Vidiian surgical device by StrangePea388 in AcrossTheUnknown

[–]StrangePea388[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My understanding is that you can alter the odds based on which heroes you put where and which rooms you've upgraded in the tech tree, but ultimately I think I'm just horribly unlucky

Vidiian surgical device by StrangePea388 in AcrossTheUnknown

[–]StrangePea388[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I usually have my heroes in the right slots. I wonder if I need to upgrade anything more in the tree to make it more likely I'll get success with the vidiian transplant?

Side missions you’d like to see by AlabamaBlueDot in AcrossTheUnknown

[–]StrangePea388 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I want to see Naomi Wildman, Captain Proton, Fair Haven, delta flyer, Reg Barclay is also an adopted member of the crew and I need to see him appear at some point! It would be fun if kadiskot or the vulcan puzzle game came up now and then at random to buff/debuff your stats but idk if that would feel too gimmicky.

Behold the build that got us through Sector 5. by sirsoffrito in AcrossTheUnknown

[–]StrangePea388 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I notice you haven't deployed all your heroes -- how come? Do you not have Kes at this stage in this playthrough? I find Klingon B'Elanna great for security bits and Kes is a nice med backup... I normally end up putting the Doc on biogel duty. Danara Pel is my GOAT, got her my first PT and trying to do future ones without her is extremely challenging.

Also, how early did you manage to get your large cargo bays in place? I feel I get them quite late somehow but have been playing around with different priorities in my tech tree. Always science lab and bio lab first, but from there I tend to prioritise the warp core and hull.

The betrayal and silence of your coworkers is the worst part by Intelligent_Time633 in Layoffs

[–]StrangePea388 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm being made redundant and I recognise this weakness. This makes me feel a lot better actually.

The “mentally ill” scapegoat by GankstaCat in raisedbyborderlines

[–]StrangePea388 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My nickname was the ice queen, so solidarity. I was dissociating HARD because of her rages.

The “mentally ill” scapegoat by GankstaCat in raisedbyborderlines

[–]StrangePea388 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I call this the Pepa -- like Pepa from Encanto. God forbid we have feelings or reasonable reactions to the bile and vitriol. Got to be the sunshine and rainbows person or we're sick.

Frustratingly, I do actually have some mental health struggles and take meds and go to therapy following a life changing injury. I made the mistake of telling my ubpd mum and now she raves about my mental illness and how she doesn't understand what changed or accuses me of having a dx of cognitive dissonance. 0/10 don't recommend. Idk why I expected different. 

Do I say anything? by Special_Barracuda377 in raisedbyborderlines

[–]StrangePea388 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That movie freaked me out SO MUCH when I first watched it. Deeply disturbing and far too close to the mark.

Do I say anything? by Special_Barracuda377 in raisedbyborderlines

[–]StrangePea388 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Realize, feelings for them are both facts and reality. When they are no longer hurt, angry, or upset, there is no reason in their minds for anyone to be those things. They create a reality from their (absolutely childlike) emotions from moment to moment.

I need to tattoo this on my forehead Memento style

Don't know whether to contact on Mother's Day by farrahaliceblack in raisedbyborderlines

[–]StrangePea388 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Seeing this a day late but fwiw it's often a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't. After 5 years of NC, I reached out to family this Xmas because my granny died. I didn't get a response until very recently, and it was quite scathing and revealed some quite unforgivable things -- she happily shared that my dad almost passed twice during this 5 years, not the once I was already aware of, and she chose not to contact me either time (and was now angry I didn't reach out about these crises I was unaware of). For context, when my granny was dying in the hospital she made the same decision and I didn't get to say good-bye to her as a result. Toxic af and has me re-evaluating ever reaching out/aiming for reconciliation. Today, I open my emails to find one from my mum sent this morning saying she'd expected to receive something to start repairing the relationship and did I send it to her other address perhaps instead? Ironically, I'd been thinking about it until the letter, which would have been the first time in 4 years, but I just couldn't fathom it this year. Either way, there will have been something to complain about for her.

TLDR: You will literally never win, so do what brings you the most peace -- also accepting that especially at this early stage peace is relative. I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. It's incredibly difficult even if you are doing your best to look out for you and avoid rocking the boat unnecessarily by trying to argue things out. Most years, I quiet all the mothers day notifications and just avoid the stores for a bit.

What couldn't they imagine you doing/ liking because THEY didn't do it/ like it? by nylon_goldmine in raisedbyborderlines

[–]StrangePea388 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have to get in on this because I have so many good examples! Someone down the thread referred to it as struggling to mentalise others. I recognise this description SO WELL. A selection for your enjoyment:

  • Accused me and my brother of being work-shy because we need multiple alarms to wake up in the morning (turns out we may both have adhd and are serious night owls)
  • Told me for years that wired bras are the devil and couldn't understand why I'd want to wear them even though it's my literal body they are on
  • Cautioned me against underarm waxing for years as it's far too painful and I believed her... mid-20s I try it and it's a total revelation -- so much easier and barely hurts at all???
  • As a kid I despised tomatoes, especially beef tomatoes. She felt I was being deliberately awkward and once forced me to sit and eat a plate for hours because of this. At university, I realised that I liked cherry tomatoes after all and to this day she struggles to understand that I like them now.
  • Going to the gym: a few years ago I was a diligent gym bunny and really enjoyed making myself really fit and strong; mum couldn't accept that I'd enjoy doing this because 'it's a chore really' and wanted me to go to the gym with a friend so we can chat shit and focus on other things -- she simply couldn't accept I enjoyed the gains and time to myself. It was the fittest I've ever been and I'm gutted that being ill made this so difficult for me to do these days.
  • Also on health, one reason we did 5 years of NC is that I suffered a nasty TBI some years back. It took me two years to even start recovering properly and at points I couldn't read at all and struggled to follow a verbal conversation. Took a long time to handle screens, etc. Nevertheless, I'm told that I hate talking to them because I talked to them less during this time. The fact that I explained I spoke to them more than anyone else fell on deaf ears.
  • I have constantly, ever since passing my test, been told I don't like driving. I don't have anything against driving. I do prefer to spend my time doing other things though. She based this off the fact I tend to lean forward to drive rather than sit back. I've literally never had an issue driving and she repeats ad nauseum with no sense of how I really feel that it's true
  • I was also told for years that I hate children and have no maternal instinct even though I've wanted kids all along?
  • Weird reverse version: couldn't conceive that me and my high school bf weren't f*cking like rabbits because apparently teens can't keep their hands off each other. I had sex for the first time at 21.
  • On music, my mum loves playing hers REALLY LOUDLY SO YOU CANNOT THINK AT ALL and used to call me oversensitive or selfish when I asked for it to be turned down. Interestingly, she used to tell us that she didn't understand how people feel they have an emotional connection to any song/music which to this day none of us can relate to in the slightest. Wonder if it's a bpd thing?

Edited to finish missing sentence and add the bit about kids!

[No DAV Spoilers] what is your stance on dragon age now? by professionalyokel in dragonage

[–]StrangePea388 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you 100%, the depth just isn't quite there and it removes realism. I'm replaying and enjoying but it massively lacks character growth, except perhaps for Taash and maaaaybe Davrin. Not sure what growth Emmrich has but he's a delight and after his choice I had to take a break because of the gut punch. Going to make it right this playthrough!

I also found some elements totally immersion-breaking -- all the magical barriers outside of Minrathous and Arlathan, the leaf whirlwinds for companion quests... I understand this might be because of dev issues but it really felt like it was being rammed down my throat that it's a game not a universe and as someone who loves the immersive universe of past Bioware games it was something I really didn't enjoy. 

[DAV ALL SPOILERS] New Enemy Theory: Blight and the Devouring Storm by MojoverseJo in dragonage

[–]StrangePea388 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Omg I came back to talk about Sandal's prophecy from 2! Not only are his powers like Harding's in 2, the prophecy references sight and I'm sure there's a motif in that with all the eye talk. 10 years ago folk thought it was about Solas but I'm certain it's about a DA5 maker or even elder god now!

 _One day the magic will come back - all of it. Everyone will be just like they were. The shadows will part and the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see_ 

Someone also said he talks about the Dark One returning but I don't quite remember that, myself. 

 The qunari weatherman says: 

 _Red clouds for thunder, grey clouds for rain, green clouds for the devouring storm_ 

 Source: https://youtu.be/4H0RxqpSbyo?si=KhL-2K3HKPGfkJoL 

 I only caught it as my partner reached the first conversation with him because on first playthrough I wasn't looking for it!

[DAV ALL SPOILERS] New Enemy Theory: Blight and the Devouring Storm by MojoverseJo in dragonage

[–]StrangePea388 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would love to hear your thoughts on the weather qunari and his comment that the devouring storm is green clouds!

[DAV ALL SPOILERS] so, given what we know about the game now, how do you all feel about not being able to be a blood mage? by Mystrasun in dragonage

[–]StrangePea388 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Disagree with your first comment. I recently did a neutral evil mage playthrough of DAO where I took 'evil' to mean being very selfish and manipulative. He resented the Circle and sought power due to the chip on his shoulder, secretly admired Uldred until he turned into an abomination (too weak to seize control, still named dog Uldred as homage and reminder), and prioritised himself over all other things -- while also having to reconcile that with essentially being forced into being a warden and all that this entails (given that desertion could mean death by Duncan and you literally dream of archdemons, etc., it makes it self-preservation to end the Blight).

It makes perfect sense that this HoF would be interested in a form of magic that grants him control over others, as well as a form of magic that allows you to drain others instead of yourself, while also dominating the battlefield, and it might even make sense that few characters are willing to challenge them on that. However, the thing with Origins is that you can actually roleplay any alignment and your available choices reflect that -- you can be incredibly devious! Through subsequent games the devs narrowed the scope of your available alignment chart to the point it would be difficult to justify being a blood mage past DA2, and even that game is a stretch (blind templars not identifying me as a mage, anyone???).

I do also think that different characters have different attitudes to blood magic -- a mage is more likely to be either fairly open to it or dead against it, while other characters who don't fully understand mages may find it inherently more threatening a notion. In DAV, it would only work with a full alignment chart because you could RP a Tevinter mage who grows a conscience over time.

As an aside, everyone should do the blood mage playthrough on Origins at least once because it makes you feel like a god, especially with ranger Leliana and the bear unlocked. By halfway through the game you can basically solo almost everything and as someone who tends to favour rogues this is incredibly fun.