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    1. Little late but...anyone interested in fantasy football?

      Family league was foiled, so couple of us are just looking for randoms to help fill out a Yahoo league. There was a few members active on here during the season last year so figured there might be...

      Family league was foiled, so couple of us are just looking for randoms to help fill out a Yahoo league. There was a few members active on here during the season last year so figured there might be some interest.

      Was originally thinking of solely a Tildes fantasy football league but don't think there's enough people for that lol

      14 votes
    2. 'Jaadugar: A Witch's Life in Mongolia' discussion

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      What do you guys think about the anime?

      I thought it was excellent. The art is impeccable and the historical matters were handled with great care. Studio Saru is on fire lately.

      In particular, I was impressed with how the story approaches Sitara's desire for revenge,

      and how it relates to their suffering due to conquests by the Mongols.

      On the one hand, what they did to her family was a justifiable reason for hatred and for her wanting to never acknowledge their goodwill, which was built on the bloodshed of her own people to begin with.

      It's interesting how except for the first few episodes where the attrocity of the Mongol was shown explicitly, the latter episodes mostly portrayed the Mongol people in good light and any act of cruelty only implied (e.g. Ogedei was shown looking sorrowful during the subjugation of Merkit's uprising but not how he killed them, he was constantly forgiving of Toregene but the fact that they had a son despite her open contempt suggested it was likely forced). This puts us in their shoes regarding how tempting it is to forget about the horrible past and just move on.

      On the other hand, the story also shows how her quest for vengance might be misguided, fueled more by tribalism than justice. She ignored any kindness the people around showed her and considered all Mongolian as enemy. She thought of the suffering that the Jin people will suffer in Tului's conquest and was willing to ignore it because they're not on her side ("to them she's just another Mongol").

      She was self-assured that her version of knowledge is correct (the debate about the cause of star movement with Ogedei, an excellent scene) and thus maybe be oblivious to the fault of her own side. It was hinted that Zumurrud (another slave in the old Fatima's household) might have been forcefully taken from her previous home and had been suffering during her time there as well, but Sitara was likely too young to notice.

      So does the show wants to say revenge is bad and one should ignore wrongdoings in the past, or is it that revenge is fine even when not everyone affected is a bad person? My interpretation is that Sitara was tragic character born out of horrible circumstances.

      In the beginning the show made a point about how pursuing knowledge is a path toward figuring out the right thing, and how inspired she was by the idea. But during her time in Mongolia, we saw her constantly suppressing her desire to learn about the new culture in order to keep her hatred alive. This was a flaw in her character, but it was a flaw born out of the trauma caused by the Mongols when they violently subjugated her people.

      Sitara's sense of loyalty was also a bit warped as well, she saw her quest as doing right by her master Fatima as a slave, despite how in the final moment Fatima already acknowledged Sitara as her daughter.

      We see how lonely and miserable Sitara and Toregene were by insisting on holding onto their grudge, but Khulan who resigned to her new life was also not happy either, so maybe that was not something they could have chosen.

      Earlier during its run there were complaints that the show romanticized slavery but I don't think that's the case, the critiques was there just unstated.

      10 votes
    3. What did you do this week (and weekend)?

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do...

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do nothing at all? Tell us about it!

      5 votes
    4. How have you helped someone without them knowing?

      It could be a deliberate anonymous act, or simply a knock-on effect from something you did. Whatever it is, the person didn’t know that you did something to help them, but you absolutely did. The...

      It could be a deliberate anonymous act, or simply a knock-on effect from something you did.

      Whatever it is, the person didn’t know that you did something to help them, but you absolutely did.

      The help can be small or big, serious or funny, meaningful or inconsequential.

      Tell us all about it.

      29 votes
    5. Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like macklemore, steam frame and rockstar games. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone...

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like macklemore, steam frame and rockstar games. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was suspicious.

      But one of my favourite tags happens to be offbeat! Taking its original inspiration from Sir Nils Olav III, this thread is looking for any far-fetched offbeat stories lurking in the newspapers. It may not deserve its own post, but it deserves a wider audience!

      9 votes
    6. 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.

      7 votes
    7. Just got laid off. Now what?

      This is my first time getting laid off. Still processing it. My job was starting to feel like a slog so it honestly feels like a burden has been lifted. But a different, more unfamiliar (maybe...

      This is my first time getting laid off. Still processing it. My job was starting to feel like a slog so it honestly feels like a burden has been lifted. But a different, more unfamiliar (maybe even somewhat interesting) burden has replaced it - financials.

      I know I can file for unemployment. I have to handle some other dumb stuff like 401k, HSA, health insurance. it's kinda more annoying than anything else.

      I have some severance but not sure how long it'll take to find a job and I've heard it's hard out there.
      I would also love to figure out how to be financially dependent while working for myself but don't know where to start for that.

      Looking for any advice from the Tilderino fam.

      45 votes
    8. 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?

      4 votes
    9. Billing for web hosting

      Hi all, I just finished building a static webpage for a local artist. She's been generous and sociable, paying me $100/hr for my work. Despite some reservations toward taking responsibility over...

      Hi all,

      I just finished building a static webpage for a local artist. She's been generous and sociable, paying me $100/hr for my work. Despite some reservations toward taking responsibility over other people's hosting, she's asked me for a monthly rate to host the site. Right now I'm looking at renting a basic Hetzner VPS for $10/month. This would come at the added benefit of scaling up over time for other clients.

      I want to work toward establishing good business practices, and that means charging people fairly - i.e. never simply because I can. Aside from the cost of hosting, how do you measure the cost of responsibility over a static site? A one-time setup fee? Hoping for some input from people who have more business experience than myself.

      Edit:

      Part of the goal is to host multiple artist pages on the same site, and apply some server software I've developed that allows for event coordination etc. I need a VPS for that.

      I've run this idea by my client, who is part of the art collective, and she's in favor of it. I'm going to charge $50 for setup and $10/month for the first three months, then adjust in the new year based on how it's going.

      27 votes
    10. 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
    11. CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎‍♂️🛹 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

      Hey, wanna listen to some tunes? throws a tape at your head, causing Out With The Old to play Introduction Legends come in many forms. For some, it's charting unknown space in a wildly complicated...

      Hey, wanna listen to some tunes? throws a tape at your head, causing Out With The Old to play

      Introduction

      Legends come in many forms. For some, it's charting unknown space in a wildly complicated ship. For others, it's carving their own path as a pirate on uncharted seas. And for many gamers, it's stopping every "big bad" you can think of: chaotic embodiments, pantheons of mythic gods, egocentric wizards, and so on.

      But this month, we're not chasing cosmic threats or fantasy epics. We're hitting the skatepark to prove our mad boarding skills, with Tony Hawk himself as the centerpiece.

      He's the same guy who landed the first-ever documented legendary 900° aerial spin in competition on June 27, 1999, popping it out of a half-pipe in a single leap. He'd later land two more 900s in the 2010s, get credited with inventing 88 named tricks, and appeared in countless videos, films, and TV shows, both as a skater and as himself.

      Just ten days ago, the second and final day of Vert Alert, his own vertical skateboarding competition in Salt Lake City has wrapped up. That pedigree is exactly what backs the entire Tony Hawk's franchise, especially the first four Pro Skater games and the gloriously unhinged Underground series.

      Pro Skater 1 took the bare-bones fundamentals of real-world skate tricking and mapped them onto a video game blueprint. Suddenly, you could chase mastery without wrecking your body through endless falls.

      The core loop has you choose a skater and board from a roster, each with different tricks and stats that shape your playstyle. Then, drop into one of several skate parks to chain stunts for big scores and complete literal fetch-style goals within a tight time limit.

      Our CGA Game of the Month, Pro Skater 2, expands and refines that foundation in almost every way, including:

      • Manuals: The game-changing addition that lets you chain tricks on flat ground without being forced into a stop when you run out of rails or airtime.
      • Bigger, more varied levels: More complex park design with more routes and secrets.
      • Deeper Career Mode: Instead of just grabbing tapes, smashing objects, and chasing high scores in 2-minute runs, you get more varied and elaborate objectives.
      • Expanded roster and tricks: More skaters, more moves, more ways to play.
      • Create-a-Skater and Create-a-Park: Full customization for both your rider and your levels.

      The one big mechanical piece still missing? Reverts to chain aerials into each other. That wouldn't arrive until Pro Skater 3, and is finally addressed in the 2020 remake, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, which also folds in various gameplay tweaks from later entries up through Underground 1.

      My Personal Background

      When I was a kid, I vaguely remember seeing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 everywhere: for sale and rent in every store, featured in strategy and tips magazines, and even in those massive Sears holiday catalogs. We also had friends who were always messing around on real skateboards.

      All of that eventually convinced my brother to rent Pro Skater 3 on GameCube. We both took turns with it. We loved how addictive and technical the gameplay loop was, but we didn't end up buying it, or any of the sequels, because we assumed it would be a short, shallow experience that wouldn't stay relevant.

      We were wrong.

      In 2004, our parents bought us a PS2 copy of Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 instead of renting. That game blew us away: twice as many intricate, unique levels, plus new gameplay elements layered on top of the already addictive core.

      A few months later, I beat both Story and Classic modes, which unlocked a set of hidden characters. The most shocking (and hilarious) one is tied to a movie finally coming out in 2027, an icon of the 2000s both commercially and as a meme.

      The fun didn't stop there. I accidentally discovered a bunch of out-of-bounds glitches thanks to weirdly programmed boundaries (the Los Angeles level sticks out in my mind; I loved those rebounding invisible walls I could endlessly jump off). I also managed to clip Player 1's position marker into odd places in Create-a-Goal mode. We felt like we were game developers, which might be what inspired my brother to pursue a career in the video game industry. Good times.

      Fun fact: at one point, he even helped debug the then-upcoming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5. Many of the bugs he found and documented still made it into the critically panned final release, because the game had to ship before the licensing deal between Activision and Tony Hawk expired at the end of 2015. And it barely had any development time… Yikes!

      Regardless, I'm looking forward to trying the original PS1 version of Pro Skater 2 for this month's CGA, warts and all. It has the gameplay loop I know and love, and I can get over the fact that I can't walk off my skateboard anymore, something I haven't dealt with since beating American Sk8land on Nintendo DS over a decade ago.

      Game Information

      Years of the release: 2000, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2020, 2021

      Platforms: PS1, PC, GBC, Dreamcast, Mac OS, GBA, N64, Xbox, Windows Mobile, iPhone, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 1

      Genre(s): Action, Sports

      Links: Original - Mobygames, Original - Wikipedia
      Windows - Mobygames
      GBC - Mobygames
      GBA - Mobygames
      2x - Mobygames, 2x - Wikipedia
      1 + 2 - Mobygames, 1 + 2 - Wikipedia

      A brief overview at some of the versions:

      • PS1

        • Easiest to access in terms of controller layout and emulation.
        • Great baseline "classic" feel.
      • Windows

        • Potentially the most authentic way to experience Pro Skater 2 if you're comfortable with modding and tinkering.
        • Requires tracking down a out-of-production software and configuring it properly.
      • Dreamcast

        • Similar to PS1 in feel, but with a noticeable visual fidelity boost.
        • Often considered the best-looking original-console version.
      • N64

        • The most technically compromised 3D version.
        • Still functional, but stunts feel awkward with the C-button layout.
      • Xbox (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x)

        • Essentially "what if Pro Skater 1 + 2 came out right after Pro Skater 3?"
        • Adds mechanics and quality-of-life improvements from later entries.
      • GBA

        • A surprisingly playable top-down/isometric conversion of the full Pro Skater 2 experience for a low-powered handheld.
        • Requires adjusting to the perspective and controls, but it holds up.
      • GBC

        • Drastically different due to hardware limits and too few buttons.
        • Becomes a sidescrolling, scope-limited version of Pro Skater 2 with mediocre controls, despite being an improvement over the GBC Pro Skater 1.

      Where to find the game:

      • Physical Release: Prices seem to be fairly reasonable on eBay. A loose cartridge/disc is usually much cheaper than a Complete-in-Box copy (which includes the game, manuals, and box), but not by much.
      • Digital storefronts: A convenient fallback solution, especially with its frequent sales. Only applies to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.

      Game Setup

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

      • 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 game and its time period:

      • 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:

      • 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.


      Without further ado, let's hit the parks and go buck wild with tricks and stunts!

      > CONTINUE

      (Credit to @Boojum for the splash screen. Still rock-and-rolling after a year!)

      14 votes
    12. Are there any passionate Nissan Leaf owners here?

      Specifically the 1st generation Leaf. I'm curious if this is a viable used car option. I know Nissan discontinued the platform and I heard rumblings that there wasnt much support / repair parts...

      Specifically the 1st generation Leaf. I'm curious if this is a viable used car option. I know Nissan discontinued the platform and I heard rumblings that there wasnt much support / repair parts available from Nissan. Is this true? If it is true, is it a car that can be repaired easily yourself? Is there a community for 3rd party parts and new batteries?

      19 votes
    13. Anyone have a pebble?

      These things are sick eh? I’ve had the new one for a few months now and well it’s absolutely incredible. I pre ordered like two years ago and for the longest time my girlfriend was like “you’re...

      These things are sick eh?

      I’ve had the new one for a few months now and well it’s absolutely incredible. I pre ordered like two years ago and for the longest time my girlfriend was like “you’re getting scammed it’s never coming!”

      I love the battery life and Rebble is sweet, the bobby app with a subscription is my new personal assistant without all the hassle of the big tech conglomerates bs

      34 votes
    14. TV Tuesdays Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows 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.

      4 votes
    15. 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?

      3 votes
    16. Anyone ever imported a kei truck to the US?

      Very sorry of this is in the wrong group (or if it doesn't fit on Tildes), feel free to move or remove it if needed! Anyway, I'm planning to import a kei truck to the US. I think I've got an idea...

      Very sorry of this is in the wrong group (or if it doesn't fit on Tildes), feel free to move or remove it if needed!

      Anyway, I'm planning to import a kei truck to the US. I think I've got an idea of most of what I need to do. I found Mitsui Co. Ltd. and they seem to have decent review and people say they're helpful, and I've read a bit about finding a customs broker to handle that part of things for me, but the thing I'm specifically wondering about is... what's the process of actually picking up the vehicle? I'd likely import to the Port of Galveston, and it looks like I either need a TWIC card or a TWIC escort. I wouldn't mind getting a TWIC card, but would my girlfriend need one too if she was going to drive me? Would she be able to just drop me off and I like... walk in? If she doesn't get one but I do? Otherwise, if we just go with an escort, does anyone know how much that sort of thing costs? Do I have to pre-plan it or can I just show up on the Port with all the paperwork and stuff I need and they'll have escorts ready that I can pay for?

      25 votes