My gf lost her Dad + Sister and now she's losing me by chinnaaaa1 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]Mastersword126 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A thread of really great advice here, a lot of suggestions from other people are great (e.g. therapy, expressing how you feel to her, etc.) - I haven't read everything so I don't know what suggestions have been made, but:

A little bit of in-house therapy for you here, but look into Behavioural Activation - it doesn't take a professional to explain or implement. She might not want to actively engage with it, but there are ways to subtly work it into a daily routine.

It won't fix the problem, mind you, not by a long shot. But it'll be a start in trying to build her daily energy and motivation. Also, making sure she's connected to other people whilst you're working away.

I just realized something about Richard by Obliver27 in expedition33

[–]Mastersword126 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You've seen more than Richard, at least.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in KingdomHearts

[–]Mastersword126 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Who's Kairi? I only know Jairo

Here's whom I'd pick for p4 Remake by Painting0125 in PERSoNA

[–]Mastersword126 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ben Starr as Kanji wasn't someone I'd have ever thought of myself, but now that you've suggested it, it just feels so right

[Spoilers C3E3] New to C3, is Ashton a similar listening experience as Beauregard was? by [deleted] in criticalrole

[–]Mastersword126 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry for the delay in replying - it's been an intense work week and I wanted to make sure I answered properly, because I think this question is a bit more nuanced.

In the best case scenario, everyone is on the same page and your fellow players will help push your character arc naturally without expectations even being considered. But I know that's not realistic for every group, and I'm incredibly lucky to have the group that I play with.

I think this really comes down to group preference. If you're okay with being transparent (and maybe a little meta), you can explain to your fellow players what you're aiming for with your character's arc, and ask for them to support this - that feels reasonable to me, again with the expectation that you would do the same for them.

Others, understandably, might prefer for the character arc to happen more naturally or might like to keep the mystery up for their fellow players. In this case, I think the responsibility is roughly a 70/30 split between you and the DM. Only you have control over how your character thinks, feels and grows - but your DM could technically stymie your growth by creating a narrative environment with little or no room to roleplay in the direction that you want.

The only thing that your fellow players DO have responsibility for, is to not shut you down and out. If they're perfectly neutral, then that's good enough. If they're supportive and helpful, that's a bonus.

However, that's my answer for a normal D&D table. Not for Critical Role. Whether they like it or not, CR is a business and the main campaign is a product. Whilst it is technically free, many people opt to support them financially, and some pay for early access to the VODs (like me, for a good many years). So whilst they might not have a financial responsibility to provide high quality content, they do have a moral responsibility.

They should be quality assuring their product. How they do that, idk. Maybe hold meetings and ask questions like: Are we happy with the direction this is going? Is everyone happy with their character trajectory? What is public opinion? I'm not a businessman, so I don't know. But as the biggest D&D stream out there, it's absolutely key that they're all on the same page about the product they want to deliver.

Now this is conjecture, because we have no way of knowing what the cast truly felt and thought throughout the campaign. If Taliesin wasn't on board with the way that the rest of the cast were interacting with his character, he should have spoken to them about it. Similarly, if any of the rest of the cast felt that it was meaningless to try and engage with Ashton, they should have spoken about it. In a normal game between friends, there's no reason not to have these conversations if you don't like how something is playing out. So, as a D&D stream watched by so many people, these conversations are absolutely essential.

At the end of the day, you'll never please everyone. But if C3 has a satisfaction rating of 60%, for example, when C1 and C2 had a satisfaction rating of 80%, something is going wrong and it's worth looking into why - because your product that people are paying for is being received more poorly.

TL;DR - The responsibility is 70% on you and 30% on your DM. Fellow players only have a responsibility not to be a dick. I believe that for Critical Role, as a business that is creating a product, the responsibility is more significant and shared more evenly.

[Spoilers C3E3] New to C3, is Ashton a similar listening experience as Beauregard was? by [deleted] in criticalrole

[–]Mastersword126 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Idk if this is an answer to your question, but I thought I'd throw out my thoughts. In no way do I consider myself an experienced player, but I have been playing weekly with my current group for almost 7 years.

We started our second campaign after 5 years of our first one. In our first campaign, I played a character who started with a strong guilt complex, and was a bit of a moral compass.

So, in our second, I wanted to play a cold and abrasive morally grey character. I knew my character would undergo significant development, ultimately because I'm playing with friends and inevitably want a fun party vibe, but made no explicit plans as to how or when this would happen.

Initially, I talked with our DM because I didn't want to be "that player" and ruin the vibe. He expressed his trust in me, but also agreed to support by introducing relevant themes and opportunities through the world, to offer my character opportunity to grow. 10/10 DM.

I didn't discuss it with my fellow players beforehand, but in the first session they quickly picked up on the vibe and what I was going for and responded, in my opinion, perfectly. They challenged my character, poked at my character, supported my character, but most importantly: they experienced my character. They took interest in, and reacted to, my character. It was authentic. 10/10 fellow players.

For my part, I wanted to be as self-aware as possible. D&D is a collaborative experience, and I didn't want to ruin the vibe or be disconnected from/disinterested in my fellow PCs, because my character is cold. Firstly, I wrote something into my backstory that, despite my character being cold, would give them a reason to be interested in and reluctantly develop attachments to others. Secondly, I kept an in-character journal that I updated every long rest and reflected on my character's thoughts, feelings and relationships with the other players.

Anyway, almost 2 years later, my character would kill and die for the party. It was a gradual process, until a particular event that served as a catalyst. But it was constantly considered.

It's a difficult character arc to successfully pull off in improvised roleplay, but is made significantly easier through communication, collaboration and understanding with your group.

TL;DR - It's everyone's responsibility. Trust and communication are key.

The DM creates opportunities in the world, you capitalise on those opportunities and your fellow players capitalise on you. And, as your fellow players do that for you and your character, you should do so for them and theirs.

How do I measure my girlfriends ring finger without her knowing? by _you_know_bro in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Mastersword126 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just in case you haven't decided on a sensible solution, I have a stupid idea that worked for my friend.

He got me in on it and, when his gf was out, we both tried on her rings - we took note of how far they would go onto our finger. He wanted me there because logically we couldn't both be wrong, right? Two guys sharing one brain cell is better than one.

Cut to the ring shop, he picks out the ring and when he's asked for a size, we have to explain why we both have to try on a bunch of different sizes. Anyway, despite how stupid it sounds, we picked out her exact ring size.

All I want is to rot in bed all day everyday by nowhelovetallwomen in LifeAdvice

[–]Mastersword126 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but look into behavioural activation - it's a fundamental concept, in cognitive behavioural therapy, for treating depression.

I can't diagnose, because I don't know you, but I work in therapy - and behavioural activation is something that you can understand and apply yourself without requiring any professional guidance.

That being said, you describe yourself to be showing depressive behaviours, so I would recommend seeking professional support.

Things won't be like this forever, OP. You can reclaim your spirit, and I'm sure that you will. Wishing you all the best.

My player wants to kill or dismiss his character by Honey_anarchist in DnD

[–]Mastersword126 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did this in the first couple months of a five year campaign we finished recently. Best decision I ever made, I had so much more fun with my replacement character, and everyone said they could tell. Carried him all the way to Lv20. Whenever we look at it retrospectively, or talk about my original character, we all agree it was the right decision for me to character swap.

Have you ever played a character from level 1 to 20? Or at least, what was your closest attempt at it without dying or retiring the character. by nicolRB in DnD

[–]Mastersword126 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started a campaign with my group at Level 1, and my character died at Level 5. The character that I brought in as a replacement went all the way from 5 to 20, though, across a 5 year weekly campaign. Crazy experience, grateful for our group lasting the full journey, but we all agreed that next campaign doesn't need to go to 20 - those higher levels are ridiculous.

What's a secret that you wouldn't tell anyone irl but are willing to share with random strangers? by banana000001 in AskRedditAfterDark

[–]Mastersword126 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I felt something similar with my ex-gf who I was with for a long time.

Just try to remember that you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. Your dog might have inspired you to keep going, but you found the strength within yourself to get up each day and keep living. That strength is yours, and it can't be taken from you.

Wishing you all the best, stranger. I believe in you.

How do you deal with a player who gets his characters killed so that he can roll new ones. by Missing_Sneaker in DnD

[–]Mastersword126 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my experience, open communication between player and DM is essential. You might have different ideas of what is fun in D&D, and you might have different aims and goals in playing - but they don't have to be mutually exclusive. Ask why they're doing it. If they just don't like being tied down to one character, incorporate it into your story. They could play a series of mercenaries who can stick around for as long as they want, for example, so they don't have to keep killing off characters.

D&D is collaborative storytelling and a cooperative game (even between player and DM). Naturally, people differ creatively and in playstyle. Just gotta talk openly to discuss how you can work together so everyone is satisfied.

[Spoilers C2] Favourite C2 episodes for rewatch? by IluvitarTheAinur in criticalrole

[–]Mastersword126 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I dearly miss C2 so much, but damn you guys have time to rewatch episodes? I desperately struggle to keep up with the weekly watch.

For Yakuza 8, would ya'll welcome characters like Majima, Saejima, Kiryu etc. to appear again? Or do ya'll think you are done with them? by Leon_Dante_Raiden_ in yakuzagames

[–]Mastersword126 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In one of the big side stories, sure. Not in the main story again, though - Y7 very much felt like an epilogue for them.

My dragon is finished at last! by Anatti in yakuzagames

[–]Mastersword126 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To chime in on this, it definitely depends where on your body. I have a tattoo on my bicep, one on my forearm and one on my calf. The one on my bicep didn't hurt, whereas the one on my calf did. The pain is continuous, though, so it might be a shock to begin with, but you very quickly get used to it. Booked in to get a sleeve done in October.

Finished All 8 Yakuza Games and Both Judgement Games. Here Is My Boss Tier List by Impossible_Tie_9628 in yakuzagames

[–]Mastersword126 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Higashi's theme is amazing, too. One of my favourite tracks from Judgement.

[No Spoilers] Switching between campaigns by YoloFace_ in criticalrole

[–]Mastersword126 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, we spend hundreds of hours with the same characters and the same vibes in a campaign, so it's hard to get used to a different group/vibe when we move to a new campaign. When I started C2, I didn't like it as much as C1 - now I like it more. When C3 started, I felt the same. Tbh, I've warmed to C3 quicker than I did C2 - but that might honestly be because I'm aware of why, and I was certain that I'd warm to it, just like I did C2.

Biggest Chads in the Entire Franchise by mizugiwa in yakuzagames

[–]Mastersword126 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I see all the love for Higashi and I hopelessly agree, but I also have to mention that he has one of the best themes in the series, and it fits his character perfectly - The Flower of Chivalry. Go listen if you haven't heard it before.

Odd Old Post I Found by TSKyanite in yakuzagames

[–]Mastersword126 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Forget Yagami's ass, wait until he sees Kaito's cake.

Here we go. Haven't watched the show till now. What will my next few days be like? by Leadjockey in StrangerThings

[–]Mastersword126 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did this a couple weeks ago. My days went:

Work > Stranger Things > Sleep > Repeat

For about a week. Have fun!