In the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was a young teen growing up in far North Austin, it was a popular custom for many boys in the neighborhood to assemble at the local Stop-N-Go after school on a regular basis for some Grand Champion level tournaments in Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat. The collective insistence of our mothers and fathers to get out of the house, get some exercise, and refrain from playing NES or Sega on the television only led us to seek out more video games at the convenience store down the road. Much allowance and lunch money was spent as well as hours that should have been devoted to homework among the 8 or 9 regular boys in attendance, often challenging each other to 'Best of 5' matches. I myself played Dhalsim and SubZero, and not very well, so I rarely ever made it to the 5th match. The store workers frequently kicked us out for the day only to have us return when they weren't working the counter anymore if not the next day.
There is something about that which has been lost in the present day. While people can today download the latest games on Steam or PSN or in the app store on your smartphone, you can't just find arcade games in stores and restaurants like you used to be able to. And so the fun of a spontaneous 8 or 10 person multiplayer video game tournament has been confined to places like bars, pool halls, Pinballz or Dave&Busters.
But in truth it was that ubiquity of arcade video games, how you could find them in any old 7-11 or Laundromat, which is what killed the original arcades of the early 1980s before the Great Crash of 1983 when home video game consoles started to catch up to what you saw in the arcade.
I was born in the mid 1970s so I missed out on Pong. I was kindergarten age when the Golden Age of Arcade Games took place in the early 1980s. There used to be a place called Skateworld on Anderson Mill Road that was primarily for roller skating but had a respectable arcade in its own right. It was there that I honed my skills on the original Tron, Pac Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Defender, and so many others. In the 1980s I remember visiting all the same mall arcades as others in my age group. There was Aladdin's Castle in Barton Creek Mall, The Gold Mine in Highland, and another Gold Mine in Northcross which was eventually renamed Tilt. Westgate Mall also had an arcade but being a north austin kid I never went there until later in the mid 1990s. There were also places like Malibu Grand Prix and Showbiz Pizza and Chuck-E-Cheeze, all of which had fairly large arcades for kids which were the secondary attraction.
If you're of a certain age you will remember Einsteins and LeFun on the Drag. They were there for a few decades going back way before the Slacker era. Lesser known is that the UT Student Union basement used to have an arcade that was comparable to either or both of those places. Back in the pre-9/11 days it was much easier to sneak in if you even vaguely looked like you could be a UT student.
But there was another place I was too young to have experienced called Smitty's up further north on 183 at Lake Creek in the early 1980s. I never got to go there but I always heard about it from older kids at the time. It was supposed to have been two stories of wall to wall games with a small snack bar. I guess at the time it served a mostly older teen crowd from Westwood High School and for that reason younger kids my age weren't having birthday parties there. It wasn't around very long, just a few years during the Golden Age of Arcades.
It is with almost-forgotten early arcades like that in mind that I wanted to share with y'all some examples of places from The Golden Age of the Video Arcade in Austin using some old Statesman articles I've found. Maybe someone of a certain age on here will remember them. I was curious what they were like, having missed out by being slightly too young to have experienced most of them first hand. I also wanted to see the original reaction to them in the press. I had a feeling there was some pushback from school/parent/civic groups on these facilities showing up in neighborhood strip malls or next to schools, and I was right to suspect. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First let's list off some places of interest. Be sure to speak up if you remember going to any of these, even if it was just for some other kid's birthday party. Unfortunately some of the only mentions about a place are reports of a crime being committed there, such as our first few examples.
Forgotten Arcade #1
Fun House/Play Time Arcade - 2820 Guadalupe
June 15, 1975

ARCADE ENTHUSIASM
A gang fight involving 20 30 people erupted early Saturday morning in front of an arcade on Guadalupe Street. The owner of the Fun House Arcade at 282J Guadalupe told police pool cues, lug wrenches, fists and a shotgun were displayed during the flurry. Police are unsure what started the fisticuffs, but one witness at the scene said it pitted Chicanos against Anglos. During the fight the owner of the arcade said a green car stopped at the side of the arcade and witnesses reported the barrel of a shotgun sticking out. The crowd wisely scattered and only a 23-year-old man was left lying on the ground. He told police he doesn't know what happened.

March 3, 1976

ARCADE ROBBED
A former employee of Play Time Arcade, 2820 Guadalupe, was charged Tuesday in connection with the Tuesday afternoon robbery of his former business. Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Ronnie Magee, 22, of 1009 Aggie Lane, Apt. 306. Arcade attendant Sam Garner said he had played pool with the suspect an hour before the robbery. He told police the man had been fired from the business two weeks earlier. Police said a man walked in the arcade about 2:45 p m. with a blue steel pistol and took $180. Magee is charged with first degree aggravated robbery. Bond was set on the charge at $15,000.

First it was called Fun House and then renamed Play Time a year later. I'm not sure what kind of arcade games beyond Pong and maybe Asteroids they could have had at this place. The peak of the Pinball craze was supposed to be around 1979, so they might have had a few pinball machines as well. A quick search of youtube will show you a few examples of 1976 video games like Death Race. The location is next to Ken's Donuts where PokeBowl is today where the old Baskin Robbins location was for many years.
Forgotten Arcade #2
Green Goth - 1121 Springdale Road
May 15, 1984

A 23-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday to a January 1983 murder in East Austin and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jim Crowell Jr. of Austin admitted shooting 17-year-old Anthony Rodriguez in the chest with a shotgun after the two argued outside the Green Goth, a games arcade at 1121 Springdale Road, on Jan. 23, 1983. Crowell had argued with Rodriguez and a friend of Rodriguez at the arcade, police said. Crowell then went to his house, got a shotgun and returned to the arcade, witnesses said. When the two friends left the arcade, Rodriguez was shot Several weeks ago Crowell had reached a plea bargain with prosecutors for an eight-year prison term, but District Judge Bob Perkins would not accept the sentence, saying it was shorter than sentences in similar cases. After further plea bargaining, Crowell accepted the 15-year prison sentence.

I can't find anything else on Green Goth except reports about this incident with a murder there. There is at least one other report from 1983 around the time of Crowell's arrest that also refer to it as an arcade but reports the manager said the argument started over a game of pool. It's possible this place might have been more known for pool.
Forgotten Arcades #3 & #4
Games, Etc. - 1302 S. First St
Muther's Arcade - 2532 Guadalupe St
August 23, 1983

Losing the magic touch - Video Arcades have trouble winning the money game
It was going to be so easy for Lawrence Villegas, a video game junkie who thought he could make a fast buck by opening up an arcade where kids could plunk down an endless supply of quarters to play Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Asteroids. Villegas got together with a few friends, purchased about 30 video games and opened Games, Etc. at 1302 S. First St in 1980. .,--.... For a while, things, went great Kids waited in line to spend their money to drive race cars, slay dragons and save the universe.
AT THE BEGINNING of 1982, however, the bottom fell out, and Villegas' revenues fell from $400 a week to $25. Today, Games, Etc. is vacant Villegas, 30, who is now working for his parents at Tony's Tortilla Factory, hasn't decided what he'll do with the building. "I was hooked on Asteroids, and I opened the business to get other people hooked, too," Villegas said. "But people started getting bored, and it wasn't worth keeping the place open. In the end, I sold some machines for so little it made me sick."
VILLEGAS ISNT the only video game operator to experience hard times, video game manufacturers and distributors 'It used to be fairly common to get $300 a week from a machine. Now we rarely get more than $100 .
Pac-Man's a lost cause. Six months ago, you could resell a Pac-Man machine for $1,600. Now, you're lucky to get $950 if you can find a buyer." Ronnie Roark says. In the past year, business has dropped 25 percent to 65 percent throughout the country, they say. Most predict business will get even worse before the market stabilizes. Video game manufacturers and operators say there are several reasons for the sharp and rapid decline: Many video games can now be played at home on television, so there's no reason to go to an arcade. The novelty of video games has worn off. It has been more than a decade since the first ones hit the market The decline can be traced directly to oversaturation or the market arcade owners say. The number of games in Austin has quadrupled since 1981, and it's not uncommon to see them in coin-operated laundries, convenience stores and restaurants.
WITH SO MANY games to choose from, local operators say, Austinites be came bored. Arcades still take in thousands of dollars each week, but managers and owners say most of the money is going to a select group of newer games, while dozens of others sit idle.
"After awhile, they all seem the same," said Dan Moyed, 22, as he relaxed at Muther's Arcade at 2532 Guadalupe St "You get to know what the game is going to do before it does. You can play without even thinking about it" Arcade owners say that that, in a nutshell, is why the market is stagnating.
IN THE PAST 18 months, Ronnie Roark, owner of the Back Room at 2015 E. Riverside Drive, said his video business has dropped 65 to 75 percent Roark, . who supplied about 160 video games to several Austin bars and arcades, said the instant success of the games is what led to their demise. "The technology is not keeping up with people's demand for change," said Roark, who bought his first video game in 1972. "The average game is popular for two or three months. We're sending back games that are less than five months old."
Roark said the market began dropping in March 1982 and has been declining steadily ever since. "The drop started before University of Texas students left for the summer in 1982," Roark said. "We expected a 25 percent drop in business, and we got that, and more. It's never really picked up since then. - "It used to be fairly common to get $300 a week from a machine. Now we rarely get more than $100. 1 was shocked when I looked over my books and saw how much things had dropped."
TO COMBAT THE slump, Roark said, he and some arcade owners last year cut the price of playing. Even that didn't help, he said. Old favorites, such as Pac-Man, which once took in hundreds of dollars each week, he said, now make less than $3 each. "Pac-Man's a lost cause," he said. "Six months ago, you could resell a Pac-Man machine for $1,600. Now, you're lucky to get $950 if you can find a buyer." Hardest hit by the slump are the owners of the machines, who pay $3,500 to $5,000 for new products and split the proceeds with the businesses that house them.
SALEM JOSEPH, owner of Austin Amusement and Vending Co., said his business is off 40 percent in the past year. Worse yet, some of his customers began returning their machines, and he's having a hard time putting them back in service. "Two years ago, a machine would generate enough money to pay for itself in six months,' said Joseph, who supplies about 250 games to arcades. "Now that same machine takes 18 months to pay for itself." As a result, Joseph said, he'll buy fewer than 15 new machines this year, down from the 30 to 50 he used to buy. And about 50 machines are sitting idle in his warehouse.
"I get calls every day from people who want to sell me their machines," Joseph said. "But I can't buy them. The manufacturers won't buy them from me." ARCADE OWNERS and game manufacturers hope the advent of laser disc video games will buoy the market Don Osborne, vice president of marketing for Atari, one of the largest manufacturers of video games, said he expects laser disc games to bring a 25 percent increase in revenues next year. The new games are programmed to give players choices that may affect the outcome of the game, Os borne said. "Like the record and movie industries, the video game industry is dependent on products that stimulate the imagination," Osborne said "One of the reasons we're in a valley is that we weren't coming up with those kinds of products."
THE FIRST of the laser dis games, Dragonslayer and Star Wan hit the market about two months ago. Noel Kerns, assistant manager of The Gold Mine Arcade in Northcross Mall, says the new games are responsible for a $l,000-a-week increase in revenues. Still, Kerns said, the Gold Mine' total sales are down 20 percent iron last summer. However, he remain optimistic about the future of the video game industry. "Where else can you come out of the rain and drive a Formula One race car or save the universe?" hi asked.
Others aren't so optimistic. Roark predicted the slump will force half of all operators out of business and will last two more years. "Right now, we've got a great sup ply and almost no demand," Roark said. "That's going to have to change before things get- significantly better."

Well there is a lot to take from that long article, among other things, that the author confused "Dragonslayer" with "Dragon's Lair". I lol'd.
Anyone who has been to Emo's East, formerly known as The Back Room, knows they have arcade games and pool, but it's mostly closed when there isn't a show. That shouldn't count as an arcade, even though the former owner Ronnie Roark was apparently one of the top suppliers of cabinet games to the area during the Golden Era. Any pool hall probably had a few arcade games at the time, too, but that's not the same as being an arcade.
We also learn from the same article of two forgotten arcades: Muthers at 2522 Guadalupe where today there is a Mediterranean food restaurant, and another called Games, Etc. at 1302 S.First that today is the site of an El Mercado restaurant. But the article is mostly about showing us how bad the effects were from the crash at the end of the Golden Era. It was very hard for the early arcades to survive with increasing competition from home game consoles and personal computers, and the proliferation of the games into stores and restaurants.
Forgotten Arcades #5 #6 & #7
Computer Madness - 2414 S. Lamar Blvd.
Electronic Encounters - 1701 W Ben White Blvd (Southwood Mall)
The Outer Limits Amusements Center - 1409 W. Oltorf
March 4, 1982

'Quartermania' stalks South Austin
School officials, parents worried about effects of video games
A fear Is haunting the video game business. "We call it 'quartermania.' That's fear of running out of quarters," said Steve Stackable, co-owner of Computer Madness, a video game and foosball arcade at 2414 S. Lamar Blvd. The "quartermania" fear extends to South Austin households and schools, as well. There it's a fear of students running out of lunch money and classes to play the games. Local school officials and Austin police are monitoring the craze. They're concerned that computer hotspots could become undesirable "hangouts" for students, or that truancy could increase because students (high-school age and younger) will skip school to defend their galaxies against The Tempest.
So far police fears have not been substantiated. Department spokesmen say that although more than half the burglaries in the city are committed by juveniles during the daytime, they know of no connection between the break-ins and kids trying to feed their video habit But school and parental worries about misspent time and money continue. The public outcry in September 1980 against proposals to put electronic game arcades near two South Austin schools helped persuade city officials to reject the applications. One proposed location was near Barton Hills Elementary School. The other was South Ridge Plaza at William Cannon Drive and South First Street across from Bedlchek Junior High School.
Bedichek principal B.G. Henry said he spoke against the arcade because "of the potential attraction it had for our kids. I personally feel kids are so drawn to these things, that It might encourage them to leave the school building and play hookey. Those things have so much compulsion, kids are drawn to them like a magnet Kids can get addicted to them and throw away money, maybe their lunch money. I'm not against the video games. They may be beneficial with eye-hand coordination or even with mathematics, but when you mix the video games during school hours and near school buildings, you might be asking for problems you don't need."
A contingent from nearby Pleasant Hill Elementary School joined Bedichek in the fight back in 1980, although principal Kay Beyer said she received her first formal call about the games last Week from a mother complaining that her child was spending lunch money on them. Beyer added that no truancy problems have been related to video game-playing at a nearby 7-11 store. Allen Poehl, amusement game coordinator for Austin's 7-11 stores, said company policy rules out any game-playing by school-age youth during school hours. Fulmore Junior High principal Bill Armentrout said he is working closely with operators of a nearby 7-1 1 store to make sure their policy is enforced.
The convenience store itself, and not necessarily the video games, is a drawing card for older students and drop-outs, Armentrout said. Porter Junior High principal Marjorie Ball said that while video games aren't a big cause of truancy, "the money (spent on the games) is a big factor." Ball said she has made arrangements with nearby businesses to call the school it students are playing the games during school hours. "My concern is that kids are basically unsupervised, especially at the 24-hour grocery stores. That's a late hour for kids to be out. I would like to see them (games) unplugged at 10 p.m.," adds Joslin Elementary principal Wayne Rider.
Several proprietors of video game hot-spots say they sympathize with the concerns of parents and school officials. No one under 18 is admitted without a parent to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre at 4211 S. Lamar. That rule, says night manager David Dunagan, "keeps it from being a high school hangout. This is a family place." Jerry Zollar, owner of J.J. Subs in West Wood Shopping Center on Bee Cave Road, rewards the A's on the report cards of Eanes school district students with free video games. "It's kind of a community thing we do in a different way. I've heard from both teachers and parents . . . they thought this was a good idea," said Zollar.
Electronic Encounters in Southwood Mall last year was renovated into a brightly lit arcade. "We're trying to get away from the dark, barroom-type place. We want this to be a place for family entertainment We won't let kids stay here during school hours without a written note from their parents, and we're pretty strict about that," said manager Kelly Roberts. Joyce Houston, who manages The Outer Limits amusements center at 1409 W. Oltorf St. along with her husband, said, "I wouldn't let my children go into some of the arcades I've visited. I'm a concerned parent, too. We wanted a place where the whole family could come and enjoy themselves."

Well you can see which way the tone of all these articles is going. There were some crimes committed at some arcades but all of them tended to have a negative reputation for various reasons. Parents and teachers were very skeptical of the arcades being in the neighborhoods to the point of petitioning the City Government to restrict them. Three arcades are mentioned besides Chuck-E-Cheese. Electronic Encounters in Southwood Mall, The Outer Limits amusements center at 1409 W. Oltorf, and Computer Madness, a "video game and foosball arcade" at 2414 S. Lamar Blvd.
Forgotten Arcade #8
Smitty's Galaxy of Games - Lake Creek Parkway
February 25, 1982

Arcades fighting negative image
Video games have swept across America, and Williamson and Travis counties have not been immune. In a two-part series, Neighbor examines the effects the coin-operated machines have had on suburban and small-town life.
Cities have outlawed them, religious leaders have denounced them and distraught mothers have lost countless children to their voracious appetites. And still they march on, stronger and more numerous than before. A new disease? Maybe. A wave of invading aliens from outer space? On occasion. A new type of addiction? Certainly. The culprit? Video games. Although the electronic game explosion has been mushrooming throughout the nation's urban areas for the past few years, its rippling effects have just recently been felt in the suburban fringes of North Austin and Williamson County.
In the past year, at least seven arcades armed with dozens of neon quarter-snatchers have sprung up to lure teens with thundering noises and thousands of flashing seek-and-destroy commands. Critics say arcades are dens of iniquity where children fall prey to the evils of gambling. But arcade owners say something entirely different. "Everybody fights them (arcades), they think they are a haven for drug addicts. It's just not true," said Larry Grant of Austin, who opened Eagle's Nest Fun and Games on North Austin Avenue in Georgetown last September. "These kids are great" Grant said the gameroom "gives teenagers a place to come. Some only play the games and some only talk.
In Georgetown, if you're from the high school, this is it." He said he's had very few disturbances, and asks "undesirables" to leave. "We've had a couple of rowdies. That's why I don't have any pool tables they tend to attract that type of crowd," Grant said.
Providing a place for teens to congregate was also the reason behind Ron and Carol Smith's decision to open Smitty's Galaxy of Games on Lake Creek Parkway at the entrance to Anderson Mill. "We have three teenage sons, and as soon as the oldest could drive, it became immediately apparent that there was no place to go around here," said Ron, an IBM employee who lives in Spicewood at Balcones. "This prompted us to want to open something." The business, which opened in August, has been a huge success with both parents and youngsters. "Hundreds of parents have come to check out our establishment before allowing their children to come, and what they see is a clean, safe environment managed by adults and parents," Ron said. "We've developed an outstanding rapport with the community." Video arcades "have a reputation that we have to fight," said Carol.
Kathy McCoy of Georgetown, who last October opened Krazy Korner on Willis Street in Leander, agrees. "We've got a real good group of kids," she said. "There's no violence, no nothing. Parents can always find their kids at Krazy Korner."
While all the arcade owners contacted reported that business is healthy, if not necessarily lucrative, it's not as easy for video entrepreneurs to turn a profit as one might imagine. A sizeable investment is required. Ron Smith paid between $2,800 and $5,000 for each of the 30 electronic diversions at his gameroom.
Grant said his average video game grosses about $50 a week, and his "absolute worst" game, Armor Attack, only $20 a week. The top machines (Defender and Pac-Man) can suck in an easy $125 a week. That's a lot of quarters, 500 to be exact but the Eagle's Nest and Krazy Korner pass half of them on to Neelley Vending Company of Austin which rents them their machines. "At 25 cents a shot, it takes an awful lot of people to pay the bills," said Tom Hatfield, district manager for Neelley.
He added that an owner's personality and the arcade's location can make or break the venture. The game parlor must be run "by an understanding person, someone with patience," Hatfield said. "They cannot be too demanding on the kids, yet they can't let them run all over them." And they must be located in a spot "with lots of foot traffic," such as a shopping center or near a good restaurant, he said. "And being close to a school really helps." "Video games are going to be here permanently, but we're going to see some operations not going because of the competition," which includes machines in virtually every convenience store and supermarket, Hatfield said.

This article talks about three arcades. One in Georgetown called Eagles Nest, another in Leander called Krazy Korner, and a third called Smitty's Galaxy of Games on Lake Creek Parkway "on the fringes of North Austin". This is the one I remember the older kids talking about when I was a little kid. There was once a movie theater across the street from the Westwood High School football stadium and behind that was Smitty's. Today I think the building was bulldozed long ago and the space is part of the expanded onramp to 183 today. Eventually another unrelated arcade was built next to the theater that became Alamo Lakeline. It was another site of some unrecorded epic Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat tournaments in the 90s.
But the article written before the end of the Golden Era tell us much about the pushback I was talking about earlier. Early arcades were seen as "dirty" places in some circles, and the owners of the arcades in Williamson County had to stress how "clean" their establishments were. This other article from a couple of weeks later tells of how area school officials weren't worried about video games and tells us more arcades in Round Rock and Cedar Park. Apparently the end of the golden age lasted a bit longer than usual in this area.
At some point in the next few years the bubble burst, and places like Smitty's were gone by the late 80s. But the distributors quoted earlier were right that arcade games weren't going completely away. In the mid 1980s LeFun opened up next in the Scientology building at 2200 Guadalupe on the drag. Down a few doors past what used be a coffee shop and a CVS was Einsteins Arcade. Both of those survived into the 21st century. I remember the last time I was at Einsteins I got my ass beat in Tekken by a kid half my age. heheh
That's all for today. There were no Bonus Pics in the UT archive of arcades (other than the classical architectural definition). I wanted to pass on some Bonus newspaper articles (remember to click and zoom in with the buttons on the right to read) about Austin arcades anyway but first a small story.
I mentioned earlier the secret of the UT Student Union. I have no idea what it looks like now but in the 90s there was a sizable arcade in with the bowling alley in the basement. Back in 1994 when I used to sneak in, they featured this bizarre early attempt at virtual reality games. I found an old Michael Barnes Statesman article about it dated February 11, 1994. Some highlights:

Hundreds of students and curiosity-seekers lined up at the University of Texas Union to play three to five minutes of Dactyl Nightmare, Flying Aces or V-Tol, three-dimensional games from Kramer Entertainment. Nasty weather delayed the unloading of four huge trunks containing the machines, which resemble low pulpits. Still, players waited intently for a chance to shoot down a fighter jet, operate a tilt-wing Harrier or tangle with a pterodactyl. Today, tickets will go on sale in the Texas Union lobby at 11:30 a.m. for playing slots between noon and 6 p.m.
Players, fitted with full helmets, throttles and power packs, stood on shiny gray and yellow platforms surrounded by a circular guard rail. Seen behind the helmet's goggles were computer simulated landscapes, not unlike the most sophisticated video games, with controls and enemies viewed in deep space. "You're on a platform waiting to fight a human figure," said Jeff Vaughn, 19, of Dactyl Nightmare. "A pterodactyl swoops down and tries to pick you up. You have to fight it off. You are in the space and can see your own body and all around you. But if you try to walk, you have to use that joy stick to get around."
"I let the pterodactyl carry me away so I could look down and scan the board," said Tom Bowen of the same game. "That was the way I found out where the other player was." "Yeah, it's cool just to stand there and not do anything," Vaughn said. The mostly young, mostly male crowd included the usual gaming fanatics, looking haggard and tense behind glasses and beards. A smattering of women and children also pressed forward in a line that snaked past the lobby and into the Union's retail shops.
"I don't know why more women don't play. Maybe because the games are so violent," said Jennifer Webb, 24, a psychology major whose poor eyesight kept her from becoming a fighter pilot in real life. "If the Air Force won't take me, virtual reality will." "They use stereo optics moving at something like 60 frames a second," said computer science major Alex Aquila, 19. "The images are still pretty blocky. But once you play it, you'll want to play it again and again." With such demand for virtual reality, some gamesters wondered why an Austin video arcade has not invested in at least one machine.

The gameplay looked like this.
Bonus Article #1 - "Video fans play for own reasons" (Malibu Grand Prix) - March 11, 1982
Bonus Article #2 - "Pac-Man Cartridge Piques Interest" - April 13, 1982
Bonus Article #3 - "Video Games Fail Consumer" - January 29, 1984
Bonus Article #4 - "Nintendoholics/Modems Unite" - January 25, 1989
Bonus Article #5 and pt 2 "Two girls missing for a night found at arcade" (truly dedicated young gamers) - August 7, 2003

Ideas for problems with (broken, experimental, malfunctioning, quirky) magic items.
Negative effects may be cleared up if item is (repaired / recharged / properly cleaned)
Ideas for possible negative effects:
1. Attracts Unwanted - When activated, the item produces (light, odor, sound, magical energy) that attracts unwanted (pest, vermin, monster [type], monster [any], undead). When the item is used any (creature type) within 500ft will be able to sense the use of the item and will be attracted to the location where it was activated. Additionally the unwanted (creature type) will be able to track the item for 10 minutes. Note this is not mind control, any creature can choose to ignore it. It more like hearing a bell ringing an going what is that noise and where is it coming from.
2. Attunement Debilitates User - Attunement drains 2d4 (str, dex, con, int, wis, cha, etc) from the user. These points recover at a rate of 1 point per (hour, day, long rest).
3. Attunement Incapacitates User - Attunement Incapacitates the user (paralysis, sleep). This effect last for 1d6 hours.
4. Barely Holding Together - Roll 2d6, this is the number of times the item can be used before it breaks (don't reveal this number to the players). Every time the item is activated, cracks appear in it. Each time they get worse. If the item is not repaired by someone capable of doing so, it eventually (crumbles to dust, falls apart, melts, explodes, etc).
5. Blinding Flash - When the item is activated it creates a blinding flash of light. Every creature within 50ft must roll a Con Save DC 12 or be blinded for 1d4 turns. MEKK-the-MIGHTY
6. Bug in the Machine - Every time the item is used, it creates a swarm of moths around its user. The swarm lasts for 1d4 rounds, after which most of the moths will disappear. 1d6 of them will remain and will need to be shaken off/out of the character’s clothes or pockets. Temporary Fix (1): Turning the item on and off again. Temporary Fix (2): Give the item a few good hard taps. Credit: CorenNayturus
7. Buggy Command Word (1) - The command word or phrase must be repeated 1d6 times to get the item to activate.
8. Buggy Command Word (2) - The command world is very difficult to pronounce and may have phonemes that are outside of the users hearing range. Very difficult language roll to pronounce the command word correctly. Skill roll lowers by 1 after each 1d4 successful uses
9. Burn out - Parts of the item cannot withstand the power coursing through the item. Each time the item is used roll a 1d6. On a 1 the part burns out and the item picks up 1d6 problems from this table. May be temporarily fixed by replacing the bad part. It requires a higher quality part to permanently fix it.
10. Cool Down - Once the item is used, it can not be used again for "x" amount of time.
11. Debilitating to User (Attributes) - Prolonged use of the item has a debilitating effect on the user. Every “x” uses or 10 (turns, minutes) of continuous use drains 1 attribute point (str, dex, con, int, wis, cha, etc) from the user. If the attribute is dropped to 0 the user is incapacitated. Attributes drained in this manner recover at 1d4 per long rest.
12. Debilitating to User (Spells) - Prolonged use of the item has a debilitating effect on the user. Every “x” uses or 10 (turns, minutes) of continuous use drains 1 random spell slot. Additionally any spells lost or used take twice the normal amount of time to recover.
13. Delayed Effect - Once the item is used, it takes "x" amount of time before the desired power activates.
14. Difficult to Hold - When activated the item (becomes slippery, vibrates, kicks) to the point that it becomes difficult to hold onto. DEX or STR check DC “x” to keep hold of it when activated. Credit: poultryposterior
15. Displacement (planar) - When activated, roll a d20. On a 1, the item plane shifts itself and any creature touching it to another plane (if it is somehow tied or related to a plane, it goes there; otherwise it is random). After 1d4 rounds, the item and anything that got plane shifted with it plane shifts back to the point of origin. Optional: creates a 1d6, 5ft radius, force blast when plane shifting. Credit: Cactonio
16. Displacement (spacial) - When activated the item occasionally teleports (only itself) to a new location. When activated or after 2d6 minutes of continuous use, roll 1d6. 1-3 remains where it is, 4-5 teleports to a random location within a 50ft radius, on a 6 teleports to a random location within a 200ft radius. Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
17. Doesn’t Recharge - An item that has “x” uses per (day / long rest) doesn’t recharge. Once its charges are empty it remains empty until the PC can figure out how to (recharge, repair) it.
18. Doesn’t Adapt to User - The item does not change its size to fit the user. Even when attuned, it remains a constant size.
19. Draining - Every time this item is used, the user gains one level of exhaustion. Credit: CorenNayturus
20. Eerie - When activated, the item produces (light, odor, sound, magical energy) that creeps out the user over time. After 3d4 uses or 3d6 (turns, minutes) of continuous use, the user is affected by a fear spell. After the first “panic attack” the user is at -2 to save and disadvantage on all fear saves, regardless of the source. User returns to normal after spending a long rest without the item.
21. Elemental Discharge (sporadic) - Every so often the item discharges hazardous elemental energy (cold, eldritch, electricity, fire, necrotic, etc). When activated roll 1d6, 1-3 items works as normal, 4-5 discharges 1d6 dmg of “x” type energy on touch, on a 6 it discharges 1d6 dmg of “x” type energy at a random target within 5ft.
22. Elemental Discharge (start up) - When activated, the item becomes charged with hazardous elemental energy (cold, eldritch, electricity, fire, necrotic, etc). The charge does 1d6 of “x” type of damage to any creature touching the item. The charge dissipates after 1d4 rounds. Credit: Cactonio
23. Faded Enchantment - Item doesn’t seem to work at all. Physically there is nothing wrong with it, but the enchantments have all but faded away. Fix: Re-Enchantment. Credit Digitiss
24. Fairy’s jest - Item applies a minor magical effect to its user (such as causing them to grow a beard of feathers, turning their skin a bright color, etc). To remove this effect, place it next to a bowl of warm milk to lure out the mischievous fey spirit that has taken residence inside it. Credit: CorenNayturus
25. Fake - It doesn’t work like the real thing because it’s a (cheap knockoff, fake, forgery). May have reduced abilities or may not work at all. It looks like the real thing and has enough enchantments to fool a detect magic spell. There is no fix. Roll 1d6. 1-3 item has no powers, 4-6 item has powers but has 1d4 other problems from this list.
26. Flawed Attunement (1) - Attunment to the item is necessary to use its magical abilities. However, for some reason attuning to the item does not grant any understanding of what its powers are or how to activate them. Characters must discover the instruction elsewhere or figure it out through experimentation and any clues left behind.
27. Flawed Attunement (2) - For some reason the item requires 2 attunement slots
28. Flicker - Items with a (continuous, duration) effect. Roll a 1d6, this is how many (rounds, turns, minutes) the item will work normally until it flickers off and then back on. Repeat as long as the item is active or maintaining a continuous effect. Any continuous effects vanish during a flicker and reappear after.
29. Fluorescent - item glows a bright color of one of the more obnoxious variations (such as one of the various neon colors). Credit: CorenNayturus
30. Gets stuck in the on position - When activated the item gets stuck in the on position for 1d6 (turns). Each turn that it is active uses up charges. If it's not aimed at a specific target, it may hit random targets until it can be shut off.
31. Gets stuck in the off position - "x" percent chance that it will not activate when the user tries to activate it. It will remain inoperable for 1d6 rounds.
32. Gets stuck on a random power - If the item is capable of producing multiple effects, roll a 1d6. 1-3 the item works as normal, 4-6 the item gets stuck on a power. When stuck, randomly choose one of the items (abilities, powers). During this time it can only use the one power that it is stuck on. Problem last 1d6 (turns, minutes, hours)
33. Growing - every time it's used it gets a little bigger and heavier until it eventually gets too heavy and big to move. Item will not grow if it is in a confined space. Item will not function if it cannot grow. Every use increase size by x 1.1 and weight by x 1.4. Mitigated by using magic to shrink it back to its initial size. Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
34. Hair Trigger - Manipulating, moving, or jostling the item is likely to make it activate or discharge.
35. Inefficient - For items with charges. Cost +1 or +2 extra charges to activate an effect.
36. Lightning Rod - The item just seems to attract lightning (mundane or magical). If the holder of the item is within 10ft of a (electric, lightning) effect or its line of fire, there is a 2 in 6 chance that it will hit the item & holder instead of its intended target. Anyone targeting the holder with a (electric, lightning) effect gets a +2 to hit. The holder is -2 to save vs. (electric, lightning) effects. Also, during thunder storms roll a d20 every 20 minutes, on a 1 lightning strikes the item.
37. Light Show - The Item (arcs, glows, sparkles) when the item is in use. So much for stealth. Credit: MrRoot3r
38. Living Power Source - The item is powered by a living (creature, elemental, spirit). Every so often the “power source” escapes from the item. Roll 1d6 after each use. On a 1 the “power source” escapes. Quest to capture the power source or find a new one.
39. Loses Attunement - For some reason attunement to the item doesn’t seem to last. Roll a 1d6 each time the item is activated or each (hour, day) for continuous effect items. On a 1 the item loses its attunement. Once lost the user must begin the attunement process again to be able to use the item’s magical properties.
40. Loses Powers Over Time - After 1d6 uses or 10 minutes of continuous use, the item loses one of its powers. Power will not return until item is fixed.
41. Low Power - Item only has a few charges left / Item has fewer than normal uses per day.
42. Magical Interference (broadcast) - When the item is used it interferes with the function of nearby magic items. Magic items within “x” ft save vs magic. On fail roll 1d6. On a 1 the item temporarily ceases to function for 1d4 rounds, 5-6 item receives a problem from this list for 1d4 rounds (reroll if problem doesn’t make sense for the item). Credit: CountOfMonkeyCrisco
43. Magical Interference (receive) - When other magic items are used within “x” ft of the item it causes issues. Roll 1d6. 1-2 the item ceases to function for 1d6 rounds, 3-4 the item picks up 1d4 problems from this list for 1d6 rounds, 5-6 the item functions normally.
44. Magical Lightning Rod - If the item is within 10ft of the line of fire of any targeted spell, there is a 2 in 6 chance that the spell will hit the wielder instead of its intended target. Anyone targeting the holder of the item with a spell gets a +2 to hit. The holder is at -2 to save vs. magical effects while holding the item.
45. Magical Transferal Issue - Item that is supposed to affect the user. The magic affects the item itself instead of the user.
46. Magnetism - When used the item generates a strong magnetic pulse that pulls metal objects within 15 feet of it towards the item. Creatures holding or wearing metal must make a DC 15 strength save or be pulled towards it as well, or drop the object. The holder must make a DC15 dex save to drop the object or be (bludgeoned, skewered) by incoming objects. Avohir
47. Meld With User - The item slowly attaches itself to its user. Each time the item is activated roll a d20. On a 1 the item bonds to the users skin (STR to remove 1d6 dmg or DEX check to cut it out 1d4 dmg). Each day it remains attached it becomes more difficult to remove.
48. Nearly Deaf - The items abilities are activated by voice command. However the command must be shouted for the ability to activate. Credit: Cactonio
49. Needs a Recharge - Item doesn't do anything magical, unless PC can figure out how to recharge it.
50. Noisy - The item functions normally however it makes a loud (buzzing, clanking, grating, grinding, popping, ringing, screeching, whirring, whistling, etc) noise while it’s activated. May be able to compensate with silence spell or sound proofing materials. Credit: VocalLove
51. One Hit Wonder - For items with charges. Each time the item is used roll a 1d6. On a 1 the item discharges all of its remaining charges at one time. If the item has more than 1 charge when this happens it burn out the item (item ceases to function until repaired). If the item has 10 or more charges when this happens, the item is destroyed.
52. One Power at a Time - For items with multiple abilities. For some reason the item can only activate one power at a time. To activate one of its other (abilities or powers) it must deactivate any (ability, power) that it is currently sustaining, including passive bonuses.
53. Only Works When Cold - For some reason the item only functions when at freezing temperatures. Item itself must be at (0°C or 32°F) or below to function. Credit: cdjcon
54. Only Works When Hot - For some reason the item only functions when it’s hot. Item itself must be at (43°C or 110°F) or above to function. (about the temperature of a hot desert day).
55. Only Works When Stationary - For some reason the magical abilities of the item don’t function when it is moving. The user must forfeit any movement and any DEX based AC on a (round, turn) that they choose to use the item. The item must also remain stationary to maintain any continuous effect of the item.
56. Only Works When Wet - For some reason the item only functions when it is wet. It works fine if at least 50% of the item is (coated, submerged) in water. Pouring water on it will allow it to function for 1d4 rounds (1d4 x 10 minutes, if it is water absorbent). May have originally been enchanted by merfolk or seafolk.
57. Over Cooling - Every time it is used it gets colder, eventually doing cold damage when touched. Every “x” uses or 10 (turns, minutes) of continuous use builds one level of cold. Each level of cold does 1pt cold damage. Each level of cold takes 20 minutes to dissipate. At 4 levels of cold the item freezes up and ceases to function until it warms up. Warm up time can be reduced by (heat magic, holding it in fire, submerging in warm water) Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
58. Overheating - Every time it is used it gets hotter, eventually doing fire damage when touched. Every “x” uses or 10 (turns, minutes) of continuous use builds one level of heat. Each level of heat does 1pt fire damage. Each level of heat takes 20 minutes to dissipate. At 4 levels of heat the item ceases to function until it cools down. Cool down time can be reduced by (cold magic, touching ice or other cold materials, submerging in cold water) Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
59. Parasitic - In its current state the item can only recover charges by draining magic from creatures within “x” ft. The item drains (spell slots, mana) from its wielder to recharge its charges. If it can’t drain its wielder it will attempt to drain nearby casters. Casters roll a save using their caster attribute to prevent drain. If the items charges are all used, it ceases to function until it can drain magic from a creature. Fix: install new “power source” or reconnect item to “x” (dimension, plane). Credit: supersnes1
60. Partial Coverage - Item that is supposed to affect 1 (creature, item, structure). The magical effect only covers ½ of the target leaving the rest of the target unaffected.
61. Phasing - When activated, the item occasionally phases in and out of existence. When activated or after 2d6 minutes of continuous use, roll 1d6. 1-3 item remains physical, 4-6 item becomes ethereal Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
62. Power Leakage - Part of the item's effect spills onto the user when it is activated.
63. Power Leakage (area) - Part of the item's effect spills onto anyone within “x” ft when it is activated.
64. Radioactive (constantly) - Item emits dangerous energy all the time. Anyone who remains within "x" ft of it loses hp over time.
65. Radioactive (when active) - Item emits dangerous energy when used. Anyone within "x" ft, slowly loses hp when the item is (used, or has a continuous effect still going).
66. Random Effect - If an item is capable of producing multiple effects, choose at random which one gets activated, when the item is used.
67. Recoil - The item flies backwards a distance of 50 ft in the opposite direction of where it's targeted. Wielder can make a DC “x” STR check to hold onto the item. If held the item pushes the wielder back Tiny 40ft, Small 20ft, Medium 10ft, Large 5ft, Huge or larger 0ft. Credit: Avohir
68. Reduced Range - Its magical effect just can’t shoot as far as it should. Reduce range by “x” Credit: poultryposterior
69. Sentient (emotional) - The intelligence that operates the item is an emotional basket case (anger, apathy, depression, fear, fear of failure, greed, jealousy, rage, sadness, etc). It may require therapy to get the item to work like it’s supposed to. Credit: poultryposterior
70. Sentient (hostile but compelled) - The intelligence that operates the item is hostile to the user but it under a compulsion to follow orders. It must follow the orders that it is given. However, if there is a way to misinterpret the orders, it will cause as much (harm, misfortune) to the user as it is able to cause.
71. Sentient (insane) - The intelligence that operates the item is literally insane. User may have to figure out how to work with its insanity to get it to do what the user wants.
72. Sentient (senile) - The intelligence that operates the item has gone senile. It forgets to do stuff. Sometimes it forgets how to use its abilities. Roll d6, 1-3 operates normally, 4-5 does not function, 6 activates a power other than the intended one.
73. Shakes Violently - When activated the item shakes violently. User receives a -2 to hit due to poor aim / target receives a +2 to save due to poor aim / STR check DC “x” to keep from dropping item / If item is worn, the user is -2 to physical skills while the item is active
74. Short circuit, every time it's used it has a 1 in 4 chance of dealing 1 shock dmg to both wielder and target. Mitigated by covering or wielding with insulator. Possible fix: shocking it to re-establish the circuit. Fix: repair or replace magical “power source.” Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
75. Shrinking - Every time it's used it gets a little smaller and lighter till it eventually disappears Mitigated by using magic to grow it back to its initial size. Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
76. Slow Recharge - Item is supposed to get “x” charges per day. Item currently recharges at 1 charge per 1d6 days
77. Smells (bad) - When activated the item releases a foul odor (brimstone, burnt rubber, harsh chemicals, rotting flesh, vomit, etc). Can be mitigated with regular cleaning or perfumes. Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
78. Smells (bad + sticky) - When activated, the item releases a foul odor. The odor clings to the wielder and anything within 10ft. The odor also lingers for hours after the item has been deactivated.
79. Spooks Animals - When activated, the item produces (light, odor, sound) that spooks most animals. The effect is difficult for most people to detect, but it makes most animals nervous. Anyone using the item has a -2 and disadvantage on any skills (except knowledge & tracking) involving animals (unless animal is unconscious or magically charmed).
80. Summoning Issues - If the item is capable of summoning. Any creature that appears is not under the control of the item’s user. Creatures react as a normal creature of that type.
81. Targeting Problem - For items that target a specific target. Roll a d6, 1-3 hits the desired target, 4-5 hits a random target within a 45° arc of the intended target, 6 hits a random target within a 90° arc of the intended target. (any too hit rolls still apply to the target)
82. Ticking Time Bomb - The item appears to function normally, giving no indication of danger. Every time this item is used, roll a d20. If a 1 is rolled, the item explodes, which has the equivalent effect of casting a level “x” fireball centered on the item’s location (minimum caster level used to determine save DC). Credit: CorenNayturus
83. Tied to Local Power Source (1) - The item is powered by a magical (construct, device) that is too large and heavy to be easily moved or it is powered by a local magical phenomenon that can’t be moved. If the item is moved (50, 100, 200) ft away from its power source, it instantly loses all its magical properties. It will not function until brought back within range of its power source.
84. Tied to Local Power Source (2) - The item is powered by a magical (construct, device) that is too large and heavy to be easily moved or it is powered by a local magical phenomenon that can’t be moved. If the item is moved (50, 100, 200) ft away from its power source, it slowly loses all its magical properties. Item loses power 1d6 (turns, minutes, x10 minutes, hours, days) after being away from it’s power source. It will not function until brought back within range of its power source.
85. Unidentifiable - Identify spell automatically fails / Identify spell claims it is something that it is not / Identify spell only identifies part of its (abilities, functions) / Identify spell claims the item is cursed. Possible reasons: by design, too complex for identify spell, use of unstable magical materials in construction, or weak enchantments. Credit: MEKK-the-MIGHTY
86. Unstable Core - The core, power source, or some other part was made using unstable magical materials. After using one of this item’s abilities roll a d20. On a 1, roll on the wild magic effects table found in the Player’s Handbook. Optional wild magic tables 1, 2, 3, 4. If item is destroyed, it creates a 2d6 x 10ft diameter wild magic zone for 3d6 minutes. Credit: ThePlumbOne
87. Unstable Element - If the item is capable of using more than one element (acid, cold, divine, eldritch, fire, infernal, light, lightning, necrotic, poison, etc), it doesn’t always use the desired one. Roll 1d6. 1-3 it uses the desired element, 4-6 it uses one of the other elements that it is capable of using. Credit: poultryposterior
88. Weak (1) - Item produces a weaker than normal effect. ½ normal effect until fixed
89. Weak (2) - The magic effects produced by the item are easier to resist than most magic. Targets get a +2 saving throw or advantage vs the items magical effects
90. Wet - Item slowly produces some type of (ectoplasm, grease, liquid, mucus, mud, slime, sludge). It slowly drips from the item. May make item difficult to hold on to. Can be mitigated with drying with prestidigitation. MEKK-the-MIGHTY
91. Multiple Bugs - Item has 2 problems from this table
92. Multiple Bugs - One problem +1d4 additional problems from this table
The Fix:
1. The item needs to be repaired by someone (artificer, enchanter) with the correct know how.
2. The item needs to be recharged
3. The item needs to be properly cleaned. Crud has jammed important pieces / whatever its coated with is interfering with its function
4. The magical "power source" needs to be repaired or replaced
5. Someone (artificer, enchanter) with the proper know how has to realign a few parts
6. Some of the (glyphs, runes, sigils) need to be re-inscribed
7. An enchanter needs to go through the process of enchanting it again
8. A purification ritual must be completed to remove “x” corruption from the item.
9. It is missing one or more pieces that must be reattached to make it work correctly
10. It just need a technical tap in the right spot
11. Item must be reconnected to “x” (dimension, plane) Credit: supersnes1
12. The item was never finished. Someone (artificer, enchanter) with the know how must find its blueprints or intuit its design and finish the incomplete parts.
13. The item was never finished being enchanted. Someone must complete the enchanting ritual to make it work correctly.
14. Item was made improperly to start with. Any quirks may be permanent.
15. Remove the extra part. There is an extra part that is attached to the item. It may look like it belongs, however it is interfering with the items function. Removing the part may or may not cause other complications. Like releasing a dangerous (demon, entity, spirit) from its imprisonment.
16. The item has a reservoir of some (extremely rare, difficult to obtain, highly illegal) substance that gets used up over time. It’s nearly empty and needs to be refilled to function properly.
17. The item is of divine origin. It must be taken to a (alter, shrine, temple) of the correct deity and be (blessed, consecrated, reconsecrated, sanctified). Credit: supersnes1
18. A critical piece of the item is damaged (accidentally, deliberately, excessive wear & tear). The part has to be (repaired, replaced) for the item to work correctly.
19. A critical piece of the item is burned out. It simply cant handle the power of the item. It can be temporarily fixed by replacing the burned out piece. To fix it permanently a higher quality piece must be (constructed, found).
20. The item is sustaining a permanent magical effect on a (person, creature, item, place). The magical link between the item and the permanent target must be broken for the item to function normally. This may or may not have unintended consequences.
Contributors:
Avohir
Cactonio
cdjcon
CorenNayturus
CountOfMonkeyCrisco
Digitiss
felagund
MEKK-the-MIGHTY
MrRoot3r
poultryposterior
supersnes1
ThePlumbOne
VocalLove

Like other early Infocom games, Planetfall has irritating inventory limits, red herrings and things which are not strictly necessary, a hungethirst timer as well as a disease timer that makes you weaker each day, and some elements of randomization. All of this is difficult to perfectly account for in the kind of tightly-tuned walkthrough I try to provide that often depends on things happening or being in a certain place at a certain time. (At least there's no one like Zork I's Thief wandering around taking your items!) Caveat lusor; save early, save often.
The "Moves" number on the status line may seem bogus at first. The number is actually a clock, in the Planetfall/Stationfall universe's unit of "millichrons". There are 10 "chrons" per day.
Making Planetfall
Wait until an explosion happens (this has occurred anywhere between 8 and 20 turns for me). You can pass some time by scrubbing the floor, examining your inventory items, and reading the brochure the alien ambassador hands you, if you want. When the port door opens, go port into the escape pod. Get into the safety webbing. Wait about 12 turns until the pod lands and the emergency provisions appear. Get out of the webbing and take the kit. (Whenever you get hungry and thirsty, open the survival kit and eat one of the blobs of goo. Drop the kit when you've eaten all three globs.) Open the door and go up to the Crag , then up four more times to the Courtyard. Drop the brush, ID card, and the brochure (if you have it).
For Your Amusement: Talk to Blather. Attack or throw something at Blather. (save first) Remove your uniform while Blather is present. Scrub Blather. Attack and talk to the alien ambassador. Touch, eat, smell, look at, and scrub the slime the ambassador leaves on the floor. Eat the celery the ambassador offers to you. (save first) Get thrown in the Brig (try going starboard or up, then refusing to go back), and read the graffiti there. (save first) Read the towel in the escape pod.
Dorm and Corridor Area
Go north, northeast, east three times to the Corridor Junction, south four times to the Machine Shop, then west to the Tool Room. Take the flask, pliers, U-shaped bar (a magnet), and laser. Remove and drop the laser battery. Go east to the Machine Shop. Put the flask under the spout. Go north four times to Corridor Junction and then go east twice to Booth 2. Drop the laser and pliers. Go west to the Elevator Lobby. Push the red and blue buttons. Go west, south, and east to Storage East. Take the box. Return west, north, and east twice to Booth 2. Drop the box. ("Booth 2" is a teleportation booth. You are pre-positioning some items you will need later in the game.)
For Your Amusement: Examine the games and tapes in the Rec Area (two north from Courtyard). Look under the table in the Mess Hall.
Administration Area
Go west twice, then north twice to Admin Corridor. Turn on verbose mode if you don't usually use it. Alternate south and north until you see "a glint of light from the direction of the floor" in Admin Corridor South. Search the crevice. Hold the magnet near the key. Drop the magnet. Go south and west twice to the Mess Corridor. Unlock the padlock and take it. Drop the padlock and key and open the door. Drop the survival kit. Go north to Storage West and take the ladder.
Return south, east twice, and north twice to the Admin Corridor. Drop the ladder and open it. Put the ladder over the rift. Go north to Admin Corridor North and west to Small Office. Open the drawer in the desk. Get kitchen card and upper card. (The game doesn't understand get cards, and get all assumes the desk.) Go west again. Open the drawer here and get the shuttle card. Go east twice, south three times, and west twice to the Mess Corridor, and pick up the survival kit again.
Go south to the Mess Hall. Take the canteen and open it. Slide kitchen card through slot. (The verb is important; you can't put cards in slots, you must slide them through.) Go south into the Kitchen. Put the canteen under the spout and push the button. The "protein-rich liquid" counts as another food/drink ration, like the survival kit goo, so drink it the next time you are hungry/thirsty. Take the canteen and close it. Go back north into the Mess Hall. Drop the kitchen card.
Go north, east twice, south four times, and east to the Robot Shop. Search the robot and you will find a lower elevator access card. Turn on the robot. (At first, nothing will appear to happen.) You get tired somewhere around 8200 millichrons, so return west, north four times, west, and south to Dorm C. (Dorms A, B, and D are identical if you like one of those letters better.) Lie down and soon you will fall asleep.
For Your Amusement: Jump over the rift. (save first) Show the lower elevator card to Floyd after taking it from him. Remove your uniform when Floyd is present. Kick, attack, rub (or pet), and kiss Floyd.
Comm Room
When you wake, stand up and get all your things. Go north, east twice, and south to the Lower Elevator and drop the lower elevator access card and shuttle card. Go north twice to the Upper Elevator. Slide the upper card through the slot. Push the up button. Wait two turns.
Go south and then northeast to the Comm Room. Press the playback button on the receive console. Examine the screen on the send console. (Uh oh... that doesn't sound good.) Note the color of the flashing light on the enunciator panel. This is the color of liquid that you have to get in the Machine Shop. Go southwest and north back to the Upper Elevator, slide the card through the slot, push the down button, and wait two turns. Leave the elevator and go west, then south four times to the Machine Shop. Push the correct colored button to fill the flask you pre-positioned, then take it. Go back north four times, east, north, slide the card and go up the elevator.
Go south and northeast to the Comm Room and empty the flask into the hole. A different color of light will light up. Repeat the sequence of returning to the Machine Shop, putting the flask under the spout and pressing the button to get the correct color of liquid, then returning to dump it in the Comm Room. You may then need to do this anywhere from one to three more times with different colors. (If so, the time needed for the round trips may affect later moves. You may find you need to eat/drink one or more additional times as well as sleep another time, which in turn will affect your strength and ability to carry things. Floyd can carry one item, but of course he's not always present. However, I received an email in January 2019 from an Eric Klien pointing out the said "one item" can be the box: you can put items in the box and then give the box to Floyd to use him as additional storage.)
After you see the help message being sent , drop the flask. Return southwest and north to the elevator, slide the card, go down, and drop the upper card in the upper elevator. Leave the elevator, go west three times and south to the Mess Hall. Pick up the kitchen card, slide it through the access slot, and go south to refill the canteen in the Kitchen. Go north once to the Mess Hall and drop the kitchen card again.
Shuttles and Teleporting
Go north once, east three times, and south into the lower elevator. Pick up the access cards you left here. Slide the lower card through the slot. Push the down button. Wait three turns. When the elevator stops, go north, east , south, and then east to Alfie Control East. (Note: you can't operate the shuttle after time 6000 each day.) Slide the shuttle card through the slot. Push the lever up. Wait until the display says speed 60. Push the lever down twice. Wait until the shuttle slides into the station.
Go west twice and drop the shuttle card at Alfie Control West. Go east, north , east twice, northeast, and northwest to the Infirmary. Get the medicine bottle and examine it. Open the bottle, take the medicine, and drop the bottle. Get the red spool. Go southeast, east twice, south, and west to the Library. Turn on the machine, put in the red spool, and read the screen. ...Well, crap. Sound familiar at all? Looks like you have a limited time to live.
Go east and south twice to the Computer Room. Take the printout and read it. Notice there is a malfunction in Section 384. If Floyd is here and examines the glowing light, drop the printout. Otherwise, hang onto the printout for now, show it to Floyd the next time he shows up, then drop it. (Floyd needs to see either the warning light or the printout so you can solve a later puzzle.) Go north, east, then south to Lab Storage. Search lab pocket. (If you say search uniform pocket, the game asks whether you mean your patrol uniform or your lab uniform, but it doesn't understand search lab uniform pocket.) Take the teleportation card and new battery.
Go north, west, north, and east to Booth 3. Slide the teleportation access card through the slot and push the beige button. Zap! You're in Booth 2, back in Complex One. Slide the card through the slot again and push the tan button. Whee! You and the items you previously left in Booth 2 are back in Booth 3.
For Your Amusement: Don't brake the shuttle, and let it crash into the station. (save first) Get into bed in the Infirmary. Wait around in the Infirmary until Floyd finds Lazarus' breast plate. Take the breast plate, then give it to Floyd the next time you see him. (This reaction contrasts with his usual one when you give him objects.) Read through the information on the computer in the Library Lobby, one room west of Booth 3 (although you may find this difficult, not to say painful). Use the command type [number] to navigate through the menus. (There's no Librarian to consult about "appropriate spools" for further information on anything.) Destroy the mural in the Projcon Office (south of Project Corridor).
Planetary Systems Area
Take the pliers and bedistor. Go west and north twice to Course Control. Open the cube. Remove the fused bedistor with the pliers. Drop the fused bedistor and the pliers. Put the good bedistor in the cube and close the cube. Go south, west twice, and north into the Repair Room. Wait for Floyd to turn up if he's not already present. Tell Floyd to go north. When he comes back, tell Floyd to take the fromitz board. Go south, east, and north to Planetary Defense. Open the panel. Take the second board and drop the fried board. Put the shiny fromitz board in the socket. Close the panel.
Laboratory Area
Go south, east, south twice, and then east to the Main Lab. Open bio-lock. Go southeast and then east. Make sure that Floyd is with you. Wait a turn. He'll volunteer to go into the Bio Lab and get the miniaturization card. Open the door, close the door, wait, open the door, and close the door. Floyd will be out of commission. Enjoy the "Ballad of the Starcrossed Miner" (which may sound familiar if you've played Starcross). Take the miniaturization card.
Go west, open the door, west two more times, north, and east to Booth 3. Drop the teleport card. Get the laser and put the battery in it. Go west and then south three times to the miniaturization booth. Slide the miniaturization card through the slot, then type 384 (the number of the malfunctioning section from the computer printout). You will be shrunk down to the size of a semiconductor.
For Your Amusement: Type an incorrect number into the miniaturization keypad. (save first)
Miniaturization and Mutants
At Station 384, go east and then north twice to Strip Near Relay. Look inside the relay. Set your laser to 1. Fire the laser at the speck. Keep on doing that until the speck "vaporizes into a fine cloud of ash". Once that's done, set the laser to 6. Head back south. Oh no! A killer microbe! Fire the laser at the microbe. Keep firing until the laser is "quite hot", and then throw it over the side. The microbe will follow the laser and vanish to its death.
Go south and west. You will find yourself in the Auxiliary Booth. Go north to the Lab Office. Notice the labels on the buttons. Open the desk, then take and wear the gas mask. Save the game here, because you won't be able to afford to waste any moves. Push the red button. Open the door. Go west into the Bio Lab. Open the lab door. Go west twice. Open the bio-lock and go west three times, then south twice into the Cryo-Elevator. Push the button. Whewww!!
Remove the mask. Wait two turns. Go north. Congratulations, Galactic Overlord!
For Your Amusement: Throw acid at the mutants.
For Your Amusement at various times: Read your chronometer. Take off your chronometer and pour acid on it. Scrub yourself. Say Zork . Use the various meta-commands (save, restore, quit, etc.) with Floyd present and turned on.
Bugs
For further entertainment, you may be interested in these lists of bugs in Planetfall: Nathan Simpson external link , Graeme Cree external link , XyzzyNews external link
Points
Enter escape pod 3 Arrive at the Crag 3 Enter Storage West 4 Enter Admin Corridor North 4 Get kitchen card 1 Get upper card 1 Get shuttle card 1 Enter Kitchen 4 Get lower elevator card 1 Turn on Floyd 2 Enter Tower Core (?) 4 Send help message 6 Enter Kalamontee Station 4 Enter Lawanda Platform 4 Repair Course Control 6 Repair Planetary Defense 6 Floyd dies ? 2 Get miniaturization card 1 Enter Strip Near Station 4 Fire laser at speck 2 Destroy speck 8 Enter Auxiliary Booth 4 Enter Cryo-Elevator 5
Total 80
Back to the Infocom index
Back to the games index
Last updated 9/24/2020
http://www.eristic.net/games/infocom/planetfall.html

Here is what I realized recently on my 5g dried mushroom trip,
Trip was taken alone in darkness at a hotel at 12:30 am.
I fasted 48 hours before the trip and did a salt flush.
took them raw, no grind, no og, just as is.
It was extreme.
this post is my realization, advice i wrote to myself and advice that you can take if you choose too.
---------
“win the decade not the day” one of my favorite quotes.
You must understand that we become what we think about. In our current society, slavery was not abolished it was replaced. The slavery is mental slavery. You are being controlled through your mind.
What you think you become – buddha
The world has gone digital and as 2021 approaches, we are going digital for good, say goodbye to the physical world.
The reason social media, porn, Netflix, tinder, sex and all these other vices are being portrayed at such a high rate is because they want to control you through temptations and through dopamine,.
they means the elite, the nwo. the people who run this world. everything is planned nothing is by chance.
Now you will be a slave to your mind going forward. They are controlling what you think about and what occupies your mind.
Now, Through studies social media and Instagram has been referenced to being similar to a slot machine. Your need for self-acceptance in this world through likes will make you invisible because that’s what most people think about these days. And if that’s all you allow to occupy your mind, you become an addict to dopamine.When you get your dopamine hit from those Instagram likes, or facebook likes, or porn, netflix. Your desire to do something with your life is very low because you dopamine receptors are off.
Now , Do you want to reach age 90 and be in a state of regret that you could have become something great but chose not to because you failed to acquire knowledge on how your brain functions and who you are as a human.
Regret is poison.
You start realizing , Why work towards something greater when I can get my dopamine hit easily if I post a photo on instagram for an example, or post a video, or expose my self to sexual images.
Now , Most people think about what should I post, did he reply to my dm, did she reply to my dm, what tv show should I watch. There is nothing wrong with having an instagram and using it in a disciplined fashion with PURPOSE but most people do not. It is their source of validation to feel some sense of self-worth. They care what others think. These are the thoughts that are occupying your mind and you are pretty much on a hamster wheel never ending. Your constant need for validation is hindering your ability to get on your shit and be the best version of yourself and do something with your life because death is coming. We are all going to face death and don’t die without having realized your true potential.
Instead of sitting around, wondering and pondering about what you should post, what you should watch, the negative news that causes fear in you, if you don’t think it affects you , trust me it does, mentally and physically you get weak. You are a vibrational being first.
Now, i realized, Heres what you could do, you could occupy your mind with different thoughts, thoughts of what book should I read tomorrow, how can I improve my business, how can I improve my relationship with my wife/husband. You have a magnetic field to you, what you allow to occupy your mind you become drawn to, we are creatures of focus.
Where is your focus ?
Do you see how disciplined thoughts lead to a better life, disciplined thoughts cause clarity and focus. You are what you think about. So discipline your thoughts.
Here is a quote I live by, when it comes down to disciplining our thoughts just know that through thoughts you are controlled, your mind is your greatest asset. The war is on your mind.
“ Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw.

Now here is where the trip got really interesting……
Social media is a different reality, the online world is a different world.
We have 3 worlds

1. We have the spiritual world
2. We have the physical world
3. We have the digital world.

You are leaving the physical for the digital.
That’s why they are introducing virtual reality. Virtual reality will be way better for you than this physical world that you will be in the digital world and hate the physical. Instead of having a sex and forming bonds with your significant other, you will hop on the vr. Its easier and faster.
​
Its scary to think about it.
​
Now , The world we are entering is the digital world. Society is trying to take you away from the physical world so that you can focus on the digital world only and the digital world is a world of temptation and overstimulation and over load of information and half of the information you are exposed to online has nothing to do with your journey towards self-growth. the digital world is a place where you need to have the utmost self-discipline because you have access to everything, literally at your fingertips. You can get food anytime you want, you can get sex anytime you want, you can watch anything you want, you can read anything you want.
Now ,they are giving you everything so you can destroy yourself.
How else do you expect them to keep the sheep in line, do you want to be a sheep like the rest , I’m guessing no. so it is your duty to know where the future is going,
win the decade not the day. Own your mind.
Now , The major key to leading a disciplined life come 2021 and so on, is to control your thoughts. we need to Be extremely disciplined what we give our attention to. Not everyone deserves your attention, not everyone on instagram deserves your attention, not everyone on youtube deserves your attention, not even the news deserves your attention. Your attention is gold. Wherever your attention goes your energy flows there as well. You have access to everything at your fingertips that’s a good thing if you have self-discipline.
It is a bad thing if you don’t.
---------------------------------
“Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.” - Napolean Hill
​
thanks for reading, let me know your thoughts.
---------------
animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM2PqdnWufg&t=181s

Gang-stalking Guide Part 2
I found some pre-made EMF shielding products.
(Click on photos to make bigger)
All Products by: EMF Protection
EMF Bed: Twin to King Size
Price: $894.99 - $1099.99
The BlocSilver Tent is a great portable way of EMF shielding. It is easy to set up and offers great shielding anywhere as you can carry it when staying in a hotel or visiting friends/family.
https://emf-protection.com/product/blocsilver-tent/
Blocbag Original Swiss Shield EMF Sleeping Bag:
Price: $372.00 - $475.00
Our EMF Sleeping Bag offers much of the cell tower radiation shielding qualities and therefore improved sleep patterns of its bigger sisters, the cell phone radiation protection bed canopies, but at a much smaller financial cost and it’s portable too easily slipping into your suitcase meaning even those suffering from severe electrosensitivity can now consider that trip away that they never felt was possible.
This EMF protection Sleeping bag is made from two great quality shielding fabrics, Swiss Shield Wear for the body and New Daylite at the front and top to allow breathing whilst fully enclosed but with a full zip so that you make the decision regarding how much of your body to cover up depending on exposure temperature and personal comfort.
https://emf-protection.com/product/emf-sleeping-bag New 5g Blocbag EMF Sleeping Bag:
Price: $199.99 - $269.99
The New Blocbag Radio Frequency Protective Sleeping Bag is ideal to create an EMF shielding environment when traveling away from home. It is made from lightweight breathable fabrics, washable, easy to carry, and very comfortable. It offers shielding up to 45 dB and conductivity, the much improved BlocBag 2 will have you asleep in no time, even when facing most 5G scenarios. It comes with an integral pillowcase slot but no face covering. For those who can cope with face covering, simply order the half meter of Blocsilver.
https://emf-protection.com/product/new-5...eping-bag/
EMF Clothing Range:
https://emf-protection.com/product-categ...-clothing/ Products by: Defender Shield
EMF Protection Anti-Radiation Blanket:
$$129.99 – $499.99
Whether at home or on-the-go, the DefenderShield® EMF Protection & Anti-Radiation Blanket can help you stay comfy while protecting from wireless EMF radiation and acting as a floating ground.
Our technology shields up to 99% of EMF radiation from 0-10 GHz, which encompasses frequencies used in the fifth generation wireless network.
https://www.defendershield.com/emf-radia...on-blanket Products by: Holland Shielding
All body shielding
Quotes: Apply
https://hollandshielding.com/protective-...-radiation From Experience: Targeted individual method of shielding in full detail.
Medium site: Jay
https://medium.com/@Jay_Coins/what-im-sh...193e75e7ad
&
https://medium.com/@Jay_Coins/my-gear-as...ee9fd78475 From Experience: Targeted individual method of shielding in full detail. Very in-depth - I kinda liked it myself.
Site by: CounterTruth
http://www.countertruth.com/shielding.html
Product made by: Blushield Tesla
Blushield Premium PortableComes in an smaller and cheaper size).
Price: $429.00
Blushield is an active EMF protection technology designed to protect users from the health effects of man-made electromagnetic fields from mobile phones, smart meters, Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G and all other sources of EMF.
This new Blueshield Premium Portable is twice the strength of the Blueshield Tesla Portable. It has a rechareable battery and comes with a USB cable and induction charge dock. With a three-metre radius (six-metre diameter) area in all directions, place in your pocket or bag when out and about away from your protected zone, or when travelling.
(This seems to be popular).
https://www.earthingoz.com.au/blushield-...m-portable Your friendly neighbourhood Targeted Individual. Email PM FindEdit Delete Reply Quote Report StarChart Junior Member
Product made by: Mission Darkness
(It only received one star because the sender, sent one dirty buy the replacement was clean).
TitanRF Radiation Shielding Throw Blanket - 50" x 60" (127cm x 152cm) Ultra-Soft Reversible Gray and White Design with EMF Radiation Protection
Price: $150.00
LAB TESTED & CERTIFIED TITANRF RADIATION SHIELDING THROW BLANKET The Mission Darkness TitanRF Radiation Shielding Throw Blanket combines quality materials and innovative radio frequency (RF) shielding technology. The main function of the blanket is to act as a barrier between your body and harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and RF inside your home, such as those coming from cell phones, laptops, Wi-Fi routers, smart meters, and 5G cell towers. To use, simply place the blanket on your lap or other areas of your body to reduce your exposure to radiation.
The double-sided reversible design consists of ultra-soft 100% polyester exterior layers with EMF radiation protection hidden inside. The standard size throw blanket is perfect for enjoying on the couch, at a desk, or while traveling. The combined features offers comfortable shielded protection in any environment.
https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Darkness-...ast_sto_dp
Product made by: AegisGuard
AegisGuard LL For Washable Clothing & Fabrics
AegisGuard™ LL protects users from the airborne radiation normally penetrating body organs covered by clothing. Added to the final rinse water and safe for all hand and machine washable fabrics, it deflects both high and low radiation frequencies away from the body. It is an ideal shielding solution for individuals suffering from electrosensitivity (EHS).
AegisGuard™ LL Radiation Shields provide safe, proven radiation shielding protection for all hand and machine washable clothing and other fabrics, including smart clothes, without affecting their color, appearance or texture. Simply add to the final rinse, with or without fabric softener, and machine or hang dry. They are the #1 doctor recommended shielding products for patients concerned about the health effects of radiation frequencies upon the body, and electrosensitive (IEI-EMF, EHS, and ES) individuals.
https://www.goaegis.com/aegisguard_ll_ra...ields.html Product made by: Holland Shielding
EMI/RFI-shielded Faraday tent
The EMI/RFI-shielded Faraday tents are made of highly conductive, lightweight, and ultra-strong textiles. By default, the Faraday tents are delivered with multiple ropes so they can be easily attached to a ceiling, or they can come with a self-standing frame.
Typical applications are EMC experiments, RF measurements, mobile military or forensic activities, and personal protection in the field. Faraday tents offer a mobile solution for only a fraction of the cost compared to a conventional Faraday cage.
https://hollandshielding.com/EMI-RFI-shi...raday-tent Product made by: LessEMF
Long Sleeve T-Shirt by Less EMF
Comfortable and classic, this attractive Long Sleeve T is made with a cotton/poly blend woven with silver fibers. The material has been tested between 10 MHz and 4 GHz and shields radio frequencies at 45 dB. A great way to protect your upper body. Pairs nicely with Less EMF Beanie (shown in the image). Available in gray. Made in USA. Specify desired size: S M L XL Washing Instructions: Hand wash (104°F) with TexCare, do not use bleach or chemical detergents. Do not tumble dry. Do not iron.
https://www.lessemf.com/personal.html#20520 https://emfacademy.com/copper-block-emf-radiation/
"Copper is really effective metal at shielding against EMF radiation, which is why you see it in many hospitals or IT applications"
https://www.amazon.com/Brite-Bronze-Copper-Insect-Screen/dp/B00N19V97K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1446167910&sr=8-6&keywords=copper+screen Mylar is also quite a popular material to use. Others advice:
"Try inexpensive countermeasures first before spending a lot of money on on elaborate versions -- try $2 copper mesh before spending $30 for a shielded baseball cap, try $10 rubber mats before spending $150 for a blanket-sized sheet of rub" Others advice:
"Buy gel packs and tape them together to create a blanket. Water has proven to be effective at blocking out signals"
"Create a thick blanket using tin foil - cheaper and temporary option, until more effective measures are found"
"Buy a large piece of steel and sleep under it. Even using pots/pans have been known to work"
Others advice:
Other countermeasures are steel cookie sheets, heavypieces of steel such as barbell plates, multiple layers of foil, multiple layers of mylar blankets, wet towels, wet blankets, lead xray aprons, filled plastic water bottles, hand lotion and other lotions, jels and creams applied to the skin, metal necklaces, metal wrist and ankle bracelets, metal belts, metal impregnated clothing, metal impregnated bed sheets, RF shielding fabric conditioner, electrically grounded ground planes, electrically grounding our bodies, ceramic tile, unrolled copper mesh scourers wrapped around the head, RF shielded baseball cap from http://www.lessemf.com, neodymium or other strong or large magnets, box fan leaned against the bed to provide vibration, moving around during the day (working around the house, gardening, hiking -- makes targeting more difficult), playing one or more radios tuned to different news talk stations or tuned to different types of music stations such as classical and jazz, foam earplugs.
Shielding countermeasures that work well for me to counteract synthetic vibrational sensations are rubber mats, electrically grounded ground plane, electrically grounding myself, RF shielding fabric conditioner, ceramic tile, RF shielded baseball cap, the anti-tinnitus CD/headphone, and listening to talk radio. I have an aluminum screen (metal kind used for window screen and screened doors) in bed.
under my fitted sheet connected to earth ground (third prong of an electrical outlet, or cold water metal plumbing supply line pipe under the sink, or a metal rod driven ~2' into the ground outside). Thus I'm sleeping on a ground plane that tends to "ground-out" some of the RF directed at me. Helping further is an electrically grounded wire touching my skin while in bed, also helping to "ground-out" the RF. (Next thing for me to try is an RF fabric sheet on top, or a sheet washed in RF shielding fabric conditioner.) Under my aluminum screen in bed is a layer of 16"x16" (more commonly available in the 12"x12" size) ceramic flooring tile from Home Depot. Yes, for whatever reason, any size ceramic tile works surprisingly well for many TIs according to someone on the conference calls who got the idea after researching what the military uses to RF shield their secure.bunkers. If you've never tried it, do so! For me it probably works better than most if not all of the countermeasures listed here. In addition to sleeping on a layer of them if you want you can lean one tile against your abdomen and another against your head.
Also while sleeping I listen to a CD developed by a TI named David Case of Case Electronics which is supposed to eliminate the tinnitus some TIs experience; for me it helps me relax and may eliminate some of the electronic brain linking/neural monitoring from the perps. The CD is free (last time I checked) but you have to buy high-frequency headphones that go up to at least 25kHz, such as KOSS TSC75 and KOSS PRO35/A from Radio Shack ($25-$40).
Listening to the CD on conventional speakers didn't help. Since using this CD I no longer need to sleep with head shielding. A fabric conditioner called AegisGuard LL, available from http://www.aegisguard.com, added to the final rinse cycle of the laundry while in the washing machine, results in your clothes being RF shielded. I use it all the time and feel much more comfortable during the day as a result. It costs about $4 per laundry load. Based on my experience it is highly recommended if you can afford it! As everyone's targeting is different no one countermeasure works for everyone so experiment to see which set of countermeasures work best for you. Try one thing at a time. Even if something doesn't have much effect at first try it for a week as the beneficial effects may not be apparent initially. If things get extremely bad then discontinue but be aware it takes a while to adjust and sometimes sticking it out for a few days proves beneficial in the long run.
Try inexpensive countermeasures first before spending a lot of money on on elaborate versions -- try $2 copper mesh before spending $30 for a shielded baseball cap, try $10 rubber mats before spending $150 for a blanket-sized sheet of rubber.
Once countermeasures are found that work, switching-off between two or more of them may increase their overall effectiveness. For example wear a shielded baseball cap during the day and listen to a jamming CD at night. Try moving shielding components around to a different spot each night. Reserve an especially effective countermeasure for use only in rare instances of unusually heavy attacks. If you've never or only briefly experimented with shielding I would highly recommend doing so. You may feel only a little better at night but then during the day may feel more positive and may be able to get more accomplished. Before employing shielding countermeasures my life had a very nightmarish, hopeless feel to it. Now my outlook is much more positive and I have more energy during the day!"
Your friendly neighbourhood Targeted Individual.
Someone asked on Reddit, when did you start to notice that you were being stalked?
My answer:
Stalking started around 2018 at the train station but I'm sure they were being peeking toms way before this. I've never known someone to be so obsessive over someone else, where they literally dedicated they're lives to you.
Things that I noticed over time:

• People started to be excessively rude in my life, for no reason.

E.g. Bullying or unwanted comments

• People start to notice you more. Others around me would suddenly comment regarding anything to do with my fears, my thoughts at the time or general concerns in life.

E.g. Walking down the street and thinking to myself, 'i'll need to clean the car today'. Suddenly someone behind me would state the same thing to their friend. E.g. I was concerned someone would see my different coloured socks. So I would cover them, making it impossible to see them but suddenly two random strangers would make a off hand comment regarding my sock colours.

• You'll start to notice an increase of similar comments, they will have an certain theme to them.

(This is often called the stalking stage, the purpose is to study your reactions and to make you hypersensitive at the same time. So you will start to notice more things around you, which can lead to an increase of paranoia. They will also wish to know what things can cause an negative reaction and will use this more in the future).

• The neighbours could suddenly hear everything I did in my house.

E.g. My house is completely separate with thick walls and no matter where I seemed to be, I'd eventually hear a comment from the neighbour regarding my previous conversations with family or anything I did during that day.

• I could hear the neighbour's conversation in my house for some reason, which had never happened before. Projected audio, most likely.

E.g. If I had on the tv, they would say it's too loud despite being on the same loudness for over many years. It was V2K so projected audio in my case.

• All the themes and comments from random strangers, start to make you feel like your being stalked by someone.

E.g In my case, they lied about making a fake social media website in the beginning as through previous study, they knew I was scared of being online at the time due to OCD. No matter where I went, I'd hear someone state, 'ohh they are from that website!'. It felt like I was being actually followed, which is true. This method is called Anchoring
(This is known as anchoring and is designed to gain your overall attention and to confuse you so you'll look crazy in front of your family and friends. This stage they are preparing you).
The behaviour overall increased and lead to DEW weapons, etc. This was done after the stalking and anchoring stage.
Little tips per case:

• If your gang-stalker uses the following triggers: Key phrases, sound or frequency. The chances are they use these methods in combination with each other, this pattern of behaviour heavily replies on sensualization. E.g. You think of an thought but suddenly feel stressed for some reason.

"Ahh I feel like cleaning today" You feel an certain change caused by frequency. "Actually it suddenly feels like an lot of effort"
Basically your 'trained' to do this, through the earlier stages of stalking. This is where they study you as an person and expose you to different types of activities such as street threate, certain key phrases, frequencies and etc. This is all to predicted certain reactions from you, which is also handy for anchoring you. (Anchoring is used for misdirection in the gang-stalking community, they will do and say things to confuse or stress you).

• Anchoring is often used in the earlier stages as well; They will often tell stories or lies about everything or anything. Ultimately this services two purposes: To make you pay attention to certain actions or wording, so you become hypersensitive to everything around you or to encourage you to act out. E.g. You never heard of the term targeted individual before and have no idea what's happening to you, so you tell your family or friends. Unfortunately you appear crazy to them instead.
  
• They will often use sound/V2K or they're own voice to confuse you in public. This does not matter if your alone or with relatives. The aim is to give the illusion that someone next to you or people in general are all stalking you.
  

E.g. Your in a restaurant with your family but can hear people saying certain key phrases or just trying to say anything to gain your attention. But you have no idea, who it could be. (That's the aim, to cause confusion).

• They will use sound/V2K to misdirect you during conversations. This services many purposes from confusing to making you paranoid.

E.g. You ordered something at McDonalds but suddenly hear a smart/insult comment as you go forward. However you swear you didn't see her lips move? Well chances are they used sound/V2K to cause this.

• Your deep in thought or starting to fall asleep but suddenly hear words/V2K without hearing anything? Chances are they are using low frequencies or another system for sleep deprivation.

Gang-stalking Guide Part 2
I found some pre-made EMF shielding products.
(Click on photos to make bigger)
All Products by: EMF Protection
EMF Bed: Twin to King Size
Price: $894.99 - $1099.99
The BlocSilver Tent is a great portable way of EMF shielding. It is easy to set up and offers great shielding anywhere as you can carry it when staying in a hotel or visiting friends/family.
https://emf-protection.com/product/blocsilver-tent/
Blocbag Original Swiss Shield EMF Sleeping Bag:
Price: $372.00 - $475.00
Our EMF Sleeping Bag offers much of the cell tower radiation shielding qualities and therefore improved sleep patterns of its bigger sisters, the cell phone radiation protection bed canopies, but at a much smaller financial cost and it’s portable too easily slipping into your suitcase meaning even those suffering from severe electrosensitivity can now consider that trip away that they never felt was possible.
This EMF protection Sleeping bag is made from two great quality shielding fabrics, Swiss Shield Wear for the body and New Daylite at the front and top to allow breathing whilst fully enclosed but with a full zip so that you make the decision regarding how much of your body to cover up depending on exposure temperature and personal comfort.
https://emf-protection.com/product/emf-sleeping-bag New 5g Blocbag EMF Sleeping Bag:
Price: $199.99 - $269.99
The New Blocbag Radio Frequency Protective Sleeping Bag is ideal to create an EMF shielding environment when traveling away from home. It is made from lightweight breathable fabrics, washable, easy to carry, and very comfortable. It offers shielding up to 45 dB and conductivity, the much improved BlocBag 2 will have you asleep in no time, even when facing most 5G scenarios. It comes with an integral pillowcase slot but no face covering. For those who can cope with face covering, simply order the half meter of Blocsilver.
https://emf-protection.com/product/new-5...eping-bag/
EMF Clothing Range:
https://emf-protection.com/product-categ...-clothing/ Products by: Defender Shield
EMF Protection Anti-Radiation Blanket:
$$129.99 – $499.99
Whether at home or on-the-go, the DefenderShield® EMF Protection & Anti-Radiation Blanket can help you stay comfy while protecting from wireless EMF radiation and acting as a floating ground.
Our technology shields up to 99% of EMF radiation from 0-10 GHz, which encompasses frequencies used in the fifth generation wireless network.
https://www.defendershield.com/emf-radia...on-blanket Products by: Holland Shielding
All body shielding
Quotes: Apply
https://hollandshielding.com/protective-...-radiation From Experience: Targeted individual method of shielding in full detail.
Medium site: Jay
https://medium.com/@Jay_Coins/what-im-sh...193e75e7ad
&
https://medium.com/@Jay_Coins/my-gear-as...ee9fd78475 From Experience: Targeted individual method of shielding in full detail. Very in-depth - I kinda liked it myself.
Site by: CounterTruth
http://www.countertruth.com/shielding.html
Product made by: Blushield Tesla
Blushield Premium PortableComes in an smaller and cheaper size).
Price: $429.00
Blushield is an active EMF protection technology designed to protect users from the health effects of man-made electromagnetic fields from mobile phones, smart meters, Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G and all other sources of EMF.
This new Blueshield Premium Portable is twice the strength of the Blueshield Tesla Portable. It has a rechareable battery and comes with a USB cable and induction charge dock. With a three-metre radius (six-metre diameter) area in all directions, place in your pocket or bag when out and about away from your protected zone, or when travelling.
(This seems to be popular).
https://www.earthingoz.com.au/blushield-...m-portable Your friendly neighbourhood Targeted Individual. Email PM FindEdit Delete Reply Quote Report StarChart Junior Member
Product made by: Mission Darkness
(It only received one star because the sender, sent one dirty buy the replacement was clean).
TitanRF Radiation Shielding Throw Blanket - 50" x 60" (127cm x 152cm) Ultra-Soft Reversible Gray and White Design with EMF Radiation Protection
Price: $150.00
LAB TESTED & CERTIFIED TITANRF RADIATION SHIELDING THROW BLANKET The Mission Darkness TitanRF Radiation Shielding Throw Blanket combines quality materials and innovative radio frequency (RF) shielding technology. The main function of the blanket is to act as a barrier between your body and harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and RF inside your home, such as those coming from cell phones, laptops, Wi-Fi routers, smart meters, and 5G cell towers. To use, simply place the blanket on your lap or other areas of your body to reduce your exposure to radiation.
The double-sided reversible design consists of ultra-soft 100% polyester exterior layers with EMF radiation protection hidden inside. The standard size throw blanket is perfect for enjoying on the couch, at a desk, or while traveling. The combined features offers comfortable shielded protection in any environment.
https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Darkness-...ast_sto_dp
Product made by: AegisGuard
AegisGuard LL For Washable Clothing & Fabrics
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AegisGuard™ LL Radiation Shields provide safe, proven radiation shielding protection for all hand and machine washable clothing and other fabrics, including smart clothes, without affecting their color, appearance or texture. Simply add to the final rinse, with or without fabric softener, and machine or hang dry. They are the #1 doctor recommended shielding products for patients concerned about the health effects of radiation frequencies upon the body, and electrosensitive (IEI-EMF, EHS, and ES) individuals.
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EMI/RFI-shielded Faraday tent
The EMI/RFI-shielded Faraday tents are made of highly conductive, lightweight, and ultra-strong textiles. By default, the Faraday tents are delivered with multiple ropes so they can be easily attached to a ceiling, or they can come with a self-standing frame.
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Long Sleeve T-Shirt by Less EMF
Comfortable and classic, this attractive Long Sleeve T is made with a cotton/poly blend woven with silver fibers. The material has been tested between 10 MHz and 4 GHz and shields radio frequencies at 45 dB. A great way to protect your upper body. Pairs nicely with Less EMF Beanie (shown in the image). Available in gray. Made in USA. Specify desired size: S M L XL Washing Instructions: Hand wash (104°F) with TexCare, do not use bleach or chemical detergents. Do not tumble dry. Do not iron.
https://www.lessemf.com/personal.html#20520 https://emfacademy.com/copper-block-emf-radiation/
"Copper is really effective metal at shielding against EMF radiation, which is why you see it in many hospitals or IT applications"
https://www.amazon.com/Brite-Bronze-Copper-Insect-Screen/dp/B00N19V97K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1446167910&sr=8-6&keywords=copper+screen Mylar is also quite a popular material to use. Others advice:
"Try inexpensive countermeasures first before spending a lot of money on on elaborate versions -- try $2 copper mesh before spending $30 for a shielded baseball cap, try $10 rubber mats before spending $150 for a blanket-sized sheet of rub" Others advice:
"Buy gel packs and tape them together to create a blanket. Water has proven to be effective at blocking out signals"
"Create a thick blanket using tin foil - cheaper and temporary option, until more effective measures are found"
"Buy a large piece of steel and sleep under it. Even using pots/pans have been known to work"
Others advice:
Other countermeasures are steel cookie sheets, heavypieces of steel such as barbell plates, multiple layers of foil, multiple layers of mylar blankets, wet towels, wet blankets, lead xray aprons, filled plastic water bottles, hand lotion and other lotions, jels and creams applied to the skin, metal necklaces, metal wrist and ankle bracelets, metal belts, metal impregnated clothing, metal impregnated bed sheets, RF shielding fabric conditioner, electrically grounded ground planes, electrically grounding our bodies, ceramic tile, unrolled copper mesh scourers wrapped around the head, RF shielded baseball cap from http://www.lessemf.com, neodymium or other strong or large magnets, box fan leaned against the bed to provide vibration, moving around during the day (working around the house, gardening, hiking -- makes targeting more difficult), playing one or more radios tuned to different news talk stations or tuned to different types of music stations such as classical and jazz, foam earplugs.
Shielding countermeasures that work well for me to counteract synthetic vibrational sensations are rubber mats, electrically grounded ground plane, electrically grounding myself, RF shielding fabric conditioner, ceramic tile, RF shielded baseball cap, the anti-tinnitus CD/headphone, and listening to talk radio. I have an aluminum screen (metal kind used for window screen and screened doors) in bed.
under my fitted sheet connected to earth ground (third prong of an electrical outlet, or cold water metal plumbing supply line pipe under the sink, or a metal rod driven ~2' into the ground outside). Thus I'm sleeping on a ground plane that tends to "ground-out" some of the RF directed at me. Helping further is an electrically grounded wire touching my skin while in bed, also helping to "ground-out" the RF. (Next thing for me to try is an RF fabric sheet on top, or a sheet washed in RF shielding fabric conditioner.) Under my aluminum screen in bed is a layer of 16"x16" (more commonly available in the 12"x12" size) ceramic flooring tile from Home Depot. Yes, for whatever reason, any size ceramic tile works surprisingly well for many TIs according to someone on the conference calls who got the idea after researching what the military uses to RF shield their secure.bunkers. If you've never tried it, do so! For me it probably works better than most if not all of the countermeasures listed here. In addition to sleeping on a layer of them if you want you can lean one tile against your abdomen and another against your head.
Also while sleeping I listen to a CD developed by a TI named David Case of Case Electronics which is supposed to eliminate the tinnitus some TIs experience; for me it helps me relax and may eliminate some of the electronic brain linking/neural monitoring from the perps. The CD is free (last time I checked) but you have to buy high-frequency headphones that go up to at least 25kHz, such as KOSS TSC75 and KOSS PRO35/A from Radio Shack ($25-$40).
Listening to the CD on conventional speakers didn't help. Since using this CD I no longer need to sleep with head shielding. A fabric conditioner called AegisGuard LL, available from http://www.aegisguard.com, added to the final rinse cycle of the laundry while in the washing machine, results in your clothes being RF shielded. I use it all the time and feel much more comfortable during the day as a result. It costs about $4 per laundry load. Based on my experience it is highly recommended if you can afford it! As everyone's targeting is different no one countermeasure works for everyone so experiment to see which set of countermeasures work best for you. Try one thing at a time. Even if something doesn't have much effect at first try it for a week as the beneficial effects may not be apparent initially. If things get extremely bad then discontinue but be aware it takes a while to adjust and sometimes sticking it out for a few days proves beneficial in the long run.
Try inexpensive countermeasures first before spending a lot of money on on elaborate versions -- try $2 copper mesh before spending $30 for a shielded baseball cap, try $10 rubber mats before spending $150 for a blanket-sized sheet of rubber.
Once countermeasures are found that work, switching-off between two or more of them may increase their overall effectiveness. For example wear a shielded baseball cap during the day and listen to a jamming CD at night. Try moving shielding components around to a different spot each night. Reserve an especially effective countermeasure for use only in rare instances of unusually heavy attacks. If you've never or only briefly experimented with shielding I would highly recommend doing so. You may feel only a little better at night but then during the day may feel more positive and may be able to get more accomplished. Before employing shielding countermeasures my life had a very nightmarish, hopeless feel to it. Now my outlook is much more positive and I have more energy during the day!"
Your friendly neighbourhood Targeted Individual.
Someone asked on Reddit, when did you start to notice that you were being stalked?
My answer:
Stalking started around 2018 at the train station but I'm sure they were being peeking toms way before this. I've never known someone to be so obsessive over someone else, where they literally dedicated they're lives to you.
Things that I noticed over time:

• People started to be excessively rude in my life, for no reason.

E.g. Bullying or unwanted comments

• People start to notice you more. Others around me would suddenly comment regarding anything to do with my fears, my thoughts at the time or general concerns in life.

E.g. Walking down the street and thinking to myself, 'i'll need to clean the car today'. Suddenly someone behind me would state the same thing to their friend. E.g. I was concerned someone would see my different coloured socks. So I would cover them, making it impossible to see them but suddenly two random strangers would make a off hand comment regarding my sock colours.

• You'll start to notice an increase of similar comments, they will have an certain theme to them.

(This is often called the stalking stage, the purpose is to study your reactions and to make you hypersensitive at the same time. So you will start to notice more things around you, which can lead to an increase of paranoia. They will also wish to know what things can cause an negative reaction and will use this more in the future).

• The neighbours could suddenly hear everything I did in my house.

E.g. My house is completely separate with thick walls and no matter where I seemed to be, I'd eventually hear a comment from the neighbour regarding my previous conversations with family or anything I did during that day.

• I could hear the neighbour's conversation in my house for some reason, which had never happened before. Projected audio, most likely.

E.g. If I had on the tv, they would say it's too loud despite being on the same loudness for over many years. It was V2K so projected audio in my case.

• All the themes and comments from random strangers, start to make you feel like your being stalked by someone.

E.g In my case, they lied about making a fake social media website in the beginning as through previous study, they knew I was scared of being online at the time due to OCD. No matter where I went, I'd hear someone state, 'ohh they are from that website!'. It felt like I was being actually followed, which is true. This method is called Anchoring
(This is known as anchoring and is designed to gain your overall attention and to confuse you so you'll look crazy in front of your family and friends. This stage they are preparing you).
The behaviour overall increased and lead to DEW weapons, etc. This was done after the stalking and anchoring stage.
Little tips per case:

• If your gang-stalker uses the following triggers: Key phrases, sound or frequency. The chances are they use these methods in combination with each other, this pattern of behaviour heavily replies on sensualization. E.g. You think of an thought but suddenly feel stressed for some reason.

"Ahh I feel like cleaning today" You feel an certain change caused by frequency. "Actually it suddenly feels like an lot of effort"
Basically your 'trained' to do this, through the earlier stages of stalking. This is where they study you as an person and expose you to different types of activities such as street threate, certain key phrases, frequencies and etc. This is all to predicted certain reactions from you, which is also handy for anchoring you. (Anchoring is used for misdirection in the gang-stalking community, they will do and say things to confuse or stress you).

• Anchoring is often used in the earlier stages as well; They will often tell stories or lies about everything or anything. Ultimately this services two purposes: To make you pay attention to certain actions or wording, so you become hypersensitive to everything around you or to encourage you to act out. E.g. You never heard of the term targeted individual before and have no idea what's happening to you, so you tell your family or friends. Unfortunately you appear crazy to them instead.
  
• They will often use sound/V2K or they're own voice to confuse you in public. This does not matter if your alone or with relatives. The aim is to give the illusion that someone next to you or people in general are all stalking you.
  

E.g. Your in a restaurant with your family but can hear people saying certain key phrases or just trying to say anything to gain your attention. But you have no idea, who it could be. (That's the aim, to cause confusion).

• They will use sound/V2K to misdirect you during conversations. This services many purposes from confusing to making you paranoid.

E.g. You ordered something at McDonalds but suddenly hear a smart/insult comment as you go forward. However you swear you didn't see her lips move? Well chances are they used sound/V2K to cause this.

• Your deep in thought or starting to fall asleep but suddenly hear words/V2K without hearing anything? Chances are they are using low frequencies or another system for sleep deprivation.

Introduction
For those of you who’ve heard of me - you know who I am. For those of you who don't know, our bot has been used by several hundred thousand people to find out approximate values for their rivens, useful information on how riven stats affect certain weapons, and what stats to look/roll for on rivens.
Together with my team and a number of volunteers, I’m writing this post to show you how the consequences of the devs not thinking ahead and not respecting player investments have created massive issues for most players and themselves. One such situation is happening right now and is consequently causing issues more severe than we’ve ever seen. The devs have not acknowledged those issues or researched to see how their changes would affect existing systems.
Here are the specific issues we’ll be discussing:

1. how DE has been mishandling Warframe (poorly released updates since The Old Blood)
2. how they don’t understand how their actions are affecting the game and rivens,
3. how they’re out of touch with the playerbase (how they balance riven dispos in relation to player use)
4. issues with the current damage/status system (how the riven system is affected by it), and
5. how DE can take actions to help fix Warframe (and what specifically they can/should do).

For those of you who want to go really in-depth, here’s a link to an extended version of the post [Link]; it’s far more detailed with more explanation, specific sources, and relevant mathematics.
I specialize in rivens, so it should not surprise you that I’ll first be discussing the issues with the riven system including: disposition changes, kuva/insane RNG, and other misconducts fewer people know about. However, riven discussion is not the only thing we discuss as these issues are mostly mechanics-related. Rivens are an excellent way to demonstrate and also act as a good litmus test for overall game health.
General Riven Issues
One of the most widely recognized problems people have with rivens is, of course, the RNG. Everyone who plays this game knows the frustration of spending hours on grinding Kuva, an endeavor which tends to be almost always fruitless. You may not know how grim the numbers are unless you take a closer look at them. Based on our calculations, for the vast majority of weapons, around 80-96% [Link] of stat combos on rivens are downright worse than non-riven mods or barely better than their normal mod counterparts. The situation is particularly dire if you want better stat combinations. The seemingly insane prices you can find on trading websites for higher-end rivens are the simplest proof of demand far exceeding supply. There’s a very simple and completely obvious solution which lies in simply increasing the chances for you to get good stats like +Damage, +Multishot on rivens by around 10-20%. That would both greatly decrease the overall RNG and would also decrease all prices for higher end rivens. Here’s some global issues that should also be addressed:

• DE is well-known for nerfing new and popular weapons’ riven disposition shortly after their release. This inadvertently invalidates players’ investments into their new shiny rivens, and leaves a bad taste in players’ mouths; taking a break from Warframe could literally cost hundreds or thousands of plat if you return to find your riven’s disposition was changed. DE can mitigate this by planning ahead and balancing a new weapon’s riven disposition in relation to how powerful the weapon is and how popular DE perceives it will become; this way, players would be able to first see how much more powerful those new weapons would be with a riven that won’t be immediately nerfed, even if the riven isn’t too powerful.
• Some rivens received so many nerfs that they are downright not worth slotting over a regular mod (Ignis, Arca Plasmor, and Catchmoon fall into this category). This pretty much means that players who invested Kuva/Plat got screwed by DE’s dispo changes and they might as well have no riven at all, since it’s not optimal to slot anymore.
• Players have no choice in what type of rivens they receive (unless they spend plat!). This has been an issue since the introduction of rivens and it could have been much more fair if some degree of choice was given to the player (or if some weapons like Cestra were excluded from the common pool).

The Harsh Consequences of Melee 3.0’s Mod Changes
The biggest issue here lies within the Condition Overload change. It used to multiply damage exponentially. Now, it’s an additive base damage boost. The result? It completely replaces any form of +Melee Damage in pretty much any build other than niche Heavy Attack builds. The diminishing returns mean that your Primed Pressure Point and your riven with +Melee Damage are no longer worthy of being in normal builds at all for the majority of weapons. A perfect melee riven no longer has +Melee Damage on it, which is very counter-intuitive, likely goes against the devs’ own views and, most importantly, your +Melee Damage rivens lost anywhere from a third to nearly the entirety of their former value. Also, mods like Killing Blow further decrease the value of +Melee Damage on rivens for specific Heavy Attack builds. Blood Rush changes are also related and there’s a big issue with Maiming Strike and +Slidecrit on rivens, which is discussed in-depth in the extended version of this post. TLDR: For the average player who happens to have a +DMG riven for a melee weapon, that riven just lost at least a third of its usefulness, since Condition Overload gives the same type of +Damage as plain +Damage mods.
The Status Changes in Warframe: Revised
One of the main reasons I created this post is the changes to the status effect system. It started off with the Impact stacking rework blunder that was thankfully prevented by the community, but what wasn’t fixed created an even deeper issue.
Currently, build diversity also suffers because the majority of elements are completely outclassed by Viral. Gas is pretty much obsolete, Magnetic is still relatively worthless, Radiation is broken at higher enemy levels, Blast still doesn’t have a clear desirable benefit over other elements, and Corrosive is better than Viral on only a few weapons, and usually only against enemies with Ferrite armor specifically. This is very unhealthy for the game and pretty much invalidates your base Heat Lich weapons you got for Gas builds, creating an even larger gap between the levels at which you one shot enemies and the levels at which they two-shot you.
The majority of weapons are so strong that any future enemies would be forced to have invulnerability phases and other hated mechanics to present any challenge. Viral should eventually be fixed, but the devs' choice to let it sit on the backburner creates a lot of issues in all systems; this is unhealthy for the community who will buy and invest into rivens and forma for the current meta, which will eventually lose their value. It will also be detrimental if you’ve sold or are about to sell your riven that could become useful in the future meta. The impact of +Status Chance no longer being a good stat for shotguns can’t be underestimated either, as previously you’d want it for the majority of shotguns, yet now you no longer need it even nearly as much. A lot of weapons have become viable now without any rivens, but that should be done through balancing weapons themselves, not making one with completely overpowered stats and nerfing armor scaling at higher levels. While Viral will eventually be fixed, without balancing weapons properly it will once again become very clear how a lot of weapons are lagging behind a few overpowered ones (e.g. Lenz vs. Kuva Bramma).
DE’s Failed Development Plan
In case you think everything is going to DE’s development plan and just requires some tweaks to make it work perfectly, here’re some more examples on how it’s clearly against their plans. You could also see it as them not being able to predict how their changes will affect the game. Steve said that the majority of shotguns will see the changes as a buff [Link], while it’s actually a nerf to most status shotguns. It’s not an S curve, but a different figure [Figure 1, we go into more detail about this matter in the extended version]. The reason why a lot of them still work is because of how watered down many of the enemies are now on the higher end, but many shotguns have less than 10% status chance per pellet. For damage over time builds through status chance, this is horrible since pellet count doesn’t help here. Many higher base critical chance shotguns like Corinth (Prime) and Vaykor Hek do manage to shine nowadays, but that comes at the cost of weapons like Tigris Prime and Sobek becoming rather weak. The enemy scaling changes were also not very clear.
Riven disposition changes and their balancing tools historically failed to properly balance a lot of weapons. Previously, you wanted +Heat on Kuva weapons used with Gas, but now you want +Cold or +Toxin on them. When Viral gets fixed, the meta will change yet again, thus forcing you to refarm your liches for your favourite weapons for the third time, if you had patience to refarm them after the status changes.
The devs’ riven API
One could say there’s a clear lack of communication between what the players want and what the devs do. Player feedback aside, to communicate with the devs about my own tools I’ve been going through their support. The two types of replies I got were extremely vague that hardly clarified anything, and if it was an actual reply, that only came after months of waiting. Most of my questions were simply about their rules or if I could add a certain feature to the bot or not. Seeing how difficult it is to get any answers and how the devs have been mishandling game balance and rivens in particular, I applied for fansite partnership with DE to establish a line of communication (they've made it clear you can apply to partner a big community server [Link]).
The devs’ first reply [Link 1] came as a huge shock for me. For those of you unaware, the riven API they’ve introduced [Riven API Dev-post], not a toolbuilder by the way, is completely useless. The devs’ data show minimum, maximum, and average prices, but those aren’t even nearly enough to judge the actual price. The maximum price could skyrocket during some weeks, for some weeks there’s too few trades going on, and most importantly, their data doesn’t differentiate rivens by their stats’ qualities even if that wouldn’t be too difficult to implement (and I’m saying this as a programmer). There are also times when people exchange their rivens for fun or testing purposes, which still affect the API’s data.
Most of the issues with their API could be fixed by programming their algorithms to divide trades by preferred stats. For example, in their API data for each weapon, there’d be prices and estimations for both lower, medium, higher, and highest quality rivens. It’s not all that hard to do: it could be done by cooperating with knowledgeable people, using machine learning, or implementing some basic algorithms well known by data scientists and programmers.
I tried to explain that to the devs in a follow up message. Here’s a part of it on why their API is wrong [Link 2] [image links: 1,2,3,4). The reply I received: [Link 3].
Officially, prevention of manipulating and scamming is the reason for this API’s existence [Riven API Dev-post]. But I’ve heard numerous reports from my own users that the devs’ data was used for scamming people in specific trading platforms, such as one of the French facebook groups for trading. I have no solid proof of said manipulation personally, but if you have seen solid proof of that, don’t hesitate to share your experience in comments below. Market manipulation is also brought up in the last post about riven dispositions [April 2020 Dispo Changes] and the devs’ measures are completely ineffective compared to simply cooperating with even just one of the big toolmakers.
Now here’s one final fact to top it off: according to this page [Github Data], their API has been down for over two months. It seems that the devs updated the data recently, but there was a very long period of time when it wasn’t updated at all. I leave you to make your own judgement on why that would happen and if they should have said something about it in case they’ve cared. To be honest though, their data is so nonreflective of the current prices and can be so easily deceptive, that I strongly recommend to never use it unless they improve it.
I also want to point out how the creation of API was announced right after the drama with Semlar, when the devs listened to a manipulator themselves and brought down Semlar’s trade chat scanner. Not only was the API used to divert your attention from their clear failure, but it was also largely useless. Semlar simply remade his tool later and used a different technology for it.
Solutions to Make Warframe Healthy Again
It wouldn’t be a complete post without a few suggestions on how to fix this whole mess, and our suggestions below would help fix the recent lack of trust and communication between the devs and the players:

1. Partner up with toolmakers. It goes without question that all parties could benefit greatly from such cooperation. From us not relying solely on our own sources to judge rivens to them using our data for their own judgement.
2. Create more design documents and listen to feedback. Some of you might remember the dev’s proposal for Physical Damage 2.0 [Damage 2.0 Dev-post] and how players reacted to such an obviously wrong change and saved us from a balance disaster.
3. Look for the talents in your own community. It goes without question that among dozens of millions of players there are those with even bigger passion and understanding than that of the devs. They could be reached, hand-picked individually, or perhaps even found through contests such as one for suggesting how to balance some part of the game.
4. Global balancing goals must be clear and available in public. The goals for any major reworks must also be clear, public and consistent with your previous updates.
5. Acknowledge and fix immediate issues before they become critical. The status changes are horrible for the game’s health and if the devs don’t want to deny more players’ investments than they already have, Viral has to stop being the only good combined elemental, which calls for a buff to pretty much all other elemental damage types. The changes to Condition Overload, Blood Rush, and Weeping Wounds must be reverted back to being separate multipliers with adjusted stat values, and base critical chance and status mods should also be reverted in tandem.

Moving Forward
That's it. Dear fellow player, if you made this far, this final paragraph is a message directly to YOU. If you're still playing this game, never hesitate to talk about the bugs... or any other gripes you have about the game, really. Talk about balance and game-related issues to in-game friends, in Region Chat, on Reddit, and on the Forums. If an issue in the game is to be fixed, the people who can fix it must first know about the issue. Let’s all keep a close watch over the devs and keep them from ignoring huge underlying issues. As a player, don’t say that your voice isn’t enough to make a difference, because in more than zero cases the devs actually did something based on a single player’s feedback (Universal Medallions and Conclave). However, this will only work if everyone speaks their minds.
Dear DE, I decided to write this post because of how unhealthy Warframe and the community has become because of your recent changes to core game mechanics. A lot of people came together to make this post believing that you care and that you would listen, since we recognize how different you are from many other video game developers. I don’t believe there’s specific people who should “take blame,” but rather, I’d say it’s your policies and general approach at balancing the game that should be changed. I have also written this out of desperation; a lot of previously passionate people have left or are leaving the game because they don’t believe you can or will fix these issues properly. Please, prove them wrong, and give them a reason to come back.
Anyways, I'll be replying to any and all sensible questions about Warframe, my bot, server, or whatever for the next hour or so down below together with u/CHEMistry_Inc and u/Jigoogly before heading off to sleep.
Feel free to ask me anything and if you're late to the party, I can reply tomorrow on my server [F.R.E.S. Discord Server] at a temporary channel called #answers. After I wake up, I'll reply to both interesting questions and criticism. Special shoutout to members of my team and numerous volunteers for helping putting this post together, you know who you are.
You'll probably be hearing from me in the future.
Stay safe,
~Folren
[EDIT] I'll have to head off soon after maybe replying for a bit more, but I'll be back tomorrow to reply to some more comments here and in #answers. However, my dear helpers will stay for a bit longer. A special shoutout to everyone who helps me work on the bot and the server and people who came together to make this post happen and continue to help with replies.
[EDIT2] I'm back and already done some more replying here and there. My deep appreciation to everyone who gifted an award or two to this post thus improving its visibility.

Took a while to make this. No scares, just a fun headcanon-filled Wikipedia article I made. Can you find all the easter eggs?
William Charles Afton (Born December 19th, 1944 - disappeared August 3rd, 1996, declared dead September 15th, 1999) was an England-born inventor, engineer, businessman, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the robotics field and the children’s entertainment industry, Afton contributed heavily to the advancement of animatronic design and the founding of Fazbear Entertainment, a corporation (and later media conglomerate) specializing in children’s entertainment and animatronics. Afton also founded the titular company Afton Robotics, an animatronic manufacturer well known for producing and supplying animatronic characters for restaurants like Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza before filing for bankruptcy in 2005.
Born in Manchester, England, Afton studied robotics engineering for most of the 1960s, receiving a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in 1974. After his emigration to the United States of America in 1978, Afton established Fredbear’s Family Diner with business partner and personal friend Henry Emily, working directly with Emily as owner of the establishment until stepping down in 1981, citing creative differences over Emily’s founding of Fazbear Entertainment, and founding Afton Robotics.
Afton received heavy publicity in 1983 when he was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder in June, after becoming a prime suspect of the investigation following the disappearance of 4 (possibly 5) children inside Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in Hurricane, Utah. A criminal trial followed soon after, but Afton was acquitted of all charges in July. Afton became the subject of more scrutiny in September 1984, when Afton Robotics’ highly-anticipated entertainment venue, Circus Baby’s Pizza World, was permanently shut down days before its grand opening; Afton Robotics issued an official statement citing gas leaks and dissatisfaction with its animatronic characters.
William Afton remained CEO of Afton Robotics until he was reported to have gone missing on August 3rd, 1996. Multiple suspects were questioned, including former business partner Henry Emily and Afton’s oldest son Michael, but the investigation was considered a dead end by the end of 1996, and Afton was declared dead on September 15th, 1999. Afton Robotics suffered a heavy loss in stocks following Afton’s disappearance, and later filed for bankruptcy in 2005.
Early life
William Afton was born in 1944 to Samantha and Kane Afton (a wealthy local judge) in West Manchester General Hospital in the city of the same name. William attended Wool Bonne Preparatory School - teachers described Afton as “pleasant” and “remarkable” - in an interview with local New Harmony news station Flash 58, Afton described his childhood in length.
“I wasn’t the nicest kid around. Bit of a spoiled brat, actually. I had friends… but it was always my studies I was concerned about. I think I was a bit of a prick when I was a kid. I remember chasing around some of the other kids, the younger ones, and I’d poke them and tease them and- well, kid things. I’d apologize to them now, but - heh, I don’t even remember their names.” -William Afton, August 10th, 1988, Flash 58 interviews Afton Robotics CEO.
Afton lived in Manchester until he moved to Liverpool in 1967. By 1974, Afton received a master’s degree from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.
In 1967, Afton married local actress Jacqueline Hart. Together, they had three children: Michael Joseph Afton (1969-2024), Elizabeth Samantha Afton (1973-1984), and Cassidy Kane Afton (1977-1983). From 1974 to 1978, Afton worked at a local telecommunications company. According to Afton himself in an interview with HUTV News, he spent a substantial amount of this time attempting to finance his Springlock Mascot Suit Endo-00 design:
“Ah yes, the suits. I’ve always regretted those damned things [...] after I received my degree and I settled down with my wife in Liverpool, I’d finalized the design, or so I thought at the time, but I needed money. And times weren’t the best back then [...] no one was interested in it, for one. Said the animatronic stuff was a fad… plus they were just too dangerous. I’d never actually gotten to build the design until I collaborated with Henry, and I hadn’t noticed how dangerous they were until I saw them in person… even after that though, I suppose it wasn’t enough.” -William Afton, March 5th, 1988, HUTV News: Interview with Afton Robotics CEO: Circus Baby's Comeback.
Afton made plans to emigrate to the United States of America with his family after these attempts were rendered unsuccessful, though Afton never made a statement as to why. On February 7th, 1978, Afton’s wife Jacqueline was reported dead. Coroners ruled the cause of death as a pulmonary embolism. Later that year in April, William and his three children emigrated to the USA, moving to New Harmony, Utah.
Career with Fazbear Entertainment
Not much is known about Afton’s life in America before founding Fredbear’s Family Diner with fellow entrepreneur Henry Emily in New Harmony, Utah. An excerpt from the diner’s “Welcome board” reads as follows:
“MEET FREDBEAR AND SPRINGBONNIE’S GREATEST FRIENDS! Henry Emily and William Afton have worked hard to bring the greatest in entertainment right to the doorstep of New Harmony. It was not so long ago when Henry and his friend Fredbear were looking for fellow band members - what a surprise it was for them when William Afton and great friend Springbonnie, also looking for work and companionship, met them and devised the unforgettable and affordable experience you’re in RIGHT NOW! You can always catch Henry Emily introducing the bear-and-bunny duo on Saturday nights, and William Afton is always hard at work sending out letters for any furry friends who wish to join them on their adventure.” -Welcome board for Fredbear’s Family Diner, New Harmony, Utah, observed in 1979.
Afton was historically outspoken as to the mutual understanding of his partnership with Emily, stating in a press release in 1981 that Emily “took [his] fantasies and allowed [him] to make them reality.” The official design for Afton’s Springlock Mascot Suit Endo-01 was filed and patented in June 1978, with two versions being manufactured by Afton and Emily themselves; the RXP-001 and RXQ-001 models, to be used as bases for characters later officially named Fredbear and Springbonnie. (See list of Fazbear Entertainment mascots and characters for more info.) Fredbear’s Family Diner officially opened to the public on August 13th, 1978, immediately becoming a local sensation in New Harmony.
At the time, the Springlock Mascot Suit Endo-01 design was considered revolutionary in the field of robotics, and paved the way for animatronic design in the future. The original Endo-00 design was meant to serve the dual purpose of a mascot suit to be worn by a human operator that could also be shifted into an "animatronic mode" - blueprint designs of the Endo-00 design released by Afton Robotics in 1985 noted how iron springlocks lined around the inside of the suit could be manually adjusted to allow for the pieces of the animatronic endoskeleton to detach and compress into the lining of the outer casing to allow for use as a suit. The Endo-00 design was never properly manufactured; when the Endo-01 design was finalized and the RXP-001 and RXQ-001 models were built by Emily and Afton, the transition process from "suit" to "animatronic" mode was simplified by allowing the operator to use a metal crank (inserted into various slots of the suit) to adjust the springlocks without needing to open the suit. In "animatronic" mode, the Endo-01 design was capable of fully simulated head, torso, and arm movement. The two Springlock Mascot Suit -01 models were regularly used by Fredbear's Family Diner for several years until 1983.
Establishing Afton Robotics
In January 1981, Fazbear Entertainment was established by Emily and plans to expand the Fazbear franchise surfaced - by 1982, Fredbear's Family Diner regularly advertised and promoted Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a new restaurant set for opening in 1983 in the neighboring city of Hurricane, Utah. Afton Robotics was founded later in February, and William Afton stepped down from management of Fredbear's Family Diner. In an issue of The Daily Duck, New Harmony's local newspaper, Fazbear Entertainment issued a public statement:
"Don't worry, folks! Here at Fazbear Entertainment we pride ourselves on transparency and familiarity. We have good news and bad news. The bad news is: our dear friend William Afton will be officially leaving the Fredbear family as of February 14th. The good news is: Afton's dear work has paid off, and we will still be in contact with him! After over a year of searching, thanks to Afton's help, we have found a merry band of four furry friends looking for the perfect stage to test their skills… and entertain some kids along the way! William and his new friends over at Afton Robotics are working very hard to bring these new friends to you, so please be patient. If you have any questions, be sure to contact our customer support number - or, if you're already here, why not ask Fredbear himself at Fredbear's Family Diner?" -Fazbear Entertainment Public Statement, The Daily Duck, February 7th 1981 issue.
In March 1981, a patent was filed by Afton Robotics for the Mascot Endo-X, a modification of the Springlock Mascot Suit Endo-01 design that removed "suit mode" features and expanded on motion capabilities and durability. Experts were initially sceptical of the Mascot Endo-X design, labelling the added motion capabilities (such as walking and crouching) to be "ludicrous" and "far-fetched" - in response to this criticism, Afton held a short presentation in Salt Lake City, showcasing a prototype base Endo-X model, featuring precision joints in hands for advanced finger movement, installable balance actuators for torso and limbs, magnetic on/off panels on bottoms of feet to ground endoskeleton, and other features not seen in marketed robotics at the time. Also presented were five additional Endo-X designs with individual features:
FF-1: Advanced speakers placed inside the torso to simulate speaking and singing; music box synthesizer module inside chest.
BB-1: Authentic guitar with simulated song speaker; simulated LED eye color capable of cycling through multiple colors.
CC-1: Intended to hold a smaller mechanical object capable of blinking and "laughing", held snug onto hand via magnets.
FP-1: Individually moving eyepatch; advanced arm and leg movement to enable "peeking".
SP-1: Frequency inspection system; sound familiarity and recognition; capable of sounding alarms and alerting staff via sound plugin connected to mainframe.
Few information was given on the characters the models would be used for until 1982 when Fazbear Entertainment held its own press conference revealing its partnership with Afton Robotics and identifying the characters as Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie the Bunny, Chica Chicken, and Foxy the Pirate, to be used in the Freddy Fazbear's Pizza restaurant. Of particular interest to shareholders and news reporters during the Afton Robotics presentation was the SP-1 model, later officially named Marionette by Fazbear Entertainment; Afton himself coined it to be a "security guard", capable of identifying objects and persons using security tags embedded in bracelets.
This presentation was a turning point for Afton's career and the future of Afton Robotics. Quarterly stocks raised exponentially; various children's entertainment venues such as Melody Way Inc. reportedly underwent production contracts with Afton Robotics. However, at this point in time, Afton was adamant to press that his highest priority was the company's contract with Fazbear Entertainment. While the company produced several animatronic characters for various venues (see list of Afton Robotics contracts and publishers for more info), Afton Robotics gained the majority of its fortune and reputation through its dealings with Fazbear Entertainment.
In April 1981, Afton Robotics bought a large automobile factory in New Harmony, Utah, at the time owned by automaker company Hadcappe. This factory would become the main headquarters of Afton Robotics over time, and one of three Afton Robotics factories in the Midwest dedicated to animatronic development and production. The New Harmony facility was unique from its sister locations in how Afton Robotics excavated underground to increase storage size and plans - it would later be officially named Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rental after Afton Robotics’ fallout with Fazbear Entertainment in 1988.
Safety inspections and controversy
The first of many controversies to plague William Afton struck in February 1983 following the death of Charlotte Lorraine Emily, the seven-year old daughter of Henry Emily, who was found dead in an alley behind Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Eyewitness reports were few and far between - parents claimed that Emily’s daughter had been playing with several other children in the Marionette character's “play zone” when she was reportedly locked outside, then found dead in the alley by her father upon closing.
Several shareholders of Afton Robotics criticized the SP-001 (“Marionette”) model for its inability to prevent Charlotte Emily’s death - members of the press questioned Afton as to possible exaggeration of the SP-001 model’s abilities. Camera footage showed that the Marionette animatronic was inside its “home box” when Emily was locked outside, and failed to follow her until she had already died, decommissioning itself in the process due to the heavy rain. This behavior was not indicative of the behavior Afton had previously promised of the SP-001 model, and market interest in the model fell dramatically until Afton Robotics finally stopped selling the animatronic model later that year. Fazbear Entertainment’s CEO Henry Emily also stepped down less than a week after the incident occurred.
Following the opening of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in January 1983, additional RXP-001 and RXQ-001 Springlock Mascot Suit Endo-01 models were built as backup mascots for the location - Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza was well known for hosting “guest parties” for special occasions featuring the Fredbear and Springbonnie characters using these suits. Following Henry Emily’s official stepping down from CEO of Fazbear Entertainment in February 1983, the company began plans to expand with more Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza locations across America, particularly focusing on the Midwest.
Afton himself also worked directly with the management of the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in Hurricane, Utah on occasion, working as a technician and training employees on proper usage of the suits. Afton recounted his experience in an issue of People Magazine released on November 25th, 1987:
“Well, Henry was gone by that point, yes, but I felt a responsibility to keep his legacy safe, and those suits weren’t safe if they weren’t handled properly… as you can tell. Henry had hired people who were damn good at entertaining children and upholding a safe environment, yes, but when it came to experience with the animatronics and the suits, they were lacking. Really, I was only there to educate them on the suits and keep them aware of the risks and how to mitigate them… Luckily Franklin followed my advice and hired Jonathan, and soon my help wasn’t needed.” -William Afton, November 25th, 1987, Afton Robotics CEO addresses controversy. * Franklin Scott was the CEO of Fazbear Entertainment following Emily’s leave. **Jonathan Sordic was an Afton Robotics specialist hired by Fazbear Entertainment in late February 1983 to train fellow staff on usage of the Endo-01 suits, later promoted to management in 1985.
Afton’s Endo-01 design was officially recalled in March 1983 after Fazbear Entertainment staff member Craig Morgan died of exsanguination while wearing the RXP-001 (“Fredbear”) mascot suit at Fredbear’s Family Diner - witness reports and coroner records detailed that the suit suffered a critical springlock failure when Morgan bumped into a table, tripped, and fell onto the floor - multiple children in the diner witnessed a piece of the endoskeleton spine snap into place, eviscerating Morgan’s back. Staff carried Morgan into the building’s “safe room” (see List of Fazbear Entertainment controversies and allegations for more info) where additional springlocks in the leg, arm, and facial regions suffered critical failure as well, resulting in Morgan’s death.
Both Afton Robotics and Fazbear Entertainment received heavy backlash and controversy for this event. Fredbear’s Family Diner’s popularity dwindled (though it still remained open until August 1983), and Afton Robotics stock suffered dramatically as buyers and entertainment venues began to lose faith in the safety of Afton Robotics brand machines. Afton Robotics began plans to manufacture a Springlock Mascot Suit Endo-02 model shortly after this, and it was successfully released in July 1983, though Fazbear Entertainment is the only known company to purchase these models.
Criminal investigation
On June 26th, 1983, two children were observed at the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in Hurricane, Utah to have walked into the building’s Parts and Service room near the end of the day, and did not return; one of these children was unable to be identified, but the other was successfully identified as Fritz Lawrence, a seven year old boy. Fazbear Entertainment officials collaborated with Hurricane law enforcement (leading detective Grant Ross) and found that three more children had been reported missing: Susanne Reynolds, Jeremy Davidson, and Gabriel West. Fritz’s father Jack Lawrence testified that he had noticed one of the mascots, Fredbear, standing inside the Parts and Service room, making strange gestures towards some of the children.
William Afton was arrested in his home the following morning and charged with four counts of first-degree murder; det. Grant Ross noted Afton as one of the only staff at the time not attending a performance being given in the main showroom at the time, as well as his familiarity with the Endo-01 models, which had been decommissioned in preparation for their recall and replacement with the Endo-02 models.
A lengthy court process ensued, lasting roughly a month until July 28th when Afton was acquitted of all charges by jurisdiction, citing lack of evidence - prosecution failed to provide evidence of Afton’s involvement in the disappearance of the 5 missing children, as well as any DNA evidence. Afton Robotics representative Markus Flechman issued a public statement on August 1st:
“These harrowing allegations have shocked the Afton Robotics family to its core. Our fundamental existence as a corporate entity is to enrich the lives of children all around the world - never could we have imagined that William could be accused of such a thing, and we’re glad to finally see the end of this awful process. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this terrible crime. We hope you find justice someday.” -Markus Flechman, August 1st, Afton Robotics Public Statement.
Over the course of the next decade, Afton Robotics made several hefty donations (some as high as $500,000; see Afton Robotics page for more info) to various children’s centers, homeless shelters, and mental wellness centers in Utah and its surrounding counties and states.
Circus Baby announcement and cancellation
Soon after his son Cassidy’s death (see Fredbear’s Family Diner page for more info) and the subsequent closing of Fredbear’s Family Diner in August 1983, Afton held another presentation in Salt Lake City to discuss the future of Afton Robotics and its relationship with Fazbear Entertainment.
“[...] While the nature of our relationship may change over the course of the next decade, Afton Robotics will continue to fulfill its manufacturing partnership with Fazbear Entertainment. However, we have some new plans in store, as we’ll be showing you today. [...] I’ve come a long way since ‘79 when I first came here to America. I’ve gained much... I’ve lost even more. Today I am here to show you the future of children’s entertainment - what my son would’ve wanted.” -William Afton, August 31st, 1983, Future of Entertainment Presentation.
This presentation was yet another turning point for Afton Robotics. Members of the press were amazed by the newest creation of Afton's at the time - the Mascot Superior Endo-Z, or as Afton coined it, the Funtime Friend. Unlike Afton's Mascot Endo-X presentation which was remarkably secretive as to the nature of the presented characters, Afton gave names and backstory on the two models that were showcased on August 31st:
CB-423-01-P: Came with several tools installed into the endoskeleton for use in performance. Capable of inflating balloons manually through built-in helium tanks, housed an ice-cream receptacle in its stomach, which could be dispensed through the front; simulated voice capable of playing back thousands of pre-determined words as chosen by the operator during initial setup. Resembled a large female clown; officially named “Circus Baby”.
BA-424-01-P: Highly advanced balance actuators built into the legs, torso and arms. Model was capable of synchronized, determined movement, performing a spin and bow on-stage. Included music box synthesizer allowing the operator to import pre-determined songs. Model was compared heavily to FF-01 and FP-01 models of the Endo-X. Resembled an adult ballerina; officially named “Ballora”.
This presentation made way for the announcement of Afton Robotics' intended landmark location, Circus Baby’s Pizza World. During the presentation, particularly answering one newscaster’s question as to if Circus Baby’s Pizza World was intended to be a competitor to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and other children's entertainment venue and restaurants, Afton stressed that the Circus Baby venue was intended to be something else entirely:
"Yes, go ahead. [...] No, actually. Circus Baby's Pizza World is far different from Fazbear Entertainment's venues. For one - and this may be a disappointment for some of you - only one Circus Baby location is planned, here in Salt Lake City. I would advise you and your children not to think of Circus Baby's Pizza World as a restaurant chain - think of it more as… almost like a theme park, in a way. Plenty of activities are planned, far beyond something a normal restaurant could provide - dance lessons from our friend Ballora here, play performances, games like hide and seek with some future models we can't show just yet. Costs for consumers will be higher, but I can assure you, this venture of Afton Robotics is more than just a 'pizza place'." -William Afton, August 31st, 1983, Future of Entertainment Presentation.
Circus Baby’s Pizza World was advertised soon after this presentation with a grand opening release date of September 11th, 1984. Starting in March 1984, two additional characters were advertised alongside Circus Baby and Ballora; “Funtime Freddy” and “Funtime Foxy”, similar models to the Freddy Fazbear and Foxy the Pirate characters. Fazbear Entertainment made no statement as to the similarity between the two Funtime characters and their own.
However, Circus Baby’s Pizza World was shut down days before its expected grand opening. On September 8th 1984, Afton Robotics held a limited “test run”, inviting 10 select families from Salt Lake City and surrounding counties to attend the venue and partake in activities with the four animatronic characters - this event lasted approximately three hours before the building was evacuated by Afton Robotics employees. Witnesses surrounding the property reported that large vans stopped at the location, and various staff packed nearly everything in the building overnight. Afton Robotics later held a meeting with press, where William Afton explained that the grand opening had been cancelled due to reported gas leaks in the building, as well as “results from the test run showed [us] that [we] have a lot to improve before we can introduce Circus Baby and her friends to the world.” On September 10th, Afton's daughter Elizabeth was reported dead by drowning in an apparent freak accident in their family pool; it is unknown if this event contributed to Afton's unwillingness to open Circus Baby's Pizza World.
The cancelling of Circus Baby’s Pizza World remained a controversial topic in select communities for years. Financial records released after Afton Robotics' bankruptcy in 2005 revealed that in 1985 plans for a buyout by Fazbear Entertainment were formulated, but fell through before any substantial progress was made. Numerous conspiracy theories resulted from Circus Baby's Pizza World's closure, including the theory that Fazbear Entertainment blackmailed Afton to force its closure; Markus Flechman commented on theories such as this in a November issue of Afton Robotics newsletter Screws, Bolts, and Hairpins:
"I don't blame them for trying to rationalize it. We're distraught by this development as well. I can't tell you how excited my children were to meet Circus Baby and her friends. That being said, take my word for it: there is no secret reason for the cancellation. No one forced our hand, least of all Fazbear Entertainment. The cancellation of Circus Baby's Pizza World was an unfortunate result of gas leaks and subpar quality of the location and attractions." -Markus Flechman, November 2nd, 1984, Screws, Bolts, and Hairpins Issue #78.
Before and after the cancellation of Circus Baby’s Pizza World, Afton Robotics remained on pleasant terms with Fazbear Entertainment, producing several animatronic models and characters for various locations, including spinoff locations such as the short-lived “Bonnie’s Arcade Bash” based in Destin, Florida, or “Chica’s Party World” based in Branson, Missouri. Fazbear Entertainment’s dwindling stock numbers at the time (partially due to backlash from their handling of Hurricane’s 1983 “missing children incident”) negatively affected Afton Robotics as well - in March 1985 Afton Robotics began development of devices aside from animatronics, including intercom systems, CCTV systems, and home computers.
Endo-X2 recall and fallout with Fazbear Entertainment
William Afton became reclusive after the cancellation of Circus Baby’s Pizza World. He was notably absent from most Afton Robotics press releases, shareholder meetings, and news interviews from 1985-1988, opting instead for representatives to attend public meetings in his place. Little information on Afton’s personal life from 1985-1996 is available - eldest son Michael Afton testified during the investigation of Afton’s disappearance that his father spent most of his time “holed up” inside the New Harmony Afton Robotics facility.
In response to decreasing profits and consumer interest, Fazbear Entertainment announced a “new and improved” Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza based in Hurricane, Utah in September 1986. Coinciding with this was another patent filed by Afton Robotics: the Mascot Endo-X2, a modified version of the Mascot Endo-X model that sported the ability to connect to wireless networks; this was done via a prototype version of Afton Robotics’ AltoNET, a short-lived wireless network product family that would later be edged out by standard Wi-Fi products. These models would later be revealed to be the bases for the “new generation” of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza’s animatronic characters - A total of five Mascot Endo-X2 models were used in Hurricane’s 1987 Freddy Fazbear’s, being the four core Fazbear characters and a new character named “Balloon Boy”. Endo-X2s were also shortly used in other locations, including Chica’s Party World.
Fazbear Entertainment’s marketing campaign for this location placed substantial focus on Afton Robotics’ involvement with the new animatronic characters, as well as the apparent safety of the new animatronic models. Fazbear Entertainment claimed that the Endo-X2 models used in this location utilized AltoNET and facial recognition software to recognize criminals, namely murderers, abusers, and sex offenders - however, the Endo-X2 models used in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza were decommissioned before these claims could be verified. On October 24th, 1987, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza opened in Hurricane, Utah with these new animatronic models, and Afton Robotics gave its regards in an issue of Screws, Bolts, and Hairpins:
“We give our wholehearted congratulations to our friends at Fazbear Entertainment for what looks to be an amazing chapter in the story of childhood fun. Any fans of our unreleased Funtime animatronics will be delighted to see what Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has in store for the residents of Hurricane - our new Toy line of Fazbear animatronics will surely make any engineering aficionado gasp and cry for more.” -Excerpt from “Mascot Endo-X spotlight”, October 25th, 1987, Screws, Bolts, and Hairpins Issue
Afton Robotics fell under heavy backlash once again after Fazbear Entertainment staff member Jeremy Fitzgerald was gravely injured by a malfunctioning Endo-X2 model animatronic on November 14th 1987 during the venue's final private birthday party. (The location was planned to be shut down later that day; see 1987 Night Guard murders page for more info.) The animatronic in question, FF-02, officially named “Funtime Foxy” (not to be confused with Circus Baby’s Pizza World model FF-426-01-P, also named “Funtime Foxy”) had reportedly lunged at Fitzgerald, pushing him down and biting into his forehead. The following lawsuit (see Fitzgerald Family v. Fazbear Entertainment page for more info) cost Fazbear Entertainment roughly $2,000,000 in settlement charges, and Afton Robotics was forced to recall the Mascot Endo-X2 from all locations.
This financial blow - combined with the recent murder of five teenagers inside Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza earlier that week - crippled Fazbear Entertainment’s reputation within Hurricane and the wider children’s entertainment industry, a setback they would not fully recover from until the late 2010s. Former Fazbear Entertainment insiders interviewed in the 2012 documentary The Death of Innocence testified that this is when tensions began to flare between Fazbear Entertainment and Afton Robotics:
“It was- it was ugly, to say the least. Jonathan - God rest his soul - was heartbroken. Said he’d really liked Jeremy, called him a good friend [...] Upper management was fuming. N-no, not at us... at the manufacturers. I was there for some of the meetings. Franklin Scott practically had smoke coming out his ears. He’d practically scream at the AR representatives, tell them he wants to see their boss, and every time they’d give him the same answer: ‘We’re sorry, but William Afton is not available at the moment.’” -Anonymous former FE staff, 2012 documentary The Death of Innocence. *Note: Jonathan Sordic was a member of management at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza at the time; employed with Fazbear Entertainment until reported missing in 1993.
By December 1987, Fazbear Entertainment publicly announced that it would be cutting ties with Afton Robotics and manufacture its own animatronics, citing dissatisfaction with the safety protocols of the Afton Robotics brand.
Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental
After the announcement of a "repurposed" Freddy Fazbear's Pizza location in late January 1988, again in Hurricane, Utah, Afton revealed a "surprise" presentation on February 8th 1988, inviting members of the media and select families in Utah on a tour of their main headquarters in New Harmony, Utah. Afton Robotics heavily advertised this presentation in Screws, Bolts, and Hairpins, claiming that "this presentation [would] be everything a fan of robotics could possibly want, and more".
This tour was held on February 15th 1988 and televised across multiple news stations, both in Utah and across America - Afton Robotics Exclusive Tour and Announcement remained the highest watched news story in Utah in 1988, according to local Utah television networks. This tour served as the announcement for Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental, a self-proclaimed "rental service and party center" featuring the previously unreleased Funtime Friend animatronics. Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental was primarily hosted and managed in a newly-excavated basement level under the factory. Afton explained the services of the newly announced venue at the midway point of the tour:
"Behind me you can see the main stage of the Funtime Auditorium. I wanted to show you all this room in particular, because I feel it perfectly encapsulates what Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental is all about. Rather than force costly ventures on our consumers, we have decided: why not bring Circus Baby and her friends to you? These state-of-the-art Funtime models, revamped and improved for the age of tomorrow, can be rented out for whatever events you choose. Birthday parties, weddings, graduation ceremonies... we can even host your events right here in the Funtime Auditorium, or next door’s Ballora Gallery. We weren’t quite ready to introduce these animatronics nearly four years ago - but right now they’re ready to sing, dance, teach, and act for your children. Are there any questions? Yes, you. [...] Yes, you’ve heard me correctly. Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rental is open right now, or to be more precise, starting midnight tonight. Be ready to get out those checkbooks, friends - you’ll need them." -William Afton, February 15th 1988, Afton Robotics Exclusive Tour and Announcement.
Afton Robotics profits rose exponentially after this presentation and throughout 1988. After Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental's official opening on February 16th, the Mascot Superior Endo-Z models hosted by the venue were purportedly rented out over 3000 times between 1988-1991 (accounting for individual rentals).
Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rental briefly became the subject of an OSHA investigation after Afton Robotics employee Brendon Wu purportedly suffocated inside one of the ventilation chambers inside the facility - the investigation began late November 1999, but ultimately went nowhere as the venue permanently shut down before the investigation could be finalized.
Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental would remain open until October 2nd 1999, when executive director Bradley Cox reported that nearly every Mascot Superior Endo-Z model on the premises had disappeared overnight, along with junior technicians Jim Bristol and Alex Barnes. Multiple suspects were questioned, including William Afton's eldest son Michael, who had recently been hired as a junior technician and finished his first work week the night before Cox reported the technicians and machinery missing. Investigations reached a dead end and no one was charged. Bristol and Barnes were declared dead later that month on the 29th, and no trace of the Endo-Z models were found until more than two decades later - after the suspected arson attack on Freddy Fazbear's Deluxe Pizzeria on March 7th 2024 (see Freddy Fazbear’s Deluxe Pizzeria fire page for more info) various animatronic parts were found in the aftermath that matched Afton Robotics blueprints for CB-423-01-P ("Circus Baby"). Fazbear Entertainment gave no statement on this development.
Disappearance
On August 3rd 1996, William Afton was declared missing by Afton Robotics representative Devon Leighton, who had arrived at Afton's home - Leighton testified that Afton had not shown up at the Afton Robotics headquarters in New Harmony for a week. Investigators initially surmised that Afton could have fled the state for an unknown reason, but this hypothesis was never verified. Multiple individuals were contacted and interviewed to ascertain a lead as to Afton’s whereabouts, including Franklin Scott, Henry Emily, and Michael Afton. Michael Afton was initially considered as a prime suspect for William’s disappearance, but interviews with Michael and other individuals close to William Afton yielded no leads or results.
On September 15th 1999, Afton was declared dead and the investigation into his disappearance was closed. Afton Robotics suffered heavily after Afton disappeared; In January 1997 Benjamin Ashford replaced Afton as CEO of Afton Robotics. After Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rental’s closure in October 1999, Afton Robotics stock and profit took a substantial hit. By the early 2000s, Afton Robotics’ grip over the animatronic industry was far lessened as companies like Smiles and Servos began to thrive. By 2005, Afton Robotics filed for bankruptcy; its facilities in Fort Worth, TX, Winona, MN, and New Harmony, UT were all rendered condemned until Fazbear Entertainment acquired all Afton Robotics assets in 2021.
Legacy
Afton’s legacy remained apparent in the robotics field and wider children’s entertainment industry for years. In New Harmony, UT, a memorial for Afton was built in 2002 - a plaque adorned with the following quote:
“There is nothing more beautiful than the laugh of a child.” -William Afton Memorial Plaque, New Harmony, Utah, observed in 2003.
Afton’s inventions and models built under Afton Robotics, while obsolete as of 2006, featured design philosophies and architectures still adopted today by robotics companies and manufacturers. After Fazbear Entertainment’s absorption of all Afton Robotics assets in 2021 and their subsequent rise in popularity in 2025, their website (fazbearentertainment.org) was updated to include a section dedicated to William Afton’s contributions to the children’s entertainment industry and “how his designs have influenced the upcoming Freddy Fazbear Virtual Experience.”