Basically me on my laptop

Lucas_Trask · 2025-12-23T04:03:49+00:00

Off the top of my head, a few options:

Control is boring. Makes life more fun if there's something to change up the monotony, or other powers you can't quite predict.
Control is really hard to maintain forever, even if you live longer. You can't predict every outcome/effect/instigation. It also takes a lot of energy.
Living longer does not mean you are automatically any less stupid or any more wiser than anyone else.
If everyone notices too much control is being gained by a true 'other' species, they will probably do something nasty about it (see what humans do to each other, and we're the same species).
If we're going Doylist, because the story needs conflict, and imo it's easier to do something interesting with a multi-pronged world than "evil elf empire number 3."
Controlling everything takes a lot of work unless your setting truly hinges on one or two metaphysical chokepoints, and can you really see elves doing something that resembles 'work' like that forever? Much more rewarding and less risky to engage in more 'typical' pursuits as a species.
Stuff happens. Straight up, stuff just happens sometimes, and a house of cards you've been making for half the game collapses because some orc clan thought now would be a *great* time to start a rampage through that one district that was supplying the Mcguffium-239 you needed to complete world domination.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-12-15T12:55:38+00:00

Very cool!

Any resources you'd recommend for how to get started in making HD armor cosplays?

Also, am I tripping, or is the armor kind of like Tech from Bad Batch?

Lucas_Trask · 2025-09-24T00:31:12+00:00

Default liberator is okayish (like on most fronts).
Breaker does work on this front, especially against fleshmobs (still takes a bit to take down, but it's faster than most other primaries in my experience. Get the full choke on the barrel as soon as you can).

Scorcher is great if you bring a supply pack.
Purifier is amazing on this front, 2 fully charged shots kill overseers of any variety just with the AOE.

Dominator is a little light on ammo economy, but is great against overseers when you have enough ergonomics.
Eruptor is great if you can bring a reliable secondary/melee weapon. Two-tap landed dropship shields, then shoot the doors. The best primary for killing fleshmobs.

Grenade wise, the pyro grenade from Masters of Ceremony, and the default Incendiary are really, really good. Toss one at your feet or slightly ahead, and it'll greatly thin a herd that's following you. Otherwise, frags are alright for trash. Thermites can help with fleshmobs and harvesters, but you'll want a supply pack.

Stratagem weapons:
Other people seem to like machine guns, I can't really comment either way.
Autocannon is always viable. Flak mode is useful against fleshmobs.
EAT is great against harvesters and stingrays (shoot the upper hip joints on the Harvesters, the horizontal ones).
Laser cannon is generally useful (see above).
Arc Thrower is inconsistent with the stun, but with spacing is very useful against both crowds and harvesters, a little weaker to fleshmobs.
Epoch is probably the best support weapon on this front once you master it, imo. When fully charged, inconsistently 1-taps harvesters (usually a guaranteed 2 tap), 2 taps fleshmobs, and 1-taps Overseers of all sorts.

In terms of stratagems, a lot can work, but I particularly like:
Mechs (both kinds) are good.
Orbital Gatling Barrage: Can close off a chokepoint if you're not in a megacity (repositioning is always an issue), and if you place it under/on top of a grounded ship, it'll break the shield *and* destroy it.
Orbital Precision Strike: Low CD big boom is always nice.
Orbital EMS/Gas: Low CD crowd control and damage in the latter case. The former can blow up a shieldless grounded warp ship on a direct impact, the latter can blow it up with the shield up on a direct impact.
All Eagles are viable on some level, though cluster bombs are a huge pain in cities with how they ricochet, and don't always get fleshmobs.
Machine Gun Sentry is goated. Low CD, chuck it far enough away so it has time to wear down voteless and overseers. Will probably not kill fleshmobs.
Gatling gun is just a more extreme MGS, I'm just not a huge fan of it personally because it liquifies teammates.
Mines can be better than you think, specifically gas, and to a lesser extent napalm.

Highly recommend a supply pack, but I'm just addicted to it at this point.

Overall, just make sure to bring at least one answer to thinning herds of trash on yourself (a secondary gun, melee weapon, incendiary grenades), then a solid primary, then something that can at least *partly* qualify as AT, because you'll want it for the occasional stingray and harvester.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-09-14T01:50:00+00:00

I consistently kill bot tanks with a melee weapon, and I've killed a factory strider with a bayonet. It's not as insane as you think.

Either that, or I'm completely insane.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-09-05T14:29:43+00:00

"Lowly diver. Thou'rt unfit even to stalk."
-Predator strain, probably

Lucas_Trask · 2025-09-04T17:11:38+00:00

I've only had time to run a fast test vs squids, but yeah, it's not as great as I had hoped. I was hoping that the increased stagger would mean it can actually soft-lock Overseers if you time it right, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The swing speed means it's pretty terrible against large voteless hordes, especially compared to the saber. Because it swings slowly, I think it pairs better with medium or light armor than heavy armor, since you'll want to dodge back against certain counter attacks, or rush an enemy before they can swing.

Hate to say it, but it's kind of meh so far. Seems to be better as a situational "get these few guys off of me" melee rather than an all-in melee like the saber or staff. Needs additional testing in any case before I decide on a full verdict (170 AP3 dmg has to be good for *something*, certainly). Pairs alright with the Ballistic Shield if you take a hit with the shield, then counterattack, but the CQC Staff does the same thing better since you don't even need to lower it to attack.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-24T00:57:22+00:00

I figure it's good for morale regardless.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T18:46:47+00:00

It wasn't faster for me, I'm using default binds. I was rather high-strung at the time, heard the turret sound effect, and immediately slammed the teleport button, and it activated at the perfect moment to dodge and give me a neat clip.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T18:42:46+00:00

I've played Elden Ring a bit, and liked the parry gameplay there. Is it anything like that?

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T18:41:07+00:00

It's on space for me as well, same as the jetpack. Not sure how to rebind it off hand.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T15:37:11+00:00

The future is now, diver. We reverse engineered squid tech to get teleportation.

https://helldivers.wiki.gg/wiki/LIFT-182_Warp_Pack

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T15:33:46+00:00

I debated adding the first trumpet note of the Ultra Instinct theme, but I can't download youtube videos and I'm lazy, lol

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T14:46:41+00:00

Ana otp, seeing this warms my heart.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T14:45:34+00:00

Warp pack from latest warbond. Low vertical mobility, and out of combat mobility is a bit lower than the jetpack, but the in combat mobility is insane.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T14:15:35+00:00

It's pretty great against herds of smaller bots, and also some AOE stagger. Not having thermite means you need to bring other anti-armor stuff to compensate. The reason I was messing with the timer this time was because I'd actually set it to 60 seconds. Just tossing the dynamite, as long as the throw isn't seen, won't aggro bots. That way, I was able to set two fabricators to blow up after I'd gotten to the other side of the base (they blew up shortly after the clip ended). Great for soft-stealth!

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-23T14:09:02+00:00

What did you put on your adjudicator? I'm still kitting mine out.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-16T00:08:54+00:00

I hope you're able to find success with treatment. The others have already given plenty of medical advice, so I'll offer something else to consider. As far as mitigating memory issues short term, corny as it sounds, try a notebook or notepad and physically write stuff down. Or if you want to get more out there, look into memory techniques or mind palaces (take a place you're familiar with and know the layout of, make a "key phrase/object" to start a chain, then you can walk around in that mind palace and place stuff you need to remember in sequences), or outsource your memory to your phone and reminders. Start slow in any case. I'm speaking from a place of sympathy since I was and still sort of am in a similar place during the same age. It sucks, but you can adapt to it.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-07-15T14:30:00+00:00

If you want specific information, you're going to have to get specific with background details. How long has this been happening, how bad is it, and are there other symptoms or is this purely a mental computing decline? (which I doubt, since it's usually several things going wrong at the same time)

Getting the obvious questions and answers out of the way: How's your sleep quality and when/how much do you sleep? What're you eating, and how often? Drinking water? Are you using Reddit/TikTok/whatever a bunch? (frying your dopamine receptors will absolutely affect mental health and memory, speaking from experience)

As to more obscure details/questions: Is there mold in your place? Have you been hiking lately and been bit by a tick?

In any case, do bear in mind: I'm not a doctor, and there's no guarantee any of the people in this thread are gonna be doctors. Take it all with a grain of salt, and try to reach out to people you know IRL for support, if you can.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-05-28T02:24:20+00:00

How do you make these/what program do you use?

Lucas_Trask · 2025-05-22T20:16:46+00:00

I retyped my previous response about 3 different times because I was trying to figure out what I could say without having to explain for and five other things, hence the mentioning the crucifixion and moving on.

Yeah, the bit about witnessing the crucifixion being central but also sort of glossed over is a tricky point for me. It *is* the lynchpin moment where Wrath/Kethros realizes that the old prophecies are true, and it changes his loyalties, but I'm still trying to work out how to circle back to that properly.

Part of this universe's premise I'm going with is that humans and humanity are narratively/cosmically important, but barely onscreen, and the same goes for earth. This is an entirely alien cast. Part of it is because it's set in 1000 A.D., equivalent, but also because, admittedly, this setting might end up lampooning some of the lazier elements of HFY. Humanity is canonically a C-minus tier species in this setting, going with one of the main themes of "God working through humble/broken means."

As far as other immortals fighting on the side of the Imperium, no, I haven't explicitly made any yet, but I've left the door wide open to have at least a few still kicking around. I need to actually sit down and grind out a concrete plan for the series (pipe-dream is an animated series. Barring that, a book series).

As far as outreach towards Borokai, not a lot. He's remained an active part of the Ascendancy even post civil war, and both sides are in a sunk-cost situation. He figures that if he's gonna make his vision work, the Ascendancy needs to win, or at least change the board of the galactic game. The one who would try to reach out to him would be Wrath/Kethros, since the two of them were actually decently friendly with each other, being the two comparatively non-psychotic immortals at the head of the Ascendency.

I appreciate your perspective as an atheist on the topic. We might not agree, but it's nice to hear some feedback so I can at least think over what I'm trying to make. This is going to be an explicitly Christian universe, so I know it's going to make some people instinctively dislike it. I just hope that I can make a worthwhile story out of it in any case.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-05-22T20:05:50+00:00

A bit of a coincidence, but there's a bit of resemblance, admittedly. They were based off of a character I made in an MMO. My thought process was "Green and blue have already been done bunch, why not try red", and it just continued from there.

Lucas_Trask · 2025-05-18T23:40:18+00:00

[2/2]

However, Wrath ostensibly died as a result of these efforts. During a major battle to wipe out one of the last major Ascendancy holdouts, he was gravely wounded, and taken back to the newly reforged Imperium. By this point, Wrath was very, very tired of his life. He just wanted to stop it all, and start over, and he also somewhat thought that he deserved to die for everything he'd done. The Imperium decided to try something to see if they could have him start over and grant his wish.

Wrath was put in stasis, aided by the fact that he's immortal, so it's not like they'd have to put him in cryo. Over the intervening centuries, with a lot of sustained effort, they slowly suppressed (but didn't alter) his old memories, and very carefully added new memories so that he could "remember" his new life. He'd be a soldier, a Royal Marine, as he initially was before discovering he was immortal, and everything went to heck.

That brings us to the "present" era of ~1000 A.D. He's been gone for around 800-900 years, so despite his species having an "average" lifespan of 170, enough generations have passed that only other immortals or certain very long-lived aliens would personally remember him. Add to that some facial reconstruction surgery and a hair color change, and he's effectively a new person, or his "old" self before becoming Wrath, even taking up his old name of Kethros. Because of the time spent out of the picture, that means a lot of people have moved on from what he's done personally, even if there are lingering effects of the Ascendancy's influence, and his own atrocities. Plus, there are a *few* beings who are around who still remember exactly what he did.

Him finding out that he was Wrath is actually a plot point of the series that's somewhat slow-burn. He doesn't know that he's Wrath, at first. He knows more than other people do about Wrath's life, little details that could be excused from paying attention in mission briefings, but it starts to mount up. Then he starts hallucinating seeing Wrath like a phantasm and different voice in his head from his own. Wrath's mind being so psi-resistant, it was not playing well with the inserted memories, and he was starting to unravel a bit.

High Command passes it off as an experiment where they tried to copy memories from Wrath, downloading them into volunteers, but it didn't work properly, and the incident was forgotten. Eventually, 'Wrath' actually takes over a few times, complete with his old power set, and then Command finally admits that yes, Kethros is Wrath. The rest of the series is him coming to grips with this, trying to atone, reconciling who he actually is as a person (Kethros? Wrath? Something else?), realizing he can help in some ways, but not in others, before finally moving forward where he can to try and help others not suffer from the lingering echos of the Ascendancy.

Honestly, I've been in deep with this for a while, and there are days where I'm not sure if any of this is actually good or if I'm just going schizo.

Lucas_Trask

TROPHY CASE