The Grouch's Trash Pile [Baldur's Gate 3]

If you decide to buy the game, once you can use the marketboard they're usually not super expensive, although you may have to be most of the way through the base game before you can really afford it. (Money is really tight at first, but once you unlock the challenge log - which you can do about the time you can take the airship to Limsa Lominsa around lv 15 of the storyline - the game throws money at you every time you finish a weekly challenge log entry. You won't get rich with this but you can end up pretty comfortable.)

What server are you on, anyway?

 

Right now I'm on Zodiark, which is still the preferred server. It's still a bit handhold-y and I'm rather itching to get into the crafting system. I try not to dive in too early in the day or chores suffer.

 

Oh man, my main was a Lalafell and that kittybat would have been so good perched on her!

I miss playing, and everyone posting about it makes me want to dive in again Xb

 

Ahh, different datacenter, dang.

It's going to be pretty handhold-y until at least 30. Some people consider all of the base game to be a tutorial, but I think that feeling depends very much on a person's previous MMO experience and how fast they pick up on game mechanics - I started having a hard time about the level 32 dungeon, myself, and I am not traditionally that good at games. >_>; (I also started as a healer, which made things a bit harder for me.) But I think it honestly has a very reasonable learning curve and mechanics get more intricate and interesting at a steady pace.

:3c

I allllmost started as a lala but ended up going with the same character I usually trot out for a customizable-but-silent-protagonist in a game full of 'but thou musts'. Despite lalas being Max Adorable it's probably a good thing, since I had no idea that getting up in their business with headpats was as much of a thing as it is and that would have given me the screaming mimis since my personal space bubble is just as big for my vidya gaem characters as it is for me! XD

 

Spoiler: Some venting about holiday stuff.

My in-laws have done this silly "maybe no presents this year oh but maybe presents after all???" dance for the past like... five years, but this year it seems like it really is for-real Everyone Has Agreed On No Gifts, except my sister-in-law and her kid because "They like Christmas a lot and like getting gifts."

I had to screw up my courage to confirm that this was the case, and that no, J didn't intend for us to exchange gifts either. My reaction: "Oh. :(" He was immediately distressed and was like. "Instead we can do something special together, just the two of us! ... although I don't know what we'd do..." (Spoiler: he will never think of anything, either.)

I don't... know why I wasn't asked what I want to do. Maybe because my gifts have been baked goods the past few years because I'm poor but a hell of a good baker and what I can output for the cost of ingredients is worth more than whatever cheap trinkets I could buy with the same money? Even though I clearly presented them as Gifts and not part of the general spread, as they were all more cookies than any one person could eat at once, packaged up on a per-person basis? Or... I don't know. It's upsetting, though. I may not be religious but neither is my sister-in-law, and I used to get excited for having a Winter Holiday -- but I'm incapable of being excited about something when everyone in my immediate vicinity (i.e. J) is wet blanket about it.

(cue internal voice scolding me about how "adults aren't supposed to care about presents"...)

Fuck this year. Fuck this holiday. Fuck winter. And fuck me because I have a Milestone Birthday coming up right next month and I'm expected to think of something Cool and Interesting to do for that... somehow... with very little money. Sure! Right. I'll get right on that so other people aren't sad at me that my Milestone Birthday was wasted, as if me being sad about it myself wasn't enough.

¯\_( ಠ_ಠ)_/¯

 

Spoiler

No promises because depending on my workload/THE HELLPLAGUE I AM AFFLICTED WITH but is there a theoretical Art Thing you'd like for your birthday? It's not really helping with the social expectation of Big Plans For Birthday but I'd like to shoot you a present if I can.

 

Fuck that noise, I will send you So Many Things. They might not get to you before Christmas but they are definitely Winter Gifts For You To Enjoy.

 

Ahhh y'all are sweet ; ; I have to run to bed now, but I'll get back to you tomorrow <3

(My Winter Holiday isn't a total loss because a good fairy must have whispered into Aud's ear and she offered me my gift yesterday, which was far more than I even thought to expect, so this all just kind of depressed me rather than totally crushing me... which sounds like faint praise but it really, really isn't. I have pretty bad SAD and getting an emotional blow at this time of year is usually Real Bad. Just sort of bad is... liveable.

Something nice on my otherwise usually depressing birthday would be fantastic, though. Just the offer brightens my outlook considerably.)

 

<3! You’re very kind. I’ll get back to you later on that? Mobile is turning out to be a pain in the ass to reply in. ^^;

 

Spoiler: I feel guilty now though

Of course my inlaws mostly don’t feel like doing gifts, J’s Dad died two months ago. *sigh* I want to fuss about the late notice, but, that’s not really fair...

Ugh. I’m tired of myself.

At least I thought of something J and I can do- go to Amos Rex before Massless is gone. I went with my workshop group so he hasn’t seen it and I’d love to go again. Low key expecting him to shoot it down even though I think he’d really like it (it’s expensive; I’d gotten to see it for free) but at least it’s an idea.

 

There are two guys who attend the same workshop I do that I’m pretty sure are also trans, and... we all have the same hairstyle > >; it’s funny even though I feel kind of sheepish about it... are undercuts the unofficial transmasc hairstyle...?

They’re super popular here in general, tbh, but the three of us all having the same style while no one else in the workshop does makes me feel a little more obvious than I like.

 

On that note, it’s really something to me that the hairstyle I’ve had on and off for 15 years and was Too Counterculture for regular retail work before I left the states is extremely popular and even mainstream now.

 

SE gifted us with a preview of the upcoming new trial boss and it's clear that one or more people on the FFXIV team is a monsterfucker, and we are blessed to have that person.

Spoiler: LOOK at this guy (sfw, just Big)

 

I mean, was Byakko's...everything not evidence enough? :p

 

I went on the net a week after that fight was released to specifically look for hot tiger man porn and there was none. I was so disappointed in the community ಠ_ಠ

 

Oh sure, but I'm glad they continue to provide evidence. (Seiryu is more my thing, anyway.)

 

OKAY getting back to people before I space out and forget even more...

DUDE I WOULD LOVE THAT. Would something one of my OCs (like, Dragon Age or FFXIV) be okay...?

<3! Honestly, if anything makes it here around my birthdayish (I.... think I have it listed in my profile?), I'd be overjoyed. We can dish out the details in pm whenever you're up to it.

You are so sweet! <3 While I would really enjoy getting something on/around my birthday, I'd rather you choose what you think is best? I know even small physical items cost a fortune to ship overseas right now, so please keep that in mind - I don't want you to get sticker shock at the post office. :(

This means a LOT to me. My birthday has been a fraught subject for me most of my life, but these messages were like getting a much-needed hug. Thank you so much, you three.

 

OCs are more than alright! As long as I've got a screenshot to work with, I can go absolutely hogwild.

 

'A' screenshot. I don't think that's going to be a problem... *sits on my 10GB pile of screencaps and whistles*

I have to go to bed shortly so I'll pm you tomorrow about it, if that's all right?