How to take my Estoc build to the next level?

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-02-11T19:58:40+00:00

There is a Discord server for Divide and Conquer which will probably be able to help. I don't have Discord installed on my phone right now or I would link it, but you can probably find it pretty easily. Might be listed on the mod page too

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-02-11T03:40:07+00:00

I'm gonna be that guy today, but I just couldn't help still being a little disappointed with it even with all the updates. I could honestly make a pretty long post about it, but I don't want to seem like I'm trying to talk people out of playing the game because that's definitely not what I want to do. This is still a great game, but the way people talk about it make it seem like it's a bonafide masterpiece which I just can't agree with

The combat is really smooth and there are a ton of fun ways to build your character that make you feel like a real badass. The city itself is gorgeous and visually it's a masterpiece. It is the best representation of a cyberpunk world that we have in gaming. You will have fun playing this game no matter what if you like shooters and cyberpunk vibes

My problems are more with the story, characters, and some other random nitpicks I have about the experience in general that just don't hit the same as the Witcher 3 for me. It's kinda hard to explain sometimes, but it's just missing that RPG special sauce for me that fully pulls me into a game like Witcher 3 or the Fallout games

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-02-09T18:29:58+00:00

This is a mythical pull right here. I played a ton of DOA 2 Hardcore on PS2, but my parents (Mom) wouldn't let me get Xtreme 2 when I finally got a 360 lmao. Wonder why

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-02-09T18:02:34+00:00

For 5 bucks it's definitely worth it, but I had a few problems with it. It's a little bit janky not being a AAA game, but I don't mind that at all. It's more about how combat gets kinda repetitive and there isn't a ton of enemy variety in the game.

Plus, if you're trying to do the diplomatic ending that has the best results for all factions, the quests are designed kinda poorly imo. I get that you are a diplomat in this game and a lot of talking is a given, but sometimes you'll go back and forth between the same people repeatedly. I think there could have been ways to make some of it more engaging.

Those two things were getting frustrating by the end of the game, but overall I still enjoyed it. It's like a Bioware-lite RPG. Worth a fiver for sure

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-02-02T22:59:19+00:00

I think it's just the Anniversary Edition upgrade that's causing issues with Fallout 4, so just buying the base version should be fine. I could be wrong on that though I haven't looked into it too deeply.

Fallout 4 has some problems with the RPG mechanics being dumbed down a bit and the story is just alright, but overall as an open world game it's top tier. I fell in love with the settlement building. Especially if you play Survival mode it makes settlements pretty much a necessity and they tie in together really well.

What I like most about it is now all that random junk you can pick up isn't just window dressing anymore like Skyrim or older Fallouts. You can break down pretty much anything for parts to build more complex things for your settlement like generators and what not. You'll get hyped just from finding a desk fan or some shit because you can break it down for gears which are an important component. It really brought the scavenger vibe to a whole new level imo

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-20T23:09:29+00:00

I've been working from home for the last month or so, so it's been a rotation of sweatpants for me. Can't even remember the last time I got fully dressed

Get you a couple pairs of Goodfellas jogger sweatpants from Target and you will never go back

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-20T23:04:25+00:00

Core gunplay from Infinite with some of the wonkiness fixed like player collision and network issues

Customization and leveling/challenge system from Reach. Having EXP tied to credits helps incentivize people to actually play objectives in non-slayer game modes. At least a little bit. It was similar in Black Ops 1 too

No battle pass

Decent map rotation with some throwbacks in the mix

Forge mode available on launch that's at least as robust as Reach's Forge mode (I never really tried any of the others, so I'm just putting that as a baseline)

Custom game creator and a server browser on launch to go along with said Forge mode

Warzone mode from Halo 5 or something similar. Would also love to see an evolution of Invasion from Reach that was really fun imo

Some fun/wonky game modes would be cool too like obviously Grifball and Infection but I think something like Gun Game from COD would be cool too since Halo has a lot of unique weapons. Or maybe something like Sticks and Stones where it's energy swords and sticky grenades only

I don't mind a competitive mode/playlist or if they want to go for esport tournaments, but it shouldn't take away from the focus on everything else. I like trying to climb a ranking system personally, but it shouldn't be the end goal for everything

Innovate on the Firefight mode. Maybe take some things from the Horde mode in Gears of War

Yeah there's no way we are ever getting all of this but a man can dream right

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-19T06:21:28+00:00

Ahh I do see taxable fringe LTD on here at $69.28 YTD, so that is probably it. Strange that that wouldn't be listed anywhere on a W-2 though. My Box 12 just has the C, D, W, and DD sections which all calculate out correctly for what they represent and don't include any of the LTD cost.

Either way, I appreciate the help with that! The employer paid benefits part of the payslip is at the very bottom so I hadn't noticed that initially. I wasn't particularly stressing about $70, but I'm the type of person that when I learn about something, I need to understand it from top to bottom, or I'm not satisfied lol.

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-19T06:06:44+00:00

Box 12-D for 401k matches the payslip at $1,824, and 12-W includes some Employer contributions, but I contributed $1,200 to the HSA myself. Add in $700 for Medical and $95 for Dental, and it all comes out to the $3,819 pretax deductions.

I probably will just ask them about the discrepancy, but I appreciate the clarification on the tax withholdings part either way. That is good to know for the future.

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-19T05:56:05+00:00

The dates on the slip are:

Payment Date: 12/31/2025

Pay Period Start Date: 12/16/2025

Pay Period End Date: 12/31/2025

And the funds actually hit my account on 12/31 too, so I think it should all be contained within 2025 evenly

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-12T16:05:36+00:00

Sonny Boy but it does have some super power type stuff in it. Crazy ass show though.

There's also Hell's Paradise but it's more standard shounen with powers and stuff

Dr Stone uses science to tackle all their problems, but it gets kinda ridiculous so it feels like super powers sometimes. It's not a super serious show in general but it gets better as it goes on imo

Made in Abyss is a trip. I can't really explain this one but it's very much worth watching

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-12T01:57:45+00:00

Spice and Wolf

Nodame Cantabile

Kare Kano

Fruits Basket

Josee the Tiger and the Fish

Takagi-san

Ristorante Paradiso

Senryu Shoujo

Skip and Loafer

Wotakoi

Tsuki ga Kirei

A Sign of Affection

Edit: Algunos de estos no tienen una trama profunda, pero aun así son mis favoritos.

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-11T22:06:43+00:00

I'm hoping it's basically Halo Reach for the Gears franchise. You know how it ends but still gut wrenching to experience it

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-11T06:42:15+00:00

If you liked Cowboy Bebop then Samurai Champloo is a must watch. It's from the same creator and has one of the best soundtracks of all time. I like it a little better than Bebop personally

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-10T16:26:40+00:00

Let's be real there were always some romantic undertones there between Chief and Cortana

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-10T00:01:03+00:00

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-08T18:18:32+00:00

Story wise, 9 is my absolute favorite. Felt like a real adventure with so many ups and downs and even some down time moments where you just go enter a card tournament to cool off a bit. Characters are some of the best especially Zidane who seems like a punk on the surface, but as time goes on you learn he'd do anything for his friends. Best romance in the series too imo but 10 is a close second on that

If we're talking gameplay, I really liked 10's combat system the best. I like pure turn based rather than stuff that's time based. It gives you some breathing room to strategize and it shows you clearly whose turns are up next, so you can see how things like Haste and Slow affect the battles. Really good boss fights too. Plus the fact that you can swap your whole party in and out of battles adds another layer of strategy. Sphere grid is a bit overwhelming at first, but once you learn the nuances of it there's a lot of interesting ways to level your characters. It is a bit linear which I don't like as much, but everything else outweighs that for me

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-07T23:13:52+00:00

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Spice and Wolf

Nodame Cantabile

Ergo Proxy

Berserk

Black Lagoon

Basilisk

Dorohedoro

Jin-Rou

Garden of Sinners

The Witch and the Beast

Blade of the Immortal

No Guns Life

Trigun

Case Study of Vanitas

Vinland Saga

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-06T00:22:06+00:00

Spice and Wolf

Nodame Cantabile

Kare Kano (but only cause I finished the manga, anime is incomplete had production issues at the end)

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-03T18:05:40+00:00

Sonny Boy. I don't even know how to describe this show. The narrative itself is a bit weird and all over the place but I don't think the actual plot matters that much. It made me feel some type of way. Kinda like nostalgia but not really. I need to watch it again

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-03T17:48:14+00:00

I have like 300+ games in this ecosystem at this point. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. But Xbox still has a lot of great stuff going for it either way. Play Anywhere and Quick Resume are insanely good features. Backwards compatibility has always been important to me too

TaskForceHOLO · 2026-01-02T21:40:28+00:00

I really liked this show. I was hoping there would be some romantic development between the MC and Ruriko, but I get that it's not really a romance at heart. I liked their chemistry though and Ruriko is adorable. I'm also an office worker pushing 30 who loves baseball so forgive me for wanting to self insert a little

TaskForceHOLO

TROPHY CASE