hamstergeddon's recent activity
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
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Comment on On DM’ing for the first time in ~games.tabletop
hamstergeddon LinkYou may enjoy reading some quick write-ups of mine and the resulting comments from when I first started DMing. I mean I'm not that much more experienced at this point, nearly a year later, largely...You may enjoy reading some quick write-ups of mine and the resulting comments from when I first started DMing. I mean I'm not that much more experienced at this point, nearly a year later, largely due to the scheduling conflicts you mentioned running into and some burn out on my part.
https://tildes.net/~games.tabletop/1812/dming_my_first_session_of_d_d_5e_tomorrow_night
https://tildes.net/~games.tabletop/184m/i_am_officially_a_dm_nowBut reading your post is incredibly helpful to me. It's nice to know I'm not the only new DM that struggled/struggles with these kinds of things. I started writing some responses to your "What went wrong" list and realized I was basically talking to myself because they're all things that regularly go wrong with my own games. But all the same, hopefully they're encouraging and helpful for you!
The three hour one-shot turned into a seven hour epic
I feel that to my core. Was it entirely that things were over-planned, or was socializing before/during/after a factor? Because I struggle with both, tbh!
None of the “optional” scenes were used, leading to wasted prep time
Which leads to burn out REAL quick. I poured every ounce of creativity I had into my first few sessions and meticulously planned every last detail...and then nothing went according to plan and I was left feeling like I wasted my time for nothing. Which led to some burn out and me taking a break mid-campaign because I needed to "recharge" while I figured out a less exhausting way forward.
I “fudged” more rolls than I wanted to due to my poorly balanced fights
But that's totally fine! Our job as DM is to craft an experience that's fun and challenging. That's a tough thing to balance and sometimes you have to tilt the scales one way or another to maintain that.
I did not confirm that everyone knew how to make their characters, leading to one player (new to DnD) to have a poorly balanced character
I have a mixed group of 1 long-time veteran, 2 short-time veterans (I'm one of them), and 3 newbies. So thankfully we could help the newbies out as a group and we could all help form solid characters. I know this was a one-off, but if you do a longer campaign, definitely do a Session 0 where (among other things) everyone makes their char sheets together so questions can be asked and you can hit the ground running on Session 1.
Balancing “story” and “gameplay” was something I was constantly having trouble with
I haven't figured this out entirely, but I think it's largely group-dependent. My group enjoys goofing off in-character more than elaborate story-telling and combat. So I should probably focus my energy into creating fun scenarios for people to RP in rather than elaborate stories with factions and complicated politics.
And if the gameplay doesn't fit the story, bend the gamplay to your will. You're the DM, you're allowed to do that :)
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Comment on Mufasa: The Lion King | Teaser trailer in ~movies
hamstergeddon (edited )Link ParentMy exact reaction upon seeing this was "Please be 2D animated....clicked link....fuck's sake". I just don't get it. Some of the live-action remakes are interesting because it's cool to see how...My exact reaction upon seeing this was "Please be 2D animated....clicked link....fuck's sake".
I just don't get it. Some of the live-action remakes are interesting because it's cool to see how certain elements of the animated originals translate to live action. Like Genie's magic in Aladdin, the denizens of the castle in Beauty and the Beast, literally everything about Wonderland in Alice in Wonderland, etc. Or it's neat to see actors bring animated characters to life (all 3 of the aforementioned films and 101 Dalmatians comes to mind. And I'm kind of looking forward to Snow White and a few other upcoming ones).
But to just go from 2D animated to 3D animated just does absolutely nothing for me. I've already seen the movie and without anything new or personally interesting about it, I have no motivation to watch a remake. And there's the argument that "it's a kids movie!" but Disney's whole thing has always been that their stuff is appealing to everyone. And this and the first Lion King remake don't appeal to me at all.
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Comment on Zilog discontinues production of original Z80 processor after 48 years in ~tech
hamstergeddon Link ParentTI-83+ was a really big deal to me as a teenager. I was born too late for the home computing boom in the 80s, so I completely missed the heyday of BASIC and kids writing code on their family...TI-83+ was a really big deal to me as a teenager. I was born too late for the home computing boom in the 80s, so I completely missed the heyday of BASIC and kids writing code on their family computer*. But the TI-83+ was a chance to experience something similar. Other kids would get caught gaming on their calculators during math, but not me. I'd get caught programming! TI-BASIC was my first non-markup language and taught me the basic principles of programming. Totally set me on the career path I took out of highschool. Which is amazing because writing TI-BASIC on a TI-83+ directly was not a fun process at all. I can't imagine tolerating that nonsense now :D
*- I realize programming has never been more accessible than it is today, but I mean you boot up a computer from that era and you're immediately prompted to start giving commands, writing code, etc. That stuff was all abstracted away with GUIs by the time I was old enough to use a computer.
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Comment on Why the short-lived Calvin and Hobbes is still one of the most beloved and influential comic strips in ~comics
hamstergeddon LinkI have the box-set collection of all the strips and my 4yos ask about them from time-to-time. So I was pretty excited when I found one of my old pre-box-set books, "It's A Magical World", and...I have the box-set collection of all the strips and my 4yos ask about them from time-to-time. So I was pretty excited when I found one of my old pre-box-set books, "It's A Magical World", and decided to read it to my kids. I learned a few things:
- It's really hard to read a comic out loud to someone else..just doesn't work very well.
- 4 years old is obviously way too young to fully enjoy C&H. I mean...duh. There are some jokes and visual gags that they understood, but it really does depend on you having made it out of elementary school. My kids don't even understand the bliss of being a care-free child during summer vacation yet. Which is, of course, fine. I gave them my older book because I don't mind if it gets destroyed since I have the box set. They can enjoy the artwork and if the book survives their preschool years, they can enjoy the words in them later.
- I have a much greater appreciation for the "artsy" and poetic strips now as an adult than I did as a teenager.
- It won't be too long until I have two six year olds running around and C&H makes me equal parts excited and horrified.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
hamstergeddon LinkContinuing work on my text adventure game written in Go. At this point it's more of a tech demo as I figure out how to organize my code (not to mention write it since Go is new to me) and do...Continuing work on my text adventure game written in Go. At this point it's more of a tech demo as I figure out how to organize my code (not to mention write it since Go is new to me) and do things like create dialogue boxes, draw ASCII art, etc. But I'm happy with the progress because slow progress is better than no progress!
Repo: https://github.com/jd13313/GoHaveAnAdventure
Changelog (with screenshots): https://github.com/jd13313/GoHaveAnAdventure/blob/master/CHANGELOG.mdI think I'm very close to having the bulk of the boilerplate stuff I want done. Next step will be looking into options for taking user input.
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Comment on How can I completely and permanently remove the ability to access the internet from a Debian derivative? in ~tech
hamstergeddon Link ParentIf you do plan on getting a smaller one, might I suggest something like an old 2010s-era netbook? Some of the lighter-spec ones are especially awful to use for anything resource-intensive. I had...If you do plan on getting a smaller one, might I suggest something like an old 2010s-era netbook? Some of the lighter-spec ones are especially awful to use for anything resource-intensive. I had one that even with the lightest linux distro installed on it was entirely unpleasant to use for even basic web browsing. But using it as a writing machine would've been perfect had I kept it.
Plus if you can find one w/o an ethernet port all you'd have to do is remove the Wifi card. And if you really wanted to make it a permanent fix, snip the little antennae connectors on the two wires going from the wifi card.
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Comment on How do you organize your phone's home screens and apps? in ~tech
hamstergeddon LinkI used to just keep everything on a single page with folders to organize things roughly like this: Comms (phone, text, email, etc.) Utilities (Mostly useful apps that don't use frequently, but...I used to just keep everything on a single page with folders to organize things roughly like this:
- Comms (phone, text, email, etc.)
- Utilities (Mostly useful apps that don't use frequently, but want quick access to)
- Internet (browser, shopping apps, etc.)
- Games
- Finances (banking app, CC apps, etc.)
Then about a month ago I was messing with custom ROMs for my phone and ended up doing that whole setup a few times and by the time I was done messing with ROMs I was tired of having to re-organize things after each ROM install. So right now it's just a big mess. But I got used to it enough that I know where everything else even without folders. And it's trivial to search for stuff.
I'm sure some day I'll find myself bored enough to re-organize stuff, but for now I'm embracing the chaos.
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Comment on Parenthood venting thread in ~talk
hamstergeddon Link ParentThis is very relatable. I remember a general sense of things being challenging, but generally view the first year in a positive light. Which I think means our brains evolved to block out the...but most of my instinctive memories from that time are fun times reading, her falling asleep on my chest, etc.
This is very relatable. I remember a general sense of things being challenging, but generally view the first year in a positive light. Which I think means our brains evolved to block out the negative to trick us into creating more babies later on when baby fever hits in the toddler stage haha.
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Comment on This is World of WarCraft in ~games
hamstergeddon LinkThis video hurts :( But.. Season of Discovery has been a big breath of fresh air, recapturing a lot of what I loved about the Vanilla - Wrath era. In addition to Classic WoW requiring more teaming...This video hurts :( But..
Season of Discovery has been a big breath of fresh air, recapturing a lot of what I loved about the Vanilla - Wrath era. In addition to Classic WoW requiring more teaming up than modern WoW, they also added runes (power ups for your class) that often require teaming up to acquire. I haven't played and enjoyed WoW like this in a VERY long time.
That being said, it's currently unknown what happens after SoD hits classic level cap. Speculation is that we'll get a Classic+ with further modifications to the classic game. But who knows? And do I really trust Blizz to continue to offer this level of gameplay for just the price of a $15/mo subscription without added microtransactions? Not really.
So for now I'm enjoying the rare opportunity to relive the glory days a little bit, but trying not to get too attached.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
hamstergeddon LinkI've been slowly learning Go over the last few weeks. My first project's going to be a text adventure game and right now I'm just piecing together some basics like outputting text in a visually...I've been slowly learning Go over the last few weeks. My first project's going to be a text adventure game and right now I'm just piecing together some basics like outputting text in a visually pleasing way. So far it's literally just a way to output text boxes with different border styles and colors. My goal is to write as much of the code myself as possible, although I did use a library for parsing yaml files.
I've been taking screenshots as I've expanded on that functionality and I'm hoping to keep a timeline of screenshots so I can showcase my progress while there isn't anything actually playable. My first day yielded a simple text box with a thick white border. My second day I added border colors and styles (configurable via a .yaml file). And my third day was rewriting some of the code to better handle line breaks. Prior to that update, it would line break at exactly the defined width of the dialogue box, even if that was in the middle of a word.
Next goal is to figure out how to fit multiple paragraphs in a single dialogue box. Which may ultimately result in even more refactoring, but that's a fantastic learning exercise, so I don't mind.
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Comment on US told Russia that Crocus City Hall was possible target of attack in ~news
hamstergeddon Link ParentI want to believe it's integrity, but I can't help but wonder if it's not also just a win-win scenario for the US. If they share the info with Russia, and they act on it, the US looks good. If...I want to believe it's integrity, but I can't help but wonder if it's not also just a win-win scenario for the US. If they share the info with Russia, and they act on it, the US looks good. If they share the info with Russia, and Russia doesn't act on it, Russia looks bad.
But I might also be too jaded for my own good at this point.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Survival - World downloads in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentI threw all three torrents up on my seedbox and I plan to just keep them seeding away for as long as needed.I threw all three torrents up on my seedbox and I plan to just keep them seeding away for as long as needed.
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Comment on Megathread: April Fools’ Day 2024 on the internet in ~talk
hamstergeddon (edited )Link ParentLightheaded Paladin is hilarious, but I do think a healing Warrior would be a good fit for Season of Discovery. In this wild world where Rogues tank, Mages heal, and hunters swear off their ranged...Lightheaded Paladin is hilarious, but I do think a healing Warrior would be a good fit for Season of Discovery. In this wild world where Rogues tank, Mages heal, and hunters swear off their ranged weapons entirely, it'd be a great fit. Plus it suits the dad jokes I've been telling about healing as a First Aid user all these years.
And
In Season of Mystery, everything you experience will be subject to a hidden roll. How many bear pelts does this quest-giver need? Could be 8. Could be 87! How fast is your mount today? It could be 140% run speed, and it could be 205%, and could be a slow day for horsie. Maybe horsie only goes 50% today. How exciting is that?!
This would be fun in the same way that those Pokemon and Ocarina of Time randomizer runs are. Probably god-awful to play, but a lot of fun to watch on twitch.
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Comment on EverCraft - a voxel based MMORPG in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentI think the name is meant to be a mix of Everquest and World of Warcraft, maybe? That's what my mind jumped to, anyway, as a fan of both MMOs and Minecraft.I think the name is meant to be a mix of Everquest and World of Warcraft, maybe? That's what my mind jumped to, anyway, as a fan of both MMOs and Minecraft.
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Comment on Favorite hobby / subculture YouTube channels? in ~hobbies
hamstergeddon LinkCouple of my recent favorites: Diesel Creek - Restores/repairs old construction equipment. I don't even own anything that runs on diesel and I greatly enjoy it. And I'm learning a lot. Bushradical...Couple of my recent favorites:
- Diesel Creek - Restores/repairs old construction equipment. I don't even own anything that runs on diesel and I greatly enjoy it. And I'm learning a lot.
- Bushradical - Homesteader kinda guy. Seems to have a very healthy understanding of how fake a large chunk of YouTube's homesteading content creators are. Most of his videos are about clearing out brush, making fire pits, learning new skills, building cabins.
- SaveItForParts - A lot of amateur (like accessible TO amateurs level amateur) radio stuff. SDRs, picking up satellite feeds, etc. And a lot of misc adjacent hobby stuff thrown in.
- Tom Stanton - Does a lot of interesting engineering projects that include creating air-powered "toy" planes, drones, bike mods, etc.
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Comment on America's first right-to-repair bill that bans parts pairing in ~tech
hamstergeddon Link ParentHonestly at this point if you're buying a printer with predatory ink pricing, then that's kinda on you. Laser printers, refillable ink printers, etc. are all widely available. Those may be a...Honestly at this point if you're buying a printer with predatory ink pricing, then that's kinda on you. Laser printers, refillable ink printers, etc. are all widely available. Those may be a little more expensive outright, but they pay for themselves in the cheaper toner/ink in the long-run. And it's never been easier to research the long-term cost of a printer.
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Comment on Why Bluesky remains the most interesting experiment in social media, by far in ~tech
hamstergeddon LinkI just can't be bothered to join one of these twitter alternatives. Takes too much time and effort to curate a list of people worth following. And anything I say on there is like yelling into the...I just can't be bothered to join one of these twitter alternatives. Takes too much time and effort to curate a list of people worth following. And anything I say on there is like yelling into the void anyway. So it's not useful for starting discussion, I can't be bothered to hunt down discussions worth having, and social media is generally a terrible format to have full discussions anyway.
I've settled into mostly just ignoring social media. I've got a Facebook to keep up on funny things a few IRL friends post and coordinate D&D/hangouts with them, but that's about it. And a TikTok for mindless scrolling while I'm on the toilet. That's about all the social media I need these days.
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Comment on How do you store ”loose” tech hardware? in ~tech
hamstergeddon LinkThe most organized I've gotten is having a few cardboard boxes on a shelf labeled "USB", "A/V", "POWER", and "MISC", which more or less satisfies my needs. Everything in there is rat tail tangles...The most organized I've gotten is having a few cardboard boxes on a shelf labeled "USB", "A/V", "POWER", and "MISC", which more or less satisfies my needs. Everything in there is rat tail tangles though, which is definitely not ideal. I'd really like to figure out something more organized/clean, but the barrier right now is my own forgetfulness/laziness when it comes to putting cables back where they belong.
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Comment on Reddit pops as much as 70% in NYSE debut after selling shares at top of range in ~tech
hamstergeddon Link ParentTo the moon! Just kidding I had my fun with dogecoin and while I know crypto's different from stocks, that was still enough gambling chaos for me, even if I came out slightly ahead.To the moon! Just kidding I had my fun with dogecoin and while I know crypto's different from stocks, that was still enough gambling chaos for me, even if I came out slightly ahead.
Blatant, but humorously executed advertising like that is usually pretty fun. Immediately made me think of the "selling out" scene from Wayne's World.
That being said, it still kinda grosses me out in a video game context. I'd find it funny, but it would feel a little icky and cheap.