Nick’s Nest Of Ideas

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So first post for today is a bit off-topic and contains all relevant links you might need. For starters, since I was wrong about Afflicted effect being the same for every monster there’s now afflicted icon for every monster with one. Also while I was at it few mistakes became apparent: Kulu having a blank spot near beak, Jyra and Luna had one layer being semi-transparent and Primordial Icon suffering from “first icon” complex (as seen in my previous post). All of them were fixed and you can find them on this drive. Second link will lead you the small monster folder. At the moment there’re only five out of 30 icons there, but it will update regularly. And a third link is a folder for all Rise monster (large small and endemics) icons when I eventually complete this series (maybe I’ll add other folders since plan to draw all monster materials based on their name and description as well as equipment that use them). So yeah, if you don’t want to wait or look for exact post with your desired icon you can find all you need in specified link. And as images for this post have a collection of Afflicted icons that demonstrate how different they are: Large Monsters, Small monsters, Endemic Life (incomplete at the moment) All icons

Icons - Google Drive

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First wasp of the year. No idea how it got into my house or what species it is, but I actually managed to release it from a respectful distance. For context, they’re the only things I’m allergic to, so coupled with my constant anxiety this fact turns into slight fear and I keep my distance when encountering them inside (they’re stressed too after all). Still was a beautiful unidentified guest. Love them

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Slowly but surely, but I have no experience with, for lack of better analogy, “lava lamp” texture. Maybe once I make edges into gradient it will look better. Still gonna take more time than expected

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Now just to come up with a good monochrome coloration that won’t ruin entire thing. Wanted to go for more body horror design, but decided against it. Also tail osteoderms are now curved upwards (decided that it looks better than the sketch version)

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So this is a personal blog, so sharing what feels like a monumental achievement should be ok. After that it’s art again

Yay! I actually managed to ride an underground portion of my metro line without getting panic attack. Just a moderate anxiety attack. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but for me metro became a real problem once my mental health worsened. No matter how good I felt before the ride it would almost always result in either panic or anxiety attack. Not sure why to this day. It got so bad I started avoiding it entirely, relying on other methods of transportation (or just skipping events altogether). And now I can finally ride above ground portions alone with just a slight anxiety and underground portions with a moderate one! Though, and I’m really ashamed of that, I still require assistance for the latter. But I think, that’s a good starting point. Not sure if I’ll ever get comfortable with metro (something about it just triggers anxiety even on a thought level), but at least I can slowly avoid being nuisance to others

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Was preparing for yet another Celestial Serpents hunt (as evident by my team) and noticed that Malzeno wasn’t enthusiastic about it (or too enthusiastic depending on how you look at it)

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Went back to checking moves (now with proper brightness settings) since I’m mostly done with Uni for this year. And look! Unlike in Stories 2 there’re animations (strong roar) which allow Anjanath to spread its wings! Maybe for a brief moment but that’s still a cool improvement

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And here’s my third favorite Leviathan (with Mizu and Almu above it) - Royal Ludroth (HD and no osteoderm versions are here). Still not fully confident in skull, but overall very happy with the result. Definitely like how, just like any monster, it keeps some cartoony proportions. Hopefully that never changes in their design philosophy

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This should do it for a body sketch, hopefully. Despite lack of confidence in any of this, result doesn’t look half bad for a sketch

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Ok, time to resume the challenge of “I’m barely confident in everything I do”

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Yay! Term paper is written and accepted despite regular spring depressive episode! Finally this chapter of my life is over. I really wish anxiety wasn’t the sole reason this was even possible, though. But that’s the only thing that can make me work during such times, I guess

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You know, every time somebody in close proximity mentions how climate change isn’t real, I just point at my replies. When we only got Lapka she lived in my room and was perfectly fine (terrarium was on a smaller side, but as you know she’s in a big enclosure now. And would be regardless of room. Smaller was just more convenient for a baby with some problems). Like on some days even extra heat was necessary to keep her in 23-24 range. Then the second spring came and we were forced to permanently move her to sister’s room because mine became more suitable for corn snake or even leopard gecko even on colder days during spring and winter and hers had an air conditioner and wasn’t on the sunny side. Now that Coral lives in my room I have to start thinking of even more ways to prevent any contact with an outside world during spring and summer. And this all happened in a span of just three years. Definitely not a thing you can be prepared for when you buy (or get. Coral is a rescue, technically) a reptile and I’m afraid of what can happen in following years. To not end on a sad note here’s a Coral in his favorite “outdoors cover”

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Death’s Maw is incredibly lively today, huh

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It’s a bit shameless to link this, but without it I won’t be able to properly describe why it’s such a cool detail. If there is one non-gameplay feature of Stories 3 that is both unnecessary and essential that I can call my favorite it’s this little animation. It’s hard to get them consistently but they still show the bond between rider and monsties and even demonstrate cuter side of some “tough” monsters like Deviljho, Brachy or Arkveld

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So since OST is released there’re even more things I’d like to say about Stories 3. But the main thing is: Khezu’s theme is called “Judgement Awaits Beyond the Ice Wall”. So you’re telling me that on top of being that good its name is also amazing? So happy for Khezu even though this theme is stuck in Stories 3

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So unless I missed some bones (happens), this should make sense now. Decided to go for more basal, almost theropod, skull rather than more modern crocodilian one because this head looks almost like a generic big theropod. Also hid some bones behind horns due to how large they are

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Still sorting photos from my August trip (I’m definitely taking my time). How did I not notice that I took a photo (crappy one but still) of a ringed plover chick?! Well, I know how, because I felt barely alive when I noticed them. But it’s so cute I wish I would notice them sooner. Might’ve taken more and better photos