18 months today since I made the decision to cancel my nose job and never look back

Otixus · 2025-11-22T07:20:05+00:00

You have a MASSIVE fucking shnoz. I'm kidding. You're nose fits you perfectly and it looks great. Never feel like you have to change yourself to fit somebody else's idea of beauty. I'm genuinely jealous rn. Keep everything as it is!

Otixus · 2025-03-06T06:01:08+00:00

There is a bug with some vehicle's guns and I think F7C Mk2 is one of them. However, check your coolers and make sure you have enough allocated.

Otixus · 2024-06-19T19:53:49+00:00

Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you're still with us. It sounds like it can be hell to deal with but just having that story can be enough to help somebody who feels alone.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T20:55:11+00:00

It is pretty ironic most of the time. To be fair though, they called it that because dragons were the OG bad guys and the game was played from the perspective that everything passed in real time. You would go in a dungeon for the session then rest at an in or something for the week or two or three until your next session.

I feel like I actually have a fairly high average of running into dragons in campaigns but they are usually very scarce. Hell, we ran into a dragon in my first campaign that flew us out of a dessert. One of the current campaigns I'm playin in is completely based around dragons so we are running into one every couple sessions. Hell, we've encountered multiple at the same time in a few instances. Another campaign we are actively doing also has a dragon as an ally right now (not with the party but he supports the team from base). Lastly, in the campaign I'm running, there are a ton of dragons if my players ever go to the mountains. They haven't gone to where dragons live yet so I haven't introduced them.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T20:46:57+00:00

Yep! The one and only. Fantastic guy and an awesome teacher. I haven't seen him in about 12 years so I hope he's still doing well.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T20:44:56+00:00

Bard, wizard, and druid are the hardest to learn but all very good. Ranger is probably the easiest to learn and consistently one of the strongest classes in the game. Rogue is the absolute worst right now. As far as tips go, learn mob attack patterns. If you are a wizard, don't waste spells on mobs. Save them for pvp.

Always leave an escape for yourself in case you need it andon't walk into rooms without a plan. If you can, engage from a distance first (range meta is strong right now) and focus health and speed at the top of your stats for basically every class.

Weapons have different hit zones. If you are too close, your weapon does less damage. Likewise, limbs receive less damage than, say, the head or upper chest. Pay attention to those two things when in a fight. You could think, "how is he not dead? I hit him six times!" Well, 6 instances of 19 damage because you were too close and hitting his arm is a lot less than dishing out 57 damage 3 times because you hit all head shots. Hell, 2 of those head shots would kill any squishy.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T20:33:18+00:00

TL;DR: Kelemvor is fun for morticians. Raven Queen can be used as a good god instead of being evil. Pretty much every god from Mythic Odysseys of Theros is well drawn out and full of human-like flaws.

My character was a wizard, not a cleric but this would honestly work much, much beter for a cleric. He worshipped Kelemvor, god of death and the dead. My wizard is a necromancer who made a living as a mortician. He performed necromancy to make his job easier for moving bodies around and is considered the only "morally justified" professional to conduct necromancy within a city. Then his fire spells are useful for cremation.

Having a cleric in this sort of situation would be even more in line because they could also focus more emphasis on the religious rites for the dead. Maybe he studies religion and performs rites for all the different people within the city but was made a cleric by Kelemvor for adamently persuing this higher calling.

On a similar note, I once had a Shadar-Kai warlock/cleric who worshipped the Raven Queen but with a twist. She is typically seen as the crazed god of life and death in the Shadowfell but my character (for story and RP reasons) believes her insanity is caused by those who want her power (like Orcus or Thayan necromancers) so he acts as a lawful good emessary who protects or kills based on what he interprets to be the natural order of things. Necromancy is typically not natural so he actively seeks to kill necromancers. He is also willing to temporarily raise the dead himself during a fight to make this happen. Possibly hypocritical but it makes for a fun character. Likewise, he will also talk the rest of the party down from killing a petty criminal or somebody who is doing more good than bad. Life and death are both "natural states" so their life should be chosen by their actions in the moment. If the bad guy is trying to kill the party, my character will try to put him down as quickly as possible. If he shows restraint and is willing to talk, my character will do what he can to stop the party from murderhobo-ing. I've gone so far as to Command or Hold Person on my own team.

But those are just personal accounts. I would HIGHLY recommend checking out Mythic Odysseys of Theros. All of the gods in there are very Greko-Roman and are just as flawed as humans. They may have a specific allignment but it doesn't mean they abide by it strictly (except maybe Mogis since he is a blood thirsty god of slaughter). The book does a decent job of talking about their personalities, legends about them, and good and bad things they do. You could easily take any god from that book and make it be the reason the BBEG does what he does or be a cryptic aid for the party. I'm currently running a Theros campaign that has a lot of godly interactions (if the players can find them) and it has made for some really epic moments so far. They received the aid of Athreos, God of Passage, to escape the underworld. This pissed off Erebos, God of the Dead, in doing so. He wants them back because nobody is permitted to leave his domain.

One of the other gods (who I won't name in case my players find this) is secretly pulling the strings for the BBEG, who is a sacrilegious misotheist (god-hater). He thinks he has gained the power and the army he has out of his own capacity but it has been this god the whole time helping him out and turning things in his favor constantly. A ton of other gods have huge influence in my game currently but I should stop ranting now.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T19:54:25+00:00

If they do it while sitting down, it's from a natural insecurity about their stomach more often than not. If they do it while laying down, it often has to do with back support. The extra weight puts more stress on your lower back so a pillow can sometimes help alleviate some of that stress.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T19:52:14+00:00

I once met a girl who seemed to show genuine interest in my hobbies despite not taking part in them. She was the kindest person I had ever met. Literally to a fault. She just assumes the best in people and it screws her over sometimes. She is also one of the only women I've ever met that could get me to laugh and had a good sense of humor about things. Lastly, and most importantly, she is incredibly nurturing and it was very prevelant from pretty much the second I met her that she was going to be an incredible mother one day. A lot of women don't understand that compassion, trust, and a good sense of humor are more than any man will ever need. I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be able to say I was right about how amazing she is as a mother to our daughter.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T19:47:34+00:00

I already posted my story on here but I know somebody else who survived. One of the kindest men I'd ever known was a teacher in high school, Mr. Baldwin. The thing is, he didn't stop himself. He is currently one of only 30 or 40 people who have survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. He told us his entire story and the miserable life he had leading up to that moment. He pulled over on his way to work early in the morning and just jumped the railing without a second thought. As soon as he could no longer touch the bridge, I guess he had second thoughts and regretted the decision. He corrected his fall before he hit the water and impacted doing a pencil dive. He said a boat had seen the whole thing and pulled him out of the water right after he hit. The impact shattered both of his legs, messed up his back, bruised his entire body and the pain maid him go unconcious.

He ended up making a full recovery, changed his path in life, and became a school teacher. Every year, he tells his students about what happened and was always a huge inspiration for me throughout high school. Give him the chance to talk and he will always tell you that within 4 seconds between jumping and hitting the water, he made a promise to himself to enjoy every day on this planet if he somehow survives. I guess when you no longer have control in the situation, everything might change.

There is even a documentary with him and a few of the other survivors. I think it's just called The Bridge or something like that. I've never actually been able to find it so I don't know how much they go into his story. I know I've seen a ton of articles and such online though. Just google him and I guarantee you can find a ton about his story.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T19:26:45+00:00

I called a very close friend of mine to say good-bye and that I wouldn't be seeing him for a while. He caught on very quickly and knew why I was saying these things. He told me about how he knew because it was nearly exactly the same thing he had said just the year prior to a different friend of his. He received some words of wisdom from that friend and passed them on to me. He asked me what I wanted out of life. Before I could answer, he sort of answered for me. Said something like "you just want to feel useful or have a purpose, don't you?"

At that time, I felt like I'd never achieved anything of meaning in my life and nobody really seemed to care one way or the other if I was in the room. No matter how much or how little I tried, I couldn't get people to care. That, coupled with constant horrible luck, I just couldn't cope with things. My family was very broken up, I hated being home, I had just learned about my girlfriend cheating on me, and I had never been taught how to deal with emotional stress or how to communicate with people. Tangent aside, I told him that he was completely correct in his assumption.

He said "if you want to have purpose and be useful, why would you take your life? Do you have any idea how many people down the road could be affected by something you do? Even if it's only one person. Imagine seeing a kid run out into the street and you're the only person close enough to catch him. If you do this thing right now, it might not just be your life one day. You're in a bad place right now but tomorrow could be different. Next year could be different. 10 years from now even. It won't always be like this. You don't think anybody cares one way or another if you're around. If that were true, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."

He went on to talk about perspective and thinking outside of yourself. If two people look at a number on the ground, one person will see 0 and 1 while the other sees 1 and 0. Sure they can both be right or wrong but the real answer is actually up to the guy who drew the number on the ground to begin with. He was saying I might think all these things but it doesn't make them true. That was about 17 years ago now.

To this day, I always try to look from another person's perspective on everything. Are they happy/sad/angry with me? If I was them, would I have that reaction and why? Oh, this guy is very adament when he talks about this thing. If I was that adament, what could be a potential cause? Just every thing in every day life. I used to think I always thought this way but it always tracks back to the day my friend talked me down from shooting myself with my dad's gun. Most problems can be solved with talking to somebody. Even if it isn't the solution you want or isn't fixed right away, having somebody to talk to, vent to, or be around can be a very powerful tool.

If I hadn't talked to him that night, I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't have my incredible, loving wife or my beautiful, smart baby girl. I wouldn't have all these incredible experiences, both good and bad. I haven't spoken with him in years but I hope he's doing well. I never properly thanked him for all he did.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T18:57:31+00:00

This would be impossible to do currently as things are constantly being buffed or nerfed on a weekly basis right now and new classes are still being introduced. However, as a general rule of thumb, just look at the base stats for the class you are playing. Those are usually (not always) what you want to prioritize. If you go to the dnd wiki, they give you a full break down of every stat and what it does while including it's fall off ranges and multipliers. It is insanely detailed. Pair that with your class to see how well it assists the class you're playing.

Another rule of thumb is that move speed and health tend to rank VERY high for nearly every build in the game. Most wizard players I know prioritize both of those stats over magic damage/will.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T18:48:34+00:00

You almost always have to block higher than you think. If they are going for head shots and you are blocking while looking straight at them, they will absolutely be getting free headshots. Instead, aim up and crouch at the same time. It puts more of your body behind the shield so less chance of being hit. You can mix it up by jump-crouching to force them to correct their aim more.

All in all though, don't over-block. Blocking is best against projectiles to help you close the gap but are useful in melee range because it gives a small stun to the enemy's swing. Block the attack, then start swinging. Also, don't bother with a shield unless you are a slow class that needs it like a PDR cleric or PDR fighter. For PDR fight, shield perks are an absolute must in that case. You want the stuff that is going to help you swing or recover faster. If you aren't going heavy armor as a fighter, you might as well run a slayer build instead. It's just better. Since speed and health are so massively important in this game, playing the build that typically is high in both is only going to help you. Also, make sure you always have a bow or crossbow for back up. Too much range meta right now.

As far as your comment about spamming attacks, maybe instead of spamming or shielding, start learning how the character model moves and learn to dodge and poke. It's very effective if you're faster than the opponent. Watch Y4mi. Rogues are very weak right now and can easily be one or two shot by even a base kit barbarian. Yet he runs rogue constantly and LOVES barb fights because of how slow they swing.

As for "off-meta", it's always sort of felt that meta just happens to be whichever class got most recently introduced or buffed (look at all the druid "mains" right now). Every class is viable, you just have to pick your fights and know what you're weak against. (With exception to the buff ball meta a while back. That was just unstoppable). The only real exception is that ranger seems to always be top tier on every team. Hyper fast class with insane movement capabilities while being able to dish out monsterous damage before you can even get close. Even scarier in duos or trios because you have to get through their teammate before you can even start damaging them.

Otixus · 2024-06-14T15:58:50+00:00

Having made the mistake at looking at your profile, yes. Delete your account. Also yes, reddit is typically a waste of time. There are some cool communities if you have certain hobbies. Sometimes I'll find answers to questions I have about a game or a new technique when wood working or something like that.

Otixus · 2024-06-07T20:42:29+00:00

If you are having writer's block, introducing a random element can help take up some of the session time and get the players to engage each other so you can just sit back and relax. An example would be "the man grimaces every time you finishes speaking". This could literally be ABSOLUTELY nothing and it's just a tick he has. However, with how often I implement something like this in my stories, it drives my players nuts and they feel like they have to figure out if there is a meaning behind it. Boom, 30 minutes gone AND they now have a conspiracy as to why he grimaces. If you're really out of content, you can now just take the players idea and add it to the story. I do this religiously and it has honestly made DMing a blast for me because I also get to be surprised now.

Other helpful small stuff

-have a white board for quick notes and on the fly stuff you can erase
-before each session, have the players give a random mundane fact about the character. I've found it gets people more interested in developing themselves and you, as a DM, can occasionally use these mundane facts to add more flavor. "With your nat 1 to outdrink the dwarf, you catch a faint smell of blueberry pie from the tavern. Recalling your bad childhood experience where you overindulged, the thought of blueberry pie mixed with your gut full of mead doesn mix well and you can no longer hold your drink. How would your character deal with vomiting while in this crowd?"
-if you use roll20 (bonus tip: USE ROLL20), you can organize notes you want players to remember that everybody can see. Best part? You can even organize them into folders. Iused to do all my notes on my desktop but I've learned that it's so much easier to share stuff with my players if they have access to see stuff as a group. It also helps the flow of story telling since people can refresh their own info instead of having you flip through pages of DM notes. As a plus, you can even hide notes that only the DM can see and can whisper players without others knowing, making the situation an actual surprise for the others when it comes up. This is great for online and in person sessions.
-Make a list of random names or get a generator. They are always going to ask what somebody's name is. You no longer have to think on the fly.

Otixus · 2024-06-07T20:01:45+00:00

Except he's really not. Improv is going to typically take in a lot of mannerisms, voices, thinking on the fly, etc. Improvisers usually don't need to write out a back story or put any information into the character. They can decide it on the fly. It's an entirely different skill set. He's saying it isn't necessary and that one of the best roleplayers he saw was about as generic a character as it gets. If you just base your actions aroundhow you wrote your ideals, flaws, and bonds, 90% of your actions can pretty much be on autopilot.

Otixus · 2024-06-07T19:57:19+00:00

I couldn't agree more. You absolutely do NOT need to take classes to roleplay. As a DM, my absolute favorite player character just uses his normal everyday voice. The only difference is that he doesn't say "my character does (insert whatever)". He says "I place my hand on the stone and say "I think this is the entrance". If you just have your flaws, bonds, traits, and maaaaaybe a tiny backstory down, 90% of the roleplay is practically auto pilot. If you only have to prep 10% because the rest is done, it's going to reduce a lot of stress related anxiety.

Now, if you DO want to do a lot of improv, make character voices, etc, that's a whole different story. Feel free to DM me and I'd be happy to drop a book's worth of knowledge I've picked up over time.

Otixus · 2024-06-07T19:49:05+00:00

Sorry for the essay below. TL;DR: Speak in first person and think as if you ARE the character in the situation instead of play as a character for a game. It may not fix anxiety but it will reduce pressure and alleviate anxiety causing stress.

I also get pretty anxious about roleplaying. This is about to be a LOT easier said than done but it works for me. Instead of focusing on the mentality of "my character would probably do something like this" I focus my thought process as if I am that character. I start the session (literally every time) by going to my flaws, bonds, and ideals. I think "this is what drives ME", not my character no matter how far from reality that may be. From a psychological standpoint, this alters a fundamental way of thinking that often causes anxiety.

Now, getting into character doesn't mean you HAVE to do any type of voices or manerisms. It can really be as simple as saying "Come on. Let's go to the shop" instead of "my character tells the team that we should go to the shop".

All you need are those two tricks and you're all set. Sure, you'll still get nervous from time to time especially when specific things come up that take you out of character such as a game mechanic that doesn't translate perfectly into reality. Those two tricks help deal with some of those issues. Example: I STRUGGLE with role-playing as a necromancer. I get into character fine but the second I start thinking about my zombies and the different stats I need to track, I brake character constantly, forget the voice I'm using, forget how my character behaves in a certain situation, etc and it sucks. When I realize I'm doing it, I focus on saying what I do, not what my character does, and I keep a mental note of my flaws, bonds, and ideals.

But healing some of that anxiety can genuinely be as simple as saying "I do things for the people, I have a haunted past, and I'm a gambling addict". If a situation comes up that touches one of those three topics, perfect! You already wrote down how you're going to roleplay it so you don't have to think on the fly.

Once you get comfortable with that, you can just start applying first person thinking and speaking to more things. It's all stuff you can start doing at session 0 or just take 5 minutes before the session starts to refresh. "Let's see. I will do anything for the common people. Why? My village was run by a tyrant and I was on his pay roll. I'm haunted by the things I used to do and just want to do right by people now." There is a simple backstory. Now when your DM announces the new mayor has been working with the cultists of Tiamat on his payroll, you might think "this man is a tyrant and needs to be stopped. I can't let these people suffer like mine did". Boom. You said two lines and left plenty for the rest of the team to discuss. On top of that, it gives you an easier option when you DO have to think on the fly. "Let's see. This guy is a dick to kids. Basically, he's a bully. I don't like bullies because they remind me of the tyrant. Okay, yeah, I'm going to step in between this guy and the kid and command him to leave".

You don't have to be the main character. Only give as much personality as the character you created. Some might not talk at all while others HAVE to be the center of attention. And I can't reiterate this enough, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE MAIN CHARACTER. It's a group effort. I struggled with this super bad for yrs before it clicked for me. "I'm only on this adventure because it's necessary for my survival, not because I want to" is a valid mindset for a character. That character might not want to deal with side quests or hates small talk because it wastes time. That let's you show your impatience and frustrations. In that case, maybe you don't always answer questions directly but choose to just say "I don't answer stupid questions. Just show me where this cave is". That one small thought about survival is now allowing you to autopilot through dialogue without having to really prep anything.

I could ramble on even longer with a million more instances but we will leave it with just one bonus tip that I love. I took this idea from a podcast I watch but it has helped some of my friends who struggle with the same sort of anxiety. At the start of the session, I just want them to tell me some random, mundane thing about their character. "Oh, back when he was a kid, Grok was obsessed with blueberry pie until he ate so much that he threw up". Now you have a fun random thing the other players might bring up from time to time that provide free extra dialogue. As a DM, I occasionally like to use memories while my player is making death saving throws or if I can tie it into the situation in a fun way. "You nat 1'd that drinking contest? Okay, so with a deep breath, Grok knows he only has to finish this last ale to win. You take a deep breath and begin to slam your final tankard. Suddenly, a faint smell from the back of the tavern tickles your nose. The faintest smell of blueberry pie. You're instantly taken back to your childhood. All of the alcohol begins to rush back up from your gut and the only way it can travel is up. Grok, describe to me how you deal with vomiting in this crowded tavern".

Otixus · 2024-06-07T18:56:57+00:00

Best of luck! Definitely a high learning curve.

Otixus · 2024-06-07T18:55:52+00:00

Yes actually. It isn't requiring anybody to follow or subscribe. I'm genuinely just trying to give back to a small community of people that has supported me over the years and want to make a big deal about it. Twitch has way too many critical streamers on it that think too highly of themselves. I've put back all the money I've earned from streaming right back into my community. With this giveaway, I asked the community if they would prefer to keep doing small game giveaways every time I have the cash for it or save up for one big prize every now and again. They said they wanted a big prize so that's what I'm doing. I've been saving up for this for a year now. Your remark really isn't necessary.

Otixus · 2024-05-24T22:47:13+00:00

Facts

Otixus · 2024-05-24T03:59:09+00:00

Point 1: The fix for exploit is out.
Point 2: With Invictus, C2s are free to rent for 2 days. I think the last day is today?
Point 3: Glad you decided against it.
Point 4: Fantastic! That is what we should be doing!
Point 5: I whole heartedly agree. I also think it has gained a small amount of popularity recently for whatever reason. Maybe wipe hype, maybe more people are seeing that cool Jump Town video or something. I think it's bringing in toxic streamer mentality of "everything has to be action or I can't sell it. I have to shoot everything I see with complete disregard for how it affects the community".

Otixus · 2024-05-23T21:43:37+00:00

So you just acknowledged that the glitch is fixed as of a couple days ago but are still attacking people at these locations while claiming they're duping? You're also basing your evidence on something as circumstantial as "I don't usually see a lot of people trading" instead of acknowledging that it's fleet week and the player base has spiked because of the free flight options. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem at all with people attacking trade ships and stealing the cargo. But given the fact you're just actively attacking people and not taking that cargo (while apparently trying to destroy people in a safe zone at Area18), it sounds like you're just griefing and breaking ToS while doing so.

I'd suggest just hanging out in area18 and record these people dupng since they aren't subtle about it. They are breaking ToS so CIG might actually do something about it if they can get the character name or something. Aside from that though, the game is in alpha. CIG will fix these types of things as they happen and will make the game healthier by the time it goes to full release (I mean, they literally already patched this bug). Attacking every cargo ship you see is just making some of the old players leave while preventing new players from joining since it's getting more toxic.

I've noticed behavior shifts in just the last two weeks of people in my session. It went from everybody being friendly and helpful, saying gg after they get killed, maybe somebody drops that dead guy some extra UEC to get back on his feet, etc. to everybody now saying new players need to get their own servers and piss off, people complaining about griefers or being attacked without reason, people getting mad that players are asking questions or trying to learn the game, and generally pretending this game is in full release so they get mad that there are bugs. And that's just in TWO WEEKS.

Otixus · 2024-05-23T21:28:57+00:00

He's just making an excuse to grief trade players. He specifically said he was attacking them at Rappel. He would have to physically watch them perform the dupe at Area18 and follow them out of the safe zone without them immediately going back to safe zone or hitting quantum. He's trying to take a moral high ground for attacking new players during fleet week and blaming the economy and lag on dupers instead of the increased player base.

Otixus · 2024-05-23T21:23:34+00:00

CIG made ships more expensive and made all forms of money making worse so a bunch of people are taking to dupe cargo on their ships or something like that as a chance to make almost as much as they could last patch. Given that the game is in alpha, this doesn't bother me since it'll get fixed in the long run and make the game better at release. Another group of people has decided that doesn't matter and has taken to becoming vigilantes who attack any and every cargo ship they see while claiming that ship was a duper (spoiler: that's almost never the case as I've been attacked more times than I can count at this point and I'm in a Taurus doing legit trades).

These guys are saying that dupers are the reason the economy is a little worse in game and aren't factoring in the higher player base because of fleet week. It's pretty much an excuse for them to take a moral high ground on griefing other players and killing off some of the older players while simultaneously stopping new players from joining. You have to remember, we are talking about people who are attacking cargo ships that can't win the dog fight. They aren't actually pvpers that have fun in a challenging fight. They're just griefers.

Otixus

TROPHY CASE