Group recordings of the same bird together Individual segments in the same uploaded file should each be normalized separately (see next section.)ĥ. Editing programs make it easy to adjust the level of different segments, usually using a "Normalize" command, so please do so with your recordings before uploading. Human voice announcements, on the other hand, tend to sound quite loud compared to bird song, so we suggest keeping the peak level for those announcements at -10 dB. Leaving a recording at a low volume does not reduce background noise, it only makes the entire recording harder to hear. It also makes it easier to assess the quality of a recording. We ask that you adjust the level of each recording so that the loudest sound reaches -3 dB, otherwise known as "normalizing." This makes it easier to hear the target sound in a recording and creates a consistent listening experience between recordings across the archive. At the end of the recording, after the last target sound, apply the same approach of including a few seconds of background sound before the end (if it is free of louder sounds.) If you do not have much background audio to work with, that's fine too-don't add blank audio or manufacture background sound.Įven when you are close to a bird and have made a great recording, chances are that the bird sound could still benefit from being boosted a few decibels. If there is handling noise or a loud background species during these first few seconds, you can shorten your lead-in even more. When reviewing your sound file, try to leave a lead-in of a few seconds of background sound before the first target sound, but remove everything before that. Recordists sometimes make noise as they start a recording and get situated, and then there can be a significant amount of waiting time before a bird actually sings. The beginning of a sound file is often the messiest part of the recording. If your recorder supports it, a sample rate of at least 48 kHz and a bit depth of 24 bits is also recommended. WAV, but consider switching for future recordings. WAV in the field, don't convert your files to. WAV sound files, be sure to upload them as. The eBird upload tool can handle large audio files-up to 500 MB in size-so if your original field recordings are. WAV is the standard audio format recommended by the Macaulay Library. We also recommend that you hold on to the final edited versions of your files for future reference. The Macaulay Library recommends keeping two copies of your original sound files-for example, one on your computer and a second on an external hard drive-and using only one of these for editing and submitting to the archive. Therefore, it is extremely important to keep copies of your original field recordings that are not modified in any editing program. Many sound editing programs are "destructive," meaning that if you edit and save a sound file in the program, your original sound file is permanently changed. Try downloading both and deciding which better suits your needs.Įxample audio files for Audacity tutorial (27MB)ġ. Our Ocenaudio tutorial is a great place to start if you are newer to the process. We recommend our Audacity tutorial (in English or Spanish) for users who are interest in processing large numbers of files. We have two step-by-step tutorials for processing audio files for upload to eBird and the Macaulay Library. Sound analysis programs, such as Raven, are generally less useful for sound recording preparation since they are not built for editing sound files. Note: These general guidelines are applicable to any sound editing program, but three popular editing programs are Adobe Audition, Ocenaudio, and Audacity. Follow the steps below to prepare your sound recordings before uploading them to an eBird checklist. This means doing a minimal amount of editing to sound files. Solution home Macaulay Library Preparing and uploading media Audio preparation and upload guidelinesĪudio contributed to eBird and the Macaulay Library should be an accurate copy of an original field recording.
0 Comments
We love the dark style of this hack from Real Homes. The sunrise pattern on the door fronts are utterly sensational on this piece! Dark Fluted Kallax Sideboard Source: Real Homes They have chosen a fantastic colour to contrast the pink in the background and then embellished it with lots of brass fittings and decorations. Yep, there’s a Kallax in there somewhere! This is an incredible makeover from Designing Parkside. Stunning Elegant Kallax Update Source: Designing Parkside The addition of the circular handles really makes this hack work so well. We love how it has been wonderfully integrated with the colour scheme of the room so as not to stand out too much. This beautiful Ikea Kallax Hack from Haus Matter is so simple, but so effective. The Ikea Kallax Hack Ideas: Modern Pastel Ikea Kallax Hack Source: Haus Matter This post may contain affiliate links. See my full disclosure herefor more info. The majority of these hacks have tutorials, but we also give you tips and tricks to achieve the looks as well as where you can find what you need. From entryway consoles to window seats and dressers! This list covers them all! The Kallax range is so versatile you can easily create many different pieces of furniture with relatively little work. We’ve added several more ideas in 2023 that have appeared since we first wrote this article and the quality has gone up a few notches! You may well own or have owned the Kallax at some point, but have you considered any of the following hacks to turn it into something stunning? It has previously been seen under the Expedit name too but the basic concept hasn’t changed. The Ikea Kallax range has been around for a long time now and lends itself so well to hacking. If you’re looking for some of the best Ikea Kallax hacks and ideas available, then you’ve come to the right place! The King, also known as Alfonso the Wise, was gallivanting around his kingdom many moons ago, when he decided to visit an inn and duly ordered a beer. There are many cited origins for the tradition of eating tapas, and how they got their name, with the most romantic featuring King Alfonso X in a starring role. The word ‘tapa’ in Spanish means ‘lid’, and the ‘s’ simply denominates its plural form. …what could be better than mixing and matching all the glorious taste sensations of the diverse regions of Spain for supper? In fact the influence of this tradition can be seen in restaurants all around the world, as small plates and tasting dishes have become global food trend.Īs a style of eating it certainly has its advantages… after all, what could be better than mixing and matching all the glorious taste sensations of the diverse regions of Spain for supper? The waves gently rolled against the shore lined with onlookers as the four Kemp's ridley sea turtles swam away, back where they belong.There’s nothing more synonymous with Spanish cuisine than tapas, the tradition of eating small dishes as an appetiser, snack or in combination to form a main meal of the day. "We are happy to provide the opportunity for MSU CVM veterinary specialists, residents, interns, and students to work alongside our aquatic veterinarians to help this important species recover." "The MSU Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security is pleased to be able to contribute to the success of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle population in the United States," said Stephen Reichley, GCAHFS associate director and MSU assistant professor. "It made the entire process come together for the students that were able to see how sick the sea turtles originally were and then release them back into their environment in full health," said Beth Peterman, MSU assistant clinical professor and project manager for GCAHFS. Two of these students were present in December for the turtles’ arrival. Nine MSU students, from the veterinary medicine and veterinary medical technology programs, participated in the event. These efforts help reinforce the fact that the Mississippi Gulf Coast is a wonderful place to live and to visit." "We had people of all ages cheering on the efforts of IMMS and Mississippi State University to return sea turtles-that had to be rehabilitated beforehand-to their natural habitat. "The response was overwhelmingly positive, and this was evidenced by a large number of people witnessing the release of the sea turtles in Pass Christian," Rafferty said. The mayor of Pass Christian, Jimmy Rafferty, was excited that he and his community were able to be a part of the occasion. Richards take one of the four Kemp's ridley sea turtles to the ocean to be released. "Our goal is to return the sea turtles back to their natural habitat to be able to reproduce and contribute to the successful increase of the population," said Debra Moore, MSU assistant clinical professor.Īfter months of recovery and careful evaluation, these four sea turtles were released back into the wild with great fanfare in Pass Christian as the public, MSU faculty, staff, and students, along with IMMS personnel, waved goodbye and wished them good luck on their journey.Ĭ. The sea turtles were rescued and successfully transported to Mississippi for rehabilitation on December 13, where MSU veterinarians treated the turtles and brought them back to good health. They were among over a thousand Kemp's ridley sea turtles found cold-stunned in the New England area during that time. These four Kemp's ridley sea turtles, along with 26 others, were found cold-stunned in Massachusetts in December 2022. On May 10, 2023, the program, which is managed by MSU’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security (GCAHFS) and includes participation by MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS), released four Kemp's ridley sea turtles into the Mississippi Sound in Pass Christian, Mississippi. (Photos provided by Beth Peterman)ĭid you know that Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the most critically endangered sea turtle? Mississippi State University’s Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation, Recovery, and Monitoring Program works endlessly in an effort to preserve this species of sea turtle, along with others, through rescue, rehabilitation, and release. The mayor of Pass Christian, Jimmy Rafferty, joined MSU faculty, staff, and students for the sea turtle release. Project size – Smaller jobs typically have a higher installation cost per square foot. System type – Hydronic systems are best for an entire home or large areas, while electric systems are better for smaller spaces or individual rooms. The cost to install heated floors depends on the existing building conditions, the plumbing design, and whether the system needs a new boiler. *Includes heating elements and a new wooden floor. Installing a heated floor costs $7 to $17 per square foot without new flooring or $10 to $40 per square foot with new flooring. Radiant-heated floor cost per square foot The geothermal system transfers natural underground heat into the hydronic flooring. A geothermal heat pump costs $15,000 to $35,000, plus $7 to $17 per square foot for the underfloor heating system. Geothermal in-floor heating costs $25,500 to $69,000 total for an average 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot home. Renting a propane fuel tank costs $50 to $200 annually with free installation. Installing a propane tank costs $2,100 to $4,300 for a 500-gallon fuel tank. A new propane boiler costs $2,800 to $7,500 installed, plus $7 to $17 per square foot for the hydronic floor heating. Installing propane underfloor heating costs $13,300 to $41,500 total for a 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot home. Installing a solar water heater costs $3,000 to $9,000, plus $7 to $17 per square foot for the hydronic heating system.Īlternatively, installing solar panels costs $10,600 to $26,500 on average for converting the whole home to solar power. The cost of solar-powered underfloor heating is $13,500 to $43,000 on average for a 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot home. Higher operating costs and less powerful than hydronic heatĬommon in bathrooms, kitchens, or as supplemental heating Electric radiant heat costs $8 to $15 per square foot, depending on the floor size, system voltage, and if electrical upgrades are necessary.Īvailable as electric mats, strips, or heating cablesĬonnects to home’s electrical panel instead of a boiler Installing electric floor heating costs $12,000 to $30,000 for a 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot home. Hot-water supply lines for radiant heat must stay separate from potable hot water lines for bathrooms and kitchensĪlternatively, installing a dedicated hot water heater costs $600 to $1,800 to supply small 1- to 2-room radiant systems. Ideal for large areas or a whole-house installation This price includes new boiler costs of $3,200 to $9,000, plus $7 to $17 per square foot for the in-floor heating system. Hydronic radiant floor heating costs $13,700 to $43,000 for a 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot home. Search Radiant floor heating tubes installedĪdditionally, new flooring installation costs $3 to $15 per square foot on average to cover the heating elements. Hydronic floor heating costs $7 to $17 per square foot and is best for large areas or whole-house installations.Įlectric floor heating costs $8 to $15 per square foot and is better for single rooms or supplemental heating. Installing a radiant floor heating system costs $12,000 to $43,000 for a whole house, including a new boiler, water heater, or heat pump. In-floor radiant heating coils or tubes last 30 to 50 years. Installation takes 3 days for a room and 2 to 3 weeks for a whole house. Radiant floor heating costs $65 to $250 per month to run. I strongly suggest you call me and talk about how well you’re doing, or you’ve done now that you are all the way into this. Do You Need A Receipt To Make A Return At Home Depot? Otherwise, you’ll just have to be patient and wait until your receipt is reprinted. When you’re finished shopping, you could ask the associate to print your receipt for you. Can You Request Receipt Copies At Home Depot?Ī customer may need duplicate copies of a receipt to be able to use the information on the receipt for their personal records, when purchasing a gift, or when they want a copy of their original receipt for their records. To use this service, you should head to the Customer Service desk, make sure you have the card you originally paid with, and show a form of photo ID for verification. The reason why cash receipts cannot be reprinted later is the same as the reason why cash cannot be counted again. This means the Home Depot credit card can be used for both in-store and online purchases. If you paid with a debit card, you have 30 days to get a replacement receipt, but the receipt may take longer. If you paid with a credit card you will be able to get a replacement receipt in 30 days. Purchases made with a Home Depot Consumer Credit Card, Commercial Account card, or Revolving Card by individuals or business are stored for 1 year (365 days). It doesn’t matter when in time frame of making the purchase. You will be able to retrieve that information from your online account. When you are ready to check your Home Depot online account, the last 4 digits of every card number will be stored with the transaction information. To see if Home Depot recognizes the card you were issued, you can go to your local store and look at your receipt. How Far Back Can Home Depot Look Up Receipts? If you want to learn how to prevent losing your home depot receipts, why you should keep them, and much more, you can read on. The company is expanding its returns policy to allow customers more time to make returns. In case, a customer wants to print the receipt or make a return, they can do so for up to 365 days after purchase. Transaction records are available for a year after a transaction is made using a debit or credit card. Home Depot customers can track transaction history using a debit or a credit card for up to a year after a purchase. However, unless the store bought the item at your house, you may never find out how much the item was actually, even though they might say they do. For example, at the end of the day, a retailer will want to have a record of how many t-shirts were sold, how many were returned, etc. A company can also use receipts to track customer’s usage of products and charge them later. It also signified Insight Partners’ first lead investment into an African startup the $20-billion behemoth took part in Flutterwave’s Series C round in 2021.ĭash had intended to raise a quarter of that sum-roughly $8 million-as its seed round before obtaining more than $30 million. Last March, the Ghana-founded and New York–headquartered Dash raised $32.8 million in equity from Insight Partners, Global Founders Capital, 4DX Ventures and ASK Capital, among others.Īccording to TechCrunch, the seed round, which according to sources, valued Dash at slightly over $200 million, was the second-largest deal of its kind after PalmPay’s $40 million in 2019. Instead, its wallet allows users to access many services they can’t find on their traditional provider. It doesn’t aim to replace mobile money or banks. Currently, it is operational in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, with plans to expand into South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.ĭash’s alternative payment network brings together mobile money and traditional banks and facilitates transactions for consumers and businesses. The fintech company is a unified payment platform built to better how 1.3 billion Africans Prince Boampong founded the Ghanaian fintech in 2019 and is one of Africa’s well-known serial entrepreneurs after co-launching OMG Digital, a YC-backed Ghanaian media startup, in 2016. Read also: Smile Identity raises $20m to tackle increasing online fraud in Africa Prince Boampong’s alleged activities as Dash CEO On the interim CEO’s appointment, the board stated it is “confident in Mr Kinyua’s leadership and ability to execute the company’s mission to create a unified payments system designed to increase efficiency and accessibility for how Africans transact with digital money.” The representative declined to comment or provide further context regarding Boampong’s actions, but reports suggest the audit results could be released in a month. Prince Boakye Boampong, founder and CEO of Dash,Īccording to a board representative, Boampong was placed on “indefinite administrative leave on January 24, 2023, pending a forensic financial assessment of the company”. However, Dash’s board, in a joint statement, communicated a different angle regarding the former chief’s current status. TechCrunch reported that Boampong was suspended as chief executive for suspected involvement in financial misreporting. Kinyua is to assume the interim CEO role. The Ghana-founded startup offers an alternative payment network with connected wallets that allow the exchange of mobile money with African bank accounts in Africa,Ĭonsequently, the board has replaced Prince Boampong with Kenneth Kinyua, the former CEO of Kopo Kopo, who recently joined Dash for a regional leadership role in East Africa. The company’s 1 million+ customers have processed over $1 billion since its launch in 2020.Prince Boakye Boampong, founder and CEO of Dash, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into financial impropriety. Currently operational in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, in January 2022 alone, Dash reported a Total Processed Volume (TPV) of over $300 million, up 3X on a monthly basis from Q4 2021. The company intends to use the funds to launch new features, and expand its footprint across key markets in Africa.įounded by Prince Boakye Boampong, Dash is a unified and accessible payments app built to enable 1.3 billion Africans to transact with digital money. The round was led by Insight Venture Partners, with participation from Global Founders Capital, 4DX Ventures, ASK Capital, Techstars, and Guillaume Pousaz’s Zinal Growth Partners, Jitendra Gupta of Jupiter Money, Amrish Rau, CEO of Pine Labs, the founders of Moss, executives from ProcessOut (acquired by ), and the founders of PennyLane. (Photo: Business Wire)ĭash, an Accra, Ghana-based payments app provider, raised $32.8M in Seed funding. Dash App, Founder, Prince Boakye Boampong. Standalone games (you do not need to own any S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Road to the North (CoP total overhaul of Call of Misery mod, with 37+ original missions).Misery (CoP adds character classes, cooking, inventory self-maintenance, cigarettes, etc.).Call of Chernobyl (CoP combines all three games' maps into one gigantic map).devs) (see /u/SwogFrog's useful guide to getting started with Autumn Aurora) Autumn Aurora 2.1 (SoC recasts and significantly expands SoC in a Fall-themed environment, officially endorsed by S.T.A.L.K.E.R./r/TheZoneStories: a sister subreddit to discuss amazing, organic player experiences of the games' & mods' procedural events.How to play with Russian dialogue audio and English subtitles (SoC) for full immersion.The Low Spec Bible: How to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.Please note that installing Sky Reclamation Project and AtmosFear will render existing saved-game files unusable until they are uninstalled. If you have any questions or problems, please comment on AutoModerator's latest help post and other fans may help you. Reduce the crosshair to an immersion-maintaining dot by placing this "gamedata" folder in CoP's root directory.Increase field of view to 54 or 55 (Arsenal Overhaul not needed).Note: ZRP and SRP above will provide a free-play mode after the ending cinematic, if you reach the best ending to each game. Follow these steps to increase Actor.ltx's camera_height_factor from 0.85 to 0.94 via Notepad, so that you are at proper head height with NPCs, though you may need to crouch to pick up some items and this might make combat easierįor CS: Apply community bug fix Sky Reclamation Project (SRP report bugs here), and be sure to apply some of its included optional add-ons, like Alternative Ballistics and decreased AI grenade spam.Apply community bug fix Zone Reclamation Project (ZRP, maintained by /u/NatVak) not convinced? Read Metacognix arguments for ZRP.Optional: Why you should play without musicįor all games: apply both the latest AtmosFear and Absolute Nature content as are available, after applying the tweaks below first.If you only want/have time to play one of the three, Shadow of Chernobyl is still the recommended one to play, because (spoiler-free) the other two carry on with a certain game element that assumes past plot knowledge, and feels awkwardly (and possibly annoyingly) unexplained without experience of SoC. Alternatively, check .Īlways start with SoC, and then play either of the other two in any order (usually in the order of release). These are stats from one of the subreddit moderators. games released by the community to try out.Īssuming full story + some side quests completed, with no free-play/replaying: If you cannot/are unwilling to pay for S.T.A.L.K.E.R., please continue to scroll down and find some completely free, standalone S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Always use IsThereAnyDeal to assess the best game prices (ignore the erroneous Microsoft Store entry, which is for a different game)! Deductibles - Like medical insurance, lower deductibles for small business insurance mean higher premiums.If you have claims on your policy, your premium will typically increase. Claims History - Similar to auto insurance, more claims can mean higher costs.What Does Workers Compensation Insurance Cover?įollowing is a list of the main factors that determine the costs of small business insurance:.What Does Professional Liability Insurance Cover?.What Does Equipment Breakdown Insurance Cover?.What Does Employment Practices Liability Insurance Cover?.What Does Directors And Officers Liability Insurance Cover?.What Does Cyber Liability Insurance Cover?.What Does Commercial Umbrella Insurance Cover?.What Does Commercial Property Insurance Cover?.What Does Commercial General Liability Insurance Cover?.What Does Commercial Crime Insurance Cover?.What Does A Business Owners Policy Cover?.What Does Business Auto Insurance Cover?.What Is The National Association of Insurance Commissioners?.What Does Small Business Insurance Cover & Pay For?.How Much Does Small Business Insurance Cost?.What Are The Commercial Insurance Requirements For Small Businesses?.Small Business Insurance General Information: You can skip to the following types of small business commercial insurance using these links: Learn about small business insurance requirements, costs and coverages including: Commercial General Liability, Commercial Property Insurance, Workers Compensation, Business Owner's Policy (BOP), Errors & Omissions (professional liability), Commercial Auto Insurance and more.īelow are some answers to commonly asked small business commercial insurance questions: Carrying adequate small business insurance to protect your business shouldn't be a question - it's a must if you want to make sure that you don't get put in a position where you have to lose your business or pay money out of pocket to cover expenses associated with a loss. Having high enough limits in your commercial liability coverage should be a cornerstone of any business plan. Commercial insurance helps protect your business and potentially your personal assets from lawsuits and settlements that can reach into the millions. If you own a small business, this article will help you understand some the of most common policies available. Why Australia? The adoption of technology presents a significant opportunity for Australian agriculture to improve profitability, with digital technologies alone predicted to increase GVP by 25% to over $20billion. Companies must cover staff time and any travel and accommodation if a physical programme is possible.Īpply for Global Incubator Programme Gateway to Australia - Agri-Tech Innovate UK will cover the training and incubation costs offered by this programme (conditions apply) as well as the Participate market visit. What is the cost of Global Incubator Programme? The Global Incubator Programme operates on a competitive basis and businesses selected against the criteria listed on the programme page are required to actively participate in all four stages. Work with your specialist to exploit the programme and consider the potential funding, connections, skills and expertise required to enable opportunities that will impact your company and enable it to grow. Working with your specialist, refine your strategic development plan, spend 3-6 months in the incubator within the market country and experience a tailored programme of activities. You will receive an overview of the innovation and sector landscape of the country's market and training to maximise the incubation experience.Ī market visit as a group, providing the opportunity to consider technology and market fit, preliminary customer validation and an introduction to ecosystem players. You will be allocated an innovation and growth specialist who will work with you on your strategic development plan for the programme. The four stages of the programme are as follows:Ī two-day preparation workshop delivered to the entire group in the UK. In order to be eligible for the Global Incubator Programme, you must be a small or medium sized company based in the UK. Who is the Global Incubator Programme for? The programme operates in four countries: the USA, Canada, Singapore and India. Small and medium-sized enterprises can explore the potential of specific overseas markets and access world-class mentors and tailored workspaces. Our structured programme uses an intensive four-stage method to tackle the challenges that most companies face when entering global business markets. The Global Incubator Programme is an acceleration programme for cohorts of 6-8 innovative SMEs to spend time in world-leading incubators abroad. You need to explore the potential of overseas markets before you can grow. Apply to take partĪre you ready to scale your business globally? Send us feedback about these examples.The Global Incubator Programme is an acceleration programme for innovative SMEs to explore the potential of overseas markets. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incubate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2023 The project was incubated for 10 months before being launched in December, far quicker than its backers anticipated, according to Denelle Dixon, CEO at the Stellar Development Foundation. Nathaniel Herz, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Apr. 2023 Hatcheries incubate fish eggs and release them into the wild as juveniles, though the ones already in Alaska are designed to enhance or supplement natural populations - not to restore depleted stocks. Leo Barraclough, Variety, Over the next decade, PARC would go on to incubate the first personal computer, Ethernet, and graphical user interface, among several other groundbreaking technologies. 2023 In addition, Stampede expanded its foundation in the kids and family space by partnering with UTA to launch HappyNest, an animation production company that incubates IP for kids and family content. 2023 Processes exist to incubate new and innovative ideas from anyone, all the way from concept to production. Claire Hao, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2023 Hot water left over after dam releases for agriculture have killed incubating salmon eggs, and releases of water in the spring required to wash baby salmon out of the Central Valley have been diverted or withheld, the release said. 2023 The downtown Birmingham building that was once the dealership showroom for Edwards Chevrolet in the 1930s, and was last used as a Sticks ‘N’ Stuff furniture showroom more than seven years ago, will now incubate new businesses. Recent Examples on the Web Hardening his business against a protest also seemed contrary to the open, carefree and safe environment Sloan always sought to incubate at On Rotation. Pierce-Jones says the representation is “awesome,” explaining “you can maintain these polyam relationships without them interfering in the game and vice versa. (Besides Zagreus’ bisexuality and multiple gay characters, the ancient being Chaos is nonbinary and is always referred to by other characters with they/them pronouns.) This was a major draw for them and their partner, with whom they have a polyam relationship. Saya Pierce-Jones, a South African LGBT+ activist, says that while they did not know beforehand about the romance options in Hades, they had heard positive things about the breadth of the game’s representation. Players from around the world have noticed and appreciated these positive depictions. With players controlling Zagreus and taking a beating numerous times from the tough boss fight, it’s a neat way to tie their relationship into what the player is actually doing in-game. And as pointed out above, Megaera clearly likes to use her whip in the bedroom. For Zagreus’ part, he makes it clear he enjoys their dynamic, putting him in the role of the masochist, or deriving pleasure from receiving pain. Farough notes that all the characters involved in these dynamics are supremely well written, allowing both gamers in the know about kink and those less familiar to enjoy fully realized performances and stories. “Lashing you across the face beats waiting for the opportunity to do so,” she tells Zagreus before one of their many fights. This also ties back to the Furies’ role in mythology, that of punishers of the sinful. As the first boss in a roguelike, Megaera serves as a major obstacle for players and one of the most frequent bosses one will encounter, and her ability to inflict pain on the player naturally corresponds to her characterization as a sadist, or someone who derives pleasure from inflicting pain. The dynamic is cleverly and naturally written into both the construct of the gameplay and the Greek mythology the game pulls from. In Hades, Megaera takes the role of dom, with Zagreus serving as the sub. (It must be said that, like in any relationship, a dom/sub relationship involves explicit and enthusiastic consent, a huge amount of communication, and boundaries that are respected and consented to at all times, a point that Farough praises Hades for, as the game allows players to turn down any or all of the relationship dynamics Zagreus is presented with.) In a dominant/submissive relationship, one person is the “dom” and wields power and decisionmaking in the relationship while the other is a “sub” and relinquishes power. This gets into the other notable aspect of intimate relationships Hades depicts, which is that Megaera and Zagreus’ relationship is heavily coded as a dominant/submissive dynamic. If players pay attention during the aforementioned scene entering the polyam relationship, it’s possible to hear a whip crack after a chuckle from Megaera. Players advance these romances between escape attempts by having conversations with each character and giving them the collectible Nectar, opening up new scenes and deepening their connection. Hades features three characters that players can have Zagreus woo: Dusa, a floating gorgon head residing in the game’s resting area between runs Thanatos, the Greek personification of death who appears to offer Zagreus challenges and rewards during a run and Megaera, one of the Fury sisters who appears alongside her siblings as the boss of the first section of the game. This extends to the game’s romance options, which smartly and positively feature elements of relationships rarely touched on well in games, namely depicting polyamory and kink better than many of its peers. Besides tight and enjoyable gameplay and gorgeous art, what really makes Hades shine is its excellent and nuanced writing. The roguelike from developer Supergiant follows Greek demigod Zagreus as he attempts to escape from the underworld run by his titular father while interacting with a host of other Olympian gods and legendary figures pulled from Greek mythology. Upon its 2020 release after a lengthy early-access stage, indie game Hades immediately captured the love of gamers and critics alike, hitting over a million sales shortly after official release, collecting award nominations from a slew of gaming shows, and appearing on numerous year-end lists. |