What’s new with everybody these past two years?

[The Toecutter]

It is too long of a story for me to write at the moment, but things are not going well for me, even if they are going better than expected. Considering the circumstances, I'm doing okay for now. Things could have gotten a lot worse for me.

I have a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant with my engineering degree(I've been looking for something better paying and related to my degree for years) and I have components on the way to finish one of my custom built vehicle projects. Here's some video of what I built back in 2017, going down the street, entirely under pedal power:

https://vimeo.com/284616898

https://vimeo.com/284616919

These videos were from 2018 and some random person filmed me riding 30 mph on flat ground and doing 40 mph downhill, which a friend discovered the footage of on social media and shared with me, which I then uploaded to another site. I was able to reach 35 mph on flat ground with this design, entirely under pedal power, but cruising speed was closer to about 21 mph.

I've built an updated body shell with better aerodynamics that I currently cannot get access to and install on the vehicle(another long story) which would allow me to reach over 40 mph just pedaling it with no other motive force, and perhaps a 25 mph flat ground cruising speed if the math is right.

An electric motor is in my possession, and the rest of the parts needed to make it run on are on the way as we speak. This vehicle will eventually be able to reach highway speeds and accelerate like a car. The chassis and suspension are rugged enough to handle 40 mph all day long and brief sprints to highway speeds. Legally, it's a bicycle, and doesn't move unless you pedal it like one. This will be true with the motor installed as well, given the way I will be setting it up. Once the motor is installed, I'm probably looking at 0-30 mph in 4 seconds, 0-60 mph around 15 seconds, and a top speed around 65 mph, with my pedaling adding usable power at all possible operating points. Range is probably going to be around 200 miles at 30 mph, 150 miles at 40 mph, 60 miles at 60 mph, with the motor on, and given how small the battery pack is going to be, could be recharged from empty in 15 minutes from a household clothes dryer outlet. Given that it can be pedaled faster than a normal bicycle with the motor turned completely off, it could be pedaled to an outlet for a recharge when the battery runs dead or if the electric drive system fails, and it's quite feasible one could cover 500 miles a day or more in such a vehicle.

It's merely the first prototype of what will evolve into a car-like vehicle. In the long run, I've got in mind building something quite ridiculous from a performance standpoint(0-60 mph under 4 seconds with a top speed of 100+ mph is doable with today's tech and enough money), that can still be ridden like a bicycle with the motor disabled and a dead battery and picked up and carried into an apartment, but I have to get there from where I am at now.

I've also been working on an RPGM MV project. It's not Police State, but something far more grotesque, macabre, and disturbing. I'll be posting about it over the next few days. Police State is not dead, but definitely on hiatus, as it's a much bigger game in size and scope than this side project and I'd like to get something out in a year or two.

[Loki]

At some point in the past two years I checked to see what was going on here and found that the forum was down and went : (

[Drew]

-Bought my first house with my husband.

-Had a mental breakdown at 30, as well as other health issues. But I'm the best I've ever been in my life.

-Started taking care of my teeth after too many years of neglect as well as my body.

-Started working in other programs besides RPGM (Godot, Game Maker 2, and Unity)

-Cut ties with negative toxic people, even after knowing them for years.

Nothing too fancy, but it's crazy how fast 2 years can pass.

[Hrafn]

A lot of y’all I have talked to at least occasionally on the Discord, but for any who never found there way there...

I am still married with two daughters, I work for the same credit union I did before the site crashed and do EBay on the side, the big difference is I started creating interactive fiction and since the site went down I published two (Stories? Games? Gamebooks? After all this time I still struggle with the proper terminology) titles with Hosted Games. Nuclear Powered Toaster, a sci-fi comedy based on my old webcomic, and The Parenting Simulator. NPT was a bust; wrote it for a contest, and when it was released it only sold a few hundred copies after a year and a half. Parenting has done a ton better; as of four months from its release last year it had sold over 6,000 copies and made me a decent chunk of change. And it will release in time for Mother’s Day on Steam, which will hopefully provide a nice boost as it starts to naturally trail off from the post-release highs. Both are also on Google Play, iOS (through the Hosted Games omnibus app) and the Amazon App Store. It’s nice to go from wannabe writer to actual writer, even if my third story has bogged me down a bit of late.

Other stuff has happened: my dad had a traumatic brain injury, my wife has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and I have experienced the joys of both shingles and pneumonia since this place last existed. But in the end we are all making it as best we can and thankful for what we have.

[Kefka Jr.]

Life's been kinda rough for me. Actually, very rough. Being transgendered, wanting to be female, but unable to because of life issues. Last year was such a low point, until six months ago, when I decided, screw it, even if I can't be Erika in real life, I can still be Erika online. So now I'm presenting as female everywhere on the interwebs. RL might suck, but at least I have a world where I can be myself..

Erika, I remember a thread were a lot of us were PRETTY UNFAIR to you on your journey of discovery, and I think about it every once in a while. I wanted to apologize for that. I'm glad you've gotten leeway online.

Im teaching English and Film Production at the local high school in the NOLA area Louisiana.

I was just in NOLA for vacation just this week. Highlights were Willie Mae's Scotch House, the Whitney Plantation, and the Music Box Village in Bywater. Also got some precious stones from one of those hippy magic shops in the French Quarter. Not only are my chakras gonna get balanced, I'm also gonna do it with cool looking rocks in a bowl in the living room.

So I was already married when I was last here. But we also have a house with a big backyard. We own two dogs (Brother and Sunny, the two on the RIGHT), and we foster dogs often – we have foster dog #23 (I think?) at our house right now. We also have chickens, such as Bayonetta and Goodie (RIP).



I've been working as an iOS developer for a few years now. Right now I have the best job I've ever had, and probably WILL ever have, working for a digital service agency. I've been working on a diabetes management app for just over a year now. (It won't be done for a while now, and it may not even be that good)

I'm working on a... I guess you'd call it a visual novel. (ART IS NOT FINAL DO NOT SUE) It hasn't really had a core mechanic this whole time, but I'm about to prototype one. I'm using the Night in the Woods dialogue engine for it. https://yarnspinner.dev/



Unfortunately, it's in..... Unity >_> I dunno if that's allowed here

[Valkysas]

All game creation engines are allowed here.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Erika, I remember a thread were a lot of us were PRETTY UNFAIR to you on your journey of discovery, and I think about it every once in a while. I wanted to apologize for that. I'm glad you've gotten leeway online.

No worries. I feel like I wasn't handling the situation very well, myself. Admittedly, after that whole ordeal, I was a little concerned about general reaction here to changing my name again, so I'm glad I have not been immediately bombarded by negativity. Knock on wood, reaction on the internet overall has so far been positive. Or at least neutral.

[Redeye]

Considering how Owl is still banned, I don't think you'll have much to worry about from now on.

[Hrafn]

Eh, still wish he wasn’t, even if he makes it hard to actually feel like it is too unjustified.

[dragaron]

Lots of tragedy on my end, some of which I shared previously at the Pav Discord. I’m still working an immensely complex and triggering job as a family based therapist (8+ years now), which continuously reminds me of my past childhood sexual abuse experiences and other multi-generational patterns of familial dysfunction. I’ve spent countless hours in hundreds of people's homes, and have come to the realization that my past trauma isn’t unique, but rather commonplace. That's a sobering, and depressing realization that still has me reeling.

Speaking of sobriety, I developed an addiction to alcohol that progressively worsened starting around two years ago in response to a cumulative series of tragic events. In this order, my eldest brother died of cancer, I fully severed my ACL from the bone, my wife of 18 years requested a divorce, some then-current infidelity was exposed, I went through ACL reconstructive surgery and a meniscectomy, a more extensive past history of infidelity was exposed, my wife tried to kill herself by cutting her wrists, I tried to kill myself through intoxicated asphyxiation, I lost my job (same profession, former employer—it’s a long story), my car broke down, my dog died prematurely, and I spent about two months unemployed and intoxicated on vodka prior to getting back on the saddle of doing family based therapy again in August of 2019, on my birthday. At my worst, I was putting away a handle of vodka every 2-3 days.

However, some of the aforementioned has improved while others have worsened. My ACL is fully recovered, but the MCL shows residual damage from years of training in martial arts with a torn ACL; this confirms that a whole knee replacement is imminent, which in turn would make training nearly impossible. My right shoulder likely has a labral tear that will require surgery at some point. My wife and I are working through the arduous process of restoring our marriage. I have never seen or witnessed courage of this magnitude, both in accepting my due accountability and finding forgiveness, and especially on her part in accepting my forgiveness, forgiving herself, and rebuilding trust. We both wrestle with depression, as we always have, but are trying to make present circumstances less depressing. I have another vehicle, and have reconvened employment as a family based therapist. As someone employed to help others, I continually experience the humility associated with all that has fallen apart in my own personal life, in addition to still struggling at times with the process of overcoming alcoholism. I have gradually practiced harm reduction to the point where beer is usually enough to stifle anxiety and depression. I no longer need to imbibe every day, but relapse when work stress intensifies. I am still a Christian in spite of everything, and my commitment to God will never waver. If anything, I have gained a deeper understanding of what it is to be Christlike in a broken world so full of pain and suffering, but even with that knowledge I fail considerably in resembling Him on a daily basis.

I still have an addiction to posting large blocks of text in forums, and at times struggle with an aversion to paragraph breaks. I’m working on this as well, as evidenced by this particular paragraph. Baby steps.

Finally, I’ve recently started providing psycho-education in the form of articles on Facebook about a wide variety of topics, mostly on family systems theory and practical application, in an attempt to minimize the unnecessary suffering of others. Doing so is probably the culmination of all my life experiences, because it requires continual personal growth, and demands that I remain vigilant in addressing my own hypocrisies. Also, helping a few people along the way brings value to my past sufferings and aids in combating nihilism.

[Hrafn]

Really glad to see you again, Dragaron.

[Biggie]

I wish nothing but the best for you brother on your path to healing. Drinking just pushes your problems to the back and stunts any personal growth, on top of that you pay for it later with compounded mental interest. If you ever care to chat brother send me a message.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

I still have an addiction to posting large blocks of text in forums, and at times struggle with an aversion to paragraph breaks. I’m working on this as well, as evidenced by this particular paragraph. Baby steps.

Dang, sorry to hear 'bout all the crap you've been through. At the very least, I'm glad to see that things have improved enough for you to find humor in life. *hugs*

[Kit Carruthers]

Hi guys.

Not a lot happening in my life. I was living in a really anxiety inducing situation but not any more.

I've been having writers block.

That's about it.

Glad to see most of you are doing well.

Did I tell you I'm sane now? Yeah that whole thing is what happens when you're on a psychedelic all day every day.

[Maijo]

Glad you're back Drag.