[Event] WE HIT 50K SUBSCRIBERS!!!!!!-UNR

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Hello all,

First of all, 50,000-WOW! That’s a major milestone for our not-so-little community, I was looking through mod post history and found this

The mods and I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you who have contributed, everyone who has sent cards, everyone who has participated in the WDTs and our Holiday Exchanges, and even people who haven’t yet but are content to lurk. We appreciate you all for keeping this community going. It’s been incredibly fun watching RAoC grow and to see more and more users be excited about happy mail and spreading kindness.

In honor of RAoC’s new milestone, we are going to hold another ‘Get To Know Your Mods’ guessing game. We have so many new users and mods since our last event. Each of our mods have provided a fun fact about themselves and it’s up to you to guess which fun fact belongs to which mod.

Let the games begin!

If you are the first person to match the right fun fact to the correct mod, you will receive a card from that mod (limit one correct card receipt per person and only one winner per mod)! Feel free to guess multiple times, but if you have won a card from one mod thread, you will be ineligible for all other mod threads (that way we maximize the number of winners)!

Below are the list of fun facts and in the comments there will be a thread for each mod who has participated.

• This mod has been writing fanfiction for the last 15 years.

• This mod is crossing off a 10 year vacation bucket list this year, and going to Japan!

• This mod’s other hobby is sewing.

• This mod is addicted to nail polish. They just Kon Maried down to just under half their stash of 408 bottles total!

• This mod has assisted with a handful of entropion procedures, on livestock.

• This mod’s claim to fame is being on the TV show Rescue 911 as a baby.

• This mod had their first date on a tractor.

• This mod is fluent in 3 languages.

• This mod has played solo cello in Carnegie Hall.

• This mod has won a cow milking contest at the county fair.

• This mod’s 2nd & 3rd toes are webbed.

• This mod was first female Motorcross champion in their hometown

• This mod is such a sentimental person that they cry at the end of basically any film, even sometimes at documentaries when they realize all these cute animals are slowly becoming extinct.

• This mod used to want to be a ninja turtle, so they could marry Donatello.

• This mod has studied in four different countries.

• This mod once climbed a bell tower dating back to the 16th century, but it was so filled with guano that they slipped and fell down the steps.

• This mod was once sprayed with silly string by Norman Reedus

• This mod is currently in a 7 year long distance relationship.

• This mod runs a chinchilla rescue and currently has 18 chinchillas in their care.

• This mod's first time to Hawaii was with a church choir group in the 5th grade. from one year ago.

Happy 50k everyone! We wouldn't be here without you all! <3

Much love,

the Mod Team

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NORMAN REEDUS-UNR

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Films that wasted amazing casts?-UNR

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I know a few off the top of my head. Lions for Lambs, The Counselor, Gamer etc.

But I think the biggest offender for me was Triple 9. For my age group, a film with Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Kate Winslet, Michael K. Williams, Gal Gadot, and Woody Harrelson should have at least been entertaining, but it was boring and directionless.

Whats a disappointing film for you that was filled with talent?

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What 12 'Walking Dead' stars would do if a zombie apocalypse really happened-UNR

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1. Executive producer and makeup supervisor Greg Nicotero would head to a dentist's office or just make himself up to look like one of the dead.
2. Angel Theory says she's the person to be with if zombies take over.
3. Austin Amelio, who plays Dwight, gave us one of the most unique responses involving treadmills.
4. Katelyn Nacon, who played Enid, would sacrifice herself to the zombies unless she finds a boat.
5. Matt Lintz, who played Ezekiel's foster son Henry, hasn't put as much thought into his plan.
6. King Ezekiel's Khary Payton says he would head to the real life version of the Kingdom he oversaw.
7. Kang needs to team up with Ryan Hurst who plans to try his luck as his Whisperer character, Beta.
8. Showrunner Angela Kang has a special ax from Andrew Lincoln, but she doesn't think she'd fare well with the undead.
9. Forget the zombies. Ross Marquand would hole up in a Costco and thinks you should as well.
10. Josh McDermitt thinks a weapon with a blade is also the way to go.
11. Cailey Fleming says she may not be as brave as Judith with her katana on the show.
12. Norman Reedus would head south to Central America.

Link to article

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As a gamer who mainly plays First Person Shooters, I’m questioning how the gameplay for Death Stranding got me hooked-UNR

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After finishing the game, let’s just say that I very much so enjoyed my whole experience, both story and gameplay wise.

Originally I was interested in the game through Kojima, the mystery behind the trailers, and Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen appearances in the game, but it wasn’t at the top my list to buy for the holidays. I had some free time during the holidays so I just decided to watch some play throughs of the game to judge the game for myself after hearing the controversy of the gameplay.

It seemed like a majority of people weren’t fond of the gameplay after seeing it, but for some reason I was intrigued by the gameplay mechanics between cargo management, terrain traversal, and the online chiral network. I was basically on the split on whether to buy the game or not, but the gameplay won me over and got me hooked delivering packages, even after finishing the game.

This just seems really odd for me since I come from a background of fast paced competitive shooters like Halo, Call of Duty, Titanfall, etc. I should also mention that I tried picking up Borderlands 3, but after 20 hours in I stopped playing without finishing the story. I also never finished Halo 5’s Campaign, but I thoroughly enjoyed 1-4 (I still play multiplayer all the time).

But I ended up with over 100 hours played on Death Stranding in terms finishing up orders. It’s a slower paced game and such a drastic contrast to the other games I mentioned. I’m having trouble interpreting my addiction to this game’s gameplay loop and I would love to grasp why, especially as an emerging game developer/designer.

So I would like to ask from a purely gameplay standpoint, what part of the gameplay experience do you enjoy the most and why? Is it more of a feeling such as atmospherics and ambience, or is there game elements in the experience such as challenge, reward, and world interaction that makes the gameplay loop interesting?

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Something that I just realized watching the last death stranding video on Woolie VS. WW2 + BEACHES + NORMAN REEDUS= STORMING THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY !!!!!-UNR

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Could someone please Photoshop Norman Reedus face into the pillow please? I'm a huge fan :)-UNR

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To all people who played Death Stranding...-UNR

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What's your opinion on the game? Is it unique to you? How did Norman Reedus voiced Sam, good or bad? Is Kojima becoming better?

I, myself, think it's a pretty good game, really unique, and think it's a candidate of one of the best games of 2019.

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It’s official: fuck Death Stranding.-UNR

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My god, is it tedious. I’d rather play Radiant Dawn on hard and restart the level every time someone dies. For reference, that’s extremely tedious because that game tends to have a lot of bullshittery up its sleeve. But at least Radiant Dawn has gameplay.

There’s only so much shit I can take. I stopped trying around the last post I made about it, and I played casually for a bit. Problem is, you can’t play that game casually. The pace is so slow that you won’t get anywhere unless you’re busting your ass to do the same six tactics for every situation. As per usual, the only difficulty is in tolerating the experience.

I tried, I really did. But this isn’t fun. The story isn’t catching me, the world is bland as it gets, and the lack of variety or challenge just makes it a slog. I’m not saying no forever, but right now I just want to say that this game isn’t enjoyable for me. And it doesn’t help that Norman Reedus kinda creeps me out.

That said, the soundtrack album is still awesome and you should absolutely check it out. There’s a few gems on there that would almost make the game bearable if you could listen to them while you play. Give it a try and see if it’s your thing.

They did surgery on a grape. That sentence is more entertaining than my last play session.

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Let’s talk about the opening credits and S10 death predictions.-UNR

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Hello TWD Fans,

We’re all waiting until a new episode airs. I was thinking, what if we just use the opening credits as a system where we can guess if any of our main characters will even die?

Opening credits at the moment:

Norman Reedus

Danai Gurira

Melissa McBride

Christian Serratos

Josh McDermitt

Seth Gillian

Ross Marquand

Khary Payton

Ryan Hurst

Samantha Morton

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

We all know that Danai is going to leave around episode 12. Her name will probably be replaced by Lauren Cohan. Samantha Morton will probably die around episode 13. Her name might replaced by any of these names.

I think Samantha Morton will be replaced by Eleanor Matsuura. But these are a few possibilities.

Callan McAuliffe (Alden) (small chance)

Eleanor Matsuura (Yumiko) (high chance)

Cassady McClincy (Lydia) (middle/high chance, she will get many scenes with Daryl maybe).

Lauren Ridloff (Connie) (she is a fan favorite, but maybe busy with Marvel contracts).

Nadia Hilker (Magna) (I like her aswell, but she might die in episode 9, if she survives, I think she will stay a current).

Cooper Andrews (Jerry) (small chance, just an added friend for Ezekiel, nothing more).

Ryan Hurts aka Beta is probably going to die in early S11. Maybe around episode 3/4.

I think his name will be replaced by Cassady McClincy aka Lydia.

The opening credits has 11 names. It means that in the next 10 episodes atleast 3 names will be gone (Danai, Samantha and Ryan).

If they kill one of these actors in 10B, I think they will kill off too many main characters: Christian Serratos, Josh McDermitt, Seth Gillian, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton. I am really sure that none of these actors want to leave the show. The show already lost so many characters and a lot of hate. I think none of the writers would want to kill of any ‘fan favorite’ characters at the moment. More smaller characters like Magna, Kelly.

I’m pretty sure that the Princess might be in the opening credits in S10/11. I’m curious if she will replace one of (Rosita, Eugene...) or Samantha/Ryan who will 100% die.

What do u guys think? I think it’s not good if they kill one of: Ezekiel, Aaron, Rosita, Gabriel or Eugene because the opening credits will already get many changes in the next few episodes.

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Why do several games that are made in Japan that use motion capture hire non Japanese actors?-UNR

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I was reminded of Death Stranding a while ago and noticed that most of the actors are not from Japan. At first I thought that it was only done because they got actors who are pretty famous such as Norman Reedus. Then I played Devil May Cry 5 and the actors were also not Japanese. Nobody really noteworthy enough to be named in commercials yet they were chosen over mainland actors. My logic is that that if you’re making a game in Japan, it’d be easier to hire actors from Japan. Maybe I’m missing something but I just find it odd.

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[Yoku's Island Express] is an in-universe retelling of [Death Stranding] for children (SPOILERS FOR BOTH)-UNR

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A common factor across cultures is the development of mythologies. Myths and folktales often permeate over time, with themes, characters and story beats being remixed and reimagined through their different iterations. Look at the many retellings of Robin Hood or King Arthur, for instance.

One thing about our folktales is they often have some basis in reality. The historical figure of William Wallace inspired Gibson's Braveheart, while the ad man culture of the 1960s is amalgamised into the seven seasons of Mad Men.

The most common tales, however, are tales of creation and nationhood. Sterilised or simplified retellings of the founding of the US, Australia, etc are told and retold, with elements removed or shifted for audience (e.g, a kindergarden class learn about a rather different "discovery" of Australia than high school students).

It stands to reason, then, the fictional worlds of our media would have their own tales of birth, death and creation. In the case of Death Stranding, I believe that Yoku's Island Express is a retelling of Sam Porter Bridges' journey to unite America, heavily reconfigured as a tale of morality and unity for a young audience.

In the first act of Death Stranding, Sam is killed in a Voidout, the truck he was travelling in destroyed. As he is a repatriate, he finds himself briefly in the seam/on his beach, returning to the land of the living only to be burdened with the postal-responsibilities to end all postal-responsibilities.

By a similar token, Yoku, on his way to the island, is caught in a horrendous storm and plunges under water, only to wash up on the shore of the beach shortly afterwards. Like Sam, he must now become the postmaster of the land.

Sam's job is to unite the cities of America - some who he must prove his worth to first - in the face of an extinction event. Yoku must also unite the tribes of the land, who similarly ask for help before agreeing. Yoku is gathering these clans together because the God creature who holds the island together has been poisoned by the GodSlayer, an extinction entity of sorts. For both Sam and Yoku, getting another clan/city on board is sealed with the delivery of a package, with both delivering other mail along the way.

Towards the end of Death Stranding, Amelie, who was helping Sam along the way, is revealed to be the extinction entity, who has orchestrated events to speed up the end of the world. Yoku's companion, Kickback, who helps throughout the game, is revealed at the end to in fact be the GodSlayer. Both Amelie and KickBack are given a shot at redemption following the game's climax.

As for some other simlarities:

-Sam can create/use ziplines in an area once he has connected them, thus getting around easier. Yoku gains access to the Beeline System once he has cleared an area.

-Both have a tenuous relationship with individuals who wear skullmasks.

-Both face down eldritch horrors in a decaying world.

-While combat does occur, the main gameplay loop is more about travel/positive actions.

-Both are tethered to a small object that helps them. Spooky fetuses are a bit much for kids, so its just a dungball now.

-On the dungball note, both can use poop to get out of tough situations.

In short, Yoku's Island Express is a children's tale about Norman Reedus and The Funky Feoutus' journey to reunite America. Told many, many years later.

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Norman Reedus-UNR

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(Death Stranding) Sam has being exposed to the timefall.-UNR

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This may contain SPOILERS for the game.

I was wondering what was Sam’s age in the game just out of curiosity, since he is a carbon copy of Norman Reedus I assumed he was 50, but by the end of the game I realized something, Diehardman was there when Sam was just a fetus and when his mother and dad died, the thing is that by his looks in the cutscenes he seemed to be already in his 30’s by that time, which would make John “Diehardman” around 70 in the main timeline of the game.

So there is two possibilities here, or Die-hardman looks way younger than he is (since Tommy Earl Jenkins, the actor that plays him, is 54) or Sam looks older than he actually is.

So here is my theory, Sam is in his 30s but his carrear as a Porter made him be indirectly affected by the timefall. He never got into direct contact with it like Fragile, but the exposure to the humidity of it for long periods of time made him age quicker, since he spent most of his adult life in the outdoors doing deliveries.

What do you think, does it make sense?

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[SPOILERS] Death Stranding review-UNR

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I’ve been fortunate enough to sink hour upon hour into ‘Death Stranding’ over the last month as I’ve been home from University, I finished the game last Thursday and obtained my platinum today after relentless grinding. That being said, I wanted to write a critique about the game, having devoted neigh on 100 hours, having explored every nook and cranny of the post stranding America, encountering countless BTs along the way and delivering for distro centres, preppers and alike. I feel confident having experienced the majority of what the game has to offer. So, here’s a normie’s review of Kojima’s latest epic, ‘Death Stranding’.

To begin, the story. From a narrative standpoint ‘Death Stranding’ has a simple objective, rebuild America; however, admittedly it becomes slightly more convoluted nearing its finale with plot twists and the story waffling about the true antagonist, is it Higgs? Die-hardman? Cliff? Amelie? The game clears itself up at the end with a two-hour long cutscene; yes, that one, you know the one I’m talking about. While this felt like it over explained the core narrative, it didn’t feel dragged out. I like to think this is Kojima’s way of drawing parallels to Amelie’s predicament, the sequence is prolonged and no matter the direction you run the situation seems endless; similar to how Amelie describes feeling and hence explains her role in bringing the sixth stranding. Overall the story wasn’t anything to write home about, I like Kojima but I’m not a huge fanboy so I’m not about to over praise something just because he orchestrated the experience; it was fun, arguably predictable, but not ground-breaking.

The characters and the connections you form to me is the true incentive to play ‘Death Stranding’, while the gameplay has been called repetitive I personally never really got bored of the loop, I enjoyed pushing Sam to carry as much cargo as inhumanely possible; it was entertaining enough to keep me going throughout the game. But like I said, the characters are the true driving force behind this game, they have their own motivations and each backstory is made unique. My favourites include Cliff, Deadman and Higgs. Cliff while having disputedly the most awesome entrance was quite a lacklustre villain; I was more scared of his minions than of him, but his super cell moments were some of my favourite. I feel like everyone likes Deadman, so I won’t really talk about him, his shower espionage cutscene got a laugh and reminded me of the Fury scene in Captain America Winter Solider. Higgs absolutely stole the show though, without a doubt one of my favourite villains to date, he’s charismatic, powerful and his meta comments where he breaks the fourth wall were some of the best cutscenes; Plus Troy Baker is always a win for me.

The contextual animations were Sam leans into an incline as he scurries along were fluid and the environments in general were varied enough to avoid becoming stale however I do have a few grievances with the game. The slopes have a weird affect on the camera sometimes when descending and vehicles can’t really decide if they want to go up or bump all over the place. Plus, the product placement just took me out of the immersion, having a post stranding America where Norman Reedus’ The Ride is on every sliding shower door and an endless supply of monster energy felt shoehorned. The amount of cutscenes for any interaction gets tiring too, it reminded me of RDR2 with the looting, for the first time it’s like “Oh that’s a cool animation” but come the hundredth time you just end up avoiding it because it’s too time consuming. The set areas for catchers also got to me, I get its so that you can’t cause a void out in a plot area, but it just got old being dragged to the same locations time and time again. All this being said they’re not game breaking criticisms, Lou got annoying whenever Sam took a tumble, so I physically found myself muffling my controller to drown out the cries, but like I said, not game breaking.

All in all, a solid game and a really enjoyable experience, even now sitting here looking at my PlayStation home screen I have the urge to load the game and finish building all the roads, traverse uncharted areas and in general just live in the world this game creates even after getting my platinum. I think a good way to end this would be to add some of my endgame stats. I finished the game on 46 hours played, got the platinum at 91 hours, as of present I have completed 336 premium deliveries, drank a whopping amount of 66,609ml of Monster Energy, taken 21 showers, worn out 10 pairs of boots, defeated 115 BTs, received 148,917 likes and lastly got the Porter Grade of 318, The Great Deliverer.

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"Ships of the Line" collating of numerous battleship brawls featuring popular layouts-UNR

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​

Setting parameters for testing/Template reveals some offense and defense info

The Goal: to test a variety of Battleship load-outs

The rules: A reasonably level playing field, not overly complicated. With a few exceptions, in keeping with the traditions of coin-tosses, Rock, Paper, Scissors, and arm-wrestling, matches are Best Two out of Three. After testing 1v1, 5v5 and 10v10, for the Battleship vs Battleship fights, I decided on fleets of 5 versus 5.

Achieved by: A fresh new game (and consequently, no war doctrines). All techs unlocked. No Traditions. No military or genocidal empire civics. No Admirals. No Rulers with military traits. No Auxiliary slots. Nothing to twist the brain with permutations of defense and offense combos.

Featuring! Absolutely no theorycrafting. No spreadsheets. Only the simplest of math is used, mainly, to count surviving ships.

Console Commands used: research_all_technologies 1, add_ship (shipname), attackallfleets

The positioning. Fleets were stationed at the extreme edge of a solar system, near a hyperlane entrance. A very common place to fight enemy ships. Using a "very" vague eye-ball, fleets were stationed roughly the distance between Sol, and Neptune, away from each other, and manually commanded to advance towards each other. When they reached their "aggro radius" they begin firing. Given that all battleships tested used XL weaponry, but without any Admiral or War Doctrine range modifiers, that occurred roughly the distance between Sol and Jupiter.

The ship: Battleships equipped with Dark Matter Power and Thrusters, Sapient Combat Computer, (If XL+L slots, then Artillery, else Line.) Tier 5 Armor and Shields.

The Defenses: 2625 Shields. 2625 Armor. 3000 Hull Points. Evasion 13.2%-13.4%

The Offense: See Below

Abbreviations: TN: Tachyon+Neutrons. TK: Tachyon+Kinetics. TL: Tachyons+Lasers. TG: Tachyon+Gauss. TP: Tachyon+Plasma. GN: Gigacannon+Neutrons. GK: Gigacannon+Kinetics. FN: Focused Arc Emitter+Neutrons. FK: Focused Arc Emitter+Kinetics. FC: Focused Arc Emitter+Cloud Lightning. PC: Precursor Clone. BG: Battlestar Galactica. AMF: Auto-generated Mixed Fleet. OMF: Optimized Mixed Fleet. SF: Salad Fleet.

Most of these abbreviations, are pretty self-explanatory. TN=Tachyon+Neutrons=Tachylon Lance in the XL slot, and 6 Neutron Launchers in the 6 available Large Weapon Slots.

Precursor Clone, is based "loosely" on a load-out used by some of the Fallen Empires. The FE version, has Focused Arc Emitter, 4 Medium Phase Disruptors. 2 Hangers with Advanced Strikecraft, and 2 Neutron Launchers, as well as significantly less hull points, than shields and armor. The difference is that in my empire version, there is only one hanger, with Amoeba Flagella Strikecraft, and only one Neutron Launcher, and the hull points is reversed, with considerably more hull, than armor and shield.

Battlestar Galactica, is based very, very loosely on a carrier battleship. Using the XL Slot, means only having 2 Hangers, and the Carrier Core segment which houses the two strikecraft hangers, is limited to 2 PD weapons, and 2 Small slot weapons. In the spirit of Galactica, but with my personal twist, Scout Craft stand in for Vipers in one hanger, and Amoebas, stand in for Raptors, in the other.

The BG is kitted out with Focused Arc Emitter, 2 Flak Cannons. 2 Stormfire Autocannons, 1 Neutron Launcher, and the two Strikecraft types previously mentioned.

AMF, is a small fleet of corvettes, destroyers and cruisers, a Mixed Fleet, using the Auto-generated templates. Six of each type. The templates I was given by default, are heavy on Kinetic weaponry, Point Defense, use Tier 5 armor, and Tier 6 shields, and either one, or two, advanced afterburners in the auxiliary slots.

OMF, is Optimized Mixed Fleet. The template designs are overhauled by me. I removed the afterburners, and replaced them with Nanite Repair Units and for the cruiser, added a Shield Capacitor. This made the Mixed Fleet, a little slower, and less evasive, but they regenerate, albeit not much, and very slowly, and they hit a lot, and I mean, a lottttttt harder. I chose Marauder Missile Corvettes with Stormfire Autocannons. Kinetic Artillery Destroyers with Flak Cannons, and Devastator Torpedo Cruisers, with Gamma Lasers, Stormfire Autocannons, and one Medium Plasma Thrower.

SF, Salad Fleet, is only used once. It consisted of 1 TK, 1 TN, 1 FC, 1 PC, and 1 BG model battleships.

It started off, as a kind of 'Ships of the Line" testing, and that does comprise the first half of the test. But after hours, and hours, of doing this, I got fatigued, and wanted to test battleships against something else besides each other. A common scenario while playing, is that you might hit the Reinforce Fleet button, after losing some battleships. So your five freshly-minted replacement battleships, are heading back to the front, when they encounter a small AI empire "Mixed Fleet" trying to sneak in and flip a starbase.

For the most part, I do not present any conclusions. I only offer the data of wins and losses. I'm way too tired, and that was not the point of this; to crow "Ha Ha! Told you! X-Ship layout really is The Best! I knew it all long!"

I really just wanted to test a few of my own designs, versus some well-known builds that have been discussed for months, and years, here at Stellaris Reddit. But I got really, really, really carried away and compiled some potentially useful data, using sheer observation by virtue of counting the surviving warships from the battle, and noting what load-out they had. So here you go...

Part One: Ships of the Line

TN vs TL, TN wins, 4 survived. TN wins, 4 survived. TN wins, 2 survived. Result, TN won 3 out of 3

TN vs TG, TN wins, 3 survived, TG wins, 3 survived, TN wins, 4 survived. Result, TN wins 2 out of 3

TN vs TP, TN wins, 2 survived, TN wins, 3 survived, TN wins, 5 survived. Result, TN won 3 of 3

*TN vs TK, TK wins, 1 survived, TK wins, 3 survived, TK wins, 2 survived, TN wins, 2 survived, TN wins, 4 survived, TN wins, 3 survived, TN wins, 3 survived, TK wins, 3 survived, TK wins, 2 survived, TK wins, 2 survived, Tk wins, 2 survived, TN wins, 2 survived. *Result, TK won 7 of 12

Tk Vs TP, TK wins, 3 survived, TK wins, 4 survived, Tk wins, 3 survived. Result, TK won 3 of 3

Tk vs TG, Tk wins 4 survived, Tk wins, 2 survived, Tk wins, 4 suvived. Result, TK won 3 of 3

TK vs TL, Tk wins, 3 survived, Tk wins, 5 survived, Tk wins, 3 survived. Result, TK won 3 of 3

TK vs GK. TK wins, 5 survived, TK wins, 4 survived, GK wins, 1 survived. Result, TK won 2 of 3

TN vs GK. TN wins, 5 survived, TN wins, 3 survived TN wins, 4 survived. Result, TN won 3 of 3

TN vs GN, GN wins, 2 survived, GN wins, 2 survived, GN wins, 1 survived. Result, GN won 3 of 3

FK vs TK, FK wins 4 survived, TK wins 3 survived, FK wins, 2 survived. Result, FK won 2 of 3

FK vs TN, TN wins, 2 survived, FK wins, 2 survived, TN wins, 3 survived. Result, TN won 2 of 3

FK vs GK, FK wins, 1 survived. FK wins, 3 survived. GK wins, 2 survived. Result, FK won 2 of 3

FK vs GN, GN wins, 3 survived. FK wins, 4 survived. GN wins, 3 survived. Result, GN won 2 of 3

FN vs TN, FN wins, 3 survived. FN wins, 1 survived. TN wins, 1 survived. Result, FN won 2 of 3

FN vs TK, FN wins, 1 survived, TK wins, 2 survived. TK wins, 3 survived. Result, TK won 2 of 3

FN vs GK, GK wins 4 survived, GK wins, 3 survived. GK wins, 1 survived. Result, GK won 3 of 3

FN vs GN, FN wins 3 survived. GN wins, 4 survived. FN wins, 4 survived. Result, FN won 2 of 3

FC vs TK, TK wins, 3 survived. TK wins, 4 survived. TK wins, 1 survived. Result, TK won 3 of 3

*FC vs TN, TN wins, 2 survived. TN wins, 3 survived. FC wins, 3 survived. TN wins, 1 survived. TN wins, 4 survived. FC wins, 3 survived. TN wins, 3 survived. *Result, TN won 4 of 6

FC vs GN, FC wins, 2 survived. FC wins, 3 survived. GN wins, 4 survived. Result, FC won 2 of 3

FC vs GK, GK wins, 3 survived. GK wins, 2 survived. FC wins, 3 survived. Result, GK won 2 of 3

FC vs FK, FK wins, 3 survived. FK wins, 2 survived. FK wins, 2 survived. Result, FK won 3 of 3

FC vs FN, FC wins, 1 survived. FC wins, 2 survived. FN wins, 4 survived. Result, FC won 2 of 3

FC vs PC, FC wins, 2 survived. FC wins, 2 survived. FC wins 3 survived. Result, FC won 3 of 3

*PC vs TK, TK wins, 4 survived. TK wins, 4 survived. TK wins, 2 survived. TK wins, 2 survived. TK wins, 3 survived. TK wins, 4 survived. TK wins, 2 survived. TK wins, 3 survived. TK wins, 3 survived. Result, TK won 9 of 9*

PC vs TN, TN wins, 5 survived. TN wins, 2 survived. TN wins, 3 survived. Result, TN won 3 of 3

PC vs GK, GK wins, 3 survived. GK wins 2 survived. GK wins, 3 survived. Result, GK won 3 of 3

PC vs GN, GN wins, 3 survived. GN wins, 3 survived. GN wins, 2 survived. Result, GN won 3 of 3

PC vs FK, FK wins, 5 survived. FK wins, 2 survived. FK wins, 2 survived. Result, FK won 3 of 3

PC vs FN, FN wins, 5 survived. PC wins, 1 survived. FN wins, 4 survived. Result, FN won 2 of 3

PC vs BG, BG wins, 1 survived. PC wins, 2 survived. BG wins, 3 survived. Result, BG won 2 of 3

BG vs TK, TK wins, 4 survived. TK wins, 2 survived. TK wins, 5 survived. Result, TK won 3 of 3

BG vs TN, TN wins, 2 survived. TN wins, 5 survived. TN wins, 1 survived. Result, TN won 3 of 3

BG vs FC, FC wins, 1 survived. FC wins, 2 survived. FC wins, 3 survived. Result, FC won 3 of 3

*Periodically, a set of matches would play out "Win, Win Win, LOSE!!!!!!!!!" and the lose was so monstrously lopsided, or unexpected, that my jaw would drop, and I was like Norman Reedus in Boondock Saints during the cat-splat scene, "I can't believe that just fucking happened!" So I would run another set, then another. Turns out, most of the time, it's just plain ol' RNG and not, "yea that build totally kicks butt, if the moons, planets, and stars are aligned perfectly."

Part Two

Preface to Part Two. Testing versus mixed fleets partly began because I was getting bored of the Ship of the Line tests, and partly because my sorry-ass Galactica, as you can see very clearly from the testing matches, fared very poorly against builds like Tachyon+Neutrons. BG seems like a pretty useless template to keep around, right? Not so fast.....

BG (10.9k) vs Autobuild Mixed Fleet (10.3k) . BG wins, 2 survived. BG wins, 3 survived. BG wins, 1 survived. BG wins, 2 survived. AMF wins, 2 destroyers, 3 corvettes survived. AMF wins, 3 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 2 corvettes survived. BG wins, 3 survived. BG wins, 3 survived. AMF wins, 1 cruiser, 1 corvette survived. BG wins, 1 survived. BG wins, 4 survived. BG wins, 2 survived. Result, BG won 9 of 12

TK (12.7k) vs Autobuild Mixed Fleet (10.3k) . TK wins, 2 survived. AMF wins, 1 cruiser, 3 destroyers, 6 vettes survived. TK wins, 4 survived. TK wins, 3 survived. TK wins, 3 survived (1 had 0 shields, 0 armor, 26 hull left). TK wins, 1 survived. AMF wins, 3 corvettes survived. AMF wins, 5 corvettes survived. AMF wins, 1 destroyer, 6 corvettes survived. AMF wins, 3 corvettes survived. TK wins, 3 survived. AMF wins, 4 corvettes survived. Result, TK won 6 of 12

FC (9.4k) vs AMF (10.3k) . AMF wins, 3 destroyers, 4 corvettes survived. FC wins, 3 survived. FC wins, 3 survived. AMF wins, 5 corvettes survived. FC wins, 3 survived. FC wins 3 survived. FC wins, 2 survived. FC wins, 5 survived. FC wins, 3 survived FC wins, 3 survived. FC wins, 2 survived. FC wins, 2 survived. Results, FC won 10 of 12

TN (12.3k) vs AMF (10.3k). AMF wins, 4 cruisers, 2 destroyers, five corvettes survived. TN wins, 2 survived. TN wins, 2 survived. AMF wins, 2 destroyers, 5 corvettes survived. TN wins, 3 survived. AMF wins, 2 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. TN wins, 3 survived. TN wins, 4 survived. TN wins, 2 survived. TN wins, 3 survived. AMF wins, 5 corvettes survived. AMF wins, 3 corvettes survived. Result, TN won 7 of 12

Salad Fleet (11.2k) vs AMF (10.3k) SF wins, 5 survived. AMF wins, 5 corvettes survived. AMF wins, 1 cruiser, 3 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. AMF wins, 1 destroyer, 3 corvettes survived. SF wins, 3 survived. SF wins, 5 survived. Result, SF won 3 of 6

TN (12.3k) vs OMF (10.2k) OMF wins, 3 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 2 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 5 corvettes survived. TN won, 2 survived. OMF wins, 1 cruiser, 4 destroyers, 4 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 1 cruiser, 4 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. Result, TN won 1 of 6

FC (9.4k) vs OMF (10.2k) OMF wins, 5 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 4 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 1 destroyer, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 2 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins. 4 cruisers, 4 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 1 cruiser, 2 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. Result, FC won 0 of 6

TK (12.7k) vs OMF (10.2k) OMF wins, 3 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 4 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 5 corvettes survived. Result, TK won 0 of 6

BG (10.9k) vs OMF (10.2k) BG wins, 2 survived. BG wins. 3 survived. OMF wins, 1 cruiser, 3 corvettes survived. BG wins, 2 survived. OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 4 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 4 cruisers, 5 corvettes survived. Result, BG won 3 of 6

Here is the only conclusion I will offer: It became very clear, the BG template was pretty good vs Mixed Fleets, human or ai-designed. Given how poorly many other layouts fared, it makes sense, that the BG is a fantastic Asset Escort. Something to run interference between incoming mixed fleets, and your hard-hitting artillery blasting away at range.

Unfortunately I was too tired to remember, that I could browse through my previous saved games, games where, the Devouring Swarm started churning out battleships equipped with three hanger bays, (or cruisers with a single hanger) and "import" those templates from memory, for use in the Mixed Fleets. As well as fights against Fallen/Awakened Empires, which all use Strikecraft, which the BG smacks down. So at no point in all this testing, was I able to "actualize" the full potential and capabilities of the BG template because I never fought fleets with fighters.

That said, I got in a frenzy of design iterations and BG load-out variations. If it was good against mixed fleets, could it be made even better? How much better? And so a template Arms Race against myself began, and I made several varieties, sometimes only switching one or two weapons, and sometimes, it made a very little difference, and sometimes, it made a humongous difference. Take a look.

*BG 2.0 (11.9k) vs OMF (10.2k) OMF wins, 2 cruisers, 2 corvettes survived. BG 2.0 wins, 2 survived. OMF wins, 1 cruiser, 2 destroyers, 5 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers, 5 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 4 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 5 corvettes survived. Result, BG 2.0 won 1 of 6

*BG 3.0 (12.2k) vs OMF (10.2k) OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 1 destroyer, 2 corvettes survived. of BG 3.0 wins, 3 survived. BG 3.0 wins, 2 survived. BG 3.0 wins, 2 survived. OMF wins, 4 cruisers, 5 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 2 cruisers, 3 corvettes survived. Result, BG 3.0 won 3 of 6

*BG 4.0 (10.3k) vs OMF (10.2k) OMF wins, 2 cruisers, 5 destroyers 4 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 1 destroyer, 4 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 5 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 1 cruiser, 2 destroyers, 5 corvettes, OMF wins, 3 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 2 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 5 corvettes survived. Result, BG 4.0 won 0 of 6

------------- "3rd Gen BG iterations" --------------

*BG 1.1 (10.6k) vs OMF (10.2k) BG 1.1 wins, 4 survived. BG 1.1 wins, 5 survived. OMF wins, 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 6 corvettes survived. OMF wins, 1 cruiser, 4 corvettes survived. BG 1.1 wins, 2 survived. BG 1.1 wins, 2 survived. Result, BG 1.1 won 4 of 6

*BG 3.1 (11.3k) vs OMF (10.2k) BG 3.1 wins, 5 survived. BG 3.1 wins, 4 survived. BG 3.1 wins, 2 survived. BG 3.1 wins, 2 survived. BG 3.1 wins, 3 survived. BG 3.1 wins, 3 survived. Result, BG 3.1 won 6 of 6

BG 3.1 vs BG 1.1 (Grudge Match) BG 3.1 wins, 2 survive. BG 3.1 wins, 4 survive. BG 1.1 wins, 3 survive. BG 3.1 wins, 3 survive. BG 3.1 wins, 1 survives. BG 3.1 wins, 4 survive. Result, BG 3.1 wins 5 of 6

BG 3.1 + BG 1.1 (21.9k) vs OMF x 2 (20.5k) (Co-op) { 10 vs 36 } BG group wins, all 10 survive.

TK+TK (25.4k) vs OMFx2 (21.9k) { 10 vs 36 } OMF group wins, 11 corvettes survive.

*BG: FAE, 2x SF autocannons, 2x Flak artillery, 1 Scout Wing, 1 Amoeba, 1 Neutron Launcher.

*BG 2.0: FAE, 2x SF autocannons, 2x Guardian PD, 2x Advanced Strikecraft. 1 Kinetic Artillery

*BG 3.0: TL, 2x SF autocannons, 2x Guardian PD, 2x Advanced Strikecraft, 1 Kinetic Artillery

*BG 4.0 FAE, 2x SF autocannons, 2 Flak Artillery, 2x Scout Wings, 1 Neutron Artillery

--------------- elimination and final designs based on the tests ------------------

*BG 1.1: FAE, 2x SF autocannons, 2x Guardian PD, 1 Scout Wing, 1 Amoeba, 1 Neutron Launcher, PRECOGNITIVE LINE COMPUTER. (the only design to use it, all others used Sapient)

*BG 3.1: TL, 2x SF autocannons, 2x Guardian PD, 1 Scout Wing, 1 Amoeba, 1 Kinetic Launcher.

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Forget Norman Reedus, here's the dude who should play Eddie's John Connor-UNR

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We need a mod to make the Courier more iconic.-UNR

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The Courier has perhaps the most important job in all of Skyrim. He's so important that all of the factions rely on his services, and don't dare disrupt his work. He braves the harshest wilderness alone to deliver important correspondence all over Skyrim. with the unforgettable voice of Jason Marsden, he is the unsung hero of the North. I think he deserves some modders' tribute.

we need a mod to give him an iconic look that befits his stature. I feel that the existing mods don't do him justice, as i still want him to be recognizable. even if you can't give him a Pandorable-style face-lift (though that would be dope as hell), i wanna see him have his own signature look. he looks like a farmer in the vanilla game. make him look the survivalist he is. i wanna see him braving the elements with more appropriate (and badass) gear.

This guy is basically like Sam in Death Stranding, but in Skyrim. I think it could be cool to emulate that a bit. (Hell, giving him Norman Reedus's face would be pretty cool actually) Or just do it however you want. i'd love to see him get the attention and respect he deserves. also it would be best if any mod made here would be compatible with Provincial Courier Service, which means no fiddling with his AI behavior. this should be a strictly visual overhaul. I'd love to hear any ideas that other modders may have!

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What do you think about the "legs" or future of Death Stranding?-UNR

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I saw a tweet this morning from a game industry sales analyst; he pointed out that Death Stranding "didn't even place Top 20 in its second month", and "was all the way down at number 8 on the PlayStation only chart..." I won't link him because he's not a check-marked person, making him not a 'public figure', making it against the rules technically to share his identity. Some commenters expressed that they think the "boring" gameplay is its tragic flaw and will keep it being a cult hit, while others said the polar opposite.

But, regardless, this has given me pause. Personally, I've known a few people who have surprisingly expressed interest in the game, people who I would not have expected based on their existing gaming interests. I feel like this bodes well for Death Stranding because it shows that it's an attractive idea, or at least the marketing has been effective, and it shows that "word of mouth" still works. Despite what the internet may reflect, a game with a more artistic bent appeals to more people than you'd think. As for me, I have told people that I find it fascinating, and it's definitely a unique game, albeit it is a slower and more quiet kind of fun compared to other more action-packed games.

I don't believe that Death Stranding will fade into obscurity, it already has a notable and devoted following with lots of fan art, cosplay, fan accounts, all that good stuff. And nothing starring Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen will ever be "obscure" in the true sense of the word, let's be honest.

I'm only on Chapter 6 right now so let's keep this spoiler-free if we can, but I'm curious what the community here thinks about Death Stranding's future. Cult classic, or something more? Could Kojima actually make anything that isn't super popular, at this point? Could a game with such amazing production values ever truly be obscure?

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Ride with Norman Reedus-UNR

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Did anyone watch that series? What is it about and is it worth watching? I'm asking because it's promoted by the game a few times.

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[RL Science] Zip Line deliveries + Power Skeleton = PAINFUL DAY-UNR

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So, while doing a standard order moving massive amounts with ziplines, making me take multiple trips, I started thinking, "boy, that's a lot of stress on Sam's arm, isn't it?"

And that's when I wondered how much stress Sam could go through carrying heavy amounts with a zipline?

Now, I am not a scientist, I'm not MatPat or Austin Hourigan or Kyle Hill or other awesome science dudes who do this kind of thing. BUT, here's what I've figured on notepad estimates and observations.

With Power Skeleton level 3 my max carry weight is 330kg. But that 330kg doesn't count Sam's suit, backpack, straps, and BB. I couldn't find Norman Reedus' weight but I did find his height (178cm). Upper tier ideal weight for his height is 79kg, and given that he's of athletic build and what is surely a non-negligable weight of his suit + BB, I'm going to use that amount, giving us a total possible mass of 409kg. To put this in context, that's within the typical mass of an Arabian riding horse. All on his arm.

This is more than the world record for the one-arm deadlift (301kg). And with a no-equipment world record of 460kg for a two-armed deadlift, to be able to hold all that weight with just one arm is a superhuman feat in of itself.

Now let's talk the speed of the zipline. Using two ziplines at 300m apart I clocked a travel time of 20.11 seconds, a velocity of 14.9m/s. That's a good velocity for a racehorse.

Funny, you'd think he'd have the size and speed of a mule.[/badjoke]

Anyway, one thing I've noticed is that the acceleration, and also deceleration, of the ziplines is almost instant. 0 to 14.9m/s in just a couple frames as far as I can tell. Using OmniCalculator.com and giving an eyeball acceleration of 0.1s, that gives me 60941 Newtons of force.

Remember when the Mythbusters dropped a piano onto the roof of the house? That was 53000 Newtons.

So a fully encumbered Sam is experiencing more force than a piano falling from height.

On his arm.

Probably a dozen or more times at once.

Someone get that man some painkillers!

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Norman_Reedus.jpg-UNR

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Andy Lincoln and Norman Reedus-UNR

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Super duper secret unpopular opinion (don’t tell anyone)-UNR

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Kojima Productions’ Hideo Kojima has asserted he’s created an entirely new genre known as “social strand system” for his first post-Konami title, Death Stranding. Since he struggles to define the genre, we’re happy to help – it’s one in which a developer aims to make a feature film and then realises far too late in the process that they’re developing a game instead… and that it requires actual gameplay. Sadly, what’s been slapped together is frustrating beyond belief, invalidating any enjoyment potentially found within. Let me be clear: Death Stranding is an irredeemable piece of garbage that should serve as a warning to publishers who give developers carte blanche to create “art”.

Death Stranding starts off just as quirkily as any Metal Gear Solid game before it; very early on, you’re asked to enter your date of birth. I did so, indicating I was an Aquarius, and was quickly stopped dead in my tracks by a message that advised other star signs provided an option for better powers. I sat there scratching my head for a solid five minutes wondering if I should restart and lie before setting off into the world of the embattled United Cities of America, a USA weakened by a disconnected people and infrastructure.

“We still have an America worthy of the presidency,” one UCA member lamented. “If we all don’t come together again, humanity will not survive,” said another. This is Kojima thinking he’s woven some amazing allegory about the current state of America. You’ll be beaten over the head with it several times an hour as you sit through cutscene after cutscene with characters telling you as much. It’s about as edgy as the decision to add in what amounts to an in-game currency based on social media Likes.

You play as Sam Porter Bridges, a courier (or Porter) working for a company called Bridges; the kind of organisation that feels the need to plaster its logo on literally everything. If you thought Sam’s name was strange, he’s not out of place — like other characters who could double as Mega Man villains named Deadman and Heartman, the head of Bridges is named Die-Hardman. He’s the right-hand man to the current president – not that a corporation backing a presidency would ever be problematic – and wears a mask that helps to hide a hidden past because Kojima thinks that’s cool as hell.

After sitting through about an hour of expository cutscenes, walking from location to location to kick off the next, I really shouldn’t have been surprised that the actual gameplay to follow would consist of walking from once place to the other. As part of a bid to reconnect Bridges’ facilities with independent prepper headquarters around the country to include them in a larger a Chiral Network, Sam becomes a pack mule. His goal is to connect the network’s nodes together, but that really means he needs to function as an agent of Amazon Prime, delivering whatever someone wants to them as a means of convincing them to join the UCA and fix America. Sometimes, you’ll have to deliver multiple packages to people because why not be stubborn when the fate of the country and your ultimate survival is at stake?

Sam’s long journey will take him from the west to the east coast of America; a land dotted with obstacles in the form of BTs, entities of the dead stuck in the land of the living, or humans who are either mercenaries (MULEs) or apocalypse-loving anti-Porters lead by an incel in yet another mask voiced by Troy Baker. Truly, Sam’s biggest opponent is the small rock, an enemy found all around America and far more dangerous than any BT or MULE. Sam has the dexterity of a drunken infant, stumbling over the smallest obstacle and swaying to the left or right with a minimal load placed upon his back. Don’t get me started on what happens after you layer package upon package upon the stack, a tower of wares comically reaching up to the sky.

I can’t stress how boring the core gameplay loop of Death Stranding is, nor how often you’ll be falling over going through its motions. If you’re not falling, you’ll be mashing the L2 and R2 buttons in order to regain balance or steady yourself after tripping on an ankle-high obstacle. Sam’s got a scanner that will evaluate the lay of the land around you – green means he might not trip for a minute, while yellow and red are going to give him problems. Hardly anything is green.

Hilariously enough, after forty-five or fifty hours of utterly bullshit controls, you get to enjoy movement without these hindrances during the game’s credits. Here, Sam is legitimately fun to control, bounding up ledges and jumping like a normal human being. I was going to include a comparison video here, but I’m not permitted to share any media captured after Episode 4. Anyways, after you’ve sworn in frustration over small hills, Kojima decides it’s time to amp it up, offering cliff faces that require ladders or climbing gear to overcome.

While fighting the environment, you’re also dealing with other management systems that impact Sam’s stamina and the quality of his clothing. His boots wear as a result of use, meaning you’ll need to use active Chiral Network nodes to make new pairs; you’ll end up fabricating more boots than Sex and the City’s Carrie has worn in her entire fictional lifetime. You are also able to make other objects like small bridges that will slowly degrade as a result of timefall, rain that speeds up the aging process of anything it touches. You’ll need to lug supplies, like metals and special alloys, over to the objects to restore or upgrade them. If you climb a slope or fight a river current without pausing for rest, you’ll lose stamina. Thankfully though, you can replenish that meter through a canteen of not water, but delicious Monster Energy drink.

It’s very hard to entertain the idea that Kojima’s piece is high art when it’s happily spruiking Monster Energy drink each time you slide down a cliff face or take a gander at a table in your private room decorated with endless cans of the swill. When Sam takes a shit – surprisingly, useful for weaponry (no really) — you’ll be treated to an ad for Norman Reedus’ RIDE on AMC. You can also get a vehicle plastered in RIDE decals too, in case you needed more product placement in your video game.

I’m digressing, so let’s get back to how bad Death Standing’s core mechanics truly are. After a couple hours of wanting to throw Sam off a cliff and end it all – I mean, you can try that, but as a repatriate Sam can’t actually die and instead comes back to life after a strange cutscene in which his BT-detecting Bridge Baby tries to climb out his esophagus – Kojima decides to throw you a bone. You get vehicles. You get cargo skeletons that boost your strength, and even gloves to handle equipment more easily. When things almost become enjoyable and it becomes less of an all-out struggle to move through the UCA and connect the Macguffin-like Chiral Network, Kojima pulls the rug out from under you.

You’re told to scale a mountain, ditching vehicles and your skeleton to trudge through waist-high snow drifts and ridiculously steep cliff faces. Sam then has to backtrack across that mountain a couple times. When you think you’re in the clear, you’re asked to do it once more for good measure, but with a bomb that’ll explode if Sam trips. Newsflash: Sam always trips. Occasionally, you’ll also have to transport bodies both live and dead by strapping them onto your back. I could feel myself outwardly, unconrollably cringing when Sam apologises to the lazy live ones after falling over as if they’re doing him a favour and not the other way around.

With overly long cutscenes and a constant goal to backtrack from where you’ve just came, it takes approximately forty-five hours to finish Death Stranding. The whole way though you’ll actively be sitting with controller in hand thinking Kojima has zero respect for your time. While there is fast travel, you can’t use it to actually transport the goods in Sam’s care; near the end of the game you’re forced to backtrack from one end of the continent back to the other with that functionality stripped from your arsenal. Occasionally, the monotony of Sam’s travels will be broken up by random, illogical curveballs thrown so far from left field that you’ll need to rely on on-screen tooltips (or “Helpful Hints” as they’re called) to help you understand what you’re supposed to be doing. Here’s a helpful hint for you: that’s poor design.

Oh, combat! There’s combat. You can shoot guns or lob grenades at humans or giant inky BT animal-things. You can use stealth too, but it’s honestly faster to just speed away past the MULES or just to get caught by the BTs so you can beat ’em up and move on. While combat feels as if it was ripped straight from Metal Gear Solid and is as polished as visuals delivered through the Decima game engine, don’t get too excited; you’ll hardly be fighting.

While Kojima undeniably needed to be reined in all throughout this entire spectacle, there are some decent ideas and beats scattered throughout Death Stranding. The world is utterly gorgeous, even though there’s hardly any diversity in design — there’s only one large and one small facility type and just three biomes to be explored: lush and green, brown and rocky, and finally, snowy and mountainous. Equally to his credit, Kojima has assembled a cast that brings his largely one-dimensional characters to life.

While the notion of connecting America gets old quickly – especially because you’re playing through Courier Simulator 2019 mixed with the arduousness of climbing the initial towers of Assassin’s Creed (and AC franchise creator Patrice Desilets has just apologised for that design, by the way), Death Stranding has this wonderful functionality that lets you build structures in your world and have them accessible by other players in their own. This concept truly is the core of the “strand” genre that Kojima thinks he’s created and I’m all for it… though I wish there was a cap on useless thumbs-up signs that fellow players could throw in my path.

Stranding is useful when it comes to actual structures. I started to build a paved road between two delivery locations and marvelled as fellow reviewers added to it, making it easier to move between the two centres, or Knots (this was obviously before the mountain from hell). As time wore on high upon said hellish landscape, players began to work together by building a connection of ziplines that meant the difference between a five or a fifteen-minute total transport time (though don’t get too excited as Kojima in his infinite wisdom decided to put sections of terrain in where helpful objects like this simply can’t be built, meaning on-foot you’ll go). This notion of connection and working together truly is brilliant but is repeatedly overshadowed by the likes of Deadman and Heartman insisting that working together will not only save America, but everyone within it. Show, Kojima – don’t tell.

Death Standing‘s story – the one thing I thought might have been able to salvage things when fully played out – is passable at best. It establishes rules that it quickly discards: dead bodies become BTs, except when they don’t; timefall is rain that can instantly age a crow to decomposition but will only age a man to around 65 even though he’s continually exposed (and that same timefall can deteriorate vehicles and containers but your clothing’s somehow immune). A handful of big reveals are simply absurd and don’t make up for the fact that you’ve spent far too long smashing on your shoulder buttons to stay upright.

The problem with Death Stranding is that Hideo Kojima has become wholly self-indulgent, making something I’m sure he considers a masterpiece. Death Stranding is anything but, with its head so far up its own ass it’s almost funny. It has four title cards in total, popping up as you play, and will roll two complete sets of credits before you’ve finished. It goes on and on and on, thinking — falsely — that you’re enthralled in what’s occuring. If this is the type of project that Kojima insists to make, I suggest he move from games to TV shows or feature films. Being weird for the sake of weirdness isn’t enough — while Kojima hopes to hit the same level of work as David Lynch or Sam Lake (if we want to keep it in the same industry) he falls very short. Even if Death Stranding’s narrative was good — and it’s not — a game needs to have actual gameplay. What you find within is abysmal; frustrating, tedious and beyond repair, it is to be avoided at all costs.

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Saw Norman Reedus at Publix, he was holding an avocado. Instead, we photoshopped one of our friends. http://bit.ly/35HlCao-UNR

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Saw Norman Reedus at Publix, he was holding an avocado. Instead, we photoshopped one of our friends. https://t.co/SMaFKY9eAU

— 24fun (@24funme) January 11, 2020

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petition to make norman reedus taller-UNR

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Norman Reedus VS Tentacles - Let's Play Death Stranding Part 7-UNR

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Norman Reedus VS Tentacles - Let's Play Death Stranding Part 7-UNR

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I love Norman reedus-UNR

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I love Norman reedus-UNR

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Feeling like Norman Reedus with all this carrying we're doing...it's a shame that my guild leader doesnt bother to remove inactives, etc-UNR

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I need a 'Death Stranding' behind the scenes documentary. Now.-UNR

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I haven't quite finished the game just yet (I'm about to start Chapter 8), but I am absolutely fascinated with everything in this game.

And it's got me thinking that I need Sony and PlayStation to make a feature-length behind-the-scenes documentary like they did for God of War ('Raising Kratos') and The Last of Us ('Grounded'). There was so much media and publicity surrounding this game that I'd be very surprised if we found out that there wasn't a camera crew recording the whole thing, every step of the way. I've already seen some footage of Kojima, Norman Reedus, and Mads doing some motion-capture work and it was absolutely stunning. That can't be all of the footage that exists...

I need this to happen.

(By the way, I fully recommend watching both of these documentaries. They're absolutely fantastic.)

God of War - 'Raising Kratos': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJZWKBDXXFY&t=2095s

The Last of Us - 'Grounded': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH5MgEbBOps&t=590s

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My one wish from death stranding-UNR

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Because of the very subtle advertisements put into the game, my one wish is to see Norman Reedus playing an epic round of RAID: Shadow Legends™ on his handcuff phone. That would really make the game a true masterpiece for me.

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Norman Reedus is my favorite Strand-type game-UNR

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Norman reedus and his bloody fetus-UNR

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People who met Norman Reedus (twd daryl) how was he in real life?-UNR

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Striking while the iron is at absolute zero. Here a clip of "Ride with Norman Reedus".-UNR

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Today's my birthday!-UNR

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I've been having a great day. I got to relax and got presents. and it's also Norman Reedus' and Rowan Atkinson's birthday!

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No-man Reedus (Norman Reedus)-UNR

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Happy Birthday Norman Reedus. I vote you post a pic in your birthday suit for your fans. :)-UNR

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Happy Birthday Norman Reedus-UNR

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Happy Birthday Norman Reedus-UNR

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Happy Birthday Norman Reedus-UNR

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[SPOILER] [ENDGAME] crazy theory & potential coincidenced-UNR

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Before I start I want to apologize if any of this comes off as insane generation & childish rambling

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say the fact that we never got Silent Hills is probably the biggest upset in modern gaming history

as a fan of Kojima-san and the games he makes I love to deeply analyze what is given to the player for the sake of symbolism, I can't get enough of it, and with Death Stranding I had a lot to analyze

but in the middle of my second playthrough I began to notice some stuff...and made me think Death Stranding may have more history then we know

I like to think the story we have with Cliff was actually what the story of Silent Hills was going to be

from PT we have a husband who killed his wife (Lisa) who was most likely pregnant with their child (fetus in the sink)

from Death Stranding we have Cliff who is married to Lisa who was pregnant with B.B. (Sam) after an accident (apparently caused by Cliff) Lisa was left in a comatose state and they could not leave B.B. within her womb so the bridge foundation put B.B. into a machine to keep them alive, lastly Cliff has a history of Military Service

both mothers are named Lisa

both children were in danger and not close to the due date

both fathers had violence play a role in their life

the only thing I cannot confirm is if the father is Silent Hills felt remorse like Cliff did in Death Stranding

to add to this (I think) Silent Hills was going to go for more psychological horror like Silent Hill 2, where in SH2 the town is more of a personal hell, and Cliff's beach is like a personal hell

I think, whoever Norman Reedus was in Silent Hills wasn't in his own hell...he returned home to confront the demons his father left him

I'm not saying Death Stranding is Silent Hills, but I like to think Kojima-san did the best he could to give us the story of Silent Hills within Death Stranding

what I said could all just be some extreme coincidence, whether it is or not I'm glad I got to play Death Stranding and wish Kojima Productions more success in the future

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A badass with a Crossbow! Happy Birthday Norman Reedus!-UNR

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In Death Stranding (2019) two options are present when using the bathroom. This was originally not the case, however Norman Reedus protested it as he, himself pees sitting down.-UNR

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Norman Reedus a savage lmao 😂-UNR

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No Interviews with Léa Seydoux talking about Death Stranding?-UNR

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There are a couple of interviews with Norman Reedus or Mads Mikkelsen talking about Death Stranding. I couldn't find any interview with Léa Seydoux talking about the game. A bummer because I really wanted to hear something from her talking about the experience on working with Kojima and her opinion about Death Stranding.

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Norman Reedus loses his sheetus-UNR

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Truck stuck-UNR

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So I was making all the roads rebuild and I was on a trip over some Ricky terrain. There is a raging river and my truck has about 2000 metal and 2000 ceramic and I get stuck in the river when I'm trying to jump it. I spend 30 minutes trying to wiggle and jump the trucks. I am still stuck. Now my battery is dead and I have at least 5 Norman Reedus loads worth of material. I am also a far way from civilization. Am I screwed good?

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I took a blurry selfie with Norman Reedus.-UNR

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Comfort Media-UNR

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I find myself in need of reassurance tonight, so I'm listening to Pat fall off a mountain and vaporize himself with an antimatter bomb while I take Norman Reedus on deliveries. Pat's screams soothe me.

What do you all consume for comfort?

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[Endgame] Just finished the game, what an emotional journey-UNR

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I just finished the game today, and I am just simply blown away. This game is truly a master piece, at least for me. I am so glad that Kojima had the opportunity to present such an unique art for us all. I know similar things have been discussed countless times in this subreddit, but I am so blown away by this game that I really want to talk about it. There are so much that I wanted to talk about, here are somethings that I really love:

- In the beginning I thought I had to endure a lot of delivery quests just to experience the story, but very quickly I found myself in love with the game play. The core game mechanics is more in line to a hiking simulator than delivery quest, and Death Stranding (DS) did such a good job making it challenging and fun for me to try and identify the shortest route and overcome the obstacles. I often find myself looking forward to see what additional challenge DS has in store for me in the next route/delivery.

- The game did such a great job making you feel powerless, or rather make mother nature seems equally as daunting (or in my opinion, even more powerful) as the otherworldly threat like BT. Whether its fighting against the current from the river, a steep mountain slope, or the white out storm in the mountains. It makes you feel small, and alone, which brings me to the next point.

- Like everyone mentioned, because the game did such a fine job making you feel powerless against nature, this made the "connection" aspect of the game so much more powerful. The opportunity to help and be helped by others, working together to overcome nature, is truly amazing (almost poetic).

- The music, my god the music..... where does Kojima find all these music?? The music make the journey such an experience. And yes, like Kojima said, I did cry at the very end when CHVRCHES's Death Stranding came on.

- The acting, at the beginning I was like wow does Kojima really need all these heavy weight actors? After the ending now I understand. The build up between Mads Mikkelsen and Norman Reedus throughout the game, and then the ultimate pay off scene where Cliff told Sam that he is his bridge to the future, and looked proudly at Sam before giving him a hug. Such a powerful scene. Being a sci-fi nut myself, for me this rank right up there with Fringe's finale where Walter told Peter "you are my favorite thing". The two scenes to me are similar not just because of the great actors, but because the continuous build up through out the journey made the scene so much more powerful.

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Sorry for the long post, but I am just so overwhelmed after completing this game and just want to share with some people who also equally enjoyed this piece of art.

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Norman Reedus shares a rare photo of Diane Kruger and their daughter to ring in the new year-UNR

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MCU All New Avengers Fancast-UNR

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Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel

Mahershala Ali as Blade

Norman Reedus as Ghost Rider

Ian Anthony Dale as Namor

Kelly Marie Tran as Songbird

Liliana Mumy as Squirrel Girl

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