This information comes from the Australian Classification Board, which has rated the title M for Mature. It contains:
Fantasy themes, violence, online interactivity and in-game purchases.
This isn’t exactly a surprise, as Ubisoft often fills its games with additional extras (including microtransactions) all the time. As for what the “in-game purchases” might be in this particular game – we’ll just have to wait and find out.
Immortals Fenyx Rising will land on the Switch this December. Will you be trying it out? Tell us down in the comments.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-05-2020, 02:37 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Rick Moranis Attacked On The Street, But He's Okay
Beloved actor Rick Moranis has been out of the spotlight in recent years, but he's now back in the news after he was assaulted on the streets of New York. Fortunately, Moranis is said to be okay after the attack--although the internet is quite mad on his behalf.
On Thursday morning, at 7:30 AM on Central Park West near 70th Street in New York City, the 67-year-old actor was attacked by an unknown assailant. CrimeStoppers posted footage of the incident and the suspect walking from the assault.
A representative for Moranis has stated that the actor is doing "fine." THR reports that the comedy icon went to the hospital with pain in his head, back, and hip before going to a station to report the crime. "He is fine but grateful for everyone’s thoughts and well wishes," the rep said.
[Formula] How Much to Charge for a Project? For Freelance Developers & Clients
Problem: How to estimate the price of a given code project as a freelancer and as a client?
Estimating the price of a freelance software project is a common problem for both freelance developers and clients. On freelancing platforms such as Upwork, clients must associate a realistic price to their freelance project. On freelancing platforms such as Fiverr, freelancers must find a reasonable price for the different gigs they offer. In any case, either freelancers or clients must set the right expectations, or negative ratings and disappointments are guaranteed. This is hardly a great business strategy.
So, how to estimate the price for a given software project?
In this tutorial, I’ll give you a simple step-by-step formula to determine the price. But take it with a grain of salt—finding the sweet spot is seldomly as simple as following a formula. Yet, I found that this formula helped many FINXTER freelancing professionals and course students.
You can watch me elaborate on these concepts in the following short YT video as you go over the article:
Here are the three steps summarized:
Step 1: Find Business Value B and Multiply It With Your Confidence C to Obtain Expected Business Value B * C.
Step 2: Adapt the Expected Business Value by Market Factors +/-50%.
Step 3: Price Negotiations and Modifications to Obtain Range between Freelancer’s and Client’s Estimates.
Let’s see what’s behind these steps in the remaining article.
Step 1: Find Your Expected Business Value
Many people tend to start with their hourly rates. Especially beginner freelancers fall into this trap. They’re used to getting paid by the hour as employees. But nothing can be further from the truth if you’re entering the business arena.
Rule: You are getting paid by the value you deliver and not by the number of hours you put in.
If you understand this one rule, you’ll thrive as a freelance developer. If you don’t understand it, you’ll struggle badly.
It’s often easier for clients to absorb this rule—which is why I recommend that every freelancer hires other freelancers from time to time.
As a client, you simply cannot pay more to a freelancer than he’s providing you with value. Even if you wanted—you couldn’t pay $10,000 for a website if the business value of this website is only $10 per month. Well, some clients will do it but it cannot be the foundation of a solid freelancing business. Clients and businesses think in terms of Return on Investment. They want to see tangible results or they won’t pay you adequately.
For you as a freelance developer, you need to figure out how to deliver huge business value in a very short time. If you can solve this one problem, you’ll become very, very rich.
Let’s dive into three project examples:
Project 1: Fix a bug of a web app where every day of downtime costs the company $100,000. In this case, the estimated business value is $100,000 if you think you can fix it quickly. You can charge $10,000 for a quick fix within a day and the company will gladly do it—even if it costs you only a few hours to do so.
Project 2: Write a web application selling services to 10,000 customers per month with an average customer lifetime value of $100. If you can be sure to deliver this with your web application, you could charge $1,000,000 for this app and the company would get their investment back within a month. However, you can never be sure so you need to add a significant margin of safety. Let’s charge them $50,000 for the reasonable probability of achieving this business outcome.
Project 3: Write a small Python script that scrapes data from a website and stores it in an Excel file. The client will save, say, 1h every week due to your script so 52h per year. Every saved hour is worth, say, $10 for the client. The business value is 52h * $10/h = $520 per year. If you charge $300 for the script, the client can justify it.
You see that you must use common sense to estimate the business value. It’s a highly imprecise measure but over time, you’ll develop a knack for it. In many cases, your intuition is just about right.
Note that the business value is completely independent of the time it took to finish the gig. Some clients may need 12 months to create the app for Project 2 which leads to a yearly income of $50,000 before taxes. Other clients may need only one month to create the same app which leads to a monthly income of $50,000. I’m not exaggerating—there are 10x differences, even 100x differences in the efficiency of which freelancers finish projects.
Action step: Find your starting point—the expected business value of the project. Multiply this number with a probability value that reflects how sure you are that the business value will happen in practice.
For example, the business value of your project may be $10,000 and it has a 50% success probability. The starting point of your estimation is $10,000 * 50% = $5,000. This is your expected business value.
Step 2: Adapt the Expected Business Value by Market Factors
The expected business value completely ignores the reality of the market and your specific skills. You need to incorporate this! However, you can never deviate too much from the expected business value because you’ll either become unprofitable or you won’t find clients on a fair-value exchange basis.
If you sell your skills far above expected business value, you’ll have too few clients and client acquisition will be a game of luck and hope. This
If you sell your skills far below expected business value, you’re likely to become unprofitable and clients will not appreciate your value.
Therefore, you adapt the expected business value only by +/-50% at most. You simply answer the following five questions to come up with your adaptation percentage.
Skill: Are you a highly skilled-specialist for this specific gig (+10%), average-skilled (+0%), or below-average (-10%)?
Communication: Do you show a positive mental attitude (+10%), a normal attitude (+0%), or a negative mental attitude (-10%)?
Experience: Have you finished many similar gigs (+10%), only a few (+0%), or none at all (-10%)?
Hourly Rate: Have you earned in previous gigs an hourly rate above the industry average (+10%), at average (+0%), or below-average (-10%)?
Speed: Can you guarantee faster than average delivery of the gig (+10%), normal (+0%), or slower than average delivery (-10%)?
These five factors are some of the most important when it comes to perceived value delivery. As a freelancer, you should be able to quickly estimate all of them. As a client, you must evaluate the freelancer regarding these factors.
Action step: Go throw all five factors and adapt your expected business value by the resulting percentage.
For example, the project with expected business value of $5,000 delivered by a freelancer who is highly skilled (+10%), very communicative (+10%), experienced (+10%), with a proven record of a high hourly rate(+10%), and promising fast delivery (+10%) can charge +50% more. The resulting gig estimate would be $7,500.
Step 3: Price Negotiations and Modifications
The resulting gig estimate from the previous step can be justified by both the client and the freelancer. Both will receive expected value if both agree on these factors. Be transparent and let the client or the freelancer on the other side know about your estimations and your assumptions. Show them this method and let them state their opinions. Together, you’ll quickly see which factors are likely to be substantially different than assumed. By being open minded and talking about these factors, you’ll become a better freelancer and a better client because you can adapt your perception of the market place to the reality.
Don’t be strict about the gig estimate but take it as a reasonable starting point. If you receive new data and new assumptions from the other party, incorporate them in this method to obtain a new estimate. The resulting estimate should be a win-win. The freelancer wins profitable business and the client realizes a profitable investment. This is the basis on which a healthy long-term business relationship can flourish.
Action step: Summarize your calculations and assumptions and share them with the other party. Ask them for their estimations. Find common ground.
For example, the project with an expected business value of $5,000 delivered by a freelancer who is highly skilled (+10%), very communicative (+10%), experienced (+10%), with a proven record of a high hourly rate(+10%), and promising fast delivery (+10%) can charge +50% more. The resulting gig estimate would be $7,500.
However, the client may not agree with these percentages and proposes an adaptation percentage of only +30% while the expected business value is only $4,000. Based on this, the client’s gig estimate would be $4,000 * 1.3 = $5,200. The true gig estimate will lie anywhere within [$5,200 and $7,500]. Be open-minded as a client and as a freelancer because a long-term healthy relationship is worth far more than tweaking out the best immediate gig estimate.
Do you want to develop the skills of a well-rounded Python professional—while getting paid in the process? Become a Python freelancer and order your book Leaving the Rat Race with Python on Amazon (Kindle/Print)!
Where to Go From Here?
Enough theory, let’s get some practice!
To become successful in coding, you need to get out there and solve real problems for real people. That’s how you can become a six-figure earner easily. And that’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?
Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!
Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?
Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.
[www.indiegala.com] HIGHLIGHTS: Dark Souls Remastered (55%), Tales of Zestiria (82%), Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Deluxe (82%), TEKKEN 7 (77%), Project CARS 2 (85%), DRAGON BALL FighterZ (85%), Little Nightmares (82%), GOD EATER 3 (70%), Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (77%) & more
Google Project Zero security researcher moves to Apple
A researcher who worked for Google’s Project Zero is departing the security team and moving over to Apple, to help the iPhone maker improve the security of iOS and its other operating systems.
Revealed on Twitter on Saturday, Brandon Azad confirmed he was leaving Project Zero in favor of a position at Apple in the following week. He will be joining Apple to “continue my work improving Apple device security.”
Project Zero is Google’s security research team that concentrates on finding security issues and vulnerabilities in software, both in Google’s own products and of other major firms. The team works to improve the security of devices and software the general public uses by pointing out the issues to device producers, before performing an ethical disclosure of its findings.
This includes a collection of zero-click bugs in Apple’s Image I/O framework affecting all of Apple’s major platforms, and discovering exploits in hacked websites targeting iPhones.
My teammates at Project Zero have been among the kindest and smartest people I’ve met, and I’ve learned so much from them. I’ll really miss working alongside everyone on the team. Thank you all for these wonderful experiences, and keep on hacking!
Azad is known for his work on iOS issues, and has been credited in Apple’s patch notes for both iOS and macOS releases multiple times. By moving to Apple, Azad may be able to assist in plugging some of the security holes he finds externally before they get discovered by research teamd like Project Zero.
In tweets, Azad calls his time at Project Zero “amazing” and says it’s “been an honor to share in this wonderful mission.” His teammates were among “the kindest and smartest people I’ve met, and I’ve learned so much from them,” he adds, before thanking them and urging to “keep on hacking.”
-Beautiful foliage, new flowers, and hanging plants from the ceiling
-Azalea Trees will mark where to look, just follow their roots
-Spore blossoms are large pink flowers that hang from the ceiling. They drop particles and you can move these flowers to have these particles anywhere.
This article will update throughout the event. Refresh periodically as well as check our discord to chat with other members of our community as we enjoy the Livestream. Also join us and watch along with us here: https://www.minecraftforum.net/minecraft-live/oct2020/stream
Full Smash Bros. Ultimate Minecraft Song List Revealed – Seven Tracks In Total
As always, with a new Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter comes a new song list – and alongside Steve and co there’ll be a total of seven new tracks added to Nintendo’s all-star brawler.
Unfortunately, the team wasn’t able to include original Minecraft tracks. Here’s Sakurai’s full explanation:
“we unfortunately weren’t able to include music from the original game”
“Of course, since this is such a frenetic game…it would be next to impossible to make the tracks from the original game work in that context…It would make players relax.”
“Instead, we’ve selected several tracks from spin-offs and mini-games that will work in the context of a fighting game…”
The music for the Minecraft DLC is taken from the recently released Minecraft Dungeons and augmented reality mobile game Minecraft Earth. Here’s the full list (asterisk = new arrangement):
What do you think of this song list? How do you feel about the original Minecraft tracks not making the cut? Tell us below.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy on your favorite gaming console and PC. Get more details on these games below and click on their profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to change). Jump in!
Bartlow’s Dread Machine – September 29
A twin-stick arcade shooter with single-player and co-op play modes, six lively game worlds and a cast of strange monsters and historical characters. Master an arsenal of futuristic Edwardian weapons as you fight otherworldly creatures and attempt to save the Commander in Chief.
Projection: First Light follows Greta, a girl living in a mythological shadow puppet world, as she embarks on a journey across cultures meeting legendary heroes on an illuminating voyage of self-enlightenment. Accompanied by atmospheric visuals and an ethereal soundtrack made with antique instruments used for shadow puppet performances.
Re:Turn – One Way Trip is a 2D side-scrolling puzzle-adventure horror game. Trapped in a ghostly train, Saki must search the past and present to find and save her friends. More importantly, Saki must use her wits if she is to survive against an unspeakable evil hellbent on avenging unrequited love. Try the demo here.
Birthday of Midnight – September 30
Everyone’s favorite fairy is back and ready to be once again launched into the sky. But as always, treacherous obstacles like spikes, circular saws, and plenty of other dangerous hazards are par for the course. To earn a perfect score you must accurately complete each level in the minimum number of strokes, providing an additional layer of challenge.
A sci-fi thriller about an ordinary birthday present that changes the lives of the main characters forever, disturbing the sleepy peace of the Chicago suburbs. Together with a group of friends and a crazy scientist, you’ll have to try and end the Cold War, discover the secret of the Commander computers, and find out the mysterious truth behind the Roswell incident.
Feather is a multiplayer game about exploration, relaxation, and immersion. Transform yourself into a bird, take flight, and enjoy a zen-like, picturesque landscape on your own terms. Swoop, glide, and backflip your way around mysterious locations to uncover hidden paths that only birds can follow!
Inertial Drift – September 30
Forget everything you know about drifting. Set in a ‘90s retro future, Inertial Drift is an arcade racer with a devastatingly unique handling model and unbelievably satisfying twin-stick drift mechanics. Inertial Drift offers a whole new level of accessibility and challenge to the arcade racing genre – for a driving experience genuinely unlike anything you’ve played before
Xbox One X Enhanced / Xbox Play Anywhere – Heroic-fantasy interactive story inspired by the classic “choose your own adventure” books. Make crucial decisions that will lead your path to glorious or fatal outcomes… illustrated by over 300 beautiful images.
EA Play members can try FIFA 21 before launch starting October 1 and score exclusive pre-launch challenges and rewards – plus benefits all season long, like unique items, Ultimate Team Season Objective XP boosts, and a 10% discount on EA digital purchases. Whether it’s on the streets or in the stadium, FIFA 21 has more ways to play than ever before, including the UEFA Champions League and CONMEBOL Libertadores. FIFA 21 launches in full on October 6 for Ultimate Edition; October 9 for Standard Edition
A manmade island off the coast of Okinawa is humming with a dirty, exotic vibe. Rust and faded concrete glisten in the morning sun and the late-night neon, showing off its various faces. Take down evil gang members and killer robots through simple, yet deep, turn-based gunfighting.
Neo Cortex and N. Tropy are back at it again and launching an all-out assault on the entire multiverse! Crash and Coco are here to save the day by reuniting the four Quantum Masks and bending the rules of reality with new abilities, more playable characters, ridonkulous bosses, and more.
Pilots wanted! Buckle up, feel the adrenaline of first-person multiplayer space dogfights alongside your squadron, and learn what it means to be a pilot in a thrilling Star Wars single-player campaign. Pre-order to get the New Republic Recruit and Imperial Ace cosmetic items!
Xbox Play Anywhere – Return to the golden age of RPGs with 8-bit graphics and chiptunes. After a great battle between two dragons thousands of years ago, one reawakens and launches an assault on a frontier village. Lucas, a royal knight serving as a guard, is a descendant of the hero who once sealed the two dragons. Nonetheless, when the tragedy strikes, he soon sets out on an adventure to save the world!
A challenging turn-based tactical RPG set in the ruins of a besieged city during the closing months of WWII. Lead your ragtag team of insurgents through the historic streets of the occupied polish capital to witness first-hand the desperate fight for freedom.
Activision Blizzard esports CEO Pete Vlastelica is stepping down
Activision Blizzard esports CEO and Overwatch League commissioner Pete Vlastelica is stepping down after little over a year.
As reported by Variety, Vlastelica is taking on a new position within the company, and will officially vacate the role following next week’s Overwatch League Grand Finals.
“Pete Vlastelica, CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports and Commissioner of the Overwatch League, will transition from his role in ABE to focus on new entrepreneurial ventures on behalf of Activision Blizzard, following the Overwatch League Grand Finals,” an Activision Blizzard Esports spokesperson told Variety.
“He was instrumental in building the company’s esports business and driving the industry forward, and we thank Pete for his contributions and impact on our business over the last four years.”
The Blender user interface has come a LONG way in recent years, especially with the release of Blender 2.8. That said, if you are using Blender on a laptop, especially if you don’t have a numberpad or are stuck using a trackpad, some parts of the experience are less than optimal. Today we are going to look at ways to make using Blender on a laptop more pleasant. We will also show how to turn on experimental mode in case you want to check out some of the more… in development features in Blender.
Using a Trackpad in Blender
Using Blender without a 3 button mouse is not really recommended but sometimes you have to get by with the tools you have available. There are a few ways however to make Blender work better with just a trackpad. The first thing we need to do is turn on 3 button mouse emulation. In Blender go to Edit->Preferences:
Now select the Input tab on the left, then choose Emulate 3 Button Mouse.
Now you can control most viewport options using your trackpad + key combinations.
ALT + LMB
Orbit Camera
ALT + SHIFT + LMB
Pan Camera
ALT + CTRL + LMB or Two Finger Swipe
Zoom Camera
In addition to these key/mouse combinations, there are now icons available for performing many of these tasks.
Emulating the Numberpad
Blender also relies heavily on the numberpad for changing cameras (1/3/7/9) or rotating the camera (2/4/6/8) and on laptops 15″ and smaller numberpads are becoming increasingly rare. In this case you have a few different options. First you can leave it as it is and use the on screen controls mentioned above. Otherwise you can turn on NumPad emulation. This turns your standard number row (1 through 0) across the top of your keyboard, into a virtual numberpad.
To enable NumPad emulation, return once again to the Input tab in preferences by selecting Edit->Preferences. This time you want to enable the Emulate Numpad option.
There is a major downside to this approach, in that the use of the 1/2/3 keys to switch editing modes between vertex, edge and face in edit mode will no longer work! So let’s look at how we remap those keys next!
Remapping Edit Mode Keys
Remapping keys is another feature in the trusty preferences dialog (Edit->Preferences). Now locate the Keymap tab on the left. On the right drill down to 3D View->Mesh->Mesh Global then locate Select Mode currently bound to key 1, 2 and 3. You can simply click the 1, then hit 1 again, and with Numpad Emulation enabled it will now show as Numpad 1.
Of course you also have the option of remapping those keys to any value you wish. Simply click the arrow to the left to drill down for more details.
Here you can select multiple key combos in addition to remapping the primary key in the sequence.
Enabling Experimental Features in Blender
Finally we are going to look at the process of enabling Experimental Mode, in case you want to take a walk on the wild side of cutting edge features. This is once again a setting in Edit->Preferences. This time choose the Interface tab, then select Developer Extras. This will cause a new tab to appear, the Experimental tab.
Clicking the new Experimental tab will bring you to a new dialog where you can turn experimental features off and on. For example in Blender 2.91 if you want to check out the new Sculpting brushes, enable “Tools with Missing Icons”
You can see a detailed step by step demonstration of all of these processes in the video below (or on Odysee).
