. Si se cumplen ciertas condiciones, las áreas de juegos anteriores subirán de nivel de una manera que se reflejará en la historia del juego.

Lea la publicación en la comunidad de Steam para profundizar en la actualización, incluida una selección de elementos legendarios que se encuentran en el juego, así como una lista completa de todas las funciones, ajustes y correcciones adicionales.

#EVERSPACE 2 #ROCKFISH Games #PC #Noticias

[savingcontent]

Ancient Rifts is the final major update for Early Access sci-fi RPG and looter shooter EVERSPACE 2

Ancient Rifts is the final major update for Early Access sci-fi RPG and looter shooter EVERSPACE 2

(more…)

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#Ancient Rifts #Early Access #GOG #News #PC #Rockfish Games #Steam #Steam Early Access

[kahtide]

SPACE! THE PLACE! TO BEEEE!!!!!!!

Hop into the backseat of my starfighter as I take us on a dogfighting blitz the likes of which you’ve never seen! It’s Everspace! This Wednesday (09/07) at 7pm!!

twitch.tv/kahtide

#kahtide #twitch #streaming #gaming #everspace #rockfish games

[mendelpalace]

So a few days ago, Pi (aka Pixel/Daisuke Amaya), the creator of Cave Story posted the link to a Discord server that, among other things, included a download link to a demo for a cancelled game he was working on around 2010-2011 called Rockfish. There's also hints that he might upload more unfinished/cancelled work. You can find the link here.

Rockfish seems a bit similar to his earlier game Ikachan, as you play as a fish and explore underwater environments. Interestingly, Amaya had previously posted video of another project also called Rockfish that seemingly had a completely different direction. where you played as a guy with a ship/helicopter.

Not much is known about this version and it was also cancelled.

#Cave Story #Rockfish #Daisuke Amaya #Dōkutsu Monogatari #Dokutsu Monogatari #Studio Pixel #Video Games #Cancelled Games #Pixel #Ikachan

[encyclopika]

Animal Crossing Fish - Explained #219

Brought to you by a marine biologist here to tell you to buy local!

CLICK HERE FOR THE AC FISH EXPLAINED MASTERPOST!

Seafood is really important. I mean, food in general is important to our lives - y'know, it keeps us alive and all that. But seafood in particular, both wild-caught and those raised in aquaculture, are so important, that for many people around the world, it is the single source of protein they rely on. Of course, many island nations come to mind, especially Japan, since we're talking about Animal Crossing. In fact, seafood is so important there, that at least half of the fish that we've covered in this fish explained (counting only the extant species, mind you) are considered important fisheries in Japan or worldwide. The dark-banded rockfish is one such fish.

The dark-banded rockfish appeared in AC Pocket Camp this past spring, from March to June 2022. That's a pretty long stay for one of these ACPC exclusives!

Now, there isn't much to say about the DBR as a fish. In Japan, it is called Mebaru, and accompanies a few seafood dishes as a smoked or cooked whole fish in a broth. The fish is caught wild *and* farmed to meet demand for these dishes. The DBR is often called the Japanese Red Seaperch as well and its scientific name is Sebastes inermis. It's part of the Scorpaenidae Family, a group of fish well known for their venomous spines and being prickly in general, like the red lionfish, zebra turkeyfish, weedy stingfish, and others that we've covered before. The family is quite diverse because venom and spikes are a great way to deter predators, especially around rocky or coral reefs where predators could be lurking in any crevice and you are generally small. The DBR is endemic to the Southwestern side of the main Japanese islands and near the Korean peninsula. They eat zooplankton for the most part.

https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/461136-Sebastes-inermis

Fisheries are my bread-and-butter. When you're a marine biologist, there are a lot of different paths you can take, and fisheries is great when you believe we can have our fish and eat them, too. About a third of what I do is promote local fish species to the people who live on the island I call home. The Northeast US is a hotbed for fisheries that basically built this region, including the Atlantic Cod, Sea Scallops, and American Lobster, among many more local favorites like Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. There has been a huge uptick in aquaculture of oysters here as well. So, like the DBR is to Japan, these species come to our fish markets straight from the boats.

There's been a movement lately (within the last 20 or so years) to choose local, wherever possible. That includes getting local veggies and meat from local farms instead of big companies you see in the supermarket, and going to the local fish market to buy species caught in your area. Buying local does a lot of good for your community and the planet. Let me explain:

When you buy local, you're keeping that money circulating within your town, state, or region. You support small business instead of feeding giant, faceless corporations. And I don't mean to be such a liberal on main, but I actually do. Buying local is good for your local economy. When you buy a fish that is native to your area, you directly support the fisherman who caught it, the local dealer he sold it to, and your neighbor running the fish market.

Not only that, but you cut down the carbon emissions of your food. Seafood in general has a fraction of the carbon emissions that beef production does (and it's healthier for you overall). In fact, if you have local shellfish or seaweed farms in your area, those farms actually reduce carbon in the atmosphere! And, for a more obvious take, when you buy local, that food didn't travel a far by truck or plane as, say, a fish imported from another country. It might not have traveled at all if you buy straight from the dock!

Buying local means your food is fresher and thus is more nutritious and tastes better. When fish is imported, it is often frozen, thawed, frozen again, perhaps thawed again to process, and frozen yet again before it reaches your plate. All of that freezing and thawing ruins the meat.

And lastly, when you buy local, you have a better chance of knowing how it was caught, the regulations associated with that fishery, and knowing that your food was sustainably sourced, or grown in a bay you can actually visit.

This all applies to freshwater species as well. Find out what your local species are and choose them first. Easiest way to do that is hop on Google, find a fish market near you, and talk to the guy behind the counter.

And there you have it! Fascinating stuff, no?

#dark-banded rockfish #rockfish #marine biology #fisheries #buy local #animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #acpc #science in video games #animal crossing fish explained

[mitometa-art]

I finally played the demo for Studio Pixel's lovely little game Rockfish. Even though it won't be finished, it still left a strong impression on me. Pixel's games have a rare charm and whimsy to them that never ceases to make me smile.

#rockfish #studio pixel #fan art #digital art #my art #indie game

[linuxgamenews]

EVERSPACE 2 gets a full release without a native build

EVERSPACE 2 spaceship shooter game launches in full without native Linux support, just Proton via Windows PC. This is the recent detail coming after more than two years of ROCKFISH Games development. Available now discounted on both Steam and GOG. Indie AA developer ROCKFISH Games is eager to announce that after five years of development, EVERSPACE 2 has now launched in full. This much anticipated, visually stunning single player open-world space shooter action RPG gives space fans more than 120 handcrafted locations to explore. Also more than 30 hours of the main campaign story. Or more than 90 total hours for exploring. This includes side missions, puzzles, secrets, and location challenges. Not too shabby.

The Story:

EVERSPACE 2 spaceship shooter game puts players in the pilot seat as Adam. He is also a clone pilot seeking fortune to buy his freedom. Due to get away from the conflicts of the Demilitarized Zone of Cluster 34. On this journey there harsh encounters and brutal tests. Due to stand between players and the next epic loot drop. An exciting sci-fi adventure through a war-torn star systems awaits. This features massive handcrafted areas full of secrets, puzzles, and perils. Dangers await in every corner of the universe. As a result, pilots must level up, craft, and loot better gear to survive on the edge of space. Along five sprawling star systems introduced during Early Access. Now space fans will also be able to explore Khione. This is the sixth star system of EVERSPACE 2 along with the final chapter of the campaign. Due to featuring massive space battles with epic, cinematic moments, and a thrilling final boss fight. Taking the tests to a whole new level. Space pilots will come across new tier 4 playerships. Along with new gameplay mechanics and side content. Doing so in the new star system as well as new legendary loot dropping from certain side missions. Including the Ancient Rifts endgame activities. As a result, v1.0 adds many quality of life upgrades. Including its own commodity trading features and more ship customization options, and also a new set of player perks. As well as a Nightmare difficulty unlocked after finishing the campaign on any difficulty level.

EVERSPACE 2 | PC Launch Trailer

After six massive content updates over the course of more than two years of Early Access development. Now EVERSPACE 2 launches with an exciting 30 hour single player campaign. While offering many more hours of further side missions and jobs. Including distress calls, location challenges, puzzles, and other activities. In total, the game features over four hours of dialogue. There are also two hours of cinematics and cutscenes. All fully voiced in English and German. Likewise, the game is currently localized in thirteen languages. including English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Spanish.

The Linux Issue:

At launch, EVERSPACE 2 has support for Windows PC and Steam Deck. This is after waiting more than two years. Along with having to wade thorugh Proton Support issues on Linux. Stating in the Steam Post that we will not have native Linux support, despite the commitment. But due to the broken and incomplete nature of the Vulkan implementation in Unreal Engine 4, there is an 50% - 80% performance drop. So running the DX12 Windows version in Proton seems to be the answer. This is a bit of a shift for the February 14th Steam Post. For a developer like ROCKFISH, I would hope for a bit more transparency. As a result, the latest press release does offer some hope. Stating that, "support for Linux and MacOS as well as further optimization for Steam Deck will be implemented after launch." While the team works to improve performance on Linux, EVERSPACE 2 can be played via Proton. A digital soundtrack and artbook will be available for purchase later this year. ROCKFISH Games’ EVERSPACE 2 journey is not yet over. In addition, there is a major free update due to arrive later this year. This also addes new features and more ship customization options. Not to mention further voiced language support. The ROCKFISH Games team has also begun development on the game’s first major paid expansion. This will continue the EVERSPACE 2 adventure. Due to offering a new story and gameplay features. This is scheduled for mid-2024. EVERSPACE 2 spaceship shooter game launches on on both Steam and GOG. The regular price is $49.99 USD / £44.99 / €49.99 / ¥5900. But the game launches with a one week 10% discount. And again, Linux support via Proton with Windows PC.

#everspace 2 #spaceship shooter #linux #gaming news #rockfish games #ubuntu #steam deck #windows #pc #unreal engine 4

[brutalgamer]

Everspace 2 warps onto consoles today

Space shooter fans strap in, Rockfish’s massive Everspace 2 is finally ready for play on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

#Everspace 2 #Maximum Games #Rockfish #sci-fi #shooter #News #PS5 #Xbox Series X

[learnyouabiology]

Fun Fact: Hagfish Suffocate their Predators with a Cloud of Slime!

(This week featuring my own art, bc I got a new thing and I wanna USE IT)

Sometimes, I come across an animal that makes me go: “Huh. That seems like a fictional monstrosity, fit only for tabletop roleplaying games and fantasy novels. Except I guess this one is real! Weird!”

 The hagfish is one of those animals.

Hagfish are quite spooky to behold: Rather than looking like a fish, hagfish look more like scaleless, leathery-skinned worms with little tentacle-like things called barbells around what appears to be their mouth.

Except the polite little opening that you can see in the drawing above is not its mouth. That’s its nostril.

This is its mouth:

**SCREAM**

(ok that’s technically a tongue that has teeth on it, but it’s mouth-adjacent so I STAND BY MY STATEMENT). (drawing based on this picture from this paper)

THIS IS THE STUFF THAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF (and I, for one, love it!)

You don’t need to worry too much about the hagfish’s nightmare mouth, though, since hagfish are pretty much only interested in eating things that are already dead (except maybe a few fish, so if you’re a fish, watch out, I guess). 

Plus, they can go more than 6 months without eating and can survive without oxygen for 36 hours, so that’s nice.

(it’s hard to tell, but this is 2 hagfish eating a dead rockfish, plus a third hagfish possibly taking a nap. They’re having a lovely time!) 

 These guys love a good whale carcass.

Hagfish are a type of jawless fish which are categorised into the class Myxini. They are the only known animals with a skull but no vertebral column and possess 4 “hearts”: a systemic heart in the usual place, a portal heart that’s beside the 1st heart, a cardinal heart in the head, and a caudal heart near the tail. Technically, only the first 2 are considered “true hearts”, but Whatever!  x

All of these things are very strange and wonderful, but the weirdest thing about hagfish, in my opinion, is possibly their most distinct feature.

They possess weaponized slime.

Remember that time a bunch of hagfish stole a car were dumped onto a highway in 2017? Everyone (human) was fine, but the slime was REAL (source: x). 

This slimey car crash occurred because hagfish excrete slime when disturbed (they caused the slime part, I mean. The crash itself was something else’s fault). Considering the fact that a single hagfish can excrete a maximum of 24 litres of slime (given ideal circumstances) and that there were roughly *checks notes* 13′000 hagfish in the truck, you could end up with around *does some math*... 312’000 litres of slime!

For reference, that’s equivalent to approximately 1’560 bathtubs full of slime. 

(my rough math can be found at the bottom of the post, if you’re curious).

That said, this crash probably didn’t feature 312′000 litres of actual slime. What the hagfish excretes is a relatively small amount of a substance which is a combination of mucus and long, thin proteins reminiscent of super-fine silk threads.

When this substance is mixed with water, it immediately expands 10′000 times its original volume!

The resulting slime is 99.996% water (source x). So, unless the truck was also carrying 312′000 litres of water to transport the hagfish in (which is doubtful), the slime probably wouldn’t have been able to reach that volume. (assuming they didn’t try to clean the mess up with water, which is... fully possible)

For my favourite demonstration of this, here’s an (admittedly old & grainy) video of someone transforming a beaker of water into a beaker of slime using a itty bit of mucus scraped from a hagfish.

(it’s cooler in the video, tbh)

What is all this slime even for? Well, mostly to protect the hagfish from predators! 

Imagine if you bit into a sandwich and then 24 litres of slime suddenly exploded into your mouth. That would suck. A lot. You probably wouldn’t even finish the sandwich! Probably. I don’t know your life.

Understandably, predatory fish also hate to have a mouthful of slime, except it’s even worse for them, because the slime quickly gets tangled in the fish’s gills, which are important for gas exchange (aka being alive). It is for this reason that hagfish generally don’t get eaten, it seems!

(Ha! That’ll teach you to try to eat in the ocean! i love this paper tbh) 

As far as I have been able to research, there are no recorded instances of hagfish being  successfully eaten in the wild (though we have seen predators make unsuccessful attempts, resulting in them having an extremely bad time!)

(Thriving. Moisturised. In their lane. x)

While the slime sticks to the predator, the hagfish has an easy way to get the slime off its own body: they simply tie themself into a knot, wiping away the slime, and then goes about their day, unphased.

This has been Fun Fact Friday, bringing you nightmare fuel in this, the fine season of Halloween!

I know that it’s September, but if the dollar store can say that it’s already Halloween season THEN SO CAN I DANG NABBIT.

(bonus of that fish getting pwned, just bc I LOVE those pictures:

(Corrected) math under the cut:

3′400kg of hagfish in the truck (source)

each adult hagfish is around 180-260g (source)

3′400 kg/0.260 kg = ~13′000 hagfish

one hagfish can produce “a teaspoon” of slime (~5 mL), which can expand “10′000 times” its original size when it hits water (~50′000 mL -> 50 L) (source)

This^ is wrong! It’s actually 24 L, max (new source x)

one average bathtub can hold ~200 L of water (source)

(24 L x 13′000 hagfish) / 200 L = 1’560 bathtubs

#hagfish #halloween #marine biology #science #biology #fish #fun fact #sciblr #science side of tumblr #adhd in STEM #STEM #fun fact friday

[terramythos]

stethacanthus fishing requirements in ffxiv

Catch 2 Sculptors first. Sculptors are only available from 12:00-18:00 in-game time during Thunderstorm weather.

In addition Sculptors are a Mooch fish, which means you have to catch a different fish (Rock Saltfish) first and use it as bait.

Using the ideal bait (Silkworm), Rock Saltfish have a roughly 71.8% catch rate.

Once you Mooch the Rockfish you have a roughly 2% chance to catch a Sculptor.

Assuming you manage to catch 2 Sculptors in the 6-hour window (probably using Double Hook) you get an Intuition buff that lasts about 5 real-world minutes (i think?) which allows you to catch the Stethacanthus.

The Stethacanthus is only available from 16:00-18:00 in game time, which you will note overlaps with the Sculptor window. Which means the 6 hour Sculptor window is really a 4 hour window. Even less if Thunderstorm is not up for the whole window.

Also note that since Sculptors have a weather requirement THEY ARE ONLY SOMETIMES AVAILABLE BEFORE THE THE STEHACANTHUS WINDOW.

Stethacanthus is ALSO a Mooch fish requiring the Rock Saltfish. As a reminder the Rock Saltfish has a 71.8% catch rate so you will not catch it about a quarter of the time.

Once you Mooch the Rock Saltfish during the 2 hour in-game window (which is about 5 minutes in real-life time), with the Intuition buff from the 2 Sculptors, you have a 0.7% chance to catch the Stethacanthus.

#there are a few things you can do to help cheese this. Like using the Collectible mechanic for evil. However this is the 'intended' way #and even cheesing it barely helps #my posts

[claybefree]

Tulip Poplar

Sorrow is my own yard

where the new grass

flames as it has flamed

often before but not

with the cold fire

that closes round me this year

William Carlos Williams- The Widow’s Lament in Springtime

Every spring I have to ask for the name again. Tulip poplar, Saucer Magnolia, something like that, you’d think I wouldn’t be surprised by her anymore. Whereas last week empty arms cast veins of silhouettes across a cold carpet of previous year's leaves, today I’m able to come home from a long day of work, and face her canopy of flowers, half open like teacups, and that is miraculous news. I take it as further evidence that after two years the sucking wound in my chest has finally closed.

Each March was a celebration, a maelstrom of pink hung beneath the blue, pinks so dark along thick shouldered leaves, almost purple, and then bleeding out rapidly to porcelain white, there was no ignoring it. I notched one end of an eight foot pallet we brought home into the main cluster of stems, six feet up and propped the other end with a door. Of course the kids never climbed into the blossoms, but we did.

Now everyone’s gone but me and the whole yard creeps more every year, abandoned gardens filled with weeds crawling out of their beds, privet’s relentless march choking everything in between. A cold wind brushes the tulip against the rafter tails outside my bedroom, waking me. Limbs resting on roof shingles, a stitch of yellow rope left from a swing I hung years ago cut deep into the bark like a tourniquet. Her blooms will turn brown and slimy and clog the already rusted gutters. Neither tree nor house belong to me but as far as I’m concerned, I’m the steward of both, for now.

So I spend sixty dollars that I do not have on a bright orange pole saw from Lowes which I run up into underbelly pierced with morning light, trying not to focus on saw teeth tearing past bark into white flesh, or sap raining onto my cheekbones. I’m grateful for the strength I have in my arms for this work today but I worry I got started too late in the season and the half dozen or more wounds I’ve left will become infected and kill her. Despite all this I work for the better part of a morning, and pile up branches tall as me in the burn pit in the middle of the yard. In the fall I’ll light it up and likely scare the new neighbors. The blossoms lining the crooked pile go for broke and open their white faces wide to the sun.

The days are consistently warm enough and the new tires on my motorcycle beg to be chewed up, but my heart’s not in it. Not yet. One morning soon I’ll blast out 64 sometime before eight thirty, get away from the Florida interlopers that keep trying to kill me and hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and adjacent counties on this side of the mountain- Nelson, Rockbridge and Amherst.

The best road out there is also the most dangerous, and yet with half a dozen ways up to the Parkway, I still find myself on route 56 more often than not. A million years ago I guess, before someone gave it a name, the Tye river cut a gorge out of the mountains, twisting impossibly through the rocks and at some point homesteaders ran a road alongside and named that 56. Highly technical, it’s not the curves that will dump me. Every rental cabin and vacation home has a driveway cut into the shale and sandstone hills which provide, after every good rain, an opportunity for gravel to spill out on the tarmac. If I’m not on top of my game that’s what will kill me.

But before all that, when it breaks off from the Rockfish Valley highway, 56 passes through a couple thousand acres of farmland on one side, and the Tye river on the other. For some reason I think a good bit about the people who work that land. Last year the fields appeared to be left fallow, two years previous, in the fall, thousands of pumpkins were left scattered and rotting on the vine, collapsing into orange pulp. All I could think was that the pumpkin patch contract fell through.

I want to find the old timers and see if anyone will talk to me about August 1969, when Hurricane Camille dumped two foot of water in three hours and drowned birds in trees. When the Tye jumped its banks, broke the back of every bridge that dared cross it and cut the census of Massies Mill nearly in half.

Sometimes I see the pictures they post and get jealous of my friends who travel abroad, but I’ve decided what I need is to ride a motorcycle entirely too fast through the middle of some fields in Nelson county every three months and do that in perpetuity. I’ve been in that valley headed home late in the day with the sun low under the clouds turning everything golden, worried that I’m too far out. I’ve encountered the Tye river in a spring flood, washing across 56 nearly to the point where I had to turn back and find another route. I’ve ridden it half frozen in a driving rain, tucked behind the fairing with a mother of three on the back seat holding onto me for warmth.

Back in 2022, at my lowest, whenever I talked about tulip flowers or graveyard moss carried home from a chapel where it crosses over the mountain and heads down toward Vesuvius, my closest friends would encourage me to move out. They’d point to the marks on the door casing in the kitchen chronicling each child’s growth, five years worth, both hers and mine, and yeah, I got it. My argument was I’d have to find something else just like it- a shed for my tools, a garage for my bikes, somewhere to write. I dunno, man, I would say, it just feels like I belong here.

One of these days, instead of waving to them on their harvesters, I’m gonna pull over and talk to one of these guys. Yeah me, a wild eyed weirdo biker from the city rambling on about something I don’t know if I could even put into words. The idea of the two of us having a shared language with a place, a connection, whether it be on a tractor or a motorcycle, bound by both sorrow and joy. The connection running deeper because you’ve seen it flood, seen it bake, seen it come alive every year in a blaze of green.

Clay Blancett, 2024

#my writing #mine #motorcycles #massie mill #clay blancett #flash nonfiction #Fuck Denver Lol