Okoye: Estranged partner accuses Super Eagles star of abuseOver the years, Roblox has expanded its RPG offerings and become increasingly expansive in terms of what’s actually available, showcasing the platform’s real development capabilities. Whether they offer rich combat systems or immersive world exploration features, these are the best Roblox RPGs available now on the platform. 10. Sword Blox Online: Rebirth Offering a more traditional MMORPG-style experience, Sword Blox Online: Rebirth focuses on classic dungeon crawling and character progression. There are multiple weapon types each offering distinct combat styles, gameplay, and ability sets. Social interaction and party play are encouraged via more challenging dungeon content that actually requires coordination from all players involved. Also, Sword Blox Online: Rebirth maintains and relies on an active player-to-player trading system, creating valuable equipment and materials through a player economy. Players can develop their characters through both combat prowess and via crafting abilities, which creates a pretty well-rounded online RPG experience. 9. Wings of Fire Inspired by the popular series of novels with the same name, Wings of Fire allows players to take on the role of various different dragons from unique tribes. Each tribe has abilities that align with their lore from the book series as well. For example, RainWings are able to camouflage themselves while SeaWings excel in aquatic biomes. Wings of Fire offers both PvE and PvP elements of gameplay. The world of Wings of Fire is divided into different territories that also match the series’ settings, with each area offering its own distinct challenges and resources. Players can form groups with other dragons as well as alliances that creates social dynamics mirroring the heavy political intrigue from the book series. 8. Northwind Set in a colonial frontier environment, Northwind combines survival mechanics with RPG progression to create a rather unique colonial experience. Players can choose from a variety of different professions including hunting, trading, and crafting, each offering unique gameplay paths but also ways to grow and flourish in the RPG. Northwind also features a winter setting that creates additional survival challenges that players must traverse while adapting to the colonial setting. The economy in Northwind is largely player-driven, featuring mostly player-crafted items and resources that must be traded amongst other players rather than relying solely on self-found items. The game environment also hosts various settlements where players create their own sort of hubs to trade and interact, creating a true colonial setting. 7. Treasure Quest Treasure Quest is a more traditional dungeon-crawling RPG that focuses more on cooperative gameplay and loot progression than world exploration. Players can choose from a variety of different classes for their character, each with unique abilities to complement specific team compositions when delving deep into the dungeons. With random generation, each dungeon delving experience ensures run variety creating an almost roguelike RPG experience. The full Treasure Quest experience also features a robust trading system for players to exchange equipment found deep in their delves. With varying types of equipment and deep classes, various compositions of teams can tackle the unique dungeons with their own approach, creating a deeply social RPG. 6. Dinosaur Simulator Offering a very unique RPG experience, Dinosaur Simulator allows players to simulate the life of various dinosaur species. Each species of dinosaur has unique abilities and entire playstyles as you live the life of that dinosaur, including powerful T Rexes and more fast-action Velociraptors. Regardless of which dinosaur you choose, you’ll start as a juvenile dino and must survive to reach adulthood and become stronger. Dinosaur Simulator features various different biomes that suits each of the dinosaur species, encouraging players to find their own niche in each ecosystem and biomes. Depending on which dinosaur you choose, you’ll have to seek out the right biome for you to flourish, teaming up with other players to form dinosaur packs and increase your chances of survival. 5. Legends Re:Written Legends Re:Written is an action RPG with anime-inspired combat mechanics and character customization, giving players the opportunity to live out their anime dreams in an RPG setting. Legends Re:Written features various fighting styles and ability combos that players can master to truly become anime legends as the name suggests. Combat throughout all forms of progression emphasizes combination chains and skill timing in both PvE and PvP combat. As such, players can participate in both solo and group content to level, with certain challenges being offered exclusively for team-based play. Paired with the unique character progression system, Legends Re:Written provides a robust anime-themed RPG experience for solo and social players. 4. Slime Slaying Simulator A progression-focused RPG about hunting increasingly powerful slimes as the name suggests, Slime Slaying Simulator features various weapons and equipment that players can collect and upgrade to amplify their slime massacring. Different areas feature unique slime types with their own strengths, weaknesses, attack patterns, and of course drops, allowing you to farm areas for specific resources and items. Character development in Slime Slaying Simulator includes both equipment progression and character-based skill improvements. Along the way, players can trade items and resources with each other through Slime Slaying Simulator’s in-game marketplace system. 3. Creatures of Sonaria Creatures of Sonaria is essentially a monster-collecting RPG where the player takes on the role of the creature itself, trying to survive in a brutal world of other creatures in the world of Sonaria. Players will unlock and have the ability to play as other creatures as they progress, similar to Dinosaur Simulator, allowing players to grow from child to adult as each creature. With over 350 creatures in total across Creatures of Sonaria, there is a lot of variability in terms of look, playability, and features for players to uncover between all the creatures. With a robust player-to-player marketplace, each creature also maintains its own value for players to trade with each other and try out new setups. 2. Pilgrammed: The Raindrops In short, Pilgrammed is a long-running deep open-world RPG with deep armor and weapon crafting. Pilgrammed is a massively expansive world with plenty to explore and tons of secrets to uncover. There are a variety of playstyles including melee weapons like swords and spears, ranged options like bows and guns, or even magic casting via spells like a mage in more traditional RPGs. As players become stronger in Pilgrammed they will be able to take on stronger boss enemies with their own unique skillsets and strategies. Taking down these bosses will give access to exclusive weapons, armor, and resources that can allow players to get even more powerful regardless of their playstyle. 1. Deepwoken Taking the top slot on our best RPG list for Roblox has to be the immersive RPG Deepwoken. At its core, Deepwoken is a massive online RPG with a very unique mechanic: permadeath. This is an RPG that doesn’t hold your hand despite being on a platform like Roblox , and many have compared it to more hardcore RPGs like the Dark Souls and Sekiro series’. While it can be difficult, it’s an extremely rewarding RPG that utilizes a talent card system for players to create diverse character builds. Deepwoken also features rich lore that rewards players in both story, and loot, for going off the beaten path and exploring what the world has to offer. Paired with its permadeath system, Deepwoken offers a very unique but rich gameplay experience hard to find on Roblox .
In-Depth Analysis Of The Global Binoculars And Mounting Solutions Market: Key Drivers, Trends, Growth OpportunitiesThe Pittsburgh Steelers will look to snap their two-game losing streak on Christmas Day, as the team will host the Kansas City Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium in an AFC showdown in Week 17. Pittsburgh suffered a disappointing 34-17 divisional road loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, which dropped their record to 10-5 on the year. The Steelers' offense has looked out of sorts lately, and the absence of wide receiver George Pickens has been the primary reason for the unit's struggles. Pickens has missed the team's last three games due to a hamstring injury suffered during a practice leading up to Pittsburgh's Week 14 contest versus the Cleveland Browns . The 2022 second-round has hauled in 55 catches for 850 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games this season. Pittsburgh desperately needs Pickens back sooner rather than later, and the team received some good news about the star receiver's status for their Christmas Day matchup versus Kansas City. George Pickens injury update After being a limited participant during Sunday's practice, Pickens was a full participant on Monday and Tuesday and is off the injury report, meaning the 23-year-old will make his return to the lineup in Week 17 versus the Chiefs. Steelers WR George Pickens is off the injury report for Wednesday’s game vs. the Chiefs and good to go. pic.twitter.com/2k9rl8RQ7Z Getting Pickens back will greatly boost the Steelers' offense, as the former Georgia Bulldog is the engine of the passing attack and the primary deep threat. Pickens has averaged 15.5 yards per catch in 2024 and led the league in yards per reception last season (18.1) . In other injury news, backup quarterback Justin Fields is questionable to play with an Abdominal, wide receiver Ben Skowronek is out with a hip injury, and starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is also out with a knee injury. MORE PITTSBURGH STEELERS NEWS Ben Roethlisberger explains what makes him 'scared' about Steelers Steelers predicted to select 77-TD, dual-threat quarterback to replace Russell Wilson Giants predicted to bolster offensive line with Steelers $26 million guard
Rachel Christian | (TNS) Bankrate.com Just because retirement planning involves some guesswork doesn’t mean it has to be a total mystery. Related Articles Business | Tech review: Earbuds and phones for those on your holiday list Business | How’s the market? Rules for homebuyers are changing Business | The year in money: inflation eased, optimism ticked upward Business | Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen’s friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish Business | Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn’t install more automated systems Whether you’ve been saving since your first job or you’re getting a late start, you can leverage expert-recommended strategies to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. And if you’re not quite on track, don’t sweat it — the experts we spoke to offered actionable tips to help you close the gap. You might have a general idea of how much money you need to save for retirement . A few quick calculations can give you an estimate, but to truly appreciate where you stand, you’ll need to dive into the numbers. Here’s how to get started. A good rule of thumb to estimate your retirement savings goal is the Rule of 25 . Simply multiply your desired annual retirement income by 25. The result is roughly how much you’ll need to save before hitting retirement. For example, if you plan to spend $50,000 a year, you’ll need about $1.25 million to make it a reality. The Rule of 25 is based on the idea that withdrawing 4% annually from your retirement savings should last you about 30 years. While it’s not an exact science by any means — health care costs and lifestyle changes can skew the numbers, for example — the Rule of 25 can be a good starting point to figure out how much you need to save. Fidelity Investments, a behemoth in the retirement planning space, offers savings guidelines to help you determine if you’re on track . —By age 30: Save 1x your annual salary —By age 40: Save 3x your annual salary —By age 50: Save 6x your annual salary —By age 60: Save 8x your annual salary —By age 67: Save 10x your annual salary For example, if you earn $60,000 annually, you should aim for $600,000 in savings by age 67. But like the Rule of 25, Fidelity’s guidelines offer a 10,000-foot look at retirement goals, and they’re not customized to your situation. Maybe you earned a low salary in your 20s, but you’re working hard in your 30s to make up for it. Use these estimates as a benchmark — but don’t get discouraged if you’re lagging behind. Now it’s time to zoom in a little. To get a clearer snapshot of your progress, use an online retirement calculator. These tools factor in your age, current savings, income and lifestyle goals to estimate whether you’re on track. You’ll get a more refined estimate without crunching the numbers yourself. Bankrate’s retirement calculator even lets you input different rates of return on your investments and accounts for estimated annual salary increases. Having a general savings goal is nice, but to avoid falling short in retirement, you’ll need more than a ballpark figure. Experts recommend creating a retirement budget to get an up-close-and-personal look at how much you’ll really need once you leave the workforce. First, estimate how much you’ll spend per month in retirement. While some costs will increase, like health care, others will likely decrease, like dining out and commuting. “Estimating expenses can be challenging for some people, so as a starting point, I often use your net take-home pay,” says Jeff DeLarme, a certified financial planner and president of DeLarme Wealth Management. For example, if you receive a direct deposit of $2,500 every two weeks from work, use $5,000 as your estimated monthly spending in retirement. “Assuming this was enough to pay the bills while working, we can use $5,000 a month as a starting budget to plan for,” says DeLarme. Next, map out your sources of income in retirement. Social Security is the largest income stream for most retirees, but don’t neglect other inflows, such as: —Workplace retirement accounts, like 401(k)s —Personal retirement accounts, like a traditional or Roth IRA —Pensions —Annuities —Selling your home or business —Rental income —Inheritance “If there’s a gap between your expected expenses and income, you’ll have a good idea of how much you need to save,” says Mike Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning. From there, you can adjust your savings and investment strategy accordingly. For something as important (and complex) as retirement planning, it pays to speak with a professional. Financial advisers can analyze your savings, investments and retirement goals to create a personalized plan. Advisers use special planning software that account for more variables than an online calculator, giving you a much more precise, granular look at your financial life in retirement. Many financial advisers can also help you optimize your tax strategy, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars over time. Make sure the adviser you hire is a fiduciary , meaning they’re legally obligated to prioritize your interests over their own. A fiduciary won’t push investments to earn a commission or recommend products that aren’t aligned with your needs. A certified financial planner is one of the most well-recognized designations for fiduciaries. You can use Bankrate’s adviser matching tool to find a certified financial planner in your area in minutes. Maybe you did the math and realized you’re not quite where you need to be. Don’t panic if you’re behind schedule. Here are five strategies experts recommend to help you catch up on your retirement savings . Cutting expenses now frees up more cash to invest in your retirement accounts. Evaluate your budget and identify areas where you can cut costs, like dining out, streaming subscriptions or shopping. Don’t rule out bigger lifestyle changes either, especially if retirement is rapidly approaching. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people. Getting creative here can help amplify the amount you can sock away, says Joseph Boughan, a certified financial planner and managing member at Parkmount Financial Partners. It can also reduce your expenses in retirement, so you may not need to save as much as before. “Downsizing can be a great way to cut expenses,” says Boughan. “This can even free up cash if you don’t end up needing all that money for a new home.” Moving somewhere with lower property taxes or income taxes can also help bring your retirement plan back in line. And if you’re a renter, making tough short-term decisions, like taking on a roommate or moving to a lower cost-of-living area, can free up hundreds of dollars a month for your retirement. “Everyone’s plan is unique, so exploring all the options is important,” Boughan says. Joe Conroy, a certified financial planner and owner of Harford Retirement Planners, recommends taking a “retirement test drive” as you near your target date. “Start to live on what income you think you can afford in retirement and stash all the extra income into savings and investments,” says Conroy. “If you can make it through each month, you’re ready for retirement. If you run short, then adjust your plan accordingly.” Working a little longer can be a game-changer for your retirement nest egg. Not only does it give you more time to save, it also gives your investments room to grow. “Working longer or even just part time for a few years early in retirement is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you need to save,” says Hunsberger. Postponing retirement can also boost your Social Security benefits . “You can claim as early as 62, but your benefits will be reduced significantly,” says Hunsberger. Meanwhile, each year you delay claiming Social Security benefits beyond your full retirement age , your monthly check will increase by 8%, though this benefit maxes out at age 70. So waiting can really pay off. It may seem obvious, but if you’re behind on retirement savings, you’ll need to boost your contributions as much as possible. Here are a few ways to make saving for retirement easier: —Increase your contribution rate: Allocate a larger portion of your paycheck to a workplace retirement plan. Even bumping up your contributions by 1% or 2% can make a huge difference down the road. —Take advantage of your employer match: Don’t leave free money on the table. Many employers will chip in between 3 and 5% depending on your plan, so make sure you’re contributing enough to take advantage of the benefit. —Use “unexpected” money to catch up: If you get a raise or bonus at work, funnel part of it directly into your 401(k). And if you get a refund at tax time, siphon some of it off to beef up your IRA. If you’ve been investing in low-risk, low-return investments, you may not be keeping up with inflation, let alone growing your nest egg. Reallocating part of your portfolio to stocks or low-cost growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is one way to get your money working harder. Higher-risk investments like stocks carry more volatility but also offer higher potential returns. Work with a financial adviser or use a robo-adviser to strike the right balance between growth and your personal risk tolerance. Contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs are higher for people over 50. For 2025, employees aged 50 and up who participate in most 401(k) plans or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan can save up to $31,000 annually, including a $7,500 catch-up contribution . But thanks to SECURE 2.0 , a sweeping retirement law, a new higher catch-up contribution limit of $11,250 applies for employees ages 60 to 63. So, if you’re in this age group, you can squirrel away a whopping $34,750 a year during the final stretch of your career. Of course, you’ll need a big salary (think six figures) in order to take full advantage of such massive contribution limits. But if you can afford it, these catch-up allowances can put your plan back on track, especially if you struggled to save much early in your career. There’s no GPS to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. If you’ve veered off course or aren’t sure where to start, begin by getting a quick estimate of how much you’ll need before mapping out a retirement budget. And if you’re behind, don’t panic — adjusting your spending, boosting your contributions and speaking with a financial adviser can help you catch up. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.ST. CLOUD — A new Stearns County Sheriff's Office report offers details in the death of 13-year-old Alexander “Xander” Mick, who was killed on Oct. 12 while working at the Harvest of Horror Haunted Hayride in St. Augusta. Mick, of Rice, was working as a “scarer” — someone who dressed up in a costume and stepped out to scare people — when he was run over by a trailer and killed. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that his death was accidental and caused by blunt-force trauma to the head. ADVERTISEMENT The case is closed and nothing revealed in the investigation warranted it being referred to the county attorney’s office, Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka told St. Cloud LIVE on Thursday afternoon. The sheriff’s office report said Mick was wearing denim overalls over several layers of warm clothing, as well as what appeared to be a mask or wig. Employees of the event said scarers were assigned different zones along the hayride route and would step onto a bar on the side of the metal trailers to scare guests, according to the report. However, the trailers did not stop along the route, and the driver of the tractor pulling the trailer that ran over Mick said the cruise was set at 2.5 mph, the report said. A sheriff’s deputy at the scene believed that Mick may have tripped or got caught on the back part of the trailer, which pulled him under, according to the report. Multiple employees told investigators they had been concerned about Mick being a scarer, the report said. One employee told law enforcement he shared concerns over Mick’s size and age while another said Mick was not always aware of his surroundings. Jason and Tracy Stock, the hayride owners, canceled the remainder of the season after Mick’s death. Mick’s father, Steven Mick, is friends with the owners of Horror Haunted Hayride and permitted his son to volunteer as an actor for the hayride, according to the report. Mick was an eighth-grader at Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School, according to his obituary. ADVERTISEMENT
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