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  1. phil bottle

    phil bottle

    Administrators



  2. J4MES OX4D

    J4MES OX4D

    FGers



  3. GazzaGarratt

    GazzaGarratt

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  4. Luseth

    Luseth

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Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation since 03/28/2023 in Posts

  1. WelchyTV

    New member!

    Hi everyone, Welchy here, I’m new to the site, stumbled across when looking for gaming communities where I can talk about video games! I tend to play a lot of single player games as I don’t have too many friends who are also into video games. The struggle is I am very passionate about games and love to talk about them, hence why I am here! Look forward to chatting to you all 🙂
    12 points
  2. phil bottle

    10 Years

    So, FG just officially hit it's anniversary last week and a bunch of us now have the 10 year badge. Congrats to all who have made it this far and to whose who keep the community what it is today. Thanks to prodigal son @Diddums for getting the show on the road and to @GazzaGarratt for keeping the wheels spinning 🖤 You can blame both these twats for my presence lol 🖤🥳👏🙈😍🍻😜
    12 points
  3. Andy_White_07

    Hi, I’m Andy!

    Hey everyone, I’m Andy and I’m a massive fan of multiplayer games, mostly Fifa and COD (Warzone). Over recent weeks I find myself wanting to be more involved with gaming communities and my good friend Welchy recommended Forever Gaming as a great community to join. The last time I was part of a gaming community was back when OSRS started to die down and coders started making private servers for OSRS, so if you ever played LostPKZ many years ago you may have come across me. I’ll try to be as active as I can be and you may see me upload gaming reviews, I’m currently writing a review for EA Sports FC 24 which I hope to finish over the next few days. Anyway, I look forward to chatting to you all and being part of the community. Andy
    8 points
  4. Here it is, the Forever Gaming’s Game of the Year video! I really hope you all enjoy, I have enjoyed the whole game of the year process and making the video! Please do give me any feeeback, both positive and negative/constructive. I would love to do this again for you all at the end of 2024 so would love to get some feedback to improve! I have posted the link to the FG video below, and also the YT link if anyone wants to watch there. Once again, thank you all for participating in the Game of the Year voting, I’m sorry if your favourite game didn’t make the cut but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!
    7 points
  5. As we've got a few more faces racing who are new to the game / series, I thought I'd do a small update to this. Firstly, a couple tips about the HUD 1. Gear indicator This is the gear the game thinks you should be using for the next corner and will flash red when the game thinks you need to brake for the corner. In my experience, it's too conservative and will always tell you to brake too early and mostly to use a gear 1 lower than actual. However, it acts as a good starting point if it's a track you don't know and as you get more familiar you can start pushing your braking point later 2. Throttle position GT7, much like GT Sport, the lower the Traction control (TCS) you can use the faster you'll be. Though it's always important to remember, lower TCS will save you 1-2 seconds a lap but set it too low and spin, that'll cost you more like 20-30 seconds. You can however do a little practise of using lower TCS as the throttle position goes white, as in the screenshot, to show you're at 100% throttle but if you engage TCS, a portion at the top will turn red to show how much the game is limiting your throttle. If out of every corner you turn it red, try to be a little more gentle and ease on to the throttle. If you never turn it red, try turning down your TCS. It's not quite that simple as at lower levels TCS cuts in later so you can be more aggressive with the throttle before it activates but it's a small part of the picture of if you're over-driving the car. 3. Driving assists Which nicely leads on to driving assists. I think Phil mostly disable these on the server due to a certain Mike incident. However, much like TCS, they turn red when the assist is active and again, like TCS, activation of an assist will generally cost you time in GT7 (ABS it the exception to this rule*). So again, if you're constantly activating these over a lap, try being smoother, easing the stick to steer rather than 0 - 100% steering instantly etc. *ABS is the exception to this rule - technically speaking ABS does also slow you down too BUT it's incredibly hard to threshold brake without locking up. Lock up - and you'll be slower. Don't brake quite as hard to avoid locking up - you'll be slower. There's a tiny tiny margin in the middle where braking without ABS is faster. So keeping it ABS at default will overall make you faster as you'll be far more consistent. Smoothness I've mentioned this a couple times and I want to explain some of the theory behind it - Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Often times you'll a lap where you're on the edge and you have to really work the car will be slow and the laps that feel slow will be your fastest. Keeping the car balanced, with little to no understeer or oversteer, will mostly feel slower but is considerably faster. Now the question is how to achieve this smooth is fast - this can be broken down in to the 3 areas of a corner; braking, turning and accelerating. In a perfect world, each should only be done once - brake before the corner and come off the brakes as you turn in, turning to the maximum lock required for the corner at the apex, then start opening the steering as you feed on to the throttle. If you needed to get back on the brakes then you braked too late, if you get on the throttle before the apex you braked too early, if you need to change steering input you turned in too early or too late, if you need to counter steer on corner exit you got on the throttle too early or too sharply. I'm not saying you should be thinking all this all the time but it's something to keep in your mind while practising or watching a replay of your laps. As you go round the lap, make a mental note of things such as braking too early for turn 3 and too late for turn 9. Then the next lap, make small steps to correct these on the next lap while making mental notes of thing for next lap. Basically small incremental changes each lap can equal a decent improvement on overall lap time.
    7 points
  6. So, one of the big wins this year is I became a published author! How mad is that, sadly it's not actually for a book you read, but a journal that I created for men - just like us. I've been journaling for about 4 years now and it has been a bit of a life saver. You guys know i've been through a physical transformation from 'fat' strongman to 'tasty' husband and a large part of that is because I learned how to not abuse my body with food. A lot of people who drink, smoke or do lots of drugs (caffeine was my drug of choice) simply need to get some ownership of their life and journaling can be a large piece of that puzzle. Before you click off because you've no interest in journaling, let me tell you that over the last 4 years of my life I have become a better person in every way. Man, husband, father, friend, financially, spiritually, pragmatically and emotionally. A lot of the work I did on myself, I did in my journal. Through trial and error, studying neuroscience and psychology I created a system that wasn't time consuming and was optimal for a 'mans' brain. I then applied my 'creed' or way of thinking to it and got it made by digital media creator. it's called the STRIKE Journal and you can buy it here on amazon: BUY MY BOOK! It is also available world wide on Amazon so if you're not in the UK simply search STRIKE JOURNAL on amazon. Just to be clear, my journal has nothing to do with 'fitness', my goals are set around my wellbeing and physical fitness because I will be dammed if I die of something like heart disease or a stroke, your goals and how you use the journal are simply how YOU choose to embrace your brand of masculinity. What is it? Well here is a summary below: S.T.R.I.K.E Journal Welcome to the strike journal, the premium men’s journal designed to keep you accountable and ready to strike at every moment of your day. After having used multiple different journals available on the market I found that none of them gave me the direction in my day that I required. I wanted to focus on what my needs are as a man and how my brain is motivated – specifically, not generally. Journaling is a tool used by all of the greats (Tim Ferris and Matthew McConaughey to name just two) to focus the mind and set priorities for the day, then to reflect on the successes and areas for development. I want you to use this journal to conquer each day and be the best man you can be. What is S.T.R.I.K.E? The 6 skills that I focus my day around and how I choose to embrace my masculinity in a way that benefits myself, my family, my goals and my communities. This doesn’t mean being a macho robot with no emotions and being as stoic as a rock. Being a man requires balance. Here are the 6 skills a man will use and work on every day: Strength - the strong protect the weak Taking Responsibility – you are the only person responsible for your actions, emotions and reactions Resilience - life is survival of the grittiest, motherfucker! Integrity - if you stand for nothing you’ll fall for anything Kindness – kindness is born of confidence, only a confident person can truly be kind Empathy - you never know what someone else has been/is going through At the end of each day in this journal you need to tick next to each of these skills that you successfully used as a reflection of how often you use each skill, hopefully you can show the balance of all 6. How to use this journal? I have designed this system to be as easy as possible but deliver maximum effect. Step 1: In the morning set your intentions. There are three boxes to complete. Firstly, set out your positive affirmation: Today I am going to be strong/happy/fun/a good dad/a good leader etc. Secondly, set out what you are going to improve that day, sometimes this comes from what happened yesterday or from the S.T.R.I.K.E skills: Today I am working on being calm/resilient/myself/more considerate/a monster! Thirdly, at the bottom of the page set out your non-negotiables for the day. I put in steps, nutrition goals, training and cardio goals, breathing techniques and if I’m doing ice bath or sauna that day. Step 2: In the evening before bed you reflect on your day and put everything to rest. There are 4 boxes to complete. Firstly, what went well today? Discuss your big or little wins of the day, reflect on all of the positives no matter how small. Secondly, what caused you concern, worry or stress? Be very specific about who or what caused an negative impact to your mental health. Don’t hold back, vent. Thirdly, what was out of your control? You have to learn to let go of what you cannot control, name it here, is it the same as number 2? Often times you will find it is and can therefore work on removing the stress in the future. Lastly, what are you grateful for? What or who are you grateful that is in your life? Your partner? Children? Pet? Something that happened? Yourself? Your body and it’s abilities? Step 3: Throughout the day at any point you can reflect on how well you are meeting the skills of the S.T.R.I.K.E journal and your non-negotiables. There are two boxes to use here. Firstly, tick next to each skill from S.T.R.I.K.E that you used successfully that day Secondly, your non-negotiables for the day, have you met them? I put in steps, nutrition goals, training and cardio goals, breathing techniques and if I’m doing ice bath or sauna that day. If I achieve them, I tick it off. It’s as simple as 1,2,3. However, at the end of each day you should feel a sense of accomplishment and gratitude whilst having let go of any of the stresses for the day. Oh, one more thing. Throughout this journal you will find reflection pages, on each page is either an in-depth look at each S.T.R.I.K.E skill or a quote that I find is particularly motivating, moving or useful as a man. You are encouraged to reflect on how this information makes you feel and if you can set an action to implement the ideas within it. Now, go and S.T.R.I.K.E your day!
    7 points
  7. techno

    DOGS OF FG

    Can't imagine the pain of loosing a child😔 They don't look like dogs but they identify as dogs😉
    7 points
  8. That’s more like it. I will definitely be adding all of these to my library!
    6 points
  9. Some Hogwarts Legacy snaps whilst I work towards the platinum …
    6 points
  10. A couple of snaps from Silent Hill: The Short Message
    6 points
  11. tronic44

    Gaming in 2024

    I believe they called it Squadron 42 because that's how many years it was going to be before it's released. All jokes aside, that is a game i've been looking forward to for a while. I feel like there's a lot a space type games coming out and i'm a bit spaced out.....as usual haha I was looking forward to Skull and Bones but that games had so many setbacks i'm not sure how it will turn out. South Park Snow Day looks great, plus it's four player co-op which could be great fun. Loved the previous two games. There's a couple of other games but not sure titles or dates have been released yet so will keep my mouth shut haha
    6 points
  12. Last few nights FG went on another flying winstreak. Mitch, @Lurchzy, @Macca89, @Luseth, @Greboth were on board and last night it ended at around 35 for me with the same peeps including @Misneach_ and @LordBaguette. A great game where we were 98-0 down on Terminal and flipped it around to win 250-221. Even a late game on Highrise would you believe was losing for half the game on Domination but managed to turn the tide to win by around a small 15 points in the end. Trying to fend off the opposition on Point B on that map is a nightmare. Can't believe I have to sing Tom's praises but Smoke grenades have super helped in tight games when you want to lockdown a flag or a hardpoint.
    6 points
  13. Monthly games are like opening a pack of Pokémon cards, you want that shiny charizard but instead you get a common Mr Mime card.
    6 points
  14. Power wash shite I will most likely try but big shout out to Sony for a fantastic Xmas ps plus games.
    6 points
  15. Probably the worst monthly offering in recent memory tbf
    6 points
  16. Personally, I’ve been really disappointed with the PS Plus offerings for a while now. It feels like ever since they raised the price to ‘enable us to continue bringing high quality games’, the quality has actually dropped.
    6 points
  17. WelchyTV

    New member!

    Thanks again for the warm welcome everyone really appreciate it! I found the site through an old fashioned google search! Can’t remember exactly what I searched but something along the lines of “video game communities”.
    6 points
  18. MrBiron

    Modern Warfare III

    3 actual completely new maps coming in Season 1: Meat, Greece and Rio.
    6 points
  19. If I wanted to be a farmer I would of made that my career. It's the second farm sim game we've be given as a PS plus so take that out and it's a pretty solid month.
    6 points
  20. Greboth

    Art / Digital Art

    Thread bump and something different from me. I’ve been doing some sketching recently and fancied getting back in to more traditional media so broke out the alcohol markers for the first time in at least 15 years (God! I feel old now 😞) A few issues and problems with the drawing both in colour, lighting and technique but nice to have something real for a change than pixels on a screen.
    6 points
  21. GazzaGarratt

    10 Years

    I really love this place. Like REALLY love it. And you lot. You're annoying, frustrating and absolutely hilarious at the best/worst of times. Our little home on the world wide webz is something to be proud of and shout about more in my eyes. We're far from perfect but I'd love more to know how awesome this place, and you guys and girls are. Here's to the next 10 years. Cheers for sticking around and getting involved and being a family for life. ❤️
    6 points
  22. TurboR56Mini

    Starfield

    I've seen similar comments from the same folks who shit on NMS when it was launched. It was too open, not enough detail, too much RNG, blah blah. Not a shot at you at all but it feels like nothing will make everyone happy. As a lover of space games, I'm enjoying it for what it is, a massively large single-player game with no mico transactions, which is all but a dead breed. We should all want this game to do well because if it doesn't, we will all be stuck with the 34th iteration of the same shit with COD, FIFA, whatever bullshit Destiny is up to, and all the same from mind-numbing MMOs. As always, some will love, some will hate, and some will just appreciate the time, effort, and overall skill involved with producing a game like this. I love this game, No Man's Sky, and Elite Dangerous, space is always the hardest genre to do because of its expansiveness. Appreciate the pov and remember, we are all living in an illusion.
    6 points
  23. TurboR56Mini

    Starfield

    Do you really care to walk around a planet? Seems ridiculous to judge a game based on something the developers never actually said. It has been confirmed that you can land anywhere with drop pins or something like that. I'm of opinion that you can't make someone happy no matter what if they get pissy about not spending years of real life walking around a planet in a video game. Those type of people just want to see the world burn.
    6 points
  24. Chatting about it the other day, I think we all played it a little too video game linearly (go here, do this, go there, kill that) rather than taking advantage of the openness it offers. As Elliott was saying, at the end, about some of the things we could have done. Also I watched a little of Critical Role's season 3 campaign, not so much for the entertainment of it, but it's interesting seeing how they play in terms of interaction with each other, asking more in character questions to the DM or even more random things like pickpocketing an NPC, going to get a beer mid quest or even just walking off as a fight takes place. But all that is going to come with experience of DnD as it was quite bitty as we kept needing to ask questions on what to do or what we could do. Not to mention more familiarity with your character and getting used to playing that role. But it has definitely piqued my interest and would definitely be down to having another go. I appreciate for our first go, or goes, a one and done is best but I do see the appeal of a much longer campaign though, this is FG, so we'd never manage to organise it for more than a few weeks 😄
    6 points
  25. What a fantastic evening, thank you so much @Luseth @Lurchzy @TheMuggySpud and @Greboth for your attendance and effort. despite being your first game you played really well and you put several smiles on my face throughout! Well done!
    6 points
  26. Greboth

    Why Just Why!?

    I've got no problem with them adding Nicki Minaj. All the people who turtle up with riot shields on their back are going to be easy targets when their ass is twice as wide as the shield.
    6 points
  27. Meet Greboroth, A ranger and the bastard son of a Noble elf and his human mistress. https://www.dndbeyond.com/sheet-pdfs/Greboroth_105073996.pdf Embarrassed and disowned by my father I hide my elf heritage as I wander from town to town tracking and killing the monsters and evil that walk in the wilds. I prefer to be alone in the wilds but the towns I find along the way do provide a good, warm, and safe nights rest. Not to mention mead! Unfortunately on this night, I found myself drinking in a strange dwarf tavern. I knew I wasn't welcome as the sign hung above the door read 'no pointy ears' but I knew if I kept my ears covered I could pass as human and the Dwarves make the best mead. I drank one cup of mead, then two, three and four...drinking until the dawn. Seeing the sunrise I knew it was time to leave but in getting up to leave in my drunken state, I slipped on the mead all over the table and falling to the floor I revealed my elvish side to the tavern. Instantly I could feel every Dwarves blood boil at an Elf in their tavern so I tried to make a run for it but I couldn't run faster than their axe which hit me in the back. As I lay dying, I heard the Dwarf walk over and mumbled that no-one is welcome in a tavern full of drunken dwarves.
    6 points
  28. MrBiron

    DOGS OF FG

    This is my dog, Phoebe.
    6 points
  29. Lurchzy

    DOGS OF FG

    I've never had a dog, always cats. However I am very protective over my girlfriend's dogs now — Tigger and Daisy.
    6 points
  30. Devastated by this, Rob was one of the first people I started to game with around 15 years ago on mw2forum. The amount of cod we used to play was ridiculous. He was part of the group that got a lot of us into talking together on a gaming forum and not just playing games. You’ll be missed mate RIP ❤️
    6 points
  31. This fuckin blows! What a great guy. I'll miss him.
    6 points
  32. Macca89

    FIFA 23 with FG!

    Finally hit my 50 matches unbeatan on FIFA 23 in online seasons!!! Even smashed my most recent victim 12-1 🤣🤣🤣
    6 points
  33. Lowest recorded active players since the games release — so not only did we get our opponents to rage quit, but they stopped playing the game entirely 😬😂 Very bad behaviour @GazzaGarratt @Greboth @Luseth @Macca89 @techno @MrBiron @IRaMPaGe
    6 points
  34. Sterling and Dier have had miserable seasons so glad they've been overlooked although I'm surprised Maddison has been given a chance as he's had a dreadful campaign. Kalvin Phillips has probably played about an hour this entire season so his selection is a bit questionable. Other than that, we look pretty decent and it's great to see players like Bellingham, Eze and Rice come on a bundle this year.
    6 points
  35. Playstation Collection here Fav Games (Psx) Final Fantasy Old Stuff (Psx) Old JRPG (Psx) SHmups! (Psx) Beat'em up (Psx) Neo Geo Pocket + Color Collection
    6 points
  36. Music to my ears. A thread like this can always be used for when you need help or a co-op partner for a game or stuck on a trophy and need assistance on how or ways to achieve a trophy you're have difficulty with. At the moment I'm working my way through dying light 2 which I've made a little mistake which will result in doing some bits in new game+ but will explain that in my PPR when I get the plat. Some of the quick plats on the store are fun mostly nostalgia on how they look and play.
    6 points
  37. The deal has to be approved by the US, UK and Europe for it to work. It's like a jury or trial/investigation so to speak. If it's not unanimously decided the deal is off. Just because it's 2 American companies. Their products and services are consumed globally. It's like a fair trade kinda scenario. Unlawful monopoly of the market. It's the biggest gaming merge ever. To be honest I'm not the one deciding. I couldn't give 2 shits if it's a yay or nay. It's a huge deal and the future could be murky for many others if it goes ahead. Maybe in Europe and America you can throw wads of cash about to make things happen. The UK has concerns it said no. Note that Europe and US haven't put their conclusion forward. UK goes first and then will be made to look like backward thinking neanderthals. Not seeking any "progression" in technology. Plus who is this deal good for? The 2 companies in question. Not the average Joe or consumer. Just 2 big companies getting fatter and richer. The future is uncertain on their intentions after the merger went ahead. Who knows what they have planned for the next 5 years or beyond?
    6 points
  38. I was going to make a joke yesterday about this thread being peak cod, keep up the good work 😁
    6 points
  39. Luseth

    PS3 console

    I just wanted to give the PS3 a bit of praise, I have been playing game of thrones on it the past couple of days, (not the telltale game) and really enjoying it. Just going back to the PS3 and yes the system itself is a bit ropey in that the dashboard is a bit sluggish and it can be prone to the odd slowdown I just wanted to praise that generation of gaming. I think for most people on here it is an era where you were playing xbox 360 games and generally it was the better console but I have quite the fondness for the PS3 and was the era where I actually had a love in with call of duty (back when we could end a game with a nuke). That said I have a red PS3 (the one below is just a generic image off the tinterweb) and sitting alongside the ps5 the design of the physical console is so much nicer - It's a hell of a lot smaller but just looks lovely. But yeah I thought this era brought about some of our best franchises to date, it's where the last of us started, demons souls turned up, we saw mass effect, uncharted, gears of war and the assassins creed games turn up as well.
    6 points
  40. Half-life + opposing force + blue shift Change the script around a bit. Improve MP and you have a wonderful game
    5 points
  41. We face Wigan on Monday and that's also on ITV, i expect us to lose as well but then i expect us to lose whether we're on tv or not haha
    5 points
  42. GazzaGarratt

    GTA 6 - Trailer 1

    Its been dropped early because it seems to have been leaked already...so here you go! Thoughts?
    5 points
  43. Pulp Fiction! How could i forget that film? It definitely makes it into my top 10 but not sure if it quite makes top 3. Grand Budapest Hotel was a brilliant film, i love that style of film. It reminds me of Only Murderers in the Building. A top 3 of each genre would be good, action, romance, animation, Xmas films. Then i can put Die Hard as number one Xmas film and have an extra spot in action films haha
    5 points
  44. My game of the year easily goes to Sea of Stars. It was such a great experience that I can't recommend it enough. And of course, my other 4 choices. Lol 1: Sea of Stars 2: Cocoon 3: Hi-Fi Rush 4: Baldurs Gate 3 5: Metroid Prime Remastered
    5 points
  45. Over at Cals mums house, she does a cracking bacon sarnie. Joking of course, I've never been to Ireland. 😜 I just took an unexpected break from Cod. I had grinded and camo everything in the game, I just kinda stopped playing for a bit and a few weeks turned into 3+ months. No doubt I will be back for the new one coming out. My aim will be shit and the SBMM will be ferocious. Maybe it might be the other way round. If I jump on now I will probably get a nuke. 😂
    5 points
  46. My work day is a work night well it has been pretty much constantly since 95... just passed 37 years service as a CNC machinist in a heavy engineering company mostly producing pump equipment for the oil and gas industry. No we didn't do piper alpha😉. We have however done some world record stuff at times, I'm pretty proud of the stuff I've produced but im now looking forward to getting out for good hopefully at the right time with a nice wedge of redundancy. I'm also not just an operator but programmer and setter too. I've posted some pics on my ppr before but this will give some idea.
    5 points
  47. In the group chat today @Macca89 and I were having a civilised discussion about money (unit @Greboth decide to intervene with a 'mum' joke...) and it reminded me about a post I wrote back in March 2020. I never posted it because after asking @GazzaGarratt to proof read it we both agreed that the timing was poor. Sadly, I think considering the economic climate right now, I should have posted it. However, I am posting it now and I hope it lands well and that it sparks some discussion? I'd love to do a full in-depth post about money and wealth etc but I'm also aware that this is a gaming forum! So...let me know? Enjoy! Covid-19 What can we learn? I’m currently sat in my garden smoking a beautiful Lancero cigar soaking up the sun and reflecting on something my sister said to me this morning. ‘We aren’t getting any wages until May’. With the current global pandemic there has been a real shift back to what I would consider ‘socialist ideals’. People clapping for the NHS and demanding they get more pay and resources, the government offering to cover 80% of wages etc and the outrage of the self employed not getting anything. My sister and brother in law fall into the third category, they are both self employed - a hairdresser and a stone mason. One of my reflections and the purpose of this article is to make people think about their financial security and position because unfortunately the government response hasn’t been what some people had hoped. Here is an unpopular opinion and I apologise if I offend anyone BUT it is not the governments job to pay for you in times of crisis. We live in one of the most prosperous economies in the world, if you aren’t prepared for tough times then you have been negligent. I’m known as the money guy, so i’m going to play that role today and offer some practical advice you can apply once the world is back to normal that will hopefully remedy the opinion I stated above. Firstly, lets start with some of the issues that people have been facing. A lot of people have been laid off as a result of this situation because they are non-essential, others have been home bound and unable to do their self employed job. This has put a serious financial strain on the whole world, people are hurting. Lets examine the reasons why. People are living pay cheque to pay cheque People don’t have any savings People are laden with debt and this is soaking up their financial resources My sister and brother in law both fit all three categories, I fall into the third as I have two mortgages and a car to pay for. The combination of these three issues have meant that even just staying at home for 3 weeks has become a very daunting task for significants amount of people. So what’s the remedy? Well, i’m going to give you some advice that you can begin to put in place after this is all over that will hopefully help you become more resilient to global downturns (I’m thinking about the next recession!). Have an emergency fund I’m sure you’ve all heard of this before but i’m going to spell it out here. You should have 8 to 12 weeks worth of living money saved up somewhere that you can fall back on should you find yourself out of work. This took me a long time to commit too as a younger man but now that I have it, I feel very safe. It’s stored in a cash isa that my wife and I have access to at any time but not with our current banking provider. We both bank with Santander, so it’s in Lloyds. The reason being is that when I log into my internet banking if I see a fair wedge of money just sitting there, i’m going to find a way to spend it. Try to build on this once we get back to something of a normal economy. Reduce your spending and/or save first Again, this one is a tough one because we all generally live to the means we have. When I first started teaching I was earning £800 a month and I spent it all! I’ve been teaching for 17 years and I earn 5 times that now, I could easily spend it all too. This was something I had to help my wife with when we decided to have children because she would get to the end of the month and have nothing left in her account, when we talked about having a baby I suggested that she could save almost £1000 a month (once I took a look at the maths) before the baby was due to make sure we were flush during maternity leave. She didn’t believe me but after a few conversations about making her see where she was wasting money she took my advice. On payday she took £600 (a compromise) straight out of her account and put it in a separate savings else where. Low and behold she managed to save £5000 before the baby was born. What was she missing out on? Takeaways, costa coffees, random trips to shops on the way too and from work. Everyone wastes money, even me - i’m sat here smoking a cigar! Making spending cuts doesn’t have to be drastic but a small change can add up to a big reward. Ice cream in the freezer….. My economics lecturer taught me this saying and it has some truth to it. If I had a tub of ben and jerry’s in the freezer - it wouldn’t stay there long. Like, a week at most? I would eat it, why? Because it makes me feel good! Money is the same, if you have money in your pocket, you will spend it. Companies have become surgical in their ability to separating you from your money. So if you have it to hand you will spend it. So my last suggestion is simple. Have many different accounts for different purposes and only carry the card that you have allowed for disposable income. Here is a list of my accounts for illustration: Barclays Wages - my wages go in here and this is where I pay for my phone, insurances, my car etc. I have set up standing orders on payday that separate my pay into various other accounts and my savings. I don’t carry the card for this account. Monzo - this is my disposable income, every month I transfer in £400, thats £100 a week. I use this account for my petrol and anything else I want. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Joint account - this is where the wife and I put money in together and its where our mortgage, council tax and utilities come out from. We don’t carry the cards for this account. Teacher discount card - this is a card we load up with £300 a month to go shopping with, we get 3% cash back from shopping at major supermarkets. This is the only card we will use for shopping etc, once it’s gone, it’s gone. This means that all of my savings are in place and I never overspend because I know EXACTLY how much disposable money I have - Monzo is a great bank for that as it’s all online and works well with apple pay etc, even gives you a little progress bar that tells you how much money you have left for a certain period of time and is colour coded. Hopefully this article has been useful and has given some of you some ideas that you could use to make yourself crisis/recession proof. Much love, Elliott
    5 points
  48. phil bottle

    Redfall

    I would say, take away the bugs, shoddy AI and drama, this is an average game. On PC it's not bad, it's just not particularly good either. Not a game to pay full price for sure...but I'm continuing with it still to see where it goes. On console I would avoid, the shooting with a controller is broken imo.
    5 points
  49. I thought this was a Tottenham Hotspur thread for a second! I'll get my coat then..
    5 points
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