Tag: ‘ambitious’
13 years later, Final Fantasy 13 still tells one of the series’ most ambitious stories
Final Fantasy 13 launched worldwide 13 years ago, and, since then, it’s developed a bit of a dodgy reputation. Environments that amounted to little more than bland hallways, a convoluted plot with a penchant for proper nouns, yet more changes to the battle system, and a dudebro hero whose heart of gold can’t mask his innate annoyingness came to define this awkward entry in the storied series. However valid some of these criticisms might be, they overshadow one of the more complex and important stories in the series, and perhaps even the genre as a whole.
Final Fantasy 13 is the series at its most daring. It isn’t about an evil government or even a power-hungry deity intent on shaping the world in his image. Lighting’s first adventure is something much darker and more insidious – something no other Final Fantasy or RPG has tried to tackle. It’s a case study in how easy it is for those in power to paint one group as “the other” and build a society based on prejudice and what it takes to make things right again.
Underneath the twisty plot and baffling names, Final Fantasy 13 is a story of social conflict and authoritarian regimes that leans heavily on motifs from Final Fantasy 7 (perhaps unsurprising considering the main scenario writer, Kazushige Nojima, also wrote Final Fantasy 7). The world of FF13 has two societies: Cocoon, a floating nation cut off from Gran Pulse, the world below. Fal’Cie are minor god-like deities whose essence power the world, and they shape and direct human life. Some humans come into contact with fa’Cie and get a Focus – a mission from the fal’Cie they must accomplish. These humans are known as l’Cie, and the ruling powers of Cocoon have convinced people that Pulse and their l’Cie are forces of evil intent on overthrowing social order.
Kamal Elgargni Keeps 2023 Masters Olympia In Play During Ambitious Year
Kamal Elgargni is one of the headline competitors at the 2023 Arnold Classic (AC). The Columbus, OH, contest will see Elgargni try to topple Men’s Open mountains like Nick Walker and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay. However, when the dust settles on the AC for this 212 third-place finisher at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, there’s still an entire 2023…
The post Kamal Elgargni Keeps 2023 Masters Olympia In Play During Ambitious Year appeared first on Breaking Muscle.
Ryan Terry Diagrams His Ambitious 1,874-Calorie Mass-Building Protein Shake
Bodybuilder Ryan Terry entered the 2022 Olympia with hopes of a landmark victory. Unfortunately, while he brought his personal best to the stage, the Men’s Physique competitor and 2016 Olympia runner-up would fall short, dropping off to seventh place. In the midst of a landmark off-season for this seasoned veteran, Terry recently revealed his unique strategy to try…
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This ambitious Dark Souls 3 total conversion will remix the game and add all-new content
Nanoleaf Unveils Its Most Ambitious Smart Lighting Products
It seems that 2023 will be a big year for Nanoleaf. The smart lighting company just debuted some outrageously cool (and Matter-compatible) products at CES, including a “learning” light switch and a TV bias light that can sync with other Nanoleaf products.
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Canada plans to enforce an ambitious zero-emission vehicle sales quota by 2026
The Canadian government has announced enforceable quotas for zero-emission vehicle sales. By 2026, a fifth of all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the country will need to be zero-emission models, such as electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
“We’re moving forward with a regulated sales target that requires at least 20 percent of new vehicles sold by 2026 to be zero emission, increasing that to 60 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035,” Julie Dabrusin, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said at a press conference.
It’s estimated that, between 2026 and 2050, the quotas will lead to Canadians saving almost $34 billion CAD in energy costs. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions will be equivalent to Ontario’s entire emissions for three years. Currently, passenger vehicle emissions account for around 10 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
While Canada already had zero-emission vehicle sales targets, those aren’t yet enforceable nationwide, though some provinces, including Quebec and British Columbia, have their own mandates. The final regulations should be published in 2023. According to the Canadian Press, importers and manufacturers that don’t meet the quotas may be penalized under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The country will use credits to track vehicle sales.
There’s still some way to go until Canada can meet the proposed sales targets. In the first six months of 2022, EVs (including plug-in hybrid models) made up 7.2 percent of new car registrations. That was up from 5.2 percent for all of 2021. In British Columbia, almost 15 percent of new vehicles registered between January and June were EVs. In Quebec and Ontario, the proportions were 11.4 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively. In all other provinces, EVs accounted for less than four percent of new vehicle sales.
Infrastructure improvements should help to increase EV adoption, as should incentives. Dabrusin noted that, by 2027, 85,000 federally funded public chargers will be installed across the country. She added that Canada has long offered rebates on new zero-emission vehicle purchases of up to $5,000 for individuals and up to $10,000 for businesses. More than 180,000 Canadians and businesses in the country have benefitted from those incentives, which have been renewed. The government also plans to invest in EV manufacturing.
Several automakers have pledged to switch entirely to making EVs and/or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with GM setting a deadline of 2035 and Honda aiming to fully make the transition by 2040. Some jurisdictions — such as California, New York and the UK — will ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
“The regulated sales targets for zero emission vehicles announced today will reduce emissions by helping more drivers get behind the wheel of an electric car,” Anna Kanduth, a senior research associate at the Canadian Climate Institute, said. “Right now, more than half of Canadians want their next car to be an electric vehicle but they face long wait times, with scarce supply going to provinces like British Columbia and Quebec, where sales mandates are already in place. The federal regulations will help shorten wait times for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids by increasing supply in all provinces and territories.”
How the most ambitious cult game of the ’90s got made
The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft will premiere in 2023, but you can watch the trailer right now
Check out this ambitious Final Fantasy Tactics mod
US May Soon Push Ambitious Antitrust Crackdown on Big Tech in Congress
The lame-duck period after Tuesday’s U.S. election may be the last shot to pass the landmark legislation, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and Open App Markets Act. The bills, which would prevent the tech companies from using their platforms to thwart competitors, would be the most significant expansion of antitrust law in over a century…. Republicans have made it clear that they won’t support the bills if they retake control of either chamber of Congress. That has supporters urging the White House to mount a push in the final weeks before a new Congress is seated early next year.
Advocates have criticized the White House for failing to prioritize the legislation, which major tech companies have spent more than $100 million to defeat. Alphabet’s Google, Amazon, Apple and Meta all oppose the bill. “There is bipartisan support for antitrust bills, and no reason why Congress can’t act before the end of the year,” said White House spokesperson Emilie Simons. “We are planning on stepping up engagement during the lame duck on the president’s agenda across the board, antitrust included.” Versions of both bills have made it through committees but await action by the full House and Senate.
If Congress doesn’t act before the end of the year, it will likely be years before U.S. lawmakers pass any legislation to crack down on the power of the tech giants.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.