General Improvements and Bug Fixes

• Teleport VR players will no longer get trapped in legacy flying mode.
• Fixed an issue that was preventing teleport VR players from picking things up with their left hands.
• Fixed bug where copy-paste MakerPen tool was disabled.
• Chips will no longer appear as grey boxes.
• The following CV2 chips are now out of beta and available for use in all rooms: Show Purchase Prompt, Award Consumable, Award Room Key
• Added the ability to activate a consumable directly from the purchase page.
• Added the ability to tell what items in a UGC storefront you own already just by looking at it.

Rec Room Studio

• The version of RR Studio that you are using now shows up in the Title-bar of Unity! This should make it easier to send screenshots of problems as you no longer have to go to the About window for RecRoom Studio to show Devs which version you're on.
• Initial version of the "Memory Explorer" tool. Memory Explorer is the first of a set of performance-focused tools that we're working on. It's intended to be a hub for estimating the memory cost of your room on different platforms. Initially, it only supports textures & render targets, but will be expanded over time with meshes, audio, animation, video, and any other large-level resources.
• There is now a Documentation... link within the Rec Room Studio drop-down in the Unity UI.
• Adding Rec Room Studio content to a room will no longer change the visual post-processing settings. (Translation: uploading a room from Studio for the first time won't make it lose the blue tint.)
• Fixed a Studio bug where Visual Post Processing effects would stop displaying in the scene view.
• Fixed a bug where the Environment Lighting settings in rooms uploaded from Studio would be ignored.

Please see here for convenient links to controls, tutorials, comfort options, etc.: [url=https://recroom.com/community]https://recroom.com/community[/url]
We love to hear your feedback, so please don't hesitate to let us know what you think.

I created an outline of some good information that was given during the 6 June live stream in case anyone missed it. It's mostly just paraphrased.
​
Is the game digital only?

• No, there are physical copies for consoles if you like to collect physical games. Including the collector additions.

Will the game be available on steam deck?

• We are working towards steam deck compatibility, although we have not received the official evaluation currently.

What type of improvements can we expect for the launch?

• The open beta already has some improvements over the closed beta that you will notice when you jump in. Even more improvements will come on launch day, although some things take time and may not be ready on day 1.
• Improvements have already been made for objects like benches and bins. AI improvements have been made from the closed beta to the open beta.
• We worked on some UI changes to improve the presentation of information; more is on the way.
• Lighting has been improved and will be even better on launch.
• The snapping feature while building is being improved and is already showing improvements since the closed beta.
• We are working hard to make as many improvements as we can for release and will continue post release.
• A lot of sound improvements. Including the annoying sound when riding a coaster in first person.
• Coaster smoothness has and is still improving.

Are there shortcuts to undo/redo?

• You can undo and redo actions in the UI. Shortcuts are currently not available for this; however, it is something that is being looked at for later down the road.

Can you toggle the white overlay when hovering over objects?

• No, if you did not have it then you may accidentally perform actions on unwanted objects. It also helps with visual clarity when modifying multiple objects. Will forward feedback to UI design team as there could be better solutions.

Can you disable the UI?

• Yes, you can click a hotkey to hide the UI. Perfect for content creators or taking nice screenshots of your park. We could possibly look at hiding the white overlay while the UI is hidden as well.

How many missions will there be on release?

• 8 missions on launch.
• 1st mission is coaster building tutorial.
• 2nd mission is park tutorial.
• Mission 3-8 will have milestones and goals. 5 milestones per mission.
• Each mission will be longer than the tutorial missions.
• Possibly extra surprise content after the 8th mission.

How many maps will there be at launch?

• There are multiple biomes (4) that have maps within them.
  • East Asia
    • Grand Lake map
  • Alpine Mountains
  • Desert
  • Mediterranean
• The Mediterranean will have different small islands that you can build coasters between.
• 26 maps on release.
• If you count the tutorial map, Exploration Park then this would be the 27th.
• 7 maps will come from the story missions. 19 will be separate new maps.
• The 7 maps that come from the story missions can be played on without requiring you to do the story missions.

Will there be any bigger maps?

• Most of the maps are the same size, just different environments.
• There is a flat one called Canvas of Creativity.

Will pathing auto create stairs when building the path up or down?

• No, the path will either slope up or down. You can add railings to the path if you want.

How many rides will there be on release?

• There will be 5 themes:
  • Alien planet – 2 rides
  • Candy Wheel – 2 rides
  • Da Vinci – 2 rides
  • Park Beyond – 3 rides
  • Western – 2 rides
• 14 flat rides without themes. 25 rides total.
• Pac-man DLC includes 2 rides. Zombie DLC includes 1 ride.
• 28 total rides with DLC.
• 3 roller coaster types with unlimited color customizations and customizable cars.
  • Standard coaster
  • Wild coaster
  • Wild mouse coaster
• 9 types of coaster prefabs.
• More free rides will come out throughout the year one roadmap. Also paid DLC expansions.

How many shops will there be at release?

• For the base game, there are 21 different shops. They each can use 5 different themes, or 7 with the DLC. For example, there are 11 different food shops. Each can have 5 different themes to make 55 different food shop prefabs. So, there are 100 different themed prefabs total and 122 products to sell.

Are there wooden roller coasters?

• Not for release. There are no plans for wooden coasters, but we often get feedback for wooden coasters. We will discuss internally.

Will the Steam workshop be available?

• No, we are partnering with mod.io. Starting in August(TBD), you will be able to share your own builds with other players. This includes cross platform. So, PC players can share with consoles and vice versa. Eventually you will be able to share your entire park, but it is slightly more complicated to implement.

Can I build a park with my friend?

• Not at the exact same time, but you can share back and forth on mod.io to build something together.

Will there be unlimited amazement for sandbox mode?

• We hear the current feedback being given from the closed beta, including this. This is being discussed internally. However, this will not be available on launch as we require more time.

Can you assign staff to certain zones?

• You can assign staff to different tasks. For example, you can assign your janitor to only focus on picking up litter and ignore puke and trash cans. However, you cannot assign them to specific zones within your park. We have seen this being requested.

Can you assign a staff member a specific task to do immediately i.e.. fix a certain ride?

• No.

How many different outfits are there for the entertainers?

• There is an outfit for the 5 different themes, 1 for the pac-man DLC, and 1 for the zombie DLC. Possibly more

Will there be more road textures on release?

• Yes, around 10 in total.

Can you change the texture on an existing road?

• Not currently. You would need to delete and replace it.

Are there any other Namco properties that we could see in future expansion packs?

• For pre-orders, on day 1 you can download pac-man themed scenery, rides, entertainers, and some extras.
• For future content, we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Can the guests play pac-man arcade machines?

• There will be scenery pac-man arcade machines. These can be scaled, but guests will not be able to play them.

Will there be any cheat codes?

• No.

Can you impossify toilets?

• No, that is... impossible. I hope some game designers are taking notes on your ideas to impossify toilets.

Hi I followed a tutorial and got proton-up qt and installed ge proton 7-15 but when i go back into gaming mode fall guys is not in my library. I've tried restarting, reinstalling 7-15, and yes I did exit steam while it was downloading. Not sure why it's not working can anybody help?

Crochet, as a traditional and ancient craft, has many different types and expressions.

Today we are going to talk about crochet granny squares, this sounds strange, why is there such a name?

I. What is the crochet granny square

Q: Why is it called crocheted granny squares?

A: It is usually knitted from small pieces, each of which is an individual unit, and then combined together by stitching or seaming. Each small block usually has lace and texture, which makes crocheted granny squares an excellent choice for creating a variety of colors and designs.

It to create a fine and three-dimensional effect. These crocheted pieces can feature rich details such as facial expressions, clothing designs and small ornaments. Because of their small size and unique appearance, crocheted amigurumi are often considered cute and charming decorations, gifts or toys.

Q: Is there a long history of crocheting granny squares?

A: Yes, crocheted granny squares date back to the early 19th century.

It originated in Europe, first appearing in traditional weaving in England and the Netherlands. It then quickly spread around the world and became a popular craft activity. The technique is simple and easy to learn, making it popular with many people and a common choice for knitters to create blankets, pillowcases, scarves, clothing and a variety of other items.

II. Crochet granny squares presentation

Q: What are the characteristics of crocheted granny squares?

A: Diversity

You can use different colored threads and various textures to create an infinite number of designs. You can weave single-color squares or choose multi-color or gradient color threads to add visual impact.

Simple construction

Each square is usually knitted starting with a looped center and then increasing or varying the number of rows of crochet stitches around the center. This simple construction means that even a beginner can easily master this technique.

Portability

Each square is an individual unit, which makes them easy to carry and combine. You can knit as many squares as you need and then sew or seam them together at a later time to form large blankets, pillowcases, etc.

Variability

Crochet granny squares can be adjusted according to your preference. You can choose different square sizes, lace styles and textures to create unique designs.

III. How to make crochet granny squares

Q: What materials do I need to knit crochet granny squares?

A: You will need the following materials:

Crochet hooks:

Choose the right size crochet hook for the thickness of the thread you have chosen.

Thread:

Choose the thread of your favorite color and texture. Traditional wool or cotton threads are usually used, but there are now many different kinds of threads available, such as silk and acrylic threads. It is important to choose the right thread for your project.

Scissors:

Scissors for trimming lines.

Ruler:

Used to measure the size of a square.

Stitches:

For stitching or seaming squares.

Mode required:

You can be guided through books, online tutorials or patterns to knit different squares.

Q: How to crochet granny squares?

A: Choose an appropriate thread and crochet hook and knit a looped center as required by the size of your square.

Depending on the design of the square, increase the size of the square by adding or varying the number of rows of crochet stitches around the center. Knit the edges of the square according to the lace style you have chosen. Repeat these steps as needed to knit more squares. When you are finished with all the squares, use a sewing needle to stitch or join them together to form your desired project, such as a blanket, pillowcase, etc.

IV. Tips and Uses for Crochet Granny Squares

Q: Any tips or suggestions for crocheting granny squares?

A: Practice basic knitting techniques:

Familiarity with basic crochet techniques is essential for successful crocheting of granny squares. Practice knitting basic stitches such as chain stitch, single stitch, double stitch, etc.

Select the appropriate crochet size:

Depending on the thickness of the thread you choose, choose the right size crochet hook. If the crochet hook is too small, the squares may be too tight; if the crochet hook is too large, the squares may be too loose. (You can see how to choose one in our previous)

Note the size of the squares:

Measure the dimensions of the squares you weave to make sure they are consistent. This will help to get an even look when you put them together later.

Mix and match colors and textures:

Try mixing and matching lines of different colors and textures in different squares to add visual appeal and creativity.

Reference patterns and tutorials:

If you are a beginner or want to try a new design, refer to the patterns and online tutorials for more inspiration and guidance.

Creativity without limits:

Crochet Granny Squares is a knitting technique full of unlimited creativity. You can adjust and modify it to your liking and style, adding your own personal creative elements. Experiment with different stitches, laces and textures, and even add embellishments such as beads, buttons or embroidery to the squares to make your creations even more unique.

Q: What are the common uses of crocheted granny squares?

A: Crochet granny squares are very versatile

Blankets:

Sew multiple crochet granny squares together to create a beautiful and warm blanket. You can choose from different colors and designs to create unique blankets.

Pillowcase:

Knitting several squares and sewing them together can create a variety of styles of pillowcases. You can change pillowcases according to the season or occasion to add some personality and color to your home.

Scarves and shawls:

By crocheting granny squares and sewing them together, you can create stylish scarves and shawls. You can choose the colors and textures to match your outfit to your liking.

Handbag and grocery box:

Personalized tote bags and miscellaneous boxes can be created by crocheting granny squares and sewing them together. These small projects are very practical and can also be given as gifts to friends and family.

Clothing and accessories:

Crochet granny squares can be used to knit a variety of clothing and accessories, such as tops, hats, gloves and scarves. These unique knitting projects will add some special style and charm to your attire.

Crochet Granny Squares is an ancient and diverse knitting technique that allows you to create a wide variety of square patterns.

It’s easy to learn, suitable for beginners, and has unlimited creative potential. Whether you want to knit a blanket, pillowcase, scarf or other items, it is a fun and satisfying knitting option. Use it to show off your creativity and make unique and beautiful crafts.

v1.0 here

Purpose

This greatly expanded guide is to explain how to get every game from Gameboy to 3DS, including Pokémon games from Gen 1-7, onto your CFW 3DS. The information is a compilation of references and guides I’ve collected during my own efforts of 3DS modding. This is something I wish I had when I started down this process, and I hope you find it useful. I’ve combed through this sub to try and compile every question answered in one place.
This is mostly focused on the Pokémon games, but I’ve reworked it to explain how to install any game from Gameboy to 3DS onto your Home Screen, and you can skip the info that’s just for Pokémon games. It covers a wide variety of topics related to 3DS CFW modding, and I think even those who don’t care about Pokémon would find it useful.
Comment any questions or if anything is incorrect/out of date.

Note: This assumes you have already completed the CFW 3DS guide on your 3DS. This will not work without completing that process.

Part 1: Useful Tools & Sources

This guide makes reference to the same handful of resources. They are listed here:

• H Shop. How to install
  
• GodMode9 - this should already be installed on your 3DS if you followed the CFW guide
  
• How to rip game cartridges via GodMode9. Video about it.
  
• Turn any rom into a CIA file via New Super Ultimate Injector 3DS, an application that allows you to inject Nes, Snes, GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, Mega Drive, Game Gear and TurbiGrafx 16 roms in to the 3DS.
  
• Use the FBI app to scan QR codes and download games that way. Only works for 3DS games and VC’s, not NDS games.
  

Part 2: How to get every game on your Home Screen

Gameboy & Gameboy Color - Gen 1 & 2 (RBY/GSC)

• Download virtual consoles through the Hshop in the “Virtual Console - Region Free” section. Here is the list of NA VC games), though the HShop does have every other region as well. GDrive of VC’s
  
• Don’t forget to also download the originals! Japanese Red and Green VC’s are also in the HShop. You can’t miss this nightmare fuel!
  
  • Japanese Pokémon Green is called “[GB]ポケットモンスター 緑” in the “Virtual Console - Region Free” section of the HShop.
  • Japanese Pokémon Red is called “[GB]ポケットモンスター 赤” in the “Virtual Console - Region Free” section of the HShop.
• Alternatively, if you want to get other games, track down the Roms (internet archive, Vimm, etc), and use the “New Super Ultimate Injector 3DS” linked above.
  

Gameboy Advance - Gen 3 (RSE/FRLE)

• Download Pokémon CIA’s here, put them in your CIA folder on your SD card, and install them in the FBI app. Alternate source with some custom roms as well.
  
• Alternatively, scan the QR codes in FBI.
  
• Alternatively, if you want to get other games, track down the Roms (internet archive, Vimm, etc), and use the “New Super Ultimate Injector 3DS” linked above. Or search for “[Name of game] CIA file” on Google
  

Nintendo DS - Gen 4 & 5 (DPPt/HGSS/BWB2W2)

1. Download roms or rip your cartridges via GodMode9, put them in the correct rom folders. Roms available at Internet Archive; google “Internet Archive Roms”. Some are here
   
2. Use NDSForwarder OR just open the Universal Updater app and you can find it in there (there's two different ones, I'd use the one by MechanicalDragon)
   
3. Put DS games in /ROMS/NDS.
   

Note: Do not rename the file after you’ve installed forwarders as that will break them. Also: LIMIT 40 DS GAMES INSTALLED AT A TIME - You can however use the data management menu to move the shortcuts you aren't using to the SD card to make room (where they disappear from the home screen and become unusable till they are moved back)

1. Open the app via homebrew launcher to select which to install to your homescreen, and you may uninstall them one by one through the main 3DS data management menu, the DSiWare section.

Source

• Alternatively you can use YANBF, which I’ve never tried but doesn’t have the 40 game limit.
  
• Alternatively, you can use TwilightMenu++, which is an application for the DS&DSLite (via the r4 flashcart) or the DSi/3DS (via CFW). When opened, it looks and functions like the DSi menu. It allows you to access and play Roms via a prettier interface. However, I don’t like using it on the 3DS. If yours is broken, try downloading it again from the Universal Updater app or try this.
  

3DS - Gen 6 & 7 (XY/ORAS/SMUSUM/Dream Radar)

• Download games from the HShop. Every 3DS game should be available. Don’t forget Dream Radar!
  
• Alternatively, Rip the game from the cartridge via GodMode9
  
• Alternatively, scan the QR codes in FBI
  

Note: Be sure to download the updates to each game as well, if needed.

Custom Romhacks & Randomizers

• Turn any rom into a CIA file via New Super Ultimate Injector 3DS
  
• Randomizer help here. 3DS games
  
• More Randomizer Stuff.
  

Part 3: How to migrate saves into 3DS

Note: Always backup your save files via Checkpoint and back up the SD card to your computer regularly.

Reference. Reference 2
Gameboy & Gameboy Color:

• rip save from the cartridge via the Epilogue GB Operator
  
• inject save via Godmode 9 or Checkpoint. source
  

Gameboy Advance

• Rip from cartridge via a DS, DS Lite, or GameCube
  
• Alternatively, rip from cartridge via the Epilogue GB Operator
  
• Migrate via Godmode 9
  

Nintendo DS

1. Rip saves from cartridge via GodMode 9
   
2. wherever you store your rom files, there should be a folder labeled saves.
   
3. Copy the .sav to roms/nds/saves/ and name it the same as the ROM but with the “.sav” extension instead of “.nds”
   

3DS

• Rip from cartridge via GodMode9 & inject into digital version
  
• Alternatively, use Checkpoint:
  

 1. put physical copy into 3DS 2. open up checkpoint, select the cartridge version, back up the save and name it something obvious 3. remove the cartridge 4. select the digital version of the game you backed up and then pick the save you just made a back up of and click “restore save”. 

Part 4: How to cheat/hack

1. Checkpoint

Note: Cannot access GBA or NDS games, only 3DS and original VC games. See “2. PKSM” and “3. NDSForwarder” below for instructions on how to cheat in those games. Checkpoint causes the game to crash often, especially in gen 6&7. Always save before activating a cheat.

2. PKSM 3DS App - Pokemon Games Only

• Every Generation of Pokémon, 1-7, can be integrated into PKSM
  
• Gen 3: How to get the GBA VC game into PKSM:
  

1. Load the game and save first. Doesn’t work without a save file. 2. get ahold of your Title ID by going to FBI → Titles → take a picture of your relevant Title ID for the game you need. 3. in PKSM, go to settings (hit X) and go to Misc → Title ID’s 4. input your title ID for your specific game from step 1 5. Once you’ve inputted the number and hit ok, you can just keep hitting B. You’ll see the game on the VC list and access it like the other games. [Source](https://github.com/FlagBrew/PKSM/wiki/Basics#virtual-console-games). [Source 2](https://www.reddit.com/3dspiracy/comments/13cbwjwhy_wont_pksm_accept_my_save_files_for_gen_3/jjf6iof/). 

• Gen 3 - GBA event items
  
  • When you're in the Scripts menu in PKSM, press X to swap to SD-based scripts, and Y to swap to universal scripts. There is a script called “RSEFrLg - Inject Tickets.c”. Inject that.
• Gen 4-5: How to get PKSM to work for NDS games.
  

1. in PKSM, go to settings (hit x) → misc. → Extra Saves → find your save for your specific game within your SD card. For generation 4-5, it’s probably in /ROMs/nds/saves 2. go back to the main PKSM screen, then hit Y, then choose your save to open. 

Source. Source 2. Source 3

3. NDSForwarder (DS games only): hold Y while loading the game then press X.
4. PKHeX Desktop App - Pokémon Games Only

• Legality checking and fixing with PKHeX and RNGReporter

5. TwilightMenu++ (DS games only)

• You might need to download the “NDS(i) Cheat Database” from the Universal Updator app. I’m not sure. I found that and installed it before testing if TM++ already had cheats.
  
• While hovering over a game in TwilightMenu++, click Y, then X.
  

6. Pokémon Dream Radar!
Don’t forget, there is also a 3DS game that can interact with the other 3DS games called Pokémon Dream Radar, available in the HStore. From what I’ve seen, it sucks. But there is a tool called “Pokémon Dream Radar portable save editor” available in the Universal Updater app that allows you to hack your game. I’ve never tried it because the game looks awful. But it can migrate Pokémon to Bank so we can’t forget it.

Part 5: How to migrate Pokémon up and down generations:

1. PKSM lets you migrate Pokémon into the application, then out of it into a different game. You can migrate Pokémon to and from any game, Gen 1-7. Basic guide here.

 * See Part 4 PKSM section for how to set up different games in PKSM. * PKSM Legality Checking: Go to the “edit Pokémon” screen → Click “misc.” → click the wireless icon. Requires a network connection to work. [Source](https://github.com/FlagBrew/PKSM/issues/1055). [Edit the Pokémon to make it legal](https://github.com/FlagBrew/PKSM/wiki/Editor). 

Note: migrating Pokémon from newer to older games may result in some data changing, such as a Pokémon’s gender, ability, or moveset.

2. The legit way: Pal Park, Poke Transporter, Pokémon Bank, & Pokémon Home

• It is safe to use both PKBank & PKTransporter on a hacked 3DS. You can still transfer Pokémon from Bank to Home and then to Switch games. Download them via the HStore or download here.

Note: Worried about updating your 3DS? Follow this guide.
Note 2: you must have a Gen 6/7 game installed and progressed up to the point of accessing a PC before first using Pokémon Bank
Note 3: you can transfer from Bank to Home, even if your accounts are different on your 3DS and Switch. Use a moving key. You do need a premium Pokémon Home account.

• Poke Transporter can transport Pokémon from Gen 1 & 2 VC’s as well as from Gen 5 into Pokémon Bank. They will only be able to migrate from Bank to Gen 7 games, or 1 way into Pokémon Home. You can migrate Pokémon this way, and then send them back down from Gen 7 into older games via PKSM.
  
• How to use PokeTransporter on Rom files of Gen 5 games
  

 1. Load the save into PKSM 2. Go to Scripts → Universal 3. Find the Transporter Redirect script & run it. 

Note: only works for Gen 5 games Source. Alternate method.

• You can also use Checkpoint to backup your game, migrate Pokémon from the game into Bank, then restore from the Checkpoint backup so you can keep them in the 3DS game and send them up to Home. Or clone them in PKSM. Both methods work just as good.
  
• Gen 3 to 4: You cannot migrate from Gen 3 to Gen 4 via the Pal Park with your 3DS, You must use PKSM or PKHeX. However, it is possible to use the pal park via Roms on a DS/DSLite. PKSM is far easier and faster.
  
• Gen 4 to Gen 5: Migrating via Poke-Transfer and Roms/original carts should work. However, it requires 2 DS’s/3DS’s. PKSM is far easier and faster.
  

3. Trading to legit games

• Gen 1-2: Yes. You can trade in Gens 1 & 2 VC’s from HStore with legit VC copies on other 3DS’s.
  
  • Alternatively, you could also trade if your Roms are on an EZ Flash and you connect it to original Gameboy hardware & link cables. Or via Roms directly in an Analogue Pocket.
• Gen 3: Tragically, No Source 1. Source 2. Source 3. I hope someone figures out how to get that to work because it’d be cool.
  
  • Alternatively, you could trade if your Roms are on an EZ Flash and you connect it to original Gameboy Advance hardware & link cables. Or via Roms directly in an Analogue Pocket.
• Gen 4-5: YES
  
• Gen 6-7: Yes
  

4. PKHeX Desktop App: I’ve never used PKHex before but I found a guide here
5. PKMN Chest can also work, though it works better on a DS/DSLite/DSi. It cannot access 3DS games, so no gen 6 or 7. Nor can it access Virtual Console games, like how it was instructed you install gen 1-3 above. It can access non-virtual console roms if you’ve installed them on the 3DS a different way. So at most you could access gens 1-5.

Part 6: bonus fun stuff not necessarily related to Pokémon that I wanted to share

• PS1 & N64 emulators on 3DS
  
• Amiibo Emulation - Wumiibo. Note: There are no mainline Pokémon games with Amiibo support
  
• Fantastic YouTubers that talk about emulation, hardware hacking, roms, retro hardware, etc. I tried to integrate their videos in this guide wherever I could but here are my favorite channels…
  
  • Retro Game Corps
  • Wulff Den
  • The Retro Future
  • Scott the Woz yes I just discovered him recently. Sorry.
  • Odd Tinkering

^{Edit: formatting and clarification}

It is my first play trough of the game and I did it in nemesis mode since I already played quite a bit of shadow of Mordor and thought it would be easy(it wasn’t) but seeing a few tutorials and a few posts I saw that when you finish campaign normally your lvl 30-45 but I am lvl 75 so I was wondering about that(i have 45 hours in the game total)

you have to choose elder dragon aura as the initial destiny and the mythical gourd as the initial artifact.
once you leave the tutorial area, you just have to go around the map until you get enough qi for a breakthrough and then go to the sect, there you stay spending time and doing quests for them while the treasury is filled with all the resources you require for another advance, and at the same time you can send your beasts to search for resources and treasures or manuals to adventures, so you would not have to leave the sect for practically nothing until you reach the realm of qi condensation, where you would have to move to the next area, and you could do the same, I'm doing it in chaos mode and I'm doing pretty well.

I have a jailbroken PSVita 1000, and whenever I power it on, it gives me an error.(CO-15012-9) Then it boots into safe mode and gives me 2 options. Restart or Format the memory card. Both lead me back to the same error and then it happens all over again. I was downloading a game from PKGj and it froze so I restarted it, then it gave me the error. I have tried everything from swapping out the SD card in my sd2vita to Watching plenty of YouTube tutorials but no one seems to have the same problem as me. Can someone please help me?

Would anyone be willing to help me design a stage in a VR platform called NeosVR? You don't need a headset to play. Desktop mode can be used. Or alternatively I can stream it to you over discord or telegram and get your design advice. Im using MagicQ over Artnet, and websockets inside the game to control my fixtures. Response time for lights are near instantaneous, if not, right on the mark. I presume its because its all controlled locally on the same PC. I've been mostly struggling with updating queues, yes I've watched tutorials but I still cant wrap my head around it. I blame it on me over thinking and complicating things, as well as depriving myself of sleep, hurting my memory. I was hoping my obsession with stage lighting would help it all stick, turns out that's not the case. Most of my lights I'm running are based on real life fixtures. Such as the Kanjo Spot 60W, 8 channel variant. However I do have generic 8-RGB light strips. (All light bars are on one channel, 24 channels is a lot). However, the Kanjo Spots are individually controlled, just horribly patched in terms of their placement. I plan on adding more lights, but really want to get a good design plan set up first, and possibly even re-patching the fixtures to make identification more sane. I also want to add compatibity between two different DMX options in the game. But that's something that cant be solved by you (if you decide to help out with design). There exists a bridge for the different DMX options, but it is currently unreleased and unobtainable by me. I have contacted the person who made it, but they have not responded, and very rarely, if at all, play NeosVR anymore. In NeosVR, at least currently, DMX providers are not built the same. NeoDMX is the option I want to take fixtures from and use for the stage. But the option I'm using is called SugarRushDMX. Both NeoDMX and SugarRushDMX are setup differently in parsing data received from the lighting software. And have different in game controll methods. Making them incompatible with each other essentially.
If anyone would be willing to help, feel free to DM me here on Reddit, or post a comment.

A thread for new collectors to ask basic questions of the community.
Frequently Asked Questions below!
A longer version of the subreddit rules is here.
For questions specifically concerning bootlegs or vendor legitimacy, please ask in the Bootleg Megathread.
NSFW & Spoiler Guidelines

• For Self Posts: include a bolded NSFW note next to links in that post.
• For Links to sites/images: If the figure is NSFW, or the website has any NSFW content (including ads) be sure to tag your post NSFW and use the appropriate link flair.

Bootlegs
Any collection posts containing bootlegs, comments advocating buying bootlegs, or links to sites selling bootlegs, recasts, or unlicensed merchandise will be removed.
People often ask about the legitimacy and/or safety of a number of websites which sell large resin statues. The more commonly-asked of those deal primarily in resins from studios which do not have a license from the Japanese IP holders to produce merchandise. Therefore links to those sites are not permitted here. Another sign is if MyFigureCollection doesn't list the either the statue, its manufacturer, or the shop it's being sold on.
MyFigureCollection
My Figure Collection is like MyAnimeList... but for figures! Their database includes thousands of items which been produced during the last couple of decades, along with reviews of shops and other helpful articles. One can also list their own collection and post gallery photos.
Shops

Retailers:
AmiAmi HobbySearch Mandarake (sells rare figures) Good Smile Company Online Shop (often has exclusives) Good Smile Company US shop Crunchyroll Shop Hobby Link Japan (aka HLJ) Solaris Japan (MFC partner) BigBadToyStore (MFC partner, US retailer) Big in Japan (also has proxy service) Tokyo Otaku Mode Right Stuf FigureHaven Archonia (EU) Yorokonde (EU) Figuya (EU) Dekai Anime (UK) Gamersheek (UK) Jungle
List of retailers on MFC
/AnimeFigures' List of Retailers
Community Guide to Shopping in Japan

Blogs/News:

Nekomagic (News/Previews) NyaaFigurines (Reviews/Releases) Kahotan's Blog (News/Reviews) Figma Blog (JP)

Buying & Shipping

1. What’s the best place to buy my anime figures from?
That’s going to depend a lot on what works for you, but most people around here buy them from Amiami, Big in Japan, Hobby Search, HobbyLink Japan, or Tokyo Otaku Mode. If none of those work for you for whatever reason, there’s a list of reputable retailers in the sidebar that you can check out at any time. Be extra careful when ordering figures from websites like Amazon or ebay, as there are a lot of bootlegs on those sites. Don’t be afraid to ask in our Bootleg Megathread if you’re unsure.
2. What differences are there between the shipping options I get from most Japanese shops?
Below is a rundown of the main shipping choices you’ll get at most retailers. Keep in mind that if an order is large enough you will be forced to use one of the more expensive options, as SAL shipments have lower size and weight restrictions.

• Unregistered SAL: Sometimes referred to as uSAL, is usually the cheapest method. It does not come with any tracking or insurance. Usually takes up 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• Registered SAL: Sometimes referred to as rSAL, is insured for the declared value up to 6,000 yen. It comes with a tracking number and usually takes 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• EMS: This method of shipping is much faster than either SAL options, usually arriving within a week of shipment. EMS shipments are insured for the declared value up to 2,000,000 yen.
• Airmail
• E-packet
• Surface: Shops don't offer this very often. It's an actual cargo ship and slow as a result.
  
• DHL: Becoming more available as an alternative to EMS on AmiAmi and other sites. Can be less expensive than EMS and of comparable speed, but may be more reliant on the specific geographical area being shipped to. The price is also determined by the size of the box. Offers their own tracking.
  

3. I placed two+ orders for figures at different times. Will my items be shipped together, or will I have to pay shipping twice?
Most shops will ask you to pay shipping on a per-order basis, but here are some that will allow combined shipping:

• Amiami: You can combine orders here, as long as the orders ship in the same month. It doesn’t matter if the item is new or preowned. Any preorders that are set for that month can also be combined with other orders for that month. However, be aware that if the preorder gets delayed, Amiami will remove that item from that month’s shipment and place it on a new order. To combine orders on Amiami, use the “Combine Orders” feature under “My Account”.
  
• Hobby Search: Hobby Search will let you combine orders that release in the same month, but you cannot combine in stock items with preorders. If you want to combine multiple preorders, or multiple in stock items, you can do so using the “Order Recombination” feature on your account page.
  
• HobbyLink Japan: At HLJ, you have the option to send paid orders to their “Private Warehouse”, where you can store them for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to ship the items, you simply select which items to ship and HLJ will combine them into one shipment for you. To use this, just select the “Private Warehouse” option as shipping when you order.
  

If you’re unsure about whether or not a shop we haven’t listed will combine your orders, please refer to their individual FAQs.
4. When will I get charged for my preorder?
Most Japanese shops charge you once the item is in stock and ready for shipment. When that happens, they will send you an email asking for payment. Some shops (mostly overseas ones), will allow you to pay for the item up front though, if you’d like. A few with that option are:

• Big in Japan (Japanese store)
• Tokyo Otaku Mode
• Anime Island
• Crunchyroll

Keep in mind that overseas stores will likely get the figure a few months after Japanese ones, so pay attention to the release date stated on the website you are buying from so as to avoid that confusion.
5. Should I expect to pay customs fees when importing figures?
That depends on where you live. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Australia: 10% GST is now assessed up front.
• Canada: Minimum declared value for charges is around CAD$20 for regular shipments, and CAD$60 for gifts (gifting something only seems to lower the declared value by about CAD$40, not deplete it completely). When using Amiami, try their Small Air Packet option. It comes with tracking, gets there in about the same time as EMS, and is better at avoiding customs.
• European Union: As of 1st July 2021, VAT has to be paid on all goods imported from outside of the EU. Retailers are supposed charge VAT for purchases under €150, however many Japanese retailers currently do not, so VAT will be charged when your order arrives in the EU. Orders that are >€150, VAT and duty will be charged by your local customs.
• UK: As of 1st January 2021, VAT is to be charged by retailers for orders <£135. However, customs isn't currently charging VAT on parcels valued at <£135, even if the VAT hasn't been paid. Goods >£135 will have their VAT and duty calculated and charged by customs.
• Mexico: Minimum declared value for customs fees is USD$300 for shipments by post, and USD$50 for shipments by courier.
• United States: A shipment has to have a declared value of USD$2,000 before customs starts hitting you with fees, so you most likely won’t have to worry about them at all.

6. The figure I want is an exclusive, how do I go about ordering one outside of Japan?
You have three options for this:
A. Big in Japan is known to stock exclusive figures and ship to other countries. Usually the price is higher because they build in their proxy fees, but it’s easier than worrying about using a forwarder or proxy service. If you live in the US, Crunchyroll, Right Stuf, and Tokyo Otaku Mode also get exclusives sometimes, but out of the states the shipping can get expensive.
B. Forwarding Services: A forwarder is someone who you ship an exclusive item to so that they can forward the package on to you, usually for a flat fee + shipping. When using a forwarder you still make the purchase yourself, and enter their address into the shipping field. When the box arrives at the forwarder they will then stick your address onto the package and send it on its way.
Some popular forwarders are:

• Big in Japan
• Tenso

Be sure to read each sites instructions on forwarding carefully!
C. Proxy Services: With a proxy, you tell them what the item you’re looking for is and they will purchase it in your stead. This is handy for when a company doesn’t accept foreign credit cards, or you’re having trouble navigating a Japanese website.
Some popular proxies are:

• Big in Japan (Won’t proxy for Yahoo Auctions)
• From Japan

Again, be sure you thoroughly read through each sites proxy instructions.
7. I see a bunch of really cheap figures that ship from China on ebay. Are those okay to buy?
Generally, no. They’re most likely bootlegs. If you want a second opinion on that, feel free to ask in the Bootleg Megathread that’s always stickied at the top of the sub.
8. What’s a bootleg, and how can I avoid buying them?
A bootleg is a counterfeit figure often made using rejected molds of the official product. They are usually priced significantly lower than the genuine article, and in order to make their profit, bootleggers use lower quality materials and have less attention to detail- resulting in a substandard figure.
The Bootleg Megathread that I mentioned in question 7 is a great tool to avoid buying any bootlegs. It has a few tips and tricks to avoiding them to begin with, and a few more on how to spot them if you’re worried you might already own one.
9. Does anyone know when figure X is going to be released? How do I know if it was delayed?
My Figure Collection (sometimes referred to as MFC) does an excellent job of staying on top of information like release dates and delays. If you’re curious about an upcoming figures release date, check there first. This information can be found directly under the “Releases” section on a figure’s entry. If you only see a month and a year in that section, it means the release date has not yet been announced by the manufacturer, and there is still a chance the figure could be delayed.
If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.
10. The figure I want is long sold out at normal retailers! What’s the best place to pick it up in the aftermarket?
A list of reputable retailers can be found under the “Shops” section of the /AnimeFigures sidebar. They all sell legitimate products, and many of them also sell figures second hand. However, the most frequently suggested second hand sites are Mandarake and Amiami- who has a preowned section that they update every night save Sundays and Japanese holidays around 1PM JST and again around 6PM JST.
AmiAmi grades their pre-owned items on a letter scale. The general consensus from buyers is that their ratings are conservative, so unless the item and/or packaging is specifically indicated as having significant flaws, pre-owned items from them are usually in at least as good a condition as their rating suggests.
Note: When you search Mandarake, you’ll get the best results by using the Japanese characters for whatever you are searching. If you don’t know them, you can find them on MFC by clicking on any of the “details” in that figure’s listing.
11. Amiami has a figure I’m interested in labeled as “For sale in Japan only”. Does this mean I can’t order it without a proxy or forwarder?
No, you can still order it. Amiami’s English site has that warning on many items, and it’s mostly meant to inform you that this product was made for a Japanese market, and as such, will have Japanese speaking/writing in it- so don’t expect any instructions to be in English. If Amiami doesn’t want foreigners buying a certain product, they won’t even list it on their English site.

Displaying Your Figures

12. What display cases do you recommend?
If you live near an Ikea try out one of these:

• Detolf *
• Klingsbo
• Billy (Often used with Morliden doors and glass shelves.)

*If you decided on a Detolf, you might find that there is a lot of wasted space. Here are a few tutorials on raising the shelves or and adding extra ones in.

• Using metal clips
• Using acrylic supports and PVC pipe

If you don’t live near an Ikea, Amazon has a few display options, though they are more expensive. Also keep an eye on your local Craigslist (or your country’s equivalent) and stores near you that are closing up.
13. What lighting do you guys recommend?
Ikea’s Dioder LED strips were discontinued after a long run. A current version is the Vattensten, if you're inclined to buy your case and lights at the same time.
LED strips have become very commonly available in recent years; most hardware and home furnishing stores carry a selection now. Just make sure that the lights don’t get too hot!
14. What are those clear plastic boxes that I see under everyone’s figures in their collection posts, and where can I get them?
Those are called risers. Most of us use standard acrylic risers like these. Some other, easy to find things that have been suggested are:

• Plastic picture cubes
• Card Deck Boxes
• If you’re feeling adventurous, try making your own!

Check your local hobby store for the first 2 options, or your local hardware store if you want to make your own.
Another common suggestion is to visit The Container Store if you have one near you. They have a lot of things to choose from that can suit a variety of needs. Be sure to check out their standard acrylic risers, their Amac boxes, and the various display cases they sell (baseball cases, mini car cases. hockey puck cases, etc).
15. Should I keep my figures sealed?
That is, of course, up to you really, but here are a few things to keep in mind when debating this question:

• Keeping it sealed can actually damage your figure. PVC figures usually have something called plasticizer in them, and that plasticizer needs to be able to breath. If a PVC figure isn’t exposed to oxygen, after a period of time the plasticizer starts to break down and form a sticky substance on the surface of the figure. Simply opening your figures and taking them out of the box prevents this from happening. If you happen to find plasticizer goo on one of your figures, Kahotan has a handy guide for dealing with it.
• Unlike some other figure markets, keeping an anime figure sealed won’t raise its value by a whole lot. In fact, because of the plasticizer problem mentioned above, your figure could actually be in better condition if you open it versus keeping it sealed.

Finding the Right Figure(s) for You

16. What are "scales" and "prizes"? What is the difference between them?
Those are classifications for figures based on a few factors.

• "Prizes" are generally more simply produced figures which are intended to be given as prizes for playing arcade games. They are inexpensive and lack the detail of scale figures, though some prize figure lines have standouts which may approach lower-end scales in quality. That is uncommon and often depends on the individual figure.
• "Scales" are called such because they are nominally designed to be proportional to the dimensions of the character which they are based on. They are generally of much better manufacture and materials than prize figures, allowing for more detail in painting, accessories, or complex poses.
• "Trading" figures appear in gashapon machines or as blind boxes on shop counters, often as sets which include multiple characters. As suggested by the class name, the randomness encourages trading. They are usually very inexpensively-produced, though as with prizes, some series are better than others.
• "Non-scale" encompasses a variety of other categories. It is often used to describe poseable figure lines such as figma and Nendoroids.

In recent years producers such as Good Smile Company attempted to further bridge the gap between prize quality and scales by introducing figure lines which are intended to be moderately-priced while retaining a higher level of detail than the typical prize figure, to varying levels of success.
17. There are so many figure companies! Who makes good figures?!
Obviously this is a very subjective question, but as a general starting point, here are a few well renowned figure companies:

• Alter
• Max Factory
• Good Smile Company
• Kotobukiya (usually hit or miss for people. Use your best judgement based off of the prototype)
• Flare
• Stronger

18. I really love “series X / character X”- how can I check if any figures were ever made for it?
My Figure Collection can be your best friend here. Simply do a search on the name of the series or character using the search bar located at the top right of the screen, and all associated figures pop up!
Alternatively, if you’re looking at a figure’s MFC entry, most of the text under the “Details” section can be clicked on and used to run a search.
19. How can I commission a custom figure?
None of the major figure companies (Alter, Kotobukiya, Good Smile Company, etc.) will take a commission for a single figure. This thread has a few websites in it that you can check out, or you can look into garage kits. Some kit painters would be willing to resculpt, frankenstein together, or otherwise modify kits for the right price.
If you're looking for help completing a garage kit, /brushforhire may be useful.

Keeping Up with New Announcements

20. How can I keep up with figure news (announcements, updates, etc.)?
Most people use a MFC combined with any or all of the following news sites:

• Neko Magic
• Alter’s Blog (In Japanese)
• Kahotan’s Blog (Only GSC and their sister companies)

Many figure companies are active on Twitter, so following them there is recommended for quicker news.
To use MFC for this I’ll quote question #9.

If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.

Most companies have one or more Twitter accounts. Some examples: Good Smile Company sales, Good Smile's USA branch, Max Factory, AmiAmi Hobby News.
21. Everyone’s excited about something called Wonfes….. what the heck is that?!
WonFes (short for Wonder Festival) is a biannual figure expo where many figure producers (both large and small) show off new sculpts and updates to figures already under way. Most companies save their most exciting announcements for WonFes, so we all look forward to the expo whenever it rolls around! Winter Wonder Festival is usually held in February, while Summer Wonder Festival is usually in July. The event has also spread to Shanghai, in the late spring.
22. One or two (or 15) figures were announced at WonFes that I’m really excited about! How can I keep track of their progress once the event is over?
MFC is always really quick about getting new WonFes announcements (or any others throughout the year, for that matter) listed in their database, so we suggest using that. To find a figure from the event you can search any number of things, including the name of the character or the name of the show. You can also use the tag search to search “WonderFestival 20xx_[season]” to see all items announced at that event.

WARNING: SPOILERS GALORE IN HERE, IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED ALL THESE GAMES AND DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, DO NOT READ!
I've always liked KH, since I first saw Cloud in a KH1 commercial as a kid (I was obsessed with FF7 as a small child), I knew I had to play it.
So I played KH1 religiously in elementary school, heard about CoM but didn't have a gameboy advance so I ignored it, then played KH2, barely understood what was going on, but enjoyed it thoroughly. Continued to ignore the 'spinoffs' because my family was poor and there was no way I could afford all the different portable consoles they were putting these damn games on. Then, finally, bought and played KH3 on release, with my wife.
fast forward to a couple months ago, and after a few debates with my coworkers about the 'quality' of KH3 (I kinda hated it), I decided to sit down and play through the entire series properly, because it was VERY apparent I was missing too much context, and thankfully, 1.5+2.5 final mix, and 2.8 are things that exist now, and are free on PSPlus, so why not? Besides, my wife's ONLY exposure to the series was KH3, so I owed her some context.
Kingdom Hearts 1: What can I say? It's KH1, it's Simple, it's Clean, it's a good fuckin' game when nothing like it really existed at the time. I played on Normal because my wife was watching along, and I didn't want the plot progression to get hung up on me dying to the same boss 25 times. In hindsight, maybe I should've picked a harder difficulty, because I remember spending hours on Maleficent's dragon form as a kid. Hiding out in the bramble where none of her attacks reached me, just chipping away at her HP, but now, I just kinda walked right through her. My biggest complaint with KH1 was against bosses like Ansem's second phase (when you're fighting him 1v1), that KH1's lack of gap-closing options becomes apparent. Bosses like Ansem will frequently blink to the opposite side of the arena, and it takes Sora so long to close the distance, that they've already moved into an attack with i-frames before you can reach them, leading to a lot of missed opportunities for punishes, in my opinion. It didn't help that I accidentally put myself in a sort of 'hard mode' by choosing the Dream Sword, and discarding the Dream Shield, making Sora a glass cannon. But on the flip side, in comparison to later entries the franchise, I really like KH1's more grounded movement, but I'll get more into that later.
I beat the game pretty quickly, so I farmed for Ultima Weapon, as I'd never gotten it as a kid, and then kinda... walked right through Sephiroth, Hooded Figure, Phantom, and Kurt Ziza with little to no effort. Hell, I beat Seph first try, so that was a bit disappointing but I think I did it to myself by grinding out Ultima Weapon first.
Chain of Memories: This was it, my first proper "spinoff" title and I was very excited to get into it, and discover new pieces of the story I missed, and it did NOT disappoint! being properly introduced to the Organization members prior to KH2, finally understanding why Namine is a thing, memories, heart's memories, etc. All to culminate in a proper setup for KH2's opening and to explain why Sora was in a giant flower, etc.
Gameplay however... I knew it was card based because I remember my friend as a kid briefly showing me the game, so that was no surprise, and I honestly did enjoy it enough, the card-based combat was fleshed out enough to give players plenty of room to develop strategies and that's really all I needed from it. What I didn't like, however, was the gameplay loop. It simply got repetitive, and it was obvious that this game was a reskin of a GBA game, hardware limitations included. Every cutscene at the beginning and end of a floor was great, especially towards the end when the climax starts to really ramp up, but getting to those moments was such a slog, so by halfway through the game, I was over it and just wanted the game to end.
Marluxia... omfg. Okay so I played this game on normal, but I guess I screwed up and spent too many levels on max HP, and not enough on deck size, this fight took me for-fucking-ever to beat, I genuinely hated this game by the end, and to top it all off, I misread the endgame prompt and didn't create a "completed save", so I couldn't start Riku's chapter, unless I went back and beat Marluxia again...
358 Days/2: Moving on, even though I own a DS, I'm not buying a copy of this, so I watched the included movie in 1.5+2.5, and honestly, it was great. It added SO MUCH more context to KH2, and it was fun to try and piece together at what moments during KH1 or CoM that certain things were happening in Days. Axel's outright bizarre motives in KH2 finally make sense, Roxas's memories, etc. I will say, though, that Xion confuses me, I really don't understand how Vexen, who constantly talked about his replicas being incomplete, imperfect, etc, was able to make something so powerful, and unique, as Xion. Total outlier of his skills and it never feels properly explained but oh well.
Gameplay's a little light, though.
Kingdom Hearts 2: I was REALLY excited to get back into this one, and it didn't disappoint. With the proper context from CoM and Days, the beginning FINALLY made sense and by the end of Twilight Town, my wife said "Roxas really got done dirty, and I'm mad." To which I agree. Going through this entire game with the intended amount of context was like playing a whole new game, it made a game I already consider to be great, even better. What else can I really say?
When I got control of my character the first thing I remember saying was "jesus christ was the camera always this far away?" I guess I never really noticed it, but with combat being so much more aerial focused, it makes sense. I had never played the Final Mix version of this game, so the Limit Form was a welcome sight, even if it is hilariously broken. Overall, watching Sora's moveset expand as his skills with the Keyblade do, is neat, and reaction commands are a fun mechanic to play with, personally.
However, I did not like how 'floaty' Sora is, and it's a theme that continues through the rest of the series. I died a lot due to getting knocked into the air by a hit, and then just never getting the chance to touch the ground again because Sora takes 10,000 years to float back down to the ground. With no aerial blocking, and air dodging having a longer cooldown then dodge roll, it led to a lot of frustration. Also, special shout-out to "YoU ClEvEr LiTtLe SnEaK!", honestly, fuck Xigbar, I don't know why, but his fight gave me more trouble than any other boss in the entire game. I struggled so much to find an opening to punish him and spent 90% of the fight swinging at the air then getting hit in the back because of how much he blinked around.
I never got around to getting ultima weapon, or beating any secret bosses in KH2, although I did visit Lingering Will and Sephiroth just to see what they were like. I remember I beat Seph as a kid at lvl 65 specifically because of MP Berserk, so maybe I'll go back and try it sometime.
Birth By Sleep: I heard so much about this game as a kid, and even recently, and I knew during my first playthrough of KH3 that Terra, Aqua and Ventus were from BBS, and that they were pretty important characters, but I could've never guessed just how important until I finally played this game. The story for this game was simply great, I started off thinking Terra was the most bland, uninteresting character I'd ever seen (his VO's flat delivery of dialogue didn't help), but by the end, he was my favourite, and honestly, Aqua felt like the third wheel to me, by the end. Like sure, after completing the 4th 5th and 6th episodes, I felt bad for her, as she was clearing going through A LOT, but while Terra and Ventus both had VERY clear stakes in the story, Aqua just felt kind of... there. Her ties to the plot weren't nearly as strong and her story was more relegated to "watching her 2 friends get fucked by destiny and plot". However, Aqua at the end being responsible for Castle Oblivion, along with the clarification on what Org. 13 was looking for in CoM, was such an awesome reveal and my wife and I were losing our collective shit over it.
Oh, and of course, finding out what exactly the Lingering Will was, was pretty damn cool, too!
Fun fact, this is the first game I played on Critical, everything was on Normal until this point. I heard it was one of the easier games to play on Critical, so I figured why not. By the time I finished Terra's arc, I was begging to go back to CoM to fight Marluxia. I cannot express enough just how much I DESPISE this game, in a gameplay sense. Ignoring the obvious things like playing through the same worlds 3 different times and how tiresome that gets, the combat was so blood-boilingly infuriating, I wondered if I was going to actually finish the game. The command system, I hate it. "What? You wanted to cast Cure because you're about to die? Well, too bad, the enemy with 0 warm up frames in his attack just hit you at the same time you pressed X, so your Cure goes on cooldown now, fuck you." That's not even getting into the terrible end-lag in your own attacks, and just how sluggish everything feels. Critical mode aside, this game even on Normal would've pissed me off for all the same reasons, I was so relieved to be done with it.
Re:Coded:>! I was told this one wasn't necessary, and almost skipped it, but decided against it and I'm kinda glad I did. I only watched the movie, but I hear the gameplay itself is pretty solid, so maybe one day I'll check it out. The plot is self-contained, and interesting to watch, and it does get referenced a few times in KH3, so it didn't really feel like a waste.!<
Dream Drop Distance: I was genuinely lost for a while, plotwise, in this game. I felt like I'd missed an entry somewhere that'd apply context, but no, Yen Sid is just not great at explaining things. By about halfway through the game I was caught up and understood what was going on, but the first hour or so I was just along for the ride, hoping I'd understand it later. I enjoyed what DDD was doing, and it felt like, had it been a console release, this could've easily been KH3 with just how much direct impact it has on the plot compared to other entries. Honestly, watching Riku slowly, but surely, get his act together throughout the series has been a treat, and it all comes to a head in this game, he finally moves on from rival/edgebaby to a proper equal to Sora, so much so that if they were to have a gentleman's duel just to test their strength, I couldn't confidently say who would win.
The worlds were hit or miss, seeing Notre Dame was cool, but honestly who the hell asked for Tron: Legacy? I will note that, especially for worlds like Tron, I didn't really feel like I was part of the plot like in KH1 and 2, but more like I was just watching the plot progress from the sidelines. It was jarring.
But the biggest disappointment by FAR was Fantasia. Before I even booted up this game, I was talking about how cool it would be if KH ever visited the world of Fantasia just due to how unique of an experience it would be. I imagined something along the lines of a rhythm game like Crypt of the Necrodancer or Metal Hellsinger, just a neat gimmick tied to that world's music that kept you in line with the beat of the song. So, when I watched the opening to DDD and saw the very clear reference to Fantasia, I got excited, only to be completely let down by it being just another world, except your hits play random instrument noises, and essentially a barebones prototype to Melody of Memory as a reaction command. Honestly, this world was completely wasted on a portable KH entry, it should've been saved for a console entry where it could've been realized more fully, rather than confined to the limitations of a portable console. Oh well, maybe in KH4.
I also played this game on Critical and hooboy did I feel it, but first, the basics. Flowmotion sucks. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Seriously, I get what they were going for, but I honestly hated how disruptive flowmotion ended up being. Air dodge out of the way of something, well, you touched a wall, so now you gotta brace against it and get ready to bounce off. It's not that it was ruining my gameplay or anything, it was just annoying because it'd remind me of its existence at the most inconvenient times, and it was broken, like, hilariously broken. I definitely abused flowmotion to get through some encounters early on, when I didn't have many tools at my disposal yet, and even in the World that Never Was, I managed to use flowmotion to get ontop of, and over a building to get to the other side, which triggered a cutscene I don't think I was supposed to see yet, because suddenly I was talking to Roxas with NO context, so there's a good chance I skipped a scene or two by doing this purely because the game let me, and I wanted to see what was at the top, if anything (I originally thought I was gonna find some way out of bounds or something).
The Dreameaters genuinely don't bother me. I actually kind of enjoyed levelling them up as a means to acquire abilities and passives. The only thing that unironically kept me from grinding their stats more is that irritating fucking song that plays whenever you play minigames with them. I despise it. With all my heart.
The drop-out mechanic was annoying as hell in some instances, especially when, towards the end of the game, I did a TON of farming on Sora for Droplets, to give Riku a ton of bonuses to help with progression, only for the game to immediately FORCE me to drop from Riku, back to Sora, just as soon as I got control of him, causing me to hard reset the game, reload my save, and actively backtrack as Riku to get an actual use out of the bonuses I saved up for him.
The combat was, well, I wasn't enthused to see the Command List back, and I suffered all the same frustrations that BBS gave me, with only MARGINAL improvements in gameplay. The only saving grace was enemies actually had warm-up animations on attacks, giving you a brief head's up instead of just randomly bursting into a combo with no warning.
Anti-Nightmare Sora was the first fight that I genuinely gave up on. even Xigbar in KH2, Terranort in BBS, Terranort again in BBS, Vanitas, all of them I managed to push through. But this fucker? No, I had to walk away for a day, come back, grind my eyes out, and when I FINALLY beat him, the game then beat me over the head with Young Xehanort...
...Then I discovered Balloonra and slept through the rest of game.
Fragmentary Passage: Not much to say other than it's a tech demo for KH3, plot wise, it was interesting to see where Aqua's story lines up with the end of KH1, and where she's at both literally, and mentally, by KH3.
X: Back Cover: Whoever wrote the dialogue for Master of Master's needs a raise and a personal statue outside SE HQ because this guy is hilarious! His deliveries are genuine, quick, witty, and not at all the stilted, oddly paced dialogue I've come to expect from the KH series, and well, everything Square does outside of FF14 and 16. I would not be surprised to find out his dialogue was written in English first, rather than Japanese.
Anyway, I'm really mad I have to either play, or watch someone else play, a gatcha game to get the rest of the context here, because this movie was fascinating, and these characters all seem to be pretty damn important to KH4, so it's a shame.
Kingdom Hearts 3: Back (almost) full circle! Just like with KH2, coming into KH3 was full context was such a breath of fresh air! Everything made more sense, and I had a clear understanding of the character's motives and goals throughout the story. Again, what's there to say, really?
Well... the worlds kinda suck. Olympus being relegated to a tutorial felt like a slap in the face, and overall, the entire world felt bland. It looked like a generic Unreal Engine open world environment, with Hercules pasted in it. Nothing about the open wilderness outside the city really looked like it belonged there, it didn't fit Hercules' art style in the slightest. Compared to, say, Kingdom of Corona, where everything felt more visually on brand, granted, Tangled is a CGI movie, Hercules isn't, I understand that the translation is harder to make but it really didn't look like much effort was taken at all for 2/3rds of Olympus.
Arendelle was "Fall of a mountain simulator" and I was absolutely sick of it. It also epitomized my problems with DDD's worlds in that, when you really think about it, you do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in Frozen's plot. You are sidelined the entire time, with Sora and the gang essentially climbing back up a mountain, being told "hey here's what you missed, okay bye!" Before being yeeted back off again, to rinse and repeat ad nauseum until you fight a boss that just doesn't feel earned, which is a damn shame because Skoll is one of the coolest looking fights in the game. There's no participation, the plot simply ignores you the whole time and does it's own thing until you leave.
Pirates and Big Hero 6 felt hilariously short. If you have no intention to explore the open world (there is nothing worth exploring in Sanfransokyo, so this doesn't help) The worlds feel like you're in and out in 20 minutes.
Shoutout to Monsters Inc and Toy Story, you definitely felt like you were a part of the world, and a part of the story happening within it.
The end of this game was phenomenal, seeing everything you've been watching build up, finally come all together, the reunions, the realizations, the callbacks, all of it was such a MASSIVE payoff that was completely lost on me the first time, when the only games I had played were KH1 and KH2, and not since they were new.
So, as with every other game after BBS, I played this one on critical, as I was told it was simply a more rewarding experience, and I honestly agree. Sure, I had a lot of frustrations (Sora's floatiness being paramount) but you can finally BLOCK IN MIDAIR, and BLOCK OR DODGE MID COMBO! If KH2 had these mechanics, it'd be hands down the best game in the whole series, period. I wish they'd thought of it sooner, almost every entry in the series would have benefited from this.
I did spend my fair share of time absolutely raging at the final boss gauntlet, however, and really, my biggest issue was just visual clarity (if you remember Xehanort's meteor attack, then you probably know). But I beat it and was very satisfied with how Xehanort's arc turned out. KH3 is a great game.
Re:Mind: I got this DLC half off, and even still, I'm a little mad I spent money to spend most of my time rewatching the cutscenes I JUST WATCHED from the maingame. The game reached a point where it started truncating the cutscenes to get to the new info quicker and I couldn't help but wonder why the hell they didn't do that to begin with... but ultimately, the DLC was good, a glorified boss gauntlet, sure, but good. Explaining Sora's disappearance was welcome and started setting up context for KH4.
The data fights... as of writing this, I have completed 11/13 of the fights. I'm missing Xion, Xehanort, and of course, Yozora. Only reason I haven't done more is a sudden lack of free time to do so. To reiterate, I'm on Critical, and these fights, while some have absolutely pissed me off to no end (lookin' at you, Vanitas), these fights have solidified KH3 as probably my favourite game in the franchise, purely on gameplay alone, and one of my favourites of all time. The combat FEELS rewarding, (usually) failure doesn't feel like you were cheated by some BS mechanic, but feels like something you know YOU did wrong, and need to correct for the next attempt. I will be going back to do the rest of the fights, as terrifying as they look, because so far, it's been genuinely fun to figure out the puzzles behind these fights and put my skills to the test.
Melody of Memory: Kingdom Hearts rhythm game! Neat!
Well, kinda. It wasn't a very satisfying game to play in comparison to something like Guitar Hero, but it was enjoyable to listen to my favourite KH songs (shout out to The Encounter! Don't care how bullshit the boss is, if it's using that song, I can't even get mad, it's just too much of a bop!) But I did not appreciate yet another rehash of the plot as the main gameplay incentive.
Thankfully that game is pretty damn short, so getting to the end, where the actual meat and potatoes is, in terms of new plot, was pretty painless and overall, worth it. More context for KH4, Kairi deciding to train under Aqua(!), and the somewhat harrowing implications that Xehanort knew about the 'unreality'.
And that's it. I guess I'm done with KH until 4 releases, or that AR mobile game. I've been typing for a very long time now and I'm not sure how to close this out other than... uh, thank for reading, can't wait to hear all about how wrong or right I am about your favourite entries!

Just have less Health potion drops. It seems like every 3rd enemy drops a health potion. If I had to actually ration my health potions I would be a lot more nervous about mobs of enemies rushing at me and less willing to take damage. I miss the jittery feeling of D1 and D2 when death lurked around every corner and a simple mob could take you out. Everyone has been raving about this game but I am starting to regret buying into the hype. Why won't blizzard at least let us play at higher difficulties?
Edit: So the consensus is I'm supposed to beat the game before it becomes difficult? What kind of bullshit logic is that? I don't want a game where the tutorial is the entire fucking game, give me a challenge not this story-mode BS. How am I supposed to get to the part of the game where it becomes challenging if it's so fucking boring I never finish the story?

Hello I am a beginner raspberry pi user. I saw on this website that you could use a raspberry pi with pi-hole to block ads in your network; I read several guides and it seemed simple enough.
Day 1: I live in the US, and have internet through Comcast Xfinity. I ordered a raspberry pi zero w and was able to install pi-hole following these steps: https://www.raspberrypi.com/tutorials/r ... pberry-pi/ . However, once I needed to change the router’s default DNS server to pi-hole, I realized that the Xfinity modem-router does not allow you to change the DNS address.
Day 2: I connected my Linksys dual-band router to the Xfinity modem-router in bridge mode. I have followed the same steps as in the tutorial above but now I am stuck at the point where sudo apt update runs into the following problem which prevents me from running the pi-hole installation:
[email protected]:~ $ sudo apt update Get:1 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian bullseye InRelease [15.0 kB] Get:2 http://archive.raspberrypi.org/debian bullseye InRelease [23.6 kB] Get:3 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian bullseye/main armhf Packages [13. 2 MB] Get:4 http://archive.raspberrypi.org/debian bullseye/main armhf Packages [316 kB ] Ign:3 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian bullseye/main armhf Packages Get:3 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian bullseye/main armhf Packages [18. 3 MB] Ign:3 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian bullseye/main armhf Packages Err:3 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian bullseye/main armhf Packages Connection timed out [IP: 2a00📷0:80📷75:0:3 80] Fetched 354 kB in 4min 56s (1,199 B/s) Reading package lists... Done E: Failed to fetch http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbia ... seye/main/ binary-armhf/Packages Connection timed out [IP: 2a00📷0:80📷75:0:3 80] E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
I have tried to find a good workaround for this error including swapping SD cards, splitting the dual-band into two, and connecting the raspberry pi zero to the 2.4 GHz, but I continue to run into this connection problem.
Is there something I need to change in my router?
Any help would be appreciated; I am very new to this and I would like to understand what I am doing wrong. Thank you.

Here's how I setup SteamVR with the Xreal Air on Windows 11. (It even works with Vivecraft!) I will probably insert pictures into this tutorial later. Maybe I'll even post it to my blog...

1. I connect my glasses via the WJESOG DP cable. Any cable on this list should work.
2. Switch the glasses into 3D SBS mode by holding Brightness Up for 2 seconds. Make sure that Windows has put them as an extended display, NOT duplicated.
3. Download the latest release of PhoenixHeadTracker. Click "Connect" in the upper left and wait for it to calibrate. Then "Start Opentrack UDP" on the right.
4. Download the latest release of Opentrack. Install it, and when it launches change Input to "UDP over newtork" and Output to "freetrack 2.0 Enhanced".
5. In Opentrack, click "Options" and in the Shortcuts tab bind "Center" to a convenient key (I used - on the numpad). In the Output tab check "Invert" for Pitch.
6. Download and install SteamVR from Steam. You might need to launch it once so that it generates the required folders.
7. Download SteamVR.OpenTrack.FreeTrack.1.0.zip from the OpenVR-OpenTrack GitHub.
8. Copy the opentrack folder from the zip file into C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\drivers.
9. Inside the resources\settings inside the opentrack folder you just copied, you should find a file called default.vrsettings. Open it in a text editor.
10. Change DistortionK1 and DistortionK2 to 0 because the Xreal does not actually have traditional distortion as far as I can tell.
11. Change FOV to 40 to match the Air's FOV. This can also probably be set arbitrarily to make it appear more or less zoomed in.
12. Change renderWidth to 1920 as the Air's per-eye displays are not square.
13. Change windowWidth to 3840 as the Air's 3D width is 3840 (2x 1920)
14. Now we need to set windowX and windowY. The easiest way I have found to determine this is by using MultiMonitorTool and using the Left-Top coordinates for the monitor with the 3840x1080 resolution. You can also guess it based on the layout of your monitors. For example, since my primary monitor is 4K (3840x2160), and I have my Xreal's display arranged in settings to be connected to the top-right of that display, its Y coordinate is going to be 0 (very top) and its X is going to be 3840 (width of primary display).
15. Connect an Xbox controller or another SteamVR compatible controller.
16. Put on the glasses, select "Stop Opentrack UDP" and then "Start Opentrack UDP" in Phoenix and "Stop" and then "Start" in Opentrack so that everything is re-centered.
17. Launch SteamVR. Select Sitting mode. 6DOF calibration will NOT work, so you need to tell it that you set the headset on a device around 170cm off the ground (or however high it should be for the game you are using). This can also be left at 0, and the fake height adjusted in Opentrack settings (Options > Output > Custom Center Pose > Z)
18. SteamVR should work like normal. Remember that you can use the button you bound earlier to re-center.

Troubleshooting:

If the display appears red, you need to move your mouse onto the display with the Xreal and click on the SteamVR display window. I have no idea why.