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    1. What are some overlooked comic books or graphic novels that you think deserve more attention?

      Comic books and graphics novels are a frequently overlooked form of story telling. We often see well written stories transcend the medium and retold in movies or television where they gain...

      Comic books and graphics novels are a frequently overlooked form of story telling. We often see well written stories transcend the medium and retold in movies or television where they gain popularity. What are some of your favorite overlooked or under appreciated comic book or graphic novel stories that you think other people should experience? Obviously 'overlooked or under appreciated' is subjective, but offer some recommendations anyway.

      I thought The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Filipe Andrade and Ram V was good. His work on Gravity's Wall and Swamp Thing Becoming was also great.

      20 votes
    2. Considering image posts on Tildes

      Hi all, I'm a recent reddit refugee who is very happy with my transition here. I like the spirit of the community a whole lot and am a fan of the admin approach, which is designed to promote...

      Hi all, I'm a recent reddit refugee who is very happy with my transition here. I like the spirit of the community a whole lot and am a fan of the admin approach, which is designed to promote engagement and deep content and prevent a shallow (advertiser-friendly) scrolling experience.

      A the philosophy page on content says:

      In-depth content (primarily text-based) is the most important

      and

      In general, any changes to the site that will cause "shallower" content to gain an advantage should be considered very carefully.

      I agree with this fully. My thoughts, though, are that there are definitely forms of image post that are not just memes or jokes, and do lead to deeper discussion.

      For instance, if somebody has created some art and would like to post it for feedback (or just to share), this feels more like a discussion topic than a 'quick scroll' post. I feel that this kind of image post is 'pro community'. Somebody is posting something they care about and want to discuss.

      On reddit, a sub I always liked was ImaginaryMonsters, where people post cool pictures of monster art and discuss them (either original art or properly credited). This is for people who want to admire and discuss artwork. Again, I don't think this necessary falls into the category of 'shallow content'.

      So, what am I suggesting?

      I think it would be good for the site to actively promote the posting of the right kind of image content in the right places.

      My angle is, essentially:

      • Some image content does promote depth of discussion.
      • This type of content may be quite vital for certain wedges of the community, especially moving forwards as the site grows (and making creatives feel more welcome).
      • Rules regarding self-promotion already exist in the Code of Conduct.
      • Because of how the web works, it would make sense to have limited embedding of certain images in at least thumbnail format (but it needn't show the full image in the feed like other scrollable 'content' sites). .
      • Creating certain groups/subgroups specifically for posting certain types of images doesn't need to be seen as a slippery slope, if the rules are clear.
      • There is even the possibility of purging image posts that don't have n amount of engagement within a specific time, so as not to end up with clutter.

      I should point out two things:

      • I am aware that images can already be posted as links on the site, and I applaud the reasoning for the overall tentative approach. Here, I'm talking about some select subgroups of the site that are specifically for certain types of image posting.
      • I don't necessarily think I'm right. I am new here and making observations - I'm thinking about things I'd like personally - I know I don't have all the information to understand the full impact of such things here, but I am interested in knowing what other people think.

      So, do you have an opinion on this? Thanks for reading!

      Edit:

      I just wanted to point out a couple of things based on responses.

      • When I mention image posts, I'm not talking about image hosting - that's a whole can of worms - the site already allows links. I'm just talking about image links (with maybe some QoL surrounding that).
      • I wasn't totally clear above, I'm not suggesting image posts everywhere, or even necessarily a whole new post type. My first thoughts were about one or two specific, limited subgroups with specific purposes.
      • Those concerned about moderation, I understand that angle, but I am keeping in mind this recent post by @Deimos, where they talk about expanding moderation, or even handing it off to individual communities, subreddit style:

      If the activity stays at this level or keeps increasing, we will probably need to add more moderators soon.

      • Those concerned about feeds being overrun by images, there were thoughts about this from Deimos in the same post:

      I think we should probably take advantage of this current high activity level to try moving the groups towards being more independent spaces. This would involve switching away from the current "opt-out" approach to an "opt-in" one, and would probably need updates to a few different sections of the site to support it.

      • I also think it's worth mentioning my thoughts above do not preclude having some minimum text requirement along with every image. I agree about not encouraging shallow content, and am attempting to focus on exactly where that line lies.
      • Finally, I do want to make it clear I'm not coming here as a new person trying saying "nice site, change it like this!" - which I think some people may have taken this as (I had one or two single-sentence responses). I genuinely like what I've seen so far because of what it is, but am also aware things may well be changing in some other ways already (as per the post I linked). Sorry if this seems like 'another reddit user trying turn us into reddit' - this is not my intent whatsoever, I am just interested in specifically how it could be done in a Tildes way. I am glad it started a half-decent discussion though!
      55 votes
    3. The most liberating decision: just deleted my Reddit account

      https://postimg.cc/phNYcrTJJust deleted my Reddit account. I was a Digg addict, and thereafter way to absorbed in Reddit for my own good. Wanted to thank Christian for a brilliant app (if he ever...

      https://postimg.cc/phNYcrTJ

      Just deleted my Reddit account. I was a Digg addict, and thereafter way to absorbed in Reddit for my own good.

      Wanted to thank Christian for a brilliant app (if he ever was to see this: you poured your soul into that thing. Thank you for all you did). I’ve now deleted the app on all devices and am moving on!

      Am looking forward to a fresh change.

      I really like the feel of this place. Low key, easy to navigate and not crowded. And the civil conversations just blow my mind!

      PS: sincerely appreciate the invite link!

      150 votes
    4. What are some underappreciated shows that aren't readily available due to location restrictions or limited distribution?

      I recently finished the second season of a hilarious but little-known Canadian animated TV show called Gary and His Demons about a middle-aged, "Chosen One" demon slayer who just wants to retire....

      I recently finished the second season of a hilarious but little-known Canadian animated TV show called Gary and His Demons about a middle-aged, "Chosen One" demon slayer who just wants to retire. The amount of laughs, charm, and animation quality that this show packs into each episode's less than 10 minute run time truly blew my expectations away. I originally stumbled upon it while browsing Mondo Media's channel on the now-defunct VRV animation app and now, tragically, the show is not available to stream anywhere in the US currently. But, it got me thinking...

      If I have a few favorite niche shows that are difficult to access or stream, then surely others do as well. I was also inspired by this thread about similarly obscure video games.

      The other show that immediately comes to mind for me is GameCenter CX, a precursor to the traditional "Let's Play", in which Shinya Arino, a Japanese comedian, attempts to clear brutal retro games in one sitting. I randomly came across the show while searching for unique Nintendo DS titles and browsing the Wikipedia page for "Retro Game Challenge", a curious title that I assumed was shovelware. The game is actually very good and now the show is one of my favorite cozy and comfortable shows to just chill out to.

      So, what are your favorite treasured and unique TV shows? I'm looking for mostly for shows that are not easily available on traditional streaming services or physical media, but feel free to suggest very underrated shows as well!

      8 votes
    5. Can someone ELI5 how lemmy instances work?

      Some of the things I'm concerned about are browsing across unconnected instances - will I need twenty accounts to follow all of the groups? What is the likelihoood of an instance dissapearing? How...

      Some of the things I'm concerned about are browsing across unconnected instances - will I need twenty accounts to follow all of the groups? What is the likelihoood of an instance dissapearing? How do you gauge the culture of an instance? Is the https://redditmigration.com/ actually being populated by real admins of those subreddits? Are there any gotchas from joining an instance that I should be aware of? Thanks!

      21 votes
    6. AEW Rampage weekly discussion thread: June 16, 2023

      Welcome to the AEW Rampage discussion thread for June 16, 2023! We're coming to you this week from Washington D.C., following an action-packed Dynamite episode. Check out the chaotic and...

      Welcome to the AEW Rampage discussion thread for June 16, 2023! We're coming to you this week from Washington D.C., following an action-packed Dynamite episode. Check out the chaotic and star-studded last 5 minutes here if you're considering giving AEW a shot!

      MATCH CARD

      Trios Match: United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Kyle Fletcher) vs. Best Friends/CHAOS (Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor & Rocky Romero)

      The NJPW United Empire faction, led by Will Ospreay, is set to face off against Best Friends/CHAOS this week. Will Rocky, Trent?, and Chuckie T be able to withstand the powerful combination of Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, and Kyle Fletcher? Or will Ospreay's momentum going into Forbidden Door, coupled with the powerhouse Cobb, be enough to secure a victory?

      Mixed Tag Team Match: Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal & Karen Jarrett vs. Mark Briscoe, Papa Briscoe & Aubrey Edwards

      A unique mixed tag team match is on the cards, with the trio of Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, and Karen Jarrett squaring off against Mark Briscoe, Papa Briscoe, and AEW Referee Aubrey Edwards, who is making her in-ring debut. Can the Briscoes and Edwards pull off a win against their more seasoned opponents, or will Sonjay Dutt's gang of miscreants interfere to gain the upper hand?

      Singles Match: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Bandido

      'El Hijo del Don Callis' and Bandido are set for an explosive singles match. Each wrestler brings a unique style to the ring, and it will be a spectacle to see these two top-tier talents clash head-on.

      Singles Match: Taya Valkyrie vs. Trish Adora

      In a high-stakes singles match, D.C.'s own Trish Adora will face off against Taya Valkyrie. After failing to capture the title from Jade Cargill, Valkyrie seems to have set her sights on the new TBS Champion, Kris Statlander. As she looks to make a statement, this could be an excellent opportunity for Trish to show what she's capable of.

      Additional Information

      • Venue: Washington D.C.
      • Airing On: TNT at 10pm Eastern
      12 votes
    7. Mindmap / vision board tools to organize ideas for house?

      My wife and I are hopefully 4-5 years away from being able to build a house. We frequently have this exchange: "I definitely want <<feature>> in <<room>>!" — "You should write that down!" No one...

      My wife and I are hopefully 4-5 years away from being able to build a house. We frequently have this exchange:

      "I definitely want <<feature>> in <<room>>!"
      — "You should write that down!"
      No one writes anything down

      Has anyone used a tool or methodology you liked for a sort of vision board? I've used some basic ones that let you have text nodes (Bathroom ⟩ Shower ⟩ needs recirculation pump), but many ideas are in the form of photos or links that wouldn't be as useful without seeing them.

      I'm a software engineer, so I was thinking of trying something like Trello, which is really more for project management but I think could be shoehorned into what I want.

      9 votes
    8. Are there any games that utilize ultrawide aspect ratios in creative ways?

      I've lately exhausted most of my main library of games that would work well with an ultrawide monitor (mine being 21:9). I've been trying to find some new games to try or buy that utilize...

      I've lately exhausted most of my main library of games that would work well with an ultrawide monitor (mine being 21:9). I've been trying to find some new games to try or buy that utilize ultrawides to their potential. I think the default games that they're generally used are first person shooters given the FOV is comfortably wider and gives a competitive edge, but I'm looking for more creative utilization types.

      An off-the-cuff example would be It Takes Two: It's still a gain in FOV, but it thoroughly improves the experience when both players can see more of their half of the game. Can anyone think of any other games where the whole ultrawide gets utilized well in either FOV, UI placement, or general design choices?

      12 votes
    9. Shepherd's Pie recipes over time

      At the moment some people will say that Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie are the same thing (mince meat, sometimes vegetables, covered with potato mash and oven baked), and other people will say...

      At the moment some people will say that Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie are the same thing (mince meat, sometimes vegetables, covered with potato mash and oven baked), and other people will say that Shepherd's Pie must be minced lamb or minced mutton and Cottage Pie must be minced beef. I don't care, call it what you want. But I was interested about what people said in the past, so here are some old recipes I found in the Internet Archive.

      One of the problems I'm having is that some books use "shepherd's pie" and some use "shepherd pie" and the OCR of older books is not great so searching for the correct terms doesn't always return the books, because the OCR is saying something like "Shepherd He" instead. I'll be poking around a it more on Sunday and adding a bit more as I find them.

      Lots of these recipes are submitted to news papers and magazines by readers.

      1850 - 1899

      Rural New Yorker 1850 Edit: sorry, it's 1916

      https://archive.org/details/ruralnewyorker75/page/986/mode/2up?q=%22shepherd+pie%22

      "Shepherd Pie. — The left-over meat should be sliced instead of chopped for this recipe. Butter a baking dish and cover the bottom with hot mashed potatoes. Pour on the gravy and sliced meat, cover with more mashed potatoes. Pile the potatoes on lightly and leave the top uneven. Dot with butter and place in hot oven for 10 minutes."

      Nor'west Farmer 1882 EDIT, sorry, this is 1915 (I was looking at the IA date, not the date printed on the page)

      https://archive.org/details/norwestfarmer3419unse/page/28/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      mentions that scraps of left over meat can be made into shepherd pie

      La cuisine anglaise et la pâtisserie : traité de l'alimentation en Angleterre au point de vue pratique, théorique, anecdotique et descriptif 1894

      https://archive.org/details/lacuisineanglai00suzagoog/page/n108/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      I don't speak French but I'm pretty sure they're asking for beef cuts here.

      Cookery by Amy G Richards. 1895

      https://archive.org/details/cihm_12438/page/n127/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      The recipe says "1 lb cold meat - 1/2 gill gravy - 6 large potatoes boiled and mashed - pepper and salt - 1 tablespoon milk - 1 oz butter. Cut the meat into small pieces, sprinkle it with pepper and salt, put it into a pudding dish, pour the gravy over. Add milk, butter, pepper and salt to potatoes, cover the meat with them, smooth with a knife and mark over with a fork, or the potatoes may be put through a forcing tube. Bake three quarters of an hour. Serve hot."

      1900 - 1920

      The complete Indian housekeeper & cook : giving the duties of mistress and servants, the general management of the house, and practical recipes for cooking in all its branches (Caution, lots of colonialism) 1909

      https://archive.org/details/b21528640/page/278/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      The book mentions Shepherd's Pie: "This is a form of potato pie made with mince, or it may be made with raw collops, or raw meat minced fine and seasoned with pepper and salt." (A collop is a slice of meat.)

      The recipe for potato pie appears a page or so earlier: The recipe says "Potato Pie is seldom seen in India. Mash a sufficiency of potatoes thoroughly with milk, pepper, and salt. Make a good thin gravy, and use this to cover thin slices of mutton sufficient to half fill a pie-dish. Pile your mashed potatoes over, trim neatly, and score with a fork. Push into the oven, and serve very hot." (interesting to me that the scoring the potato with a fork appears so early)

      Magnet cream separator cook book 1910

      https://archive.org/details/cihm_78529/page/n17/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      The recipe says "Shepherd Pie - put cooked meat through chopper, season with salt, pepper, and onion juice, moisten with gravy, mash potatoes, add a beaten egg, melted butter (size of an egg), place this on meat, dot with pieces of butter and bake until thoroughly hot and nicely brown on top. A good dish for leftovers".

      Onion juice, or thinly sliced onion, become more common in the early 2th century.

      The Cook County cook book 1912

      https://archive.org/details/cookcountycookbo00asso/page/372/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      "SHEPHERD PIE.— Spread over a small platter, thoroughly buttered, warm mashed potatoes, mixed with enough milk to make it a little soft, and set in the oven to brown. When stiffened enough, and as brown as pie crust, pour over it minced cold mutton, warmed in a little thickened gravy. Is a nice breakfast dish. —-Mrs. J. R. Bogen, 2722 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, 111."

      I find it interesting that people's names and addresses are published. This recipe specifies mutton (probably cold leftover mutton). I find it interesting that she suggests it's a nice breakfast dish, and deconstructs the formula by putting the browned mash under the meat.

      And here's a picture of South Dearborn Street in 1905. https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/barnes-crosby-fl-1900/south-dearborn-street-chicago-illinois-usa-c-1905-b-w-photo/black-and-white-photograph/asset/6354687

      The same book has a recipe for Cottage Pie on the same page. Here's a cut 'n' paste. "COTTAGE PIE. — Chop cold roast 'beef or veal fine. To each 2 cups of meat add 1 teaspoon onion juice, 1 teaspoon fine-cut parsley or 1 tablespoon chopped celery, 1 tablespoon chopped green peppers, if liked, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup gravy stock or boiling water. Mix all together, pack in a buttered dish, cover with a layer of hot, very soft mashed potatoes, about 1 inch thick. Brush the top with milk or wthite of t^^. Bake in a hot oven until the potato is well browned. — Mrs. M. Evans, 2019 S. Clark St., Chicago, 111."

      To me this reinforces the point that shepherd's pie and cottage pie were both ways to use up meat leftovers, and while some people were making a distinction between lamb and other meats lots of people weren't.

      Recipes: Proved and Approved 1913

      https://archive.org/details/recipesprovedapp00unse/page/30/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      "Mince fine, cold meat of any kind and two small onions, season with pepper and salt. Place in an ordinary pudding dish, pour over all some gravy. Boil six large potatoes, mash, and add one beaten egg, a little salt and a tablespoon of butter, beat well, then spread over top of meat and place in hot oven to brown."

      This adds an egg to the mash, and uses more onion than we've seen so far.

      Low cost recipes by Harbison, Edith Gwendolyn, comp 1914

      https://archive.org/details/cu31924003573932/page/n49/mode/2up?q=shep

      "Chop some cold cooked mutton quite fine. Measure and for each pint add salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoonful of onion juice, a dash of curry powder and 1/2 pint of brown sauce. Mix and spread in a greased dish. Cover with a thick layer of hot mashed potato, dabbling the top with a little beaten egg yolk. Brown in a quick oven."

      The meat is quite specific: cold, cooked, mutton. I'm not quite sure what 1/2 teaspoon of onion juice is going to achieve here, it doesn't sound like enough to do anything.

      * Cook book 365, no. 2* by Pechin, Mary Shelley 1915

      https://archive.org/details/cookbook365no200pech/page/62/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      "Cover the bottom of a well greased baking dish, with mashed potatoes, if the potatoes seem too stiff, add a little milk, then fill in the dish with beef cut into small pieces, add a little onion juice and the gravy left from roast, or some hot water seasoned with salt and pepper, and a little melted butter, cover the dish with a layer of mashed potato sprinkled over with bits of butter, place in hot oven and just reheat the meat and potatoes. Serve hot with some pickles."

      More onion juice, and also this covers the bottom and top of the dish with mash.

      The Kitchen Encyclopaedia 1916

      https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.148252/page/n345/mode/2up?q=shepherd

      "This is made in the same way as Mutton and Potato Pie (p. 333), but with less onions — about 1 tablespoon chopped onion. The surface is either roughened with a fork or smoothed down with the blade of a knife, brushed over with yolk of egg and the whole baked in a moderate oven till browned"

      Here's the recipe for Mutton and Potato Pie

      "Line a pie-dish with alternate layers of sliced parboiled potatoes, sliced blanched onions, and small thin slices of cooked mutton. Season with salt and pepper, moisten with stock, cover with a greased paper and bake for 1 hour in a moderate oven. Remove the paper 15 minutes before serving, to brown the potatoes."

      Make a little meat, go a long way: Use savoury stews and meat pies (with Italian translation (US Department of Agriculture) 1917

      https://archive.org/details/CAT31328029005/page/n3/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      "This is the name of a meat pie with a mashed potato crust browned in the oven".

      Here's the recipe for Meat Pie.

      "MEAT PIES Another good way to use a little meat. Have you ever used rice, cornmeal mush, or hominy for a crust? This is less work than a pastry crust and saves wheat.

      4 cups cooked corn meal, rice or hominy
      1/8 teaspoon pepper
      1 onion
      1 teaspoon of fat
      2 cups tomato
      1 pound raw meat or left-over meat cut up small
      1/2 teaspoon of salt

      Melt the fat, add the sliced onion, and, if raw meat is used, add it and stir until the red color disappears. Add the tomato and seasoning. If cooked meat is used, add it with the tomato and seasoning, after the onion is browned, and heat through. Grease a baking dish, put in a layer of cereal, add the meat and gravy, and cover with the cereal dotted with fat. Bake half an hour."

      And then just because, here's a recipe that I'm not going to comment on just to show how far some recipes deviate from the lamb / mutton mince plus mash formula:

      Northfield Press 1930

      Mackeral Shepherd Pie

      https://archive.org/details/1930-05-30_Northfield-Press/page/n5/mode/2up?q=shepherd+pie

      "Shepherd Pie with its fluffy topping of mashed potatoes is well-known everywhere, and when fish takes the place of meat in the pie its popularity grows apace. To make Mackerel Shepherd Pie drain an 8 ounce can of diced carrots and add to half a cup of canned peas. Stir gently into two cups of thick white sauce. Flake the fish from a one-pound can of mackerel and fork very carefully into the sauce so that it remains in fairly large pieces. Pour into a buttered baking dish and pile fluffy, well-seasoned mashed potatoes on top. Brush with melted butter and bake in moderate oven until very hot and the potatoes are a golden brown."

      37 votes
    10. Pokemon - What is your favourite game in the series and why?

      My favourite game is Crystal Version for the Game Boy Color. I've been playing Pokemon since the beginning - Red and Blue. I loved the original games, and as a kid I saw the hype for the release...

      My favourite game is Crystal Version for the Game Boy Color. I've been playing Pokemon since the beginning - Red and Blue. I loved the original games, and as a kid I saw the hype for the release of Gold/Silver online. Gold/Silver's release is easily the most excited I've been for anything in my life. When they finally came out in the west, they hit all my expectations and more. The introduction of genders, time-based events with a visible day/night cycle, new types, new Pokemon, held items and so much more made the games a hugely more in-depth experience compared to the originals. No other game in the franchise has offered such a marked improvement over the previous to date.

      Crystal, being a third version, is essentially an enhanced version of Gold and Silver. It doesn't blow them out of the water, but what it does add is nice. Animated sprites, some feature refinements and an improved storyline makes it the quintessential Gen II game in my opinion.

      Remakes of Gold/Silver - with some Crystal features included - exist in the form of HGSS for the Nintendo DS. A top five Pokemon game in it's own right, I like it slightly less because they don't have quite the same vibe the originals had. This is almost entirely due to nostalgia, but it's what I believe.

      Do you agree? Do you disagree entirely? Share with us your favourite Pokemon game and why.

      36 votes
    11. Art Fight is happening next month, are you participating?

      For those that don't know, Art Fight is a collaborative creative project that sorts artists into two teams and lets them upload their original characters. In order to score points for your team,...

      For those that don't know, Art Fight is a collaborative creative project that sorts artists into two teams and lets them upload their original characters. In order to score points for your team, you have to draw the other team's characters, with more involved and polished artworks scoring higher points. I'm participating for the fourth time this year, and if you're going to as well, feel free to drop your art fight URLs in the comments so we can follow and "attack" one another!

      11 votes
    12. What is the best way to provide small bits of feedback about Tildes?

      I have a small suggestion for a change to Tilde's mobile design and I'm apprehensive about posting a whole new thread here since it's relatively insignificant. This makes me wonder in general what...

      I have a small suggestion for a change to Tilde's mobile design and I'm apprehensive about posting a whole new thread here since it's relatively insignificant. This makes me wonder in general what the best way is for me and others to submit ideas or issues without creating the clutter of a lot of threads.

      Would it be appropriate to create somewhat specific feedback threads? E.g. one for design issues and suggestions, one for feature suggestions, one for general bug reports, etc.? At the end of the day, I just want to let someone know about my suggestion without creating noise.

      17 votes
    13. How to make your Xbox Elite Series 2 controller work properly with Steam

      Context: Last year I struggled for a long, long time to make my new Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepad work properly with Steam. After more than a day of frustration and following various trails of other...

      Context: Last year I struggled for a long, long time to make my new Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepad work properly with Steam. After more than a day of frustration and following various trails of other discussions on the topic, I finally figured out the exact series of actions needed to solve the issue. I posted these steps on Reddit, and they ended up getting me dozens of comments and messages, even as recently as yesterday people still let me know that I saved them from the same frustration. With reddit in its current state of uncertainty, I'd hate for this guide to be lost, so I'm hoping new readers and controller fanatics will find it useful here.

      The Problem: You have a Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller, which you are trying to use in Steam on Windows. When using the default (no profile lights) profile mode, the paddles are detected and can be mapped in Steam Controller config. However, they still register no input in-game when pressed. Here is how to fix your problem:

      The Solution:

      Step 1: You must first revert the firmware of the controller to version 4.8.1908.0. On a PC with your controller plugged in, open the Xbox Accessories app (from the Windows Store), then hit Windows + R to open the Run dialog. Run this command:

      xboxaccessories:\firmwareupdate?legacyDowngrade=true

      This should give you option to revert. Do it.

      Step 2: In Steam Big Picture, go to Gear Icon -> Controller Settings and Enable Xbox Extended Feature Support if it isn't already checked. After enabling it you will have to Reboot. If it's already enabled, there is no need to reboot.

      Step 3: Back to the desktop, make sure the Xbox Accessories app is CLOSED. If it is open, you must close it, then disconnect the controller entirely, then power it off, and then finally reconnect it to the computer.

      Step 4: Press the central profile button on the controller a few times until it cycles through the profiles. You need to cycle it until the profile light turns off, indicating the controller is in its default layout.

      Step 5: Open Steam's controller configuration for your game of choice, and you should now be able to re-map the paddles therein.

      Every time I have done the above process, the paddles on the default profile (with no lights on) are now mappable in Steam and usable in-game. I have completed this successfully now with five total controllers, and all worked with Steam flawlessly afterward.

      Notes & Clarifications:

      • You do not have to uninstall the Xbox Accessories app. However, if ever you use it to modify the controller at all, you must repeat step 3. If you try to use the steam-remapped paddles in the game with the app open, they won't work. You have to turn off the app, disconnect and power cycle the controller, and then reconnect, and very specifically do not re-open the accessories app. I'm assuming this is because the Accessories app inserts some kind of override layer that only goes away after removing the controller and closing the app.
      • This process will almost certainly make the Bluetooth connection wonky, if it even works at all. Instead, you'll want to use either a direct cable connection and/or the official wireless adapter. In fact, all of the above steps worked for me with the wireless adapter connection just as well as with the wired connection. As a bonus, you can seamlessly transition between wired and wireless mode this way by simply plugging or unplugging the cable.
      • At least as of May 2023, I've received now multiple reports saying that newer purchases of the Elite 2 controller are being shipped with the controller now pre-flashed with a default firmware that is newer than the one that was available in the above post. As a result, this means that rolling back the firmware might not work, as it can't be rolled back to version 4.8.1908.0 anymore. However, I have since purchased two more new controllers of my own since then, and neither had this issue, and in fact both worked with Steam immediately out of the box (after telling Xbox app "no!" to firmware upgrades, that is).

      I hope I have posted this correctly (it's my first post here!), and that others continue to find it useful.

      18 votes
    14. Are there any After Effects users here? Let's get a thread going for AE Q&A.

      I've been an After Effects user for 20+ years and I like to help people who are looking to learn. I would just ask that anyone asking a question has done due diligence searching for an answer...

      I've been an After Effects user for 20+ years and I like to help people who are looking to learn. I would just ask that anyone asking a question has done due diligence searching for an answer already.
      I also use 3D Studio Max and Vray.

      23 votes
    15. Experience with and opinion on ProtonMail and co.?

      Hi, I saw that Proton now has a Family Plan that includes all of their services including mail, calendar, drive, etc. I've been looking to detach my and my family's life a bit from the big corps...

      Hi,

      I saw that Proton now has a Family Plan that includes all of their services including mail, calendar, drive, etc.

      I've been looking to detach my and my family's life a bit from the big corps like Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Proton sounds interesting.

      At the same time I am wondering if they're really to be trusted any more than any other company. I found some critique of the E2E encryption being basically snake oil and not properly implemented etc. I am of course aware that there're always tradeoffs and while privacy is definitely nice, I don't need to go to an extreme degree of "no logs whatsoever, never even turning anything over to the police", I think I am just mostly looking to make me and my family less of a product of advertising, possibly AI/ML and so on, so some compromise is definitely possible.

      I am curious, does anyone here have any experience with or opinions on the company and their products?

      44 votes
    16. AirBNB/VRBO property owners, what are your best practices when it comes to vacation rentals?

      I have the opportunity to purchase a house in a beach town that would double as both a vacation home for myself and a short term rental property. This would be my first foray into the world of...

      I have the opportunity to purchase a house in a beach town that would double as both a vacation home for myself and a short term rental property. This would be my first foray into the world of short term rentals so I was hoping to get your general advice, guidance, and experience.

      I should mention that I think I've got a pretty good grasp on the financial aspects of it, i.e. the mortgage, rental rates, fees to the town and rental platforms, taxes, insurance, etc.

      I'm more curious about things such as:

      • Do you recommend using an umbrella management company to handle cleaning, maintenance, landscaping, etc. or do you outsource an individual cleaning service, handyman, etc.?
      • What type of "filtering" do you recommend to make sure you're renting to people who will respect the property?
      • What sort of furniture, linens, etc. do you recommend?
      • Are there any gotchas that you didn't expect when getting into this line of work?
      6 votes
    17. When consuming an API with state rate limits, how should one handle not exceeding them?

      My typical approach is one that I believe is pretty common: Reading the response header for current count and waiting if the limit is reached. However, I am currently working with a couple of APIs...

      My typical approach is one that I believe is pretty common: Reading the response header for current count and waiting if the limit is reached.

      However, I am currently working with a couple of APIs which don't implement that and are currently set up with rate limits on an honesty system.

      Is it a case of throwing sleep statements into you code, or using some kind of "bucket" and "lock" system?

      I'd be interested to see any simple implementation people have used (the simpler the better).

      9 votes
    18. Wanted $100 Android tablet for sheet music and Google Drive

      I am looking for a wi-fi tablet for singing from pdf sheet music on a shared Google Drive. The phone is too small of a screen. In the past, tablets at this price are often junk, already...

      I am looking for a wi-fi tablet for singing from pdf sheet music on a shared Google Drive. The phone is too small of a screen.

      In the past, tablets at this price are often junk, already end-of-life, and run so badly they are unusable (balky when simply scrolling). So, I am still using paper for now, afraid to buy yet another disappointing piece of junk despite not needing anything high end.

      Any suggestions?

      7 votes
    19. Any other ASOIAF fans here?

      Title, basically. The A Song of Ice and Fire subreddit has seemingly gone indefinitely private, so I was wondering if any other ASOIAF fans migrated here during or after the blackout. I definitely...

      Title, basically. The A Song of Ice and Fire subreddit has seemingly gone indefinitely private, so I was wondering if any other ASOIAF fans migrated here during or after the blackout. I definitely miss all the crazy theories we could read on there (I cannot believe D+D=T, the most legendary ASOIAF theory, may become lost forever if the subreddit never opens again, truly a loss of a masterpiece.)

      Since it was still pretty active despite the book series being rather dormant, I wondered if any other fans came over here and wanted to chat about it. Just crazy theories, favourite characters, that sort of thing.

      20 votes