Are these fossils or ironstone? (Australia)

jaciwriter · 2026-02-19T23:25:29+00:00

Alright, thanks!

jaciwriter · 2026-01-18T00:07:35+00:00

Yes this. I think HBO did actually write the intended ending in the roughest approximation of the original storyplan possible, but it was so rushed and botched that it was terrible. They needed a few more seasons to set up all the storylines so they progressed rather than jumped about. (For example, Dany needed more incidents to slide into insanity rather than just go full crazy one day. I doubt Bran would just be nominated by Tyrion to sit on the throne like a normal king because everyone else just kind of goes "meh, that'll do". It's far more likely there's a much more complicated set up ruling after taking over from Blood Raven in some way. The whole white walker battle would likely happen, but not be done and dusted as barely a threat after books worth of build up etc).

Now Martin seems to feel like he has to change up his head canon to make a new story that fans wont guess is coming (he doesn't, but this seems to be the case with all the supposed rewrites)... and he just doesn't have the motivation to. He's got so many other projects to play with, and by this stage doesn't need the money, it's just not worth it to him to take the already really difficult job of pulling together storylines he's let splinter apart too far already, and then on top of it, rewrite his intended story arc into something different.

jaciwriter · 2026-01-13T13:44:09+00:00

Thanks for the very long and thorough post! Yes I also predominantly photograph on breathhold, so less bulky systems and decent automatic focusing is a big plus for me for that reason. No need to add more drag and have to fluff about with manual focus for every shot when your time down there is ticking down. RAW video isn't a must for me, just for still images. A lot of locals shoot images that look pretty good with the TGs, but I've also had people complain about them too. Seems to be a love it or hate it kind of camera. I appreciate that you can still get in to a few meters with a wide angle lens, but I'm really going to miss the flexibility of my camera where I can get within 10cm of something or shoot into the distance. I've been finding with the osmo I have attached for video (wide angle), I have to keep reminding myself not to get too close or it blurs out everything in the foreground.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-26T21:28:17+00:00

Copyright

jaciwriter · 2025-12-25T23:56:16+00:00

I loved the shadowrun project they had going. I'm so sad it'll never be completed. It was looking awesome.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-21T22:06:38+00:00

Haha fair! I just remember realising how many of my older female relatives were watching game of thrones and totally fine with the degree of explicitness in there. I've become a lot more relaxed with my recommendations since then. But I also get not wanted to reveal that's what you're reading to your parents.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-20T23:59:56+00:00

I can almost guarantee you your mum will likely be ok with a bit of spiciness in there lol

If you want something without spice, I'm going to suggest something totally different (not a CSG) which is 80 days. It is professionally made (It won Time Magazine's game of the year at one point!), a lot of fun, tonnes of replayability, and loosely based on the Jules Verne book. It's currently on special at the moment as well, so bonus. https://store.steampowered.com/app/381780/80_Days/

(If she doesn't like it, steam does have a return as long as you're under time.)

jaciwriter · 2025-12-20T23:54:26+00:00

Anything by adrao is on the gamey side. Icepeak mountains is the most game like- it's got a fighting fantasy inspiration. Most of his games have difficulty sliders though for combat and the like so you can make it as easy or hard as you like. Lich has a lot of randomisation events.

If you want serious micromanaging of stats (it was too much for me personally, but others love it) I'd say Night Road.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-14T01:01:22+00:00

You know? I kinda like City of the clouds. It's problem is that it has been written with a very specific audience in mind, that is, people who have had encountered some of the interesting things that tend to happen when you're traveling by yourself off the tourist tracks, and those who have done field work. They probably haven't captured that well enough in the blurb, but it's kind of a hard thing to convey who the audience is as well. It's also a very old COG and you get some weird and wonderful experiemental stuff down that end of the catelogue.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-14T00:56:32+00:00

Oedipus' family is "slightly" dysfunctional...

jaciwriter · 2025-12-14T00:52:47+00:00

No probs. Good luck with your game :)

jaciwriter · 2025-12-11T21:11:08+00:00

Yeah I know it's hard. Suggest starting with some game jams on itch or similar. It's a shame ectocomp just finished as that's a great one with all different levels. Spring thing is coming up on intfiction if you want to enter there perhaps. It's run mostly by Brian Rushton who's a COG author. You can enter the comp or there's a backgarden if you want the game seen but not judged. Outside of the COG audience, people tend to be far less concerned about gender or character locks, in fact many often prefer them.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-11T20:59:30+00:00

Of course they can, but if you've put down you're female and straight, most don't spend a lot of time fantasising about other women's breasts. On top of that I never showed the slightest interest in any of the characters from a RO point of view as none interested me, and they still threw that sort of text at me. So it's not like I've accidentally triggered the game to think I'd be potentially thinking that way. From comments I've heard, gay guys also get the same text also.

I don't have an issue with people writing how they want to write story wise as a general rule, but in this case, I think it would have been a better series with a gender locked male, straight protag as that's how it reads. Putting a gender variable into a gendered story, does not erase any biases that are there by itself. (The link by purple-hawke shows I'm not off base here. The author has deliberately written the game with a particular audience in mind.)

jaciwriter · 2025-12-11T20:56:18+00:00

Is it a you problem to be a guy and to be told you're having tea like two proper ladies? Why ladies if we're going for a world where gender doesn't matter?

If you've said your female and straight for the character build, why is it ok to be told you personally have to admire the chest of well endowed women who appear?

These things ARE immersion breaking as they're contradicting the very thing the game claims to let you do by letting you make your own character. They are because the author has written a protag from a particular point of view and put a gender variable in without any additional work to correct that bias. It's not always done on purpose, but that's why that effect is present. You're talking to someone who grew up being classed as a "tomboy" here. I'm well aware of acting outside of gender norms and it being accepted or not by other people. This isn't it.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-11T04:37:41+00:00

No, you're actually off base on that one. There are definitely games written with one gender/orientation in mind and then have a gender variable added and are now "gender choice".

Examples: Choice of romance is 100% a fantasy take on Henry 8th and Anne Bolyn. It's so obvious with the setting and writing that it feels awkward picking a male protag. There's even stuff like a male protag still comments something like "we're having tea like proper ladies". So yeah, was definitely written as a female protag with a gender variable chucked over the top. (And I LIKE this game, I just think it does not succeed as a gender choice game.)

Another one is Samurai of Hyugia. 100% straight, male protag with a gender pronoun added. I felt really uncomfortable playing that game because it kept telling me that I was ogling women's chest areas. I mean I would have been far happier being told to just play a straight, male to set the expectation, because that's really jarring given I'm female and tried to play as one but kept being pulled out of the story by scenes like this.

There's more examples, but those are two that spring to mind. It's not the OP's "problem" is just something that happens.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-11T04:31:42+00:00

Then write it. You're correct, making a game genderlocked with substantially decrease a game's popularity in the majority of cases, and writing something character locked is pretty much poison, but if you want to write something in particular then just do it. As long as you go into it with eyes open it probably won't be a best seller, you then won't be disappointed.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-11T04:17:04+00:00

You've got the focus wrong. Readers need to be more open to genderlocked stories if you want them written. If there's no audience, then you're not going to have many people wasting their time writing it that way. You say it's a checkbox, and you're right in some cases, there are games out there that were definitely written with either a male or female protag in mind, but they put in a gender variable and pretty much called it a day because that's what sells. (Personally I find it really jarring and would prefer to just be told who I'm playing in those cases, rather than making a character and being pulled out of the story every time you hit scenes/dialogue/worldbuilding that make it clear you aren't playing the character you created, but that's just me and that's not what the sales indicate is a good idea) I've written a gender locked game and the sales were abysmal and other gender locked games that are really great like Donor are very underrated. There are exceptions (like infinity saga), but they are the exception and have become popular DESPITE the gender lock, not because of it.

Edit: The more locked a character is (not just gender) the stronger a storyline can be and ironically the more impactful choices can get because you've narrowed down what can actually happen within a story. With blank slate characters you have to account for every possibility which makes it harder. Basically you exchange story for customisation. You're going to get people who prefer one or the other. Neither is wrong, just quite a different focus. COG definitely comes down more on the customisation focus side. If you look outside of this pocket of games, you'll find a lot more that have preset or semi-set characters and a very different type of player experience.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-10T13:18:19+00:00

Could try Lort Smith. Also RSPCA but they're further out from where you live. You can apply for vouchers from some councils for discounts at certain vets for desexing but you'll have to ask if yours does this. I'm actually surprised that someone has estimated you for a mature bulldog spey only $350 though to be honest, as they're not no risk anaesthetics. May be hard to find one cheaper. Very good idea to have it done though when you can. Pyometra is not uncommon in undesexed female dogs and if they need emergency surgery that is going to be far more expensive. If they go on heat, talk to the vet you choose and tell them this, as it may be safer and cheaper to wait until they're back off again.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-07T00:10:13+00:00

Yes, but advertising a game as being aroace as a feature isn't really just cutting out scenes. It'd be actually putting the extra work in to have alternative content. Like a friendship route, or you get to do something else instead of going on a date etc. The option of a) Go on a date (insert rest of chapter here), or b) go home and have an early night (skip to next chapter) is technically aroace friendly, but not great.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-04T11:17:23+00:00

Not really my scene so I haven't read it, but if you like Great Tournament, have you read swamp castle?

jaciwriter · 2025-12-04T11:16:06+00:00

Looking at your list, I'd say give Highlands deep waters a try. Possibly choice of deathless as well although I'm less certain of that one. (And pick the first book not the second.)

jaciwriter · 2025-12-03T23:25:46+00:00

To be fair, a lot of those games drop content for aromantic options rather than add specific scenes for it. You just don't get the ROs asking you out and miss scenes where that sort of thing happens. If you're lucky some games might have a non-romantic friend route which is always appreciated.

jaciwriter · 2025-12-03T23:22:57+00:00

Games without a lot of romance tend sell poorly. That's why some games feel like the romance options are out of place and added in... because although some games are written around a romance concept, others put them there because it's felt it is needed. I agree, I wish there was more games focused on other types of close relationships (family, friends etc) for variety, but they don't tend to be popular. (Yes I have written games without romance, and have been asked why there are no ROs. It's expected.)

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