This guy runs the kitchen.  Yes, the whole kitchen.  There's simply nothing like being able to run a high wattage microwave and an air fryer and a coffee maker all at the same time.

But because it runs the kitchen, it's a low risk to update, because at worst we can just plug into the outlets (which aren't optimized, but we do have two circuits we could use in a pinch).

Ever since we purposely stopped doing firmware updates, the three DELTA Pro 3 units that are on the Smart Home Panel 2 have been running without incident (fancy that).  So we just stopped doing them full stop unless it's a low risk unit, like the small DELTA 3 that runs the curios cabinet lighting and an air purifier.

EcoFlow has (finally) started giving actual release notes on its firmware, which is a start.  Clearly they're trying to get better, so kudos for that.

We're still going with the Anker E10 as the main battery once the garage work is done, if only because it takes a LOT more solar in than the EcoFlow units can plus supports natural gas on its generator, can be outdoors and can be wall mounted; all of which are net positives.  Tried waiting on them to open market the OCEAN Pro, but clearly that's not what they want to do.

But we'll still give kudos for them at least trying to get better.

Most recommendations focus on the cool stuff. We're dumbing it down.

• Quiet operation (when we say quiet, the quieter the better. If it can sound like a whooshing breeze it's top, but we understand it won't get THAT quiet)
• Does not require a cell phone (or any mobile app) for a screen (meaning whatever controller comes with a built-in screen)
• Can handle strong-ish winds (sometimes 30mph, sometimes slightly higher, sometimes slightly lower, but seemingly constant)

It's not even about the price. These are the critical path features. Everything else is nice-to-haves.

Any suggestions?

Horizon: Zero Dawn in a sentence:

"Well, these machines are out of control because >!we made them too strong, they'll suck all of the life out of the planet, so we'll basically all die but our DNA will re-establish us after this command that takes forever finally executes to kill the machines."!<

Horizon: Forbidden West in a sentence:

This group said, "why not just...you know...>!use that same code, go to another planet that's safe from the destruction and colonize there?"!<

In other words...what was deemed impossible, wasn't.

Obviously, Forbidden West tried to explain this away with the whole >!"ships destroyed en route" segment and "not enough ships"!< - which unfortunately got unraveled by the final third of the game (the worst of it, arguably).

Zero Dawn establishes that it's terribly easy for Faro to create machinery; that money is a non-issue, and that he largely works on his own authority without check and balance.

Forbidden West establishes that he had enough tech to create a >!physical bunker that was able to fully insulate him from what happened outside!< (which frankly makes no logical sense) even without Sobeck's expertise.

And Sobeck >!making it all the way back to her farm intact AND remaining there preserved created yet another plot hole, if Sobeck's warning about "all life" (including water and air) being sucked off of the planet. !<&amp;nbsp;>!If the suit was robust enough to survive the catastrophe, they can fabricate AI that can fabricate life, but can't generate air and water from their basic elements and have no oxygen reserves from, say, extended deep sea exploration missions and/or space travel? (Which Faro would have to have something in his tomb).!<

It's like somewhere along the way, writers were like, "huh...yeah, if we do that, it won't make any sense though...so...what do we do?" &amp;nbsp;And just started making stuff up.

Then we lost Sylens (the actor, RIP). &amp;nbsp;Which basically makes doing a third pointless given >!the cliffhanger ending where a sequel would have to build upon the last thing he said in Forbidden West.!< &amp;nbsp;The best they could do would be a prequel - which makes no sense as an action game unless you treat it like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Summary

Forbidden West, as written, shouldn't have existed as a standalone. &amp;nbsp;It should simply have been a DLC exploration to a new segment of the same world, same as Frozen Wilds. &amp;nbsp;None of the extra contradictions. &amp;nbsp;Just more exploration of the same basic concept and expansion of the same map.

>!Faro's Tomb should have been abandoned; just a husk with nothing there but left behind recordings to help explain where he was. !<&amp;nbsp;>!Even have one that shows the Zero Dawn "incident" from his perspective, maybe one where he's getting chewed out by military, maybe one where he tried to reach Sobeck but couldn't, etc.!<