MasterBlaster

I was under the impression that the writers were wishy-washy about that sort of thing. Sort of a 'it functionally works this way, but varies as the plot demands.' CyborgMarx has pointed out it definitely gets a reference in an episode.

Modelled after Doctors Without Borders, it sends practitioners to developing countries to administer the pseudoscience of homeopathy

something so haunting about wealthy westerners flying around the world to underprivileged or economically underdeveloped areas and, i guess applying salves or some shit?

ghoulish

So healing spells more often elicit surprised reactions than not. Makes one wonder: are healing spells accessible? They're cheap for the player and seem easy enough to forage for on your own. You have to assume they're not, because people generally still suffer in this universe, and healer is like, a profession.

But what about the reactions of its physical sensation? A companion remarks that it feels nice and another remarks that it feels like just waking up from a nap. Do you think there's possibility for recreational heal spell usage? Maybe you pair it up with Skooma/other in-universe 'narcotics' for a nice combo buzz that heals away the damage from the drugs.

This is a common misconception about doctors without borders. It's not that they operate independently of a nation, or that they are awaiting to form a nation. It's just, there's supposed to also be a complementary group known as the Militaires Sans Frontières, and the two groups would combine into one to make 2/3's of a nation. Unfortunately, this complementary group manifested in the wrong reality and is part of the reason we're in the worst timeline.

I always liked to imagine the federation had a separate economic system for trading with capitalist coded races in Star Trek. Basically an isolated, pretend command economy where, for the purposes of importing/exporting, all of these whacky alternative currencies are accepted and then immediately melted down into whatever the replicator uses. The federation operates at a loss while trading this way but the loss is ideologically justified by eventually converting the species into a federation member that will convert to trek's brand of fully automated communism.

The Ferengi's free market ideology is baked into their religion so they're this one annoying stubborn species that the federation can't flip, and the Ferengi continue interacting with the federation because they understand this system and continue to take advantage of it.

All of this headcanon serves to make any and all references to currency make sense when I watch Trek. Makes the gold-pressed latinum conundrum a sort of paternalistic struggle between the federation, trying to uplift the Ferengi, and the Ferengi government who just wants to keep hoarding shiny metals.

"Yes, sure, we'll accept your...two tonnes of worthless metal, sure. Have you given any further thought to our embassy...?"

Reading Red Valkyries right now, Lyudmila features prominently in it. I recommend highly

Munrock already nailed it pretty succinctly but yeah, prepare to still be walking everywhere as vehicles aren't suited for the terrain largely. You'll get a lot more use out of finding other players vehicles in the wild to use when the opportunity strikes.

You'll eventually be able to build roads, but that is very much an optional/end-game task.

Westerner's depending on Amazon is such a simulacrum of where their country stands in the world. Reaping benefits from something you know is wrong and directly hurting someone. Only, while understanding the modern geopolitical landscape is complicated and takes determination/education, understanding that Amazon's business model is untenable against humane working conditions is obvious on the face of it. You can see it when you drive past their warehouses.

So while I almost never hold people personally responsible for consumption habits, I find it extremely grating that Amazon is so successful specifically because people can't say no to same-day delivery. Like, fuck, go down to the shops. Do you even need plastic junk delivered to your door today? Most people could benefit from leaving their homes more.

feeling for the two houses built next to the church in an all-white neighborhood. they better not park their cars on the street

My bad brother. Should have been more charitable before hitting reply.

your tesla steers into a group of children crossing the street b/c its grok-based brain deduced it was a woke mob of protestors attempting to box you in. you try to apply the brakes but grok has a prompt hardcoded in urging it to not shy away from politically incorrect actions. seven children are instantly killed and another two are splattered across your windshield. your tesla dings that its time to replace the wiper fluid.

elon retweets the news story weeks later with a one word reply. another twitter user asks grok if its true. grok replies by questioning the veracity of the holocaust

'the backward group' is pretty uncomfortable phrasing, if I'm being honest.