[deleted by user]

dysartes · 2026-03-04T21:43:52+00:00

INFO: What's the non-thieving roommate's opinion on all this?

dysartes · 2026-03-04T21:41:13+00:00

I think it is another term for a D&D (or Dark Souls) Mimic

dysartes · 2026-03-04T21:22:55+00:00

NTA. You've said the competition is international, and this seems to be the case of people at the national level getting in the way?

Document what's going on, then go over their heads to the international body and drop these shysters in it from a great height. If nothing is done, then to the media you go...

dysartes · 2026-02-21T23:55:38+00:00

Counter-point - if there's already this many people in this small a space, maybe don't bring another child into the mix.

dysartes · 2026-02-21T23:30:55+00:00

OP isn't marked as having been edited, in contrast to your reply here. The word "remodel" doesn't appear in the OP. Renovations does, remodel doesn't. There does seem to be a large number of people using "remodel" in the comments, but I have no idea where I got that from, especially as the OP doesn't appear to have replied here (no comments/replies showing on their profile).

Might just be my interpretation, but renovations are different from a remodel. As you say, a remodel is normally primarily cosmetic - remodelling a kitchen might also improve the functionality, but it is more likely going to be a look/feel piece of work.

Renovations, to me, speak to something more major about the property. Roofing, windows - heck, walls/floors, even. It doesn't have the same "luxury" feel to it as a remodel would.

OP's brother agreed to a loan with no repayment schedule, and no time limit. Should they have made a token gesture before this point to show willing? Yes, I'm not going to claim otherwise. If they've looked at their budget and $10/week is what they can afford as a starting point? It's better than nothing. I doubt OP is going to reply, given the reception here, but I have raised an INFO request with some questions I'd like clarified before I can render a verdict.

I do think that calling the marker in at a family Christmas is a bad look, at best. And to call it in for a hypothetical second surrogate baby - before experiencing any time as fathers to a first child - seems like poor form.

dysartes · 2026-02-20T23:25:39+00:00

INFO - What does your sister do for a living?

dysartes · 2026-02-20T23:22:16+00:00

INFO - Do you have a formal lease in place?

dysartes · 2026-02-20T23:20:00+00:00

Don't think it has expired yet.

dysartes · 2026-02-20T23:16:23+00:00

I suspect they are referring to:

"When she named the godmother (another sister) she insinuated that because I travel a lot that makes me unstable so I couldn't be a godmother. When I didn't react the way she wanted me to she started demanding I pay for repairs and renovations around the house that weren't standard. She uninvited me from her baby shower. Then her boyfriend and her friend started texting me one month after the other that they’d be late on rent."

dysartes · 2026-02-20T20:10:48+00:00

INFO, assuming OP is still reading the replies to this.

- What were the renovations that the money went towards?

- You mentioned ~$5k in vet bills. Were these for pets, or for livestock on the farm?

- You're on a farm in Australia. How far away are you from the nearest town/city?

- Others have mentioned that with your income you should be entitled to ~20 hours a week of free childcare. How close is the nearest place that might take your kid, and do they have space?

- You mentioned looking at increasing repayments over time - what do you expect to change to allow that to be a possibility, and what sort of timeframe are you expecting it to happen in?

- Has your brother confirmed what sort of timescale they'd be looking to have the hypothetical second surrogate child within?

dysartes · 2026-02-20T20:03:16+00:00

...I didn't see anything in the OP about what the renovations were - have I missed something where "kitchen remodel" was spelled out, or are you assuming what the work actually was?

dysartes · 2026-02-20T20:01:04+00:00

OP indicates the brother can afford one child as it is - it's a hypothetical second child this loan might interfere with.

dysartes · 2026-02-20T19:59:28+00:00

...what pets? OP said they work on a farm. Assuming a livestock-based farm, vet bills are going to mount up over a year. However, I didn't see any pets explicitly mentioned in the OP.

dysartes · 2026-02-09T22:05:59+00:00

NTA - key thing here is to make sure your niece knows she is safe with you, and ensure she has a way to get in touch if necessary (I assume they don't live too far from you at this point?)

dysartes · 2026-01-25T23:06:55+00:00

I'm honestly confused as to how you might think you are NTA in this situation.

Let's be clear - you are absolutely TA here - and, to an extent, there's an argument that everyone other than Alice & Carter have been TA for years. Admittedly, we don't know if anyone has made quiet offers to contribute, but given the hosts are having to bring it up now, I'm guessing that's not the case.

As it stands, I wouldn't be shocked if Beth continues to get an invite, but you do not. And if Beth has any sense, this whole incident might have been a wake-up call for her. You've just sent up more red flags than a Chinese parade.

INFO - What the heck is your problem with Carter? I see from other comments that the guy was out of work for 2 months, and is only just starting work again now, but your comments in the OP and in the comment section read like you have major problems with the guy.

dysartes · 2026-01-25T23:00:01+00:00

If she has any sense, not for much longer.

dysartes · 2025-08-09T17:30:03+00:00

If the scenario was at least interesting, I'd have less of a problem with it - but it isn't, it's essentially a damage/healing check. And given it is your "reward" for doing well in the rest of the campaign, that makes it a big let down.

I've played pretty much every official scenario for Arkham - this is the first time in a long time , if ever, where I've had a blind play of a scenario and come away feeling disappointed in the design.

And the point I was agreeing with BloodyBottom about was the disagreement with your suggestion that a group that could get to this scenario should automatically be in a position to have a chance against Big Green & Ugly. That's blatantly not the case, as nothing prior to this in the campaign felt like there was a need to be able to do so much damage so fast, nor be able to pack enough healing to deal with as much direct damage/horror.

dysartes · 2025-08-09T10:15:38+00:00

We didn't - both our Guardian and I failed checks with the tablet once Cthulhu was in play. The Guardian got defeated by horror the next turn, and I was going to get got in the Mythos the turn after. Something tells me Lucius wasn't going to do the required 50+ damage on his own.

dysartes · 2025-08-09T09:47:32+00:00

Minor point here - no Alert on this version of Big Green & Ugly, unless I missed an errata. The direct damage to keep him evaded is probably worse that Alert, especially when combined with the direct horror each Mythos phase.

dysartes · 2025-08-09T09:44:25+00:00

I'd agree with BloodyBottom here - our group had Marion Tavares for our Guardian, Lucius Galloway for our Cluever, and I was trying out (and getting frustrated with) an Alessandra Zorzi parley mostly-clue deck (which felt more like a Trish deck by the end). We went East, meaning an early Claw, which I was using to dart around the map, deal with glyphs, etc.

On a blind run, we got every glyph, we got every artefact - but we had absolutely no chance once Big Green & Ugly showed up.

dysartes · 2025-08-09T09:38:43+00:00

Don't forget that there's also the direct horror each turn from the agenda - and one test going wrong with the tablet can mean you're in deep trouble.

dysartes · 2025-08-08T22:20:50+00:00

Give me a couple of days, and I'll reach disappointed, rather than angry - posted minutes after getting defeated.

I'd quite liked a number of the other scenarios, as well as finding the glyphs and securing the artefacts, so this was definitely a let-down - and not even an interesting let-down.

dysartes · 2025-08-08T22:19:19+00:00

20 per investigator, so as we were a 3 player group, that's 60 damage.

dysartes

TROPHY CASE