9322a38a531d76f99d67faeefb7638c7c7352216, Author at Hard Drive

J.K. Rowling Explains Goblin Rebellions Were About States’ Rights

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Ciro Jacubowicz

EDINBURGH, Scotland. — J.K. Rowling is once again under fire after claiming the Goblin Rebellions in the Harry Potter canon were about states’ rights.

Rowling, whose claim to fame is authoring the Harry Potter series, started the spat when she posted about some in-universe lore on her Twitter account.

“All these liberals are constantly accusing me of being a cruel unloved TERF who despite her enormous wealth will never achieve happiness,” wrote Rowling. “But what they don’t realize is that the Goblin Rebellions were actually just about land disputes between the wizarding states.”

Harry Potter lore expert Katherine Bongino replied to her post, arguing the facts did not support that claim.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Rowling, there’s a truckload of evidence that the Goblin Rebellions started because of the enslavement of goblins. The declarations of war by both the goblins and the wizards specifically mentioned it. Also, is it just me or are the hook-nosed, money-loving goblins kind of an antisemitic stereotype?”

“Kill yourself,” Rowling responded before turning off replies.

Rowling’s publisher, Little, Brown, and Company, issued a statement in defense of the author. “Mrs Rowling is a genius author, whose tremendous ability should not be questioned. In the years she has worked with us, she has generated tens of millions of dollars and a few middling books, we’re told. If Mrs. Rowling says the ‘googahs’ fought the wizards for land, then that’s what happened. Now please stop distracting her, we need her to focus her attention on finishing her next book ‘The Evil Man in the Dress Who Tweeted Mean Things at Smart Authors and Killed All the Women’“

At press time, Rowling has moved on from discussing Harry Potter to explaining why she thinks the Holocaust didn’t happen.

Biden Approves Gamer Relief Plan After Category 5 Kotaku Review Hits Twitter

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Hard Drive Reporter

WHITE HOUSE — President Biden officially signed the RPG (Relief and Protection for Gamers) Act today as the widespread destruction and pain caused by an 8/10 review posted on Kotaku continued to dominate headlines, international aid groups confirmed today.

“The review said some things I agreed with, but not exactly. I would have worded it a little differently,” one of the most affected gamers said in his unlivable apartment with furniture turned upside down and trash thrown about. “It’s going to take me years to rebuild and get back on my feet.”

First responders as well as United Nations monitors on the ground had reportedly thought the review would be considered a category 1, or maybe just considered a particularly hot take, and are now struggling to set up a base of operations to intake and process hordes of gamers who tried to ride out the review’s publication.

“A lot of them are in rough shape. They come in mumbling to themselves. ‘Uncensored, patched out graffiti, the bus was good marketing’ – none of it makes sense. We need more resources,” Luke Franks, spokesperson for the National Guard, said. “I mean just getting them hydrated and eating a solid three meals a day is a problem.”

“Most of these guys come in essentially nocturnal,” he added.

According to experts, hundreds of thousands of gamers are expected to be emotionally displaced after the publication of the generally pretty positive review.

“They have no where to go. It’s not clear if neighboring entertainment-based identities have the infrastructure required to support such a large migration on short notice,” Dr. Tammi Givens, head of UCLA’s political science department, said. “It’s almost all men. But the real problem is just the sheer number of plushies they bring with them; it’s just not logistically feasible.”

At press time it was reported several congresspeople were celebrating large stock market wins after they placed bets on gaming related companies before the aid was announced.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Update Patch Notes 1.2.1 Apr 26

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Michelle Pereira

Granblue Fantasy: Relink receives a large update on April 26 in patch 1.2.1, addressing the usual bugfixes, but more importantly has a bevy of new content to enjoy, including two new characters, quests, sigils, and trophies.

Characters have had each of their fixes listed separately, so you can see if something in particular that annoyed you has been addressed in this update.

The complete patch notes are below:

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Update Patch Notes 1.1.4 Apr 8

Ver. 1.2.1 Update Information

The following update applies various changes listed below. Players who have purchased the disc version are strongly encouraged to download and install this latest update.

Changes from Ver. 1.1.4 (Steam)

New Content

Added two new challenging quests: "Gulp... So These Are the Rumored Monsters" and "Lock Horns."

How to unlock "Gulp... So These Are the Rumored Monsters": Unlock Extreme-difficulty quests.

How to unlock "Lock Horns": Clear "The Tale of Bahamut's Rage" quest.

Added two new playable characters: Seofon and Tweyen. These two characters require special crewmate cards, which can be traded for at the Knickknack Shack. Treasure required for the cards is obtained from the quests "Gulp... So These Are the Rumored Monsters" or "Lock Horns."

*Character Expansion Sets are also available for purchase. Each set contains the necessary treasure for unlocking their respective character.

Added sigils with new traits. They will appear in the Knickknack Shack after clearing "Gulp... So These Are the Rumored Monsters" or "Lock Horns."

```
Added new trophies.
```

Up to 30 sigil transmutations can now be simultaneously executed at one time.

Added the option to rewatch the end credits from the Title Screen. The option will unlock after completing the Final Chapter.

Battle

General

Environmental factors such as strong winds and ground tremors should no longer interrupt players that have an active Stout Heart effect. This also applies to non-Stout Heart effects that prevent interrupts from foe attacks.

Increased the radius of stun damage dealt to foes upon a successful perfect guard.

Improved the visibility of visual indicators for successful perfect guards performed by party members.

Improved the visibility of damage numbers that have hit their damage cap.

When Battle Camera Correction is set to Off, the camera should no longer automatically point toward the originator of a chain burst.

Fixed a bug where the Tyranny trait effect wasn't properly applying to Skybound Arts.

Fixed a bug where the "Boosts the amount of link level gained" effect granted by the Linked Together trait wasn't properly applying to Skybound Arts.

Fixed an intermittent bug where Eugen's sticky grenade attacks failed to fill his SBA gauge.

Party members with a skill that can revive will no longer automatically cast that skill on a player who enters critical condition and has the Autorevive status effect.

Fixed a bug that, under certain conditions, caused the player to continuously guard despite only pressing the guard button once.

The Captain (Gran/Djeeta)

Fixed an intermittent bug where the damage cap of Decimate would be superseded by the damage caps of other attacks.

Katalina

Environmental factors such as strong winds and ground tremors should no longer cancel Ares's summoning during Ares Pactstrike.

Increased the amount of gauge gain granted by the Ares Gauge Gain Up mastery node.

Fixed an intermittent bug that, under certain conditions, caused the Guardian's Honor trait to not work properly.

Rackam

Increased Bull's Eye Blast's damage cap based on its charged level.

Increased the damage cap of well-timed □ attacks.

Increased the damage cap of launch attacks.

```
Increased Bullet Hail's damage cap.
```

Io

Added a "Boost to Stargaze's charge speed" effect to the Enhanced Mystic Vortex (Link Time) mastery node.

Concentration now also grants Debuff Immunity. Furthermore, whenever Io gains a Mystic Vortex orb within Concentration's circle, she'll gain the maximum number of orbs instead.

```
Shortened Mystic Vortex's cooldown.
```

Increased Flowery Seven's damage cap when it's fully charged.

Eugen

Increased Detonator's damage cap based on its charged level.

Rosetta

Added "Boost to rose attack frequency" and "Always plants the maximum number of roses" effects to the Enhanced Roses (Link Time) mastery node.

Increased the damage cap of attacks dealt by planted roses based on the rose's level.

Increased Spiral Rose's damage cap based on the level of planted roses.

Increased Lost Love's damage cap based on the level of planted roses.

Fixed a rare bug that caused Rosetta to act differently from the player's inputs after using Rose Tycoon.

Fixed a bug that caused the DMG Cut effect granted by Rose Barrier to not work properly.

Ferry

Increased the damage cap of certain sequences of Ferry's charged □ attacks.

Increased the damage cap of certain sequences of Ferry's charged △ attacks.

Fixed a bug where, under certain conditions, casting Purge Spirits would summon more pets than intended.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Update Patch Notes 1.1.2 Mar 15

Narmaya

Increased the damage cap of Dawnfly stance combo finishers.

Increased the damage cap of Dawnfly stance charged □ attacks.

Increased Setsuna's damage cap based on its charged level.

Vane

Vane can now start an attack following a link attack more quickly.

Added "Boosts attack power and damage cap" effects to the Enhanced Beatdown Gauge (Link Time) mastery node.

Increased the damage cap for certain Beatdown combos.

Increased Energy Destruction's damage cap based on how full Vane's SBA gauge is.

Fix a bug that caused effects granted by the Enhanced Beatdown Gauge (Link Time) mastery node to not work properly.

Percival

Increased the damage cap of charged △ attacks.

```
Increased Roter Wirbel's damage cap.
```

The Adrenaline Rush support skill now grants a proportional boost to Schlacht's charge speed when charged after attacks that aren't combo finishers.

Siegfried

Adjusted the Enhanced □ Attacks (Link Time) mastery node to allow Siegfried to always perform perfect executions during link time.

Increased the damage cap of certain well-timed attacks.

```
Increased Verdrängen's damage cap.
```

Cagliostro

Added "Boosts attack power and damage cap" effects to the Enhanced Charging (Link Time) mastery node.

Increased the damage cap for certain attacks performed in Combo D.

```
Increased Mimic Doll's damage cap.
```
```
Increased Alexandria's damage cap.
```

Yodarha

Added an "Always performs the shortest combo" effect to the Enhanced Triple Shroud (Link Time) mastery node.

Increased the damage cap of successful counters triggered by Tit for Tat.

Increased Flashing Void's damage cap based on the number of Triple Shroud marks Yodarha has.

Increased Sky Shatter's damage cap based on the number of Triple Shroud marks Yodarha has.

Fixed a bug that, under certain conditions, caused Tit for Tat to not work properly.

Zeta

Added a "Boost to damage dealt by Zeta" effect to the Arvess Fermare status effect.

Increased the damage cap of □ loop combos.

```
Increased Wingclipper's damage cap.
```

Vaseraga

Added a "Raises the damage cap of charged △ attacks" effect to the Enhanced Charging (Link Time) mastery node.

Broadened the "Charged attacks charge faster" effect granted by the Quick Charge trait when equipped by Vaseraga.

```
Increased Skybound Art damage cap.
```

Id

Environmental factors like strong winds and ground tremors should no longer remove Godmight while rapidly pressing △ in Godmight.

Added a "Shortens skill cooldowns upon landing a combo finisher" effect to the Enhanced Versalis Gauge (Link Time) mastery node.

Increased Reginleiv Recidiv's damage cap when activated in Godmight.

Increased Unbound's damage cap when activated in Godmight.

Increased Ragnarok Form's damage cap when activated in Godmight.

Increased Scourge's damage cap when activated in Godmight.

Increased Never Enough's damage cap when activated in Godmight.

Increased Fourfold Vengeance's damage cap based on its charged level. Damage cap is increased even further when activated in Godmight.

Increased Atonement's damage cap. Damage cap is increased even further when activated in Godmight.

Increased Skybound Art damage cap when activated in Godmight.

Increased the damage cap of combo finishers performed in Godmight.

Other Items

Added an "Ease of Use" indicator for each character on the Crewmate Card screen.

Adjusted timing for quest music played during The Tale of Bahamut's Rage.

Sigils obtained from Claim Add-Ons at the Knickknack Shack will now be automatically locked when claimed.

Fixed a bug where the Town Hall Meeting Minutes archive collectible wasn't appearing in certain sections of Chapter Ø.

```
Various bug fixes.
```

Thank you for playing Granblue Fantasy: Relink!

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Update Patch Notes 1.1.1 Mar 14

That’s the entirety of the patch notes on April 26 for Granblue Fantasy: Relink.

For Honor Update Patch Notes Apr 25

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Michelle Pereira

Patch Notes 2.51.0 – FOR HONOR

CONVERTED MAP: CATHEDRAL

War has come to Cathedral!

DOMINION

Capture Zones A and C have been added alongside the cathedral exterior, while Capture Zone B runs through the interior of the cathedral itself.

Several modifications made to the navigational flow of the map, allowing Players optimal pathing towards the different Dominion objectives.

Available in 3 uniquely different weather conditions.

Available in Matchmaking and Custom match.

IMPROVEMENT

FIGHTERS

BALANCING CHANGES

Highlander Rework

*Dev comment: The Highlander rework is now live! The overall goals of this rework are: *

Improve entering and staying in Offensive Form

Adjust Defensive Form and Offensive Form to have access to better tools to deal withopponents

More easily accessible Guardbreak and Parry punishes

```
New Dodge attack in Offensive Form
```

Feintable Formorian Kick to allow Highlander to deal with Dodge attacks and catch roll attempts

Caber Toss from Offensive Form Front Dodge to catch roll attempts

The full list of changes is below:

Offensive Form entries

Can now hold Heavy Attack while Feinting an attack to fast flow into Offensive Form

Can now Dodge when entering Offensive Form from neutral after 533ms (was 800ms)

Re-entering Offensive Form during a Side Dodge while in Offensive Form is nowperformed from 600ms to 800ms (was 400ms to 600ms)

Defensive Form changes

Light Attacks

Light Opener Crushing Counter damage is now 18 (down from 20)

Chained Lights no longer have Uninterruptible Stance

Heavy Openers

Top Heavy Opener is now 800ms (down from 1000ms)

Top Heavy Opener now deals 24 damage (down from 30)

Top Heavy Opener now causes a Medium hit reaction (down from Heavy)

Side Heavy Openers are now 900ms (down from 1000ms)

Side Heavy Openers now deal 27 damage (down from 30)

Heavy Finishers

Can now chain to Zone Attack on Hit/Block/Miss

Now have 100ms of Guardbreak vulnerability (was 200ms)

Zone Attack

```
First Hit can now be Feinted
```

First Hit now gains Uninterruptible Stance at 500ms

Second and Third hits now gain Uninterruptible Stance at 100ms

Second and Third hits now have 100ms of Guardbreak Vulnerability (down from200ms)

Second and Third hit Feints are now 200ms (down from 300ms)

Third Hit now chains to Heavy Finishers on Hit/Block/Miss

All hits now cause a Medium hit reaction (was Heavy hit reaction)

Adjusted Weapon Trajectories to better match the weapon visuals

Other changes

```
Celtic Curse is now Feintable
```

Celtic Impetus now causes a Medium hit reaction (down from Heavy)

Adjusted Weapon Trajectories to better match the weapon visuals on all side Heavy and Light attacks, as well as for Celtic Impetus

Movement Speed has been increased to match Kensei's movement speed

Offensive Form changes

Formorian Kick

```
Can now be Feinted
```
```
Now costs 15 stamina (down from 20)
```

Dodge attacks

Can now perform Caber Toss from Front Dodge by pressing Guardbreak

```
NEW ATTACK: Balor's Flight
```

Performed by releasing Heavy Attack during Side Dodge

```
14 damage, 600ms attack
```

Top Light is now 400ms (down from 500ms)

```
- Heavy Attacks
```
```
- Now deal 26 damage (down from 30)
```
```
- Now cost 12 stamina (down from 24)
```

Other changes

- Formorian Kick and Caber Toss no longer drain Stamina

- Exiting Offensive Form now costs 6 stamina (down from 12)

- Left and Right Dodges now move 0.5m further

Bug fixes

- Fixed an issue that allowed Highlander to chain on Defensive Light Attack MISS 100ms earlier than intended.

- Fixed an issue that prevented Highlander from Target Swapping Caber Toss.

- Fixed an issue that prevented Highlander from performing Caber Toss as early as intended when changing stance (was 600ms, is now 200ms)

- Fixed an issue that caused Highlander to have extra backwards movement whenperforming Heavy after Guardbreak while holding a direction with Left Stick.

- Fixed an issue that caused Highlander to cancel Right Heavy (miss) 100ms laterthan intended (from 0-300ms to 0-200ms)

Warden:

Shoulder Bash Followups

All Shoulder Bash followups now gain Uninterruptible Stance at 100ms

New unique animations for the following Shoulder Bash followups

```
Side Light, including combo lights
```
```
Heavy Attacks
```
```
Zone Attack
```

*Dev comment: Warden's Shoulder Bash is a strong tool in 1v1 situations but is difficult to use in group fight situations, especially when outnumbered, because the attack followups are slower than average but do not offer protection from opponent peel attempts. We are improving these attacks to gain Uninterruptible Stance to help protect Warden in these situations, and we have also changed their animations to make them fully distinguishable from their neutral attack counterparts, with the exception of the Top Light followup, which still gains Uninterruptible Stance but keeps its old animation in order to keep the Superior Block property. *

*Note that these attacks deal the same amount of damage and chain to other attacks at the same timing as before. *

Backstepping Superior Block Lights

The following heroes' neutral Light attacks can no longer be backstepped

```
Warlord
```
```
Valkyrie
```
```
Kyoshin
```
```
Afeera
```
```
Black Prior
```
```
Varangian
```
```
Highlander
```

*Dev comment: Superior Block attacks are strong in that they let players counter attacks using Light attacks instead of attempting to Parry. On Live, they currently have an issue where players can use them to Option Select opponent attacks by backstepping - as they walk backwards, if the opponent's attack is a Light Attack, the attack will be countered by the Superior Block, but if it is a Heavy attack the hero will move backwards enough to avoid the opponent's attack. This change removes this ability to Option Select opponent attacks from neutral completely and should lower the effective power of these attacks. *

Shinobi:

Opener lights now deal 10 damage (down from 12)

Zone Attack 2nd hit now deals 4 damage (down from 6)

Dev comment: We had an issue where the previously announced damage changes to Shinobi's Opener Lights did not end up going live. We have fixed the issue, so they now deal the correct amount of damage. We're also adjusting the damage of the 2nd hit of Shinobi's Zone Attack as part of this damage curve adjustments.

Hitokiri:

Heavy Openers now have a minimum Guardbreak Vulnerability of 433ms (up from 333ms)

Dev comment: Hitokiri has had an issue where the total Guardbreak Vulnerability of their Heavy Openers could be 333ms - the charge portion has 300ms of minimum charge, and the strike portion only had 33ms of Guardbreak Vulnerability. The strike portion of the attack now has 133ms of Guardbreak Vulnerability. With this change, the minimum duration of Guardbreak Vulnerability is 433ms (300ms during the charge portion, then 133ms during the strike portion).

Orochi:

Zone Attack now deals 11 damage (down from 14)

Side Heavy Finishers now deal 28 damage (down from 30)

Storm Rush now deals 17 damage (down from 20)

Dev comment: Orochi's damage curve is above normal, especially with their Zone Attack and Side Heavy Finishers. We are lowering their damage to bring them closer in line with the rest of the cast. In addition, Storm Rush was buffed when we removed the combo lights from the attack, but this proved to be too strong for the hero, so we are lowering the damage it causes as well.

Berserker

Top Heavy Opener now deals 28 damage (down from 29)

Top Heavy Finisher now deals 30 damage (down from 31)

Side Heavy Finishers now deal 32 damage (down from 34)

Side Dodge Lights now deal 13 damage (down from 15)

Dev comment: Berserker has been overperforming at some levels of play, partially due to his damage curve, which is above normal. We are therefore slightly lowering the damage values, and will keep an eye on the hero as things progress to see where they end up.

Afeera:

Top Heavy after melee attacks now deals 16 damage (down from 18)

Right Heavy after melee attacks now deals 16 damage (down from 18)

Dev comment: Afeera's Heavy Parry punishes deal above average damage at 18. We are lowering the damage of these two moves to 16 to ensure that her damage curve is better aligned with the rest of the cast. Note that it is still slightly above average due to the extra Stamina cost that is incurred for these specific punishes that require the use of Knockout Punch.

Varangian:

Hjaldr Oathkeeper now attack in the correct stance when Superior Blocking (was always Left stance)

Opener and Finisher Lights can no longer have their Superior Block followup be target swapped

```
Can now throw diagonally
```

Adjusted wallsplat and ledge windows of opportunity to be earlier in the throw victim's reactions to allow for more consistent wallsplat and ledging

ECO MODE

Added an ECO Mode on Current Gen Consoles.

Dev Comment: On Current Gen consoles (PS5, Xbox Series S & X), a new Graphic Settings is added to enable an ECO Mode to save energy by reducing framerate, resolution, and graphic upgrades. Four modes are offered: Off, Minimal that activates only in the menus, Smart that activates after 2 minutes of idle time and Full that activates at all times. In the menus only, an ECO Mode icon will appear when it's activated.

BUG FIXES

GENERAL

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Samurai and Viking minions incorrectly had Knight weapons. FH-7110

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue with Eagle Companion that make the eagle appear too black on podium screen when night map weather is selected.

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where the Frozen Profundis blade for Black Prior was upside down.

FIGHTERS

Hitokiri

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Hitokiri's weapon clips with their fingers while performing the execution "Toriireru"

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Hitokiri's hand is offset with the opponent's hand while performing the execution "Toriireru"

Shaman

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where the enemy's weapon does not disappear after falling down to the ground while previewing execution "Take it on the chin"

Orochi

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where paint patterns aren't applied well on Orochi's Honnari Arm shoulders. FH-6256

Kyoshin

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where the enemy's hand is displaced when Kyoshin's Celestial Discipline Execution is performed from the front on certain heroes. FH-5484

Medjay

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Medjay's Heavy finisher animation could change into top light finisher animation in certain circumstances. FH-4271

Warden

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Warden's Zone Attack animation skips frames from the enemy's perspective when thrown from left & top left guard stance. FH-1824

MAP

Viking Village

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the player to pass through a wall. FH-3444

Those are the For Honor patch notes on April 25 across platforms and storefronts.

System Shock Update Patch Notes Apr 25

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Michelle Pereira

Patch 1.2.18887

Behold!

Fixed:

Fix for 1.1 saves not loading properly on maps with a Loader Bot present.

Fix a case where after loading a save the player would remain in a combat state indefinitely.

Fix several cases where mission waypoints were showing up incorrectly.

Fix for user waypoints not showing up on the map.

Fix for Shodan not animating in the final pseudospace sequence.

Fix for several effects not rendering properly on the female hacker.

Fix vertical spacing issues on subtitle text on certain display configs.

Fix for movement inputs sticking when entering and exiting menus.

Fix for not being able to throw grenades when jumping.

Fix for corpses and limbs being frustum culled while still on the screen.

Fix for computer node monitors on Storage not displaying the correct code in certain cases.

Fix Reactor region labels on the automap.

Fix for cargo lift screen not displaying level transition properly in some cases.

Fix for cyberspace FOV interfering with realspace FOV in certain cases.

Fix for Diego remaining invisible if staggered while teleporting.

Fix for coins sometimes being invisible when dispensed from Credit Machines.

Adjusted:

Shotgun reloading will now prioritize small ammo stacks.

'Vaporize All' will ignore existing scrap items.

Reduced Avian Mutant health from 125 to 100.

Force Diego V3 to reappear when he dies to prevent cases where his corpse would be invisible.

Hacking a robot will reduce their awareness by 90% instead of only 50%, but the effect wears off instantly if they are damaged.

Hooked up cooldown and disabled states for cyberspace software.

Made Decoy and Recall software obey stacking mechanics and consume only one per use.

Added:

Added the ability to create messages for user waypoints.

Added a health bar for the player in the final pseudospace sequence.

Added shortcuts to use Explosives and Consumables on the RB/LB buttons on the gamepad.

In case you missed the latest update, read about it here:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/482400/view/4185606994277120701

Thanks again for the players support and helping us reach the vision we've always had for this classic game. We look forward to seeing you insects once more in Citadel Station.
- Your System Shock Team

Those are the patch notes for System Shock on April 25 across platforms and storefronts.

Fallout 4 Next Gen Update Patch Notes Apr 25

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Michelle Pereira

Fallout 4 Next Gen – Update Notes

New Creation Club Content Free for Everyone

Enclave Remnants

Some say the past is a scar, cut across the skin of the Commonwealth. Others believe it's a scab clotted over an unhealed wound. Those who fought the Enclave, and those who serve them subscribe to the latter. And when the scab is broken the flag of this old-world cabal will once more stand at full mast. Unless of course, you stop them first. Features the classic Enclave Colonel uniform and over a dozen workshop items! If you have other Enclave creations installed, some of these troops may use this equipment against you!

(Quest "Echoes of the Past" starts on the road north of Saugus Ironworks.)

Armor and Weapon bundle

```
X-02 Power Armor
```
```
Hellfire Power Armor
```
```
Heavy Incinerator
```
```
Tesla Cannon
```
```
Enclave Weapon Skins
```
```
Enclave Armor Skins
```

Makeshift Weapon Pack

Whether it be grenades or piggy banks, there's no shortage of objects you can transform into murderous projectiles with this collection of unique weapons. Included are two grenade launchers, a Nail Gun, Baseball Launcher, Saw Blade launcher, and piggy bank based weaponry.

(Quest "When Pigs Fly" starts at a merchant workshop northwest of Greenetech Genetics.)

Halloween Workshop

On the eve of the end, the New England Technocrat Society has thrown a spooky Halloween gala for anyone with the nerve to attend. Drop in on this fa-boo-lous pumpkin-lit soiree replete with witches, cauldrons, and ghouls, and unlock 38 new spine-tingling Halloween props to decorate your settlement! Includes new wearables, such as the iconic De-Capitalist helmet!

(Quest "All Hallow's Eve" starts by tuning into the Mysterious Signal on your Pip-Boy.)

Changes and New Features

Native PS5 and Xbox Series applications. Includes performance and quality mode options.

Performance mode: 60 FPS target, 4k resolution, standard settings, relying on dynamic resolution scaling.

Quality mode: 30 FPS*, 4k resolution, ultra settings, should not require dynamic resolution scaling.

*When connected to a 120Hz display, Quality mode will target 40 FPS.

*When connected to a 1440p display, the title will run at 1440p resolution at 60 FPS w/ ultra settings regardless of rendering mode

```
Release on Epic Store.
```

Widescreen and Ultra-widescreen support.

```
Steam Deck Verified
```

9 Free Creation Club Items. Enclave Remnants (New!), Enclave Weapon Skins, Enclave Armor Skins, Tesla Cannon, Hellfire Power Armor, X-02 Power Armor, Heavy Incinerator, Halloween Workshop (New!), Makeshift Weapon Pack (New!).

```
Added “Installed Content” menu.
```

Bug Fixes

Resolved issues preventing Japanese and Chinese users from connecting to Bethesda.net (this restores access to Mods).

Resolved issue preventing save data from properly loading during the prologue.

Resolved issue that could prevent the Vault 111 Door from opening on new games.

Resolved issue that could prevent the quest “Go Home” from advancing.

Resolved issue that could result in Codsworth being broken on the ground after fast traveling.

```
Resolved issue with mipmaps in DLC.
```

Resolved issue that could result in a softlock when in dialogue with Prestson Garvey.

Resolved issue preventing autosaves while fast traveling in Power Armor.

Fixed issue where text would occasionally disappear in the Creation Club menu.

Resolved issues with text formatting in the credits in Japanese and Chinese.

Resolved issue causing the camera to fail when leaving furniture after an extended time.

Fixed issue that could misplace quest markers while the VR Workshop Creation was installed alongside Automatron.

Resolved issue with player movement in some underwater areas at Thicket Excavations.

Resolved issue that could cause corruption within the Settlement system resulting in wrong resource counts and/or destroyed settlements.

Resolved issue where the “Level Up” notification would display even if there was not a level up available.

```
Fixed some flickering in Vault 111.
```
```
Stability improvements.
```

PC Only

Resolved issue preventing saves being made under Windows Usernames with Cyrillic, Chinese, or Japanese characters.

Creation Kit

Removed non-functional “Hot Load” button. Removed non-functional “Material Editor” button.

Editor IDs longer than 99 characters will no longer crash the editor.

Resolved crash that could occur while viewing a quest’s Objectives tab.

Resolved hang that could occur while adding a reference to a layer.

Those are the patch notes on April 25 for Fallout 4 across platforms and storefronts.

Nintendo Confirms Klefki Not Actually a Pokémon in Any Meaningful Sense

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Nik Theorin

KYOTO, Japan— Beloved video game giant Nintendo released a statement on social media earlier today, where the company confirmed that the Steel and Fairy-type Pokémon Klefki is not really a Pokémon in any meaningful sense.

“Nintendo takes its commitment to players very seriously,” the company said in an unprompted statement. “We have high standards of integrity and openness when it comes to how we communicate with gamers about the properties they love, and it’s for this reason we can no longer remain silent on Klefki, the Pokémon who is constantly collecting keys and was first introduced in Pokémon X and Y. To be clear: Klefki is not a Pokémon.”

“Technically it is a Pokémon,” Nintendo continued, “but not really, you know? In name only. Consider it apocryphal. Pokémon are beloved as companions, friendly critters who grow and evolve alongside their trainers. That mutual relationship has always been at the core of the Pokémon franchise: ‘You teach me, and I’ll teach you’. That’s not Klefki. Klefki can’t teach you crap. It doesn’t love you. It’s pure utility— no more a pet than a wrench is your friend. The sooner the community accepts that reality, the better.”

Kenji Nishida, a lead designer on Pokémon X and Y, was skeptical of Klefki’s inclusion in the game from the very start.

“Variety is part of what makes Pokémon so great,” said Nishida, who previously contributed to the designs of Pokémon such as Stunfisk, Spoink, and that little rat bastard catfishing as Pikachu. “Variety has given us so many iconic designs over the years, from Pokémon that look like magnets, to the alphabet, to voluptuous human women. There’s something for every player to love, even the freaks. But variety has also given us creatures of nightmare: beasts so perverse Adam would sooner beat them to death with hammers than name them. Look, I love Klefki as much as the next guy, which is not at all, I feel nothing, but I have a Golden Rule I try to follow when designing Pokémon. That rule being—ideally—a Pokémon shouldn’t lead an existence indistinguishable from eternal karmic punishment.”

Though Nintendo went on to clarify the unusual key ring Pokémon wouldn’t be removed from Pokédexes any time soon, this didn’t stop some players from voicing their surprise.

“You’re telling me that was a Pokémon?” said Finn Dropem, a 33-year-old veteran player for whom Neopets was a gateway drug. “I just assumed Klefki was a cryptid or lesser demon in the Pokémon universe. I was confused why they never introduced more of them. I was confused by a lot of things. It’s just a ring of keys, right? What are they going to make next? An ice cream cone Pokémon? A dollop of whipped cream? A Pokémon that’s just a goth chick?”

At press time, Nintendo had reportedly amended their statement with the announcement that Vaporeon, a Water-type Pokémon known for its friendly appearance and nothing else, would be removed from future Pokémon media until you all learn to be normal about it.

Cities: Skylines II Update Patch Notes 1.1.2f1 Apr 25

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Michelle Pereira

Patch Notes 1.1.2f1

Hi everyone. As patch 1.1.2f1 is rolling out on Steam and Microsoft Store, let’s have a look at what it includes and what you can expect next.

This patch removes the entitlement from all the Beach Properties assets, so they are now a part of the base game and available to everyone. Saves and custom maps using the assets should work without any extra steps, but as always, don’t hesitate to make a bug report on the forum if you have any issues. Additionally, we have improvements to performance, support for Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution, and a long list of bug fixes for both the game and the Editor. You can find the full list below.

With this patch in your hands, we’ve started working towards the next one. It will take about a month as, along with bug fixes and improvements, this patch will include a large re-work of the Economy to address much of the feedback you have shared with us in the past months. We’ll share more details on what has changed when the patch is ready.

As modding is an important part of any Colossal Order game, one of our top priorities right now is to resolve the remaining issues with the asset import pipeline, so you can start to import and share your custom assets on Paradox Mods. This is proving more difficult than we hoped, so we don’t have an exact timeline at this time at this point, but it will likely take several more months.

Thank you for all the bug reports, feedback, and support. We really appreciate it as it helps us understand and improve your experience with Cities: Skylines II.

Cities: Skylines II Update Patch Notes 1.1.1f1 Apr 2

Patch Notes 1.1.2f1

Beach Properties assets implemented to the base game

Performance

Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution support added

Some pathfinding optimizations to reduce slowing simulation

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UI optimizations
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Optimizations to reduce frame spikes
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Bug fixes & improvements

Mod options are sorted alphabetically instead of random

Made bus stop and mailbox color in infoview same as icon color

Citizens are more likely to use taxis from outside connections when moving in the city

Automatically pause and display any pending legal documents when continuing last game from the launcher

Fixed crash to desktop occurs after starting a new game on Custom Map from Editor where 'Placeholder Surface' was used

Fixed crash to desktop occurs after placing any Truck from “Add Object” menu in developerMode

Fixed crash to desktop after loading save with broken path-road connections

Fixed crash to desktop after loading map with Landfill's lot created in Editor

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Fixed Cartography achievement
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Fixed dispatching problem causing service vehicles to have trouble reaching some targets in certain cases. Affects garbage collecting, post van (for buildings), police patrolling and road maintenance.

Fixed patient teleports to ambulance if the parking lot is close to their location

Fixed a road tool snapped to an existing road may randomly get into an incorrect position

Fixed zone grid alignment broken when bulldozing stops or mailboxes when there are different sized roads connected

Fixed duplicated city service upkeep items of building that have upgrade

Fixed trains stuck at rail yard when there are multiple spawning trains and arriving trains at the same time.

Fixed part of Hydroelectric Power Plant remains on map after bulldozing it

Fixed tutorial task list not resetting when selecting “Reset tutorials” from gameplay options.

Fixed limit tutorial center card height to prevent overlapping with bottom toolbar

Fixed missing color of Destroyed Buildings in the Disaster Control Info View

Fixed service coverage displaying all red for a couple of frames when activating infoview for the first time after loading save (In paused mode or soon after loading)

Fixed line color changes are not visible while it's hovered with a cursor.

Fixed Firewatch Tower incorrectly shows its range when hovering over the building

Fixed mouse tool options tooltips did not support handling a larger number of options or smaller resolutions/UI scalings

Fixed interface/panel transparency for non default UI styles

Fixed issue preventing saving after changing name with controller and virtual keyboard

Menu notifications thumbnail image will now retain its aspect ratio and will cover the square space with overflow content cut

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Various screen resolution fixes
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Multiple text fixes
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Controller fixes:

All photomode panel properties can be reset

Reset property and capture keyframe action added for controller

Revamped controller navigation and focus styles for a more intuitive and streamlined UX

Disabled Editor inspector items can be focused to fix situations where some fields cannot be viewed or scrolled to with a controller.

Fixed draggable value not updating input label in photo mode panel

Fixed null reference when trying to reset a property that had no reset callback

Fixed controller navigation in Editor preview/thumbnail picker, save map panel, and add component menu. Item pickers no longer select items when focused by default.

Fixed preview not updating with various tools when using controller to select asset

Fixed controller action hints overlapping main menu sub screens

Fixed Editor bottom bar sliders not being usable with controller

Fixed item picker footer slider not being usable with controller

Fixed controller's slider buttons getting inverted when the slider's start value is higher than the end value

Added missing names from QLOC team to the credits

Editor

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Added wind editing for maps
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Added Paradox creator profile bindings
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Display user avatar in Paradox panel
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Added notification about mod loading status

Added support for text field input for numeric fields for mouse brush options

Added display tool options for bulldoze tool

Added notification if a mod failed to load. If you click on it, it shows details with the ability to open a mod page on Paradox Mods or disable a failed mod.

Added 'builtIn' property to setting pages

Added missed attributes to options in modding setting tab

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Added directory picker
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Added directory picker to modding toolchain dependencies to select installation path

Added directory browser bindings to OptionsUISystem

Fixed water simulation speed now resets when closing Editor water panel

Fixed modding toolchain sections text/icons not readable with scaled text

Fixed searching for components or directories not returning all results, small refactors and optimizations

Fixed brush options not resetting between Editor and in-game

Fixed Editor tool options sometimes not rendering before next UI action

Fixed visible loc ID in savegame's map name if the custom map used in the save has been deleted

Controller fixes & improvements

Editor tool options moved to inspector panel footer and usable with controller

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Added controller action hints to Editor
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Restricted controller navigation to Editor panel when active,

Several minor improvements to Editor controller navigation

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Several UI modding improvements
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Map upload: disable “Submit” button when internet connection lost or user unexpectedly logged out

Map upload: disable “Submit” button after successful upload to prevent uploading same map multiple times

Paradox Mods

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Paradox SDK updated to version 1.19
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Paradox Mods updated to version 1.4.1
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New features

Addition of Creator profiles and Your profile view

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Ability to follow creators
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Pressing Escape can now be used to close Mods UI

Addition of Ko-fi, Buy me a coffee, Crowdin as external links

PageUp, PageDown, Home and End can be used to scroll in various views

Mousebutton 4 and 5 (thumb buttons) can now be used for back and forward navigation

Author is now clickable when browsing mods

Mod ID is now visible in Mod info and can be copied as well as copy the full link of the mod

Arrow left and right can now be used to navigate the gallery on mod details

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Input text fields will now auto focus
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Going back from mod details will now scroll down to where you were before

Ability to remove a mod from all playsets when in Library

General improvements

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Increased scroll speed
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Redesigned mod details information box
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Thumbnail is now visible on mod details
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Reordered icons when browsing mods
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Clarified text in Library to also mention how many mods in the active playset

Clarified text when on an empty non-active playset

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Modals have been slightly redesigned
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Failing to fetch discussion will only show a toast instead of an error modal

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Updated translations in some places
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Redesigned spotlight in Featured to be smaller

Browse now have 5 mods in a row on PC, up from 4

Mod version will now be used instead of numerical version (if it exists)

Featured mods can now be subscribed and shows likes

Clarified text on featured mods Browse all button

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Last updated is now showing in mod info
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Created timestamp is now showing in mod info

Bug fixes

User removed mods are now properly texted as removed

Fixed a couple of crashes in offline mode

Fixed search field flickering when switching to and from Browse view

Fixed scrolling back in Browse not centering on the previous clicked mod

Fixed text in library to not overflow to much in some languages

Cities: Skylines II Update Patch Notes 1.1.0f1 Mar 25

That’s everything in update 1.1.2f1 on April 25 for Cities: Skylines II on Steam PC and the Microsoft Store.

$1200 Graphics Card Opens Two Extra Google Chrome Tabs

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Ted Curtis

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nvidia’s new DPS 5090 graphics card has arrived and is confirmed to be powerful enough to have two additional Google Chrome tabs open.

Nvidia spokesman Jesse Martel sent out a press release announcing the card’s price and capabilities.

“Using the power of the latest graphics technology, users can finally unlock the true potential of their battlestations, cranking out not one but two more tabs of Google Chrome at once! For the low, low price of $1200, gamers can enjoy the full benefits of browsing with Chrome as it does what literally any other browser can do while using exponentially more RAM for some ungodly reason.”

Online tech reviewers such as Jim Stotch are calling enthusiastic about the 5090 and what it can do.

“It’s a step up from the previous model in every way, with its sophisticated 8GB of GDDR6 memory, its 96-bit ultra teraflop matrix processor clocked at 15 Gbps and other numbers you pretend to understand,” said Stotch in a review. “Along with a burning hole in your wallet, this newest card comes with a variety of new features. These include turning your PC into a wind turbine as you dare to open yet another YouTube video in the background to soothe the bored monkey in your brain.”

The card is being widely recommended by reviewers.

“The card offers marginal improvements over the older, cheaper models in its class but the slight boost in performance makes it a must-buy for students who need various CourseHero pages open at once or those who really enjoy watching those 4K 60fps graphics comparison videos at 720p,” concluded Stotch.

While some have criticized the high cost, Stotch defended the price.

“The big number on the side of the card should stave off buyer’s remorse for our customer. Until the inevitable card with a bigger number comes out in four months for the exact same price.”

At press time, details on the anticipated 5090ti are starting to emerge, and say that it’s able to handle a whopping three extra Chrome tabs before detonation.

The Undertaker Makes Big Claim About WWE’s Women’s Division

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Jake Skudder

WWE legend The Undertaker recently made a big claim regarding the women’s division and what the roster could benefit from.

Speaking on his Six Feet Under podcast (via SEScoops), the Deadman said: “The division [is] deep. I would like to see a Women’s Intercontinental Champion, and possibly, because there are two brands, a Women’s US Champion.”

As of writing, there is currently no indication that the company is considering bringing in a mid-card title for either RAW or SmackDown, but it was revealed at NXT Stand and Deliver on WrestleMania weekend that a new Women’s North American Championship would be coming in the near future.

The Undertaker Talks Women’s Midcard Titles

‘Taker isn’t the first to mention that there should be a midcard title introduced for the Women’s divisions on RAW and SmackDown.

It has reportedly been discussed in the past, but WWE has never moved forward with the plans…although it could happen at some point.

AEW introduced the TBS Championship back in January 2022 in a similar vein, and it made a big difference to the presentation and career of Jade Cargill before she left to join WWE earlier this year.

Hard Drive Does Pro Wrestling News?

I’ll be covering all of the action from the likes of AEW, WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling going forward, so hit me up on X/Twitter if you’ve got any questions.

Make sure you check out more of the content we have via our Minus World section and if you want to see more pro wrestling or combat sports you can check out my site FightFans.

Ver. 1.2.1 Update Information

Changes from Ver. 1.1.4 (Steam)

New Content

Battle

Other Items

Patch Notes 2.51.0 – FOR HONOR

CONVERTED MAP: CATHEDRAL

IMPROVEMENT

FIGHTERS

ECO MODE

BUG FIXES

Patch 1.2.18887

Fixed:

Adjusted:

Added:

Fallout 4 Next Gen – Update Notes

New Creation Club Content Free for Everyone

Changes and New Features

Bug Fixes

PC Only

Creation Kit

Patch Notes 1.1.2f1

Patch Notes 1.1.2f1

The Undertaker Talks Women’s Midcard Titles

Hard Drive Does Pro Wrestling News?

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