• Activity
  • Votes
  • Comments
  • New
  • All activity
    1. How has your career changed you?

      Most everyone will spend a significant portion of their life working in some way shape or form. Our jobs can cause us to learn new skills or see the world in a different light after gaining new...

      Most everyone will spend a significant portion of their life working in some way shape or form. Our jobs can cause us to learn new skills or see the world in a different light after gaining new experiences.

      I was thinking about my own career and how it has caused changes in my own life, and it got me thinking how other Tilders might view their work and their life through that lens.

      Have you noticed your career has changed you, and if there are any changes you can think of, do any of them surprise you?
      Do you look at things differently after working a particular job?
      How has your job impacted you?

      8 votes
    2. What programming/technical projects have you been working on?

      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's...

      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's interesting about it? Are you having trouble with anything?

      6 votes
    3. Tildes Book Club - Have you started Dr. No by Ian Fleming?

      Moving right along myself. Links with more information for anyone undecided: LibraryThing:StoryGraph Content Warnings based on user submissions from StoryGraph. Plot summary of the previous work...

      Moving right along myself.

      Links with more information for anyone undecided: LibraryThing:StoryGraph

      Content Warnings based on user submissions from StoryGraph.

      Plot summary of the previous work in the series (From Russia, with Love) from Wikipedia.

      14 votes
    4. CGA-2026-10 🕹️🏚️ 🦇👻 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Spooky Mansion Adventures

      Introduction It was a dark and stormy night... Rain hammered the car roof with the ferocity of hail. The windshield wipers did little to help as sheets of water cascaded down the glass between...

      Introduction

      It was a dark and stormy night...

      Rain hammered the car roof with the ferocity of hail. The windshield wipers did little to help as sheets of water cascaded down the glass between every beat. The road itself was dark with no lights besides your headlights, the beams casting eerie shadows on the gnarled trees as you drove past.

      Or they would, if the car was moving.

      Because of course the car broke down, leaving you stranded on a remote country road far from the nearest town. You sat in the driver's seat looking at the MapQuest printout, determining it to be useless given the lack of signage on remote country roads.

      You did, however, receive a surprisingly detailed novelty map of local landmarks from when you stopped at a diner an hour ago. Squinting out the window, the headlights just illuminated a large rock with a pointed tip near the base of a tree. A good match for the "Wytch Hat Stone" on the map.

      According to the novelty map, there were three mansions nearby: the Edison Mansion, the Derceto Manor, and the DeFoe Manor. Perhaps one of them would have a phone you could use. Or at least be a quieter place to spend the night, the incessant hammering of the raindrops was really loud. The flashes of lightning every time you mumbled the names of any mansion would help illuminate your way.

      And surely the "Beware And Avoid" heading on the map was just a marketing gimmick, right?


      Welcome to the Spooky Mansion Arcade Special!

      Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I shall be your hostess this delightfully dreary evening.

      Now as your hostess, I must be upfront with you: I have no personal experience with any of these titles. I originally nominated Maniac Mansion since I have wanted to play it for some time, but then realized there are many old games set in spooky mansions. And I also had the thought: what better time to explore some creepy mansions than October, the month most associated with all things spooky and creepy?

      So for this month's adventure, I have selected three potential mansions for us to tour: the classic LucasArts game Maniac Mansion, the classic survival horror game Alone in the Dark, and the freeware adventure game 5 Days A Stranger. All three provide glimpses into different periods and niches of gaming history.

      Maniac Mansion (1987) helped redefine the adventure game genre, and established LucasArts as a powerhouse in gaming. It removed many frustrations of the genre such as guessing and typing text commands in favor of one of the first point-and-click interfaces, or super-linear puzzles with specific solutions. It placed more emphasis on cinematic storytelling, and added humor to a generally serious genre.

      Alone in the Dark (1992) meanwhile is one of the games that defined the survival horror genre alongside Sweet Home. It was the first 3D survival horror game, with many of its mechanics such as limited inventory and a focus on survival over combat appearing to this day. Even the first Resident Evil game was influenced by it, nixing the original plan of first-person gameplay for similar fixed camera angles.

      5 Days a Stranger (2003) is comparatively lesser known and influential than the other two. However, it's also CGA's first foray into the early indie dev scene! This is a freeware game about a cat burglar who becomes trapped in a house with four others, and is the first part of a series called the Chzo Mythos. Its developer is likely to be familiar: Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, famous for the Zero Punctuation review series for The Escapist.

      Also: it's free. Of all the games we've played to date, this may be the most accessible because it's always been free, so no legal barriers.

      Moving on.

      You have your choice of up to three beautiful mansions to explore. I have hopefully given you enough information to decide which to visit first. They can't be worse than spending the night in a tiny, cramped, broken car. Feel free to chant the names of whichever mansion you most prefer as you begin the mad dash through the rain. The dramatic lightning flashes are so convenient, aren't they?

      I hope you all have a terrific time.


      GAME INFORMATION

      Maniac Mansion

      Versions: Original (1987) (notes: NES versions had some changes/censorship to fit Nintendo's criteria)

      Platforms: Commodore 64, Apple II, MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, NES, Famicom, Classic Mac OS

      Genre(s): Adventure

      Links: Mobygames, Wikipedia

      Stores:
      Steam - On sale until October 8
      GOG - On sale until October 7

      Alone in the Dark

      Versions: Original (1992), Remake (2024)

      Platforms: MS-DOS, RISC OS, 3DO, Mac OS, PC-98, FM Towns, iOS

      Genre(s): Survival Horror

      Links: Mobygames, Wikipedia

      Stores:
      Steam - Original Trilogy - On sale until October 8
      GOG - Original Trilogy - BIG sale until October 7!!! (And also just cheaper than Steam in general)
      Steam - Remake - On sale until October 8
      GOG - Remake - On sale until October 7

      5 Days a Stranger

      Versions: Original (2003)

      Platforms: Windows

      Genre(s): Adventure

      Links: Mobygames

      Downloads:
      Official site
      Adventure Games Studios site
      Internet Archive
      DOS Games Archive - This one has a "play online" button! No download required!


      Game Setup

      The main purpose of this topic is to get people up and running with the games. As such, it's recommended that you:

      • Share which version of the games you're playing
      • Share what hardware you're playing it on
      • Share if there are any tools/mods that you recommend
      • Share anything you think is important for people to know before they start the game
      • Ask questions if you need help

      Another purpose of this topic is to revisit the games and their time periods:

      • Do you have any memories or associations with this game itself?
      • What about its system or era?
      • What aspects of retro gaming were common at the time?
      • What other games from the same time period are you familiar with?
      • What are you expecting from this game in particular?

      Finally, this topic is the beginning discussion for people starting to play it:

      • Post updates sharing your thoughts as you play.
      • Ask for help if you get stuck.
      • Offer help to others.

      It is recommended that you reply to your own posts if you are making consecutive updates so that they are in the same thread.

      IMPORTANT: Any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.

      IMPORTANT: Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.

      <details>
      <summary>Spoilers</summary>
      
      Spoiler text goes here.
      </details>
      

      FAQ

      What is CGA?

      Colossal Game Adventure (CGA) is Tildes' retro video game club.

      Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the glorious digital experiences of yesteryear!

      Colossal Game Adventure is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure. It's one of the most influential games of all time, one of the first text-based interactive games, and one of the first games to be shared online.

      What do we want to do with this group? Play influential games; interact with each other through text; and share the love for retro games online!

      It also abbreviates to CGA (because we love chunky pixel art), and its name communicates the Colossal amount of fun and excitement that we have with retro video Games in our shared Adventure of playing them together.

      Do I have to sign up?

      No. Participation is open to all.

      There is a Notification List that will get pinged each time a new topic goes up. If you would like to join that list, please PM u/kfwyre.

      Are there restrictions on what/how to play?

      Each month will have a focus game or games that will guide our discussions. Beyond that, there are no restrictions. The philosophy of CGA is to play in a way that works for you!

      This means:

      • Choose whichever version of the game you want.
      • You can use cheats, save states, mods, etc.
      • You can watch a streamer or longplay instead of playing it.

      If you have already played a game and want a different experience:

      • Try a randomizer or challenge run.
      • Play a different version of it.
      • Play a related game (sequel, spiritual successor, something inspired by it, etc.)

      There is no wrong way to participate in CGA, and every different way someone participates will make for more interesting discussions.

      What is the schedule?

      Each month the Insert Cartidge topic will be posted on the 1st, while the Remove Cartridge topic will be posted on the 20th.

      Nomination and voting topics will happen in March and September (every 6 months).

      Schedules are also posted then.

      All CGA topics are available using the colossal game adventure tag.

      What do Insert and Remove Cartridge mean?

      Inserting and removing cartridges are our retro metaphor for starting and stopping a given game or games.

      The Insert Cartridge topic happens at the beginning of the month and is primarily about getting the game up and running.

      The Remove Cartridge topic happens toward the end of the month and is primarily about people reflecting on the game now that they've played it.

      There are no hard restrictions on what has to go in either topic, and each can be used to discuss the game, post updates, ask questions, etc.


      Enter if you dare...

      > PRESS START

      (Credit to @Boojum for the splash screen!)

      7 votes
    5. Visitor activity tracking for B2B

      I'm in a position to make decisions about our B2B product and the accompaning marketing site. This is a startup, so now's the time to set precedents before there's momentum and any sort of vendor...

      I'm in a position to make decisions about our B2B product and the accompaning marketing site. This is a startup, so now's the time to set precedents before there's momentum and any sort of vendor lock-in. The only context I think is relevant is that my product is for medium sized manufacturing companies. Anyone visiting our site is doing it because they would be interested in it for their business.

      I bring this up here because I know many people are privacy conscious and I want to nudge my company that direction. So I have two related but slightly different topics:.

      1. for our marketing site where people come to learn about the product and try to get in touch with us - What kind of "tracking" is appropriate to you? Hubspot is one of the industry defaults that was recommended we use. However I noticed that Firefox and privacy badger block it by default. If I were to try to build it myself, it wouldn't be third party, so I don't think anything would block it (I'm aware of people that block all JS, but I'm not gonna worry about that group for my purposes.) How do you all feel about first party usage tracking for B2B?
      2. Similar question here but for when people log into our product. We're looking at using posthog for this.

      Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks.

      3 votes
    6. Timasomo 2026: Roll Call

      October 1st has already hit in some parts of the world, so Timasomo has officially begun! Posting in this topic is your official entry into Timasomo. Let everyone know what your actual plans are....

      October 1st has already hit in some parts of the world, so Timasomo has officially begun!

      Posting in this topic is your official entry into Timasomo.

      Let everyone know what your actual plans are. What are you going to make?

      Anyone who was not already on the notification list will be added with a comment in this topic.

      Once the date turns over to October 1st wherever you are in the world, feel free to start creating!


      FAQs

      What is Timasomo really though?

      Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of October. It is a chance to create something/anything!

      There are no restrictions on what you can choose to make.

      The best way to get a feel for Timasomo is to check out our previous Showcase topics, where creators share their creations with the community at the end of the event:

      Can I participate?

      Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! Please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.timasomo.

      The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome!

      If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

      If you do not want to create something but still want to check out the showcase, let me know in a comment here and I will add your name to a separate notification list that I will ping for the showcase topic only.

      How do I sign up?

      Make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.timasomo and/or are included in my notification list (simply comment on this topic to be added).

      On October 1st, there will be a Roll Call thread. By posting your plans to participate in that thread, you have formally signed up for Timasomo!

      Didn't it used to be in November?

      Yes. Timasomo was originally inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month, which takes place in November.

      Initially, I wanted people participating in NaNoWriMo to be able to share their work with Timasomo as well. In the entire time it has run, however, no participant has publicly submitted any work from NaNoWriMo to Timasomo. Instead, Timasomo has gained its own identity independent of NaNoWriMo (which, after recent events, is probably for the best).

      Many participants from previous years have shared that October would be a better month for them personally, so we moved the event to October.

      Also, the event was so fantastically popular that it regularly upstaged American Thanksgiving, thus we only felt it fair that Canadian Thanksgiving be targeted as well.

      What are the rules?

      Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected.

      On October 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of October.

      There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

      Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

      What is the schedule?

      Timasomo begins October 1st and ends October 31st.

      All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time.

      This week prior to the start of October is for planning. There will be a few days at the beginning of November given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works.

      Do I have to share my creation(s) publicly?

      Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and you are not obligated to share your creation here if you do not want to. We'd still love to hear about it though, if you're willing to share process and details!

      Is it Timasomo or TiMaSoMo?

      Either.

      I personally use "Timasomo" because I think it looks cleaner and because too much time on the internet has made my brain incapable of reading "TiMaSoMo" as anything other than sarcasm, but go with whichever you prefer.

      The best option, however, is “𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑨𝑺𝑶𝑴𝑶” for reasons that are self-evident.

      14 votes
    7. Colossal Game Adventure: October 2026 - April 2027 schedule

      Schedule Month Game Host October 2026 Spooky Mansion AdventuresAlone in the Dark5 Days a StrangerManiac Mansion u/CannibalisticApple November 2026 Mother 3 u/kfwyre December 2026 Sonic the 3D...

      Schedule

      Month Game Host
      October 2026 Spooky Mansion Adventures
      Alone in the Dark
      5 Days a Stranger
      Maniac Mansion
      u/CannibalisticApple
      November 2026 Mother 3 u/kfwyre
      December 2026 Sonic the 3D Hedgehog
      Sonic Adventure
      Sonic Adventure 2
      u/J-Chiptunator
      January 2027 Resident Evil (REmake) u/sotix
      February 2027 Another World u/CannibalisticApple
      March 2027 The Grue That Binds
      Border Zone
      Twisted!
      Zork
      u/balooga
      April 2027 Crystalis u/zod000
      May 2027 The Genesis of Treasure
      Gunstar Heroes
      McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure
      Dynamite Headdy
      Alien Soldier
      Light Crusader
      u/J-Chiptunator

      Discussion Topics

      Each month will have two discussion topics:

      • "Insert Cartridge" - 1st of the month
      • "Remove Cartridge" - 28th of the month (25th for February)

      Insert Cartridge topics are primarily for getting the game set up and running. Remove Cartridge topics are primarily for reflecting on the game once you've played it. However, the game itself and anything else related to it can be discussed in either one.


      Hosting

      Each month, the discussion topics will be posted by a different "host" who will act as the emcee for that month.

      Hosting is not required, but it is encouraged that people host months for games that they are either already very familiar with or that they are strongly interested in playing.

      People who nominated a game will be given preference for hosting, otherwise it will be given to whomever claims it first.

      Check out old months to get a feel for what it's like.

      Required Hosting Responsibilities
      • Editing the templates for the month's "Insert Cartridge" and "Remove Cartridge" topics.
      • Posting the month's "Insert Cartridge" and "Remove cartridge topics.
      Optional Hosting Responsibilities
      • Talking up the game.
      • Giving tips/tricks/guides/cheats.
      • Sharing your own thoughts/memories/reflections.
      • Asking questions.
      • Anything else you feel like doing (e.g. setting up a multiplayer tournament, making game-related memes, sharing fun trivia, etc.)

      If you would like to host a month, let me know which one and I will add you to the schedule.

      Before your month begins, I will send you a "Hosting Package" featuring templates that you can edit to your liking.

      If no one claims a month, I will host it as a fallback.


      Voting Results

      The top 6 games from the voting round were chosen to be played.

      Of the remaining games:

      • The top 50% will advance to the next round. They will start the next round with a base score of 30% of their vote totals.
      • The bottom 50% will be removed from the list.

      Removed games will be able to be re-nominated in future rounds if someone chooses to do so.

      Rank Game Roll. Votes Total
      #1 Mother 3 11 33 44 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #2 Spooky Mansion Adventures 4 33 37 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #3 Crystalis 10 21 31 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #3 The Grue That Binds 13 18 31 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #5 Another World 6 23 29 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #5 Resident Evil (REmake) 8 21 29 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #5 Sonic the 3D Hedgehog 0 29 29 ⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #5 The Genesis of Treasure 5 24 29 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      ―― ―― ↑ Winners ―― ↓ Rollovers ―― ―― ―― ―― ――
      #9 Back in a Flash 5 23 28 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #9 StarCraft 0 28 28 ⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #11 Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist 8 16 24 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #12 Ys Origin 0 22 22 ⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #13 Tetris 11 10 21 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      ―― ―― ↑ Rollovers ―― ↓ Cut ―― ―― ―― ―― ――
      #14 Descent 5 15 20 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #15 Ratchet & Clank 0 15 15 ⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #16 Beneath a Steel Sky 4 6 10 ⬞⬞⬞⬞⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #17 Donkey Kong 64 0 9 9 ⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      #17 Wizball 0 9 9 ⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝⬝
      16 votes
    8. Got my hands on a Steam Frame. Can't use it much for not having prescription lenses yet, but AMA

      I promised in another thread that I would share more about my first impressions about the Steam Frame soon, so here I am. There's still not much I can say because, in my case, using glasses inside...

      I promised in another thread that I would share more about my first impressions about the Steam Frame soon, so here I am.

      There's still not much I can say because, in my case, using glasses inside isn't an option. But whatever questions you have and couldn't find answers anywhere else, let me know and I can check for you (be it settings, small things no one thinks about, etc)

      I'll be recycling a bit what I already said in the other comment (with a few corrections), but here goes my first impressions and some thoughts:

      • I said in the other comment that the spacer for the glasses was disappointing, but that's actually not true. To be fair, they do their job. The glasses should be as close as possible to your face anyway, and you can't have too much space between your face and the lenses in the VR, so the spacer does give you a bit more space that should be enough for most/all people. I was able to confirm that both my new glasses and my old ones do not touch the lenses. That said, I still wouldn't play a VR game that needs me to move a lot, the risk of them coming loose and scratching the lenses isn't null.

      • My problem with the glasses is different. My new glasses are too wide. They barely fit inside and put a lot of pressure on my face, I think it's the sides of the VR that push the glasses against my face.

      • So yeah, if you use glasses, I highly recommend getting prescription lenses (this also applies to any VR headset, but still).

      • I was able to run on the Frame: Ace Combat 7, Hades 2, Dragon Commander and Dispatch. All of them were playable (Ace Combat 7 was a pleasant surprise!). Dragon Commander technically ran well, but it didn't recognize the controllers.

      • There's a tab for Steam Frame verified games, but you can download anything from your library. Cyberpunk 2077? Knock yourself out. Will it run well? Nope, but it does run.

        • Sidenote: the new proton for ARM processors make me hopeful that laptops with ARM processors could become a viable alternative to traditional ones (I mean besides macbooks)
      • Speaking of controllers, they're MUCH better than Meta Quest 3's. The layout of a conventional controller means that they can be used as such. Furthermore, at any moment you can activate the "pointer", which turns the respective controller into a mouse (while the other remains a controller). Meaning if you have a game where sometimes you need a mouse, Steam Frame has you covered.

      • I got the ergonomic kit because of the controller straps, but as for the headset itself, I'll be the contrarian against the rest of the internet and say that those extra pieces actually aren't necessary. Or at least, not as ABSOLUTELY necessary as people make it look like. The space between the headset and my nose is not sealed, true, but unless I get conscious about that "hole", I won't notice it. I also felt that the top strap isn't necessary, the headset feels firmly held against my head.

        • That said, let me admit a few things: I didn't play a VR game yet, so maybe "firmly held" could be a different story in that scenario. And for a 1k euro device, there's an argument to be made that these ergonomic accessories should've been included by default, which I wholeheartedly agree. The nose thing, might have to do with my head shape, might not, I don't know; I just felt that whenever I was looking at the "screen" inside, I didn't notice the "hole" down below.
      • The battery is... Underwhelming. Be prepared to get a good powerbank if you plan to have mid-long sessions.

      • I tried using the wireless adapter on my gaming desktop (running Fedora 44), and it looks like it worked! Pleasant surprise, as I was under the impression it didn't work on Linux yet.

      • Streamed Red Dead Redemption 2 for a bit. Rockstar launcher popped up so I could validate my account.... Except this window didn't appear on the SF, only on my PC's monitor. On the SF, I wasn't able to change windows, I only got a black screen. Once I entered the game, I could hear the sounds of the intro playing but the screen was still black. After fiddling a bit inside the VR, I managed to make it show the game itself, then I was able to play it normally.

        • This is to say, "window management" inside a game is finicky. So games with their own launchers? Expect them be as annoying here as they are in general...
          • Caveat: only tried one game in this condition (opening launchers/windows alongside the game), so it's possible it was just bad luck and not representative.
      • (copy pasted from the other comment) the update process (that you're forced to do) was really slow - the download would top at 10mb/s, but on average it was on the kb/s.

      • (copy pasted from the other comment) The environment is really polished - more than the Steam Deck it looks like. I like how from inside Steam "app" itself, I can open the desktop mode as if it was an application. I don't have bluetooth keyboards but I think it should be possible to use this as a normal PC, which is really cool.

      • (copy pasted from the other comment) Just like the Steam Deck, you have control over almost everything. Hardware usage, screen framerates, etc.

      Some basic comparisons against the Meta Quest 3:

      • Unlike MQ 3, the SF works just fine in any kind of environment, even if it's pitch black. Side note: it's a bit mesmerizing checking out the LIDAR's and Face ID's lights from my iphone. This thing is unironically a really good device to spot hidden cameras.

      • YMMV, but for me the lack of colors in the passthrough isn't a big deal. I spend most of the time "inside" the virtual world and barely used it on MQ3, only for when someone was calling for me - or my cats. But even then, 95% of the time I would just take the headset off if whatever was demanding my attention wasn't quick. Talking to people with it on your head is weird af (especially for the other person). What I'm trying to say is that there were never situations where I needed to see the world around me and it needed to be in colours; I would just take the headset off in those cases.

        • Caveat: 1k euros device, I get it. It's dumb that you still need to fork over another 100 euros just to get colours. And I guess it's not a good thing for AR games.
      • The SF is a bit smaller, lighter, and it's more comfortable imo. The idea to move the battery to the back of the head was smart, I think long sessions with SF should be more comfortable.

      • MQ 3 has hand gesture recognition while SF doesn't. But personally, I don't really care. On MQ 3 this feature is finicky, frustrating to use, it's annoying when I'm watching movies/videos, and more importantly, it makes me want to throw the headset against the wall (exaggeration for comedic effect). So for me it's not a huge loss.

      • If you feel that after these impressions I'm biased against the MQ3, well.... You're not wrong, but I just realized that it feels like I'm defending SF too much and criticizing MQ3 too easily while writing this. I'm biased against it mainly for privacy reasons, but on a hardware level, MQ3 is a great headset in its own right. It's equivalent to SF and costs a lot less. If you don't care about privacy, you probably should go for it instead of the SF.

      Feel free to ask me anything about the Steam Frame and if I can check it out for you, I will.

      29 votes
    9. How to get better at academic writing quickly?

      Working on my graduate degree and desperately need to get better at writing. I want to write and publish a lot but my grammar and general style is quite bad. The allure of AI is forever present...

      Working on my graduate degree and desperately need to get better at writing. I want to write and publish a lot but my grammar and general style is quite bad. The allure of AI is forever present but I resist it to maintain my own skill.

      19 votes
    10. Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of September 27

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week! Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle...

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week!

      Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle are most worth my attention?”

      Rules:

      • No grey market sales
      • No affiliate links

      If posting a sale, it is strongly encouraged that you share why you think the available game/games are worthwhile.


      All previous Save Point topics

      If you don’t want to see threads in this series, add save point to your personal tag filters.

      8 votes
    11. CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎‍♂️🛹 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

      So I've heard that (at least some of) you have, trounced every park's leaderboard, cleared all goals (including the cash ones), and racked up 3 gold medals from the occasional competition stages....

      So I've heard that (at least some of) you have, trounced every park's leaderboard, cleared all goals (including the cash ones), and racked up 3 gold medals from the occasional competition stages.

      If that's true, then congratulations! You're basically legend-level; Tony Hawk himself would be impressed.
      But what if I told you there's more to do after a full Career Mode clean sweep? Shocker, I know. Here are two hints:

      • Land a successful trick in every gap on every Career Mode park (ideally in Free Skate)
      • Spend an absurd amount of time 100%-ing every skater's Career Mode

      Sounds simple, right? But it's also... an absolutely herculean task. I won't blame you if you reach for the cheat codes hidden there to skip the grind. And for anyone on the N64 or GBC versions of Pro Skater 2: tough luck, as no such things are available there to my knowledge.

      Now the real question: where are you going to rest after all that? Blow your remaining hard-earned cash on some old, shady place you found on your dinky desktop out of pure desperation? Don't worry, u/CannibalisticApple will walk you through those sketchy mansions and manors on the next CGA month.

      Until then, drop your feats and thoughts about your journey to becoming one of skateboarding's champions.

      Later, gators!

      Schedule

      Month Game Host
      October 2026 Spooky Mansion Adventures
      Alone in the Dark
      5 Days a Stranger
      Maniac Mansion
      u/CannibalisticApple
      November 2026 Mother 3 u/kfwyre
      December 2026 Sonic the 3D Hedgehog
      Sonic Adventure
      Sonic Adventure 2
      u/J-Chiptunator
      January 2027 Resident Evil (REmake) u/sotix
      February 2027 Another World u/CannibalisticApple
      March 2027 The Grue That Binds
      Border Zone
      Twisted!
      Zork
      u/balooga
      April 2027 Crystalis u/zod000
      May 2027 The Genesis of Treasure
      Gunstar Heroes
      McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure
      Dynamite Headdy
      Alien Soldier
      Light Crusader
      u/J-Chiptunator
      9 votes
    12. I don’t feel like I’m a creative person. How could I fix that and get ideas?

      I don’t think I’m very creative when it comes to making semi artistic/practical real world things. The summum of my creative abilities is devising CAD models for 3D printing practical simple parts...

      I don’t think I’m very creative when it comes to making semi artistic/practical real world things. The summum of my creative abilities is devising CAD models for 3D printing practical simple parts I need to improve/fix things. Not nothing, but not super artsy either.

      I currently live in an apartment I don’t like and can’t move out of (life is complicated).

      A big part of my dislike of this appartment is that it’s under the roof so it has slanted ceilings and these gigantic wooden pillars right in the middle of most rooms. This make the space cramped and very hard to use.

      I’d like to find a way to pimp these columns up so they don’t annoy me as much. But… how would I get ideas?

      All I could think of is making it into some kind of tribal totem, but I have no vision for what it’d look like nor how would I do it in practice. And preferably with upcycled or thrifted materials because I’m not investing in this place I’m renting. Also has to be fully removable for the same reason. A few holes are ok but I can’t glue things that will peel the paint or leave marks.

      My general question is this: people who find cool ways of hijacking things or decorating, where do you find inspiration? How do you get ideas? Is there some sort of method for someone like me who doesn’t get it “naturally”?

      25 votes
    13. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any movies recently you want to discuss? Any films you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      8 votes
    14. Looking for more pop / rock songs with sick sax solos! Got any ideas?

      I've been working on a playlist for a while of rock / pop songs with sax solos. The rules are: Must be from this millennium sax can't be a primary instrument pop or rock genres preferred Here's...

      I've been working on a playlist for a while of rock / pop songs with sax solos. The rules are:

      • Must be from this millennium
      • sax can't be a primary instrument
      • pop or rock genres preferred

      Here's what I've got so far: https://link.deezer.com/s/323YPvabsQgEuS8BOTCXj

      27 votes
    15. Fitness Weekly Discussion

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?

      1 vote
    16. Do you have an "anime of the season"? | Summer 2026 (June - Sept)

      Another season of anime has (mostly) ended. Inspired by @Flashfall 's excellent seasonal review in an earlier weekly threads, I thought it'd be interesting to hear about everyone's overall...

      Another season of anime has (mostly) ended. Inspired by @Flashfall 's excellent seasonal review in an earlier weekly threads, I thought it'd be interesting to hear about everyone's overall experiences.

      So, what's the best anime you've watched over the last 3 months? Doesn't have to be one released this season, as long as you've recently watched them. Seeing how the old and new compare to each other could also be interesting.

      You can mention which other ones you've also watched so others know what the comparison was. It's also okay if you've only seen one since the fact you liked it enough to highlight is still noteworthy.

      6 votes
    17. Irreverent ads make me want to buy things even less

      Lately on YouTube I’ve been getting a few really weird ads. The first was a 5 second spot video for Fatty brand meat sticks. They say “vegans look away” as they spin on the screen. I’m...

      Lately on YouTube I’ve been getting a few really weird ads.

      The first was a 5 second spot video for Fatty brand meat sticks. They say “vegans look away” as they spin on the screen.

      I’m plant-based: I don’t eat animal products 99.9% of the time. And well before I was like this I wouldn’t have eaten their product because meat sticks were just simply gross. But literally every time I see an advertisement for a food product I see something that looks more like actual meat on the screen so when I see the ad in question, it is basically the single most flaccid insult I have ever seen.

      I wouldn’t even be bringing it up except for today I had a different ad show up from dbrand, this time as an image as I was looking through the recommended videos. It was a screenshot of a conversation between them and peta over some leather something or other.

      I just think about what this kind of advertising is supposed to do. It’s supposed to position the product in a persons mind. It says to them “buy this to stick it to those leftist vegan cucks” while still being soft enough that a leftist vegan cuck might not be bothered by it and might still consider buying it.

      But I think there is a different message we should take from these ads: these companies are run by assholes. The fact that leather and meat require animals to die is a morbid fact that our society has accepted, and rubbing that into the faces of those who disagree with it is not a good look; it just reveals them as the children that they are.

      While my dietary restrictions may have prevented me from buying anything from Fatty, the only thing stopping me from buying from dbrand is their own idiotic marketing. Why on earth did they think that they think that their trolling would be effective advertising outside of the trolling website?

      50 votes
    18. What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was...

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.

      If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!

      6 votes
    19. Societal type of question

      "Think of the most successful person you know personally in your field. If you had to attribute their position to one primary edge over their peers, which of these was it?" A) Exceptional raw...

      "Think of the most successful person you know personally in your field. If you had to attribute their position to one primary edge over their peers, which of these was it?"
      ​A) Exceptional raw talent or intellectual capability
      ​B) Unusually high stamina and willingness to work long hours
      ​C) Great interpersonal instinct and emotional intelligence
      ​D) Being in the right place at the right time with the right background

      Choosing just one is a recommendation
      Within cells interlinked

      12 votes
    20. Who gets the Steam Frame? Did Valve pick you for the first wave?

      There are certainly a few people here, who will be buying Steam Frame VR headset. I enlisted myself a few days ago for the first wave lottery reservations. After a bit of thought, I also enlisted...

      There are certainly a few people here, who will be buying Steam Frame VR headset.

      I enlisted myself a few days ago for the first wave lottery reservations. After a bit of thought, I also enlisted my daughter, to double my chances from almost 0% to double of that but still near zero in my eyes.

      A few minutes ago I got e-mail. I'm on waiting list after first wave goes out... Well, maybe this year?

      My daughter checked her e-mail as well. And what do you know? Doubling of the chances paid off and the chance was actually higher than near 0% - her account got picked by Valve! It seems we are getting the headset in upcoming days/weeks.

      Now the question is: Should we get the head and handstraps also? I think we should. But I don't knowbif I should get also new foam/seal. I'm not spending 170€ on color camera, at least not for now.

      Sorry for this kind of post, we are just so happy and I wanted to share the happiness. I hope some of you got on the list for first wave as well.

      48 votes
    21. Anyone have any ketogenic diet stories?

      Good or bad, I'm interested I got into fasting back in like 2019 maybe a bit earlier I forget, I was watching some some crazy dumb shit like snake diet, but it seemed to work for weight loss, but...

      Good or bad, I'm interested

      I got into fasting back in like 2019 maybe a bit earlier I forget, I was watching some some crazy dumb shit like snake diet, but it seemed to work for weight loss, but I never changed my eating so when I stopped fasting I gained all the weight back, in 2020 or 2021 I tried carnivore diet, but I went into psychosis (I have mental health issues) and I thought god wanted me to eat with my family so I started eating what they eat (which is mostly SAD junk) and I gained all my weight back

      In maybe 2024 or 2025 I forget, I started watching a bunch of self help stuff, and one of the creators I watched on YouTube was Dr k (healthygamerGG) and with that I started meditating and trying to prioritize "sativik" foods, so for breakfast I would eat something like oatmeal with turmeric and cumin and vegetables, and I lost some weight on that diet, but I fell out of that routine and returned to SAD junk and gained all the weight back and then some

      Last April I hit 300 pounds, the most I ever weighed, and it was a wakeup call, what really told me it was a problem might seem silly but its because my bicycle has a 300 pound weight limit lol

      I decided to try carnivore again, but this time I slowly transitioned into it, because in 2021 when I tried it, I went from SAD one day to Carnivore the next and god dman I had diarrhea for 30 days lol, so this time I simply started by buying 2 cases of sardines and adding in a can every day at lunch, slowly removing other foods and adding in meat and eggs, I was probably fully carnivore by may 1st

      For the first 30 days, probably all of may, I ate eggs in the morning, can fish at lunch and a pound of meat at dinner, until I got a KetoMojo (glucometer) around the 30 day mark, I was expecting super low glucose and super high ketones since I was eating carnivore for 30 days at this point, but its not what I seen, my fasting glucose was (ever so slightly) high and my ketones were constantly between 0.8 and 0.9 (at least they were rock steady I guess)

      But as I was seeing these measurements for a few days I had also stumbled upon the medibolic mind YouTube channel and people using ketogenic diets for mental health issues, so I figured let's try a medical keto diet

      medical keto diets are actually kinda hard to find any info on, but as far as I can tell they seem to be really simple, you can boil them down to a ratio, like 2:1 or 3:1, so I chose 2:1, so for every 1 part protein + carb I eat, I would eat 2 parts fat

      So for example if I ate 70g protein and 15g carbs, i would need to eat 170g fat, which is kinda harder then it sounds, I feel sorry for epileptics who need to eat 3:1 or 4:1 every single day and never fucking up to control seizures, you basically need to chug 35% cream to hit those numbers

      So added in fat bombs I'd make with nut butter and tallow to increase my fatI play around with what I add but I may do something like melt tallow in a pot, whisk in some stevia and and cacao to taste (basically a chocolate bar but tallow In stead of cacao butter) pour into a foil lined dish, drop in a few whole nuts for crunch and sprinkle some salt, and then freeze, eat straight from the freezer and top with some but butter

      I also lowered my protein, I would try to aim for between 70 and 80 grams a day, and I loosened up and ate some vegetables, technically fruit, stuff like tomato and cucumber and olives and peppers, (I love a horiatiki)

      From the beginning of April till about the end of august I dropped from 300 pounds to 255, this probably wasn't diet all alone, because I went from completely sedentary, I would almost never leave my room, to walking the dog for hours a day, and lifting weight once or twice a week, being in heavy ketosis just increased my NEAT (non exercise activity) like I would find myself just jumping up from.the couch for no reason, and I started to roll with it and do stuff

      In September I started eating the wild fruit that grew around town, crab apples, wild sour grapes, chokecherries, hawthorn fruit, nanyberries I basically take a picture of every plant I find and my phone tells me what it is (plant.net) and then I google uses for the plant, I also tried many teas, mint, lemon balm, wild bergmot, catnip (all those are mint family), goldenrod, rosehips

      But since I started eating the stuff I find on the ground my weight stalled, I went from 255 in august to 257 as of right now, I also had some other effect, my scalp got itchy again, my armpits got more smelly, more aches and pains I notice, I feel more exhausted from my walks, some of this like the scalp and smell may be candida or something idk, others might be inflammation or negative effects from constantly switching between normal metabolism and ketosis

      Oh and the heart burn, before I started (pre-april) I had VERY BAD heartburn, like it would keep me up in the night, I would.sleep with a bottle of water/baking soda solution beside my bed so when the heartburn woke me up I could drink it, this was going on for like a year maybe, the main driver was sugar, when I ate a sweet it would.act up, but I couldn't stop eating sweets, but when I started carnivore it got dramatically better fast, fat would still trigger it a bit, but sugar was like a 8/10 pain and fat was 2/10 pain, but after some time the fat even stopped hurting, and now I never have heart burn anymore, even if I eat the fruit like I have been, which would have preciously been horrible pain

      Oh and some other things, i try not to drink coffee often, I have gone months without coffee at all, but the last 3 weeks I have had some more then I'd like, I need to start tapering it again, and ditto for tea, even when I had no coffee at all I'd have tea once or twice a week so I wasnt completely no caffeine

      If you like rap music check out Inpatients album Asylum, its Ren and Chris Webby, Ren is one of my favourites, Chris Webby has made some controversial statements but as a Millennial that grew up in the before times I'm not about canceling people

      What's your keto story?

      15 votes
    22. What is your dream game?

      I've had plenty of fun conversations with friends about this topic and figure all you Tilders would have some interesting ideas/thoughts. Are there any games that you've always wished for? Has...

      I've had plenty of fun conversations with friends about this topic and figure all you Tilders would have some interesting ideas/thoughts.

      • Are there any games that you've always wished for?
      • Has there been a game that captured your imagination but fell short in one or more areas?
      • Have you ever wanted to smash elements from two or more games together?

      Don't let budgetary/IP constraints ruin your dreams here!

      34 votes
    23. Tildes Minecraft Weekly - Final Thread for Season 3

      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 26.2) Verification site: https://tildes.nore.gg BlueMap: https://tildes.nore.gg/map/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC Plugins and Data Packs Data...

      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 26.2)
      Verification site: https://tildes.nore.gg
      BlueMap: https://tildes.nore.gg/map/
      Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC

      Plugins and Data Packs Data Packs:
      • Age Lock [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Armor Statues [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Bat Membranes [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Concrete [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Mud [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Custom Nether Portals [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Husks Drop Sand [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Mini Blocks [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • More Mob Heads [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Nullscape - End terrain upgrade
      • Player Head Drops [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Renewable Dragon Stuff
      • Silence Mobs [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Terralith - Overworld terrain upgrade
      • Wandering Trades [Vanilla Tweaks]

      Plugins:

      • BlueMap - Provides a live 3D rendering of the game world
      • Clickable Links - Makes http URLs in chat clickable (only for registered players)
      • CoreProtect - Records all block/container/mob changes (Anyone can look up changes with /co inspect)
      • DebugStick - Gives the ability to craft debug sticks in survival
      • EasyArmorStands - GUI for editing armor stands
      • GSit - Sit on stairs/slabs!
      • Hexnicks - Enables Tildes usernames to be displayed
      • hsrails - Allows for 4x speed rail travel
      • LuckPerms - Locks down unregistered users
      • Otherside - Fix for mob farms involving Nether portals
      • Rapid Leaf Decay - Increases the speed of leaf decay by 10x
      • WorldEdit - Used for occasional admin stuff
      • WorldGuard - Prevents unregistered users from changing anything in the world

      The server operates on a soft whitelist. Anyone can log in and walk around, but you need a Tildes account to gain build access.


      We recommend you install our mod web-chat so that you can chat while in your web browser. It turns the server into an old-school chat room.

      <- Previous Thread

      23 votes