• Activity
  • Votes
  • Comments
  • New
  • All activity

    5. What programming/technical projects have you been working on?

      ~comp Ask (survey)
      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?

      13 votes

    11. Has anyone used a e-ink smartphone as their main device

      ~tech Ask (survey)
      Looking up the Boox Palma device right now, it seems to be very handy actually. The only point where I may not be able to use it for everyday use would be that it seems to struggle with playing...

      Looking up the Boox Palma device right now, it seems to be very handy actually. The only point where I may not be able to use it for everyday use would be that it seems to struggle with playing Spotify music. But I wouldn't mind picking up one of those 4G dumbphone devices that Nokia puts out for that usecase.

      24 votes

    20. Is it possible to learn a MOBA without necessarily treating like learning chess, or a second job?

      ~games Ask (advice)
      I like the idea of MOBAs, and sometimes contemplate learning one. Not to be really good -- just enough to have fun as a lower-class player. It sounds attractive as something that might occupy my...

      I like the idea of MOBAs, and sometimes contemplate learning one. Not to be really good -- just enough to have fun as a lower-class player. It sounds attractive as something that might occupy my brain for a few hours, but I wouldn't wanna treat it like a career without pay, like I used to work on my chess (with serious courses, studying books, etc).

      So my question it, is that something that can or should be done? And what game would be best?[1]

      [1] As long as it is not an FPS.

      31 votes

    21. What are the best intro books for different science fields?

      ~books Ask (recommendations)
      I wish to know more about science in general and books are a good way to do that. We have a good assortment of science-minded people on Tildes, so I think it would be interesting to know what...

      I wish to know more about science in general and books are a good way to do that. We have a good assortment of science-minded people on Tildes, so I think it would be interesting to know what everyone recommends. The one requisite is that the books must be adequate for a general audience. This means that the books must not require the reader to hold a STEM degree or even have a particular aptitude for STEM.

      Just so it is abundantly clear: I am looking for books that people with an arts and humanities background can read. Laypeople. "Dummies".

      I'm asking more about books that are intros to a specific field than introductions to science in general.

      Thanks!

      34 votes

    22. Tildes' 2023 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion

      ~games Text 1119 words
      Week 1 is done. Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played! Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join? A: Of course! It's open all month. Topic etiquette: It is fine...

      Week 1 is done. Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played!

      Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join?
      A: Of course! It's open all month.

      Topic etiquette:

      • It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week if you play multiple games.

      • It is fine to respond to yourself with updates if you're continuing a single game and walk to talk more about it as you go.

      • If you are playing Backlog Bingo, feel free to make a top-level post with your card that you edit as you go, while making new posts underneath that to talk about the games as you play them.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.

      Backlog Bingo

      Thanks to the amazing efforts of our very own @Wes, we are debuting Backlog Bingo! This is a completely optional way to participate in the month.

      You can generate a unique Backlog Bingo card from a collection of 73 different categories. Choose the ones you want in your batch, and then use Wes's custom-made online tool to automatically create your own individualized bingo card.

      Wes's tool automatically assembles the markdown for your table, so it will paste beautifully into comments here on Tildes. For example:

      Bingo Card Example
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio ★ Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Play games throughout the month to check off categories in the Bingo card. The ★ in the middle of every card is a free space -- there are no requirements for that square and any game you play fits there!

      The most basic win condition is five-in-a-row, but, if you're feeling really wild, you might go for a win pattern that's a little more involved. Your choice!

      Here's an example of someone "winning" the card above:

      Winning Bingo Card
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) ✅ Is one of the oldest games you own
      Terminal Velocity (1995)      		 Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running ✅ You got from a bundle
      World of Goo      		 You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign ✅ From now-defunct dev studio
      Blur      		 ★ Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service ✅ You can save/pet/care for animals
      Super Metroid      		 Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character ✅ From a series you have played
      Rise of the Tomb Raider      		 Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Bingo Golfing (thanks @Wes and @aphoenix!) is also an option: trying to clear a pattern by counting multiple categories for a single game, thus “winning” with as few games as possible.

      Step 3 of Wes's tool includes instructions for checking off games, which has to be done manually. If you need an in-thread guide, you can use the following example below:

      Filling in a Square

      This markdown:

      ||
|:-:|
| ✅ ~~Struckthrough Example Category~~ <br> **Bolded Game Title** |

      Gives this completed square: (ignore the header row that markdown requires for its tables)
      ✅ Struckthrough Example Category
      Bolded Game Title

      If you can't figure out how to check off categories or you break the Markdown for your table, feel free to ask for help in the comments or PM me and I can help you out!

      FAQs

      What is this?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences!

      How do I participate?

      Choose a game (or several) from your backlog and play it/them. Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week! If you're not sure what you might write, take a look at our 2022 or 2020 events to get an idea.

      Do I need to finish the games I play?

      Nope! Not at all. There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game. Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday, all through November. At the end of the month, I think it would be neat to tally how many collective games we all removed from our backlogs, as well as what the best finds were from our collective digging into our libraries. I expect we'll turn up some good hidden gems, as well as interesting insights.

      Do I need to sign up?

      You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you.

      But November has `Big Name Release` coming out. Why *this* month when people will be focused on that new game?

      I'm doing the best that I can! A "problem" with 2023 is that it has been an absolutely stacked year for gaming releases. There simply hasn't been a "slow" month. With limited time left, I figured November was at least better than December. Think of this as an opportunity to cut down on your backlog before all the end-of-the-year sales hit.

      15 votes

    36. Need gift ideas for a seven year old girl

      ~life Ask (advice)
      My son got invited to a birthday party, which will be at a candy shop. I don’t know the girl other than she’s 7 and likes dogs and crafts. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Budget would be...

      My son got invited to a birthday party, which will be at a candy shop. I don’t know the girl other than she’s 7 and likes dogs and crafts. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Budget would be under $20 or so.

      Edit: thanks so much for all the suggestions!

      19 votes

    43. Movie of the Week #3 - L.A. Confidential (1997)

      ~movies Ask
      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the third movie we discuss of Academy Award Winners. Kim Basinger won for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and it won for Best Adapted Screenplay. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Sound and Best Director.

      IMDb
      Letterboxd
      Wikipedia

      Did the movie deserve its nominations and awards? Did the screenplay and Kim Basingers performance in particular stand out? Feel free to add any thoughts, opinions, reflections, analysis or whatever comments related to this film.

      The rest of the schedule is:

      • 20th of November: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
      • 27th of November: West Side Story
      18 votes