Arcticu – Another year, Another Birthday

Another year, another birthday to celebrate and make note of.

– Ringing a bell.

So, another year passes allowing me to celebrate another birthday. Its been a quiet one, though still a respectable one because certain folks still wished me birthday wishes in a low-key manner. With Twitter and social media interactions dying out you’re not getting as many interactions, less so when Twitter shadowbans you, lessens your impact, or people are simply boring in that abusive manner. It feels so much weirder, more boring, and much more of a sleep fest over in Twitter & Social-Media-Land with the whole cancel culture thing going on. Times are not what they used to be forcing people to simply move on and do new things. Break from the pattern. I’m going to assume its because Twitter wants you to be offended about everything in the world so they won’t want to wish you happy thoughts. Can’t have happy thoughts, no. Oh, the horror. 🙂 (This is my style of sense of humour)

Spent my day watching two movies, playing a few games, drinking ‘Zlaty Bazant’ (a beer), and having fun relaxing, and even haging out in VRchat. Even bought myself some asian food.

– Chicken wings, Won Ton soup, & Beef & Shrimp Noodles.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons:

Had to celebrate my birthday somehow, hence why I went into Animal Crossing to celebrate it. It marks the date, and etc. I love Scoot as a villager, my favourite villager.

– Happy Birthday to me.
– Next day over most of my villagers wishing me a Happy belated B-day 🙂
– Wishing me a happy B-day after feeling sick. Had to gift him some medicine to feel better.

Even though Animal Crossing: New Horizons has some serious flaws, it is still fairly enjoyable. When I was forced to move back in July 2020 I played a little then dropped out. I was both afraid and distracted with life obligations to really do anything. I desired to play, yet couldn’t really find any real opening because it found itself being the least of my worries. My VRChat friends refused to play it because of similar reasonings of life, loss of interest, and that added bonus of it feeling like a grindy mobile game. Its not aimed at adults (may be obvious) who are done work after 6-9 pm range.

I’m trying to get back into it all with the pumpkin patch, among other new features. Sadly, we still don’t have Brewster. Whoever is controlling this Animal Crossing: New Horizon seems to be a bit daft or dense, or they’re purposely holding certain features back. Whatever the issue, this game is being artificially stunted, not naturally.

Either way, it was the Mario stuff which got me back again having 80% fun with the game. More could be done with it. Most of my friends dropped out, except for one. I still rely on one person to assist me with my Animal Crossing progress. From so many to so little…..

Escape Plan:

Someone I know was watching it so I decided to join in because it appeared to have an interesting premise. From what appeared to be a gangster-ish type film turned out to be more of a thinking-action film relating to wits and mind. Was amused to even see Arnold in the movie. It felt a bit dry here and there, though held my interest as I tended to my Azur Lane & Animal Crossing grinds. As the movie went on I was even surprised to find out where they were taken to.

Good movie. A decent 7/10

Oblivion:

This movie I ended up watching randomly on Netflix because it was being advertised. As random as it was there, its still fairly random having watch it from beginning to end. I’m going to assume just because of time constraints with the movie it failed to do more relying on mystery and implied to get its point across, something I found to be fairly obvious regardless. Semi-similar to Interstellar in certain elements, yet on a far blander note. It was enjoyable, and I did find the whole secret behind the radiation zone quite….. Interesting. The future-tech even gave of a video-game vibes of ‘Subnautica’, a game fearful of co-op & VR elements, though with a strong attachment to plastic feeling future-tech.

– What I am interested in is that battleship. If they spent time exploring these ships I would have enjoyed it even more. Let me see the modern day submarine, the various vessels. I guess it was a compressed film dealing with basic things.

I feel this movie gave me a 6/10, or maybe even a rough 7/10. For a 2013 movie its fairly decent, though feels empty. Recall when they prided themselves over the vehicle designs. The Drones are awesome making interesting sounds. They would naturally fit in Subnautica, or any other future-tech game. Drones had to be the coolest, as with the flying Mosquito appearing type aircraft. Not the WW2 kind, the insect.

VRChat – Birthday Chill Hangout:

The main part of my birthday was waiting for the accidental viewing of Oblivion to be over to jump into VRChat. Started off on a basic Mars world with some secrets (which it wouldn’t share) heading off into a Tokyo/Japan type scenery.

– Ring, ring~

Because of the above image (moment) I had a weird dream where HMCS Haida’s (or another museum piece) had their bell stolen to where there was an attempt to regain it. A haste attempt at replicating it, purchasing a new bell on Kijiji, or something. What a wacky dream.

– T Pose
– V Pose
– Go! And I lost. I was winning until at the end the AI did a brutal reverse. RIP. (Maiya not in shot, they also lost).
– Maiya showing off an showy effect mask.
– Hey! Floofy/Hawk & Delta joined! Excellent.
– Floofy headpats.
– Hugs and headpats.
– Delta showing off his Persona & Digimon hype. He was playing the games, or so I heard him note.
– Kawaii~
– (Delta being bunny ears)
– Hawk having his go at GO.
– Most of the crew, though a few people missing. Delta, Hawk, myself, and Maiya. Hunt came later, in a later group shot.
– ‘Where is Maya?’
– Minesweeper amusements.
– “Do you need help drinking water? I can help you with that” – Paperclip
– Kon Kon!~

I’ll admit I was a bit bored messing around with cars and such. I was pranking more often. When certain things become too random I either shut down into introvert mode or just do overly goofy things. I came back after we all regrouped.

– Friend desires to find himself in this epic display of scores.
– As mini-Renge (1:1 scale) messing with signs.
– Group shot #2 (Delta hidden by Hawk). Whoops.
– Bunny-eared Hawk.
– Floofy adopted the Maiya.
– OwO
– HUNT! Now we can have a better group shot. Again, still missing a few people.
– Random image
– Flooof~
– Flooof~
– Trying to set up the camera in a certain position requiring flying avatars which failed to do what it needed to do. Many minutes later……….
– Hunt goofing off a bit.
– We be clubbing the styling way! The best way! 🙂
– Hunt at helm – 1
– Hunt at helm – 2
– Hunt at helm – 3
– Hunt’s Chill moment

It was at this point (12 am) where I finished off my ‘Zlaty Bazant’ beer becoming mute. I was becoming tired, as were Hunt & Hawk. We were in a talking “non-interactive” mood hearing various theories about space, black holes, Covid-19 and etc being talked about. I was mute trying to speak up, yet felt it was odd to do so causing me to be twice as a mute. They had a good strong conversation going to where I just couldn’t but in without derailing it. I didn’t want to ruin it, hence why I’m always a lurker in these sorts of situations.

– Hunt & Hawk’s special moment.
– After dragging cards under the table Hawk crawled under proving why we have VR and how special it is.
– Once you go VR its hard to go back.
– After exploring Hunt’s cardgame world we simply chilled a little while longer. I kept teasing Hawk trying to cut his tails off (inside joke). Not really going to do it. Its just fun to tease.
– One of best public avatar with a structure spawned. Chill at a pub 🙂
– Flooof – Hawk hiding Hunt in tails.
– Jamming out~
– “Hey look, there is a hole” …… Yeah, where I was hiding. May want to fill that hole in. (no lewd jokes).

I say that is another memorable session. Unlike Monday, this hangout was pretty chill and fun. Couldn’t do anything extreme so we hung out in basic worlds doing basic things. Chatting, having fun, teasing. It was a nice hangout. Still frustrated VRChat showed me as offline when I wanted to advertise through my status it was my birthday. That, and feeling like I’m shadowbanned on Twitter defeats the whole purpose of having a Twitter. Either way, I had fun in VRChat. Its the usual fun 🙂

>Reserved for Friend images<

A few more images to share of Rayquaza with my friends helping me obtain him in Pokemon GO. I may not have a shiny version (my various friends do), I still am proud I have one regardless. Everybody else besides me obtained shiny. RNG is messed.

– Something is better than nothing. I’m happy because I captured this pokemon in Pixelmon mod before. Great flying Pokemon.
– Redo of Healer – A neat anime like any other. Have you ever seen Higurashi or Deadman Wonderland, or any other brutal anime? I see nothing new here. It is however nice seeing a strong male main character also being a bad-ass female (trap) character with a sausage. Its a nice 8/10 Anime with obvious animation quality flaws. Still nice though.
– How the tables have turned on the main Hero *laughs* He gets attacked by his two girls.

Azur Lane:

I obviously have to share my Azur Lane hype because that is what has been keeping me sane outside of VRChat. I love how fun and entertaining it is. Great music, great lore, great shipgirls, and neat events.

– After so long I finally have Sheffield! Nice! She was a stubborn one.
– Kon! Being one of my semi-waifus in KanColle I’m glad I have her retrofitted in Azur Lane. I prefer her KanColle design over this one, though do enjoy her foxy nature here.
– Ark Royal Meta get! Looking epic. I have both Hiryuu Meta and Ark Royal Meta now.

Was watching a random video noting Ark Royal’s skills are sub-par (horrible) when compared to her normal Ark Royal counter-part. Maybe, I don’t care. I just want to have fun playing the game while avoiding the whole ‘spreadsheet’ side of the game. I do dabble in it here and there, just not fully. Youtuber kept going on and on about how she is a disappointment feeling like that is beside the point. Maybe they are indeed correct, maybe she does need a better buff in the next updates. As long as she is good, I don’t care.

Instead, give me my Maple Monarchy if you’re going to complain about something. Always throwing the Canadians under the bus every chance you get.

– Birmingham get! She left a hole in my remaining ship girls to obtain so I’m now happy to have her. Training her as we speak (as I type this article).
– Stephen Potter seems like a nice shipgirl. Nice new destroyer. Love how self-aware she is of her numbers.
– She was a bit stubborn to obtain requiring a few days and over 100+ cubes. Happy she is here. Her weapons remind me loosely of Neptunia with her floating cat turret.

And to wrap up my blogposting…. Whether it be Busou Shinki, VRChat, or anything in-between I will always respect people. The problem is that its honestly becoming harder and harder to both befriend and keep friendships intact because of peoples’ inner-demons, SJW nonsense, and whatever or people straight up betraying you, as what happened to me in 2017. I value my VRChat friends highly, just as long as we’re all natural and honest about ourselves. I may or may not be the weakest link with severe depression, anxiety, among other problems with how hostile people are to one another. VRChat however bridged certain gabs for me allowing me to be honest, open, and myself again. I was able to enjoy certain things, though not fully as everything else is a group effort.

I still can’t play ‘Among Us’, or anything else which requires a group. It also doesn’t help I constantly see highschool level drama causing people to kick other people under the bus, even in Nagzz21’s group between various well known regulars and just those who simply play.

– We’ve all been blessed by cool folks. Some staying longer than others while others throw us under busses for various reasons.
– Ever since 2017 till 2020 I viewed VRChat as my home. I value my friend’s friendship highly, and I respect them as we can reconcile any differences immediately, or almost.

The above image shows like-minded individuals can become friends. Having been betrayed time and again I’m constantly wary about certain types of folks, even avoiding them at times. I’ve witnessed Dutch people corrupt themselves morally, lose their maturity, among other things. I’ve seen awesome hobbies bankrupt themselves of various elements which made them fun from Anime, Busou Shinki, Frame Arms, among others. They’re still fun in certain ways, its however now a game of popularity which just kills hobbies. I believe people do it on purpose to force hobbies to die faster. A shame, really.

You’re simply just not allowed to have fun. Regardless of that, I’m thankful and grateful my VRChat buddies were able to still hang out with me for my birthday. It means a lot. I have tons of memories, its however becoming harder and harder thanks to how popular VRchat has become. Its so buggy, glitchy, and etc its a victim of its own success making me wonder if I should still stick with VRChat. It no longer feels like my home. I do go to it because its my main game. Its just weird, more so when Twitter is silent about everything not really boasting or priding themselves of whats fun anymore, or in a lacking manner.

– Had an interesting fight with Souken. It was said Azur Lane doesn’t have “memorable Moments’, I have to disagree. I can recall my Avrora in PVE event, and this, among others. My Perseus healing herself while dealing with Yukikaze (or similar DD character). It was a fairly close battle. Could have easily lost if Perseus didn’t have her healing. You can have memorable moments in Azur Lane.

I’m happy when games know when to have fun. Thank you to VRChat, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Azur Lane, and a few other unnamed games. I’m thankful to my friends for joining me, those few outside of the games wishing me birthday wishes. Even if VRChat main may be throwing me under the bus I’m thankful I was still able to have fun on the ‘private’ side of VRChat.