u/kay000000

hi! I finally got an interview to do environment concept art work for an animated youtube show. The problem is the company seems really suspicious (not a known animation company, seems like a general tech consulting company with no visible portfolio)

I really thought it was a scam but we had a google meets call and i was given an art test. The interviewer told me they would pay 25/hr but it would be under a delayed payment scheme where payment would only be provided after the first 6 episodes are completed.

I have no experience with the animation industry. Is this normal? is this a scam? are they going to take my work and disappear with it? I'm worried if the 6 episodes don't pan out i won't be paid at all

(but then again i can't find any work so i should just take it right...)

https://preview.redd.it/vrxom3l8mdah1.jpg?width=3199&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e473ff6c282cc01a8dcc0681b3e4ab5327800a9c

Hi! I'm developing a cozy campsite management/decoration game but I want to include story and romanceable characters in a similar way that stardew valley does it.

Would furry/anthropomorphic characters like these turn you off? I'm not fully in the furry community myself, but I really like the art direction and I felt it stood out. I'm just not very sure if it gels well with the cozy game demographic.

Any suggestions or wishlist items you have for romanceable/story characters in cozy management games?

I'm considering taking the plunge and going into game dev full time, I have some savings from previous jobs but I really want to make this work.

But I keep feeling really guilty because it feels like I'm not being responsible, and anxious because I'm constantly worried about my future. So I was wondering if anyone has the same experience and how it's going for you?

Or is it just not possible to be a full time game dev in this economy haha..

Hi! I'm currently developing a campsite decoration game! I'm really inspired by games like viva pinata and animal crossing so I'd love to hear more about everyone's experience with decorating games!

what are some of the issues decorating games commonly have? like do you prefer when there's progression or if everything's unlocked at once? do you prefer a sandbox or when there's some requirements from NPCs?

or are there things that you specifically look for in cozy decoration games? good music or art style? not having any stressors like combat? does time stress you out in games?

If you could make your own cozy decoration game, what would it absolutely need?

I'd love to chat about it!!

I just watched the movie and have been hunting for other posts about this but it seems not a lot of people agree! so I want to write my own baby thesis on it.

First, I want to establish why I think Obsession was about AI. What clued me in initially was the inclusion of the shot of Bear and Nikki looking at an AI generated image of a happy couple (presumably them). I saw some viewers attribute it to just couple-y things that fit the time and age, but I don't think that phase was a big enough deal in our cultural history for it to be just a fun throwaway.

Nikki's initial reaction when she first gets turned is also suspicious. The awkward dialogue and strange pacing that seemed to turn some people off, is to me the signs of AI trying to adjust to fit their user. She starts off being extremely direct but that creeps Bear out, so she apologises, pivots, apologises, pivots, then cries and hallucinates that her father has cancer. Not-Nikki has only approximate knowledge of who Nikki was before, but doesn't know the nuances like her not realising Nikki wasn't close to her father at all, she just knows that humans like Bear would react with pity when faced with a friend whose close relation is ill.

The constant apologies also mirror AI conversations. And the weird behaviours like making the cat memorial or feeding the cat to Bear feel like approximations of human behaviour and flirting, and the kind of pulling your pigtails teasing that Ian mentions at the beginning but way worse because the AI is clueless. the weird hansel and gretel incest fanfic is also written in such a flowery and inhuman way that it is definitely reminiscent of AI writing.

Not-Nikki also seems to only operate when Bear is around, kind of like how AI agents are suspended in time when you shut your computer. And she eventually even admits that she's not Nikki and she's trying to be Nikki but she can't be Nikki and she's freaking out because she's trying to follow Bear's instructions but she can't because she doesn't understand what "stop being weird" means.

To me, all of this feels very much like smoking guns but I'd love to hear any arguments for or against this reading!

The second part is that this reading of Obsession being about AI actually makes the movie stronger! I see some push back on this because it takes away from the core message of women's agency but I actually think it makes it even stronger.

imo, the point of the movie is to explore wish fulfillment - If you made a wish for love, does that make it real? (Reminded me of the last wish in Witcher lol) Comparing Nikki to an AI dehumanises her, but that's exactly how Bear wants her. And that's what the movie wants you to see as bad.

To the disgusting cowards like Bear, the ideal woman is a hot and soulless robot who cooks and cleans, has sex whenever they want, hangs on their arm in public, doesn't ever talk back and prioritises them in every single aspect, even at her own expense. Just like an AI machine, they want to type in a prompt and control everything about their partner because they cannot handle having to introspect and fix their own issues. But the point is that it's a hollow imitation.

Bear initially succeeds with his wish, he gets the dream relationship and there's a cute romcom montage. but it shows him getting gradually more bored. it's the same shit over and over because AI can't learn beyond its capacity, it can't go beyond what it thinks is the pattern of a relationship. it constantly mirrors what you want and what society thinks it should want and will always feel hollow. it also shows us he was always more into the concept of a relationship with Nikki than Nikki herself.

Bear also consistently puts his feelings ahead of her autonomy, never makes an effort to meaningfully raise any flags about Nikki's wellbeing because he'd rather be in a relationship than not. he suspects the willow wish worked early on but never tries to do anything about it until Nikki's behaviour starts to affect him. He'd rather continue the farce because he'd prefer a robot he can control over a woman he cannot.

He ends the movie completely and utterly unloved because the Nikki that "loved" him is not real. there is nothing real or true about a woman being forced to love a man like a machine.

And he, on the other hand, never once showed any interest in Nikki as a human being, never interacted with her beyond the awkward small talk. The worst part is that you can contrast this with how he interacts with Sarah. When he treats a woman with respect, he can be genuinely interested in how she's doing in life and be excited for her future, and a real relationship can actually form. But instead of choosing genuine connections, he chooses a robot. and his love for Nikki is also clearly shown as fake because even in his very last conscious act, he can't even kill himself to free her, he's still a coward to the end who continues to choose the easy way out. This might be a harsh reading, because irl giving your life for another isn't that easy ofc, but I'm seeing this as an exaggerated reverse Romeo and Juliet where neither of them want to make the final sacrifice for love - Nikki because she literally cannot choose and Bear because he remains a coward.

And btw after all that, the woman is the one who must bear the consequences because he's dead and she's now regained agency but in this horrifying state.

All in all, I think reading the AI comparisons strengthens the overall reading of the movie. It's a cautionary tale of the importance of preserving agency because agency is what leads to real, genuine connection. I hesitate to fully claim this is the reading Curry Barker intended but the shots of AI use feel so intentional that I hope at least part of it was meant to be read this way.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts! I felt this all so strongly when I came out of the cinema so it's been interesting to see opposing opinions!

I'm making a campsite management sim and I've been struggling with tuning it to feel cozy and still engaging. I thought we could all discuss some tips on how you guys approach management sims in general?

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My tip isn't very niche, but I've really enjoyed making debug overlays for every information layer, basically just to expose what's going on. console logs technically work but aren't as intuitive. it takes a bit of time but it makes testing way easier for me, and at least makes it easier to confirm that nothing breaks from a new change lol

So some context is that I've known this friend for a year and a half. We met during a short school course and he'd been there for me during stressful situations. I had a crush on him and confessed after we graduated but he turned me down.

Things weren't that awkward afterwards but the friend group drifted apart a little and we didn't really hang out as much anymore. We communicated online a bit, about a job that we both applied for and the last time I messaged him was to tell him that the job posting was closed so we probably didn't get it. He replied normally, just said that sucked, etc.

A few days ago, the friend group gathered and he wasn't there which isn't that unusual. One of our mutual friends [22F] asked me if I'd talked to him recently but I said I hadn't. it was just a bit awkward to catch up with him and I'm not really good with keeping up online friendships.

Anyway, that mutual friend told me she had randomly texted him that morning about something else and when she asked him how he was, he told her his dad had passed away a few weeks ago but that he was fine and had gotten a lot of support. She was obviously really shocked and broke the news to the friend group that night.

I felt really bad for him because he had never mentioned his dad having any health issues and it seems like it was really really sudden. So I want to reach out and just check in with him.

The thing is I believe the last time I texted him, his dad had already passed and he didn't tell me anything then. I didn't ask him anything else either tbh, because I wasn't and still am not really in a good headspace myself. And since our mutual friend didn't ask for his permission to share this news with us, I have no idea how he would take it that we know. He's a chill guy, but generally pretty private and he always chaffed a bit at how the rest of the group bonded a lot over gossip.

I talked to my bro who suggested that it would be bad to reach out if he hadn't told us yet, because he might need more time to deal with the situation. The fact that he didn't tell me when I'd texted him before also makes me feel maybe our history made it awkward for him to share with me/us or we're just not that close. I'm also a little worried that maybe me wanting to reach out is just for my sake, as I'm feeling really guilty about not really trying to keep in touch.

But at the same time, I also feel that I'd want people to reach out and check in on me when I'm feeling bad? I guess if it's empty words it's not great, but I would like to think that I'm sincerely wanting to extend help. I don't even know what kind of help I can offer and if he's told our mutual friend that he's feeling better already, maybe there's nothing I can offer here?

I had already decided not to reach out in the end but I feel really guilty about it also. My anxiety is making it hard not to think about this so I'd like some reassurance or pointers on what I should do?

thanks

edit: thanks for all the advice guys! I definitely overthunk this and ended up reaching out after all. he's already replied and we're talking about games and TV shows now and I might stream a movie for the friend group later, we'll see but all's good I hope. if you have a friend you haven't talked to recently, please reach out! you never know what people are going through

sorry for the incendiary title HAHA I just really want to talk about the show and how much I love it and how much I feel for Ryder's character!

First of all, I 100% support Mary's final choice because the point is that it's her choice. And Tom is, of course, a brilliant match because he knows her and cares for her deeply. I just want to play devil's advocate a little because I think even more people should talk about this series and discuss what a nice and cozy light it brings to the romance genre!

I also haven't read the books so I'm sure there's some nuance to Mary,Tom and Ryder's characters that I'm not aware of. Please educate me and let me know where I should start with in the Austenverse. I've really only watched the big P&P movie and this.

Anyway! I just think Ryder would have been such a great match for Mary's unexplored sense of adventure! I think Mary could have grown into an extraordinary person. I'm not saying she wouldn't have been with Tom, but that scene where she's dancing with Ryder with unbridled joy just felt so!! exciting for her! He's someone who seems like he genuinely doesn't care for society and together, they're able to be wholly themselves. she never once stops to think about society when they're dancing, up until someone else tells her to be careful. which I think is just so nice!

Tom seems much more careful and restrained by society, not able to fully articulate himself and not able to push for things he wants like getting Ryder to leave them be at the summit lol Maybe there's some unspoken class thing that has to be respected? but I think I lost just a tiny bit of respect for Tom then. Ryder as well for being either oblivious or devious depending on his actual circumstantial awareness. But I just can't help but imagine Mary's world becoming smaller with Tom. She'd be just as happy, and she would push her boundaries wider on her own and make a stand for herself for sure. But with Ryder, I just thought she would become so much more worldly.

Of course, this is said with a modern lens and I've already seen some posts talking about Ryder being irresponsible and too driven by passion/hedonism. I agree, but I also think he's demonstrated great openness and willingness to learn. The inheritance thing might have just fallen into his lap but the fact that he decided to properly propose feels like he considered Mary and his future seriously. together, I think they would have been quite an amazing couple.

Without society's restrictions, Mary I think would have been even larger of a figure in society I feel. She possesses so much wit and charisma in her own way that let her endear herself to so many people, and not just in a surface way. (I really loved the detail of her discussion with Mr hurst about horses before the hike or Mr Collins about happiness and even the final discussion with Mr sparrow. would have loved for her to have more of these with the women like Ms Baxter but it makes sense for her character arc. I just adore her empathy and her ability to look past other people's initial faults to see their value.)

I could see her becoming a Lady Danbury esque character, advisor to a queen, or a champion of feminism if I'm going to be superlative lol (I'm sure there are better examples of an older worldlier character but my regency vocab is limited)

Ryder would have been eager to support Mary I think, because I think he genuinely looks up to her and sees how she expands his world. Tom does as well! which I really love because it shows how much respect Mary commands just by being herself.

Overall, I just think the energy Ryder brings with him would bring so much excitement to Mary's life! I'm probably just projecting lmao but that feels rather nice.

Again! not bashing Tom because I think the relatively quiet family life they would have together is still really happy and honestly probably more aligned with Mary as she is now. but It's just really fun to think about what Mary could become in Italy or wherever.

I'd love to hear more of what people think! I genuinely do enjoy Tom but I just wished we could have gotten even more of the two of them enjoying each other, then I think my opinion might be different. I'm probably going to read the books soon but idk if I should start with Pride and prejudice first? And are there other books that feature Mary! I'd love to read about what happens after the events in this series.

hi I'm posting on behalf of my dad (55M) (well, he doesn't actually know but I'm hoping I can relay some food advice to him).

basically, his job has been really really difficult ever since he got a new boss. super hostile work environment, boss is an incredible asshole.

I'm worried for my dad's health and mental well being and I've been trying to convince him to quit. I believe he's been job searching but no luck in this economy. He's in sales/management in a relatively specialised field.

I'm not privy to his full financial info, but I believe he has about 700k saved. mum has maybe another 50k? car and house are paid up, should be no other debt. we stay in a 3 room condo, last transaction is 1-2m. His pay is probably around 10k+?

My mum was a kindergarten teacher but due to leg injury she only does substitute teaching once in a while. My sister and I are self sufficient but we are not currently contributing because our pays are low.

he gives my mum about 3.5k a month and that covers her own spending plus our entire household needs which is about 1.5k maybe. my dad also mentioned worries about the condo mcst fees, insurance, and car/house upkeep.

so do you think it's possible for him to quit or maybe even retire? how should we calculate "possible" or not? is there some kind of metric? my dad has a very traditional breadwinner mentality so it's been very difficult for him to even think about quitting without data.

is there anything else I'm not considering when I tell him to quit? I'm probably idealistic but I feel that even if it takes time to find a new job, it should still be possible? he's very worried at 55 no one will hire him.