There are two games that matter, Patchwork and Gloomhaven. However, to fill our kallaxes, we need some kickstarter games. That’s where quackalope comes in. He “plays” games to tell us which ones have good “gameplay” so we know what will have good value.
However, the thought just crossed my mind that I can get a bit to go all in on every kickstarter. Sure it’s better to get games whose publishers can afford the bribe-money, but you will get them all, just some extras to fill more space.

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

I will mainly want to use it for guitar amp sims and recording/mixing. I will also be using it for gaming but nothing too GPU heavy.

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

1500 - 2000 USD, preferably towards the lower end.

When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

Soon

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Tower, OS, Monitor (144 hz), keyboard and mouse

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

USA, Mass. Microcenter only 40 minute drive.

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are

None

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

No

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

No

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

No

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

Yes

Extra info or particulars:

I open my task manager and it says 100% of disk space is being used despite only having Microsoft edge with one tab open. Also says 56% memory is being taken up. Wondering how I can fix this? I have had the computer shut off for about two months. After about 10 minutes it changed to 30% of disk space being used. I checked my storage and I am only using 10% of available space. Why is my computer slow? I also did a McAfee deep scan and nothing popped up.

Looking to clear up space.
PMs only. Comment before PM'ing.
Timestamp
https://imgur.com/a/oUVfWyT
Local cash only. I will not be shipping.
Local to Buena Park, California.
Dell S2721DGF - $200
Purchased in September 2021. 1440p 165hz ips. No issues and no damage. Selling because I upgraded my monitor and using this monitor just to have discord open on the side is a bit excessive. Comes with all cables (dp, hdmi, usb, power).
Lenovo K500 keyboard - $20
Red linear switches. Used for a month before switching keyboards because a full size takes up too much space on my desk.
Asceny one 60% Keyboard - $20
Gateron optical blacks. Used for a few months before upgrading to keychron v1. Comes with all extra keycaps, keycap remover, switch remover, usb c to usb a cable, and asceny sticker.
Logitech G432 headset - $20
Warranty replacement. Used for a few weeks before getting a separate microphone. Has 3rd party earpads that are the ones on the headset in the pictures but will come with original earpads. Comes with usb dongle and 3.5mm audio and microphone splitter.
Corsair mm300 mousepad - $10
Upgraded mousepad so no longer needed.
Everything as a bundle except the monitor - $50

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RJKNfv
​

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor (Purchased For $288.92)
• CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($139.99 @ Amazon)
• Motherboard: Gigabyte B550M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (Purchased For $107.99)
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (Purchased For $0.00)
• Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (Purchased For $129.99)
• Video Card: MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB Video Card (Purchased For $1000.00)
• Case: Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (Purchased For $75.98)
• Power Supply: Corsair RM850x (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $149.99)

Total: $1892.86
Right now I have a Noctua-DH15 - but I am a bit hesitant with the air cooler for 2 reasons:
Space being taken - have read that the airflow restriction can create some hotspots due to poor air circulation
Travel - I am kind of mobile with work, so the plan is to make this able to be placed in my carry on luggage and remove the GPU when flying.

I do not live in a legal state and I have to go to California for work for two days, so I scheduled my trip so I will have extra time to get high (yay!). Problem is my hotel room has no balcony, and smoking of any kind is not allowed in their outdoor space. And smoking weed outdoors is illegal in CA (although I wonder if anyone has ever been arrested for it). So if I want to smoke some flower, I’m gonna need to be creative. I thought maybe I’d roll a joint and just drive until I finished it? Seems like a terrible idea (FYI the trip is to the inland empire region, not sure if that matters)

I love bodybuilding and would love to train every day, but I am very busy (work 9 to 6, study for a bachelor's degree at night and strive to work on some personal projects to advance my career). Aside form those obligations, I also have to give space to other things that I value in life such as loved ones, hobbies, etc.
I have ran the PPL split for years, but never really consistently managed to go 6 times a week to the gym. I mostly go 5 times a week, occasionally 4. I know it is not a hard requirement to go 6 times a week with a PPL split (have done it and got good progress), but I do think it's best to run a split that makes you hit each muscle twice a week. I tried a bro split many years ago and didn't like it. Behold, I came up with a 5 day (LULPP) split that hits each muscle group twice, doesn't require you to stay forever in the gym (each session can be completed in less than 1h if you have the cardio to do supegiant sets) AND can be converted to an UL split on the fly in case you need to train 4 times instead of 5 on a given week.
Routine:
Lower Upper Rest Lower Pull Push Rest 1) Lower RDL - 3x6-10 reps Leg press - 3x8-12 reps Leg extension - 3x10-15 reps Unilateral standing calf raise - 3xAMRAP 2) Upper Weighted dips - 3x10-15 Pull ups - 3xAMRAP SUPERSET Cross-over (upwards) - 3x10-15 WITH Cable Reverse Flies 3x10-15 GIANT SET (if you can) EZ Bar Curl 3x8-15 WITH Skull Crusher 3x8-15 WITH Y-Raise 3x8-12
3) Lower Squat - 4x6-10 BSS (fuck my life) - 3x8-12 Nordic hamstring curl (assisted concentric) - 4xAMRAP 4) Pull Weighted pull ups - 4x6-10 Chest supported DB rows - 3x8-12 Incline DB curl - 3x8-12 SUPERSET Face pull (pronated grip) 3x10-15 WITH Cable hammer curl 3x8-12 5) Push Weighted dips 4x8-15 Incline barrel press - 3x8-12 SUPERSET Cable lat raise 4x8-12 WITH Overhead extension 4x8-12 DB OHP - 3x10-15
Notes:

• The routine is slightly chest biased, because that's what I want to focus on at the moment along with abs. You can change that by tweaking the order of the workouts and the exercises;
• Get the toughest or least enjoyable workout done on Monday (legs in my case), and put the most enjoyable or the one you want to focus on on Saturday (chest/shoulders/triceps in my case);
• An extra day of rest in comparison with PPL. Good for recovery;
• You can do Lower Upper Rest Lower Upper if you know you will only be able to train 4 times instead of 5 in a given week;
• Abs are not included in the routine, but I'm training them twice a week at the most convenient days and encourage you to do the same;
• Walk everyday and get sun; Just felt like sharing in the hopes it can help someone or at least spark some ideas. Feel free to ask anything or provide feedback.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i5-12600KF 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor	$219.94 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler	$36.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI MAG B660 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard	$189.99 @ B&H
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory	$94.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$59.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive	$49.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	EVGA FTW3 ULTRA GAMING GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Video Card	$749.00 @ Amazon
Case	Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case	$109.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair RM850 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$139.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Phanteks FSK 84.5 CFM 140 mm Fan	$13.59 @ Amazon
Monitor	LG 27GL850-B 27.0" 2560 x 1440 144 Hz Monitor	$346.99 @ B&H
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$2011.36
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-09 17:25 EDT-0400

Hello Guardians, my name is u/PandaPaxxy. Today I am here to go over my process for evaluating weapons. From hand cannons to glaives I will go over what I look for in weapons and why. A lot of the time it will fall into “Reload gun and get damage.” But in terms of other stats to look for, why I choose certain perks sometimes and other perks other times. My guides serve to educate Guardians on weapons for the season. I work hard to test and find out what works on weapons so you can dedicate your time to playing with them instead of testing them for yourself.
Ultimately my guides and wishlists are a jumping off point. They serve as a great baseline but are neither gospel, nor all-encompassing. I build them to get you to a point where you can look at perk pools and decide for yourself what you want on your weapons.
Exotic armor builds are always a great place to start, see what exotic you gravitate towards and build your weapons around that. Do you like mowing through enemies? Well then Subsistence might be your best friend. Do you like punching things? Pugilist, Swashbuckler, One-Two Punch, and Trench Barrel just became your best friends. Depending on your build and what you use can drastically change perk recommendations one way or the other. Building into a specific play style with your weapons can not only get you to a point where clearing activities is easier, but it can also create your own identity within Destiny. Two players using the same subclass and exotic can choose very different weapons to pair with it and have very different play styles. My recommendations are purely that. Recommendations.
This guide not only serves as what I recommend on weapons but also a peek behind the curtain into my brain. To set you off right, I LOVE high handling weapons, if I could have Ophidians or Dragon’s Shadow on my Titan, I might never take them off. Any way I can bump up handling on my weapons is always going to be my forefront choice, that’s why a lot of the time I recommend Fluted Barrel, Fastdraw HCS, or QuickDot SAS. The faster the animation the better.
With all that being said, let me get into the meat and potatoes of this breakdown of my breakdowns.

Primary Ammo

Auto Rifles:
Auto rifles need some stability and a good recoil direction to make them work. Any base recoil direction less than 70 needs Arrowhead Brake, and even above that it might be necessary. It depends also on what magazine perks the auto rifle gets. Ricochet Rounds is the best as it marginally increases range while heavily increasing stability. Steady Rounds almost never gets recommended as it lowers the next best stat being range.
In terms of perks a lot of the time it will either be consistency for PvP or damage + reload perks for PvE. Reload perks come in all forms; Surplus, Threat Detector, Outlaw, and Overflow are easy choices. Ambitious Assassin and even Envious Assassin are also great choices depending on how you use this auto. They pseudo-bypass reload by giving you a bigger base mag each time the perk activates. They fall under Overflow because with Overflow you will never see your reload animation but get all the benefits.
In terms of damage perks all of them work perfectly. Golden Tricorn is the best overall and will be for most weapons as it has the highest damage increase and stacks with surge mods. As long as you keep the same element you will be golden.
For PvP there are few choices. Consistency perks like Tap the Trigger, Dynamic Sway Reduction, Zen Moment, and even Threat Detector are fantastic for keeping bullets on target. Autos need your full dedication to the engagement to kill and keeping your bullets on their head is the only way to succeed. There are “Win More” perks like Kill Clip that allow you to slay past that first engagement, but most autos I recommend will have full consistency unless there isn’t a consistency perk in the stereotypical “damage” column.
Combat Bows:
Bows were a fantastic addition to the game and provide a nice balance between scouts and snipers. Harder hitting than a scout but less damage than a sniper. Primary ammo over a sniper, but less damage per second (or shots per second) than a scout. Very cool choice. Most of the time I will recommend dropping draw time as low as possible and bringing up accuracy after the fact. This will make the damage per second go up a bit as you can fire more shots and keep your “range” and feeling sticky the further away the enemies are.
There aren’t a wide variety of perks to choose from on bows. Crowd control perks and reload perks are the only things. There are a few choice perks for builds specifically. Wellspring, Demolitionist, and Pugilist are great for specific builds or general ability uptime. However, I will, more often than not, recommend Archer’s Tempo or Rapid Hit over them. Bringing up the base reload speed and draw time means you won’t have to invest as heavily into dropping draw time, though the two do help together.
In the final column going with your damage perks or crowd control perks are the best. Headstone, Dragonfly, Explosive Head, or Frenzy. All of them work to clear rooms faster. This comes mostly down to player preference and what build you will ultimately use.
Bows in PvP have two main play styles, swap (blinting) or laning. With either Opening Shot is the best in slot whenever it is available. It allows you to almost always get a crit which will be helpful in either play style. With the swap builds you could also opt for Explosive Head for some added flinch, but you definitely want Quickdraw or Moving Target for added Flexibility. For a more laning approach I would always recommend Rapid Hit for a faster draw time after you get that first crit with Opening Shot.
Hand Cannons:
Well these are certainly my favorite weapons in the game. They really don’t feel good in higher end PvE. Shame. For the most part I look for a decent mix of stability, range, and handling. In that order. If the weapon has decent stats for each of those that aren’t way out of band I usually default to handling. Range does help in PvE but it can be mitigated through Explosive Payload or Timed Payload. You also can pseudo-break range with higher damage. Hand cannons experience a hard damage drop off, so investing into range isn’t a terrible choice either.
For the first column usually a reload perk resides here. Ensemble, Outlaw, Rapid Hit, Surplus, etc. Almost all hand cannons follow in the footsteps of Midnight Coup for PvE. Outlaw and Rampage was a beast in year 1, and while it still works in year 5 it isn’t as versatile. Headstone has replaced most damage perks for me, though there are some good alternatives like Frenzy and Thresh.
In PvP there are only really a few choice perks to look for. Even after the Rangefinder nerf it will still be a very sought after perk. Eye of the Storm is S tier on everything it rolls on, so are Opening Shot and Rapid Hit. Snapshot, Zen Moment, and Moving Target are great supplemental perks. Explosive Payload and Timed Payload might become more sought after if you want to consistently win your 1v1s.
Pulse Rifles:
The most important stat on pulse rifles is the recoil direction. Anything less than 100 should be dismantled immediately. That makes Arrowhead Brake almost a requirement on all pulses. Depending on the pulse and more specifically its archetype will determine what magazine perk is best. If the magazine is less than 30 I would usually go for Appended Mag or Tactical Mag. If the pulse has low reload I will often recommend Flared Magwell as an alternative or best in slot. It also bumps up the stability which definitely helps with a good recoil direction.
Almost all perks within the reload and damage column work here and will be great to maximize your pulses utility. Golden Tricorn is best when applicable. But I have been enjoying Void with Repulsor Brace for a small overshield in the legendary campaign. Being able to keep up a small overshield almost all the time is incredibly helpful in all activities you feel squishy in.
In PvP most of the above applies that recoil direction and stability are important. Range isn’t as important depending on the archetype You might even be able to go for Steady Rounds if you wanted more stability and aren’t utilizing all the range pulses get. I would recommend anything that helps you secure bursts on target, Moving Target, Heating Up, Rapid Hit all come to mind as they each help your burst patterns. Firmly Planted is an incredible shout out too if you slide into engagements or hold lanes instead. Lots of consistency perks. There are a few archetypes that are able to two-burst with a little help from damage, or that damage makes the bursts you need to kill more forgiving. Each of those are great ways to utilize damage perks; not all the time are they necessary in PvP.
Scout Rifles:
Scout rifles are most people’s first weapon type. They help you stay safe and far back while still doing respectable damage. I know I used them, and they still hold up in higher tiered content. High recoil direction is important but not necessary. None of the stats really do a lot on scouts until you get down into the faster firing scouts in which case you’ll want stability to keep shots on target. I always look for consistency perks over damage perks because the rise and fall of damage really shifts gameplay in higher level content. In GMs you’re not always running around with max stacks of damage so something neutral like Explosive Payload will pull way more weight.
In PvP scouts fall into a weird hot and cold. They are either the top of the meta or bottom. Scouts cater to a passive play style so depending on how games go they are either the best thing or you’ll get rolled for being too passive. Damage perks are great for streaks, and consistency perks are plenty. Depending on the archetype I might opt for one damage perk over another to push down the TtK but overall I tend to mix both damage and reliability perks.
Sidearms:
Sidearms are super interesting. Outside of exotic sidearms you don’t see too many people using them aside from niche builds or players looking at a shiny new toy. Range is what makes sidearms even remotely useful in this sandbox as you don’t want to use a sidearm that literally any other weapon could do the same job. Swords could even be better than sidearms sometimes. Pushing out the range as far as it can go, and pumping the sidearm full of damage will give you some great results but will be very hard to take into higher level content. Rat Pack go back in your dens, that is not a sidearm.
In PvP sidearms live and die by their range. Similar to PvE they need to compete outside of melee range. Shotguns will eat them up and fusions will turn them into space air. I find that the best sidearm users make effective use of their space and by manipulating sight lines. If you can control a small space effectively you can use sidearms, otherwise any other primary weapon might be better.
Submachine Guns:
Submachine guns in PvE are great weapons for being aggressive and spraying down enemies. While auto rifles do this job excellently, submachine guns are just smaller and faster versions. They make you feel agile running and gunning while doing great dps but less good sustained damage. They might be great against rank-and-file enemies but won’t scale up with their low magazine, high RPM, and medium damage. In order to make these weapons strong you will want to look for a way to circumvent the reload entirely or speed it up so it feels non-existent. That way you’ll be able to output incredible damage while still being able to weave in and out of cover.
In PvP SMGs will always have a place. They exist as shotgun deterrents and act as breaching tools. They can spray down targets faster than auto rifles while keeping your mobility up. Technically no weapon lowers your native speed, but SMGs with their high RPM allow you to hit your TtK fast in a way that auto rifles cannot. With damage perks they can really reach into auto rifle range, but those few are usually outliers. SMGs exist alongside hand cannons for fast paced, aggressive game play

Special Ammo

Fusion Rifles:
Fusions in PvE are either hit or miss. The charge time is a weird mechanic to get behind at first, and can cause some frustration compared to other special weapons. I always try to maximize the recoil direction to land all my bolts, and then try to stack damage after the fact. There are few perks I look for in order to really create a PvE fusion. Other things to look for are magazine replenishing perks. Subsistence, or Reconstruction. In terms of magazine I either opt for Accelerated Coils for more damage per second, or a larger mag. Oftentimes the extra damage per bolt from Liquid Coils is beaten by Accelerated Coils shooting a whole other burst.
Fusions in PvP are all about consistency. Sure you can find a few rolls that offer kill chaining potential. The biggest threat that came from the fusion community was the Xur Main Ingredient that offered only consistency perks. Under Pressure adds aim assist and stability. Tap the Trigger works on every burst. Firmly Planted works in a slide and pairs well with Kickstart. Rangefinder bumps out the stability and pushes out the zoom for deep one-bursts.
Glaives:
Glaives are interesting, they take out your charged melee, and offer both protection and a fusion rifle-lite experience. The damage protection and resistance is perfect for higher level content, but pushing out the range means your shot is more likely to connect. Depending on the roll you might want to bump one or the other. Impulse Amplifier is the real kicker so that will help with range and projectile speed, so bringing up their shield duration will keep you alive.
In PvP I don’t feel personally well equipped to speak upon. Every time I try to use them myself I get absolutely bodied. There are some quirky builds like a one-shot glaive or blinting with them, but I cannot use them to save my life and try to remain as neutral as possible when giving roll recommendations. I can see how to use them, my body just doesn’t input the right Konami code to win in PvP.
Grenade Launchers:
Grenade Launchers are great for chip damage and setting up for other weapons. Disruption Break is legendary tier on grenade launchers and I always look for it to boost not only your weapon damage but your teams. Debuffing an enemy so that all kinetic damage deals an additional 50% damage is incredible. I always try to maximize blast radius and velocity at the same time. Reload and handling are also incredibly useful as you will be swapping weapons often or reloading your single shot to become a double shot when applicable.
Grenade Launchers in PvP are as good as the other weapon attached to them. They live and die by how good their pairings are. Fighting Lion is the best as it can pair with anything and make things work. Special grenade launchers have a harder time because of the ammo economy. You’re almost always stuck with a primary ammo weapon and only sometimes is that a good thing. It can set up sweeps and kill chaining, but it can also mean your GL shot bounces thirteen times and blows up in your face and not theirs.
Shotguns:
Shotguns are the leading example of a DPS weapon. They shoot things good dead quick. They do high damage at the cost of range. Even the rapid-fire frames have great damage because they shoot so fast. Anything to boost that damage is worthwhile. Surrounded, Trench Barrel, and my favorite One-Two Punch. You are close enough to melee so throwing one or two in there will enhance your shotgun, or your melee. Kinda cool right? I also love seeing things like Grave Robber and Auto-Loading Holster on shotguns as they are one of the few weapons that reload each bullet one at a time. This can be both great and awful at the same time.
In PvP right now we are at a weird divide. You want to bump up your handling as high as you can, and bump up your range as high as you can. Preferably in that order. Things that enhance your animation speed or your handling are greatly preferred. Surplus is great if you keep your abilities but the gold standard right now is Threat Detector. This applies an animation scalar based on the number of enemies around you. Even at 1x it is incredibly strong and hopefully you won’t find yourself where 2x is active because you might be dead.
Sniper Rifles:
Sniper rifles serve one of two purposes. Add clear or DPS weapon. There is no inbetween. There are a handful of snipers that can bridge both but typically don’t particularly excel at either. A jack of all trades, master of none. DPS snipers are hallmarked by some sort of damage bonus natively like Firing Line, High-Impact Reserves, or Focused Fury. Alongside a magazine enhancing perk like Fourth Time’s the Charm, Triple Tap, Rewind Rounds, or Reconstruction. Anything to limit reloading by shooting. Add clear weapons have perks that are great at AoE such as Incandescent, Firefly, or Voltshot.
Snipers are not as meta in PvP but are the strongest weapon in the game. A one-shot from any range at any time without a charge up. They can be used as a shotgun, a follow up, an opening kill, set up, and many more things. They are great at doing high damage from anywhere, and most Destiny maps are not made to see sniper’s damage drop off they will maintain that high damage throughout the map. Snapshot is a must have for some users, other users like high handling. Opening shot is incredible for adding range and aim assist for some bullet bending capabilities.
Trace Rifles:
Trace rifles are beefed up auto rifles. Anything auto rifles can do, traces do better at the cost of special ammo. Without it, you’ll feel like you’re missing a weapon entirely, but with it you’ll wonder why autos and SMGs exist.
In PvP there is a similar handicap where you live and die by the special ammo you do or don’t have.

Heavy Ammo

Grenade Launchers:
Grenade launchers in your heavy slot are primarily used for damaging bosses but have small niches where they can be used for add clear. They don’t have the best damage but they make up for it in continuous damage. Being able to fire repeatedly and quickly for high burst damage makes them good for short damage phases and champions.
In PvP think of a rocket launcher, now cut it in half. That’s what you want in a heavy grenade launcher. A quick firing easy kill that you can run around with.
Linear Fusion Rifles:
Very few times are you using a linear fusion rifle on a red bar enemy, and far less often are you using it to clear rooms. Linear fusion rifles excel in high damage per shot and as such you want to make it easy to hit crits for getting the most per shot. Arrowhead Brake or Fluted Barrel will make it easier to swap to this weapon when it is time for damage, while specifically the former will be best for lining up shot after shot. I prefer faster firing fusions too so Accelerated Coils and a charge time MW would be best DPS. You do lose some impact but you will be able to make up for that loss in impact in more shots fired.
In terms of first trait you’ll want either Field Prep or Triple Tap / Fourth Time’s the Charm. While the latter doesn’t roll on any linear fusion, yet, it will still be a great perk to look out for.
Linear fusions in PvP should have the fastest charge you can obtain while giving you the highest range possible. The idea is to have less of a fusion rifle and more of a sniper with a charge time.
Machine Guns:
Machine guns are the kings at clearing rooms. Either through AoE perks like Dragonfly or Incandescent or through pure damage like Rampage, or Killing Tally. I like perks that either keep the ammo in the magazine or make it so I never have to reload my machine gun. Auto-Loading Holster is perfect, but Subsistence and Reconstruction are fantastic too. Mag boosting perks like Appended Mag and Extended Mag also keep my shooting going.
In PvP Machine Guns are pretty niche. They used to be incredibly strong and they still are but the time to kill has gone down with more grenade launchers and it's been getting harder to hit enemies with abilities that cause them to zoom around the map or change directions on a dime. Consistency perks are the name of the game as I don’t think kill chaining will be as strong anymore.
Rocket Launchers:
Rockets are both the Gold Standard for damage as well as the bar. If you can beat rockets in terms of DPS either for an encounter or boss, you’re on a good track. These weapons do insane single shot damage only lessened by the fact they cannot do precision damage. If a special weapon beats out a rocket for damage, we are in for a wild meta. Rockets need two things in order to succeed. A damage boosting perk and a reload perk. Which feels like I am saying this often. The downfall of rocket launchers is the fact you cannot shoot more than three at a time and even that is under specific use cases. Rockets would be incredibly strong if you could still stack multiple rockets into one tube to keep firing.
In PvP Rockets will obliterate almost anything so your goal is to get splash kills either via Chain Reaction or Cluster Bomb for multikills, they are often fire-and-forget weapons that don’t need a lot to succeed. Just fire in the general direction of an enemy and hope it kills.
Swords:
For the most part these weapons are the easiest to choose, you will want high Impact, decent guard depending on what the weapon tries to enforce. A shorter Charge Rate is better for damage, and a better Guard Resistance is better for add clearing or general use. If you have a zoom sword with Valiant Charge you will want decent Guard Resistance to stop damage from coming through. On a different zoom sword with Eager Edge you will want high ammo capacity for as many zooms as possible.

I’ve seen this trend floating around some other artists’ subreddits, particularly taylorswift , and I wanted to bring it here! The thing with Marina is that there are only 16 letters that have more than 1 song starting with them, meaning that we will not have polls for C, D, J, K, Q, U, W, X, Y, or Z. All the other letters will have polls of their own!
Rules are simple, in terms of songs I will only be including songs from Marina’s 5 official albums, nothing from her MySpace era (shivers). In terms of voting, all you need to do is head to the comments and upvote your favorite of all the choices!
EXTRA NOTE: Song titles beginning with ‘The’ will go under whatever letter the next word starts with (this applies to The Family Jewels, The Outsider, and The State of Dreaming)
CURRENT LIST:
A: Are You Satisfied?
B: Buy the Stars
C: Can’t Pin Me Down
E: E.V.O.L.
F: Froot
G: Guilty
H: Hermit The Frog
I: I Am Not A Robot
K: Karma
W: Weeds
Y: You

All prices include shipping
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I accept PayPal f&f only
Smoke free home
Sorry no international shipping
Nintendo

• “new” 3ds xl Hyrule edition w/ case charger and tempered glass screen protectors $425 photos
  
• “new” 3DS dock ktr-007 $50 photos
  
• Pokémon Sapphire (new battery installed) $100 photos
  
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3D w/ Shulk amiibo $70 photos
  
• Legend of Zelda Triforce Heroes $25 photos
  
• Super Mario 3D Land $20 photos
  
• Yoshi’s Island DS $30 photos
  
• Shovel Knight $50 photos
  
• Minecraft $25 photos
  
• Top Gear Pocket 2 $20 photos
  
• Star Wars Episode 1 Racer $20 photos
  
• Wario Land 2 $40 photos
  

Sony PSP

• MGS Big Boss Pack, complete in box. 2 pre-order bandanas included! $650 photos
  
• Crisis Core preorder game storage case $35 photos
  

Xipher Slab

• custom built GBA SP Xipher Slab (no games included) $300 photos

Misc

• game storage cases (all cases) $25 photos
  
• Way of the Warrior (3do) complete with foam insert! $75 photos
  
• Berserk Box of War, includes vol. 1 (sealed) and vol. 2 $150 photos
  
• Axiom Verge Multiverse Edition extras from the switch edition (no game) $35 photos
  

This one's for the lurkers that are looking at both the model 3 and Chevy Bolt
So I've been driving my EUV Premier with sun&sound and Supercruise since January. I've also been driving EVs in general since 2019.
I test drove the Tesla Model 3 RWD base model and here's my takeaway points comparing it with the EUV

1. While the sedan form factor isn't practical to me, there's a lot of usable storage space. The trunk is a lot larger than the EUV, and the sub trunk is extremely deep as well. There's also the frunk, which is a fairly significant volume. While I don't think you'll be able to get bulky items in the model 3, you can get more moderate sized things in the car compared to the EUV.
   
2. Tesla vision is garbage. The EUV's 360 top-down cam is way better and more useful.
   
3. While the model 3 isn't a ton faster to 60mph, the acceleration feels more reactive than the Bolt's. The go-pedal is just more responsive than the Bolt's in every driving condition.
   
4. Supercruise is flawed on the EUV, and I'm not even talking about it having less map coverage than the real Supercruise on GM's other vehicles. It constantly rides too close to the right side of the lane and disengages because it doesn't want to work that day. I've also not had Supercruise work on a stretch of highway in the Bay Area that shows as supported since day one. Basic Autopilot on the model 3 is simply better for the fact that it doesn't require backend support for map coverage. It's also able to negotiate curvy roads, such as changing from one highway to another via on ramps. Only drawback for Autopilot is the fact that it needs you to squeeze the steering wheel occasionally, which Super Cruise was nicer since it used eye tracking and created a less intrusive way to make sure you're paying attention.
   
5. DCFC speeds... Speaks for itself
   
6. Seats on the Model 3 were more comfortable for me. The bolstering felt more supportive and the seat just seems to cradle me better than the EUV.
   
7. I like that the Bolt has physical buttons for commonly used features, such as heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated seats (Model 3 doesn't have ventilated seats FYI), and HVAC. While I don't like the fact that everything was on a touch screen for the Model 3, the menus and settings were laid out in a very logical and easy-to-use fashion. Not hard to navigate through Tesla's software buttons, but still prefer the Bolt's infotainment/controls.
   

That was just a 30 minute test drive. Each car has their pros and cons. I'm not completely sold on the Model 3, but I do like it.

We are a spread offense (2x2, 3x1), pass-heavy team-- even at 9u. 99% shotgun everything, all play calls are simplified to one-word. Probably close to 50-50 on run/pass ratio. QB was an 8u kid playing up, who can throw 25-30 with ease and is very accurate even on the run. We are blessed with 3-4 extremely athletic WRs with fantastic hands, one of them also an 8u kid playing up. We use multiple shifts, motions, and formations, all of which can mask our favorite plays. Meaning we can literally run the same play but get into it many different ways, all with a simple tag.
But one of those plays is Shallow Sting (run out of 2x2), or at least our version of it, which we installed last fall. Let me tell you. If you have the personnel to run it, it is simply an unstoppable play at the youth level. I workaround the pass-pro issue with a hard play-action and subsequent rollout to buy a little extra time. At 9u, most teams will try and loop DEs to set edge, but the hard PA always turns them into crashing when they bite. They also normally stick their weakest players at corners to try and hide them away from the action but teams just can't do that against us. Once we get the DEs sucked-in, they're toast because the safeties are almost always lost and corners can't cover at this age.
I see so many posts about conservative play-calling at this level and couldn't disagree more. Don't be afraid to push your kids, you will be surprised at what they can learn, retain and then execute. Helps to know and be honest on your limits with your team, but if you have the horses, turn 'em loose. No matter the age. Definitely need to keep terminology simple and don't overcomplicate it.
Wanted to see if there are any other pass-heavy youth teams, and what are your go-to pass plays?

So I've been driving my EUV Premier with sun&sound and Supercruise since January. I've also been driving EVs in general since 2019.
I test drove the Tesla Model 3 RWD base model and here's my takeaway points comparing it with the EUV

1. While the sedan form factor isn't practical to me, there's a lot of usable storage space. The trunk is a lot larger than the EUV, and the sub trunk is extremely deep as well. There's also the frunk, which is a fairly significant volume. While I don't think you'll be able to get bulky items in the model 3, you can get more moderate sized things in the car compared to the EUV.
   
2. Tesla vision is garbage. The EUV's 360 top-down cam is way better and more useful.
   
3. While the model 3 isn't a ton faster to 60mph, the acceleration feels more reactive than the Bolt's. The go-pedal is just more responsive than the Bolt's in every driving condition.
   
4. Supercruise is flawed on the EUV, and I'm not even talking about it having less map coverage than the real Supercruise on GM's other vehicles. It constantly rides too close to the right side of the lane and disengages because it doesn't want to work that day. I've also not had Supercruise work on a stretch of highway in the Bay Area that shows as supported since day one. Basic Autopilot on the model 3 is simply better for the fact that it doesn't require backend support for map coverage. It's also able to negotiate curvy roads, such as changing from one highway to another via on ramps. Only drawback for Autopilot is the fact that it needs you to squeeze the steering wheel occasionally, which Super Cruise was nicer since it used eye tracking and created a less intrusive way to make sure you're paying attention.
   
5. DCFC speeds... Speaks for itself
   
6. Seats on the Model 3 were more comfortable for me. The bolstering felt more supportive and the seat just seems to cradle me better than the EUV.
   
7. I like that the Bolt has physical buttons for commonly used features, such as heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated seats (Model 3 doesn't have ventilated seats FYI), and HVAC. While I don't like the fact that everything was on a touch screen for the Model 3, the menus and settings were laid out in a very logical and easy-to-use fashion. Not hard to navigate through Tesla's software buttons, but still prefer the Bolt's infotainment/controls.
   

That was just a 30 minute test drive. Each car has their pros and cons. I'm not completely sold on the Model 3, but I do like it.

I have 4 universities currently on my resume (my AA, BA, MS, and JD). The only reason I have my AA on there is because I have way more involvement and things to show for my time at my community college than I do at my BA-granting university (e.g., honor roll, TA/RA-ing, etc.). I feel like I should combine my AA and BA but don't want to lie and say I did all those things at a University where I didnt do it, but its also just taking up so much extra space on my resume. Does anyone have any tips, or should I just leave it as is?

First
Capes and Conundrums
Pavel stretches in the stillness. The tapping of the keyboard and swearing under the breath makes Pavel consider his new partner a bit. Silicon Blake has an interesting background. Pavel made a point of looking into it. The man was... genetically human, currently. But he had been born of a brain scan of a Tret man. Sionis Blake. The man’s father. Legally.
Silicon had made the jump from a fully synthetic body to a human clone body with dataports about two weeks ago. Freshly after his training as an Undaunted. Legally he was considered to still be both a Tret and a synthetic. But for all practical purposes, he was a human cyborg.
One who wasn’t used to the sheer requirements of his body. Pavel suspected a good chunk of his bad attitude was the fact the man was only eating once a day and only small portions.
The morning shift started shortly after breakfast and went right to lunch. So when Pavel went for lunch, he went alone at first before doubling back.
“Hey, we’re supposed to be together. Like it or not you’re coming with me to the mess hall.” Pavel says and the man groans in frustration and closes his computer.
“Fine, but I’m taking my damn work with me.” Silicon states as he stands.
“Fair enough.” Pavel states and the walk goes in silence. There’s a small, out of the way table near the edge of things and Silicon starts working again, only to be interrupted when Pavel comes back with two trays. “You’re not eating enough.”
“What? The hell is going on?” Silicon demands as Pavel forces him to take the laptop off the table and puts a tray full of food down in front of him.
“I looked up your medical profile...”
“Why?”
“Because humans can eat what other beings consider biohazards, and if we were going to have forced contact I didn’t want to accidentally kill you with onion breath. Which is something that can make a Feli very sick and cause a standard Tret to vomit.” Pavel explains.
“Okay...”
“However, I noted that you volunteered for the Endurance Program. An initiative to give other races more staying power akin to humans.”
“Yes, and it’s worked very well. I’ve nearly doubled my productivity.” Silicon says and Pavel nods.
“It did, however, you’re not feeding yourself enough. Your breakfast is big enough, for a breakfast. You need Lunch and Dinner too.”
“What?” Silicon demands.
“To put it in mechanical terms, you’re operating on emergency power. This cripples many major systems. You need to fuel up more consistently.” Pavel states before pointing to the loaded plate. “What I grabbed you is called a ham and cheese sandwich. To it’s side is kettle chips with sea salt, opposite is a garden salad and the cup of brown substance is a dessert called chocolate pudding. It’s a small lunch, but a decent one. Consider this the minimal intake.”
He then pulls out a pair of large water bottles and places them on the table. “You also need to hydrate more. Water is converted into the lubricant of your physicality and without it the whole system will fail.”
As Pavel had been speaking Silicon had pulled out a bioscanner and gone over everything before pausing on the salad. “Why is there an acid here?”
“You’ve got stronger stuff in your stomach. Turn that scanner on yourself.” Pavel says dismissively as he grabs his larger and much more loaded sandwich off his own plate. Three types of meat, hot mustard, lettuce of some kind and tomato with swiss cheese. Good stuff.
“Look, if this is some kind of ill conceived peace offering...”
“Peace nothing, you’re hangry half the time. Humans get aggressive in times of desperation. Basic instinct. You have that instinct now so even if you aren’t consciously looking for a fight, you’re ready to haul off on someone because you need food.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Now eat for god’s sake.”
“I’ve had breakfast. Two of those pancakes, a fruit cup and a glass of water. That’s plenty.”
“Nowhere near enough for breakfast. Let alone breakfast for someone in a high stress job. Besides, breakfast in only one of three meals.” Pavel counters and Silicon glares at him. “Seriously eat, it will help.”
Silicon gives him an odd look before grabbing his sandwich and taking a bite out of it. Pavel concentrates on eating his own much larger meal and he finishes within ten minutes. The spice in the mustard forced him to slow a little and he sits back to watch as Silicon goes at the pudding cup. For what the man claimed of not needing the food he outright inhaled it.
“So?” Pavel asks as Silicon finishes up taking a swig of his water. “Feel better?”
“... yes.” Silicon admits with his eyes screwed shut in frustration. “... I just thought it was Apex aggression not...”
“Hunger and desperation? You need thousands of calories a day. Also, don’t forget to use the bathroom when you need it. Our digestive tracts are powerful but not perfect. You will need to let it out.”
“really? You’re telling me to excrete? How simple do you think I am?” Silicon asks tartly.
“I think that you’re used to living in a body that required only energy and only have memories of a body that needed very little in the form of physical nourishment. So I’m not making any assumptions and telling you everything.” Pavel says as he finishes off his own water. “Now, I’ve got something to do. Our lunch break ends in a half hour and I’ll see you back at the test chamber for the remainder of that shift. Then we’re moving onto mine. I hope you’re ready to play spotter.”
“Oh goody. Using chemically propelled murder tools to NOT actually kill.”
“You have a problem with your orders?” Pavel asks him and he sighs.
“No. I’ll see you in a half hour.” Silicon says and Pavel nods before taking his own tray, then grabbing Silicon’s depleted one and taking them both out. “... Damnit, I hadn’t thought that humans would require so much damn food. I’m pulling in Axiom to feed, so why aren’t I being sustained?”
•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•
And it was back to the programming. Silicon was working faster and actually humming to himself a bit so that seemed alright. But not ideal. Pavel was really starting to get bored though. After yesterday’s test of things the drones had not been reactivated as Silicon seemed to be of the belief that things were a purely programming issue. If they were great, the problem is that there was no way of telling if things were just a programming issue or something mechanical.
Pavel pulls out his communicator and brings up the specs of the drones. They were basic, off the shelf prosthetic bodies designed to be piloted by a person, but a program in it’s place instead. They had been reinforced and upgraded a few times, but none of it seemed too egregious.
Similar codes and programming had been used in travelling shows and other such bits of entertainment to serve in the role that a minimum wage worker would slowly have their soul worn away doing. The repetitive, thankless tasks that need to be done over and over and over again.
Providing a low level opponent to be beaten in a fistfight or outsmarted by someone sneaking around shouldn’t be too hard. A videogame AI could get the behaviours down and then it was controlling the body.
Which was where Silicon and several other people were stuck. There was something wrong with their sense of balance and often they struggled to stay standing at all. All of them. Despite the code.
“If it was a gun I’d be checking it for cracks.” Pavel mutters to himself.
“What was that?” Silicon asks looking up from his laptop.
“All the drones are failing in the same way. You think it’s coding but... if it was a gun I’d be checking for structural damage.”
“These aren’t guns.”
“But both are machines. I think the hardware should be tested a bit. The coding has a lot of eyes on it. But the hardware?’
“The hardware was bought from a reputable source and passed their safety inspections.”
“Safety means that my necklace breaks if someone tries to strangle me with it.” Pavel says and Silicon pauses and looks up at him. Opens his mouth to say something then reconsiders and giving the nearest drone a look.
“Grab a toolkit. We’re taking it apart.” He says as he closes the laptop.
It takes five minutes to carefully take apart the chest of the drone and start examining the internal components.
“Here. These little gyroscopes are all over the place in the drone to give it a kinesthetic location sense. If you’re mentally linked to it then you can feel the direction of down from both gravity and the internal scope.” Silicon explains and Pavel gives one a tap. It does not move. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Is this jammed?” Pavel asks as he pokes it again before reaching in with his fingers and feels... “There are metal filings in here. A dirty production line?”
When he removes his finger from thy gyroscope it moves easily in response. He brushes out a few shavings and Silicon is muttering something foul under his breath as he tests the other gyroscopes. One in every five of them are jammed in someway and after they clear out the chest they put the plating back on and move to the other limbs.
The pattern holds. One stuck internal gyroscope in every batch of five. It takes a full hour to clean out them all and give the internals of the drone some extra cleaning. It’s sealed back up again and Pavel is tightening the last screw as Silicon is tapping away at his laptop again.
“Okay! Take a step back. Let’s see if that helped.”
“If nothing else it’ll fail faster with it knowing which way to fall.” Pavel notes as he steps away and the drone activates. It sits upright the same as it could before and then turns over and stands upright. There was markedly less wobble this time and Silicon sends a command. It snaps it’s arms out and begins to turn.”
“Hey! That did it... shit. We need to clean out all the drones.” Silicon curses.
“We report this in and get fifty other guys to help, this is not a two man mission.” Pavel says wryly. “Not to mention the quartermaster is going to be looking to kill someone for having shit product forced on us. They do not take this shit lying down.”
“The sale’s rep will either be looking for a new job or finding a new fetish by the time those monsters are done with her.” Silicon notes. “Hey, think you’re ready to test it for fighting ability?”
“Sure thing.” Pavel says closing up the toolbox and then sliding it away with a foot. “Send it.”
“Alright, let’s test it’s tracking and offence. I need to dodge the attacks and move around the drone. Get it to follow you.” Silicon says sending the command and the Drone suddenly snaps it’s head towards Pavel and then turns as one. “That was a little stiff, I’m going to have to iron things out a little...”
The drone opens with an attempted haymaker and Pavel hops to the side and keeps going until he’s standing behind the drone. It follows him the whole time and then tries a cross. He fades back and takes a few steps away and it keeps pace as best it can.
As the drone goes for a grab he uses Axiom to leap clean over it and land on the other side then weaves to the side to avoid the snap kick as the logic tree self updates and the drone gets a fraction better at fighting.
“There we go! Living code! Finally!” Silicon cheers! “Start deflecting it’s attacks. Block and parry, I need to see how it responds to that.”
“Sure thing.” Pavel says and he swats away the next attempted haymaker.
“Interesting, okay, it’s correlating with that code chunk...” Silicon says as Pavel blocks two jabs boxer style and prevents it from grabbing onto him. “Hey that’s weird! Can you hit it back? Don’t break it or nothing, but see how it responds...”
“This good?” Pavel asks as he palm thrusts it in the middle of the chest and Silicon lets out a confused sound. The drone stumbles back in response to the light blow and regains it balance.
“Well how the hell did that happen? Do it again!” Silicon says as he squints at his screen.
Pavel rushes the drone and then gives it another, slightly firmer, smack in the middle of the chest. Silicon swears under his breath.
“This is weird! Alright, I’m deactivating the drone. Can you drop it off in it’s charging port?”
“Easy enough.” Pavel says as he catches the suddenly powered off robot and hefts it over his shoulder. It slots into it’s place easily and he walks over to where Silicon is squinting at the screen. “So what’s it look like?”
“There was a weird bit of...” Silicon says before looking up at Pavel. “Right, okay, basically every step of the program is like a huge tree right? You start at the tip and by evaluating a situation you go down one of the branches. Basically it’s like a plan flowchart, is this happening? If yes, go this way, if no then go down to the next question. A computer’s processing speed lets it go through this fast so it can keep up with reality.”
“But only if you’ve got enough questions for all the things that happen.”
“Right, well that’s where the Virtual Intelligence comes in. Where it compares situations and while likely not understanding them, it does know how to mimic them. This is where you get things like chat-bots or a video game enemy that seems to learn. It’s almost learning, but it’s not. Not really. That’s what we’re trying to get to, and we have the start of it.”
“Did something go weird?”
“I’m not sure yet? I think... maybe yes? Maybe no?” Silicon says as he turns the laptop to let Pavel see the lines up on lines of code. “This is literally the drone’s brain here. The thing is about an evolving program is that it can cause itself to bloat. That was the issue I was having yesterday and still today. Although it’s not as big as it was yesterday now that we know there’s hardware problems too. We put a lot of code into making these things balance and now that we’ve solved the problem... how much of that can be taken out and how much has to be left in is going to be the work of weeks.”
“Ah got it.”
“You do?”
“I’m a sniper. I have to focus on not only aiming for the target, but I have to accommodate for the wind drag at different temperatures and humidity levels, particles in the air like ash or dust, the gravity of the world I’m on, the movement of the target and the things around them. To say nothing of the make of the weapon firing the bullet and the make of the bullet itself. It’s very much a science.” Pavel says pulling out his little book and handing it to Silicon.
The formally synthetic man looks through the small black book and sees rows upon rows of calculations without any answers written he lets out a little hum before closing it and handing it back.
“I think I understand. Still. There’s more to do... and not much more time to do it. This shift is about to end.”
“It is. Which means it’s time for you to see all that dread math in motion.”
“Oh no! Not the dread math!” Silicon’s sarcasm could peel paint.
​
First Last

We haven't had many posts about the rower and so since I just got one I wanted to share why, when we can now use any rower we want, I decided it was the right time to make the big purchase.
Background
I have rowed before and enjoyed it. Prior to Peloton rowing at home was my main source of cardio (I did not work out regularly back then so take that into account). So when, after years of teasing, Peloton finally came out with theirs I was thrilled. However also skeptical. Because I had never done a rowing class, I had only ever just hopped on one and rowed in a steady state for a while. So I had a hard time imagining how a class would be structured and why I would even need one.
And so, while I thought I probably wanted one, I wanted to hear what people thought of it first. See some reviews. And most importantly, try some classes. Which a few weeks ago we were all finally allowed to do.
My First Classes
Of course day 1 with access to rowing content, I tried a class out. A forms drill class with Ash. (she's great btw). I very quickly learned that I could not just use my existing rower (the Sunny one at the top of everyone's best budget rower list) and take the Peloton classes. I mean I could, but I would't get a lot out of them. Why? Numbers. I can't just do classes by feel. I need to know I am doing the right things. In the case of Peloton Rowing it means having the right stroke rate and rowing at the right pace and each point in the workout. Sure I could get some exercise without knowing these things. But if Peloton has taught me anything, its that I am driven by knowing that I am improving and progressing, and that in order to do that I need some numbers because not all improvements show up in the mirror or on the scale.
So I knew I needed to upgrade. And tbh I suspected I was probably going to want to upgrade I just wasn't willing to consider it until I tried the classes.
The Decision
So I should just go buy a C2 right? That's what pretty much everyone is going to tell you. It does, among other things, tell you the exact numbers you need that my Sunny rower was lacking. And if you have used a C2 and like it you should absolutely do so.
The problem is, I don't like the C2. Yea, I said it. Cue the hate and scorn. But I don't find rowing on it to be a great experience. I'm not saying its a bad machine or that people should avoid it. But the feel of rowing on it is very similar to my Sunny rower but much louder. So despite all of it's great aspects, its not the right machine for me. However I also didn't want to spend $3000 on a rower. So I had to figure out what I should buy.
Research
What you should do before any major purchase. I set out with the goal of finding which mid-range rower was right for me. There are several in the $750-1800 range after all. Since rowing isn't popular in the way running and cycling are it can be a little harder to try them though. But if you look around you can find some on display to try out. And I did. Some were nice, some were janky. I think I know what alternative I would have gone with and on a good sale it would be about half the price.
But I had to at least go to a Peloton showroom and look at one, try it out, see for myself. Any review you read after all will basically tell you its the nicest rower out there and the only real knock anyone ever has is the price. Still I left my house fully intending not to buy one.
Here's the problem. Its just. So. Nice. And I don't mean to look at, I mean the feel of rowing on it to me is just head and shoulders above anything else I tried (granted I had no opportunity to try a Hydrow). its incredibly smooth and quiet, a baby could probably sleep in the same room as it (and yes I am aware I am starting to sound like a commercial, I'm trying to be objective and factual here).
And ... it was on sale (Memorial day weekend). This was a major kicker because after trying it I really wanted it badly despite being $1000 or more above the alternative. But its not like it doesn't have extra perks on top of other rowers. Form assist and the integrated Peloton experience are worth more than $0 to me as well. Just like people buy Peloton bikes and treads all the time even though there are alternative DIY versions of those that are well built. And for whatever reason they don't get the same reaction the row gets.
The actual review
So I bought it, it arrived, and so far I love it. I've tried every one of the instructors (with my Sunny while waiting) and I either like or love each one of them so that's a perk, would have been a very different story had I not liked who was teaching the classes.
A week and a half to have it delivered, could have been even shorter but I wasn't able to commit to being available for the whole day earlier in the week. Delivery itself was ... sufficient. People seem to have a wide variety of experiences with XPO. They came, assembled it quickly, told me it would need to update for 10 minutes, and left. No showing me how anything works or staying to confirm there were no problems. So not great, but not a poor experience either. I feel like thats a win when dealing with XPO.
Since I just got it, I am currently fascinated by the form assist. I "know how to row" but that is based on watching videos of proper form and assuming I am doing it correctly. So all class long I am mostly staring at my avatar to see if anything lights up red and if so I correct it. With as much as it lights up I was expecting a middling or poor form score but came away from my first row at a 94% which I think is supposed to be very good. After all I got a badge for a 90%+ form rating. And my problem isnt what I was expecting it to be. I thought I would get dinged on the recovery because I feel like I collapse everything back down at once. But instead my issues were on the Drive where apparently I start leaning back too soon. (I also may recalibrate as it seems to want me in some rather extreme bends)
In general, I think I am actually going to love the row bootcamps more than the straight rowing classes. Maybe my mind will change as I do it more, but I'm not sure how I feel about a 45 minute long row session. 10ish minutes has always felt right to me in the past, and thats the range the bootcamps go before getting on the floor. But I could always just do short rows stacked with strength classes as well. Especially if I dont like the bootcamp class plans. I tend to want to focus on specific areas and that can be hard with that kind of class.
I'm starting off with just level 2 while I make sure I have good form. Not trying to wreck PRs just yet. Its actually hard to go easy enough for the easy pace, but max really does seem to be my max pace right now. So I think its the right move. I do really enjoy the different pace levels and intervals they do over the monotonous steady pace rowing I used to do. Though I would probably hate a Tabata style 20 on 10 off interval change. It takes me too long to adjust to a new pace for that ... at least right now.
Being an OG bike owner I didn't have a swivel screen for my workout room before and so I'm trying this out as well for any non-bike class instead of casting to a TV. Right off I can say its better than casting to a swiveled bike would be because of the level the screen is on. A bike would be too high for any time you're down on the floor. I haven't decided yet whether I'll continue or go back to casting. It is different. because its at a different angle from my workout mat than the TV. So I don't know if I just need to get used to it or if its not as good.
I was pleasantly surprised when my HRM connected as soon as I turned it on. I assumed I would have to pair it the first time like I did with the bike. I guess all devices remember it once you pair it to one?
I can't speak to the wall anchor because I have not and do not intend to use it. I am lucky to have enough space to just leave it down the entire time.
Dislikes?
Two very minor things, one of which isnt even specific to the Peloton Row. The powesleep button, its flush with the back of the monitor. Seems like great design right? Totally hidden and unnoticeable. Yay! ... except when you want to use it you're putting your hand on the back from the other side where you can't see it and its harder to feel for the little ridge around the button, whereas the bike (at least OG) has a raised button that is easy to feel for.
Second, and like I said this is more my experience with all rowers not just this one. I feel like I'm not really doing the work with the drive. I don't even feel the resistance on the handles until I am pulling during the finish. But at that point it is a good amount of resistance so I don't know that I want to turn up the dampener. I'd prefer if I had more resistance during the drive and less during the finish. Would feel more natural and well balanced.