#I just mean like choosing the effects first and then customizing the causes based on those | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ruizmahler4 · 2 years

Text

If you're seeking to promote your enterprise, you're most likely usually seeking new methods to get to a larger customer base. Probably the most great ways to do this is called website marketing. Keep reading to understand how you can use this exciting new web marketing strategy to transform your small business.

Be consistent in your efforts to achieve buyers. You don't have to send emails day-to-day, but take into account that you may possibly not seize a customer's focus, or organization, until she or he has been in contact with your brand name or goods a few times. Effect bottom often, however, not so often that this seems too annoying. Your first step and bottom line of the advertising e-mail will include a telephone call to motion for your personal clients. Be clear about what you need your buyer to do, and can include at the very least two evident backlinks to the internet site. Use clear suggestions that direct your prospects to the supply your email is marketing. When you are obtaining your buyers supply their current email address to you during the sign-up procedure. Be sure that you possess the crystal clear disclaimer apparent that you are task email marketing promotions. Try to give the customer an indication of how usually you mean to apply their addresses to make sure they usually are not not aware. Be expected inside your emails. Send out them with a distinct plan. Be sure you send anything at the very least regular monthly, this helps make your buyers interested. Provided you can deliver e-mails on or two times every week, that is certainly better yet. Test out which days give your website the very best answers, and then utilize these time when your regular time to send email messages. To make certain that your email marketing is really aiding and not blocking your business, pay close attention to the spammy that you just after deleted from the own email accounts. See which kind of language you your self reply most adversely to an alternately what kind of subject areas cause you to more likely to available an advertising and marketing e mail. Do whatever you can to help make your email go into your customers' inboxes. You have to try to buy your e mail to pass ISPs instead of get branded as spammy messages. Should they get branded as junk information, your receiver of the email might never ever discover them. Consult with consumers to ascertain if they may be having your e-mails, or if perhaps they're no more intrigued. Smartly strategy when your emails will go out. Individuals tend not to like getting e-mails at annoying instances, especially if it's something that they have to take action on rapidly. Be considerate simply by making your offers practical as well as simple for people to benefit from, and you will probably convey more income than you usually would. Offer you your website visitors a free studying study course executed via e mail. You'll must establish a set up volume of car responders, breaking apart the training into sections. Four to six segments must be a suitable quantity. Be sure the content is the two educational and different. Routine the segments to be sent one-by-one each round the clock. This can present you with a number of rewards, including enhancing your internet site, gaining your customers' confidence, working on your authority, and developing your e mail base. Avoid using e-mails that convey crucial details through images. Domain Warmup Service , particularly internet-centered types, will never correctly exhibit these pictures. This might possibly interfere with your customers watching the email effectively. Always set a priority on written text, and make sure to make use of descriptive alt tag if you choose to include graphics. Make sure to consist of great incentives for the clients. Give your prospects a compelling reason to present their organization to you as an alternative to the competitors. Think about alternatives including, free shipping for larger orders of fifty bucks or more. Understand that email marketing is all about accumulating your track record. Prevent doing anything at all which can be deemed deceptive. It really is your reputation that you need to safeguard and the way you strategy your advertising campaign can certainly make a big difference between good and bad. Include an review memo about the stick to-up emails that you simply deliver in your clients. Paste a web link in your concept that shows them to acquire this right now. The concluding postscript could convince these clients that this is the time to enable them to practical experience accomplishment, plus they can do so following the website link provided. There are several things to consider to remember while you develop an e-mail marketing plan. Many organisations have issues creating a client bottom. Some companies have a problem creating excellent email messages. By using the advice and tips in the following paragraphs, you can expect to avoid a number of the pitfalls common to many organizations. Employing this post is a terrific way to enhance your marketing and advertising.

#Domain Warmup Service

1 note · View note

sandibullock · 3 years

Note

I was wondering if you could do a tutorial on this gifset that you did i really like ittt

Thank you for sending this in, anon! I’m glad you liked it and wondered how it was made :) Fun fact: the day before you sent this, I had just started working on my next set in that “Select Filmography” series. I hope you like that one too when it’s ready!

I think I should start by saying I’m pretty new to giffing myself and there might be more efficient ways of getting to the same result. However, the point here is to show you the process I went through to make this gifset and hopefully help you understand how to make a similar one.

To follow this tutorial, you will need some version of Photoshop and some giffing knowledge. I know there are multiple ways of making gifs so I’m just letting you know I’m using the timeline and the “Convert for Smart Filters” option (I don’t really know how else to call it).

Now let’s get started!

STEP 1 - CHOOSE THE SCENES

It might sound obvious but, in my opinion, this is the most crucial step. It’s also the one that takes the longest (along with step 7, aka the coloring).

At this stage, you need to have a general idea on how you want your set to look like so you can choose the scenes accordingly. In my case, I knew I needed two types of shots for each movie: one close-up for the main gif and one mid shot for the shape. I also needed to take two other criteria into consideration: the movement (because of the shape) and the lighting (because darker scenes are such a pain to color). Last but not least, I didn’t want the characters to be talking (but that’s just a personal preference).

With all of that in mind, you can start saving a few screenshots of scenes that meet your criteria (or at least some of them). In the end, there won’t be that many to choose from so be prepared to make compromises.

STEP 2 - MAKE A DRAFT

Now that you’ve preselected a few scenes, you can make a first draft. This will help you turn your general idea into something more concrete.

Basically, this is your opportunity to organize your thoughts. What size do you want your gifs to be? What shape are you going to use? On which side do you want the close-ups to be? Do you want all of them to be on the same side or do you want to alternate from one gif to the other? Do the scenes you chose work together (gif-wise but also set-wise)? Are you happy with the way it looks, overall?

By answering all of the questions you might have now, you’ll save yourself a lot of time, trust me. Of course, you can totally skip this step if you already know exactly which scenes you’re going to use and how you’re going to present them together.

To give you an idea, this is what my draft looked like for Atomic Blonde.

STEP 3 - PREPARE YOUR GIFS

Once you have a clearer view on how you want your set to look like, you can finally start giffing like you usually would (i.e. importing, cropping, resizing, etc.).

It should then look something like this.

The important thing to mention here is that you want both of your gifs to be the same number of frames (32, in my case).

Ideally, you should also aim for the ~same~ coloring (especially for the skin tone, since both gifs will be so close to each other). This bit is particularly difficult when you chose scenes which have opposite lighting (see my two uncolored gifs below). Remember how I insisted on steps 1 and 2? It was to help you avoid this. So my advice would be not to choose these types of contrasted scenes, unless you can’t do otherwise and you’re ready to suffer!

STEP 4 - MAKE YOUR SHAPE

To make your shape, you can click right on the Shape Tool (U) and select the last one, Custom Shape Tool. From the Shape menu appearing on top, you will be able to choose the shape you want from the drop down list and start drawing on your gif.

To be more precise with the dimensions, you can manually adapt the length and height from the Shape menu itself. I decided to go with the same ones as my gif.

Once your shape is positioned like you want it to be, you can drag and drop the shape layer under your gif. Next, you will have to click right on the gif layer/smart filter and select Create Clipping Mask. The result is as below. Note that if the size of your shape was smaller than your gif, you would still be able to reposition your gif with the Move Tool (V).

You can now export your shape gif, reopen it in Photoshop and convert it again to the video timeline and to a smart filter. This is where I’m not sure it’s the most efficient way of doing things but it’s the only way I found to keep the coloring of each gif separate. I also find it easier to work with a smart filter.

STEP 5 - COMBINE YOUR GIFS

To add your shape gif to your main gif, you can simply click right on the shape gif you just reopened and select Duplicate Layer. You can then choose the project which contains your main gif to duplicate it in there. Now go to your main gif and reposition your shape gif where you want it to be (how many times did I say gif here?). Finally, you can draw a new shape, using the same dimensions as in step 4, reposition it and choose any color you want from the Shape menu.

Since you will be repeating this process with your following gifs, I suggest you add a few guides so you know exactly where you should place everything to make all of your final gifs look the same.

(In case you’re wondering, the “Base” folder contains my adjustment layers/basic coloring for the main gif.)

STEP 6 - ADD THE TITLE

This step is pretty simple: go on the web and type “[name of the movie] title”. Download the png you like most, open it in Photoshop and resize it to a length of about 150-200 pixels. Next, duplicate the layer to your main gif and reposition it. In case you need to resize it again, select the title layer and go to Edit > Free Transform (Ctrl+T).

This is optional but in case you want to change the way it looks, know you can always duplicate the title layer and play with the blending options (see below). The good thing with a png is that you can also add some effects by clicking on the “fx” button.

STEP 7 - ADD COLORING (OPTIONAL)

To be honest, I had not planned on coloring my gifs. But I had already spent so much time on them and I was still unhappy with the way they looked. I mean, see how grey-ish they are? Not great...

So the only thing left for me to do was to add some colors. Now, since coloring is worth a tutorial on its own and it already exists, I suggest you read through becca’s mega coloring tutorial (and especially steps 3 & 5). Seriously, shoutout to her for making this incredibly useful tutorial. She is so talented and I love everything she makes!

My Atomic Blonde gif barely even needed coloring so I’ll show you what I did for my Tully and The Old Guard gifs.

For the first one, once I had found which colors to use with which blending option and opacity level, I only had to remove the colors from the left side of the gif because there was barely any movement in that scene (phew!). For the second one, on the other hand, I decided to color frame by frame because there was way more movement, in comparison. This is quite a tedious process, which is why you want to limit yourself to a certain amount of frames.

I’ll conclude by saying there are so many things you can do with coloring and what works with one scene might not work with another. So experiment with it: try different colors, play with the blending options and opacity levels, add some gradients and/or gradient maps, etc. Just know it will take some time to get to a somewhat satisfying result!

And that’s it... I hope this tutorial made sense and was somehow helpful. Of course, don’t hesitate if you have any questions! Also, if you do end up making a similar edit, pleeease send me the link or tag me in the replies or something ‘cause I would definitely love to see it!!

#asks #anonymous #tutorials #resources #completeresources #allresources #itsphotoshop #putting all of this process into words took so long i really hope it makes sense #also i can't help but wonder if it was my before/after post which prompted this ask...#gifs #gifs: tutorials

368 notes · View notes

atheistforhumanity · 4 years

Text

Secret Police in America

We have been saying that Trump is a dangerous figure that does not respect democracy from day one, and now we face the worst possible threat. This of course ties closely to the militarization of police, which the right wing has been working on for years. In this post I’m going to break down secret police and how they exist right now. There is a lot to unpack here, so I’m going to break this up into a short Q and A style.

What are secret police?

What makes a security for secret, and separate from normal police, is chiefly the lack of identity. These actors wear masks, carry no identification, will not respond to questions, and will never be identified to the public. They also will not be identified to local police authorities. This means the public has zero ability to hold them accountable for abuse or misconduct. Secret police are also characterized by lack of oversight. The public usually has no information on who these people take their orders from.

Why are secret police bad?

The number one reason is that these parties act outside of the scope of the law. That sounds strange, because it’s hard to imagine law enforcement being illegal. However, the key difference is that normal police operate on rules and regulations that have requirements for action, but secret police act solely on whim and have no clear requirements to justify them taking action (more on that further down). Secret police have only ever been maintained in authoritarian/fascist states. It is impossible for a secret police force to be maintained within a true democracy. The reason for this being that democracies are based on the concept of public accountability over government and representative action. Secret police are literally the opposite of this model. Furthermore, the motivation and purpose of secret police is completely anti-democratic. Secret police have never existed to maintain law and order. They are purely enforcers of a leader’s political agenda and meant to strike fear into those who decent. This is why we see them pop up during a major protest and why Trump has threatened to send them to other cities “run by liberal democrats.” Historically, we can clearly see that a leader uses secret police when their policies and actions are in extreme opposition to the people and there is heavy political resistance. These leaders have given up on winning politically or maintaining order and protecting civil rights. They choose control over human rights and democracy.

Are secret police legal?

Secret police generally start out as an illegal force that violates it’s citizen’s rights and later becomes legalized when an authoritarian gains more power. The secret police’s actions in America are 100% illegal and their very creation is is anti-democratic. Their actions are illegal because they violate the 4th Amendment, which prevents law enforcement from making seizures without probable cause or warrants. Trump’s legal defense of them right now is that they are operating under the rule that can “arrest” anyone if they believe that a felony has happened or will take place. The key here is that they do not require probable cause, only the suspicion of a crime. Also, the Trump admin has stripped away the proviso for this group that their actions cannot be solely on First Amendment activity. This literally means these men are being told they can “arrest” people for protesting. This, of course, is completely illegal. This is why none of the representatives of the people of Portland or Oregon want these forces in their city or state.

How did Trump create this secret police force?

The how of this is intertwined with the militarization of police forces. It was ten years ago when I first protested police militarization online and on my college campus. Now we are facing the worst case of police militarization. The core of this creation has to do with the DHS. Over the course of Trump’s presidency, he has fired or pushed out every single Presidential appointed leader in the DHS. As he usually does with other institutions, he only partially filled the gaps and with inexperienced loyalists. The agency has been acting with a shortage of leadership and a lack of oversight for some time now. Trump has made use of this and altered the already broad purview of the DHS to create his Domestic Security Force, or secret police. This secret police force is made up of DHS agents, CBP officers, and DEA agents. Trump also altered the mandates of the DEA to allow them supplement other law enforcement and conduct covert surveillance. This is particularly concerning, because the language used makes it sound if the DEA is combatting some terrorist or drug cartel force, but in actuality the subjects in these new mandates are the American people. Customs and Border Patrol agents have been pulled into this because of Trump’s political ties to the agency and their support for him. In the past, Trump has ordered CBP officers to break the law and turn back asylum seekers, and even said he would use his pardon power to protect them. This is not the only time Trump has urged illegal behavior and promised pardons. He, of course, has pardoned several criminals already.

So now we have a mixture of DHS, CBP, and DEA agents in non-identifying military fatigues snatching up citizens off the streets without any clear indication a law has been broken, and not going through any of the law enforcement regulations, such as reading of rights, official declaration of arrest, use of warrants, and observing constitutional rights.

What Comes Next? What is being done?

The ACLU if fighting a legal battle for our democracy. They are suing the federal agents and trying to argue their legality. All of this happens as Democrats are about to reveal their sweeping bill on police reform, in reaction to protests around the country. This bill, however, will not directly effect the secret police situation. For that we need congressional action. What our representatives are doing right is arguing. They are currently locked in debate about the legality of the secret police and about money. Earlier in the year, funding for several agencies connected to domestic security ended, and now congress is trying to decide who should be refunded and how much they should receive. The main argument circles around the DHS, which is the main body of the secret police force. Shockingly, our representatives are failing us in dramatic fashion. There is no consensus rejecting the secret police or against further funding them. If more funding is given to the DHS and other agencies then that will mean Trump gains that much more resources for his secret police force, if something is not done. Furthermore, congress is currently debating giving the DHS powers vastly expand their powers of surveillance and use dragnet tactics with computer data. Basically, this would mean they would track internet activity for anyone in favor of protests and then use these secret police to “arrest” them. It is as scary as it sounds, and people like myself would come under danger.

What Can You Do?

This is a very critical time because our representatives are about to make decisions that could reign in this illegal power or could strengthen it. They will be making this decision with a presidential election coming up in mere months. The best thing everyone can do is call their house representative and tell them how passionately you are against the creation of this police force and make it clear their decision will effect your vote in November. That’s the power of Democracy, and it’s still the best weapon we have!

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions just ask.

#us politics #secret police #portland #police brutality #law enforcement #fascism #Trump #democracy #liberal #progressive #take action

144 notes · View notes

bnha-scenarios · 4 years

Text

Okay, so, first thing first. The second half of September and the whole October has been a wild ride.

Apparently this game blew up on TikTok (and probably some other platform or something?), and now I could see that there are tons of you who downloaded the game. That's just... so... unreal, at least to me. I didn't think this project would get so much attention. Even now, I’m still waiting to wake up from this dream 🙃

Anyway, if you’re new here: welcome! Sit back and relax, ‘cause this is gonna be a long ride!

I want to take this opportunity to say that due to the amount of comments, especially on itch.io page and my Tumblr, I won’t be always replying personally one by one to everyone anymore. I'll still try my best to answer questions and all, but I think by now everyone's common questions should already be answered in the FAQ page. So, moving forward, questions I have already answered inside that page will be ignored.

Still, I want you to know that I do read and treasure every single one of your comments. Thank you so much for your encouraging words, support, and suggestions! I'm sorry I can’t reply to those writing in languages other than English and Indonesian. While I can throw simple comments into Google Translate, every now and then the translator butchers long sentences and gives me garbled translation which I can't understand 😥

☕️ Special Thanks ☕️

I'd like to also take this chance to say, many, many thanks for the coffee, you all amazing, generous people:

M.L. | Dominique | Genki | Sara | 1 Anon

Even in this hard time, you’re all so kind. Again, I can’t really do much, but as my way of thanking you, your names will be put under Special Thanks in the game ♡

Alright, now, to the real essence of this post: progress update.

My work had been pretty demanding nearing the end of this month, and it made me get really sick of doing coding in general. Still, there is some progress on the game, and that’s good enough for me!

More details below ↓

Character Sheet: You / Player / Main Character

Before I get to anything else, let’s talk about ‘you’ first, shall we?

Although the main character's name is changeable, if you don’t wish to pick a name for them, ‘Suzuki Kaede’ is set as the default name.

Why Suzuki? I figured I would just take from one of the most common Japanese surnames.

Why Kaede? I chose it because I wanted a common Japanese unisex name, because the main character themselves is supposed to be gender neutral. So, the name came up as one of the results in Google, it has a somewhat nice and neutral meaning (maple), and I find that it sounds pretty nice, I decided to use it.

To reiterate, throughout the game, I try my best to not mention any physical characteristics and avoid elements which leans heavily to a specific gender in the story. All the characters in the game will also call you with your last name, and only neutral suffix (-san) is used at first. But you could get an event where you would be able to pick how the love interest will call the player, starting from that point in the story (on top of neutral options, there will be choices with gender-specific suffixes which you could pick if you want to). Other than that, all characters will always refer to the MC as ‘they/them’.

Now, moving on to the thing which people has asked about -- the player's Quirk. Here's a text version in case you couldn't see it in the image above for some reason:

What happens when a woman with Enhanced Learning quirk and a man with Camera Vision procreates? A child with exemplary learning ability and a pair of exceptionally observant eyes, apparently! The hereditary Vision you got from your father enables you to focus or scan an object or landscapes. With all the cues and information from your eyes, it seems that you're able to analyze and 'see' particular details of your object of interest in the form of numerical data. Due to the mainly passive nature of your quirk, you have to rely on the traditional weapons for offense, which might not be useful at all depending on your opponent's quirk. It's a plain and nonoffensive ability which isn’t so suited for a hero according to most people, but whatever - you’ll show those noobs the power of a gamer!

In other words, the information in 'Stats', ' Weapon Proficiency', 'Special Moves', and even the 'Affection' meter, are actually part of the MC's Quirk. This also means, the more you hone your Quirk, the more it could affect your gameplay. I'll talk about that on the Gameplay section below.

There is one thing that’s kind of related to the MC's Quirk and I wanted to clarify. Bakugou did call you this in the demo, and yep, you might have guessed it: “crosshair eyes”. Reticle, crosshair, whatever you want to call it -- it’s that symbol you usually see in the center of your screen whenever you play FPS games. This is the only physical feature of the player's character that I specified (and yes, canonically, Hatsume has a pair of similar looking eyes in the original work). In relation to this, the icon for ‘activating’ your Quirk matches the same symbol.

Gameplay

Introducing: Stats, Special Moves, and Video Games!

Stats

There are 5 basic Stats for all of the characters in the game (brownie points if you recognize where they're taken from!): Speed, Technique, Power, Intelligence, Cooperativeness.

Your own Stats start off low, but you will be able to increase it by doing various activities, such as studying, playing games, winning on Heroics lessons, going to certain places, etc. Different activities raises different Stat, and you're free to choose which particular Stat you want to develop.

What are Stats being used for?

Certain Stat will increase a certain character’s affection, though it won’t be as much as if you hang out with that character.

There are certain places which you can only unlock when a specific Stat reaches a certain point. I’ll talk about hang out places and characters’ schedules in another post.

Weekly one-on-one training matches in Heroics lessons will test a specific Stat or Special Moves each time. Depending on who you chose to become your opponent, that specific Stat will determine the outcome of that match. On one hand, winning these matches can increase your Stat, but on the other hand, there are also special events you could possibly unlock when you lose. Again, I’ll probably talk more in detail about this in another post, since I still don't have the coding part down, so things might change.

Special Moves

Every hero has a Special Move in this universe, and so does the player’s character! While they might not be as flashy as All Might’s iconic United States of Smash, some of your Special Moves will have a direct effect on the gameplay. For example, a certain Special Move could unlock more answer choices for certain scenarios. Another Special Move could be activated to give you hints on how many affection points will be added to a character for the available choices.

You have a total of 5 unlockable Special Moves, and it will be up to you to use this feature: do you spend your time trying to unlock all of it in hope to make your gameplay easier, or ignore them completely in favor of balancing your Stats while pursuing the affection of your chosen love interest? It’s your choice!

(More brownie points for you if you got the reference in that picture lol)

Another use for Special Moves would be in the Heroics lessons, seeing as it might test how your Special Move fares against the opponent you picked.

Video Games

I would say that this particular element plays quite a big role in this game, since the MC learns and develops themselves by playing games. While you do have a set of games which you’ve owned, you’re able to purchase new games from the Video Game store. I would recommend doing this, as there are some neat ones which will help you greatly in your playthrough. But if you're not interested to explore them, that's fine too!

Each video game has a different effect, and it’s up to you to discover them! Or, perhaps, you could unlock a Special Move that allows you to know what effect each of the game has? 😉

What are Video Games being used for?

Most games will only increase specific Stat(s), but there are also others that can unlock Special Moves.

There is one game which helps you to unlock Stats or Special Moves of your classmates, which you can use in the Heroics lesson to pick a suitable opponent based on your current Stats.

In addition to all that, there are 2P games which require more than one person to play, and you could play them with your romance target when they’re available. On top of building your Cooperativeness, choosing the right answers during the gaming session will increase that character's affection.

Others

The basic functions behind some activities like studying, buying video games, and playing video games are done. I will probably move on to code the functions handling the Heroics lesson’s battles and the behind-the-scenes of when the player chooses to go to certain places.

I've also finished the two main custom screens, which is the Quirk and Games page. If I have time and the motivation, I'm guessing I'll be adding the two other additional screens I had thought of doing. We'll see.

Assets

This part is my nightmare, because I’m a perfectionist who’s far too picky when gathering resources…

But no assets = no game, so I did find several assets which I did like. This includes backgrounds, audios, background musics, and some sprites I was planning to use for developing the phone call function. I’m not going to list down all the things I found here, because I don’t think any of you would be interested in a long-ass list, but here’s an amazing background picture which I stumbled upon searching the dark abyss that is the internet:

Full credits to the artist: https://arsenixc.artstation.com/

Writing

I would have to say there isn't too much progress on this side yet, but I did decide on some story elements I want to insert into the game and scripted in a few scenes for the first day. I also managed to code in the dialogs for some common activities / places, like the video game store and a small part of school lunch time.

Honestly, I should probably create a sheet to identify how many scenes I would have to write? So all of us know the progress for this part of the development? ..... Let's see how it goes when my OCD flares up...

Disclaimers

All assets included in the devlogs are not mine, and credits to the asset owners / websites will be included in the game! My Hero Academia / Boku no Hero Academia ⓒ Horikoshi Kouhei

#my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha #bnha #heroaka #midoriya izuku #bakugou katsuki #todoroki shouto #wnha #devlog

22 notes · View notes

grailfinders · 4 years

Text

Fate and Phantasms #51: Sakata Kintoki

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re building Mama Raikou’s golden boy and lover of all things golden, Sakata Kintoki! Kintoki is a Sorcerer/Barbarian with a level of druid(we had to get Speak with Animals from somewhere), with flashy attacks and a golden personality.

Check out the level-by-level breakdown below the cut, or the golden summary over here.

Race and Backround

Sakata Kintoki is half-youkai half-dragon, so definitely not a human for once. We’ll make him the most golden of playable races, the Gold Dragonborn. This gives him +2 Strength, +1 Charisma, Fire Resistance, and a Breath Weapon that deals 2d6 fire damage in a 15′ cone, with a dexterity save to take half damage. You can use it once per day, and it has a save DC of 8+your constitution modifier + your proficiency. That number’s going to come up a lot, so write it down.

Kintoki was raised by a witch out in the mountains, so he’s an Outlander, getting proficiency in Athletics and Survival. Turns out having a cannibal for a mother seriously stunts your social growth as a kid.

Stats:

Your highest stat is going to be your Strength. You saw that pic at the top of this post, right? He’s clearly pretty beefy. Second to your strength is your Constitution, your golden body is doing you many favors here. Your eyes are beautiful enough to distract oni, and you’re also a really nice guy overall, so your Charisma is third. Dexterity is fourth; it’s not bad, but we need other stuff more. Your Wisdom is fifth: animals tend to like you, but you also have a habit of killing them. Finally, dump Intelligence. This isn’t because of your Madness Enhancement; you just never had a proper education, bar one from Raikou who is another berserker.

Class Levels:

1. Barbarian 1: Kintoki is (surprise surprise) a barbarian! Your golden muscles give you an Unarmored Defense based on your dexterity can constitution, and you can Rage to resist physical damage, gain advantage on strength checks, and deal extra damage with strength based attacks.

First level barbarians are proficient in Strength and Constitution saves, and two barbarian skills. You can literally talk to animals, so Animal Handling is a shoe-in. You also hunt them, which is pretty intimidating, so Intimidation is also a good pick.

For weapons, grab a Battleaxe. Your weapon might not be as big as herc’s, but you can charge it up with the golden power of lightning! Later.

2. Sorcerer 1: Your dad was a dragon, and your race only gave fire powers, so you had to know this was coming. In your story he was a red dragon, but we’ll have to change things around to get lightning powers. Your dad wasn’t that golden, both in the sense that he’s Bronze here, and in the sense that the only time he shows up in your story is when you’re conceived.

Having a bronze Dragon Ancestor doubles your proficiency (where applicable) for charisma checks involving dragons. Your Draconic Resilience gives you an extra HP when you take a sorcerer level, and gives you an unarmored AC of 13+your dexterity modifier. That doesn’t stack with your barbarian defense, but it is better than it right now.

You also get Spells at this level, cast with your charisma. At first level, you get four cantrips, and two first level spells. Booming Blade lets you charge up your ax to force enemies to stay where you can see them, dealing thunder damage if they move the turn after you hit. Friends is your first application of your special eyes, letting you charm others. Light lets you wrap an item in golden lightning to help your dumb lizard eyes see in the dark, and Shocking Grasp lets you apply a nasty surprise to those dorks who fight with a shirt on, and gets rid of their reactions.

For first level spells, Witch Bolt lets you arc your lightning at a distance, using your action to continue the attack. Expeditious Retreat lets you dash as a bonus action while concentrating, giving you a golden opportunity to blast into the thick of combat.

3. Barbarian 2: Second level barbarians can make Reckless Attacks, letting you make a golden strike this turn, but puts you in a distinctly ungolden position until your next turn. You also get a Danger Sense, giving you advantage on dexterity saving throws that you can see the cause of, like spells and traps. Seeing them might be tricky with those sunglasses though.

4. Sorcerer 2: Second level sorcerers are a Font of Magic, gaining sorcery points equal to their level that they can use to regain spell slots without rests. Speaking of spells, Charm Person lets you charm a person with those special eyes of yours. Just be careful where you point them.

5. Barbarian 3: Third level barbarians set down a primal path. Storm Herald barbarians get one of three Storm Auras, which extend out from them by 10′ and cause effects with a DC that is the same as your breath weapon (8+constitution modifier + proficiency). When you start your rage, and as a bonus action while raging, you can call down lightning on one enemy within range, forcing a dexterity save to prevent half of 1d6 Lightning damage.

6. Barbarian 4: Use your first ASI to round out your Strength for bigger hits and bump up your Wisdom by one. I promise we’re going somewhere with this.

7. Barbarian 5: Fifth level barbarians get an Extra Attack, letting you make two weapon attacks per attack action. Buster cards are great, but you have to switch it up every once in a while. Multiple attacks are good for you. You also get Fast Movement, adding 10′ to your movement speed while wearing less than heavy armor.

8. Sorcerer 3: Third level sorcerers get Metamagic, the golden feature of sorcery that lets you customize your spells. Empowered Spell lets you reroll a number of damage dice from a spell, up to your charisma modifier. Rolling a bunch of ones isn’t golden, so just don’t do it. Elemental Spell from the Class Feature Variants UA lets you swap out the acid, cold, fire, or thunder damage from a spell and replace it with lightning for only 1 sorcery point. There’s more you can do with it, but that’s what we’re using it for. Your golden soul causes all your magic to be just as golden.

For your spell, Enhance Ability makes one of your or a creature you target’s ability checks golden for up to a minute with concentration. If you choose strength, the target’s carrying capacity is doubled, dexterity lets them fall up to 20 feet without taking damage, and constitution gives them some temporary HP.

9. Barbarian 6: Sixth level storm heralds get a Storm Soul. Your golden soul lets you resist lightning damage, breathe underwater, and gives you a 30′ swimming speed. I don’t think those last two come up in FGO, but your Wikipedia article does show baby you hanging out on the back of a fish, so you’re at least good at holding your breath.

10. Sorcerer 4: Use your next ASI to bring your Wisdom up to multiclassing standards. For spells, grab the cantrip Acid Splash. All your attacks so far only target one person, so being able to lob a couple golden bombs around thanks to Elemental spell could come in handy. If you continue to insist on wearing your sunglasses indoors, you’ll also need to have Darkvision on hand if you want to see anything.

11. Druid 1: Kintoki was kind of a wild child, so why not have a bit of magic from the wilds? First level druids know Druidic, a written language indecipherable to non-druids. You also get a couple spells that are cast with wisdom. Thunderclap to make even more noise, and Resistance to make yourself just a bit tougher. You can also prepare first level spells now, but we’re just here for Speak With Animals.

12. Barbarian 7: Seventh level barbarians have a Feral Instinct, ensuring all your initiative rolls stay golden. Being surprised isn’t golden, so you can also ignore that if you rage immediately on your first turn.

13. Barbarian 8: Use your next ASI for more Constitution for better lightning, fire, and HP. Constitution’s just a really good stat for you, huh?

14. Barbarian 9: Ninth level barbarians get a Brutal Critical, letting you add 1 extra die to an attack when you roll a natural 20. You were always golden, but now you shine just a bit brighter.

15. Barbarian 10: Tenth level storm heralds have a Shielding Storm, letting you extend your lightning resistance to other creatures of your choice within your Storm Aura. Look at your party, now back to me. Now back to your party. Now your party is golden too.

16. Barbarian 11: Eleventh level barbarians go into a Relentless Rage, meaning if you drop to 0 hp while raging you can make a constitution save to not do that. A success leaves you at 1 hp, and the DC of the save goes up until your next rest.

17. Barbarian 12: Use your last ASI to bump up your Charisma for a stronger force of personality and better sorcerer saves.

18. Sorcerer 5: Fifth level dragon sorcerers have an Elemental Affinity, letting you add your charisma modifier to the damage of spells that deal Lightning damage. When casting such a spell, you can also spend 1 sorcery point to resist lightning damage for an hour, but you already do that for free.

Speaking of spells that deal lightning damage, Lightning Bolt deals a lot of lightning damage, and reaches up to 100 feet away from you, while also setting everything it hits on fire.

19. Barbarian 13: We’re almost done here, but your Brutal Critical adds another die to your golden crits.

20. Barbarian 14: With your final level, you become a Raging Storm. Sea-based storm heralds force creatures within their aura to make a strength save when hit. On a failure, they’re knocked prone. The book says it’s “as if [they were] struck by a wave”, but let’s be real for a golden moment. You’re a golden guy swinging around a big, golden ax. Of course people are gonna be falling over you.

Pros:

You have pretty good range for a berserker, with your lightning blasts covering way more ground in a turn than you could.

You resist a lot of common damage types: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing while in a rage, and fire and lightning naturally. That’ll make your generous health pool go a long way.

Unlike most builds that focus on using one type of damage, you have a lot of regular strength to back it up. Even if you run into something with immunity to lightning damage you’ve still got a big ax to stick in its face.

Cons:

Like with Spartacus, rages and magic don’t blend together well.

Your AC is really low since it didn’t get any improvements while leveling up. Even worse, we can’t just put on better armor to deal with it thanks to that one level of druid. It’s a good thing you resist most of the damage you’ll be taking, because you’ll be taking a lot.

Your spells/spell-like abilities split up your casting abilities, so you’re not as golden as you could be at either. The saves on both your rage lightning and spell lightning aren’t bad, but they could’ve been higher if you’d have focused on just one.

Still, you don’t have to be the best, just be your best. Now go out there and make your mama proud.

Next up: We’re doing the monster mash!

#fgo #Fate Grand Order #Fate and Phantasms #dnd 5e #sakata kintoki

39 notes · View notes

tipsycad147 · 3 years

Text

Sage advice: An illustrated guide to smudging herbs

by Michelle Gruben

Once upon a time, there were only three kinds of smudge sticks in most witchy shops: Small, medium, and large. These days, you can choose from a vast array of smudging herbs, each with a different energy, aroma, and cultural history.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the plants that are most commonly used for smudging. (We’ll limit it to smudges that are derived from woods and leaves. Resin incenses are divine—but that’s a topic for another article.)

The variety of smudging herbs is incredible. But you’ll also notice some similarities. First, most of them come from the leaf and stem parts of bushes and small trees. (Fruits and flowers make wonderful sachets, baths, and teas, but lose all their charm when burned.) Second, most smudging plants grow in desert and mountain regions, where the soil is poor. Plants in these climates tend to be short and shrubby, and they rely on fragrant oils as a way to keep insects and other animals from munching on them to get to their water and nutrients.

You’ll also notice that many excellent smudging plants come from the genus Salvia (true sages). There are several hundred distinct species of Salvia, but only the most aromatic varieties are used for smudging. Many other varieties grow wild, or are cultivated as hardy ornamentals. Sage’s reputation as a beneficial plant is ancient and well-deserved. The Romans named the plant Salvia after the Latin verb meaning to save, redeem, or heal.

So where can you find these delicious-smelling plants? Well, just about any New Age store will have smudges for sale. (White Sage, at least—you may have to search online for some of the more exotic varieties.) Also try health food grocers, yoga studios, artisan and farmer’s markets. You may even want to consider growing smudging plants in your garden, or gathering them in the wild.

A quick warning: The plants listed below are not harmful or dangerous under normal circumstances. Still, they can cause irritation and allergic reactions in some people. If you have asthma or respiratory problems, burning anything may not be great for your health. (Consult a doctor or herbalist if you have concerns.) Burn smudges in a well-ventilated area—coughing and choking on the smoke will not enhance their effects! Always be mindful of fire safety, especially indoors and in dry climates.

Finally, please don’t rely on herbal remedies as a substitute for medical treatment. When I describe an herb as healing, I mean only that it will contribute to your general well-being—not that it will cure cancer, toenail fungus, or anything in between. I always recommend that you store herbs in labeled packages, out of the reach of children and pets.

White Sage (Salvia apiana—also known as Bee Sage, California Sage, Sacred Sage)

For many people, “smudging” means one thing only—White Sage. (Its Latin name refers to its main pollinator, the honeybee.) White Sage is the bread and butter of any smudging kit. Versatile and effective, it’s suitable for most any smudging ritual—cleansing, healing, protection, meditation, and so on. When mixed with other herbs, it makes a wonderful base for a custom smudging blend.

White Sage grows wild across the American Southwest in bushy clumps. (The strongest-smelling product comes from the western fringes of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.) The plant has been gathered for thousands of years by Native Americans, particularly the Chumash. It is regarded as a sacred plant—an important source of food, medicine, and benevolent Spirit.

White Sage is herbaceous, sweet, and slightly astringent. It's rather similar to Eucalyptus, but more complex. Some people say it smells like Marijuana when burned. (To me, burning White Sage just smells like burning White Sage—but the similarity is something to keep in mind if you’re going to use it in public.) The smell of White Sage is so strong that just rubbing its fuzzy leaves between your fingers is enough to release the scent.

Almost all of the White Sage on the market comes from California. Most of it is wild-gathered and hand-tied by producers large and small. There really isn’t much difference in quality between brands. However, if it matters to you, you may want to seek out a producer who gathers Sage with the proper prayers and observances. It’s even possible to buy White Sage that is harvested by American Indians according to traditional practices, just as they have done for centuries.

Because it is the most widely available smudge, you can buy White Sage in many sizes and formats. Small Sage wands (3-4 inches) are ideal for small spaces, solitary practice, or to keep handy in a ritual kit. The big boys (8 inches and up) are best reserved for outdoor use and large group rituals—unless a wailing smoke detector is part of your space-clearing strategy! You can also buy the loose leaves and stems by the ounce or pound. This lets you control the amount you use, and allows for blending with other herbs.

White Sage is affected by periodic droughts, meaning it has years in which the harvest is smaller. The price and quality fluctuate accordingly. Still, there’s no need to pester your local New Age emporium about the vintage year of their stock. Freshness isn’t a huge consideration, either. The volatile oils in dried Sage will dissipate somewhat over time—but I’ve used Sage sticks that were hiding in my altar cupboard for years and no one was the wiser. Buy it, it’ll burn just fine.

Common Sage (Salvia officianalis—also known as Garden Sage, Common Sage, Green Sage, or Kitchen Sage)

Many a hard-up Witch has wondered if it’s okay to use culinary Sage—the kind that goes in turkey stuffing and breakfast sausage—for smudging. The answer is yes! Common Sage is a close relative of White Sage, and has many of the same beneficial properties as its superstar cousin, White Sage. Common Sage originates in Europe, and its medicinal and folkloric uses date back to the Middle Ages. For those involved in the European traditions of Witchcraft, it may make more sense to smudge with Common Sage than one of the North American varieties.

Besides, not everybody has a metaphysical store that they can rush to for supplies, and a good Witch knows how to improvise. The main advantage of Common Sage is that it grows in many climates, and is readily available in fresh and dried form at most supermarkets. Will Sage ward off bad vibes when used in food? I don’t know, but I’ll take another slice of Sage Derby while I mull it over.

Not everyone agrees that the smell of burning Common Sage is pleasant. A little goes a long way. Also, the herb must be quite dry to smolder effectively. If burning Sage doesn't work for you, remember that you can still use the plant to cleanse and bless your space. Add the essential oil to sprays and washes, or put the leaves in sachets, witch bottles, or mojo bags.

Blue Sage (Salvia clevelandii or Artemisia tridentata—also known as New Mexico Sage, Desert Sage, Grandmother Sage)

Blue Sage is a hardy bush found in the deserts of the Southwest. It’s named for its abundant blue flowers, but the leaves also have a blue-ish cast. It has thin leaves and a fragrance that is both herbaceous and floral, similar to Lavender.

A close relative of White Sage, Blue Sage is also good for healing and cleansing rituals. Its soothing, relaxing smell can be used to aid meditation, or burned simply for enjoyment. It’s not as pungent as White Sage, and is more agreeable to some folks who find the strong, bracing scent of White Sage overpowering. You can find Blue Sage in smudge sticks and in loose-leaf form.

Another pale sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, is pictured above. It goes by the trade name "Blue Sage," but is not a member of the Salvia clan.

Lavender Sage (Salvia leucophylla or Salvia mellifera)—also know as Gray Sage, Purple Sage, Wild Lavender)

Yet another far-flung member of the Salvia family, Lavender Sage is a sun-loving plant that grows in southern coastal California. It’s named for its clusters of purple flowers—the leaves are rounded, green, and fuzzy like Common Sage. (They darken to gray when dried.) Lavender Sage is unrelated to the flower Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). However, it physically resembles Lavender (especially when in bloom) and has a similar clean, flowery fragrance. As if that wasn’t screwy enough, some artisan producers do use true Lavender as an ingredient in smudges, and they don’t always make it clear which plant is meant. Lavender Sage is known for its calming, peaceful, and sedating effects. It inspires love and relieves anxiety. Because of its irresistible scent and natural beauty, a Lavender Sage smudge is a great choice for your spells of attraction. Lavender Sage is often combined with White Sage for a killer duo. Like a 2-in-1 shampoo, this pair will cleanse and condition in a single step! Black Sage (Salvia mellifera, Artemisia nova, Artemisia douglasiana and others—also known as Mugwort, Magical Sage, Black Sagebrush, Dream Weed)

Used to encourage dreams and visions, Black Sage is an herb of introspection and inner healing. When burned before bedtime, it aids in restful sleep and pleasant dreams. Black Sage is used for astral travel, shamanic journeying, and for protection during such excursions. One Pagan priest I know begins group trance workings by smudging the participants with Black Sage. Black Sage is like the mystical, shifty-acting cousin of the Sage clan—so shifty, in fact, that people can’t even agree on what plant it is! There are a few different products sold under the name “Black Sage.” I found this out when I noticed that the Black Sage I ordered for the store looked different from month to month. I called my supplier, and he confessed that the exact composition of the smudge changes based on availability. A true Sage, Salvia mellifera has long leaves that are dark green on top and silver underneath. It is found in the mountains of the West Coast from California north through British Columbia. The plant can be difficult to identify because it resembles other species. The leaves only darken dramatically in times of drought. To add to the confusion, there are several cultivars, and Black Sage readily hybridizes with Purple Sage and Blue Sage plants. Other Black Sage products come from shrubs in the genus Artemisia. They are commonly called sagebrushes, but these dark-green plants are more closely related to the Daisy than to true Sage. When dried, Artemisia tridentata has a lighter, straw-brown color, and may also have small crowded blossoms on its stalks. But Artemisia douglasiana (shown in the photo above) is leafier and easy to mistake for dark Sage such as Salvia mellifera. Why does it matter? The metaphysical properties of both plants are similar, but Artemisia-based smudges may also contain small amounts of thujone. This mildly trance-inducing compound is best-known as the active ingredient in traditional absinthe liqueur. Black Sage contains less thujone than the common herbs Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Black Sage won’t cause you to “trip” or wildly hallucinate. At most, it may intensify your efforts at visualization and vivify your dreams. Even so, some people (like pregnant women and straight-edgers) should avoid using Black Sage. Desert Sage (Artemisia tridentata or Artemisia californica [pictured]—Desert Magic, Mountain Sage, Grey Sage, New Mexico Sage, Sagebrush Smudge)

This aromatic shrub thrives in the windswept deserts of the Santa Fe/Taos area. It has skinny, branched leaves and a light brown color. Desert Sage shares some common nicknames with Blue Sage, and the two plants are sometimes sold interchangeably. (Are you noticing a pattern here?) Desert Sage has a warm herbaceous aroma that is a bit peppery (think Bay leaves or Mint tea). It is used for cleansing and purifying, protection, and inner strength. It is said to bring pleasant thoughts and relieve headaches and anxiety. Desert Sage is available both loose and in smudge sticks. It blends well with most other smudging herbs. Desert Sage produces a dense, straw-like bundle that is sometimes sprinkled with resin incenses for an especially rich combination. Desert Sage laced with Dragon’s Blood or Copal is just delicious! Dakota Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana—Badlands Sage, Silver Wormwood, Old Man Sage, Silver King, Western Mugwort, Dakota White Sage)

Another Artemisia smudge, this one grows all over the badlands of South Dakota stretching all the way south to Louisiana. Dakota Sage is rarely found in commercial Sage products, but I’ve included it because it’s easily gathered in many places across the United States. The aroma and appearance of Dakota Sage is very similar to that of Desert Sage. However, the fragrance is usually less intense. Piñon Pine (Pinus edulis and others—also known as Pinyon Pine)

The Piñon Pine is a generous evergreen tree from the foothills of the American Southwest. The nuts were an important food source for early Americans--these days, the tree is best known for stocking chimineas (Southwestern patio stoves). Piñon has a smooth, woodsy scent that's especially powerful, thanks to its high concentration of pine resin. Piñon is an excellent all-purpose smudge, and a capable stand-in for White Sage, if you prefer to avoid the latter. Its energy is cleansing, healing, and strengthening. Oh, and it repels insects, too. Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens [California Incense Cedar], and many other species)

Cedar is an ancient tree, one of the oldest beings still thriving on the Earth. Cedar trees look much the same as they did when dinosaurs roamed the land. Back when other trees were trying out those newfangled “leaves,” Cedar said “I’m good” and stayed with the tried and true. The smell of Cedar is woodsy and fresh. It recalls ancient forests, and invokes their protection and wisdom. Both the wood (in the form of chips or shavings) and the foliage make effective smudges.

Cedar smudges carry a medicine of protection. Cedar is often used to cleanse a home or apartment when first moving in, inviting unwanted spirits to leave and protecting a person, place or object from unwanted influences. Along with Rosemary and White Sage, Cedar is one of the most aggressively cleansing smudges you can choose. Juniper (Juniperus communis)

Juniper has a sweet and spicy "Christmas tree" fragrance and abundant blue berries. Like Cedar, Juniper is probably one of the most ancient plants. Juniper is said to have a masculine, protective energy, and is used in spells of cleansing and prosperity. Juniper berries are popular in good luck charms, while the leaves are often used for smudging. Juniper is best used for blessing a new venture or dwelling, and inviting in abundance. Bearberry (Uva ursi)

Bearberry is a low-growing North American shrub in the Heather family. As its name suggests, it is a favorite of foraging bears. It is used for smudging, animal magic, shape-shifting, and other shamanic work. Native Americans traditionally mix it with Tobacco leaf to create a ritual smoke blend (called kinnikinnick), said to carry prayers and bring visions. Sometimes the leaves come mixed with peppercorn-sized berries. Don't throw these out—the Bear spirit is said to appreciate the offering. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalus)

A culinary herb with an assertive fragrance, this woody perennial may also be used for smudging. It clears negativity, inspires confidence, and invigorates the mind and body.

Some people prefer to avoid herbs associated with Native American cultures out of concerns about cultural appropriation. Rosemary is an Old World herb with a long history of use in incenses, and so makes a guilt-free alternative for Western practitioners. Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata or Anthoxanthum nitens—also known as Seneca Grass, Holy Grass, Vanilla Grass, Mary’s Grass, Bison Grass)

Sweetgrass is a long, fragrant grass that grows wild across portions of the American Great Plains. It's frequently braided or tied in bundles, then dried.

Sweetgrass is sacred to several Plains tribes. They have traditionally burned it to drive out evil and harm, and allow benevolent spirits to approach. Ancient lore states that Sweetgrass is the hair of the Earth Mother, and invokes love, kindness, and honesty.

A relative of American Sweetgrass was known in medieval Europe. Sheaves of the sweet-smelling grass were strewn across thresholds, especially of churches, where it would release a gentle aroma when trod upon.

Sweetgrass smells of fresh hay with hints of warm vanilla. It induces a mellow, almost soporific state when burned. (It contains coumarin, which is thought to be mildly psychoactive.) Some say the proper way to burn Sweetgrass braids is to shave small portions off with a knife, allowing them to fall on hot coals. Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon glutinosum and Eriodictyon californicum—also known as Holy Herb, Mountain Balm, Consumptive’s Weed, Bear Weed)

Yerba Santa ("holy herb") is a sweet-smelling plant that grows in the arid hills of the Southwest. It got its common name from Spanish monks who were impressed with its healing properties. Yerba Santa is burned to honor ancestors, increase psychic powers, and bring healing and protection. It is also a traditional remedy against coughing and many other ailments. Yerba Santa grows wild only in certain areas of California and Northern Mexico—a true regional treasure. Tobacco (Genus Nicotiana)

The health hazards of Tobacco are well-known, so much that its sacred uses have fallen by the wayside. Wild-growing and cultivated Tobacco had a place in the rituals of many Native American tribes. Aleister Crowley considered Tobacco a consummate herb of Mars. And it is said that Faeries particularly enjoy offerings of the stuff. (Along with other human vices, like whiskey and sweets!) Commercially packaged cigarettes are full of reconstituted crud, chemicals and additives that make them unsuitable for magickal use. If you’re going to burn tobacco ritually, the best option is loose tobacco leaves, but they aren’t easy to find. The next best thing might be a shredded pipe tobacco that is additive-free. Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens—also known as Holy Wood)

Palo Santo (or “Holy Wood”) is a sweet-smelling tropical wood that is a natural incense. Palo Santo is said to clear out negative spirits and energies, increase relaxation, and bring joy and harmony to the home. It is in the family of trees that produces Frankincense and Myrrh, but is native only to Ecuador, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands. Its aroma is smooth, aromatic and spicy. (I think it smells a bit like gingerbread!) The holy reputation of Palo Santo dates back to the time of the Incas, who used it in their ceremonies of healing and cleansing. When the Spaniards arrived in South America, they couldn’t easily obtain their preferred church incenses, so they substituted the local equivalent. To this day, Palo Santo is used there for Catholic holy days and processions. Palo Santo comes from a slow-growing tree that is in danger of over-harvesting. Both Ecuador and Peru have laws on the books designed to protect this rare species. Reputable importers use only fallen limbs and strive to minimize waste. Sticks, chips and even sawdust are sold by the ounce, with the scraps being compressed into incense cones or distilled for their essential oil. Sticks of Palo Santo can be lit on one end and burned just like any other smudge stick, but in humid conditions charcoal may be required. The chips and powder are best burned over charcoal.

Mixed smudges

Sometimes you may want to use a smudge with multiple ingredients, combining the aromas and properties of two or more plants. Mixed smudges come in a huge array of combinations, some laced with resins or flowers—far too many to list. A Black and White Sage smudge (pictured) combines the psychic openness granted by Black Sage with the protective qualities of White Sage. However, it's worth noting that in some Native American traditions, the Four Sacred Medicines (White Sage, Cedar, Tobacco, and Sweetgrass) are never mixed.

Hope you've found this tour of smudging herbs useful and enlightening. Happy smudging—and for godsakes, open a window!

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/100896071-sage-advice-an-illustrated-guide-to-smudging-herbs

5 notes · View notes

acalculatedfuture · 3 years

Note

🔥

Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion.

So to add some context for this one I've dabbled in game design a few years ago and in general been the kind of Pokémon fan that Likes Making Things and looking up fan content pretty much ever since I joined the community, so the conclusion I got from all that is

The typical Pokémon fangame is actually garbage

(Under cut because it'll get long and also because I'm gonna spoil some plot points of Pokémon Reborn and Pokémon Rejuvenation)

First of all, the most common idea behind Pokémon fangames is "the canon games are too easy so I'm gonna make something Harder for The Mature Audience" and you know what? Fair! The difficulty in Pokémon games reached its peak in gen 4 and basically got tossed off a cliff in gen 6, so the idea of a game that actually makes you think is very appealing. However, this causes two main problems:

1) One of the main appeals behind Pokémon games is that you get to choose your own difficulty. Every regional Pokédex has literally over a hundred Pokémon, and while this means you can choose the stronger ones for an easier time and counterpick the main bosses' own teams, it also means you can make many different combinations on the same team and turn each playthrough into a completely different experience.

For example, Pokémon X/Y is typically considered effortless, but it can actually be a pretty tough game if you just... turn off the Exp Share. Likewise, if you think that the game hands you too many overpowered Pokémon too quickly, you can just not use them. There's like 450 Pokémon in Kalos, you don't HAVE to use the starters, the Kanto starters, the gift Lucario, the gift Lapras, an Aegislash or whatever it is if you don't want to. It works for Mega Evolution as well, if you feel like it makes the game trivial you're only forced to use it once. The same is true for literally any other Pokémon game, if you want a bigger challenge you can use traditionally weaker Pokémon, use a monotype team, use unevolved Pokémon, play a Nuzlocke, the possibilities are endless, but if you want a challenge while playing what's basically the game's easy mode then of course you're gonna be bored. And that brings us to our next topic:

2) The average Pokémon fangame dev has no idea how game balance works. Case in point: Pokémon Reborn, which is basically the most famous example of A Pokémon Game For Grown-Ups, With A Grown-Up Plot And A Grown-Up Difficulty, except it's not a hard game, it's an unbalanced one. Most of the challenge comes not from the actual battles requiring a high level of strategy or resources being so scarce that you need to be inventive with them, it comes from the fact that the game is just really inconvenient to play.

I'll prove my point: One of the main aspects from Pokémon Reborn as a game is that Pokémon are hard to find and the really good ones are reserved to the engame, so combined with the fact that the gym leaders and most important bosses have full teams and are fought in terrains that stack the deck against you, you have to get creative if you want to win. This is bullshit, the only thing this restriction really does is that you have to beat the game the way the dev intended (therefore removing the customization aspect of Pokémon altogether) or just find oversights to exploit, like how the Bug-type gym gets bodied by a Vulpix or how the updated version of the Ice-type gym couldn't do anything to a Magnemite, which usually get removed in a future update effectively turning your playthrough illegal. It's not even an impartial process, as Gardevoir trivializes several midgame bosses but never gets pushed back because it's the dev's favorite.

Oh, and you know what I said about terrains? Most of them consist of the bosses' Pokémon getting several buffs just by existing while all their weaknesses get nerfed or outright neutralized, which means two things: There's no real strategy involved, since all it really does is that you have to hit the enemy with neutral moves while getting blasted by attacks with x2.25 multipliers on top of STAB, and also the game gets REALLY easy if you just change the terrain because every important boss other than the first gym leader is completely reliant on it. Seriously, if you have an Ampharos with Electric Terrain you've won.

(though to be completely fair the engine's ai is HORRIBLE so the game can't have good strategies, but that really just proves that the idea is flawed)

The gameplay isn't all, though, there's also the story as one of the main appeal of Pokémon games is that they're more mature and able to handle themes like murder, corruption, mental illness and war.

THAT'S A FUCKING LIE THEY JUST READ LIKE IF MY IMMORTAL HAD A CHILD WITH CALL OF DUTY

Like the idea of a Grown-Up Pokémon League For Adults where the deck is constantly stacked against you and every challenger has to fight the gym leader at a disadvantage is flawed from the beginning no matter how you look at it. Pokémon battles are a sport, and gym leaders are basically professional athletes, meaning that they're subject to rules and most important, public opinion. If all your victories come from the fact that you're in top condition and the competition isn't, then you're gonna lose credibility REALLY fast because could you really win in a fair fight? If you have to issue a handicap against every challenger, aren't you basically admitting that you can't win without it?

And that's before we get into the fact that most of the time the league challenge is FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE for anyone other than the player to complete, even though it's supposed to be something that affects the whole region (oh and since usually those leagues are from 'the strongest trainers all over the world' it's implied that there's a lot of challengers from other regions as well). In Reborn, one of the gym leaders was TRAPPED IN A PARALLEL DIMENSION FOR 15 YEARS and that one is ironically one of the most accessible. Half of the league members were trapped in an orphanage and unable to accept challenges, several of them are part of the evil organization and end up on the run either before or after you defeat them and several of them (including the ones from the orphanage) follow you through the region. Then there's Rejuvenation where one of the gyms is only accessible through a dream world, several of the leaders ditch their gyms either to follow the player or to hide from the police, one of them tries to kill you and ends up frozen alive and you have to repeatedly travel back and forth in time to advance the plot. How is literally anyone other than the player supposed to complete the gym challenge? Even the rivals basically stop talking about getting badges because it makes no sense.

Then there's the evil teams. Despite the fact that they're supposed to be more realistic and gritty than the canon ones, most of the time they're gonna be some sort of cult based on offensive religious stereotypes (with Giratina as satan because OF COURSE), a blatant ripoff of Team Galactic or just a fascist allegory, which I ranted about before because those are the most irresponsible. Their biggest claim to fame is that their higher-ranked members are too strong to defeat because the writer usually won't do enough research about how crime syndicates actually work and makes the league members seem even more incompetent because they're supposed to be the best of the best and yet keep getting clapped by a bunch of thugs for no good reason. They're gonna kill a bunch of people, but conveniently 95% of their victims are gonna be extras that the player has no reason to get attached to. Oh, and the edgelord Gary Oak-esque rival WILL join them for reasons.

In short, they're made using a bunch of popular characteristics without putting much (if any) thought into how they actually work together, and the gameplay is built to be unenjoyable (which doesn't necessarily mean hard) because people play them for bragging rights rather than actually having fun. Most canon games have more mature storylines because mature doesn't mean pointlessly dark, and even though most of them are hyped up by ragging on X and Y, Lysandre is a more compelling character than like 80% of the fangame villains. Oh, and Big Boy Pants unfair leagues are ridiculous

#mirroredranger #ooc #ask meme #amano's cursed opinion of the day #i was REALLY into fan regions back in the day i have strong opinions about this

4 notes · View notes

tokiro07 · 3 years

Text

Thinkin’ about the term Soulslike again (though I don’t know if I’ve ever talked about it here)

I really dislike the idea of naming genres after specific games on the basis that it leads to stagnation in the development of games and doesn’t actually tell you anything about those games if you aren’t already familiar with the source

Metroidvanias, for example, by and large either try to perfectly mimic Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night to the point where a lot of them will practically use the same upgrades with different visuals or names in my experience, rather than reimagining or refining the core experience of exploration and discovery (some people have called these games Sprawlers, but I like to call them Explorers)

Roguelikes, fortunately, have now boiled down the genre to just two major, generalized mechanics, procedural generation and permadeath, but for some reason have retained the name even though they are nigh unrecognizable as “Rogue” games anymore. Some Roguelikes have even cut down on the permadeath with a persistent upgrade system that have resulted in them being called “Roguelites,” even though they already had nothing in common with Rogue aside from being Procedural games

“Soulslikes” at the moment seem to be leaning towards the former for the most part, though they are slowly but surely drifting away from that. Now, I haven’t played many Soulslikes, but from what I’ve seen, almost all of them have the following:

a limited, slow-use health restoring item

a currency that is dropped upon death (usually retrievable at the point of death)

a checkpoint area designated for the usage of said currency, recovery of the health item, and/or upgrades and customization (these may vary, but there’s usually a combination of these) BUT also restores all of the enemies in an area (if applicable)

enemies with high damage output but consistent predictable and exploitable attack patterns

combat heavily based around animation speed

a dodge or parry mechanic that helps give the player control over the pace of the battle

obscure lore often told through environmental storytelling or vague item descriptions

Dark Souls itself also has several elements that are frequently seen in its clones, but not necessarily all of them, including:

character customization

variable weapon builds

an RPG-style leveling system

a stamina-bar that recovers over time

an item that increases health and allows for a mechanic that makes combat easier at the risk of inviting some form of danger

a semi-open world that encourages familiarity and creates shortcuts over time

With all of these elements, Dark Souls itself is effectively an Exploratory Action RPG, with its world functioning similarly to a Metroidvania and while having a customizable/upgradable character that can perform real-time combat. The question is what Dark Souls does differently within these genres that makes it unique, much like how Rogue differentiated itself from other turn-based RPGs of the time (procedural generation and permadeath)

I think when most people think “Soulslike,” they think games that emulate the look and feel as closely as possible, like The Surge or Nioh for 3D games or Salt and Sanctuary or Hollow Knight for 2D. These all, to my knowledge, use similar kinds of currency systems and combat systems

These systems have led to people like Yahtzee Croshaw labeling Soulslikes as “Recursive games”, on the basis that they encourage one to throw themselves at one challenge again and again until they learn it by heart, often through asking the player to specifically face the thing that defeated them rather than go another way.

While I see the argument here, I think that this definition is actually too broad. A linear platformer will do the exact same thing, but if you die repeatedly to a specific enemy or obstacle in a Mario game and keep trying until you get it, does that make Mario a “Soulslike” game? Not at all, but any video game that has a failure state is, by its very nature, recursive. Not all games do this, but all that do can’t be referred to as “Recursive games”

Dead Cells, for example, inherently lacks this feature. Sure, its procedural nature promotes a “just one more go” mentality, but what you’re doing is inherently different every time. You aren’t facing the same challenges, as enemies and item builds are always different. However, what remains is the combat-style

I’ve always felt that the most important part of something being similar to Dark Souls is the enemy encounters that are dictated by health/stamina management and pace control. Because this is so heavily rooted in Dark Souls’ unique method of combat, I’ve been referring to it as a Precision Combat game, as precise inputs and timing are often necessary for survival, and an understanding of how both the player and the enemies behave is necessary for progression

What muddles this is that we already have terms like “Action” and “Fighting” to define specific genres, and those terms are just too close. Fighting games are, in a sense, Precision Combat games that remove everything extraneous: no level progressions, no upgrade systems, just pure mechanics in typically one-on-one battles against a specific character being used by an opponent. Action games, however, basically mean anything that has some kind of combat encounter in it at all, allowing it to span Platformers, Fighters, Shooters, Brawlers, Puzzlers, anything, so much so that it’s a near pointless concept. One could argue that by calling something a Combat game, it immediately implies a greater focus on the precision of the action, thus making the “Precision” in Precision Combat redundant. We could also call it “Precision Action,” but that comes with its own problems

Many games have had precision action elements since the inception of gaming. The most notable that I can think of from the NES days would be Ninja Gaiden and The Mysterious Murasame Castle, both of which require quick reaction time and strategic attacks, generally not allowing players to simply brute force their way through. However, while these could strictly speaking be called Precision Action games, that doesn’t mean that they are “like Souls,” nor do they resolve the fact that modern games are taking inspiration from Dark Souls’ unique mechanics to spawn a new genre. It just becomes the same problem that Recursive had: it can apply to too many things that already exist rather than honing in on what makes Dark Souls itself unique

A friend of mine called Dark Souls a “Strict” game on the basis that the failure to act in a precise manner is entirely on the player, that Dark Souls is “tough but fair,” but honestly I think that’s just a fancy way of conveying the same idea.

In the same conversation that Recursive was introduced, Yahtzee’s associate Jack Packard suggested that Soulslikes be called Fight-or-Flight games to highlight the decision making process that the player goes through: “do I have the right items for this encounter?” “How far am I from the checkpoint?” “Should I avoid the enemies to preserve health, or fight them to get their drops?” Jack and Yahtzee determined that this couldn’t work because the player can’t run from boss encounters, and thus those moments remove a core gameplay element that Fight-or-Flight would imply. I, however, think they were on the right track

For one, the bosses are the very reason one has to consider whether to fight or flee in the first place; there is always going to be something that the player needs to save their resources for, something that they can’t flee from, so the question is what to do in the moments where that choice is available. However, I think there’s a way to potentially reconcile this issue while retaining the high focus on player choice: Risk/Reward

Now, many games have elements of risk and reward, particularly procedural games where if the player is having a good run, they may want to play more cautiously, but “Soulslike” games have a particular way of baking these sorts of choices into every single moment. Every attack animation is a risk because they’re exploitable by an enemy, every usage of the healing items is a risk because they’re exploitable, every enemy is a threat that can cause the player to lose their precious items, every enemy attack, even from bosses, is exploitable but reacting to them may leave the player open. “Do I attack now?” “Do I heal now?” “Do I fight this enemy?” “Do I run past them?” “Do I use my currency on this upgrade/item, or save it?” These are all ideas that are present in other games, but Dark Souls and its contemporaries utilize it in such a specific way that I think one could make the argument that it’s their defining feature

Risk/Reward also has the benefit of removing the necessity for combat altogether, whereas Fight-or-Flight explicitly states that combat is an element of it. This could allow non-action games to potentially recontextualize Dark Souls’ Risk/Reward mechanics into something else entirely, similarly to how Toki Tori 2 took out Super Metroid’s action-centric upgrade system and replaced it with a consistent moveset used for puzzle-solving, and all “upgrades” were actually moments where the player would discover new ways to use what they already had to progress

I don’t necessarily think Risk/Reward is a perfect solution, as like I said it can technically be applied to a lot of other games (ex: in any turn-based RPG, one can choose to attack, defend, or heal, risking the enemy’s actions), and it’s not the most elegant thing to say (ex: to encompass all that Dark Souls is would require calling it a Risk/Reward Exploratory Action RPG), but I think it’s a step in the right direction

If nothing else, it helps make it clear why a game like Sekiro, which removes nearly all of Dark Souls’ mechanics and even boils the combat down to a single weapon type, can still be considered a “Soulslike;” moving the enemy into a vulnerable position potentially leaves Sekiro vulnerable as well, but the player needs to take that risk to win a fight

I’ve also seen the word “dynamic” used to describe the combat in both Dark Souls and Sekiro, which ties back into what I was saying about controlling the pace of combat. This could also work and may be useful in conveying the idea of decision making, but it may have more difficulty in translating to other genres. That said “Exploratory Dynamic Action RPG” sounds better than that mouthful I said before, even if it’s still a bit long

It may be years before we get a good answer to this question, and it really will be determined by what elements survive the refinement process and remain recognizable, but for now, I think I’m going to start trying to work either “Risk/Reward” or “Dynamic” into my conversations about Dark Souls until I hear something better

#dark souls #soulslike #video games #genres #analysis #my analyses

2 notes · View notes

postifluence-elite · 3 years

Text

Postifluence Review 2021 - ⚠️Launch Discount & Huge Bonus⚠️

Postifluence Review – INTRODUCTION

Last year was pretty tough for most people. The global pandemic sent shockwaves through the world and affected most of us in a negative way. People lost their jobs and businesses which caused a rise in regular folk, like you, turning to the internet to find a way to make money online. If you’re one of them, you probably struggled like most beginners do. It’s why right now, you need to change the old way of engaging with customers.

==> Special Discount: Order Today With Best Price And Special Offers

Now I am going to share with you what is probably the most effective and powerful tool on the market which can put an end to your struggles in generating traffic and help grab visitors’ attention. It is the time to give your online business that kick start it deserves – it is Postinfluence – the world’s 1st breakthrough app that uses “viral-blasting” smart automation and artificial intelligence to let up to billions of real buyers see your link for free

Get For a Special Discounted Price Today (In Stock)

It sounds great, right? Ready to get started with trending AI? Let’s read my article below to see more information about this wonderful software! I will show you how to take advantage of this great product in details!

Postifluence Review – WHAT IS IT?

Postinfluence is a great platform in building fantastic and organic links to your websites. It is a platform that helps you reach out to influencers, bloggers and website owners to get them, to create a guest post for you on full autopilot.

>> Visit The Official Website Here to Place Your Order!

It is a smart software, loaded with powerful words of wisdom to create awareness, connect on a mass scale and drive traffic for huge sales. Postinfluence does all the heavy lifting for you. It’s the ultimate easy income solution. With postinfluence, you get to enjoy limitless traffic for life as the traffic that hits your link keeps multiplying by itself, and it spreads like a virus!

MY OPINION

In my opinion, Postinfluence is a bargain that you must invest! It is a cloud-based, newbie-friendly, great platform in building fantastic and organic links to your websites. It is a platform that helps you reach out to influencers, bloggers and website owners to get them, to create a guest post for you on full autopilot. With postinfluence, you get to enjoy limitless traffic for life as the traffic that hits your link keeps multiplying by itself, and it spreads like a virus!

Postinfluence is a must-have tool in the toolkit of every search engine optimization. It is the only way to do SEO that actually works.

==> Special Discount: Order Today With Best Price And Special Offers

I highly recommend you to use this product right now before the price goes up! You will not regret!

The software is super easy to use. This is an ‘one click’ SAAS software which makes it 100% newbie friendly. Once you purchase, you’ll have the amazing Postinfluence software “in the cloud” – yours to keep forever. Moreover, there’s nothing to install because Postinfluence is securely hosted in the cloud. That means you can access it from anywhere, on any device with internet access. With Postinfluence you can start getting results and making money without any special skills or experience.

To conclude, I highly recommend you to use this product right now before the price goes up! You will not regret!

PROS AND CONS

Pros

100% fully automated visual design creator

1 click broadcasting & mass distribution system

Emotionally attracts & ridiculously engages visitors

Converts visitors into buyers at zero costs

Free organic seo & viral traffic on autopilot

Customer-driven “newbie friendly” sales system

Cons

Until now, there is none!

WHO IS IT FOR?

Actually, Postinfluence is for everyone who wants to make money online using the easiest way. It is perfect as a standalone income solution and for

Freelancers/Agencies

Internet Marketers

Bloggers/Influencer

All kinds of marketer

Intermediate or advanced level marketers

MMO

Content Marketers

Agencies

PRICE AND EVALUATION

FRONT-END (SEE DETAIL)

OTO 1 – Postifluence PRO ($67) (OTO 1 LINK FOR YOUR REFERENCE)

Higher search limits.

Send more campaign emails.

Send more SMS messages daily.

Unlimited campaigns.

Cheaper credits.

Marketplace posting rights

2 Years of upgrade

And much more

OTO 2 – Postifluence Agency ($127) (OTO 2 LINK FOR YOUR REFERENCE)

Sell Postifluence yourself and keep all the profits.

OTO 3 – ViralReach Pro ($47) (OTO 3 LINK FOR YOUR REFERENCE)

Go viral on social media and get traffic to your posts

OTO 4 – CloudFunnels Pro ($67) (OTO 4 LINK FOR YOUR REFERENCE)

Build powerful landing pages and memberships with the most powerful funnel builder.

OTO 5 – MailEngine Pro ($47) (OTO 5 LINK FOR YOUR REFERENCE)

Get higher inboxing with the most powerful self-hosted email autoresponder.

NOTE: PLEASE NOTE HERE ARE JUST UPSELL LINKS FOR YOUR REFERENCE.

YOU MUST BUY FRONT-END FIRST AND THEN BUY ANY OTOS IF YOU WANT.

DO NOT BUY OTOS LONELY. IF YOU DO THIS, YOU RECEIVE NOTHING AND YOU HAVE TO SPEND YOUR TIME ON ASKING FOR REFUND.

CONCLUSION

This is the end of my Postinfluence review. I hope that the article will lend you a hand in choosing the right tool for you to generate traffic from online marketing. Let’s make 2021 your most successful year to date! Turn 2020 into a winner & make 2021 your most profitable year ever. You can stack those commissions!

Rankings, going viral, more sales, more traffic, more engagement, more brand awareness, more trust, all of that will instantly be yours. Let’s turn Postinfluence into a serious income generating machine. It is really easy to use and definitely nxew beginners will have no difficulty in using it!

(ACT NOW AND SAVE) Click Here To Get at a Discounted Price!

Postinfluence is a must-have product for every online marketer in 2021! Postinfluence does all the heavy lifting for you. It’s the ultimate easy income solution. It is for people who are looking for a way to harness the power of traffic without paying expensive monthly fees. So, you definitely want to own Postinfluence now. Let’s click the sales button now before the price goes up!

Buy From Here✅

And Get 45% Cashback🥳🥳

Click Now!👇👇👇👇

Official Website: Click Here

#Postifluence Postifluence2021 PostifluenceReview PostifluenceBonus PostifluenceDemo PostifluenceBonuses

1 note · View note

the-odinson · 3 years

Text

Thor 🗲 Intro

“Fortunately, I am mighty...”

OOC PORTION —

NAME: Danny

PRONOUNS: he/him

AGE: 23

TIMEZONE: GMT +1

TRIGGERS: None

IC PORTION; BASICS —

CHARACTER NAME: Thor Odinson

FACECLAIM: Chris Hemsworth

AFFILIATIONS: The Avengers

AGE: 1500s/appears mid 30s

SPECIES: Alien (Asgardian)

IDENTITY: Public

DOES YOUR CHARACTER LIVE IN THE MOUSEHOLE? IF SO, WHAT ARE THEIR DUTIES? Yes, but he doesn’t particularly like it there. He doesn’t feel the effects of the cold, but Thor has never liked being confined so prefers to get outside as much as possible. Thor has decided to take on the role of a hunter/gatherer. The vast forests of Europe aren’t too dissimilar to the Asgardian wilderness and, while the beasts aren’t as ferocious as back home, what’s a king to do if not revel in the hunt? When needed he will also help with aid work: he can cover great distances with ease and carrying heavy loads is hardly a problem for him.

DESCRIBE SIX TRAITS (3 positive, 3 negative) YOUR CHARACTER HAS AND HOW THESE AFFECT THEM:

Dependable: A man of his word, Thor is trustworthy and reliable; an asset in any team and to anyone who has a favour to ask. Endearing: Those who truly get to know Thor speak of him with admiration; his warm smile and welcoming personality don’t come to all, but if he lets his guard down you’re guaranteed a friend with whom you feel truly comfortable. Benevolent: Thor (usually) means well and (usually) tries to be kind to anyone he encounters. His exterior may come across as brash but there’s no malice involved, often just a difference in culture and upbringing. Obstinate: While being headstrong may not always be a negative thing, Thor hates to admit he’s wrong and has a tendency to steamroll down a chosen path rarely reassessing whether the choices he made were the right ones or simply the first ones. Distrusting: Thor enjoys being social but mainly around those he’s close to. He can appear a little hostile to strangers: while he wants to believe in the good in people, he’s been around long enough and seen a lot of the universe to know of the potential darkness inside them too. Reckless: Thor often acts on impulse and charges into situations unprepared. This can lead to serious damage caused to both himself and those around him.

POWERS AND/OR ABILITIES: Super strength: Son of Odin and King of Asgard, Thor is physically the strongest of all Asgardians, with feats including being able to go one-on-one with the Hulk and other powerful entities. Flight: Thor’s magical axe Stormbreaker grants him the ability to fly. Electricity Manipulation: Thor is capable of generating electrical energy within his body and can expel it in the form of lightning bolts. Using Stormbreaker makes the energy generation and expulsion much more powerful and efficient. Weather Control: Similarly, either with or without Stormbreaker (although with Stormbreaker is easier), Thor can control the sky and create storms. Durability: His Asgardian physiology grants much more durability than a human one, able to shrug off energy blasts and recover from injury much quicker. Thor can also survive in space and alien atmospheres. Allspeak: Also called the All-Tongue, Asgardians speak a magic-based language, granting the ability to understand and be understood in all the languages of the Nine Realms. Bifrost: Stormbreaker also gifts Thor the power to summon the Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge connecting all realms, allowing intergalactic travel between worlds in a matter of moments.

WEAKNESSES: There aren’t many things on Earth that could pose a threat to Thor, so it’s hard to pinpoint any specific weaknesses. Perhaps for someone like Thor, the word god comes up so often that he sometimes forgets it’s not true: he is mortal and, while far more durable than a human, he can get injured and he can get killed, a fact that he often brushes to the side when charging into battle. However he has become far more self-aware after losing an eye (and almost his life) to Hela.

IC PORTION; DETAILS —

WHAT BROUGHT YOUR CHARACTER TO SOKOVIA?

Sokovia is where the majority of Thor’s allies are, and he needs their help. His world gone, his people stranded on the nearest hospitable realm in need of a home; Thor knew of a place where the Asgardians could blend in and live peaceful lives. The problem is, however, it seems Earth is not quite at peace right now. When he couldn’t track down the Avengers in New York, he followed the trail to Novi Grad. His priorities are conflicting: while he came back to Earth to ask the Avengers’ help in establishing a new Asgard on this planet, he feels he should stay to try and help his friends however he can in aiding the Nomad’s cause.

DID THEY SIGN THE ACCORDS? WHY OR WHY NOT?

No - the whole Accords situation is mostly unbeknownst to Thor due to being offworld at the time of signing. From what he can gather, it isn’t something that would appeal to him. He feels the affairs of humans are mostly petty ones and, despite his growing acclimatisation to Earth and its customs, he doesn’t understand why humans have to be so divided about, well, pretty much everything.

PROVIDE 3-5 HEADCANONS RELATED TO YOUR CHARACTER: 1. Although Thor is an alien, he has spent enough time on this planet (in both modern and ancient times) for the culture shock to lessen so that now Earth to Thor is more comparable to a human travelling to a different country - he acknowledges that the differences are neither better nor worse and he chooses to respect them. He knows he will make mistakes and appear strange, but sees that now as an opportunity for personal growth. 2. One thing he doubts he will ever understand however, is the human version of ‘entertainment’. Thor cannot stand movies. On Asgard, they would entertain themselves by slaying fearsome monsters or engaging in a friendly drunken brawl, the more broken furniture the better! But on Earth they amuse themselves by… sitting down and staring at a screen for hours on end. While both Asgard and Earth had/have magnificent technology, it’s clear they used it very differently.

3. Since returning to Earth, Thor has become intrigued in the Norse tales of himself and his people from over a thousand years ago and their alleged feats. He finds it highly amusing how inaccurate the stories are, but it has led to a fascination of human mythology and the various pantheons across history and the world. He wonders if he will ever meet any other of these so-called gods.

4. While a human brain only has capacity for almost a century’s worth of memories, an Asgardian brain is built for a few millennia’s worth. Therefore Thor has a much more acute long-term memory than his human companions, although occasionally his short-term memory leaves something to be desired, especially after several pints of mead.

WANTED CHARACTER CONNECTIONS:

Loki: His brother and the person he loves (and hates) most in the cosmos. I know a thing or two about brotherly love (I’ve been experiencing it for 23 years) so would love to write for Thor with his undeniably most personal connection. Wonder Woman: Both ancient, both ‘gods’ and both so very far from home. Despite their different allegiances I think it would be great to have Thor bond with perhaps the one person around here who may truly understand him. Superman: If anything they both have fabulous red capes. They are quite similar power-wise, although I know Superman is stronger but Thor definitely wouldn’t want to admit that. It could lead to some healthy (or unhealthy?) competition between the two, especially seeing as Thor isn’t too fond of the Justice League. Captain America & Iron Man: The two splintered team leaders. Thor respects them both (Tony a little less, perhaps…) and, since he doesn’t really understand the extent of the accords, would like to hear their sides of the story and what has happened since the Ultron incident. Bruce Banner: Thor has fought with the Hulk a couple of times but feels this has brought the two closer, learning more about how Bruce ticks and now he feels there’s a protective bond between the pair. I think the interactions they have could bring out the comedic style of writing which I love!

POTENTIAL CHARACTER ARCS: In the previous paragraph I said I like writing comedic characters (of which Thor fits the bill) but I also want to explore the deeper aspects of his personality such as the emotional pain of losing his parents, his childhood friends and his home. This could manifest in him not wanting to form bonds with others in the Mousehole at first because he’s lost so many people: why would he want to get close with anyone else only to lose them again? Perhaps a dramatic fallout with someone from a different team could lead to serious consequences for him or the team as a whole.

The reason I chose for placing Thor in Sokovia is that he’s seeking a location for New Asgard: maybe with all its emigrating population and empty buildings Sokovia could be the perfect location… I’m not sure how it would work in the group, but maybe Thor could eventually bring the Asgardians here, both to settle and to help with the restoration of the country.

CHARACTER BIO —

You know the story. An Asgardian prince, lacking in humility and exiled to Earth in order to learn what it means to be worthy. A classic tale, but at its heart, a tale of loss, and a tale of what it means to truly be human: even if you’re not. Thor has lived for well over a millenia, but only in the last decade has his life really begun. From landing on Earth a long time after people stopped worshipping him, he slowly began to understand the importance of relationships; from forming close bonds with the Avengers (and wary acquaintances with the Justice League and X-Men), to experiencing true love for the very first time. All his life Thor had assumed that humans were lesser beings, so why then did he feel he was learning so much more from them than he had ever learned from his own kind?

After experiencing the death of his mother, then later on his father and three close childhood friends, Thor was at breaking point when his home realm of Asgard was obliterated during Ragnarök by the fire demon Surtur. With the title of King thrust upon him, Thor decided his duty to his people had to consume him before his emotions did. Pursuing the quest of a new home, he led them to Nidavellir, the homeworld of the dwarfs; unsurpassable smiths and mechanics with the power to forge almost anything the mind can dream of, ruled over by their King, Eitri. Eons ago, Eitri had forged the legendary hammer Mjölnir (destroyed by Hela) at Odin’s request, now he oversaw the creation of the glorious axe Stormbreaker when asked by Thor, capable of summoning the rainbow bridge despite its apparent destruction on Asgard. Armed with his new tool and a promise to the Asgardians of a brighter future, Thor set out alone across the stars, heading to Midgard to find his old allies the Avengers. He’d helped the humans many times before, hopefully they’ll be able to help him and his race this time.

It took Thor losing everything to appreciate what he has. As he enters the next phase of his life in Sokovia, without family or a home, he is truly the definition of a nomad.

#srisingintro #biography

2 notes · View notes

crystaljins · 4 years

Text

But why not me?

Characters: Jimin x Reader

Word count: 3.7k

Synopsis: You are friendly with the Prince of a neighbouring planet and Jimin has some things to say about it.

Arrangedmarriage!au-ish

Notes: So an anon requested Jimin + prince and I thought... what about Spaceprince!Jimin? Again another 1000 follower request and hopefully this one is fun!!! It’s something a little different, at least.

Warnings: Jealousy. Immature characters. Verbal fighting.

The gardens of Lutania are some of the prettiest you’ve seen in this quadrant of the galaxy. The planet boasts unique bioluminescent flowers as part of their unique flora and great care by their scientists were taken to implant that DNA into imported species from other planets to give them the ability to fluoresce. The gardens are an accumulation of these lovingly cultivated species. They sit on the fringe of the palace grounds where the public can visit at will without interfering with the operations of their government, encapsulated in a neat bubble-like enclosure where the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels are carefully controlled. It is the closest to the outdoors that you can reach on this planet without your suit since you have not yet adapted to their atmosphere and you have no plans to stay long enough to do so.

“Are the gardens to your liking, my lady?” Beside you, the Prince of this planet has his hands neatly folded behind his back. A deep black cloak hangs off broad shoulders- it shimmers as it flutters behind him, catching the lighting of the luminescent flowers. You smile thinly. You have corrected Namjoon multiple times that you are Captain of the Royal Guard of your own government and are to be addressed as such, but you are beginning to suspect that it may merely be a translation thing. He, of course, is not actually speaking your native tongue- it is the communication device lodged neatly in your ear that translates his words at the same rate he speaks them. Perhaps the formal title has no other alternative in your language. So, this time you choose to hold your tongue rather than correct him. It is kind of… nice, if you are being honest, to have such a delicate and lovely title as “lady” attributed to you. Especially after the hurtful conversation you had had with your Prince earlier that morning. Today, you do not wish to be Captain. You do not wish to be an intimidating, highly respected civil servant who people whisper nasty things about in the hallways of the palace back home. You just want to enjoy the pretty gardens and not think about handsome Princes who only cause you heartache.

“It’s beautiful.” You say warmly. “I can see why your people take such pride in it.”

Namjoon smiles and bends at the waist to examine a flower that hangs into your path. It resembles a rose but fluoresces a deep blue. The petals only glow at the base where they attach to the stem, however- the edges are dark and curl outwards and the effect is a rather nice gradient of light on each individual petal. He runs his fingers gently along the edges and a sweet smell fills the air.

“I had been meaning to take you to see these gardens at your earliest convenience. I… have greatly enjoyed your presence on this mission.” Namjoon offers hesitantly, and that brings you to pause. At this stage in your career, you’ve dealt with quite a lot of princes and bureaucrats trying to butter you up, thinking that perhaps you can sway the results of diplomatic meetings when you accompany Prince Jimin. But it does not seem that Namjoon is doing such a thing- no, he seems so warm and friendly. More genuine than the prince of your own planet, although perhaps that is just your own frustration speaking. Prince Jimin had not held himself back during his harsh words that morning, after all. You don’t know where he’s scampered off to after saying such things to you, but you much prefer Namjoon’s presence anyway. Namjoon does not hold the power to break your heart and cannot hurt you the way that Jimin did that morning. He’s the far safer option- Jimin can go off gallivanting as far from you as possible. Currently you couldn’t care less if he plummeted off the edge of a cliff.

“Well, thank you for making my time enjoyable as well.” You say, firmly pushing the thoughts of your prince out of your mind. Now is not the time for distractions even if his words from earlier will not cease replaying in your head. “It is rare that I am afforded such a beautiful sight on expeditions like these. Usually we are confined to the indoor areas where the meetings are to take place.”

“Well, if you don’t mind remaining indoors again tonight, I wouldn’t mind your presence beside me at dinner tonight.” Namjoon admits, almost sheepishly. This also catches you off guard- you are not sure why the Prince has taken such a sudden interest in you. Out of curiosity, you want to accept, but you know that you cannot.

“Unfortunately, I must-“ You begin, ready to launch into an explanation.

“It is her duty and role to sit beside me.” A third voice cuts off your explanation and both you and Namjoon turn in surprise to find the Prince of your planet staring you down with an unnecessary intensity. You blink a few times before turning to Namjoon.

“What he means is, as much as I would like to, unfortunately I have obligations to fulfill in coming here, and part of that is remaining by my prince’s side.” You offer in a way that is hopefully more tactful and polite than the blunt and intrusive statement that Jimin has just offered. The nerve of him! Like he has a right to speak to you the way he did this morning and then come barging in here like this. Prince or no prince, he has no right to be behaving in such a manner, especially when in conversation with another prince of a planet just as prosperous and peaceful as his own.

Namjoon offers a cursory glance at Jimin who has his arms folded across his chest. He offers Namjoon a slight arch of his brow, a challenging look that irks you. You cannot imagine how Namjoon must feel to be on its receiving end.

Prince Namjoon is seemingly the more mature and kinder being, for he merely extends an arm towards Jimin and offers a bow. It is a symbol of peace and acquiescence amongst his species and you are stunned and embarrassed that he is forced to offer such a gesture to your rude and obnoxious Prince. Jimin looks guilty, at the very least, and he offers a deep bow in return.

“I am sorry to have interrupted your duties.” Namjoon says to you, and he does seem to be genuinely apologetic. “Perhaps, in the future, you could come visit again when you do not hold any duties and we could-“ He suggests, but Jimin cuts him off by stepping forward.

“I’m sure the two of you can organise that at a later date when (Y/N) is not on duty, but unfortunately she has some important matters to discuss with me. As much as I do not wish to interrupt, I’m afraid her company is required.” Jimin says. You are relieved that the translation device which Namjoon is wearing does not convey sarcasm or you would surely have an intergalactic dispute on your hands. You are almost tempted to deny the existence of such things to discuss since you have no desire to speak to Jimin but you know you cannot afford to portray dissonance amongst your team.

“Oh. I’m sorry. I did not realise that she was required.” Namjoon says apologetically, confirmation that Jimin’s vitriol is not being conveyed through the translation device. He bows and offers you a sweet smile. “(Y/N) we will have to meet another time. There is so much I wish to discuss with you! You will have to tell me about some more of those strange planetary customs the next time we meet.” He tells you fondly, referring to an earlier conversation the two of you had had.

Jimin is stiff-shouldered until Namjoon is out of earshot and then he quickly whirls around to glare at you.

“I can’t believe you!” He cries. “I’ve been scouring this bloody palace, worried that something had happened you were in here? On a date with a prince of another planet?” He demands. You feel yourself bristle in anger.

“You don’t have any right to speak to me like that! He requested my presence, and as you so astutely pointed out this morning, I am Captain of your royal guard, and as such it is my duty to approach everything with diplomacy on this mission.” You snarl in response. “You seemed quite intent on duty earlier when you were being rude to Namjoon!”

“Namjoon?” Jimin cries. “You’re on first-name basis with the Prince now? And planning dates and extra vacations here! Why not just marry him?”

“Maybe I will!” You cry. “What right have you to be upset if I do?”

Jimin’s anger deflates and he shoves a hand through his hair in distress. His hair, normally neatly combed back off his forehead, is in disarray as it often gets when he is upset. He’s changed out of the normal uniform you all wear on expeditions such as these- he’s exchanged the military garb, a tight fitted dark green jacket that fits squarely over his shoulders and heavy-duty pants, for the flowy, darker attire of this planet. You like how he looks in his strict military garb, but you prefer the way he looks with the fabric that seems to wash over him like a waterfall and the loose fitted, airy shirts. He looks carefree in the attire, and less like he carries the weight of an entire planet on his shoulders.

“I…” He says, clearly trying to come up with the words. “I…”

He falls silent, clearly at a loss for words. Every other time you’ve fought, you’ve always made allowances for him. You’ve known Jimin since your days back in the academy- he had been put through the same brutal military training as you, as is the custom for all able-bodied young people on your planet, and the two of you had become quite close during that time. Close enough for you to develop feelings for the handsome prince, but you were a dime a dozen in that sense- there was not a single person in the academy who had not fallen for Jimin’s charming looks and big heart. He had this innate power to pull people to him. And so, he never noticed your feelings nor did he ever show any signs of reciprocation. And you’ve always been so blinded your feelings that you’ve let him step all over you- like the time he wanted to sneak out to meet with a young lady who lived in the city, a nobody that his parents definitely wouldn’t have approved of and despite your insistence that he had duties he must meet, he had begged and pleaded until you’d given in. Or when you’d been promoted to Captain of the Guard over him thanks to your dedication and commitment to the position and he hadn’t spoken to you for a week out of jealousy and disappointment. He’s not a bad or thoughtless person. Jimin is just used to getting what he wants thanks to his charisma and handsome face and he’s as used to taking from you as you are to giving in to him. You’ve always made excuses for him and the selfish things he does but this time it is too much. Your heart is tender and you cannot keep allowing him to hurt you the way that he does.

This particular fight has been brewing for months. It began when conversations began amongst your government over who would be an appropriate candidate to marry their prince. It is customary for the King and Queen to step down when their heir is of an appropriate age to lead, so that their guidance and wisdom is available as the new King adjusts to the role. And that day is fast approaching for Jimin- soon he will enter his second quarter, the age where on is considered mature enough to lead. Already he has been taking on more important roles, such as visiting foreign emissaries and making trips such as this one to Lutania to negotiate trade routes and peace treaties. And so, it is only natural that discussions of who would be Queen alongside Jimin would come into play. Some of the government workers angled for their own offspring to be Jimin’s partner, desiring the prestige and respect that would come for their children. Others were suggesting that perhaps someone from another planet, which would lend military strength to your planet and also gain you more respect in the Intergalactic Alliance.

It had been the King and Queen who had first brought up your name. As head of the military, a match between you and Jimin would win him the respect of his armed forces and demonstrate the strength and unity of your planet. It also meant that they had a direct line in communications with the Intergalactic Alliance, who preferred to liaise with the head of military of your planet rather than its rulers. Intergalactic prestige can only mean good things for your planet, which has no unique exports or riches to offer.

Oddly enough, Jimin had not been the one to oppose the idea. He had been scarily willing to sign his life away, which considering he had once admitted you were as attractive to him as the tiled flooring of the Meeting Room in the palace, was surprising. You had even overheard him discussing with his friend Taehyung about how maybe it wouldn’t be so bad- a list, pointing out that you aren’t unattractive, you’re well-loved by your people and you’re easy enough to get along with. Imagine that! Having such a convenient list of why he should marry you. You wish it were that easy for you.

And so, it had been you to politely decline the suggestion when you were summoned to the throne room to discuss the matter. Jimin had stood beside you with his head bowed like his parents were about to announce their decision to execute him because despite the convenient list, it is still not a pleasant thing to be forced into marriage. Perhaps you should have been overjoyed when they suggested you marry him. After all, your feelings for him are no secret to anyone with function optic spheres and they were offering you everything you could have ever wanted!

But this isn’t what you wanted. To give up the position you had worked your whole life for, to step into a high responsibility role, just to have a sham of a marriage where the husband you loved did not feel the same way? The thought of being married to a man who thought of you as a convenient way to tick some boxes sickened you. Jimin, however, used to getting what he wants and accustomed to having everyone adore him the second he stepped into a room, had not taken the news well. Finally, after numerous fights where he had tried to find what exactly made him so lacking that you would refuse becoming Queen to avoid marrying him, it had culminated in the fight the two of you had had that morning.

You’re not even sure what set him off- one moment you had been mentioning that Namjoon was positively considering the trade deals Jimin was proposing after a long but impromptu conversation with you the night before, and the next moment the two of you were screaming at each other. You can’t even recall most of what you said to each other, but it had ended up with you storming off. You had run into Namjoon then who had seen your distress and suggested a peaceful walk in the gardens to calm you down.

“I’m so tired of this, Jimin.” You say softly. “Aren’t you sick of fighting? Are you really that upset that I won’t marry you?”

“Yes.” The words are whispered so softly that you almost miss them. You blink a few times as you second-guess whether it was your imagination or not.

“What?” You ask aloud. Jimin sets his jaw and straightens. His fists are clenched so tightly that they shake, and his knuckles go white. He meets your gaze head on with dark eyes. Your people are known for fierce, dark eyes that seem to hold galaxies in them and the look that Jimin gives you certainly reflects that. His eyes catch the light of the luminescent flowers around you and you’ve never seen a more beautiful gaze.

“I’m upset. I’m upset that you can talk with Namjoon and smile and laugh with him like he’s the most charming person in the world and then look at me like I’m the dirt beneath your shoes. Am I really that repulsive?” He demands. His expression is tortured. “At first I thought that maybe you just didn’t want to be queen… I could live with that. It is because I am the prince that you refused. It hurts that you do not want me but I can live with that. But then, we come here, and Namjoon is a prince. Of the same standing as me. To speak and laugh with him is the same as speaking and laughing with me and yet you won’t do it. You treat me like I am diseased. So it must be me- something must be wrong with me that you do not want me. Why don’t you want me?”

You stare at Jimin in incredulous silence. You had not suspected such distress to lurk behind his anger over the past few weeks. You had assumed that Jimin’s ego had been bruised and that is why he has been treating you with such disdain, but suddenly you see that it’s not the case. You’ve hurt him- really, truly hurt him. And you’d been withholding your true feelings to protect yourself, but to have hurt the man you love so deeply… You swallow and inhale deeply.

“I don’t want a marriage of convenience.” You say softly. Jimin stares at you in confusion. “I… I did not want an empty marriage where our names are joined on paper because it looks good to the public. That… that is just too cruel. To love a man who sees me as a means to an ends.”

Jimin is silent at your admission. Perhaps he does not know how to respond. But it is far more likely that he simply does not understand.

“It wouldn’t be an empty marriage.” Jimin admits quietly. Now you are the one struck speechless. When you do not respond, he continues on desperately. “I chose you. I asked my parents whether it could be you. At first it was just because I didn’t want to marry a stranger and I know you better than anyone else. But then… then it became something else. You would smile at me or you would support me on our missions and all I could think was that there was no one better suited to the role of queen. There was no one else I wanted to be by my side when I did those things. And my friends disagreed. Everyone suggested that I marry someone who could grant us more power or better trade routes, or one of the court ladies who are groomed for the role. So I pretended that you had all these features that made you the perfect candidate to be my queen, but the truth is, they were just excuses. It’s because I wanted you. No, because I want you.” He steps forward, and when you do not step away, he clasps both his hands around yours. He raises them gently to his forehead and shuts his eyes. It takes your breath- it is an intimate and loving gesture, between your people, the kind of act of affection only shown between husbands and wives. “It wouldn’t be a paper marriage because I… well, because I love you.”

He raises his eyes and you see something in his gaze. Something warm and tender and suddenly the weeks of fighting make sense. It was because Jimin was hurt. He thought he was being rejected repeatedly and then you were so friendly with Namjoon… It does not excuse his behaviour, but you understand it.

“I thought you were merely upset because I had hurt your ego. You once said I had the sexual appeal of a tiled floor.” You point out. Jimin laughs, and steps in a little closer. His expression is warm and open when you do not push him away.

“That was when we were young and still in the academy! How many years ago was that? People and feelings change, my edese.” He tells you and your eyes widen at the adoring title. The look in his eyes matches the affection of the pet name. He tilts his head, as he awaits your reaction. You clear your throat awkwardly and look away. If it is a time of confessions, perhaps he is waiting for you to explain yourself.

“I have no interest in Namjoon.” You finally say. “Our mission required diplomacy and I treated him as such. And… you are not…. You are not repulsive. Far from it.”

Joy sparks in Jimin’s eyes and he laughs.

“I suppose that is as close as I will get to a confession of love from you.” He finally says. “Very well then. Perhaps… perhaps when we return from this endeavour… Perhaps we can reopen discussions on my marriage?” He suggests tentatively. It takes a lot of courage, which is amusing considering the fact that you are the literal head of the military of your entire planet, but you offer him a tiny nod, stepping forward to recapture the hands that had released yours.

“If… if you want me. As your love and not as a convenience.” You finally say, meeting his gaze and allowing the feelings you had been repressing for many, many years to surface. Jimin’s lids flutter beneath the intensity of your gaze. “Then that sounds like an excellent idea.”

Jimin smiles and steps forward as if to embrace you, but you hold a hand up to stop his advance.

“After we settle the trade routes here.” You say with a wide smile.

You can hear him complaining behind you as you turn away towards the exit of the gardens. He cannot get everything he wants in life, though.

Just most things.

#btsboulangerie #park jimin #jimin x reader #park jimin x reader #jimin fluff #writing #1000followersdrabble

262 notes · View notes

delhi-7a · 3 years

Text

Best Inventory Management Software in 2021 For SMEs & MSMEs

Introduction

Establishing and running a business enterprise can be stressful and painful if you don’t have the right tool for better management. By mentioning the right tool here we mean the right inventory software for small business. We are very sure that now you must be wondering how exactly one can choose the best inventory management software for SMEs & MSMEs, right? If yes, then drop all your worries now and let us help you.

Getting confused while opting for the inventory tracking system for your business enterprise is a normal thing as there are a number of paid and free inventory software available in the marketplace. And inventory software for small business is really very necessary as they play an important role to drive a business towards success. Even a number of business experts call the inventory the backbone of any SME and MSME. While running any business, accuracy is the key and a high level of accuracy for inventory is a must. Just a single or even a minor error in inventory can cause unnecessary purchases, inadequate stocks, and shipment delays. So, to avoid all this unnecessary chaos, let’s take a look at “How to Choose the Right Inventory Software For SMEs & MSMEs”.

How to Choose the Right Inventory Software For SMEs & MSMEs?

Create a List of Your Business Needs and Challenges

Before investing in any inventory tracking system, we will recommend you prepare a list of your business requirements. It means that your list must highlight the needs and challenges of your business. This way, you will be able to choose the free Inventory Management Software in India which can easily focus upon all the pain points of your business. This list will even help you to determine the features that you want in your Inventory Control System. So, prepare this list as a first priority!

Server Based or Cloud-Based Inventory System

The very next thing that you need to consider is that if your business needs a Server Based or Cloud-Based free inventory management software India. Here, you need to think about which one of these two can bring more benefit to your business. If you are struggling on a tight budget, then Cloud-based can be a budget-friendly choice. And if there is no such case, then you can also go with the Server Based Inventory System or commonly referred to as the download version. Although we will recommend you the Marg Inventory Software which is considered as one of the best free Inventory Software of 2021 to easily manage the complete Inventory System of your Business Enterprise. Moreover, Marg Inventory software is available both online & offline.

Keep Your Inventory Management Policies in Mind

While choosing the right inventory tracking system for SME and MSME, one always needs to keep their Inventory Management Policies in mind to avoid post-purchase consequences. Every business has their own inventory management policies which define the movement of your products, how you track costs, and how to prevent losses or shortages. This is the best way to choose the free inventory management software in India which can perfectly fit within all the requirements of your business enterprise.

Take a Detailed Look at Features of the Inventory Control System

Features and functionalities of an Inventory Control System determine if your business will be able to meet the requirements of your customers or not. So, take a closer look at the different features and functionalities of the Inventory System that you have decided on for your business. Wisely evaluate different features of the system like scalability, capability, and quality. And when it comes to this, then the Marg Inventory System comes at the top of all. This efficient and extraordinary Inventory Control System has all the features that you need to manage the Inventory of your SME and MSME in 2021.

Top Reasons to Choose Marg Inventory System

Inventory Tracking

When it comes to the right inventory control system, then the Marg Inventory System is counted among the top Game Changers for any business. It simplifies all hectic tasks in just a few clicks of the button. It is quite reliable to keep track of all the saleable products, accessories, substitutes, and even expiry dates.

Barcode Scanning

This is one of the crucial features for any inventory system and Marg Inventory Control System is complemented with this feature to get rid of all the exhaustion that you face while manually keying SKUs. If you will ask about its compatibility, then you will be glad to know that it is compatible with various types of barcode scanners. So, no more exhaustion while adding SKUs, serial numbers, and batch numbers.

GST Ready Solution

If you are using the Marg Inventory Control System, then GST Billing and Return Filing can’t be hectic anymore. This advanced inventory software comes with GST Ready Solution which makes everything so easy. You can easily file GST Returns, TCS and TDS directly via GST Software.

Reliable Warehouse Management

If you are not using the right Inventory Control System for your Business enterprise, then everything becomes so hectic and the most hectic of all is Warehouse Management. Whereas, the Marg Inventory Software manages and tracks your stock in different warehouses, godowns, or shops so efficiently and effectively that you will have to worry about nothing at all.

Final Words!

All we will recommend you to do is don’t choose just any Inventory Control System without giving it careful consideration otherwise you will have to regret it and may also need to pay a heavy cost of this mistake. An Inventory Control System is the backbone of any business whether it is a Small-sized business or a Giant organization. Marg Inventory Management Software can also be a great choice for your SME and MSME as it comes with all the features that you may need to manage the Inventory of your business effectively and efficiently.

#best inventory management software #inventory management software free #free inventory management software india #inventory management software #inventory management software for business #inventory management software for smes #inventory management software for msmes #marg inventory management software

1 note · View note

wolfewritings · 3 years

Text

My Cyberpunk 2077 Hot Takes (Spoilers for first 5ish hours of gameplay)

It was “in development” for 8 years, delayed multiple times in the final release year, and is still so poorly optimized, buggy, janky, and so obviously not fully tested on release that it is so unplayable on consoles that both Sony and Microsoft are offering refunds on digital copies regardless of hours played. And on PC you could have built and updated a desktop just to play only Cyperpunk on as high a setting as possible and you still would have to turn of features to get everything to load in properly. The game needs a full year delay working a standard 40 hour week to be even playable, and that's accounting for the features available as of Dec. 11th 2020 aka launch features. They forced the devs to work 100 hour work weeks just to launch a game that's technically playable in the loosest sense of the phrase.

TLDR: The game in-general needs to be redesigned like the RPG it was initially marketed as instead of a different flavor of near-future Ubi-sandbox. It also should totally embrace the full depth of customization cyberpunk as a genre and transhumanism as an ideology allows and envisions. And bugfixed and optimized, like seriously. There’s also almost no reason for anything to be as remotely bad as it is, if I’m remembering correctly the only “pressure” they had was from “fans” and that’s because they thought Gamers(tm) would be sensible and not send fucking death threats because they thought they had a release date.

This might be a GOG only gripe (or cpu) but that makes it even worse if it is: patching takes literal hours to complete no matter how small the patch is. The only game that might take longer to patch is Baldur’s Gate 3 which is a whole separate fuck-fest but atleast that is early access.

It has less gameplay options than vanilla Skyrim, just in general and in specifics.

Melee combat is clunky as hell and not satisfying.

I think driving is bad, and vehicle combat is god awful with almost no onscreen indicators if your hitting enemies or even correctly aimed at them.

The lifepath opener sucks. It literally ends with a montage of scenes and interactions that should have been playable and greatly added to the dynamic of Jackie and V. It also would have helped established literally every part of gameplay without requiring a literal in-game diegetic tutorial to break the flow of a scene leading into the 2018 gameplay teaser. It also so far only affects dialogue options, no ability increases, no skill increases or passive experience buffs. It doesn’t even effect how V speaks, just what they know prior to meeting Jackie.

Character creation is meh at best. Unless you choose the more techy looking eyes that change everything about the eye, the iris color barely appears to change. Pronouns being tied to voice is a very weird choice, especially when the choices are literally just male or female. Available hair styles are alot right off the bat, especially since you have to remember which numbers you like with no option to preview or change later in anyway aside from apparently forced hair styles hard designed with various head gear, especially apparent on femme V where they grow and fully style their hair on contact with ball caps etc. Tattoo options are generic “nothing or your skin is over 30% tattoos” no pure back or pure limb tattoos. Facial cybernetics are serviceable but there should have also been an option for purely cosmetic body cybernetics. Facial hair is both meh and almost too indepth at the same time. Visually bland but also having too much to customize and compare with each beard selection having seemingly 3 barely different versions and mustaches having essentially every type aside from pencil (i think, i didnt care too much to look at all of them).

In-combat weapon selection is clunky. The lower right icons for unarmed is the exact same as if you were wielding a gun. The only way to know for sure you have only fists is to use the weapon selection wheel and try to get the cursor to show you hovering unarmed even if you have weapons in 2 out of 3 slots. And im fairly certain having no weapon in the first slot breaks hotkey selecting weapons. There have been several times where I pressed 1 to only use fists and it kept my katana or gun out despite them clearly being in the 2 and 3 slots respectively.

Hacking is weird as you need direct line of sight and the game to register you’re actually looking at what you want to hack, meaning you can’t really stealth hack in enclosed areas without almost guaranteeing you’ll be spotted.

Randomized loot doesn’t really make sense, especially when the randomized tier determines if you can install components like scopes, silencers, etc.

Thats all I can remember off of the top of my head as of initial writing.

Now for some praise, but still with some complaints and ideas for improvements.

Gender and sex being separate is a great idea but could have been implemented alot better. Pronouns should have been an actual choice between he/him, she/her, and they/them. In my opinion, voice options should have also been expanded to include masc/fem or masc/fem/”yeah thats a generic ‘X’ voice” for both male-voiced and female-voiced V. Genital selection being both “which do you have?” and “do you go commando?” is just questionable. It should have been genital type as one selection and default underwear as another (maybe some people want schlonged V to wear panties and vagina’d V to wear men’s boxers or tighty-whities). I personally find the nipple and pubic hair customization almost too much for almost no reason especially since there is no practical way to even be naked to be funny without being one-shot because you have literally zero armor aside from maybe shoes, hats, and face covers.

Tattoos should be broken down into subcategories like limbs (divided into the different parts of each limb/full limb), torso (chest, stomach/full), back (shoulders, mid, lower/full), hands/feet (maybe including fingers/toes) with an extra option to mirror limbs and hands to streamline creation time if the player wants.

Hair should also be broken down between pre-styled, and customizable pieces like top, sides, and back. Hair style should also have custom gradients or full palette selection.

The nail paints were a nice surprise, but again would have been better with color customization (I managed to settle on the one that looked kinda like the demisexual flag, which was nice surprise).

Lifepath selection should have some effect outside of just the occasional dialogue option (so far only on the main story path). At the very least it should offer bonuses to atleast one associated ability (like Nomad offering a +1 to tech and associated skills gaining bonus experience). At the far end it should affect what words or slight accent uses during dialogue and maybe have some NPCs know which lifepath you chose based on that.

Melee combat needs to feel more impactful. From what Ive used so far (katana and fists) the katana barely has any reaction from enemies unless you trigger the passive bleeding skill and fists barely register outside of heavy attacks and guard breaking. Dare I say, Dead fucking Island has more impactful melee combat (probably because it wasn’t seemingly designed as an after-thought outside of skills).

Make it so that once you’ve marked a target you can hack it through walls so you can actually be somewhat stealthy or atleast give you an advantage before combat.

Make the overworld hub-based (like in the 2010s Deus Ex games) but still the same size so that its (theoretically) easier to load while also getting the same amount of detail or even more.

Add seemingly basic things in open world action-adventure games like toggle walking, keybinding, and maybe more than less than a handful of quick-select slots.

Make sure the game actually runs as it ideally should on the platforms you sell it on. Like that really should be step fucking two after can you launch it without causing a fire.

Enemies (and predetermined killable NPCs) should have set gear that is dropped and gear should have set designs for if they can be customized or just sold for money. Iconic gear should probably be better than just “ ’X’ weapon but named”.

#cyberpunk 2077 #hot take #rpg #video games #holy shit did they drop the ball #Gamers(tm) need to get all their asses kicked since they obviously don't have empathy

3 notes · View notes

smabrothers · 3 years

Text

11 Reasons Why You Should Update Your Site this Year

DO YOU LOVE YOUR WEBSITE?

If the answer is no or not really, you shouldn’t even continue reading this article. Just go visit our shop, choose a design that you like and start building a website that you’ll be proud to share online, and invite prospects to browse through. A site that will effectively promote your work and help you book more clients. Otherwise, what’s the point in keeping this powerful marketing tool, investing time and effort into it, if it doesn’t help your business grow and flourish?

It’s not enough to JUST have a website. It needs to look good, it needs to present information in a clear, accessible way. It needs to create a strong first impression and make your prospects feel like they’ve found THE ONE. Otherwise, you’re competing for the attention of the same audience alongside another few hundred businesses. And let’s agree, that’s an exhausting game.

If you’re not sure whether your current website does a good job, here are 11 aspects you can look into to decide whether it’s time for a revamp (listed in no particular order). Know that our Biggest Sale of the year is coming soon. If you want to grab a higher discount code this Black Friday, join our Facebook Community group. That’s where all the secret deals will be shared!

1. It’s Not Memorable and Doesn’t Stand Out

What was cool 3 years ago, may not be this year. Maybe you were one of the early adopters of a new design style or aesthetic, but that was 2-4 years ago. Look around, everyone has similar website designs, especially if they use them ready out of the box. That’s why we created Flexthemes and Flexblock – to empower you with more design freedom. Create your blocks and page layouts. Make your website look and feel like YOU. It’s all simple and intuitive. No code skills are required.

And, you can personalize your mobile site version too, if you want.

2. It Doesn’t Reflect Your Brand

This one should be straightforward. Your website promotes your business online 24/7. If you’ve rebranded recently, if your photography style changed and evolved, if you’re offering new products and services to your customers – your website should reflect and advocate that change. Otherwise, you’re attracting the wrong type of clients, those who are after your old type of work. This brings us to reason #3.

3. You’re Not Attracting the Right Clients

We explain this in more depth in How Design Affects Your Business Growth article, but the point is – if you are not getting inquiries from the type of clients you want to work with, you are not positioning yourself correctly on the market. One golden rule is to carefully curate your work. Check the content and galleries you show on your website, remove the type of work you don’t want to do in the future (i.e. family, portrait, editorial, etc). Carefully select your BEST, fresh images (the type of projects you want to do more of) and include them on your homepage. This will immediately filter out some of the inquiries which are not a good fit for you. Make sure all your content is consistent, including colors, fonts, icons. An example of consistency in a website would be this.

4. Outdated Theme & Technologies

This one affects your visitors’ experience on your website. “Old school is cool” does not apply when it comes to functionality. The digital world is constantly changing and evolving. Web standards shift each year, dictating new tools and technologies for building a good website. Your clients’ preferences and tastes shift even faster. What was trendy yesterday, may not be next week. Hence, if you want your business to succeed, you need to be agile with your visual presentation and website design.

If you’ve built your website over 3 years ago, most likely it’s far behind in terms of looks and functionality. It probably has outdated code that can slow down its loading speed or the way it responds on different devices. It may also not be compatible with some of the latest popular browsers. Take our example, 3,5 years ago we launched our first Classic themes with the drag and drop page builder, a year and a half ago we released FlexBlock, and in November 2019 the world greeted the first Flexthemes.

The difference between our old, classic themes and the Flexthemes is huge (we explain it here). Building a custom-looking website with our new themes is a whole lot easier. You don’t need to know code, you don’t need to add CSS snippets or hire a technical team. The new visual editor is so simple, your grandma could probably do it (yet please don’t make her do your tasks).

The bottom line here, if it’s been a while since you’ve built your site, start looking for website design inspiration and a more modern template to use as a base.

5. Mobile Friendly

I sure hope this is not the case, but if you still don’t have a mobile-friendly website – get a new theme NOW! Even if you do have a responsive or adaptive design, you still need to keep up with the latest trends. Newer themes include modern CSS code which allows your site to adapt nicely to any device. They also allow you to hide certain page blocks for mobile and ensure a faster and smoother user experience. Also, you must know that Google cares about the experience you offer to your mobile guests, since over 50% of website traffic comes from portable devices.

Offering more control to our clients over the design and functionality of their mobile websites has always been an important goal on our list. With Flexthemes, the steering wheel is in your hands. You have access to the mobile view of your website sections, can easily make adjustments, hide or show certain areas of your site to ensure a truly wonderful and unique browsing experience for your mobile guests.

If you’re not sure how many of your prospects access your website via their phone, if you’re wondering whether it makes sense for you to customize your mobile site – check your site’s stats. You can do that via your Google Analytics account if you have one connected to your website.

Mobile is important and it won’t go away in the next years. Don’t leave money on the table with a poorly performing mobile site, it’s one of those crucial business aspects that you can’t ignore anymore.

6. Your Website Loads Slow

Aim for a loading time under 4 seconds. If you’re not sure how quickly your site loads, use tools like Pingdom or GTmetrix to check how long it takes for your site to load, and which files are the troublemakers. Poor results could mean you have some work to do. Slow loading speed could be caused by several reasons: heavy, unoptimized images, underpowered hosting and, even an old, poorly performing theme.

The first one can be easily solved by following this Ultimate Guide to Saving Your Images for the Web. For the second one, check out this article describing 5 key criteria to choosing a good hosting provider. Yet, if the issue is caused by an old, outdated website template, you can start shopping for a new one.

View Flothemes website templates here.

7. Your Bounce Rate is High

This is extremely important. If you’ve been pouring your heart and time into blogging, SEO and marketing, bringing a lot of traffic to your website – yet the second they access your homepage (or any other page), they bounce right off of it – you have a problem. You’re losing leads and potential clients.

A high bounce rate indicates that you’re doing something wrong, either with content, with the navigation of your website, or the overall look and feel on your site. On average, a bounce rate between 40-60% is considered to be OK (this varies depending on your industry).

You can check your bounce rate via Google Analytics. Log in and go to Acquisition >> Overview tab. If it’s higher than 70%, follow these 9 Steps to reducing your Bounce Rate. If it doesn’t help, it’s time for a website redesign, and we do suggest seeking some expert advice in UX and UI.

In case you want to dive deeper into Measuring Performance and Tracking Success for your site, download our SEO guide here.

8. Security

To be honest, new or old, any website can be hacked. The experience is stressful and painful, especially when you lose information, or/and have to rebuild everything from scratch. However, older websites rely on older technology, therefore chances of a security breach are higher. Make sure your theme is updated and follow these 12 steps to make your site more secure.

9. SEO

Let’s start with the basics. Do you have a blog? You should, as it’s a powerful marketing tool to drive more traffic and users to your website, through keywords, internal links and, backlinks.

You also need to know that search engines love good, updated content. Every time you make an update to your site, Google and other search engines crawl and index your pages, thus your site ranking gets recalculated. If you keep your content updated and of GOOD QUALITY, you increase your chances of getting noticed on Search Result pages. Pair that with a charming, good-looking website, and you’re guaranteed more attention.

If SEO is something that you’ve been planning to dive deeper into, check out our SEO guide for photographers. Also, take a look at this incredible post by Dylan M Howell on Content Strategy and How to Blog like and Expert.

10. Do I need Call to Action?

Of course, you do. And it’s not just a button or link added here and there. It has to be placed strategically, to keep your users engaged with your website and browsing through more content. We explain How Call to Actions work in Design in this article, but the idea is to guide your site visitors through your content to your Best Work, then to your contact form or sales page. If your current website is limited in CTAs (Call to Actions) and doesn’t allow much customization – it’s time to get something more flexible and powerful. With Flexthemes for example, you can easily create new page layouts to support your sales campaigns and convert more users into prospects. They allow you to fully customize any layout, add buttons, images, videos, texts, and other design elements.

Never leave your site visitors wondering what they should do next. If it’s not subtle and intuitive, they’ll leave and never return. And that’s sadly a lost business opportunity.

11. All those Cool Apps & Integrations

An old outdated website template may not keep up with all the new apps, plugins, and integrations available out there. So, if you want to integrate your favorite Studio Management System, Photo Editing app or, any other useful tools that simplify your workflow – be prepared to update your website on a regular 1-2 year basis, and use the most modern, up to date templates for that.

#integration #search engine optimization #yourwebsitematters #smabrothers #ProTips

1 note · View note

dewhook22 · 3 years

Text

Liquid Face Raises.

Elizabeth Grant Collagen Re.

Content

When Can I See The Results As Soon As I Have Had Treatment?

Hifu Therapy Procedure.

Before Treatment And Also After 8 Weeks.

What Does Hifu Treat?

Little Opportunity Clinic

Thankfully Mo suggested I try the non-invasive Radio-frequency treatment available at NewLife as a choice. My skin is tighter and much more flexible, stretch marks are hardly visible, as well as I make sure I wouldn't also receive tummy tuck surgical procedure anymore.

don't miss the demo. ='text-align:center'>

youtube

It contours your face and also advertises your skin to combat with aging. The skin acnes, big pores, acne, acnes ... As Hifu facial treatment primarily triggers your skin's all-natural procedure, it offers a total renewal in addition to anti-ageing. As Hifu facial treatment jobs by stimulating as well as advertising the skin's natural recovery procedure, the results are extremely natural-looking. Hifu facial treatment is significantly less expensive than any surgical facelift. A few of our customers choose Hifu since the treatment results improve in time.

When Can I See The Results When I Have Had Therapy?

Guy needs to be clean shaven if the treatment gets on the face location. Please show up 10 mins before your treatment, to complete the Assessment Type online or at the clinic. HIFU can be a perfect means to achieve visible lift without the need for surgery. Found alongside the Stratford Centre, Visual appeal of London give innovative wellness and also elegance services designed to enhance as well as revitalise.

Based upon the 4th flooring, this contemporary clinic is simply a brief walk from Westfield Stratford City. Friendly, expert ladies only venue is readily available 7 days a week with totally free auto parking for your very first hour, you obtain a personal assessment and also always a skilled as well as careful treatment.

Hifu Treatment Procedure.

Can likewise be made use of on various other areas of the body to minimize tiny locations of fat and also tighten up skin, locations can consist of arms, knees, décolletage, abdominal area. The majority of people see any minor swelling or bruising discolor in between 24 and also 48 hours, and a full healing within a week. We generally advise avoiding laborious workout for concerning 2-3 weeks after your therapy.

is a non-surgical & non-invasive procedure which utilizes ultrasound power to stimulate the manufacturing of collagen deep in the skin causing a firmer, tighter look.

The probe breaks down a light beam of high-intensity ultrasound energy, which takes a trip through the wall surface of the back flow into the prostate.

As the collagen raises, this causes stronger skin with fewer wrinkles.

As the high-frequency ultrasound light beams are concentrated on a details tissue site listed below the skin's surface, there's no damage to the top layers of the skin and also no prompt visible indicators of treatment.

try this product treats one small area of the prostate at once, concerning the size of a grain of rice.

The HIFU treatment is supplied by means of a probe that is put into the back flow by your cosmetic surgeon.

Hifu facial therapy is a popular choice for those that wish to attain visible outcomes without the downtime, cut, or price of surgery. In non surgical facelift Gosport of convenience for our customers, we currently operate a reserving policy that doesn't require settlement or deposits beforehand, for assessments, visits, and also a few of our therapies. With just one therapy, the regenerative procedure is launched, yet the full result will construct progressively throughout 2-3 months. You could look a little flushed and also red after the treatment but this generally passes within a couple of hours. Moderate swelling and also inflammation can also occur, but once again these are short-term adverse effects.

Prior To Treatment And After 8 Weeks.

The treatment utilizes ultherapy, which targets the deep skin layers to offer the face, eyes as well as neck the look of a natural uplift. Our neck, face and décolletage begin losing theirelasticity and also tone and also we often locate our skin becoming droopy or loosened. This could be due to a recognizable adjustment around the dewlaps, jawline, neck and eyebrow location, making us look more aged than we actually are. Many clients just need one therapy, thoughthis all relies on the individual's skin laxity, response to the treatment, and the collagen-generation reaction. These consist of the deep dermis and the SMAS layer (also known as the shallow muscular aponeurotic system-- the layer that obtains tightened in face-lifts). Our student aestheticians are managed by highly-qualified speakers with a riches of market experience as well as undergo detailed training prior to undertaking customer treatments.

Is HIFU FDA approved?

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound or HIFU is an FDA-approved, minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of prostate cancer that offers personalized treatment and dramatically reduced side effects.

listen to your issues and also advise procedures to make sure the very best outcome for their clients, for which they are enthusiastic about. They are cozy individuals with an excellent bedside way, ending up being like a second family members which is necessary when you are managing individual body concerns. I can not suggest this center or the professionals very enough, you won't be dissatisfied. Usually, only one session is needed as the therapy consistently boosts the skin tightens and also cell revival over 6-9 months. As a result, a second if required would not be advised for at the very least one year.

What Does Hifu Deal With?

Plus the included benefit of not having to describe they have actually had actually any treatments done. Hifu facial therapy is most reliable on light to moderately aged skin.

The thread will be totally soaked up by the body within nine months, as well as the rejuvenation effect will last for between one and a fifty percent to 2 years without any more excitement. We wish this has offered you with even more details about the pros and cons of HIFU facial treatment. If you stay in London and also call for even more information regarding Hifu facial therapies or any one of our other therapies, we will certainly more than happy to answer them and also any type of other questions you might have. If you have extremely droopy skin you may think about various other skin therapies.

Little Method Facility

As the trainees are constantly finding out and developing their abilities, please bear in mind that on some occasions therapies may take longer than specified. If you have any additional inquiries concerning how the treatments are done, please feel free to call us on. Stay clear of heating the treatment area while the skin is still sensitised. This consists of exercise, saunas, hot bath/shower, alcohol etc. and/or the application of additional therapies. Throughout your examination a detailed case history will be taken, assisting us to figure out whether the treatment is safe for you to receive and whether it will aid you attain the outcomes you are seeking. We will thoroughly draw up the locations of therapy and use a cooling gel to the skin. The HIFU applicator is securely pushed as well as moved in each of the treatment locations supplying the ultrasonic energy.

#hifu review #hifu reviews #hifu Benefits #hifu Advantages #hifu before and after #hifu treatment cost #hifu reviews 2021 #hifu treatment pros and cons #hifu reviews UK #hifu facelift reviews #hifu facelift cost uk #hifu treatment cost uk #hifu facelift near me #hifu treatment near me

1 note · View note