0xSim's recent activity
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
-
Comment on Best recommendations for PC couch multiplayer games? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentI feel Towerfall is often overlooked because it's kind of older, but it's an excellent game. There are many modifiers to help younger or less handy players (regen shields, flight, more arrows,...I feel Towerfall is often overlooked because it's kind of older, but it's an excellent game. There are many modifiers to help younger or less handy players (regen shields, flight, more arrows, ghosts, ...). We sometimes play together with the wife and kids, and it's not unusual for my 6 years old daughter to win games.
There is also a cheat code to unlock all maps and characters, instead of spending hours slowly unlocking everything.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentHah, if only. I'm truly annoyed at ARC Raiders because I want to play this game without PvP. I want to explore the maps, the buildings, I want to shoot at robots, I want to hide from mechanical...Hah, if only. I'm truly annoyed at ARC Raiders because I want to play this game without PvP. I want to explore the maps, the buildings, I want to shoot at robots, I want to hide from mechanical spiders while waiting for the extraction elevator... I think I'll follow the game from afar and see in which direction it's going. Then it might be worth trying it again at a discount in a few months, if the developers lean into the coop aspect to offer something different.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim (edited )Link ParentI praised Escape from Duckov in my last week's post, and I'm craving for more of the same, so even though I know that I don't have the patience anymore with PvP games, I had to try ARC Raiders. My...I praised Escape from Duckov in my last week's post, and I'm craving for more of the same, so even though I know that I don't have the patience anymore with PvP games, I had to try ARC Raiders.
My interactions with other players over 2 hours were the following:
- See someone, who certainly also saw me and promptly fled
- "Don't shoot" with another player who asked me to team up, we extracted together
- Shot at from behind 2 minutes after spawning. I retaliated, they fled, and I killed them (I think it was the same player) a few moments later.
- Got shot in the head while I was healing after an ARC encounter
- Shot at from behind in a scrapyard
So, more frustrated than anything, because I like the game, the presentation, the gameplay (PvE encounters are fun and challenging). It's certainly better when you play with friends, but my gaming pals don't seem interested in the genre, and I read that PvP is even more prevalent in groups... I'd love to play a similar game that heavily discourages PvP while still allowing it. Something that makes you think "is it worth the risk" to shoot at someone else, and rewards more organic cooperation.
I refunded the game, back to Duckov.
-
Comment on Unfuck Google Drive (It's Gemini garbage, of course) in ~comp
0xSim Link ParentNot an out-of-the-box solution, but I use Syncthing to sync folders between my devices. They're also synced on my VPS, and I'm using FileBrowser on top to navigate the files from my browser.Not an out-of-the-box solution, but I use Syncthing to sync folders between my devices. They're also synced on my VPS, and I'm using FileBrowser on top to navigate the files from my browser.
-
Comment on Is there a postman alternative without the bloat? in ~tech
0xSim LinkWhen Postman began its enshittification path, Insomnia became popular. Then its creator sold it, it became enshittified, and now the same guy is making https://yaak.app Personally I also like...When Postman began its enshittification path, Insomnia became popular. Then its creator sold it, it became enshittified, and now the same guy is making https://yaak.app
Personally I also like Bruno. At work we're "forced" to use Postman, but we're often using .http files in the projects.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim (edited )LinkEscape from Duckov, a solo extraction shooter. For the uninitiated, an extraction shooter is an evolution of the battle royale (PUBG, Fortnite): you're dropped as a 1-3 players team on a large...Escape from Duckov, a solo extraction shooter.
For the uninitiated, an extraction shooter is an evolution of the battle royale (PUBG, Fortnite): you're dropped as a 1-3 players team on a large PvPvE map, and you're competing with other players to complete objectives and loot tiered gear. The trick is that your gear is persistent between games, but you lose it if you don't make it out alive at an extraction point. I like the concept and the thrill of risking your gear, but it's not really a genre I can enjoy as a casual player (and also, I'm not interested in PvP games anymore).
So, Escape from Duckov works like that, but exclusively as a solo PvE game. You have many quests to complete, tons of materials to upgrade your character and your base, tiered gear to loot and craft, and 4 large maps to explore. This is a genre that is largely based on repetition: you always revisit the same maps, and become more and more efficient and confident. What was once an area to avoid is now a great farming zone, so there is a real, satisfying sense of progression. Honestly a great game at such a small price.
I recommend installing 2 QoL mods though: one that adds tier colors for your loot, and another that displays the resale value. There are hundreds of different items, and after a few hours, you need to quickly know what to keep and what to sell. Even with that, you'll still spend a lot of time managing your inventory in your safehouse.
Edit: also, no official controller support, so playing on the Steam Deck is not optimal. Losing your gear because you're fumbling with the pad is particularly frustrating.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentI totally agree with you about No Man's Sky: the game is the epitome of "wide as an ocean (or a universe), deep as a puddle"; it is just a list of farming/exploring activities with no real goal....I totally agree with you about No Man's Sky: the game is the epitome of "wide as an ocean (or a universe), deep as a puddle"; it is just a list of farming/exploring activities with no real goal. And yet, I somehow have 126h of playtime, just following the story (aka grindy quests) and being regularly distracted. It's an okay game if you know what to expect and if you enjoy doing things for the sake of doing things, but the fans are constantly over-selling it.
-
Comment on Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton will be an "AI-first" company, with AI HR, AI R&D, in-game AI services in ~games
0xSim Link ParentKrafton bought Eleventh Hour Games a few months ago. Last Epoch was on the death row and needed cash (as seasonal ARPGs cost a lot of money to develop), but I wish they had a deal with another...Krafton bought Eleventh Hour Games a few months ago. Last Epoch was on the death row and needed cash (as seasonal ARPGs cost a lot of money to develop), but I wish they had a deal with another publisher...
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentEven though it's not RPG or roguelike at all, that's basically it. This is a relatively grindy and slow game, with a light coat of weird encounters and NPCs. Most likely a scripted event to end...Even though it's not RPG or roguelike at all, that's basically it. This is a relatively grindy and slow game, with a light coat of weird encounters and NPCs.
Then I went out at night and got killed by a scary giant fish almost without warning, and I think that was the end of the demo.
Most likely a scripted event to end the demo I'd say. When you're getting really tired you'll get attacked by dangerous creatures, but nothing that should one-hit kill you.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim LinkI've been playing Dredge on the Steam Deck, in my bed before sleep. I actually bought it at release, but I was pretty disappointed. I was expecting a Lovecraftian game in a fishing setting, but...I've been playing Dredge on the Steam Deck, in my bed before sleep.
I actually bought it at release, but I was pretty disappointed. I was expecting a Lovecraftian game in a fishing setting, but it's actually a fishing game with a Lovecraftian-ish mood. It's not a bad, but just not what I wanted to play at the time.
Anyway, I gave it another go a few weeks ago, and I've been enjoying it so far. It's fairly chill: there is a main quest and side quests, many upgrades to unlock for your ship, a ton of different species to fish, and mysteries to unravel (or not). You can almost do anything you want, nothing is pressing you. Except selling fish that is still fresh, and some quests that reward you with upgrade materials and unlock a few areas.
The only minor complaint I have is that so far (and from what I've played), sailing at night during the game's first half is a "high risk, low reward" activity. It's fun by itself, and it's required to collect a few species, but damaging your ship can quickly become costly. And when you finally unlock some pretty powerful upgrades, it makes things much more trivial, and thus less thrilling. But again, it's mainly a relaxing fishing game, so that's not an issue.
-
Comment on What's your video game comfort food? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentTBoI is also one my "forever" games. I'm not even really good at it, but I've been playing since the og flash release, and there's just so much to unlock... That, and dropping just the right items...TBoI is also one my "forever" games. I'm not even really good at it, but I've been playing since the og flash release, and there's just so much to unlock... That, and dropping just the right items to become overpowered (and die of overconfidence).
-
Comment on What's your video game comfort food? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentI recommend the first Red Dead Redemption, if you want a game that plays like a game.I recommend the first Red Dead Redemption, if you want a game that plays like a game.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim LinkI've played through Mouthwashing yesterday evening. It's a fairly short game (~2h30) that tells the story of a stranded space cargo crew, in a non-linear fashion. The game starts with you as the...I've played through Mouthwashing yesterday evening.
It's a fairly short game (~2h30) that tells the story of a stranded space cargo crew, in a non-linear fashion. The game starts with you as the captain, voluntarily crashing the ship into an asteroid. You then take control of the second-in-command for most of the game, trying to keep the crew's morale high, and slowly getting clues to what drove the captain to do this.
It's not a scary or stressful game (there are just 3 really short sequences that can get you killed), but I'm still thinking about it. For its price and duration, it was more enjoyable than a movie like Alien Romulus.
-
Comment on Hot take: 4:3 > 16:9 in ~tv
-
Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk
0xSim Link ParentWe have the same thing in French! The Académie Française, and it's basically a bunch of old elitist conservative white men that call themselves "les immortels" (I'm not even kidding) and none of...We have the same thing in French! The Académie Française, and it's basically a bunch of old elitist conservative white men that call themselves "les immortels" (I'm not even kidding) and none of them is a linguist. Their goal is to "contribute to the improvement and promotion of literature" so they spend most of their time banning words borrowed from other languages (mainly English), and substitute them with ridiculous alternatives. They're mocked by everyone, except other conservatives.
-
Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk
0xSim (edited )LinkIt literally kills me when pedants point out that you should use "figuratively" instead of "literally". It's obvious from the context that I'm not literally dead. Try saying "I'm figuratively...It literally kills me when pedants point out that you should use "figuratively" instead of "literally".
- It's obvious from the context that I'm not literally dead.
- Try saying "I'm figuratively dead" without sounding like an absolute dork.
- It's an exaggeration to add emphasis, and "literally" isn't a sacred word that you can't use for that effect.
- Languages are living and evolving; dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive.
Speaking of China, it does not actively censor videogames that contain skeletons (or blood, or the other things that sound kinda ridiculous in 2025). Censoring rules are broad and left open to interpretation, and are applied on a case-by-case basis. What happens is that publishers self-censor as much as possible to stay on the "safe" side, avoid rework, and get approved asap.
-
Comment on Hot take: 4:3 > 16:9 in ~tv
0xSim LinkI genuinely don't understand why all 4:3 shows have to be cropped. Is it so hard to just (vertically) letterbox them and show black bars on the side? I wanted to watch the old Simpsons seasons:...I genuinely don't understand why all 4:3 shows have to be cropped. Is it so hard to just (vertically) letterbox them and show black bars on the side? I wanted to watch the old Simpsons seasons: they're cropped on Disney+, and they're also cropped on the pirated version I downloaded. It's becoming literally lost media.
-
Comment on Horror games to play during October in ~games
0xSim LinkI'm not a fan of horror games (I like the mood but not the stressful situations), but I bought Mouthwashing on Steam. I'll probably try it this weekend. I also plan to buy Crow Country and/or Fear...I'm not a fan of horror games (I like the mood but not the stressful situations), but I bought Mouthwashing on Steam. I'll probably try it this weekend.
I also plan to buy Crow Country and/or Fear the Spotlight on Switch if they go on sale. I tried both demos and they looked good enough for me.
-
Comment on Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor | Official version 1.0 launch trailer in ~games
0xSim Link ParentI've been playing since the initial release, and yes the early game definitely felt a bit tedious if you compare it to your average survivors-like. Instead of obliterating the enemies, you learn...I've been playing since the initial release, and yes the early game definitely felt a bit tedious if you compare it to your average survivors-like. Instead of obliterating the enemies, you learn to manage the crowd, navigate around it, and dig through walls. There's a big emphasis on movement.
It gets easier and much more enjoyable once you get a feel of it and find your favorite class. Also, if you played really early, the only available class was the scout, which is... my least favorite as it's IMO the most bland.
After shortly trying and refunding ARC Raiders, I had a change of heart, convinced a friend to buy it (honestly, I think he was looking for the same excuse), and also bought the game back.
I'm glad I did, because even though it's a PvPvE extraction shooter, this one actually works for casual players. You can easily read/watch about the game now, but here are some notable points for me:
I'm absolutely terrible at PvP, and yet I can extract safely most of the time. That doesn't mean I don't get camped or shot in the back, but in solo play, PvP is just a component of the game, and not the focus.
When playing in duo (or trio), we gear to fight and don't take chances. If you start a game with the mindset that you're going to die, it's still all fun, and most encounters are fair play with non-toxic proximity chat.