Hello fellow redditors and players.
I am looking for some new gamer friends. I have a PS5 with the best PS plus plan. I would love to get into some multiplayer games that I did not try before or play the ones I never got to try in co-op. I am open to trying new things and even buying new games if we click. Three important things that I want to share. 1. I am NOT into main stream games like Fortnite, GTA, Dead by Daylight... and few others. Mostly cause of the hype and cause there seems to be a lot of toxicity and competiveness. 2. I am a trophy hunter and I do like to finish the games I start. 3. It is more about the people I play with rather than the games or the win. I will be happy as long as we can talk about something and let the game be kinda in the background or around 50/50 Talking / Playing to succed. I would love to start with something easy and just talk and we can move to other things after that. Games I would like to get to in the future would be Diablo IV, Remnant 2. Games we can play now are up to what we both have right now.
I am free most of the time as I am taking a break from work. If you want some more info or anything I am here to answer it. For those who need to know it first I am 27 years old.

I don't know if this will be seen as a hot take, but since a major focus of this sub is VR gaming it might be. But here me out:

Why the Apple Vision Pro is the best thing that happened to VR in a long time.

One of the main reasons why smartphones were so easily adopted, was backwards compatibility. I could buy a smartphone and still text & call with my friends & fam who didn't have one. There was no need to "convince everyone of a smartphone all at once".
Early adopters could buy-in, while people with a tougher budget or no tech-interest could wait, and organically experience moments were non-smartphoners would get honest, organic feedback or "try-outs" from their friends who got one.
There was NO chicken & egg problem.
VR currently HAS a chicken & egg problem. If you play VR, chances are pretty high that you can neither play nor effectively communicate with your friends that don't own VR.
There are very few cross-play games between "realities" & Meta has forced users into their "walled gardens" from the start, making their clunky oculus-friends-thing the mandatory way of talking & playing together in VR, without the ability to ie. join Discord in the background.
Means a user has to decide between "interacting with VR" or "interacting with their friends". In my group of friends, I have 4 IRL friends with VR – The amount of times we played together last year: 5. As soon as 1 person can't for any reason (didn't charge, too tired, not enough space right now), it all dies, because nobody "wants to leave the other people out".
Apple skips this by marketing AVP not as a "product to do new things" but as a "product to do old things in a new way".
Yes that sounds boring.
XR can do way more than "be a window manager". But the smartphone didn't start, trying to convince you to do your online banking on it.
It allows the early adopters to actually have the ability to keep using it, even if not all of their friends & fam join in. Compared to what happens to quite a percentage of Quest 2s after their owner decides that it's just more fun to play Fortnite with the boys, than POP1 alone.
People buying early into the AVP can still use all their familiar ways of interacting with them like iMessage, Facetime, iOS apps, in the smooth Apple way they're used to. Yes they might now immediately experience the most ground breaking VR experiences, but that will follow.
This also gives time to create those organic moments where early adopters share their personal, personally trusted opinions of it. (You could even argue the "luxurious price" plays into that since now everyone who doesn't buy one, kind of "wants to know if it was worth it")
Meta's marketing narrative is:

"Hey, we have this cool new thing , that can do things you didn't knew you want before and you need to experience them to get it. Please trust our word that it's cool & join us by buying our thing."

While Apple's marketing narrative is:

"Hey, we made this cool new thing here, that does all the things you already like, in an even better way."

They don't even need the "trust us" part, bc everyone will just have a had a demo experience either in store or with a friend.
And yes this all assumes the headset isn't shit. Which – let's be honest, even as an Apple hater, one gotta admit they nail presentation, "first feel" and feeling smooth. A demo will always catch you, especially if it's paired with VR. Just remember back to YOUR first VR demo.
It's such a significantly easier sell in terms of "barrier of acceptance"

if you have BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY.

If it doesn't mean you need to leave all your friends & known activities behind, when you decide to use it.
The "cool new things" XR can actually do, will then organically arise. Either through AppStore apps or through updates.
Just imagine:
Once you have a first user base of ppl actually using the HMD, you release "Spacial Facetime" on visionOS 2, that is basically Horizon Workrooms Lite & allows AVR users to have "virtual facetime hangouts" with their avatars (that are already a lot better received than Meta's).
And suddenly "those virtual visionOS hangouts" are the thing everybody else "is missing out" instead of "the thing Meta tries to convince everyone to please use". If you like it or not, the Apple brand (& status among the young generation) has the pull to do that.
You release "immersive extended movies", which feature movie-tailered 3D environments, that react to the movie you watch. The space ship that flies over the screen, now perfectly synced flies around you & "into and out of" your screen. Bam, you already got al AVP users into "mini VR environments", without them knowingly doing so.
From there it's a slippery slope into a "VR experience" and a "VR game".
You can even see this approach by the fact that they never really called this device a "VR headset" or mentioned VR in general. They are not trying to "convince people of VR", they are trying to lure them into it, without them knowing it. They don't want to be "another company making VR headsets".
So while this HMD might not be for "us", it's probably the one that will benefit us the most out of all recent releases.

I've only posted on this subreddit a few times before and I have been going back and forth on it for a long while now. I think maybe it's because of the fact that if I did, I would be fully admitting to myself just how lonely I actually am. But there's really no point in trying to mask and run away from the glaring truth, so, here I am again. Taa-daah!
As most people on here are, or I assume, given the context of the subreddit, I am a person who's unfortunately lived the forever alone lifestyle, well, for most of my life. The last person I was close with was way back in the 6th grade (I'm a fourth year in college), and the closest connection I've had since then was those types of people that would talk and hang out with you during class time, but the second the bell rings, instant transmission, they gone now. And if we're talking about my love life, well, let's just say the fact that I still haven't had my first kiss yet, should paint a good picture (or lack thereof I suppose) of that.
But I'm not trying to make this some sort of pity party for me, but rather to shed some background as to what I hope, fingers criss crossed, twisting and turning, and looping around each other, for what I want to potentially get out of this. Of course, having a partner would be spectacular, but the companionship beyond the romance is just as important, if not even more so. I'm tired of getting up everyday, doing college work, video editing (small time Youtuber), watching YouTube and playing video games, going to work (if I have a job at a given time if I'm not focusing on university), and going to bed, and rinse and repeat all alone.
I want that to change. I want to spend time watching stupid things with someone, having my butt kicked in Smash even though I've been playing it for years, arguing over which anime opening is better than another for no reason other than it being a means to spend time hearing each other's voice. To go out dates, to laugh, to explore, to cuddle, to do the things that come after that if you catch my drift (or technically before the cuddling, or both), and so much more. But every attempt I made well ehhhhh, well its led me to here.
-----‐---------------‐----------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a little bit of description about me 😁:

• 22 years old, though that one is probably already known given the title of this post
  
• Black, 6 foot 1 inches, and real skinny (119 pounds), with black hair and glasses (no facial hair and no body hair to speak of; I guess I can say I'm like semi-femboyish)
  
• Don't do drugs, don't have any STDs, don't drink, but I do smoke, so hopefully that isn't too much of an issue for you (and will totally understand if you don't want me doing it around you).
  
• Do have 1 tattoo, just in case that's a thing you may care about. It's a Kingdom Hearts heartless and keyblade tattoo where my heart is.
  

https://imgur.com/a/KDvNYqx (A few more face pics are avaliable in the link provided)
-----‐---------------‐----------------------------------------------------------------
My hobbies and interests ❤:

• Literally all things gaming 🎮. And no, I'm not talking 2K or Fortnite or COD or whatever, but JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, platformers like Crash Bandicoot and definetly Sonic the Hedgehog, adventure games like Zelda, etc. I'm open to pretty much all genres and my favorites include Mirror's Edge, Shadow the Colossus, No More Heroes, Asura's Wrath, etc. So kind of a jack of all trades I like to think
  
• Love anime, and like video games, I'm open to all genres but there's definitely ones I prefer more than others (mostly don't watch a whole lot slice of life, and seinen type shows). Favorites include Fate, Neon Genesis, Konosuba, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, Chainsaw Man, etc
  
• Love movies 🎬 but haven't been watching as much as I'd like to, but hey, only so much free time in the world. But I'm one of those people that likes to put on subtitles and rewind a lot, and I know that can be quite annoying so....I'll try not too? 😅
  
• Enjoy video editing for my channel, and watching YouTube mostly centered around gaming and anime content. I love listening to music, but once again, my library consists of mostly just anime and video game OSTs (I am a simple guy I suppose)
  
• And this is a weird one to end off on, but since this is a dating subreddit, I suppose it should be said, I am very sub oriented, and have a high libido, but I am also very very open minded, and won't shame you if you have a particular unusual fascination with something most wouldn't find attractive.
  

-----‐---------------‐----------------------------------------------------------------
I feel like a bit of an ass writing this next part, as if I'm placing some kind of order on what kind of people I accept or don't accept, and that is not my intention in the slightest, but there are things that I am looking for in a person, just so I know that we can get along quite well, instead of me ending up talking to someone I have very little likelihood of jiving with. I don't waste anyone's time, including whoever is reading this.
Some of the things I'm looking for 🔍:

• A gamer, and I mean more than just Animal Crossing and Just Dance, like an ACTUAL actual gamer. We don't need to play the same type of games, and like I said before, I'm really a jack of all trades. So whether it's an RPG, a casual game, a puzzle, a platformer, a shooter, a fighter, a rhythm game or whatever, so long as we're NOT hoping off of Battle Buses or the Gulag, I'm sure anything will work. This one is the most important because it's the thing I want to be able to connect to someone the most, because it's the thing I'm most passionate about. Can't have long late night cozy gaming sessions if my potential partner doesn't game now can I?
  
• Anime lover, weeb, otaku, whatever term you wanna call it. This isn't a necessity per say as the gaming one is, but it'd be nice to have none the less. There's a whole great of wall of anime/manga that I wanna watch/read, and I hope to be able to do that with someone. But if not, live action shows on Netflix or HBO is a okay with me.
  
• Someone who is more than just a copy of me, and can respect when I want some alone time. I tend to do the exact same, and know that not everyday, at any time, are we going to have the energy to socialize or hang out, and some days, we're just going to want to spend some alone time to focus on work or ourselves. And I want someone who doesn't just think the same way as me. I love discussions and find what seperates a person from another special, and what makes them unique, so long as we respect each other's opinion and don't get toxic with it (not trying to date a Twitter stand here)
  
• Someone who is preferably around my age, though if you're on the more older side, please don't let that stop you from messaging me if this post catches your interest. The older the grape, the finer the wine as they say. 😅
  
• No drugs, but it's okay if you drink or smoke or have tattoos, just so long as you're disease and drug free, you do what you consider your best and happiest you, and I won't mind in the slightest. I'd very much want someone who is fit/skinny; nothing against heavier body types, it's just not what I'm into.
  
• Someone who is....uhhh...how do I phrase this, "sexually driven", but not like a lot (but it's even better if it happens to be a lot), but has a sex drive you know? You don't need to have a high libido, but I also want you to have some libido too. Also, like I mentioned before, I am very sub-like, so hopefully, you can be the dominant one if this turns out blossoming into a relationship.
  
• Someone who is close and can host is a huge plus as well. I can host as well, but those times aren't always avaliable, as I do currently live with my family while working on my college degree in Computer Game Design in the next year or so.
  
• Someone who's looking for a MONOGAMOUS relationship. Not really a debate on this one. I'm not against those who like to have multiple partners, but is that something that I wanna engage in? Yeah, yeah, that's a hard no.
  

-----‐---------------‐----------------------------------------------------------------

• Finally, preferences, NONE OF WHICH ARE REQUIRED ❌️, buuuuuutt, still, if you fit into any one of these, I very much hope this post catches your interest:
  
• Dominant, both in the relationship, and in the bedroom, and who is open-minded to experimentation
  
• White, which feels weird to say, just, I like white guys. I mean, what can I say, as well as Asian, and or UK/British, they're accents just...AAHHHHHH! 😖
  
• Packed full of energy. I'm very animated, so hopefully you can also match the vibes, and bring me up mood wise when I'm down
  

-----‐---------------‐----------------------------------------------------------------
And that's about it for now. Like I said before, I've only ever posted on here a few times before, so I don't know if I checked off everything that I should have said in a post like this, but hopefully (man I've been saying that word a lot here), this was enough to catch your attention and be willing to give a potential connection/relationship with a guy like me, and if not I understand, and hope you find whatever you're looking for in someone else here. But if I have caught your eye, feel free to message me. It's been a long and lonely 22 years, and you'd probably make a wonderful change of pace.
Until then, bye! 🤗

Hey, fellow gamers!
Are you tired of playing alone or dealing with toxic players in online games? Look no further! I want to introduce you to the amazing OGz Community, a vibrant and inclusive gaming community that welcomes players from all backgrounds and skill levels.
Whether you're a casual gamer looking for some fun or a competitive player seeking like-minded individuals, OGz has got you covered. We have an extensive roster of games, including popular titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Apex Legends, League of Legends, and many more. No matter your preferred genre or platform, you'll find someone to play with in our diverse and active player base.
But what truly sets OGz apart is our commitment to creating a positive and respectful gaming environment. Toxic behavior is strictly prohibited, and we have a dedicated moderation team that ensures everyone can enjoy their gaming experience to the fullest. We foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, where you can make new friends, form squads, and embark on epic gaming adventures together.
In addition to our thriving online community, OGz hosts regular events, tournaments, and giveaways. This means you'll have plenty of opportunities to showcase your skills, win exciting prizes, and connect with fellow gamers who share your passion. We also have active Discord and Reddit channels where you can engage in discussions, seek advice, and share memorable gaming moments.
So, why wait? Join the OGz Community today and unlock a whole new level of gaming awesomeness. Visit our website at www.ogzcommunity.com and follow the simple steps to become a member. Trust me, you won't regret it!
See you on the virtual battlefield! $OGZ #TheOGzClub #Gem #Binance #ETH #Ethereum #MemeFi

I’ve been scouring YouTube for a budget-friendly gaming pc.
My plan is to game while on the couch with a controller. I come from a console background but have gotten tired of replacing console after console.
After stumbling on a YouTube channel called Toasty Bros that ran benchmarks on a reasonably cheap pc I was set. Though I wanted to run by this community for a second opinion.
Gamer style: games on couch on his 1080p TV. Games about every Friday or Sunday.
Games I like to play: Dead by Daylight, Friday the 13th, Rayman Origins, newer Tomb Raider series, Fall Guys, and hopefully I’ll get to play Sea of Thieves and Raft. Not into the call of duty games or Fortnite games.
I’ve never built a PC. In the past I’ve had someone build one for me but since I’ve moved away that’s not an option. So, I’ll have to do this on my own which I’m terrified of messing up.
In conclusion, here is the optiplex: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-OptiPlex-6700-3-2-Windows-Renewed/dp/B086PNTN3H
Graphics card: https://www.amazon.com/Computer-Upgrade-King-Professional-Graphics/dp/B0BG8Y3KCM
Looking to build two of them for my brother and I. Trying to introduce my brother to pc gaming. It’s our way of keeping the brotherly bond strong.
Would this graphics card suffice? If not, any recommendations where I can slap in a graphics card that does not need additional power and games at 1080p on high settings based on the titles I mentioned above where we can plug in by hdmi for our tvs?
Thank you for all your help.

Please use this thread throughout the week as a central location for general chatter, questions about keybinds and things, and other small talk that doesn't necessitate being it's own post.
These posts will be generated every Monday at 9:00 AM PST.
Remember Rules #1 and #2 of the Subreddit:
​

Encourage Discussion
Every post should be a space for meaningful discussion. While this doesn't mean every post needs to be a discursive essay, posts that don't offer room for meaningful discussion will be removed.
Screenshots are removed at moderation discretion if they do not contain sufficient supporting text to encourage a discussion.

​

Be Mature and Considerate
We want FortniteCompetitive to be a friendly and welcoming community. Fortnite is a game that attracts people from all ages and all backgrounds, as a result it’s important that our users behave in a mature manner at all times.
This subreddit is Platform Neutral. Insults, personal attacks, condescension, or similar behavior relating to the merits of platform choice will not be tolerated. This is a bannable offense. Players of all platforms are welcome here, bullying is not.

So I not recently have this problem( for about over a year now) where when I start up a game any game doesn't matter, but lets say for instance, Destiny 2, When I launch this game it runs perfectly fine for the first few minutes I would say about 5-10 minutes in. And after a curtain period of time the game just crashes, no error code, nothing, all it says is application not responding. BUT if before hand I launch this game called Fortnite made by Epic Games, and I fully load into the game and into the lobby. I can now exit the game close out epic games all that, and when I launch Destiny 2 again it works perfectly fine, no problems at all.
​
I cant find anywhere of people having the same problem, would it be my computer its self. or what I'm thinking it has to do with GeForce Experience, because when I launch up Fortnite it runs in the background. Also I have tried resetting my whole computer, including encrypting the drive deleting everything, I also have a external hard drive and I encrypted it as well so it cant be anything that might have been a virus.
PC specs: B550 F WIFI ROG motherboard
Ryzen 7 5800x
MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X RGB Triple Fan
Corsair 16GB 3200
(forgot what the Storge device is called but its a good one that cost around $200 and its 500GB)

Hello everyone,
For a few days now, I have problems starting Fortnite. When starting from the Epic launcher, the game goes to the normal loading screen. It takes ~5 minutes, then an error appears: "Unable to login to fortnite servers. please try again later". The game always needed a long time to load, but now it seems to take so long that it times out.
PC specs: Ryzen 5 2600X 8 GB RAM (2133 Hz) GTX 1650TI Windows 10
Any idea what it could be? I consider the RAM a possibility, since 8 GB is not that much, but officially it should be able to launch. I am not running any other programs in the background when launching fortnite (except Epic launcher, Nvidia system control). I tried googling it and the usual fixes (restarting Epic, computer, deleting cache etc) but nothing seems to work.
Thank you for your help!

The following info is a summary, and contains some info that most people already know. Some information will be omitted. For instance YoshiP and the host's discussion on Metaverse, and YoshiP's opinion on AI (TL;DR: He has no definitive stance)
What is Weekly Ochiai? Basically an online based talk show program hosted by Yoichi Ochiai. He's a media artist and academic researcher.

Program flow (from top to bottom)

Introduction

• Ochiai's introduction
• YoshiP's entrance, introduction (as usual, YoshiP's designation is very long: One of the Board Directors of Square Enix, Chief of Creative Business Unit 3, Final Fantasy XIV Producer, Director, and Final Fantasy XVI's Producer)
• YoshiP accepts the invitation because he gets a chance to speak to Ochiai (his first time talking to Ochiai). So much that he wanted to have a meal with him, so he attended the interview without eating. Ochiai is very honored.
• Introduction on what FFXVI is.
• Introduction video of FFXVI. This footage is chosen

Final Fantasy XVI Part I

• Story introduction
• YoshiP wants people to have fun with the story. To laugh, to cry and to enjoy. The length of the story is equivalent to a 4 seasons of overseas TV series ※ The word "overseas" instead of "western" is because of playing it safe. "海外" is mostly defined as foreign or overseas countries outside Japan (a general definition). If it's specifically western, the word "西洋 "would be used.
• As known before, they are doing their best to ensure there's no loading required in this game.
• Sure, people can enjoy the story, but please take ample sleep and rest as well.

Final Fantasy XIV

• Recounting the experience in how YoshiP got into Final Fantasy XIV. This is already recounted numerous times so I'm not going to repeat it anymore.
• Prior to joining/transferred to work on XIV, he was still in the Dragon Quest side.
• When FFXIV was in the progress of rebuilding, Ochiai was still in university.
• Rebuilding the game from scratch is touted by FFXIV as "the first in the game industry". Plenty of media people wonder why YoshiP just didn't scrap XIV and make it XV instead, which YoshiP says that doing so wouldn't restore people's faith in Final Fantasy series, thus revamping the entire game was necessary to do so.

Final Fantasy XV

• YoshiP heard that there are a lot of people who enjoyed FFXV, however the most glaring problem in the feedback he received was how "abrupt" the story ended, as well as the DLC and its issues. This was already touched on other interviews. So as YoshiP go to various places and talked to the players about XV, most of the criticisms he got focused on that. While each FF is created based on what the director wishes the game to be, since XVI is a title followed by XV, and story being one of the important elements of an RPG, YoshiP wants to ensure that they can tell the story in a coherent manner to address the cons. of XV and also prove to players and fans that Final Fantasy is still going strong, so story is where the development team is pouring their absolute effort in.

On how the story is evaluated※ by YoshiP when creating a masterpiece game

• YoshiP shares his thoughts by citing the difference between how a Hollywood movie is made (its system and how a script decides who to fund them), and how the game is created in Japan. As games are created by corporations there's no funding involved, therefore it's very systematic, and thus there's no evaluation/review involved in it. Since all of the ones developing the games are gamers too, they just read through and give feedback to the scriptwriter. Just that the requirement is to create a unified "story + game experience".

※ In Japanese, review, but the word "review" is not used because it's not really accurate when trying to get across the meaning in English

Final Fantasy XVI Part II

• When was YoshiP approached to make the game? 2015
• Ochiai points out that world changes a lot in between 2015 to 2023, citing the war between Russia and Ukraine, COVID, and even in game industry itself, Fortnite gaining prominence plus Unreal Engine's evolution, how different development 3D games have become, indie games and how game development environment has also changed and move forward since, so he asked YoshiP on how all of this affected the story and the development throughout. YoshiP then shares on how the game started its development: The game started with only 3 members, as at that time FFXIV was gaining prominence and is growing rapidly, and YoshiP directly told the higherups that immediately working on XVI was not possible because of this. And since YoshiP was, and still is, working as a director and producer of FFXIV, he cannot work as the director for FFXVI, which is why he chose Hiroshi Takai to take the position, out of time reasons as well as consideration to the fanbase (which he doesn't feel it's appropriate). The game started with only 3 members: Producer, Director, and Script Writer. As XVI being slowly worked on for one year, the transition from other staff members working on XIV to XVI began. The story was decided at that time to be static, universal and easily understood. The base of the story at that time was based on energy wars - There's crystals, crystals benefit civilization, flourished, and so on. Then the Blight happens, which he won't detail. Thus, it's a story containing military history, with medieval gothic Europe-style as a base, Magic, and each countries on war with each other fighting for resource. However YoshiP didn't expect that war between Russia and Ukraine actually broke out (he didn't mention this directly but you know what he meant) and he actually discussed with Sony before once to cancel the schedule he had with them during the second trailer release. He is worried that in this timing, releasing a game that contain a realistic depiction of war (followed by people dying in war and living desperately in face of death) may not be appropriate because of the events that are happening, even though it's just entertainment.
• Ochiai also cited a point where VI and VII (where he's from that generation) was also enjoyable due to how "movie-like" it is. And he also thought of how forward thinking VII was. YoshiP agrees because at that time, the Gaia Hypothesis was also gaining prominence during the 90s in Japan, which give birth to the concept of Lifestream, and that impacts him a lot. Ochiai also discussed on how FFVII Remake has a universal story theme that deals with energy as a theme.
• The other point of XVI is the Eikons and the Dominants, and how their existence affects the story as well as the "energy/resources theme" .
• Ochiai also brought up FFX, which he enjoyed when he was in middle school days. YoshiP also commented that Ochiai's generation is where they praised FFX highly as one of the greatest masterpiece (FFX is very popular in Japan)
• Ochiai followed by asking what would be the greatest FF for people before his generation. YoshiP answers that since he's 50, his generation would pick FFI as their favorite because coming into FFI after Dragon Quest is very different because of how FF is so much more dramatic, then followed by III due to how polished the game is due to the job system, as well as the occurrence of Crystal Tower. VII would be another shocking moment for YoshiP as the game transitions into 3D, as well as it's volume (3 discs worth of content), but ultimately the definition of what Final Fantasy is can be different from generation to generation, individual to individual.
• Switching topics, from 3 starting members, it then expands to about 30, and work further for 1 1/2 years for the alpha version. Ultimately due to the nature of the venue, YoshiP isn't willing to disclose the exact amount of people working on it, but it's on "several hundreds". This game is also not developed in Japan only, it's an international effort (production outsourcing, facial captures done in studio outside Japan, etc). YoshiP has given a very small info. You can press Triangle button to speed up the staff credits roll.
• YoshiP has cited the reason behind why it's full facial capture because of how the graphics have evolved up to this point that not using full-facial capture is going to end up looking fake, thus breaking immersion.
• Ochiai followed with another question on how much the graphics have changed between each titles he have worked on, from his days in Hudson Soft, to DQX, to FFXIV , then to FFXVI. YoshiP answered by stating that in XIV, there's a lot of considerations to make when it comes to graphic because of rendering several hundreds of people in one screen, and how the memory has to accommodate for home consoles, so it's a lot different than developing for standalone games. When it comes to standalone FF game, since they are developing the game from scratch, they can reconsider the technology (and did), and find out the trend, which development pipeline to use, and discard things that are unnecessary.
• And since the game is rendered on real time, Ochiai asks if there's anything YoshiP is particular about when developing the game through the use of game engine. YoshiP's answer: They wanted to stop using anything that is related to pre-render, but there is one particular scene that involves the sea (which he won't detail because spoilers) and he felt that going real time render is impossible for that particular moment, so he'd say around 95% of the game is real time, and the sea/ocean is pre-render, and characters that are rendered in real time will be pre-rendered just for that particular part and created a movie cutscene of it without any need of loading (since they are going with an FF with no "Now Loading" on screen). Another thing that the development team is particular about would be the use of Cutscene Editor (things they use to create cutscenes): with many people using the editor, addressing feedback and having programmers working to perfect the tools and create amazing cutscene through the tools as well.
• YoshiP has emphasized on one thing: He has no idea who or which department will be creating FFXVII (FF17). Of course the above mentioned experiences would be useful for any new work developed by CBU3 in the future, but he has no idea if the experiences working in FFXVI will help FFXVII for now.

On Worldwide Game Market

• According to this, as of 2023, the worldwide game industry market share (if the term is wrong please correct me) has reached 172.6 billion (Roughly 24 trillion yen), and in 2023, 88% of that number is occupied by the digital market, which includes console games (download), PC games (download), mobile games and so on.
• YoshiP has one again reiterate that this will be PS5 exclusive (for now). Ochiai asks if there's online or multiplayer content, YoshiP then answered that there's a high difficulty mode after clearing the game once, and a score attack mode will be available, which people can compete with others in scores. While it's not player vs player, the score will be uploaded to the leaderboard, and people can compete with each other. Basically, this is a single player RPG game. Ochiai comments that it's rare to see a game like this today.
• Ochiai then followed with his next question: In Square Enix, which age range/generation occupies the most for the current development team composition for FFXVI. YoshiP answered that the development members are mostly in their latter 30s (by average), which Ochiai commented that their exposure on their first FF lies on around VI or VII, and entered Square Enix after the merger (Square Enix was previously known as Squaresoft), and also got used to games emulating the movie watching experience, and pursue high fidelity graphics, thus they know what to achieve in terms of their ideal FF. YoshiP agrees, saying that FF has been aiming for high quality graphics since the near end of SNES days (VI), therefore expecting high quality graphics have been the baseline compared to other games. The other would be the game volume, story and music. Those components are what have been expected by the fans, so it's an absolute requirement when working in FF. As someone working in the management side, he is highly aware that those are necessary.
• Even the modelers of FFXVI are from Square Enix (meaning it's done internally, not outsourced). There's even staff members working specifically at sculpting (especially a master), working on the physical outlook of the Eikons. YoshiP specifically went to Fine Arts university to find talented sculptors to work for him. At first these people doesn't look like they're interested in digital work but demonstrating how important having a sculptor can contribute a lot to expressing their artistry in game industry, it changed their minds and thus willing to offer themselves to work on FFXVI. This shows that the development team can be very particular at their work, so even for sculptors, they can spend one full day only sculpting on the models.
• Ochiai then followed by asking about how AIs are utilized in FFXVI (as party members acting on their own, the game system operated by AI, etc). YoshiP finds it difficult to answer because it depends on which segment to utilize AI, but to him, there is a worth in creating a stage through human hands because a sense of entertainment can be felt from there, but for things that are extremely tough to be done manually, then a level of automation using AI would be better, although from academic point of view, the level is really low. However since the technology is rapidly advancing and it comes to the point where doing it manually can end up being unmanageable, therefore having AI managing some of the task proved to be helpful and positive in this case.

Questions from viewers

Q: What makes a game uninteresting/unfun for games that should have been interesting/fun? What can be done to make it (an uninteresting or unfun game) rise again from its ashes? A: I think the definition of the word "uninteresting / unfun" is not as good thing here, and this is what I said this last time as well. I received a lot of evaluation about how this "isn't fun" or "isn't like Final Fantasy", but if you keep looking into it it's just nothing but negative. Now, what makes it not fun, and finding the reason behind and analyzing it is something I love to do, so for example, server being too heavy, and opening a door takes about a minute? Yeah, that's not interesting, right? It just adds up to your stress. So from there once you dissect the factors and reason behind why things aren't fun, then the whole word behind what makes it "not fun" will no longer be a thing...(omitted halfway)...then by doing so, once you dissect everything, and when you solve them all things will become interesting. Well, at the very least I find that game will become interesting, and that's how I approach it with that mindset.

• YoshiP then cites his experiencing in rebuilding FFXIV at that time, smashing issues that are worth 12,000 lines in Excel during the analysis of what makes FFXIV 1.0 such a failure.
  
• YoshiP also cites that one cannot approach an issue and solve it through sensationalism.
  

Q: What are your thoughts in Final Fantasy remakes? I'd like to know what you think about FFVII Remake. A: To players like me who had played VII (the original) on release, the game is legendary. But how people accept the game can differ. Like when I was just focus on leveling up Materias during the end game, like how I was focusing on leveling Knights of the Round and other Materias before the final boss, and as I am working towards strengthening my characters to absurd levels, I ended up forgetting about the story. This happened too when I was playing Dragon Quest VI, where once I start to go ham on perfecting the characters, I end up feeling hazy about the story. But to me, if you were to ask me what's the most interesting part about VII, then it's definitely that part, right?
When it comes to remaking the game in modern context, since the game is developed by a different division, we didn't necessary discuss with each other about it, but I take that they have been thinking really hard on what it takes to remake this game. But still it's a game with a momentum where almost everyone in the company is involved in the development, so to release this with only one disc worth of content, 100% of it with the graphics quality we have today is likely impossible. Therefore, because VII is a game where those who played it already know what the game is about, so even if the game is divided into three parts, it's a game where the developers would want to properly create this game in its entirety, and it's because of this sentiment they have that it's been separated into three parts. Also, because this is an FF game that has begun to emphasise the appeal of its characters, I believe they are attempting to create a game experience while focusing heavily on these characters.
I've already known somewhat about the next game that everyone has been looking forward to, but since I'll get scold for saying too much so I'm stopping here but it's a very well made game so please look forward to it.

• YoshiP also cites that people have different answers to the question "What is Final Fantasy X", but they can't just take everyone's answers in and create a game with those in mind, so it's a challenge to create a game for the series.

Q: Are the accessories that YoshiP is wearing right now FF related? A: Necklace is from FFXVI. It's not even officially announced, and it's just a prototype. Since I like silver accessories, so when it comes to making things related to my own products, I usually conduct the supervision myself, and if the product is not to my liking, I'll never move on with it and release to the public. I also have two rings that are FFXIV related. The rest however are bought from street stalls. This armor looking ring I have with me is from Diane Westwood. I found this ring when I was involved in the production for another fantasy game when I was 25 and was looking for armor (as reference). This ring then appeared in my search results and I thought, "Wow this is so cool!", and this ring was the first time I actually used credit card and purchased it from a website. But that's the only branded accessories I have and the rest are from street stalls, and some stuff were bought when I was on official trip in Mexico and so on.
Q: How does it feel for Final Fantasy to have continued and reached 16? A: Wow I mean I am thankful, but it probably dawned at me that there's probably no series other than FF with the number "16" attached to it, yes?
Ah yeah, so I got a question from overseas media asking me when I was being interviewed asking if there was a discussion of doing away the numbering format for Final Fantasy titles, and I answered "yes I did" but somehow this led to voices being spread that Yoshida wants to do away with FF numbering format for titles in the future, and I gotta say no that's not what it is!
So I am doing a lot of PR things for 16 (FF16), there are people in their 20s, and those young media (consumers or journalists) who hasn't played a single FF title before. So indeed...I asked them why don't they play FF then? And I also did marketing research as well as talked to the players and gamers around the world. They told "Eh, so I have to play FF1 right? Like I don't have the time for it!" and I went, "No, no that's not the case!" And indeed you were right, as there are several foreign/western games that stopped using numbering on their long running franchise and switched to using subtitle format, but ultimately, well this is a debate I did take part, but there are a lot spinoff titles for Final Fantasy, right? Therefore, sure we can take the numbering off, but this will make it look like it's a spinoff and that is an actually difficult thing to do. And for most fans they are quite proud of the FF titles they like that are numbered and so it's not an easy thing to do, which is why we just went with it for 16. But somehow that part was all omitted and somehow they made it sound like I wanted to do away the numbering (laughs)! But since you asked, I figure this would be a good chance for me to bring it up and explain it.

• YoshiP also commented on the difficulty of reading Roman numeral and how confusing it can be when looking at 14 and 16 (FFXIV, and FFXVI).
  
• YoshiP also commented about the packaging design, since in Japan, the physical package only consists of a logo with a white background. But this time they've decided to stop it and go with packaging with artwork background. This led to YoshiP commenting about how they need to work hard to keep attracting more players to try out Final Fantasy and if they stopped moving forward, the series will end up being a niche as it is. So it's always important for him to keep figuring out how to get new players into the series and enjoy the series together.
  

Q: In the past, Director Kamiyama has mentioned that it's hard to look at things without being spoiled, and I think it's truly the case here but what about this time? Do you think it's better for us to lock Twitter in order to avoid spoilers? A: I'm quite a contrarian here and I also like mystery (genre), so I'd like to be surprised when playing it. When looking at PV, I will think "oh it's definitely this or that" and hype things up, and I do like that. But once I go further and got bamboozled, "Ouch I was wrong", or "No that wasn't the case!".
Ochiai: Ok everyone do shut down your SNS accounts!
YoshiP continued: So when playing the game, I'd love for them to concentrate without looking at info around the Internet. I also got comments saying that is it fine to show this much because so many trailers have been released, and I have to say we haven't shown anything crucial.
Ochiai: Ah, so a shutdown is required then.
YoshiP: Yeah please do. Well, there's also many people who judge purchases through looking at livestreams and decide whether to buy from there. I don't deny what they're doing here but for those who want the full experience, it'd be nice if they shut themselves completely online so that they can enjoy the game in full.
Q: We have game livestreaming in today's age and the feeling is the same as looking at family members playing on TV screen back during the Famicom (NES) days and that's fun on its own. So what do you think about livestream and its culture? A: I don't think too much about it. If people having fun watching at it from entertainment perspective then there's no right or wrong in it, and if they're really not comfortable with it then they could just not stream it and that would be it. However it does feel irritating when you were told "yeah I have seen everything I don't feel like playing it anymore" but having a reaction looking at your favorite streamers playing it does indeed feel emotional, or getting excited over looking at streamers defeating enemies so hard that you know you'll never touch it, it does give the PR of how this game can make people laugh, cry or cheer, and that experience itself is invaluable. I also watch players streaming, so it's something I appreciate.

• YoshiP also commented on people who loves backseating in stream comments. Which he does comment on hoping this can stop and let the streamers play the game in peace, even for games that he aren't involved. To quote, "Oh god enough of those instructions and just let them play for fun!". He does understand why people do so though.

Q: This might be a weird question to ask but since you have put so much energy and effort into creating this game, but when it comes to management, how do you translate that into profits and sales? In terms of timing and your target audience and so on. (Since the answer to this is very important, a separate thread will be created for this)
That's about it. But as mentioned just above, there was a question regarding how he'd project and predict on the sales of the game. Since this is important, a separate thread will be created so that people can take note of that.

This is not actually for me; this is for my husband. My husband is a sweet and passionate guy who has put everything he has into streaming. He has been affiliated for about 40 months and stopped seeing any growth about a year ago. Over the years, he has improved his mic, camera, computer, and background set-up to have a high-quality stream. He streams twice a week, Friday and Sunday, for at least four hours each session. He plays games like Apex, Dead by Daylight, Fortnite, Slime Rancher, WOW, ESO, Genshin, etc. He is good at games, so he often pops off and does something incredible. We even have a cat cam! We have two cats that like to sit in the office and cuddle with each other, so there is always a cat on camera. He does have a discord, and it does notify people when he streams and posts to Twitter. Other than that, he only does a little with social media. He keeps seeing new streamers that he has helped out become much more popular (most of them v-tube style ladies) and can’t help but compare himself to them. He feels like a failure and that he is wasting his time. What words of encouragement can I give him? What advice can I give him to get over this hill and continue his passion?

Hello fellow redditors and players.
I am looking for some new gamer friends. I have a PS5 with the best PS plus plan. I would love to get into some multiplayer games that I did not try before or play the ones I never got to try in co-op. I am open to trying new things and even buying new games if we click. Three important things that I want to share. 1. I am NOT into main stream games like Fortnite, GTA, Dead by Daylight... and few others. Mostly cause of the hype and cause there seems to be a lot of toxicity and competiveness. 2. I am a trophy hunter and I do like to finish the games I start. 3. It is more about the people I play with rather than the games or the win. I will be happy as long as we can talk about something and let the game be kinda in the background or around 50/50 Talking / Playing to succed. I would love to start with something easy and just talk and we can move to other things after that. Games I would like to get to in the future would be Diablo IV, Remnant 2. Games we can play now are up to what we both have right now.
I am free most of the time as I am taking a break from work. If you want some more info or anything I am here to answer it.

Please use this thread throughout the week as a central location for general chatter, questions about keybinds and things, and other small talk that doesn't necessitate being it's own post.
These posts will be generated every Monday at 9:00 AM PST.
Remember Rules #1 and #2 of the Subreddit:
​

Encourage Discussion
Every post should be a space for meaningful discussion. While this doesn't mean every post needs to be a discursive essay, posts that don't offer room for meaningful discussion will be removed.
Screenshots are removed at moderation discretion if they do not contain sufficient supporting text to encourage a discussion.

​

Be Mature and Considerate
We want FortniteCompetitive to be a friendly and welcoming community. Fortnite is a game that attracts people from all ages and all backgrounds, as a result it’s important that our users behave in a mature manner at all times.
This subreddit is Platform Neutral. Insults, personal attacks, condescension, or similar behavior relating to the merits of platform choice will not be tolerated. This is a bannable offense. Players of all platforms are welcome here, bullying is not.

“Last time on Total Drama Revenge of the Island! The campers did a fun game of Truth-or-Laser-Shark, which they revolted against, so we instead did a Harold-McGrady-brand-patented obstacle course! Lightning got the boot in the Catapult of Shame (Trademark Pending) because the bird is no longer with us. Or, so it seems. We also cut the Chris Mclean campfire due to budget constraints. Truly tragic, I know. What’ll happen in this episode? What embarrassing comment will Sam make this time? Find out right now on Total Drama Revenge of the Island!”
The Mutant Maggots were sleeping soundly in the luxurious spa hotel. Zoey, in particular, was loving the lavish lifestyle. Her family wasn’t the richest. The whole reason she joined to show was to make some money, to help her father out. It’d been a hard-knock life (Pun very much intended, Zoey loved that film) for her and her father ever since her mother had died. She was determined to bring the money home, no matter what. She’d also joined the show to (hopefully) make some friends. A lonely girl, she was. (Wow, she really was just stocked to the brim with references today.) But it was true! She’d make a friend in this a sweer body on her team, Mike. Nothing out of the ordinary…. Besides the fact that he was her DREAM GUY!! Nice, cute, and got her references! Just thinking about him made her swoon. She shrugged it off and got out of her bed. She did not want to leave, but she had to. After all, it was her tradition to wake up extra early in the mornings and take a walk around her neighborhood. Or, in this case, the island. She slowly inched out of bed, taking account of the sleeping Anne-Maria. She quickly got dressed and brushed her teeth, opening the door. The cool September air hit her, and she shivered. But she loved it. Everything about the island was so peaceful. The waves crashed against the beach. The birds squawked in the distance. She took in a deep breath. It was truly amazing. She started to walk around the island, soaking in the sunlight. Suddenly, she heard the creaking of a door. She turned around. It was Jo.
“Hey, Zoey,” she said, speeding up as she went.
Zoey realized she had the perfect opportunity to make a new friend!
“No, wait! I was wondering if-um, if- you’d like to go on a walk with me?”
(…she Nailed It.)
Jo looked at her, slightly confused. “Uh… Sure?”
Jo wasn’t used to anyone wanting to actually be next to her. Willingly. You couldn’t have waterboarded this information out of her, but the true reason she joined Total Drama was very different from the persona she displayed. Of course, she wanted the Million. Who didn’t? But she also wanted a friend. Someone real! Someone who wouldn’t be scared of her. She was quickly snapped out of her daydreams. Zoey was asking her something.
“Uh, so… Why’d you join Total Drama?” She asked. The early morning sunlight hit her face perfectly.
“Well, for the money! Why else would I join?” She lied.
“Well, I joined to make friends,” said Zoey.
Jo took a mental note of that. I guess she wasn’t the only lonely girl on the island.
“Do you have any siblings?” Zoey asked.
“Yeah. I Have 4 older brothers. But if you came by my house, it certainly wouldn’t seem like it!” Jo laughed. Her laugh was burly and loud. But it was also infectious and full of joy. Zoey smiled and started laughing too. Soon, all that could be heard was the joyous harmony of the two girl's laughter.
Staci was having a much worse time. It was 9:30 when she woke up. She had about 10 minutes to spare before that challenge began. All she could think about was how much she utterly hated herself. She would never dare to admit it, though. She constantly hid behind her thick layer of lies. She wished that she could just stop. But no matter how many times she’d say that she’d stop, it never came. She never stopped lying. Everyone in her life hated her, and she knew it. She was surprised that she wasn’t the first boot, for crying out loud. She slowly climbed out of the crappy bed and walked to the main lodge. She walked in, hunched over. She felt invisible.
“Hey! Come sit with us!”
…Was that to her?
She turned over to find Dawn and B, her fellow teammates, calling to her. Dawn was smiling at her.
That’s new, she thought.
She gingerly took a seat next to the two. The bigger one, whose name was B, wrote something down on his notepad.
Hello! You looked lonely, so I asked Dawn to invite you to our table! Don’t worry, we don’t bite.
Staci still couldn’t process this. Nobody had ever willingly let her sit with them.
“…Thank you.”
B wrote something on his notepad.
You seem a bit tense. You alright?
“Yeah. I was just thinking. You know, my great, great-”
But Staci stopped halfway.
“You know, this dude named William Holley invented that notepad! He invented the pad around when he innovated the idea to collect all the paper scraps from various factories.”
She had done it. She hadn’t lied, for once in her life! She had finally done it!
But before Staci could celebrate, Chris threw open the door, carrying a boombox. He strutted into the lodge, then planted his feet in the center of the room and started to do that one Fortnite dance we all collectively forgot about.
“Please stop,” said Dakota. She was comforting a crying Sam, who was devastated that anyone was still doing that dance.
After a grueling thirty seconds, he finally stopped doing the awful dance.
“Ok, ok, I'll stop! Anyways, today’s challenge is called Wawanakwa Musical! Teams must perform a skit. Everyone must have a speaking part, and it must have a corny message about something found in a typical High School Disney Channel movie. The team with the best number gets to pair up people to go to prom, while the other team gets it randomly. The couples need to face off in prom-themed challenges, such as drinking all the punch, dancing off, and something else I wouldn't want to spoil for you all. The campers who win the most challenges and make the best skit will win!"
“I don't even want to know what that last challenge will be," said Mike.
"Don't worry, nothing too dangerous!" Chris replied. Some of the campers exchanged worried glances.
“Oh, a skit! How exciting!” Chirped Ella, the secret 7th member of the Mutant Maggots. She was surrounded by animals, per the norm.
“Can you please get your stupid animal friends out of my face!?” Shouted Scott, who had become a resting place for the birds, having several perched on his head.
“Little ones, farewell! You must depart, at least for now,” she said, the heartbreak break in her voice crystal clear.
Confessional- Brick.
“Is it just me, or was that girl not here before? But I’m not complaining! Another member of our troop is just what we need!” Brick blushed.
End Confessional.
“I can already tell this one has a wonderful soul! Her aura is exceptionally bright pink, and it suits her wonderfully. As to how she teleported here? Beats me."
End Confessional.
We cut to all the campers outside the main lodge. The Mutant Maggots were doing a group huddle to brainstorm ideas.
“Ok. Mags. Let’s organize a game plan! We’ve got this in the bag if we work hard and persevere!” Said Brick.
“Never call us “Mags” again,” snarked Jo.
“I like that attitude, Brick! I think our message should be about spreading kindness and not bullying!” Chirped Ella.
“I, um, thank you,” fumbled Brick, who was not used to someone complimenting him for a change.
“We need to cast everyone as a part. First off, we’ll need a bully character. Any volunteers?”
Most eyes went to Mike, the self-proclaimed Actor. He started to sweat but soon realized his team needed him. He sighed and took off his shirt. He instantly switched to Vito, one of Mike’s many alters.
“Ayo, what seems to be the issue?” said Vito. Anne-Maria was enamored instantly.
Confessional- Zoey.
“Mike sure does take his acting seriously. Must be a method actor. Not going to lie, it’s a bit weird. But I like weird!”
End Confessional.
“Who knew you had such a bod under that shirt?” Swooned Anne-Maria. She jumped on Vito, who didn’t mind.
“Ok Mike, we get it, you’re a good actor. Are you doing this or not?” screamed an irritated Jo.
“Yeah. sure, whatever,” said a completely uninterested Vito.
“We’ll also need a victim and five other roles. Any ideas?” asked Brick.
“How about we have one bystander and three people who spread the anti-bully message?” Ella suggested.
“Fine with me,” said Brick.
“Anyone want a particular role?” Ella asked.
“I want to be one of the spreaders,” said Jo, which was a surprise of most.
“Ok! Me and Brick can be the other two, Anne-Maria can be the victim, and Zoey can be the bystander. I have an idea for the plot- Mike bullies Anne-Maria, and Zoey doesn’t do anything. Then we come in and tell them to be kind, and then it works, and we live happily ever after!” said Ella.
“Ok, why don’t we run through it?” Suggested Jo.
“Ayo, what am I doing again?” Vito asked.
“Ugh, cut the crap and start acting!” Screamed an irritated Jo.
“Yeesh, it’s cold in here. I’m putting my shirt back on,” pretended Vito, aware that Mike probably needed to switch in. Mike was at first quite confused, but quickly realized what had happened.
We cut to a montage of the Maggots working very hard at refining the script. Lines were changed, parts swapped, and then swapped back again, but in the end, they’d created the perfect skit- the ultimate work of their labor.
However, on the other side of the auditorium were the Toxic Rats, who had fewer hurdles.
B wrote something down on his notepad.
Just make it about how great Chris is and we’re sure to win.
“Sounds like a plan to me!” Said Scott, giving the silent giant a fist-bump.
“Yeah. We can improvise it as we go! We don’t even need a script!” Dakota said.
“Wait, what are we doing?” Asked Staci, who was once again out of the loop.
Soon, Chris, Chef, and some intern sat at a table, waiting for the skits to be presented. They were at the auditorium, where the Talent Contest challenge had been done a few years back.
“Ok, maggots! Wow me!”
Chris leaned back as Mike and Anne-Maria walked out on stage.
“Hey nerd, give me your lunch money!” Said Mike, utterly failing at sounding intimidating.
“Oh no! Whatever will I do??” Said Anne-Maria, who was wearing one of Cameron’s glasses he’d left behind as a pitiful attempt for a nerd costume.
Zoey then walked out. “Oh no! I want to do something, but I’m scared!”
Jo, Ella, and Brick then walked out.
“Hey! Bullying is bad!” Shouted Ella.
“You need to stand up for yourself!” Screamed Brick at Anne-Maria.
“You need to stop being a bully!” Screamed Jo, who was significantly louder than the rest.
“And you need to learn not to be silent! If you see something, say something!” Ella finished.
“Wow! Thank you! I will always stand up for the victim next time I see someone being bullied!” said Zoey.
“And I will be kind!” said Mike.
“You better!” Shouted Jo. “Now get got and leave this poor girl alone!” Jo shoved Mike much harder than she had anticipated.
He fell off the stage, landing right on his head. The others winced at his misfortune.
“…So be kind!” Finished Ella, who then quickly scampered down to check on Mike.
Mike faded in and out of consciousness. But he knew one thing- this was not a good sign. Mike had a 6th Alter. A particularly malevolent one, should I say… His name was… Mal.
Mike stood up, sporting fresh bags under his eyes. Well, the lone eye you could see, as the other was covered by hair. He stood up and grabbed Jo by the collar.
“Don’t touch me,” he said in an even tone.
Jo was hardly threatened by Mike grabbing her, considering she was twice his size. He had no strength. But when he spoke, it was different. Something about the way he spoke scared her. His even but still threatening voice. His unwavering face of pure anger. She backed away.
“Sorry.”
Confessional- Jo.
“I don’t know what came over me. He’s so non-threatening in the physical department, but the way he talks?” Jo looked at the camera. “Someone give that twig actor of the year!”
End Confessional.
We cut to Chris, Chef, and the intern. They all sat with mostly stunned and confused faces. They got into a group huddle before Chris finally spoke.
“…Okay, that was weird. But it was also pretty good, and you did everything right. We’ll give you… a 7/10.”
The maggots cheered loudly. Even though it wasn’t a nine or a ten, they were simply glad Chris gave them a satisfactory score, especially for how much work had been put into the project. Mal took in a deep breath and switched back into Mike.
“…What did I miss?” He asked. Nobody said anything, simply glaring at him.
Confessional- Mike.
“Ok, I’m pretty sure I switched into Mal which is definitely not a good thing.” He buried his face in his hands. “They probably all hate me now…”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Zoey.
“Ok, so about what Mike did back there? So weird! I know Jo shoved him, but that just felt way out of line. Or maybe I’m overthinking it. Is this normal? Am I the weird one??”
End Confessional.
“Ok, you can sit on the bleachers now. Rats, you’re up!”
All of the rats came out at once.
“Man, I really love Chris!” Said Scott.
“Yeah, he’s so cool, and handsome to boot!” Swooned Dakota.
“Chris… Is an interesting guy!” Forced out Dawn, who genuinely could not think of anything good to say about the host.
“I don’t think Chris is all that cool,” said Staci, who hadn’t caught on yet. Scott quickly shoved her to the ground.
“How could someone not like Chris??” Scott questioned.
“That girl is insane,” added Dakota.
B drew something on his notepad. It was a drawing of Chris, with a 12-pack (if that's even possible) and surrounded by adoring fans.
They all bowed, and Chris clapped loudly, much to the chagrin of the Maggots. They had no chance.
“I LOVE it!! 10/10, Rats win!!” Chris shouted, not even bothering to ask for Chef's and the intern’s opinions.
Confessional- Chef.
“If you ask me, the skit the Rats made was a bunch of Chris-propaganda-spouting-nonsense. The Maggots? Now that was amazing. Every part was well played, and every line was perfect. 10/10, truly the Mutant Maggot's magnum opus. What a cinematic masterpiece." Chef then burst out laughing.
End Confessional
“So, it’s clear to everyone that the Rats win. You may start pairing up now. I’ll pair the Maggots in a second.”
“I can go with B!” Suggested Dawn. B nodded.
“I’ll go with Sam!” Stated Dakota. Sam looked up, surprised.
Confessional- Sam.
“You’re telling me that a pretty girl willingly picked me to go to prom with them??!” Sam fainted.
End Confessional.
The only two left were Scott and Staci.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” groaned Scott.
“Ok. Mike can go with Zoey, Ella goes with Brick, and Jo goes with Anne-Maria,” said Chris, without much thought.
We cut to the teams in a warehouse that was decorated to look like a high school. The lights were a deep purple. In the center was a disco ball, and there was a dance floor underneath it.
“Ok, the way this works is that each couple will compete in one challenge each, starting with the punch drinking contest. Each couple will need to down two giant bowls of punch, one for each person. Whoever finished their punch first wins. Also, no spilling can occur our you’re out!”
“We’ll take punch,” said Jo immediately.
“Whoa, I did not sign up for that!” Anne-Maria protested.
“Don’t care, didn’t ask. We’re doing it!” Anne-Maria rolled her eyes but eventually agreed to it.
“I’ll take the punch. I just want to get my “date” with Mrs. Flabby-Mc-chatter-mouth over as soon as possible,” groaned Scott.
The couples were waiting at the punch table for Chris to call start.
“BEGIN!”
Jo quickly grabbed the bowl and downed the juice in two big gulps. She instantly turned to Anne-Maria.
“Come on, hurry up!”
Anne-Maria was having a difficult time getting the punch down. Eventually, she just couldn’t finish it. She spat all of the punch into Jo’s face. Jo screamed and clenched her fists.
“Great job, you lunatic! You cost us the challenge!” Shouted Jo.
“Maybe I woulda done betta if you weren’t SHOUTIN’ AT ME!!” Screamed Anne-Maria, her jersey accent at full display.
Jo lunged at Anne-Maria. Unfortunately for the Maggots, Scott and Staci had already finished their punch. Scott smirked and wiped the punch from his mouth.
“Easy!”
Staci also had punch around her mouth. She wiped the punch residue off her lips, but she couldn’t wipe the permanent grin off her face. She felt a deep sense of accomplishment, despite the fact it was just a bowl of punch. She felt like she'd made a genuine contribution to her team.
“The Toxic Rats win the first round!” Shouted Chris. They cheered loudly, and the Maggots knew their fate was sealed. Jo and Anne-Maria were both fighting each other. Both were covered in the sticky fruit punch, and screaming.
Confessional- Brick.
“That was so unsportsmanlike that I don’t even know what to say.”
End Confessional.
The next challenge was a dance-off. It was Ella and Brick versus Sam and Dakota.
“Ok. So, whoever can dance the longest without tripping up or giving up wins! Good luck!”
Royalty-free romance music started to play in the background. Brick had prepared for this moment his whole life. Well, he wouldn’t have expected it to be on a reality TV show with a girl he’d only known for a few days, but you win some and you lose some. Brick swooped Ella up and spun her around. Ella grabbed his hands and slowly rocked with him. They started to move around the dance floor. They continued to spin each other around in beautiful harmony. Ella couldn’t help but imagine how much this reminded her of the dance scene between Belle and the Beast. Her heart swelled. Had she found her prince? Brick was having similar thoughts. He’d never found someone quite as graceful as Ella.
Sam and Dakota were dancing much less formally. They mostly goofed off, doing random and silly dances. They were laughing very hard. Dakota couldn’t stop thinking about how cute Sam looked! The two continued to boogie, laughing all the way.
After about 30 minutes, the couples were still going strong. Well, one of them was going strong. Ella and Brick were dancing the night away, as their dance was slower and less physically demanding. Sam and Dakota weren’t fairing so well. Sam could only do so many video game dances before he tired out, and he was already on the verge of passing out. Dakota was also getting tired, but in the end, it was Sam who fell.
“The Mutant Maggots win!”
Ella and Brick collapsed into a tight embrace, happy that what felt like hours of dancing was over.
Confessional- Ella.
“Wow, I’ve never felt so magical in my life… And Brick! He was an amazing dancer!” Ella sighed longingly.
End Confessional
Confessional- Brick
“She’s quite the dancer...” Brick looked away from the confessional’s camera, hiding his tomato-red face.
End Confessional
Mike, Zoey, B, and Dawn were nervously waiting for the final part of the challenge. One can only imagine all the messed up things Chris can come up with. Soon, Chris came close to the four teenagers.
Four interns lead the contestants to a large platform that was elevated over a pool of water. The four contestants got onto the platform, and they were given water guns filled with a red liquid.
“Inside these guns are PIG BLOOD!! You must shoot your opponents off the table and into the water. The team who can knock their opponents down first wins!”
Zoey gasped. “Is this some sort of messed up homage to Carrie?!” She asked.
“I can’t state that for copyright reasons, but I think you know the answer,” said Chris.
The duos put their fingers on the trigger, waiting for Chris to let them begin.
“Three… Two… One!”
Mike and Zoey ended up both targeting Dawn, who immediately flew into the water, as she weighed almost as much as a feather. B put his finger over the nozzle of his gun, spraying blood uncontrollably. Mike and Zoey sputtered, and Zoey was close to falling into the water.
“Zoey!” Mike screamed. He quickly jumped in front of the redhead, saving her from a particularly nasty blow from B. Zoey took B’s strategy, and also put her finger over the nozzle. Soon everyone was covered in pig blood. B was standing strong and taking the blows like a champ. However, Mike was still covering Zoey and was not fairing so well. He’d never wondered how bad pig blood would taste, and now he was experiencing it in full force. The disgusting, iron-like liquid flooded his mouth. Soon, he could take no more.
“Zoey, you got this!” He shouted as he was finally knocked into the water. Zoey trembled a bit. It was her versus the smartest guy on the show! Well, maybe besides the skinny one who’d been eliminated in episode one, but she’d already forgotten his name. B continued to spray Zoey, getting increasingly closer and closer. There was almost nothing Zoey could do. Her blows were hardly affecting the juggernaut. It didn’t help that the other team was cheering B on incredibly loudly, whilst the only person cheering for Zoey was Mike. Eventually, she couldn’t handle the blows. She tumbled off the platform and into the water.
“The Toxic Rats win! Maggots, I’ll see you at the campfire tonight.” Everyone started to clear out, sans Mike and Zoey.
B twirled the water gun around and pretended to put it in an invisible holster, stepping off the platform and leaving the warehouse. Zoey was still processing the fall and all the pig blood in her mouth. The water was cold and soothing. She wiggled around in the water, trying to get all the blood off. Once she got most of it off, she resurfaced. Mike was eagerly waiting for her.
“You did so well!” Zoey couldn’t help but smile at his adorable buck-toothed grin. When he wasn’t acting as one of his kooky personas, he sure was sweet. But Zoey still didn’t feel right about him. When he played his characters, he’d act so vastly different. That might seem normal as he was an actor overall, but he was just way too method for her liking. She was planning on asking him to maybe tone it down, if it was ok with him.
“Hey… I’ve been meaning to ask you if you could maybe tone down your acting. If that’s okay with you. It’s just… With the whole jersey shore persona and whatever you did with Jo? It’s just kind of weird because I really like you and I thought you liked me, but then you start flirting with Anne-Maria and...” Zoey started to tear up. “Obviously I don’t owe you anything but...” Suddenly the was met with the warm -if not wet and bloody- feeling of Mike’s body wrapped around her.
“Zoey... I’ve got to confess something. I have this thing called MPD. Basically, it means I have multiple personalities. When I flirt with Anne-Maria and act like an old man? Those are just some of my personalities. I just lied about the acting thing. I didn’t want to seem weird and-” Zoey quickly kissed him.
“You should’ve led with that, you dummy! Why would I judge you for that? Hell, that just makes you ten times cooler!” Mike sighed a deep sigh of relief.
Confessional- Mike
“I can’t believe it! She accepts me! And I didn’t need anyone’s help telling her!”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Zoey
“Well, that explains everything. I suppose it’s best that I found out this now rather than later.”
End Confessional.
“Can you not tell anyone though? I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression about me.” Mike saw something move in the corner of his eye, but he shrugged it off. Probably just a rat or something. The rest of the campers had left the warehouse, and it was just Mike and Zoey. Well, at least that’s what they thought.
“Of course! Your secret’s safe with me.”
The camera panned out to reveal a hidden Scott, who was hiding behind one of the lockers.
Confessional- Scott.
“So, Mike had MPD? I’m sure I can use that in the future. Zoey may not tell anyone, but I might!”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Mike.
“Ok. So, it’s great that Zoey is cool with me, but I haven’t forgotten that… He resurfaced. I might as well fill you all in. Mal is my 6th alter. He’s a protector. But he usually ends up overdoing his job and scaring people away. He knows I need this money, and I know he’ll do anything to get it. He hasn’t come out since my Juvie days.” Mike looked to the side. “But that’s another story.”
End Confessional.
The maggots were quite in a very somber mood. Zoey and Mike were covered in blood. Jo and Anne-Maria were covered in punch. Brick and Ella were the only people who seemed happy, albeit awkward.
“Ok, I think I’m going to take a shower,” said Mike.
The other three girls followed him, realizing that probably was a good idea. The only people left were Brick and Ella.
“Soo, what’d you think about my dance skills?” Brick asked in a joking tone.
“They were good! And I’m not lying, you really know how to dance!” Ella said, pointing at Brick.
“Thank you. I was actually saving that routine for a real prom. But I suppose a fake prom is just as good.”
“Oh! Well, you can always use it again. This of me as a practice round,” chuckled Ella.
“No, it was more than that!” Brick said. “I don’t know, it felt… Magical?”
“I know! It really did,” Ella said. Both parties looked away, blushing.
Confessional- Ella.
“I think I’ve found my prince…” she swooned. “And I didn’t even need to lose my shoe!”
End Confessional.
Ella and Brick both leaned in for a mutually agreed kiss. Their lips almost touched. Almost.
“Oh my god!” Sam shouted. Both Brick and Ella screamed back. Brick even fell off the log they were sitting on.
“I am so sorry! I won’t tell anyone.” Sam covered his eyes with his hands. He stumbled away.
Confessional- Sam.
"Brick? And Ella?! Who would've expected that?"
End Confessional.
Brick and Ella sat in awkward silence. It was finally broken by Brick’s infectious and hearty laugh. It was booming and loud, but it was still beautiful to Ella. She started to laugh too- her laugh was much lighter. It could’ve been mistaken for singing.
A few hours later, The Mutant Maggots were gathered at the campfire. They all exchanged nervous glances with each other. One member of their team would leave the island- permanently.
“Mutant Maggots. Welcome. There are five marshmallows on my plate. One of you will not receive one tonight, and you will catch a ride on the Bird of Shame.”
“I thought the bird died?”
“I lied. So go cast those votes and we’ll get to it!”
Voting Confessionals- Everyone on the Mutant Maggots.
“I’m voting for Jo. That bossy B-I-T-C-(Bleep) Has got to go!” Shouted Anne-Maria.
“Anne-Maria is annoying, and hardly a team player. She’s leaving tonight,” said Jo, casting her vote.
“I’m voting for Anne-Maria. I’d vote for Jo, but I feel bad after the whole Mal thing,” said Mike.
“Anne-Maria. If she keeps rubbing up on Mike, even as one of his alters, I’ll lose it!” Zoey shouted.
“I’ll vote for Jo. Sure, Anne-Maria messed up, but she initiated the fight. Not very sportsmanlike,” stated Brick, casting his vote.
“I’m voting for Jo. She lunged at Mike and set him off. Not very kind,” said Ella.
End Voting Confessionals.
“Okay. You’ve all cast your votes. Let’s get to it.”
“Zoey! Come get your marshmallow. You’re safe.”
Zoey eagerly jumped up and ate her marshmallow.
“Mike- so are you.”
He sighed a deep sigh of relief and took his marshmallow.
“Brick and Ella! Looks like you two lovers are safe.”
Brick and Ella exchanged a glance. “Uh, were not lo-”
“Sure, you aren’t. I can see the cameras, you know that, right?”
Everyone looked at the duo.
“Whatever.” Chris turned to Anne-Maria and Jo.
“Welcome, girls. You both got three votes each.”
The two looked at each other nervously.
“And because of this… You will engage in a tiebreaker!”
We cut to Jo and Anne-Maria on top of an elevated platform over water. In their hands were sticks with foam ends.
“Okay. Your goal is to knock your opponent into the water before the timer runs out. The winner will stay in the game, and the loser will take the bird home. BEGIN!”
Jo immediately lunged at Anne-Maria, expecting her to buckle underneath Jo’s so-called superior strength. But to Jo’s surprise, she held her ground. The metal sticks clashed against each other, and each girl took turns exchanging blows.
“Not bad, jersey girl!” Grunted Jo, who was genuinely struggling. Anne-Maria responded with a growl, knocking Jo to the ground.
“I’m staying in this game, Jo!” She shouted through her teeth.
Jo yelled and lunged at her, for the second time that day. She tackled Anne-Maria into the water, unfortunately taking herself down with her. The girls crashed into the water with a mighty splash. Jo quickly resurfaced.
“Do I win?!” She asked eagerly.
“Not exactly. You both fell into the water…” Chris grinned slyly.
“So?” Both girls asked.
“So, your both eliminated!” Chris shouted, laughing.
We cut to both girls on the docks.
“This is stupid. I won fair and square!” Jo yelled.
“Tell It to the bird!” Chris yelled back. The bird swooped down and took both girls by their arms. They yelled all the way.
“All right! Now that Jo and Anne-Maria are gone, how will the maggots fare? Will Brick and Ella continue their oh-so-secret romance? What will Mike do now that Scott knows about his MPD? Find out next time on,
Total!
Drama!
Revenge of the island!”

Bought a used 6750 XT and am having issues with it
Computer Type: Desktop
GPU: Gigabyte 6750 XT
CPU: RYZEN 5 5600x
Motherboard: Aorus B450 PRO Wifi
BIOS Version: F64a
RAM: 32GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO 3200MHZ
PSU: MSI MPG 650w
Case: Deepcool CC560
Operating System & Version: WINDOWS 11
GPU Drivers: AMD Adrenaline 23.5.1
Chipset Drivers: AMD B450 CHIPSET DRIVERS VERSION 5.05.16.529
Background Applications: Chrome, GPU Z
Description of Original Problem: First issue is that it refuses to work at PCIe 3.0, in GPU-Z it shows up as x16 1.1 (even during render test or in game). In bios I can force the x16 slot to run at gen 2.0 with no problem but no matter what combination of PCIe settings I can't get it to run at gen 3 speeds consistently. Sometimes after a reboot and bios setting change it will be at 3.0 and benchmark appropriately but then with the same bios settings after a restart it'll be stuck at 1.1. And then switching to bios pcie settings and back wouldn't work for some reason.
I switched from an GTX 1070 and used DDU to clean install AMD drivers. When the problem showed up I cleared cmos, updated bios and also updated everything including chipset drivers. When that didn't work I did a clean reinstall of windows.I thought the clean reinstall would work because I noticed that when I used DDU again to reinstall AMD drivers, it was running at 3.0 speeds and then switched to 1.1 when AMD Adrenaline was installed. But that didn't solve the issue.
More issues:
When I did get a boot with the card at 3.0 speeds, game performance was horrible. While FPS on ultra settings was great (fortnite, F122), the shadows and lines were terrible. Shadows were pixelated and lines were not defined properly. I was not able to fix this with any settings in game or in AMD Adrenaline.
Should I go for a B550 or X570 board to utilize PCIe gen 4? Or would the issues persist. Anyways hoping someone could help. Thanks
​

Like the title says, i'll specify a little bit more
I love multi-tasking, so usually when I'm playing games like Fortnite, Valorant, League or anything else with my friends that i'm running in Fullscreen Borderless and I alt-tab to do something else while i'm Idle or Dead, I can feel the computer running slow, it's extremely annoying considering this issue didn't happen with my previous build which was barely hitting the mid-tier with a 1070 and a Ryzen 1700X
I've tried so many things to fix this issue, and yes, I have hardware acceleration off on the browser, but this also happens with games I enjoy while I'm Idle, for example, I play Oldschool Runescape in the background while I'm simultaneously playing FPS Shooters or Battle Royales and man, the computer just can't handle a game from 2008 along them for some reason... lol
These are my current computer's specs :
- Processor : Intel i9 12900K
- OS : Windows 11
- Motherboard : Asus Prime Z690-P
- DRAM : XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 6000 MHz 16 GB x 2 (32GB)
- GPU : Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 OC 24 GB
- AIO : ICUE H150
- PSU : ASUS ROG STRIX 850W
- Storage :
A ) Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe 1TB
B ) Kingston SSD 500 GB
C ) Kingston SSD 250 GB
I usually record my clips and gameplay with Overwolf, but I tried closing that and disabling Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay too, but the same issue persists
Latest thing I tried was updating my BIOS since on the updates it said it included better system performance overall, but no results, it's just mindblowing to me that i'm getting this very annoying lag when I alt tab out of a game that is running in the background, I would really appreciate if someone could help me with this issue :)
Thanks in Advance!

Like the title says, i'll specify a little bit more
I love multi-tasking, so usually when I'm playing games like Fortnite, Valorant, League or anything else with my friends that i'm running in Fullscreen Borderless and I alt-tab to do something else while i'm Idle or Dead, I can feel the computer running slow, it's extremely annoying considering this issue didn't happen with my previous build which was barely hitting the mid-tier with a 1070 and a Ryzen 1700X
I've tried so many things to fix this issue, and yes, I have hardware acceleration off on the browser, but this also happens with games I enjoy while I'm Idle, for example, I play Oldschool Runescape in the background while I'm simultaneously playing FPS Shooters or Battle Royales and man, the computer just can't handle a game from 2008 along them for some reason... lol
These are my current computer's specs :
- Processor : Intel i9 12900K
- OS : Windows 11
- Motherboard : Asus Prime Z690-P
- DRAM : XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 6000 MHz 16 GB x 2 (32GB)
- GPU : Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 OC 24 GB
- AIO : ICUE H150
- PSU : ASUS ROG STRIX 850W
- Storage :
A ) Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe 1TB
B ) Kingston SSD 500 GB
C ) Kingston SSD 250 GB
I usually record my clips and gameplay with Overwolf, but I tried closing that and disabling Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay too, but the same issue persists
Latest thing I tried was updating my BIOS since on the updates it said it included better system performance overall, but no results, it's just mindblowing to me that i'm getting this very annoying lag when I alt tab out of a game that is running in the background, I would really appreciate if someone could help me with this issue :)
Thanks in Advance!

Last month I built my first gaming/content creation PC using an AMD 7700X and an RTX 4080. I have been an Xbox and Mac user my entire life, and building and using this PC has been a fantastic experience.
My complete parts list can be found here: https://pcpartpicker.com/useNCC-1701-D/saved/wTNvRB.
However, I notice some performance issues in some games, while performance is fantastic in others.
In Warzone 2, my frame rate is typically around 90fps, with 1% lows around 50fps. I can change various graphic settings and features like DLSS, but the frame rate is the same even on the lowest graphic settings.
CPU and GPU utilization are never above 50%, and thermals are typically 40 degrees on the GPU and around 70 degrees on the CPU. VRAM usage is below 16 GB, and RAM usage is about 20 GB.
Other games with this issue include: Sea Of Thieves, Jedi Survivor (Using the latest patch) and Fortnite
This is in stark contrast to Halo Infinite, where every setting is set to High/Ultra, ray tracing is enabled, and I can easily get 165fps.
Other games that work perfectly are: Modern Warfare 2019, Jedi Fallen Order, Halo Wars 2, and Doom Eternal
I still have many more games to test, but I have been playing a lot of Halo Infinite.
Some of the troubleshooting steps I have gone through are: Using a fresh install of Windows 11 on the latest version. Using the newest version of the GeForce Game Ready Driver. Adjusted various graphical settings manually. Used GeForce Now's automatic graphic settings.
Only a few programs are running in the background, like MS Defender, Armoury Create, Steam, iCloud and one note.
Screenshots here: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1509191-pc-underperforming-in-some-games-changing-graphics-settings-doesnt-affect-performance/#comment-15958545
This PC has been fantastic, but this issue has made a few games almost unplayable. Thanks in advance for your help.

Like the title says, i'll specify a little bit more
I love multi-tasking, so usually when I'm playing games like Fortnite, Valorant, League or anything else with my friends that i'm running in Fullscreen Borderless and I alt-tab to do something else while i'm Idle or Dead, I can feel the computer running slow, it's extremely annoying considering this issue didn't happen with my previous build which was barely hitting the mid-tier with a 1070 and a Ryzen 1700X
I've tried so many things to fix this issue, and yes, I have hardware acceleration off on the browser, but this also happens with games I enjoy while I'm Idle, for example, I play Oldschool Runescape in the background while I'm simultaneously playing FPS Shooters or Battle Royales and man, the computer just can't handle a game from 2008 along them for some reason... lol
These are my current computer's specs :
- Processor : Intel i9 12900K
- OS : Windows 11
- Motherboard : Asus Prime Z690-P
- DRAM : XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 6000 MHz 16 GB x 2 (32GB)
- GPU : Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 OC 24 GB
- AIO : ICUE H150
- PSU : ASUS ROG STRIX 850W
- Storage :
A ) Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe 1TB
B ) Kingston SSD 500 GB
C ) Kingston SSD 250 GB
I usually record my clips and gameplay with Overwolf, but I tried closing that and disabling Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay too, but the same issue persists
Latest thing I tried was updating my BIOS since on the updates it said it included better system performance overall, but no results, it's just mindblowing to me that i'm getting this very annoying lag when I alt tab out of a game that is running in the background, I would really appreciate if someone could help me with this issue :)
Thanks in Advance!

Last month I built my first gaming/content creation PC using an AMD 7700X and an RTX 4080. I have been an Xbox and Mac user my entire life, and building and using this PC has been a fantastic experience.
My complete parts list can be found here: https://pcpartpicker.com/useNCC-1701-D/saved/wTNvRB.
However, I notice some performance issues in some games, while performance is fantastic in others.
In Warzone 2, my frame rate is typically around 90fps, with 1% lows around 50fps. I can change various graphic settings and features like DLSS, but the frame rate is the same even on the lowest graphic settings.
CPU and GPU utilization are never above 50%, and thermals are typically 40 degrees on the GPU and around 70 degrees on the CPU. VRAM usage is below 16 GB, and RAM usage is about 20 GB.
Other games with this issue include: Sea Of Thieves, Jedi Survivor (Using the latest patch) and Fortnite
This is in stark contrast to Halo Infinite, where every setting is set to High/Ultra, ray tracing is enabled, and I can easily get 165fps.
Other games that work perfectly are: Modern Warfare 2019, Jedi Fallen Order, Halo Wars 2, and Doom Eternal
I still have many more games to test, but I have been playing a lot of Halo Infinite.
Some of the troubleshooting steps I have gone through are: Using a fresh install of Windows 11 on the latest version. Using the newest version of the GeForce Game Ready Driver. Adjusted various graphical settings manually. Used GeForce Now's automatic graphic settings.
Only a few programs are running in the background, like MS Defender, Armoury Create, Steam, iCloud and one note.
Screenshots here: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1509191-pc-underperforming-in-some-games-changing-graphics-settings-doesnt-affect-performance
This PC has been fantastic, but this issue has made a few games almost unplayable. Thanks in advance for your help.

My pc has been running pretty good. My buddy helped me build it so I’m not to sure how to fix it. We built it about 6 months ago and no issue but now every time I try to use any internet browsing it stutters to the point where it takes about 2-3 minutes to stop unless I force close it or if an ad is running in the background it won’t ever stop stuttering/lagging. I know it’s not the Wi-Fi cause I can play rust on it with 0 issues but Fortnite I can’t play not sure why, any help would be really appreciated. Or if you need more information please let me know thank you