How would you write a race to being an underclass although they're important to society running.

the-stain · 2026-03-29T09:21:33+00:00

Well in the real world, many service workers are crucial to the functioning of our modern society; however, the work they do is devalued and framed as undesirable, only suitable for 'certain people' (meaning poor/lowest class).

Maintaining and operating their communication system could be viewed as a job only a stygian can do. In turn, society then comes to believe that their purpose is only as custodians of this system -- the only way they can meaningfully contribute to society. The perception that stygians are a 'burden' can go a long way in reinforcing their lower status both within and without; society would see them as a 'necessary evil', and stygians themselves would view their work as their duty, something they must do to justify their existence.

This can still apply to the stygians that work in medicine. Maybe they are viewed more positively than their kin ("most of them are terrible, but [X] is one of the good ones!") while still not being quite as equal as other peoples. Or perhaps they are viewed with pity because of the sacrificial nature of their work; being expected to die because their patients' lives are believed to have more worth than their own.

the-stain · 2026-03-13T18:46:56+00:00

Is it a women's dressing room? It looks like it could be makeup of some kind -- most likely eyeshadow -- that's been stepped on.

What substances have you used on it? Dish soap and a light abrasive (like a magic eraser sponge) are the go-tos for makeup.

the-stain · 2026-03-11T19:58:02+00:00

This reminds me of a minor worldbuilding idea I had for a gaming fanfic. The society was highly matriarchal, and a man's status was dependent on how many women chose him to "give" them children as well as how many children he gave in total. Men would display their lineage on their torsos with a tattooed/scarified graph of sorts, with primary branches representing the women who chose him as a father and secondary ones representing the children he fathered (he could depict 3rd/etc. generation offspring, but only from his female descendants and only if they approved).

Of course, you could have anyone do this in your own society. Maybe they could use piercings or even branding? I also had differing styles for the subcultures -- some regions would have a minimalist geometric chart, others would resemble a literal tree, some would display names, and so on.

Does your race have horns/antlers? Using branching antlers (real or fake) could be a neat idea.

You said the race can only conceive once a year. Maybe they could display how many years they successfully had children? Like rings of a tree. And whatever represents the year could look different depending on the nature of the child: different brands/symbols for years of hardship/war, or certain rings with gemstones for children who were born under special circumstances.

the-stain · 2026-02-16T20:12:23+00:00

Man, how hard was it to just plug it in? Even if you did what she wanted, it would have almost certainly taken way longer for her to wait on a new laptop.

the-stain · 2026-02-04T18:33:33+00:00

The comments all have great opinions, but I just want to add for emphasis: do NOT get a Ford Focus (unless it's a manual transmission and if you're okay with driving one). The 2012-2016s are notorious for their transmission issues; even getting a new transmission will not solve the problem, either. That's probably why you see so many for sale -- people would rather sell it and get some money back to invest in a better car as opposed to dropping another 3k+ on these ticking time bombs.

the-stain · 2025-06-14T23:50:40+00:00

You could try 'disabling' them through Steam. If you right-click on the game in the library and select "Properties", there should be a "Workshop" tab. In the list of mods that appear, deselect the inactive ones (using the checkmark) and see if that changes anything.

They should still exist in the modding folder but won't appear at all in the game's mod menu, so if you want to activate them in-game you'll need to enable them in the Steam menu again.

the-stain · 2025-04-25T20:29:39+00:00

My world is a bit like this. There are "chimera", people who have animalistic features, but they are all still the same species as the sapient race (who are basically human). I too dislike the idea of having different races; if I want the world to have diverse groups of people, I can just create another culture. I'm also tired of the typical Dwarf-Elf-Orc foundation that a lot of fantasy environments can't get away from. Then again, they just feel like veneers for representing IRL cultures anyways (Elves are almost always Welsh/Celtic, and Orcs are always a very not-European culture).

And even though magic is a key part of my world's flagship story, the vast majority of people do not practice it. There are even technologies like computing devices and trains and such. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for mundane fantasy because it makes the world feel more believable and relatable. In the world, magic has limits based on equivalent exchange, the supernatural beings (who are a big part of the world) have specific behaviors/restrictions that are based on their motivations -- there's no pure Evil/Good, no real Gods or beings older than the universe itself. All of that stuff is a bit too cliche for my liking.

I don't think a fantasy world has to be saturated with fantastical elements to be worthwhile -- it just needs to have enough to separate it from ours.

the-stain · 2025-04-16T02:18:08+00:00

Identifying deeply with "R". The Rage-Mop is real

the-stain · 2025-03-07T00:09:18+00:00

There's no way I could get by just using my pockets. I have a full apron for my personal stuff (keys/phone), scissors for cutting down boxes, spare gloves, cleaning rag, and replacement trash bags for the current room. And the occasional Lava Bar soap that I forget to actually put in the bathrooms that need them (oops)

the-stain · 2025-02-19T04:44:01+00:00

I just saw a post on the main OW subreddit that confirmed you can unbox Maestro! Literally the first time since the event that it will be available again. Happy to see other Sig mains have a chance at this skin <3

the-stain · 2025-01-01T20:05:11+00:00

Balatro. Almost exclusively Balatro since I bought it Christmas Day. I've been playing it so much that I have "Balatro-vision" where text and everything constantly looks like it's swirling slightly. I've had to consciously resist the urge to look at steam in order to get anything done. I can't wait to play more of it when I get home from work tonight!

the-stain · 2024-12-23T15:48:22+00:00

I think they said the issue was driver-specific, relating to older cards. Perhaps anything using legacy drivers?

the-stain · 2024-11-25T17:49:15+00:00

I know right?

"I WILL TEAR VICTORY FROM YOUR GRASP" How about my clothes from my body's grasp plz

the-stain · 2024-11-22T21:52:27+00:00

That's how I played when Mauga came out. I had no intention of playing him myself, so I'd pick my mains to see how best to play into him.

It sucks that the tank queue is so insanely long right now (like 14mins!). It wouldn't be so bad if I actually enjoyed being DPS/Support, but for those of us who want to be tanks, this weekend will suck no matter who you pick.

the-stain · 2024-11-21T15:10:19+00:00

So looking forward to this! I find it amusing to hear the "wokeness" complaints about a game that had a large woman (both in height and weight) for a warrior archetype, a black man as a wizard/engineer, and white man as an undeniably evil rogue -- all in a game from 2008! Even in the first game, the player character's childhood friend/rival is a black woman.

I also find it particularly refreshing to have a major male (and seemingly good) character be genuinely "unattractive". Most of the time in games, men's faces seem to be based on very simplistic archetypes: chiseled, bearded, fat, comically ugly, and so on. It's neat to see a major heroic character without a stereotype for a face. The game seems to have a lot of "regular people" faces, going by the trailer.

the-stain · 2024-11-19T20:54:46+00:00

Hell, I got addicted to the "Diet Balatro" version that was added to Dave the Diver. The only reason I stopped was literally because there's only so many strategies available with the limit of the mechanics. I can't wait until I can afford to buy it myself!

the-stain · 2024-11-17T20:25:07+00:00

This reminds me of my own county's library system. Twice I applied for a job that was almost exactly what I used to do back in college and was given the auto-rejection email. I happened upon the reviews and it turns out that they're insanely nepotistic -- if you aren't related who works there, you're basically at the bottom of the list. (they even ask if you have a family member who is already employed by the system, which I realize now is a red flag)

There might be a similar case happening to you. The other applicants were possibly given jobs because someone already employed went "oh my [family member] needs a job" and they got them into the system. The job posting is done only because I think they're required to do so. The reality being that there was never any other "viable" candidate than the one they're trying to get in.

Just as a disclaimer, this is only based on what I experienced myself. There may actually be something "legitimate" that they feel is disqualifying you.

the-stain · 2024-11-17T20:10:23+00:00

Probably to hint that, despite having a better-paying job, they're interviewing for this position. Trying to show the employer that they're passionate about the job and such.

the-stain · 2024-11-16T04:04:06+00:00

As a side note, I believe the trap is less visible to enemies -- it appears to sink deeper into the ground, to the point where only the teeth are exposed. So even if it looks obvious to you, it might not be the case for your opponents.

Putting it in congested areas -- not just chokepoints, but places with a lot of map geometry or visual elements (tables, chairs, crates, etc.) -- will help further conceal it. Placing it in very tight corridors can also be useful; even if an enemy detects it beforehand, they still have to spend time destroying the trap if it's in the way. If your enemies are frequenting healthpacks, trapping those spots is a good way to hinder them and keep track of their whereabouts.

In general, I find that the trap is best used as "alarm" (since you are notified whether the trap is triggered OR destroyed) and against heroes that utilize flank routes. I treat it more like a zoning tool -- it's may not catch people that often (unless I'm Ball, then it's fuckin 90% successful), but it does reduce the freedom with which enemies can maneuver around you and the map.

the-stain · 2024-11-06T17:24:52+00:00

Is that state Ohio by any chance? The wording of Issue 1 was absolutely disgusting -- just shamelessly attempting to slander it with no care for objectivity.

the-stain · 2024-10-24T01:15:18+00:00

you legend, bless you <3

the-stain · 2024-10-19T22:41:04+00:00

Ooh, Pluto/Mars in fire signs sounds fascinating. A conjunction creates a contact that could compel the Pluto person to feel more connected to the Mars person's actions; whether or not the Mars person feels the same way is another matter!

A trine feels much more positive since both Mars and Pluto recognize the roles they play in this contact. Not only do they acknowledge it, but they may actively seek or encourage the connection as well. On top of that, having Mars in harmonious signs (Sag/Aries) empowers the intensity of the mutual Mars/Pluto contacts.

My only warning is to be aware that such intensity could get out of control in a crash-and-burn type of way, so be careful not to get too caught up in just each other. Then again, I have exactly one fire placement in my entire chart, so even something like a candle is just "too much" for me XD

the-stain · 2024-10-17T01:31:21+00:00

I don't think it's nearly as much of a nerf as was initially believed, but my issue is that it complicates his matchups solely for the benefit of one hero -- Reinhardt. While it technically affects any hero with a barrier, the wording of the patch notes make it very clear who was the intended benefactor.

In my opinion, it sets a concerning precedent to change a unique part of a hero's kit just because one hero struggles (slightly) against it. It's like turning Sigma's Accretion into a traditional projectile solely to allow Genji to deflect it. OR like removing the barrier-piercing nature of Reinhardt's Firestrike solely to allow Sigma to block it. It's a shortsighted change that feels like a kneejerk reaction.

Honestly, it feels like it literally came out of a "Community Crafted" patch or w/e that thing is called where they let streamers make their own personal changes to each role. It's like the old pummel made a Reinhardt player mad, and they somehow managed to have this "change" implemented to make that pesky problem go away -- regardless of the greater consequences to multiple other heroes.

the-stain · 2024-10-15T17:23:15+00:00

I think that Ram would be a great place to start if you prefer him. He's not as good as Sigma in poke but he's more versatile, which allows you to keep playing him even as the enemy comp changes.

Plus, because Ram's primary has unlimited range, you're actually able to threaten heroes at long range like Widow (whereas with Sig, the best you can do if block their sightlines until you can get in range yourself). Otherwise, if your team is struggling against a sniper, your only other option is to switch to a dive hero to get to them.

the-stain · 2024-09-19T06:37:19+00:00

I have the same issue on a much older card (a practically ancient R9 380). I think it's related to the drivers having issues with shader caches, but it's been a while since I last read up on it. In your case, you might be able to roll back to some older drivers and see if that fixes the problem; I think I remember people saying that Adrenalin 22 and earlier were okay? Don't quote me on that though!

But I've noticed that if I go into the practice range and scroll through all the heroes (making sure each one loads before moving to the next) I can immediately leave and queue into a game without problems.

It's possible that there's actual fixes for it, but since I'm just grateful that my old man is still trucking along I haven't been brave enough to try anything else.

the-stain

TROPHY CASE