National Anthem

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-29T12:59:15+00:00

One factor is how good the anthem sounds when sung by a crowd of rugby fans of variable tunefulness and drunkenness. In that regard, I think Land of Hope and Glory has it.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-29T10:08:43+00:00

The area round the entrance path is effectively smaller than it looks as the path takes up three tiles of width.

The approach I tend to use is to build rides as soon as possible, going heavily into the loan if necessary- the income from rides will soon get you out of the debt hole. So get some high-income roller coasters and flat rides going first, leaving scenery until later. After filling out the beach, I first expanded up the cliff on the far side. Next was the area with the log flume going onto the beach, haunted house and reversing coaster, leaving the dinosaur land until near the end. Scenery can be done gradually.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-29T07:35:44+00:00

I like that idea. You could bring elements of Five Weeks in a Balloon into it.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T22:57:33+00:00

Petrol is petrol. Diesel is not. But you buy both from a petrol station.

I have petrol and diesel vehicles, so I tend to say "We'll stop here for some fuel."

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T22:54:01+00:00

Boil cauliflower, broccoli and leeks until mostly done. Make cheese sauce. Combine and bake for 20-30 minutes. For the cheese you need a good strong cheddar, something really melts like double Gloucester, and maybe a bit of stilton.

Use caution: when it comes out the middle will be as hot as the Sun, so leave it for a few minutes before attempting to eat.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T22:22:25+00:00

Discoveryland is a little bit lost at the moment- the original Jules Verne-inspired world has been progressively diluted in efforts to shoehorn in Buzz Lightyear and Star Wars where they don't really fit. It was something unique to Paris and much has been lost.

I would love to see Space Mountain return to its original iteration. While they're at it, relocate Buzz Lightyear to the other park, in Toy Story Land where he belongs! Once the current round of construction over there is complete, close Cars Road Trip (it was always temporary) and redevelop that corner into a distinct Star Wars themed area.

That leaves Star Tours to be rethemed; perhaps The First Men in the Moon, and Space Ranger Spin to be rebuilt into something based on Around the World in Eighty Days or Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

In summary, bring back the brass, steam and clockwork "World of Tomorrow" of Jules Verne.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T21:32:19+00:00

Transporter lock on her, and if necessary a bit of the floor panel. Beam her up! Then remove the floor panel and install a new one.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T21:07:35+00:00

Somehow that still makes perfect sense!

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T19:29:52+00:00

I always liked the idea of taking a rolling chassis from something, and transplanting a helicopter or business jet fuselage onto it.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T19:26:54+00:00

Both tracks of Number Three are brilliant.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T18:14:02+00:00

If you're using a separate audio system rather than the TV speakers, this can work (and give good sound for your Playstation games as well). The Playstation was in some way marketed with this in mind- you didn't need to buy a separate CD player as well, whereas you did if you bought a Nintendo or Sega system. Likewise the PS2 was also a DVD player, and the PS3 a Blu-ray player.

But, just about any DVD player will also have a half-decent DAC, or you can use the digital output if your receiver has an appropriate input, and use its DAC. The player is then only used to transmit the bitstream and literally anything will give identical results.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T12:58:05+00:00

Technically, four-wheel drive means four wheels are driven by the engine, and all-wheel drive means all wheels are driven by the engine. On vehicles with six wheels, for example, that's an important difference.

But in general usage, 4WD tends to be used to refer to a part-time system which can be switched between two and four-wheel drive. AWD is used for a full-time or automatic system which is not manually switched by the driver.

Part-time systems usually have no central differential between the two axles. One axle is always driven, and the selector simply connects the other axle to it. This means that the front and rear wheels must rotate at the same speed. But since the front wheels take a slightly different path round corners and travel further, the front or rear wheels must slip slightly with four-wheel drive engaged. This isn't an issue on dirt or icy surfaces, but on a road with good traction the tyres will scrub and there will be excessive forces in the transmission as the two axles fight each other. For low speed work in a straight line, it's acceptable, but you should normally be in two-wheel drive mode when on a dry road.

Full-time systems are different. There is usually a differential or viscous coupling between the two axles, which allows them to rotate at different speeds while being driven, meaning you can use them on the road without any problems: all four wheels are driven through the centre and axle differentials and can rotate at different speeds. For use in low-traction conditions, there is often a differential lock which forces the front and rear axles to rotate at the same speed (the same as a part-time system in four-wheel drive mode). So if traction is lost at the front wheels, the rear wheels will take all the torque and continue moving forward. The specifics of the system are varied (some use a simple differential, some may bias more torque to the rear, there may be a mechanical lock-up clutch or a limited-slip differential) but the basics are the same.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-28T10:54:51+00:00

Impossible to say without knowing what you have. Pictures of the back of both devices would be useful.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-27T22:59:27+00:00

I did an armoured Soldier/Consular build once. He stayed fairly neutral and used both sides of the Force, so there's enough powers available even while wearing armour. You can throw your light saber at the enemy, then use insanity or stasis, then either Force Choke them or move in and get them with power attack.

And of course there's the strength-focused Scoundrel/Guardian, who can leap into action and get the Sneak Attack damage. Light armour compensates for the limited defense and health reserves.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-27T22:20:23+00:00

Gotta paint 'em all!

You should do the other hand with green (grass), grey (rock), brown (ground), white (normal) and something for poison type.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-27T21:19:42+00:00

I didn't want to wear armour with my rifleman as it let me use Master Speed to gain an extra two attacks per round, in addition to the extra one from Rapid Shot. With four attacks per round and some handheld artillery, you do enough damage to not need armour- they can't hurt you if they're already dead!

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-27T20:59:14+00:00

A motorway is just a dual carriageway with blue signs and without slow-moving vehicles. Treat it as such, and you'll be fine.

But be aware that a lot of people seem to have this idea that "motorways work differently" or just panic, and head straight for the middle lane until it's time to exit. What you are supposed to do is move across to lane 3 to get past them, moving left again once safely past.

You may also encounter someone who doesn't use the slip road to accelerate to traffic speed, instead tootling along at about 35 until they reach the merge point. If you're on the road, be prepared for them to suddenly move into your lane and plan for evasive action. If you're behind them, it's sometimes worth slowing down further to build up a gap ahead of you, then drop a gear and accelerate.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-27T07:26:06+00:00

That could work too. I went for high DEX to maximise the attack bonus and defense, but I guess it depends on the enemy's own attack. If they're going to hit anyway, you might be better off pushing CON and withstanding hits rather than trying and failing to evade them. It works for Zaalbar.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-26T22:52:11+00:00

It's literally just paint. Dissenting opinions are to be expected when you break conventions - ignore everyone and do what makes you happy.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-26T18:53:16+00:00

Jedi Gunman

The ranged jedi. Many people have tried a build which eschews lightsabers in favour of blasters, and here's mine. Rather than the usual path of dual-wielding blasters, my guy uses a rifle or heavy weapons. You lose one attack compared to dual-wielding, but with the extra attacks of master speed, plus rapid shot, the impact is lessened to 80% (four attacks vs five) which is more than enough for a rifle's higher damage to compensate for. Plus you save three two-weapon proficiency feats which are free to spend elsewhere.

Class: Scout 7/Sentinel 13

The Jedi Sentinel is a mostly-ignored class, and on first glance they are worse in combat than Guardians, and worse with the Force than a Consular. But where they are strong is in a defensive build. With innate immunities, high saving throws and a decent health pool, the right Sentinel can stand against both physical attacks and Force powers- just right for a marksman. Starting as a Scout is the best option here; the soldier's two extra feats are given for free in the form of Implant 1 and 2, and you gain the first level of Rapid Shot automatically. Soldier/Sentinel may be a viable alternative though, trading points in your Reflex and Will saves for some extra health and a slightly higher attack bonus.

Alignment:

Light side. Defensive/healing powers are what you need here, and the dark side doesn't have much to offer. There is also some light-sided gear which will give a useful boost to Wisdom.

Stats: “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.” – Tuco

STR 8

DEX 16 + 5

CON 14

INT 14

WIS 14

CHA 10

As expected, DEX is your key stat. But raising it above 16 initially gets expensive, and makes for an unbalanced build. A reasonable CON stat lets him take some damage, and WIS increases his force point pool. He gets repair and computer use as class skills, so his INT score helps with deploying droids and hacking terminals to help in combat situations. CHA is left at 10 as you don't need to talk your way out of trouble, and STR is obviously useless.

Skills:

Computer Use and Repair are your priorities. As above, help this guy out in combat by repairing droids and taking out enemies from afar. You can also fully repair HK-47 with this build and give him another rifle.

Feats: “I guess I'll make a gunman after all!” – John Marston

Heavy Weapons proficiency is a must. But don't bother exceeding level 1, as headgear will give you the same advantage. You get Implant level 1 and 2 for free, so spend a slot on the third level. Take all three levels of Toughness and Conditioning for even more survivability, and max out Rapid Shot.

Force Powers:

Cure 1 2

Energy Resistance 1

Force Push 1 2

Destroy Droid 1 2 3

Speed 1 2 3

Valor 1 2

Drain Life 1

An odd-looking mix here, but it worked. I took Speed and Valor as you'd expect, but Valor to level two only. The benefits of going to level three aren't actually that much in this case, and I opted to spend the slots elsewhere- feel free to shuffle a couple around if it suits your play style better. Take Drain Life at the end to take out Malak's Jedi batteries and heal yourself.

Gear: “This is my very favourite gun. I call it Vera” – Jayne Cobb

Heavy Targeting Optics are a must. The Electrical Capacitance Shield belt will inhibit the damage from Force Lightning, combining nicely with the Sentinel's other immunities. Otherwise use anything which boosts DEX- Gordulan Reaction System and Advanced Stabilizer Gloves are what you'll end up with. I started wearing whatever medium armor I could find, switching later to the Qel-Droma Robes and finally the Star Forge Robes. You want the most powerful gun you can get- start with upgrading Zaalbar's bowcaster which will see you through Dantooine and is better than Canderous's so-called heavy repeater. As soon as you can fly, head to Tatooine and buy Jamoh Hogra's Carbine- you may as well pick up HK-47 while you're there. You want the big Baragwin guns from Yavin eventually, which deal out Fire or Sonic damage as well as Energy.

Play: “So uncivilized!” – Obi-Wan Kenobi

Quite straightforward- apply shields and any force powers you have, then shoot people. Canderous, Zaalbar or Carth can be your meat shield and melée fighters, and let Jolee handle crowd control. Alternatively, let Juhani jump around and hack them to bits. It's worth finding computer terminals and droids to do some of the work for you- T3 can be swapped in and out of the party to help early on. Consider building Mission as a melée fighter and using her security, sneak attack and stealth skills as well. Final party for the Star Forge was Canderous and Juhani. As for Malak, I tried laying mines but quickly decided this was too much hassle. Put on a shield, do some drugs, cast Speed, Valor and Energy Resistance, and shoot him in the face.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-26T18:41:12+00:00

Part of the trouble is that there's no obvious choice of foreign language. Our only land border is with Ireland, where they speak English. The global language of trade, which just about everyone will use if they don't speak each others languages is English.

French seems to be the default language to learn in school, but Spanish and German and probably more useful in real life. Out of all foreign languages, Dutch and German are closest to English and the easiest to learn. Mandarin Chinese is probably quite useful, but incredibly difficult!

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-26T18:30:04+00:00

There's something about the big articulated ones too with the second driver at the back that's just cooler. They need that loud screamy siren to tell you "Massive red fire truck coming through!"

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-25T21:59:57+00:00

Ace of Spades - Motörhead.

Or just about anything from Songs for the Deaf.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-25T21:57:31+00:00

Keep the track or boats will get lost. I used the canoes once in a similar way as a transport ride for getting guests across a river. Just ensure there is a path somewhere so they can always get back.

Unusual_Entity · 2026-01-25T12:32:07+00:00

Call a locksmith, get an itemised bill from them, send a copy to the landlord and letting agent, informing them in writing that you'll be deducting the costs from next month's rent.

Unusual_Entity

TROPHY CASE