Members' Corner returns, albeit with bigger prizes and a slight change.
Here at Just, we celebrate the knowledge and passion of fans. That's what the rewards you'll find across our communities aim to do. But as they're specific prompts, there might be something you're itching to talk about that hasn't yet come up.
That's what this reward will offer. What curious pieces of expertise are you proud of? What's your specialist subject on Mastermind? What interesting thing would you like to share with your fellow members?
This time, your entry must contain at least one piece of verified, original media. So you could enter with:
video, directly explaining your beloved subject
text, including an original verified image or video to illustrate your writing - aim for at least 150 words
a social media thread, sharing your passion with the wider digital world
As always, the more niche, the more quirky, the better. Tell us why more people should have heard of Thales, how whisky is peated, how to get overpowered in Final Fantasy VIII within the first hour, or whatever else is close to your heart.
The top submissions will get $30, $20, and $10 apiece and will be featured in curated content right here on Just Create. A further ten will receive $3 and may be featured too.
Please add the following tag: #JustCreators (and/or tag our social accounts - details below)!
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This challenge is interesting and I would talk about my propensity for graphics that I do for passion and work. In particular, I would like to delve into the creation of custom logos.
During the experience I had as a designer, I learned that creating a logo is not simple or immediate. You can create beautiful logos even in a few minutes with skills, but to make a logo effective it must be studied and thought about, especially in view of the objectives it must achieve. First, you need to design, collect the information that revolves around what you need to achieve, the target. Subsequently, I explore different creative directions keeping in mind what you intend to achieve with that logo and above all visually represent what it will represent.
Depending on the brand, once you have thought about the logo and drawn it on paper (I first opt for a sketch before moving on to digital), I try to understand the style that logo must take. If it must have clean geometric lines, if it must be minimal or combine elements that make it elegant. It must communicate exactly the value you intend to transmit. I usually opt for clean logos, the more complex ones need a symbol or a mini logo ideal to represent on particular papers or if it has to be represented in small.
This iterative process, which includes sketches and preliminary study and obviously feedback from those who will use the logo, makes the logo unique and significant.
This "Laser Craft" logo was made for a group (including me) where we made crafts with CNC and other materials. We mainly dealt with projects made with laser cutting and related decoration (painting, decoration etc..). Material such as gadgets, watches, small key rings up to real plates that were then covered with vinyl material.
Being a programmer, one of the topics I would definitely talk about in depth is Flutter. I have specialized for several years in creating apps for both iOS and Android, and Flutter has become my go-to framework. Among all the options I’ve tried, it stands out for being highly responsive, efficient, and full of potential — especially when it comes to designing beautiful, animated interfaces.
In one of the recent apps I developed, focused on music, I built a dynamic theming system that changes the UI colors and styles based on the music genre being played — all without requiring heavy rebuilds. Thanks to tools like ValueNotifier and AnimatedContainer, the system stays light and smooth, enhancing both performance and visual experience.
What I love about Flutter is that every widget, no matter how small, can become an opportunity to improve UX. Once you understand how to structure widgets like Column, Row, or Stack, you find a kind of flow — coding becomes almost meditative. Flutter isn’t just a tool; for me, it’s a creative playground.
I'm a writer, sometimes novels, fairy tales, theater. I love capture my imagination in a paper. But recently ( a few years) want to teach this stories in short films, animation or movies.
My teammates helpme for record, but script was mine
One thing I would like to talk about, even if music is already discussed here on Just, is how to prepare a stage for a live event. I have been doing this with other friends for a long time, so I could talk about this in a brief way. The stage should be considered as an instrument that can support those who will then play. It should be set up well because if mistakes are made, even those who will have to sing and play, will find themselves having to face various problems. In the midst of music I learned how fundamental it is to make a setup and test it before using it properly. The so-called soundchecks that are essential for a successful event.
So to calmly face the preparation and therefore not forget anything (because it happens to miss something) I have a schedule to refer to.
1) You have to plan beforehand what is needed, know which instruments will be used and based on that draw up a list of cables that are needed, multi-sockets etc.
2) Know if the person coming has an instrument or not, and if so, bring an already tuned instrument.
3) Prepare the mixer, assign inputs (pedals, microphones, etc.)
4) Always have charged batteries available for the microphones, maybe some extra ones, and bring extra cables... you never know
5) Test the monitors and external speakers to avoid crackling during the performance.
Granted i Dont have clips showing how i edit a video and such, but i used to set up my laptop on an open area and start recording before i invested in a camera!
Once i did maybe 3 to 4 takes, was always hopeful for the first one to be great, Id wrap up and head home to do some editing and watch the video. Adding the music to the background since the music was through my phone, for me to do this, i would physically do a cue so as to find where i started and input the music in accordance with the movement!
afterwards, id work towards creating and intro / outro for my videos, always changing it up once i got the hang of it. always depending on the mood of the music too!
Blend in special effects on parts that were directed by physical cues as well! and add some shaking effect in to symbolize the intensity of a movement.
ill attach a video from my youtube channel which most of these video if not all are hidden since i am in the military. (not doing this for clout XD) hope you guys enjoy and maybe learn a thing or two from watching how the video was edited!
I believe strongly in games being able to help you through scenarios in life that you are unsure how to get through. I had a situation like this recently, losing more than one family member in a small period of time and not knowing how I was going to process this and continue. Pine hearts gave me something to focus on and slowly feel my emotions, in a way that wasn’t overwhelming. Now this was a game that I was lucky enough to be gifted but it is one that prior to this I was telling anyone that I could about. More games like this in the industry is exactly what we need
Does the amount of time we have for gaming affect how much we can enjoy the games we play?
If you know me, you’ll also know that Field Operations content is my favourite thing to do in Final Fantasy XIV. The first such content was Eureka back in Stormblood and it was definitely a learning path for the dev team, and based on feedback from the community, for Shadowbringers they created Bozja. Bozja was my first such experience as I was on a break during Stormblood, and going back to do Eureka after definitely made me see the improvements. We didn’t get a new Field Operations zone in Endwalker, and I painfully felt its absence. Made this video back in the days to explain why I think we need such content, and was very happy when we got the confirmation that Dawntrail indeed will have a Field Operations zone once more.
The devs definitely tried to make this a best of both worlds, as it includes elements from Eureka and Bozja both, while also brings new features or tries to improve on the ones implemented from the previous Field Operations.
The unique feature is the implementation of Phantom Jobs. Instead of having to use essences to give you more defence, attack power and such; or having to find items which give you actions to use (and pray to the Twelve for good RNG to get the actions you want) you can just equip a Phantom Job, level it up and use the skills assigned to that job. And if you are a fan of Final Fantasy V, you’ll be hit by some nostalgia just from the names of these jobs.
The first available Phantom Jobs announced in the 85th Live Letter From The Producer.
Levelling up these jobs might be a bit of a grind, but let’s be honest: Field Operations were always about grind. If you expected anything else, then I’m sorry to say, but this type of content might not be the right one for you.
The area has its own experience system, so you will start from level 1 and earn knowledge exp to progress towards level 20 in the first area which is available now in patch 7.25. There is also new gear, which is right now a decent one outside of the zone if you don’t have gear from savage yet, but its main value is the extra stats it provides insides The Occult Crescent area. Collecting these is a grind itself needing coins from engagements, upgrading them is an other grind as it will also need coins dropped by field monsters.
There are FATEs just like in Eureka (yes, bunny FATEs too); and Critical Engagements just like in Bozja.
Critical Engagement at The Occult Crescent
And as you might recognise from the architecture in the background of the above picture, the story is focused around some ancient civilisations we have heard about back in A Realm Reborn and Heavensward.
The final challenge players can take on in the first zone is a 48-man raid called The Forked Tower: Blood. It’s more like the Baldesion Arsenal of Eureka, as you have to be inside The Occult Crescent instanced zone and need a special weather condition for the tower to become available. For comparison Delubrum Reginae in Bozja was accessible to queue in via the Duty Finder from outside the instanced zone.
The Forked Tower entrance — photo by /@Nova_Crystallis on X
My expectations… and the reality
I was hoping for something like the scenery of Eureka with the gameplay of Bozja. Certainly no complains about the scenery, all the ancient architecture and learning more about these lost civilisations is right up my alley. The Phantom Job system is definitely a good choice compared to what we had in the previous Field Operations.
The encounters have new, unique and challenging mechanics, definitely making the healers work for that achievement of resurrecting 500 players. The FATE synchronisation has its flaws as often by the time you teleport, mount up and run over to the FATE which just popped you will be late. I remember this being an issue in Bozja as well but don’t think it was happening this often. It is something the devs have addressed in the latest Live Letter From The Producer and they are looking into possible adjustments, but it also raises a question about the mentality of the community.
Players waiting for others before engaging a FATE in Eureka
As mentioned I did Eureka during Shadowbringers, so I don’t know how this was when the content originally released, but when I did Eureka, people used to wait, ask in shout chat if anyone was on the way before engaging with a FATE. Yes, I know they spawn quite often, so you don’t have to wait that long for the next one, but it can be quite frustrating if you only have a couple of hours to play after work, and then spend most of that time running around the map just to see an enemy die right when you get there.
In Shadowbringers I used to organise and lead Delubrum Reginae raids for groups in a Discord community, and even though I have since retired from raid leading I was excited to explore The Forked Tower with a friendly group. The content has been out for a couple of months now and I still haven’t been in the tower. Not for lack of finding a group, but because I still don’t have all the relevant Phantom Jobs levelled up and only just managed to get my first gear set, which is not upgraded yet. I could join with offering to play only one Phantom Job, but that’s not how I like to sign up for organised runs. And knowing how Baldesion Arsenal or Delubrum Reginae was to do with random people joining and not having a raid lead doing callouts, that’s not something I have the time for.
So to summarise it, I am enjoying the content, but not as much as I thought I would be, which made me thinking, what’s wrong with the content? And had to come to the realisation that during Shadowbringers and early Endwalker when I lived in Bozja 24/7 was during the lockdowns. Now I have a quite busy life with only a couple of hours a day to play, and beside FFXIV there are other games I would love to have time for. So the grind which was not that noticeable when I had the whole day to spend in my favourite zone, now very much feels like a grind when I want to be prepared for an encounter like a once raid leader would be.
Took me 3 weeks to get my first relic weapon
This was not the first time I had to face the limitations of playing an MMORPG while having a full-time job, side-husle, partner… and you know social life and touching grass occasionally, but definitely it was the one which hit me the most as it affected my ability to engage with my favourite type of content in the game. The question is, how accessible this content is really for players who don’t have all day to spend in the game? And what if you are like me, who enjoys multiple types of content from casual exploration to raiding and would like to engage with it all to a degree? For the first time since playing FFXIV I feel like I’m constantly behind, that I have to pick very carefully what I spend my limited time on. I really hope the servers will be still running when I get to retire so I can finish all the stuff on my list which I still want to complete.
But according to some people on social media, apparently there is not enough content in the game…
What do you think, how much should you be able to complete in an MMORPG? Should companies design game content based on the activity of people with everyday life or those who can play all day? Is there a middle way to please both groups without one feeling they can’t catch up and the other finishing all new content in a couple of weeks?
I have more thoughts about The Occult Crescent, but that's for the next article. if you are interested you can follow me on Medium where I originally published this article:
