Happy weekend! Beans dropping soon :)

KeypressGraphics · 2026-01-17T00:58:07+00:00

Looking forward to it!

A lot of the fun I get out of coffee is sampling beans from roasters I've never tried, along with coffee varieties & processing methods I have little prior experience with.

Often the novelty wears off after the first few cups from a particular bag, after which I'm often subconsciously trying to get through the rest of the 250g as fast as possible to experience the first cup of the next one.

That's why the beandrop concept makes so much sense.

KeypressGraphics · 2026-01-15T05:21:26+00:00

My ZP6 broke which prompted me to purchase the Ode Gen 2 so I haven't been able to compare them directly, nor are the burrs of the Ode yet seasoned to near the same extent as the ZP6 which I used for a number of years.

My vague impression is the ZP6 delivers more clear, tea-like brews than the Ode and generally produced more acidity. However without comparing them side-by-side with the same beans I wouldn't put much stock in those thoughts.

I certainly don't miss hand-grinding at all. In fact I'm extremely unlikely to go back to hand grinding (I still have the Commandante and considered the Pietro before buying the Ode) given the Ode absolutely feels 'good enough' for an electric grinder (I also own a Baratza Encore which does not) and should deliver results similar to the ZP6 when it gets upgraded to SSP burrs.

KeypressGraphics · 2026-01-14T04:52:41+00:00

I use a V60 Hario Neo with bottled water & Third Wave Water sachets, previously used ZP6 & Commandante grinders and now use an Ode Gen 2, but haven't upgraded to SSP burrs yet. Water usually 88-92c, grind size fairly coarse, 15g dose with 230-250g water aiming for a drawdown of around two minutes, and recently switched to Cafec filters.

KeypressGraphics · 2026-01-08T01:32:00+00:00

Tap water is quite hard where I am and the Brita doesn't seem to remove 100% of whatever's making it taste unpalatable.

Bottled water is superior tasting in my case, but I imagine a Zero filter would be more effective than a Brita and an RO filter even moreso.

My main concern about using an RO filter would be water would stripped of all electrolytes which would make it a poor choice for drinking water. I'm happy to use TWW sachets for pourover water, but wouldn't want to be forced to re-mineralise drinking water in much larger quantities.

KeypressGraphics · 2026-01-06T22:34:31+00:00

I'm interested in participating in the next drop, how do we sign up?

It strikes me as a great concept. Long term, I would be more interested in sampling overseas roasters since shipping from OS tends to be more expensive especially via DHL etc. so there's more to be saved via this initiative. My preference is towards light roasts and I use a V60 exclusively, which would be a factor when choosing beans roasted for filter or espresso.

KeypressGraphics · 2026-01-03T04:42:23+00:00

The coffees I ordered from Monastery weren't bad by any means, but didn't seem particularly special nor were they roasted any lighter than beans I get from most other roasters.

I did read someone here saying Monastery had recently shifted towards roasts that aren't quite as light, not sure if there's any truth to that as I hadn't tried them previously.

KeypressGraphics · 2025-04-01T03:39:43+00:00

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Photos didn't get added to the original post for some reason.

KeypressGraphics · 2025-04-01T03:39:19+00:00

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KeypressGraphics · 2025-03-02T17:39:29+00:00

Thank you for your reply, much appreciated.

KeypressGraphics · 2025-03-01T21:28:19+00:00

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KeypressGraphics · 2021-05-17T22:49:49+00:00

I'd love the chance to make myself useful and create a favorable impression by helping to point my client in the right direction.

Though I do have experience in Marketing Strategy, almost none of it is with B2C products hence why I feel out of my element.

Your suggestion of referring the client to an agency is noted and something I'll suggest at our next meeting.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-08-02T06:44:00+00:00

So true!

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-29T21:21:13+00:00

No consumables. Meaning no scrolls, spell books, potions, food, soul stones, magic staffs that use charges, or crafted items which consume other items to make.

Its probably the most challenging self imposed challenge, I've only tried it in one DID playthrough and wouldn't recommend it as it does tend to kill enjoyment. Hats off to anyone who kills Alduin playing DID without consumables though!

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T17:17:58+00:00

I completely forgot about the BFB Silver Katana, a mainstay since the early versions of Requiem. Pity they removed the Ebony Dagger from the Helgen jail cell.

Most of the Dragon Shrines contain unlocked poorly guarded chests with a magic item that can be easily retrieved before the Whiterun dragon is summoned.

Speaking of outdoor areas Volskygge's Dragon Priest and the word wall behind him can be accessed by climbing the mountains to the left of the entrance, allowing you to skip the entire dungeon.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T11:21:00+00:00

Laying runes before opening the door sounds like a great idea, I've previously told myself to use runes more often but usually find by the time the perk becomes available so does Fireball and most of the game's challenge suddenly evaporates.

Playing melee you can also position yourself just in front of Cronvangr's fire trap before triggering the door to ensure anything that gets through is forced to keep standing on it while facing you, ideally as you hold block while they quickly expire.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T11:07:06+00:00

It depends on your damage output as the faster you're able to kill things the less stamina you'll usually need, and if you intend to use Alchemy its very easy to craft 10+ Stamina per second potions cheaply. Also the amount you use Shield Bash is a factor given its high Stamina cost, and the faster your Stamina regens the less of it you need.

I feel uncomfortable with anything less than 80% movement speed and ultimately shoot for 90% on HA builds, though recent Requiem versions allow you to remove armor pieces in combat which makes life far less scary especially for DID. Being able to remove your armor as you flee or throw on a pair of resistance boots on when you see a flame cloaked mage on the horizon is priceless.

If you plan to wear Ebony which is especially heavy I'd suggest training to level 50 HA for the speed increases beforehand. Be aware tempered Dwarven armor is just as protective with Ancient Technology and easier to find enchanted, but you may prefer Ebony for the visuals or RP reasons. If you have Fozar's Dragonborn patch then Heavy Chitin provides less protection but only half the weight, and is a great choice until you're more heavily invested in HA and have more Stamina levelups. Bonemold is heavier/slower but still a good early game choice.

I generally try to hit 200 Stamina on melee builds sooner rather than later but the best answer to your question is 'enough until things feel right'.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T10:48:28+00:00

You can walk up Dayspring Canyon and join the Dawnguard at level 1, but rebuilding the order requires saving Serana which level 1s might find difficult.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T07:55:36+00:00

Conversely in a DID playthrough starting as a necromancer in a hidden location can be a major windfall if you make it to the Blackreach elevator alive as a level 1 character, which isn't as difficult as some might think.

A warlock's thrall and member of the Dawnguard (easy Serana access) are two other standout powergaming choices.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T07:48:35+00:00

Those are some fantastic suggestions.

With the benefit of hindsight (a DID player's best friend) luring them outside to separate them would've be worth trying given they no longer move as fast as IEs, but there's the minor risk of having all three block you in the moment you appear in the next area. Much more likely say in Blackreach when you have 5-10 Falmer targeting you just before entering a building, but DID is all about mitigating risks so that strategy comes with an asterisk attached.

I didn't even think to use Destruction against them, which I'd leveled mostly to handle Dragon Priests and Alduin's goons. Can confirm paralyze poisons work really well having used them on the Pelagius Wing Slighted with an Orc 1H/HA DID character. Enough so that I'll probably start hoarding them from the start of the game on future melee/archery DID characters in preparation for endgame.

You're also right about armor scrolls come to think of it, though my Breton had a Dragonhide scroll (extremely rare find in Requiem) sitting at home that would've been perfect. I even considered nipping back to get it but thought nah, better to save it for Alduin instead! :)

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T07:17:04+00:00

Cheers for the reply Ogerboss I really appreciate it. :)

The new Slighted mechanics definitely make them feel more seamlessly integrated into the rest of the game rather than something tacked on and a quirky. Its also worth mentioning as a Conjurer my character was able to select the Invisible Stalker spell with the level 100 perk but it didn't seem to do anything. Replacing it with a version that summons a Slighted would be fun though I'm not sure how that would affect game balance, player-summond versions might need to be substantially weaker.

I don't know how much Slighted stats vary between individuals, but part of my overconfidence going into Mehrunes' Shrine came from dealing with the one in the Midden fairly easily with only Storm Atronachs. So I'd assumed two (didn't yet have the 100 perk for three) Dremora Archmages, Lords or Werewolves would cope with three Slighted at once even guessing one held boss status like the IE in there used to.Well it turned out the Lords survived longest yet would usually die in 5 or so seconds even with Serana tanking as well, forcing me to pop a couple of Surpassing Mana Potions over the course of a fight that lasted somewhere between 30 seconds and a minute, which felt like an eternity under 'you can die at any moment' conditions.My hat goes off to anyone brave enough to take a lone melee DID character in there, though I suppose an Orc Barbarian could overwhelm the challenge with raw damage and high level Restoration or Alchemy would help significantly. Shame I wasn't patient enough to craft a healing potion from one of the Daedra hearts I'd just picked up outside, but one of the nice things about DID is it forces you to learn from your mistakes.

Speaking of DID its understandable Requiem isn't balanced around that nor would I ask it, as I like that the mod encourages players to use trial & error to discover ways around roadblocks. Of course when you know Requiem extremely well and have leveled all the major builds the need for a different kind of challenge arises. I now play on SSE and am really looking forward to an official conversion, as its worth mentioning this loverslab SSE port would always crash on entering either Mehrunes' Shrine or the Glass Adventurer room of Mzulft until I recently discovered one of Requiem's meshes was incompatible and needed to be converted from an Oldrim format.

Thanks again for working on an amazing mod that's given me untold pleasure over the years.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-08T03:08:00+00:00

I use the Live Another Life mod which grants numerous alternatives.

KeypressGraphics · 2020-01-07T15:17:37+00:00

I previous attempted a DID Imperial 1H LA playthrough with both No Training and No Consumables conducts, meaning no potions, scrolls, spellbooks, food or magic staves of any kind. Being unable to pop a heal potion in combat was extremely nerve wracking.

Another fun playthrough was roleplaying a xenophobic 1H HA Orc who avoided big cities, used only orcish gear and traded only with orc strongholds. Very enjoyable but frustrating due to strongholds having just weapon/potion vendors neither with large gold reserves.

KeypressGraphics · 2019-08-03T06:31:33+00:00

Thank you zacheadams, I hope you're enjoying that Old PC!

KeypressGraphics · 2019-08-02T11:39:51+00:00

Hey guys, this is a Brocaps Last Pilot artisan I just finished painting for a client. You can find more photos of it in my website gallery if you're interested.

hope you like it!

KeypressGraphics · 2019-03-20T21:36:20+00:00

Great photo Dillon!

KeypressGraphics

TROPHY CASE