u/Nathanial1289

I loved the first game. Though I found the story to be borderline ridiculous in places, the overall theme, graphics, settings, mood and gameplay I thought the team hit the nail right on the head and for me is technically and artistically one of the greatest games ever made.

I was somewhat surprised that a second game was announced as the first, if I remember correctly, didn't end on much of a cliffhanger. I just finished the game, spent a lot of time on it, and though I liked it, the story for me was bad, very bad and overall I didn't really care for it. In addition to that, I felt the gameplay was far too easy. The terrain wasn't a challenge and I just ended up driving around everywhere. I even stopped bothering building the roads as even without it it was so easy to traverse.

Another thing that really bugged me in the game was the amount of time Higgs shows up, is defeated etc. It gets to a point there is no real anxiety when he does appear and when he is defeated, I honestly didn't care because the expectation was that he'll come back alive again in a few scenes.

The game ends with a bit of a setup for a sequel but I just can't see how Kojima can take this game any further; from a gameplay perspective or a story one.

37 but for as long as I can remember I've felt heavy, low energy etc. I remember one time I was like 14 and for whatever reason woke up feeling fresh. I felt happy, physically light and full of energy.

It was such an alien feeling, I remembered going on the field at school and aimlessly running with a beaming smile on my face, despite hating school because of bullying.

I thought whatever my issue was had finally been fixed. I then woke up feeling down again, heavy, lack of energy and enthusiasm.

Forward 20 plus years and I'm trying to keep active but still feel pretty much the same. I play football each week and this is what I am confused at. There are some days where I feel good. I can pretty much last 15 minutes running around and just have a buzz about me. There are some days where I really struggle, can't make a run, knees feel bad, energy low and out of breath very quickly.

I thought it came down to warming up. If I'm sitting at a desk all day, going straight into football is a struggle. Much better that earlier in the day I have done some kind of activity whether it's a brisk walk or to the gym. Though there is some evidence that points to this being a thing, sometimes it's not the case. I warm up, steatch out but still feel shit.

Any ideas?

2014 I proposed to my wife at the Louvre. I was young, hadn't travelled as an adult alone before (I'm from the UK) and didn't plan things out too great. Day was good but we ended up at some burger place for dinner near Moulin Rouge as I thought it would be surrounded by fancy restaurants we could just walk into without a reservation.

I want recommendations for somewhere really bougie. I've managed my expectations somewhat that with a lot of these places it's a case of The Emperor's New Clothes so would be good to go somewhere that is posh but the food isn't a total let down.

Budget all in will be £800/€950. Wife doesn't eat shellfish or pork so a place where it's not just a tasting menu would be great.

2014 I proposed to my wife at the Louvre. I was young, hadn't travelled as an adult alone before (I'm from the UK) and didn't plan things out too great. Day was good but we ended up at some burger place for dinner near Moulin Rouge as I thought it would be surrounded by fancy restaurants we could just walk into without a reservation.

I want recommendations for somewhere really bougie. I've managed my expectations somewhat that with a lot of these places it's a case of The Emperor's New Clothes so would be good to go somewhere that is posh but the food isn't a total let down.

Budget all in will be £800/€950. Wife doesn't eat shellfish or pork so a place where it's not just a tasting menu would be great.

I've been in my current role for over 5 years as a Senior Partnerships Manager. During that time, I've performed well, adding at least £1m in recurring revenue each year and growing the area from around £4.5m to £10m.

My salary is currently £69k basic with a typical bonus of around £15k. When I joined, I was on £60k, but after another company approached me with an £85k offer and a similar bonus structure, my employer increased my salary to retain me. At the time, I accepted the lower figure because the role offered a great work life balance, flexibility and a short commute.

Over the last few years, I’ll admit I have probably become comfortable. The role has suited my lifestyle, I have a good relationship with my manager and because I don't have a team, I have had a lot of autonomy.

However, the role itself has changed significantly.

Before I joined, this role was effectively covered by two people. Both had left by the time I started, and the initial plan was to hire someone alongside me or reporting into me. Due to hiring restrictions, this never happened.

Since then, another department's Partnerships team was made redundant and their responsibilities were redistributed across the remaining Partnership Managers. I ended up taking on one of those roles, meaning I am effectively covering what was previously 3 positions.

The workload has now become the biggest issue. A lot of my time is spent on admin and crap systems rather than the strategic partnership work that drives revenue. For example, I can spend several days inputting campaign data for activities that contribute relatively little compared with my core role.

After around 6 months of struggling with this, I raised two concerns with my manager:

1. I need additional resource to make the workload sustainable
2. My salary needs reviewing and/or I need a clear progression path

The response has been mixed. I was told a promotion isn't currently possible because that role doesn't exist within my section. There was previously a Head of Partnerships role, but it was removed after it wasn't considered successfulL

The proposed solution is that an apprentice joining from university will report into me. The argument is that this will give me management experience and provide some support with my workload.

I appreciate the opportunity and I understand the logic, but part of me feels conflicted. An apprentice will need a lot of training and support, and there is a chance they move to another department after 6 months but that definitely then return to uni after 12. It doesn't feel like it addresses the underlying issue of capacity or progression.

I have a good relationship with my manager and I don't think they have bad intentions. They genuinely believe this is a good opportunity for me. However, I’m now questioning whether I’m being unfair or ungrateful.

On one hand, I have a flexible role, a good work-life balance and a supportive manager things that are difficult to find. On the other hand, I feel my responsibilities, output and contribution have increased significantly without my role or salary reflecting that.

Am I being unreasonable expecting more at this stage, or should I appreciate the benefits of my current situation and stop comparing myself to external salaries?

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I used to get the odd spam call every month or two, which wasn't a big deal. Most were just silent calls that would hang up after a few seconds, with the occasional automated message about car finance, home security, legal claims, etc.

Over the last couple weeks though, it's gone from almost nothing to 2–4 spam calls every single day.

The numbers all look legitimate. They're usually different every time, so blocking individual numbers doesn't seem to achieve anything. Some are UK mobile numbers, while the landline ones are often Manchester area codes.

My biggest concern is that this is just going to continue indefinitely. I don't really want to enable aggressive call blocking because I occasionally receive genuine calls from numbers that aren't in my contacts and appear as spam.

Anything I can do? Will it eventually stop?

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I used to get the odd spam call every month or two, which wasn't a big deal. Most were just silent calls that would hang up after a few seconds, with the occasional automated message about car finance, home security, legal claims, etc.

Over the last couple weeks though, it's gone from almost nothing to 2–4 spam calls every single day.

The numbers all look legitimate. They're usually different every time, so blocking individual numbers doesn't seem to achieve anything. Some are UK mobile numbers, while the landline ones are often Manchester area codes.

My biggest concern is that this is just going to continue indefinitely. I don't really want to enable aggressive call blocking because I occasionally receive genuine calls from numbers that aren't in my contacts and appear as spam.

Anything I can do? Will it eventually stop?

We live in a cul de sac and the neighbour a couple doors down from me is, bluntly speaking, filthy. Although the property is privately owned, the council rents it from the owner and sublets it to council tenants (or something along those lines). This is the 3rd different family living there in 10 years.

Family consist of a man, his wife and 4 children in a two bedroom property. Outside of the house is a messy, just random crap, toys and rubbish that end up getting blown or kicked all over. Children are never in school, despite being of age and cooking smells coming from the house is not great at all.

The main issue however is the rubbish. We're supposed to take our bins out the morning of collection as we just leave the bin bags on the ground. Leaving it out prior without it being on top of a hedge or something means foxes or deer get to it. This happens to everybody now and again but it's constant with this particular neighbor and he seldom cleans it up, and when he does, not properly.

There's nappies all over the street etc. We talk to him, he isn't particularly aggressive but the problems continue. Last time I picked up a soiled nappy because it was quite literally on my door step but I don't want to do it anymore.

I've spoken to him again, bins still get left out over night and problem keeps happening.

Is there anything I can do which will actually work? Feel like council complaints are a worthless endeavor nowadays.

Edit - I think the bin situation has derailed the conversation so let me clarify. The bins are collected weekly and we leave them outside the evening before for collection. Some taking it out in the morning.

Every now and again, foxes and deer get to the bin bags and causes a mess. Whoever this happens to cleans up as soon as they notice. It doesn't happen that often as people put their bags on hedges or spray with bleach to prevent this.

This particular neighbour does neither. Fair enough, but ONE of the main issues is that when it does happen to him (which is often as he doesn't take mesures to prevent it) he doesn't clean it up. You'll literally be walking through soiled nappies (child is 5 and still wearing them) and other rubbish.

Bins aside, the front of the house is a dump with rubbish, toys and other things. It also gets blown and kicked around in the front gardens of others.

I'm pushing for a promotion at work where I will be potentially managing somebody. Despite my good performance, I can lack confidence in certain situations and come across as a bit awkward so consciously looking at ways to improve my confidence and demeanour.

When I was younger, I was bullied throughout multiple schools so for a very long time made a conscious effort just to avoid people. Literally would spend lunch time aimlessly walking around or hanging out in the toilets or something for years. This led to a point I was in my 20s, literally no friends, no ever had a girlfriend etc.

Confidence wise, first job I was a nervous wreck etc. I've done well, relatively speaking, to get to where I am now. Now I'm making a conscious effort to be more social, even if that means going out by myself.

Going to be with my wife and kids (6 and 9). Last time I was in Madrid, I didn't plan properly (almost like now) and ended up eating at an Irish pub and what can only be described as a very low quality tourist trap.

El Corte Inglés Callao is in the list but that's it so far.

Hi all,

I'm looking for some outside opinions because I genuinely can't make a decision.

Current situation

We live in Havering, London. My wife and I are both 38, and we have two children (a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl).

We bought our current house 10 years ago for £285,000. It's a two-bedroom mid-terrace that's now worth around £380,000. We have approximately £142,000 left on the mortgage, with just under 8 years remaining.

We both work in the City two days a week, and between our salaries we're able to save at least £2,000 a month. We also have just over £50,000 in savings.

The issue is that we've outgrown the house.

We've had a quote for a loft conversion. The quote is £60,000 including VAT, but realistically it'll probably be closer to £70,000 once you include contingency, decorating and the bathroom suite.

Part of me thinks we should just do the loft conversion. We could pay for the vast majority (if not all) of it without borrowing, and we'd end up with three good-sized bedrooms and an extra bathroom.

The other part of me thinks that, based on our income, we should be in a bigger house. At the moment, the £2,000 we're saving each month doesn't really feel like "extra" money because it's ultimately going towards something we need. We're not spending it on luxury items or expensive holidays.

If we bought a proper three-bedroom house for around £500,000 and kept the mortgage term relatively short, it would cost roughly an extra £1,000 a month. That would halve our monthly savings, but our day-to-day lifestyle probably wouldn't change that much.

Pros of moving

- Bigger house with more downstairs living space.

- Driveway.

Cons of moving

- More expensive overall.

- We may lose the convenience of being close to a station, which is a big benefit for commuting.

- May not get a proper third bedroom

We've viewed quite a few houses and have liked some of them, but none have made us think, "This is definitely worth the hassle." Once you factor in the stress of moving, the extra cost, potentially extending the mortgage term, and giving up the level of disposable income we currently enjoy, it becomes a much harder decision.

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in a similar position. Did you extend or move? Any advice on how you approached the decision would be really helpful.

Hi all

I'm coming up to a year in my skin care routine and have pretty much settled on Eucerin Anti-Pigment Day Cream SPF 30. I've tried SPF 50 in the past but but it just leaves my skin feeling very dry and I ideally want something that's also a cream instead of layering up too much.

I've ran out today so asking here if there is another one worth trying out? Happy with it, but just in case there is a much better option out there.

I'm male, 38, live in the UK and my main issues are hyperpigmintation/acne scars which have faded noticeably over the past year.

I'm 38 years old, was bullied throughout school and left university at 22 with quite literally zero friends. Started working, made some friends but people who already had their own significant group and when I left that workplace, we did not keep in touch.

I do have one group of friends I met in work and we still remain in contact and meet once a year or so. Bluntly, I'm not too keen on them to be honest. I think we initially bonded over work and food but now every time we meet, it takes forever to organise something, it always ends up being some mediocre food place and the conversation is just a bit drab.

This wasn't much of an issue for me as my wife was my best friend and my social needs were easily met through her but, long story short, that's no longer the case and I find myself longing for someone or people that share a common interest or want to do things like travel.

Now that I'm older, I do find it a bit harder to make friends. At my current work place, I've been here for 5 years and can't say I've met anyone who I would remain properly in contact with. Curious to hear from others here

I'm 37, and for the first time in my life I've become conscious of my age. It's been triggered by two things.

The first is work. We've had a lot of new hires over the past couple of years, and they're all in their mid-20s, if not younger. The moment it really hit me was when a couple of them genuinely didn't know what a floppy disk was.

It's a strange feeling because I've usually been one of the younger people on my team. Now I'm very much one of the older ones.

The second thing is that I've finally started living life a bit more. With nursery fees behind us and a decent salary, money isn't really a day-to-day worry anymore. I'm by no means wealthy, and I still need to spend a fair bit on the house, but overall we're comfortable. If I decide to spend £1,000 on a family trip abroad, it doesn't really affect us.

That wasn't always the case. Around three years ago I couldn't even afford new clothes for work. I remember one winter wearing my wife's coat because she was on maternity leave and didn't need it.

I'm 37, but I didn't travel abroad on my own until I was 25. The second time wasn't until I was 35. This year alone I'll have visited three different countries.

The point I'm trying to make is that, now I'm finally doing more with my life, I regret not doing it when I was younger.

I'm married with children now, but before I met my wife I didn't really have much of a life. I had no friends, and most of my time was spent either alone in my bedroom or working 70-hour weeks.

It's only recently dawned on me that I feel like I wasted my youth.

It doesn't have to be as gloomy as my experience, though. I'm just curious to hear from people who are approaching 40, or have already turned 40. Did you go through something similar?

I am going to Madrid in a couple weeks with my wife and two young children (6 and 9). I want to visit a good food market. Not the type that sells raw food, but more food stalls. Any recommendations?

About 6 months a new colleague starts. We're both 38, she has a partner and I'm married but separated and in the middle of a divorce (she is NOT aware I am separated). We get on well and regularly go on lunch together to different restaurants etc. She can also be a bit touchy; "feel how cold my hands are", random hugs etc.

To the point - there has been two occasions where where we both stayed overnight in the same hotel for work. First time, when we were checking in, she asked the receptionist if he can make it so our rooms were next to each other. It was a bit out of the blue but didn't think too much of it. just thought it would be easier for us to meet in the morning as we were both going to the same meeting the next day. Nothing happened, both went to our own rooms etc.

Second time was last week. There was a work event and some of us went out late in the night. We were with each other and someone else towards the end of the night but I was in a separate hotel. In the morning she messaged me and said I could come over to her hotel, have breakfast (she had a breakfast for two where I didn't have one) and hang out in her room if we finished early.

That's exactly what happened; had breakfast and waited in her room until it was time to get a cab to another meeting (about an hour wait). Being blunt, I am thinking she wants to sleep with me. There was a bit of an interaction where she wanted to see if I could lift her up, we chatted but mainly just chilled on different beds.

I was confused. If her partner was to call that second, I don't see any situation where being alone, with another man, no matter how he looks is going to be something he will be okay with. The only thing that threw me off was that she asked me to message another person and invite him up to chill at the hotel. So, in my head I am initially thinking she wants me to herself, but she also mentioned bringing someone else up so I then back off trying to see how far this can go.

Sorry if the question isn't clear here. Is there definitely something going on? Or can this be explained away as simply a friend who lacks nuance?

Hi all

I am planning a family holiday to Center Parcs in Netherlands. AI and other opinions point towards driving being the better option; Overall time, being able to carry a lot of food and flexibility to explore other places. I'm a confident driver who used to regularly drive to Blackpool every month no problem, but this being a 5-7 hour drive, with my family and in another country has me a little nervous.

Thoughts? Would be great to hear about others experiences