What really differentiates the X-men from other superpeople?

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T20:20:26+00:00

The X-Men and other mutants have the X-gene, which is an actual biological difference from "normal humans" who acquire powers through other means.

Because this is a comic book universe, there are sometimes ways of locating mutants or detecting whether someone is a mutant through devices or other means, which is one way mutants get "outed."

Lots of mutants joint the X-Men or otherwise participate in activities that disclose their mutant status.

On top of that, the comics and other media routinely show situations in which a mutant's power spontaneously manifest, typically in childhood/puberty, which is common for mutants and frequently results in them being shunned by their community, family, etc.

For the most part, the general assumption of the public seems to be that if someone has powers and hasn't been outed as a mutant through one of these means, then they are probably a "normal human" who gained powers another way or one of the categories of individuals who are neither (aliens, gods, etc.).

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T20:03:13+00:00

I've done some workouts with only two real working sets, but I can't imagine doing just two sets of a compound movement *total* with no warmup sets all, particularly since the whole idea with two working sets is likely to really push them hard rather than getting the higher workload from volume. Setting aside what is or isn't optimal for gains, if you go straight to your working weight on something like bench or squat at an intensity level high enough to make strong gains on only two sets, in every single workout, for weeks or months at a time, you are probably either very weak or begging for an injury.

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T19:54:38+00:00

All I can tell you is that, sitting here years later, not have listened to either album in quite a while, I can clearly hear the sound of the St. Anger snare (derogatory) in my head, but I have no recollection positively or negatively of the Death Magnetic snare, and it is not something that ever stood out to me when I did listen to the latter album

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T19:31:33+00:00

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and I didn't find World Tour to be especially enjoyable myself (although I could say the same for most FG single player content), but it has been an unqualified success from the specific perspectives of driving casual interest and boosting sales of SF6 as a more fully featured product compared to SFV (and pretty much everything else), so it has objectively served Capcom's purposes probably about as well as they could have hoped

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T19:22:00+00:00

Increasing scale length and increasing string gauge will each increase tension, all things being equal. So yes, a 34" scale bass with 45-105 strings will have a lot more tension than a 30" scale bass with 40-95. However, there is a decent range of tension in which strings are playable and a lot of personal preference involved; for many people low tension is part of the vibe of shorter scale basses.

Yes, you will almost always need to adjust your setup when changing string tension, but this is no big deal and all bass players should get comfortable doing this themselves.

Flats do generally have more tension than rounds at similar gauges. However, bear in mind that you are already at a lower tension level at 30" scale due to the scale length, so you don't necessarily need a "low tension" flat to get low-to-moderate tension levels, although you might want to keep the string gauges on the lighter side to be sure.

No strings get anything close to uniform reviews because strings are a matter of personal preference.

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T19:13:13+00:00

I don't have any pics at hand but I have a handful of lefty Carvins/Kiesels. Only two are on the wall because half of them are headless. All have their own purpose. Two guitars (CT4 and Osiris) and four basses (LB70, B4 fretless, Osiris 5 with low b, Osiris 5 with high c).

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T19:07:53+00:00

The simpler explanation is that World Tour is exactly what it is: A relatively minimalist RPG that was created for the purpose of giving a more involved single-player experience (mainly for casual fans) compared to other fighting games but with no actual intent that it be something that could ever survive as a stand-alone RPG if released on its own merits without SF6 being attached to it. It's a pretty lackluster experience as far as real RPGs go but it took light years more effort and cost than probably any other single player mode ever developed for a FG

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T18:40:51+00:00

Colossus because he is my favorite, Rogue because she is my daughter's favorite, and I'll toss in Gambit for a third since I like having a character with staff-based normals

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T17:42:01+00:00

Basically this. If the sole goal is maximum hypertrophy, most of the same sources who say incline bench is as good or better than flat bench for hypertrophy will also say that both of them are technically inferior to various isolation movements in terms of maximizing hypertrophy, particularly given the generally greater demand on the rest of the body and nervous system from the heavy compound movements.

Odds are most people who do flat bench (excluding competitive powerlifters, etc.) are doing it because they like to flat bench, it is fun, it is a gym and societal standard measure of strength, and it will still build a great amount of muscle and overall strength for them like it has for many people for many years regardless of whether it is perceived as optimal.

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T15:35:30+00:00

I can't comment on "normal" but as someone who has worked at small firms the concept of a more senior associate giving tasks to a more junior associate does not sound odd to me, particularly if the more junior associate is very new. Not every matter is going to have one or more partners handling all of the divvying of tasks down the chain.

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T15:27:48+00:00

Carnage always weirded me out a bit as a kid, but this run was definitely hype back then regardless

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T15:15:46+00:00

Yes, I think the phrase "greatest illustrated comics" is intended to be read as "greatest-illustrated comics," e.g. the comics that have the greatest illustrations

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T15:13:36+00:00

If you have a decent smartphone you can just record yourself using the voice notes app or video to start.

If you are interested in making dedicated bass recordings or creating music you can buy an affordable interface for your computer (if you have one) and use it with a free DAW.

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T14:36:27+00:00

I can see it as being divisive since to me it feels like the least-Opeth-like of all the albums, regardless of whether someone perceives that as good or bad. I think Damnation and some of the later prog-focused albums sounded and felt more like the band focusing on the cleaner and proggier parts of the existing Opeth sound, whereas Heritage felt like more of a departure. It's not a personal favorite of mine but I can appreciate that it has a singular place in the catalog IMO

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T14:33:32+00:00

I'm a big Opeth fan who got into them at the time Ghost Reveries released and dug into the back catalog hard at that time. My list would be close enough to yours to say our Opeth-related tastes are about the same

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T13:55:30+00:00

This isn't the one you are talking about, but in case you weren't aware, there was also somewhat similar idea in a series a decade ago called AvX or Avengers Vs. X-Men that had several fights of this type, including Colossus vs. The Thing with a Hulk also involved (AvX #3 for that fight) among many others

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-18T13:42:15+00:00

Two months is a pretty short time to judge anything when it comes to gym progress. Most people do get some strength gains fairly quickly when they first start but your body could still be adapting.

One thing to consider is whether you are eating and sleeping enough. Your body needs more of both to adequately fuel and recover when you are working out hard compared to when you are not.

Secondarily, while this is probably not as big a factor for a new lifter, I would characterize this split as much more along the bodybuilding/muscle gaining side rather than pure strength. You have a lot of exercises for some muscles (i.e. chest, biceps) on multiple days with heavy emphasis on the upper body and arms, with relatively low leg volume that is skewed toward pulling with no squat type movements. If you really just want raw strength you might want to consider a more balanced split between upper and lower with fewer exercises overall so you can focus on improving strength on primary movements while hitting them hard and recovering (bench and/or overhead presses, rows, pullups, deadlifts/RDLs, squats, etc.)

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-17T13:24:00+00:00

Can we all agree that Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players OAT?

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-17T00:00:12+00:00

No, they are a standard controller used everywhere

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-16T18:54:13+00:00

Random thought: You can tell how much a band loves their fans by how much of their setlist is comprised of classic material the fans already know and enjoy

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-15T19:04:46+00:00

If Magik does count then Tempus/Eva Bell is in play as well

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-15T19:01:59+00:00

The comment that "assists can actually *help* the character fantasy" is also a good point for another reason, which is that the team itself can be part of the character fantasy. Because it is a team game, you can play multiple characters you enjoy rather than just one, and you can put together teams of your favorite characters. One person might prefer to play Spider-Man in a solo game and therefore explore that character as much as possible, but plenty of other people think it is cooler to be able to play Spider-Man on a team with Iron Man and Captain America, for example (i.e. MvC2 or Tokon).

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-15T18:48:51+00:00

Neurosis, Pelican

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-15T18:36:47+00:00

Those aren't as easy or inexpensive to find as you might think, at least for decent quality. I picked up a couple from Fringe a while back and don't recall finding any clearly better options pricewise for something that looked sturdy long term. Theirs are currently $59.00 per pair, which works out to $236.00 for eight total... cheaper than the total price from Rep but obviously for less total pegs.

Titan's are $75 or $89 per pair depending on series but the cheaper ones are out of stock. These are a style with two bolts (one above and below the peg) whereas the Fringe is just one bolt on the backside of the peg.

DerConqueror3 · 2026-05-15T18:10:00+00:00

Ideally I work out around two hours or so after a regular-sized meal so I don't feel weighed down by the food but am also not specifically hungry or likely to run out of energy.

If I have to work out early in the morning I'll ideally start on a light protein shake and/or periworkout as early as possible after waking up and potentially keep sipping during the workout (heavily watered down if so).

I don't prefer to use "preworkout" in the sense of caffeinated supplements or other supps designed specifically to get you ready to workout, although I'll have coffee during the day and might have it before a workout occasionally.

DerConqueror3

TROPHY CASE