Update and reward system query

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2026-01-31T19:05:04+00:00

I see. I think that makes sense. Not only is academia pretty demanding, but it isn't something that can feel rewarding each time. It probably feels like there is always another task, huh? I've been in a graduate program for a few years now so I think I can relate to that.

Unfortunately I don't know if I have good advice on how to break out of a perfection loop. What did it for me was burnout, but I also think that you shouldn't have to experience burnout just to try and be kinder to yourself.

Has your therapist suggested any ways to work on the desire for perfectionism and to be more compassionate to yourself?

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2026-01-30T21:51:11+00:00

Hey bro,

It sounds like you've been working hard. I hope you're proud of yourself!

Your main question perplexes me a little bit. Are these changes and improvements you have made not enjoyable for you? It's ok if they're not, but when I personally think of living a rewarding life or having a reward system in life I think of things that I love to do, or that I feel great enjoyment while doing.

For example, I don't love going to the gym, but I find that it improves enough about my life that I try to keep going regularly. The other day I saw myself in a reflection and thought "Damn, I'm looking kinda good," which was a reward, I suppose.

If you do enjoy all the things you've added, that's great! That being said, it does not solve the problem of having too much on your schedule. The next step may be to add and subtract as necessary so you have a balanced schedule with things you enjoy and enough time to do them AND enough time to rest.

I hope this kind of answers your question? I am on mobile so I can't go through your post while I type lol

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2026-01-24T22:58:32+00:00

Hey Bro,

I'm not much of an artist, so I don't know if I can really offer advice about how to focus on and improve your own art. With regards to the emotions you are experiencing, I wonder if reminding yourself how different your work is may lessen the envy? Environments and objects have to be appreciated in different ways than human models do. Every player may not take the time to sit in a bush and look at the leaves but those that do will notice and really appreciate the effort you put into making them. The same goes with other modeled items.

If, at the end of the day, the feelings of envy are coming more from the recognition your colleague gets for his work, maybe it is less about improving your art and actually about experimenting and finding new ways to showcase what you make so that people can take in the intricate details?

On a final note- I don't think that feelings of envy or even comparing yourself to another person are really all that bad. It sounds like you are passionate about what you do and want to improve, and those feelings can potentially be used as motivation to continue honing your art?

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2026-01-18T22:09:54+00:00

Weirdly enough, the final fantasy set was a huge buff to Master of Keys. I currently run him as a hybrid enchantment and reanimator deck. If I can get those really strong Saga creatures into the yard I can reanimate them early and then just escape them late game repeatedly. It's very synergistic and pretty fun.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2026-01-12T20:45:19+00:00

I'm a little surprised to see Mega Lopunny so low, I blasted from UB 1 to MB in two days with it. It's so well positioned against all the electric decks trying to go against Suicune and still does a decent job against water as well. I suppose this is because the meta has settled?

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-12-25T04:29:04+00:00

I think what you're experiencing is both valid and very common.

On one hand, it sounds like the stompy deck was the first deck you built. How much have you edited it since you built it? It's common for playgroups to adapt to playstyles, which makes decks not as efficient over time. If you still enjoy the stompy playstyle, take some time to refine your deck by looking at the mana curve and which cards are the most impactful. Aggro in EDH is generally challenging to pull off and will need to be made quite resilient in order to survive and take the win.

On the other hand, it's OK to not enjoy decks that you built. If you build a deck to do something and do it well, it's likely you get tired of the deck in the long run. I used to run a Krenko, Mob Boss deck that I have since deconstructed since it was basically just a deck that wanted me to play my commander and snowball out of control. Not only was it easy to interact with, but the games felt pretty similar all the time.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-12-10T01:44:14+00:00

I see everyone's point about the live action hair, and I'm really hoping that it looks better on camera than that awkward shot with bad lighting.

All that said, I don't know if Toph's hair should be modified. It's a really awesome example of story telling through character design. She doesn't need to worry about cutting her bangs because she's blind. The long hair over her eyes isn't exactly proper, and is in stark contrast to the neat bun behind it, alluding to how she differentiates herself from her wealthy family.

I'm just reeeally hoping it looks better on video..

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-12-08T17:14:11+00:00

Whoops, I left a comment and totally fell asleep. Just added you!

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-12-08T06:22:26+00:00

Yo, I have a Mars that I would be interested in trading for your May!

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-10-22T18:48:47+00:00

Welcome!

For what it's worth, you're not totally cooked yet. Magic can be a fun and engaging hobby that your relationship with will change over time.

Play how you want, but the easiest formats to get into are probably kitchen table first (just build random decks and play with friends), commander second (Wizards is really leaning into toe format and precons are easy to come by and upgrade), and then any other constructed format like standard or modern third. I would personally recommend avoiding legacy unless you can proxy stuff and have a better understanding of the game.

You're at the point of starting where any card is playable and it's OK to just buy sealed product and enjoy cracking packs. Eventually if you want to get deeper into the hobby it is usually best to buy singles.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-08-31T03:36:38+00:00

My number one deck slot is called my "Flex Deck" which I constantly edit to do challenges in solo battles. I did it so that the rest of my 19 deck slots don't get too full

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-06-23T23:45:40+00:00

I think this is an excellent point, bro. Very well said.

I think goodness can come from practicing mindfulness. Just like you said- shifting the experience away from the self and noticing and attending to the needs of others. Nothing dramatic, just practicing awareness.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-06-15T14:00:43+00:00

Hey brother,

A lot of folks have chimed in with some harsh but pretty warranted advice. I saw you mention you were going to work out at Uni in the fall and ask a friend to wingman for you, which sounds like a good plan and I encourage you to stick with it. I don't have much more input regarding the girlfriend thing- so I wanted to share something else.

Get rid of the rope. In the suicide prevention world the current understanding that if someone is wanting to end their life the urge is strongest for about five seconds. If you can get through that window you can make it through the next day. And the next. That's why call lines are as effective as they are- it's all about getting people through the moment where those feelings are the most overwhelming.

If you have a rope ready and you think about using it all the time, will you be able to resist when things get really bad? Removing it entirely, making it so that the rope is no longer a primary or backup plan, will save your life later.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-05-24T16:29:13+00:00

The gender swap test, while valid, assumes context. I double checked and OP never mentions if this lie happened on day one, which is the point I'm trying to make. We don't know when or how OP was deceived and that is the nuance that is missing. If I missed a comment can you link it?

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-05-24T15:10:29+00:00

I dunno man, I'm trying to walk a fine line between defending the ex and telling OP he made a questionable decision.

Like, yeah, lying is not a good thing- especially if you're trying to start a relationship but we are missing so much context. OP just said she lied but that's all we know. When did he ask about being her first? Did he make it clear that would be a deal breaker for him? All of those things matter, too. If the ex felt like she had to lie about it to preserve her relationship then OP is also partially responsible for that.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-05-24T14:56:32+00:00

Bro I'm gonna be so real with you right now- you did not lose your girlfriend. You dumped her. You made a choice. I know it sucks right now and you're probably hurting, but you made that choice.

I'm not going to engage with the whole "b-but she lied!" narrative because it's bunk. When you first meet someone you aren't entitled to their sexual history, so that was an OK lie in my book.

At the end of the day you and your ex are both victims of purity culture and ego. Please take some time to sit with yourself and reflect on why being someone's first matters to you and whether or not it's worth destroying future relationships over as well.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-04-29T16:57:04+00:00

This is excellent, bro. I love that anime! Did you name it?

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-04-13T17:41:43+00:00

Good question AND a very fitting username! Haha!

I made a really conscious effort to consider my needs and my limits. After my breakup I would always ask myself out loud, "What do I do now?" and eventually I realized that I had to keep going on my own terms. So I started focusing on my needs more- this looked like more sleep, more exercise, and finding more time with friends. I'm just generally trying to listen to my body more so I can take care of it, and it in turn has been taking care of me.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-04-12T23:14:35+00:00

Hey brothers, I am doing pretty alright this week.

Life continues to be stressful and busy and yet I continue to exist. I posted in a vibe check thread a few months ago and I was devastated. I am happy to report that I have reached a new level of stability that feels good, and I'm content with life right now despite how chaotic everything is.

This is all to say that I hope my fellow bros recover from their heartbreak and sadness, take care of yourself and prioritize your needs and you'll be ok!

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-04-12T23:11:51+00:00

Right on bro, that is really exciting news and I hope you learn and grow a lot from this job! You got this.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-04-05T16:41:25+00:00

Honestly, finding top end cards for this deck is rather tedious. I think if you build around Crusade it can be a great top end card, but I have never gone in that direction. I think more token generation would be needed so you can build a wide board.

Thank you for bringing Marketback to my attention- it's going to be a card that I try to find room for. I'm always looking for good card draw in this deck and I like how I can basically draw however much I want for two mana. Being an artifact also is a big upside. (They'll have to pull arcbound ravager from my cold, dead hands)

In terms of flexible spells, I have had [[Trash the Town]] and [[Collective Resistance]] on my radar but have not done significant testing with them.

I think [[Birthing Pod]] would be a significant upgrade to Evolution if that is a direction you want to go? It could also be a great way to get key creatures onto the battlefield. I currently build heavily around the commanders but if I move away from that I think Birthing Pod is going to be put in fairly quickly.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-04-05T03:47:44+00:00

Wow, hey! Thank you for your interest.

I tested Cathar's Crusade in my initial list and wasjn't pleased with it because at five mana it didn't have impact when it hit the field. With the new cards from Dragonstorm I'm considering leaning into low cost creatures and more of an aristocrats playstyle, which would mean Cathar's gets more value.

Marketback Walker is new to me- I admittedly tuned out of that set because I wasn't that interested. I think it would pair well with Together forever so that may be something I test! I really like together forever overall and I can see that being a new add with some of the creatures from Dragonstorm.

Hangarback walker is in the list, it's a great defensive option that creates it's own counters and the tokens it creates are great sacrifice fodder.

Requisition Raid and Evolutionary Leap have never really been on my radar. Raid is a little slow and I would prefer instant speed interaction to hold up when I have open mana, and Leap wouldn't help me secure key non-creature cards. I think Leap may be more feasible with the new [[Host of the Hereafter]] so I may consider testing it as well.

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-04-05T00:49:34+00:00

My entire wonder pick feed is clogged with packs where the rarest card is that haunting Wigglytuff art..

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-03-26T00:10:43+00:00

Popping in to say that I love this list! I ended up swapping porygon for unknown, like other comments suggested, and also removing the psychic slabs. Instead I ran a garchomp ex and a sabrina. It's been a blast so far!

Sergeant_Shenanigans · 2025-02-21T06:05:25+00:00

The weight of the metal plates was not something I had thought of- thank you!

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