0xSim's recent activity
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
-
Comment on Tablet suggestions? in ~tech
0xSim Link ParentHaha, I just saw the name and didn't read the post. But yeah, I don't have any complaints about this tablet at its price, it does its job. Sure it's not the fastest, but it fits your requirements....Haha, I just saw the name and didn't read the post. But yeah, I don't have any complaints about this tablet at its price, it does its job. Sure it's not the fastest, but it fits your requirements.
The only thing is that it's now relatively old, and it hasn't received security updates in a while I think.
-
Comment on Tablet suggestions? in ~tech
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentThere's still hope for another ARPG made by the same people https://www.moonbeast.com/There's still hope for another ARPG made by the same people https://www.moonbeast.com/
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim LinkParadoxically, I don't have much time to play during the holidays, as the kids are at home, go to bed later, and as a result I can't really afford to spend 30-45 minutes uninterrupted in ARC...Paradoxically, I don't have much time to play during the holidays, as the kids are at home, go to bed later, and as a result I can't really afford to spend 30-45 minutes uninterrupted in ARC Raiders.
However, we dusted off Rocket League on the Switch 2, and it performs much better than on Switch 1. And since we (parents and children) all suck at it, we can enjoy it equally.
And when the console is free, I've been replaying Torchlight 2. It's probably my favorite ARPG ever, it has the right speed during its long campaign, itemization that feels good to loot, yet don't make you feel like a god after an hour, a simple skill tree, simple stats, enough QoL to not feel ancient... In my opinion, it's perfectly balanced and is the true sequel to Diablo 2.
-
Comment on Half way through the 2020's. What's your favorite games so far? in ~games
0xSim LinkOuter Wilds. My absolute favorite game of the 2020s. That last run once everything finally clicks, and you know what to do... Love that game. Elden Ring. Never finished it (got frustrated at the...- Outer Wilds. My absolute favorite game of the 2020s. That last run once everything finally clicks, and you know what to do... Love that game.
- Elden Ring. Never finished it (got frustrated at the Godskin duo), but I loved exploring it world.
- Deep Rock Galactic, which is the game that I probably played the most since 2020. It's on sale, you should really play it. It's fun even in solo or with mute randoms, which is 98% of my playtime.
- R.E.P.O.. Funniest multiplayer game I've played in a long time, but you need 3+ friends to unlock its potential.
- Last Epoch. I put it in this list only because of its truly excellent skill building and crafting mechanics. A shame this game is so janky and performs so bad on the Steam Deck, because there's something special under it.
- Diablo IV. Kill monsters, loot gear, get more powerful. Enjoyable like you'd enjoy fast food or a Michael Bay movie.
-
Comment on Half way through the 2020's. What's your favorite games so far? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentI loved Shapez for 32 hours in the span of a week, then uninstalled it and never touched it again. Pure crack for me.I loved Shapez for 32 hours in the span of a week, then uninstalled it and never touched it again. Pure crack for me.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim LinkI bought Crawl on Nintendo Switch, for like 2 or 3€. It's a dungeon-crawler-slash-party-game where 1 player controls a hero, and 3 friends control ghosts that can spawn and become monsters. When...I bought Crawl on Nintendo Switch, for like 2 or 3€.
It's a dungeon-crawler-slash-party-game where 1 player controls a hero, and 3 friends control ghosts that can spawn and become monsters. When the hero dies, the monster killing them becomes the hero, the dead hero becomes a ghost, and the cycle continues. When a hero reaches level 10, they can face the big boss where each part is controlled by a ghost.
What's interesting is that the game self-balances itself: hero levels mean nothing in terms of stats, but when the hero gains a level, the ghosts gain wrath points they can distribute to evolve their monsters à la Pokémon. The only way for a hero to become more powerful is by spending gold to buy weapons, trinkets, and special powers (only 1 weapon and 1 power can be active at the same time).
Nice little game if you have friends or kids to play with you on the couch.
-
Comment on Steam Winter Sale 2025: Hidden gems in ~games
0xSim Link ParentJupiter Hell (not "Classic") is also an excellent roguelike that is made for gamepads, is pretty, simple to play, and good enough for short sessions.Jupiter Hell (not "Classic") is also an excellent roguelike that is made for gamepads, is pretty, simple to play, and good enough for short sessions.
-
Comment on The 2025 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs Dec 18 - Jan 5) in ~games
0xSim LinkI still have 15€ to spend on my account, and nothing overly exciting in my wishlist. Contenders are Animal Well for 17€ (30% off) Hero Siege for 1.55€ (80% off) Assassin's Creed Mirage for 15€...I still have 15€ to spend on my account, and nothing overly exciting in my wishlist.
Contenders are
- Animal Well for 17€ (30% off)
- Hero Siege for 1.55€ (80% off)
- Assassin's Creed Mirage for 15€ (70% off)
- SULFUR for 15€ (40% off)
If anyone has recommendations: my most played recent games are ARPGs (PoE2, Diablo 4, Last Epoch, Minecraft Dungeons) and casual extraction shooters (Arc Raiders, Duckov). I like exploration, loot, procedural generation, usually prefer real-time over turn-based.
-
Comment on Steam Replay 2025 in ~games
0xSim Link ParentSteam average. I wonder if the median is different, and if they willingly chose to show one instead of the other. 4 games is IMO a really low number, I'd like to see more global stats to know who...The Steam median is "4" games played
Steam average. I wonder if the median is different, and if they willingly chose to show one instead of the other. 4 games is IMO a really low number, I'd like to see more global stats to know who plays what for how long.
(Edit: at least it says "moyenne" ("average") in French, does it say "median" in English?)
-
Comment on The Windows 11 crisis in ~tech
0xSim Link ParentAside from a few multiplayer games with a kernel anticheat, gaming on Linux is pretty good nowadays. (personally with Linux Mint and a Nvidia GPU)Aside from a few multiplayer games with a kernel anticheat, gaming on Linux is pretty good nowadays.
(personally with Linux Mint and a Nvidia GPU)
-
Comment on CONTROL Resonant | Announcement trailer in ~games
0xSim Link"The sibling has gone rogue/fishing". So either Jesse is corrupted, or she's on a fishing trip with Ahti. Maybe both."The sibling has gone rogue/fishing".
So either Jesse is corrupted, or she's on a fishing trip with Ahti. Maybe both.
-
Comment on I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it in ~life
0xSim Link ParentThose videos are also incredibly... empty? I'm not even sure what is the right word for it. There is nothing of substance, they're just devoid of anything remotely interesting.Those videos are also incredibly... empty? I'm not even sure what is the right word for it. There is nothing of substance, they're just devoid of anything remotely interesting.
-
Comment on Games: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~games
0xSim (edited )LinkFavorites Overall, I'd say Escape from Duckov is my GOTY. I find it perfectly balanced, with an excellent sense of progression, and enough quests for 40+ hours of enjoyment. I'm hoping for more...Favorites
-
Overall, I'd say Escape from Duckov is my GOTY. I find it perfectly balanced, with an excellent sense of progression, and enough quests for 40+ hours of enjoyment. I'm hoping for more content, and maybe even maps and quests from the community if the devs open their tools.
-
The Slormancer is a neat distilled "numbers go brr" ARPG, but it got too repetitive after 50 hours. Still, for that price I'm more than satisfied.
-
ARC Raiders strikes the right balance between exploration/looting (definitely my favorite genre at this time) and PvP. I'm surprised I'm enjoying it, though I need to be less trusty of other players.
-
R.E.P.O. is a joy to play if you manage to gather 3+ people. It's even funnier when you fumble and get stupidly killed.
Disappointments
- ZERO Sievert. I wanted more of Duckov, I got sweaty top-down S.T.A.L.K.E.R. with too much micromanagement, an ugly inventory, and 72 different kinds of ammo that all have the same name. Probably good if you have enough time to invest. The UI is also absolutely awful on the Steam Deck.
- PEAK. A single game can easily last 2 hours uninterrupted, and it is just too long for me. It's also not a "funny" game despite its childish looks, and is actually quite difficult.
- Last Epoch. Bought it last year, but I was expecting more for 2025. The 3 seasons so far have just been super disappointing, the game is still unfinished, and its future doesn't look good.
Surprises
- ARC Raiders. I went it expecting sweaty PvP à la Hunt Showdown, I got what is IMO an excellent middle ground between PvE for the fun, and PvP for the thrill. Play solo to hoard stuff, play duos or trios to empty your stash.
- STRAFTAT. A free and incredibly ugly 1v1 FPS, and it's just so fun to play and talk shit with a friend for half an hour. Never tried to play with randoms, and I don't intend to.
- Minecraft Dungeons. Yet another ARPG that is perfect for short sessions on the Deck, while looking good and running at 60fps.
- Project Diablo 2 is your good old D2 with tons of improvements, online play, trading, and controller support. A truly great surprise, that runs well on the Steam Deck too.
Memorable moments
Discovering new maps on ARC Raiders and Duckov. It always brings me joy and takes me back to my teenage years when I was exploring maps on Half-Life mods and finding new nooks and crannies. I love feeling lost in a new game.
Self-reflections
The only games with a story that I've played this year are Lies of P and Mouthwashing, and I found them both forgettable. Actually I only remembered them when looking at my purchase history. So for the last 2 years, most of my games have been loot-based with short gameplay loops for quick dopamine hits.
I also managed to get a group of semi-regular gaming friends, which is neat, after nearly 20 years of only playing with randoms. It's been nice for my mental health.
-
-
Comment on The lossless scaling plugin is officially on the Decky Store in ~games
0xSim (edited )LinkI posted the link to the SteamDeckHQ article that will do a better job at explaining what it is and what it does, but the official release video is here:...Frame Generation is a tool that can artificially double the framerate of your game by creating fake frames to make it appear smoother.
I posted the link to the SteamDeckHQ article that will do a better job at explaining what it is and what it does, but the official release video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmnEOZg7bKE
You need to purchase the Lossless Scaling tool on Steam, and install Decky Loader* on your Steam Deck. The announcement video explains the process pretty well.
In practice, this is a great way to go from e.g. 45fps to 60, or 60 to 90 if you own an OLED model. And since some games allow you to cap the framerate, it also has the nice side-effects of reducing fan noise and battery use. If you really don't care about input latency (e.g. turn-based games), you can multiply the framerate up to 4x.
I've tested it on these games, from a base 40-45fps:
- The Division 2: runs great, input latency can be noticeable when using a sniper. Some visual artifacts on the edge of the screen when running.
- Diablo IV (through battle.net): visual artifacts around the character and small UI elements.
- Deep Rock Galactic Survivor: allowed me to disable image scaling, no noticeable visual artifacts. Overall excellent.
- ARC Raiders: adds a terrible input latency, even the menus are barely usable.
- Path of Exile 2 (from capped 30 to 60): works with DirectX12, seems buggy with Vulkan. Long input latency.
It's not a miracle solution, but technically impressive with the right games.
*: Decky Loader is only usable with Steam Deck stable updates, not beta.
-
The lossless scaling plugin is officially on the Decky Store
22 votes -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim Link ParentFree loadout is good if your stash is empty and you don't have seeds to buy yourself basic crafting mats. Otherwise it's better to craft yourself a minimal kit so that you have at least one safe...I mostly play free loadout, which allows me to play risk and worry-free.
Free loadout is good if your stash is empty and you don't have seeds to buy yourself basic crafting mats. Otherwise it's better to craft yourself a minimal kit so that you have at least one safe pocket and never come back home empty handed.
If I'm running a free loadout and I loot a purple item (or a blueprint!) that "worry-free" run is instantly turning into a survival horror.
-
Comment on Some people can't see mental images. The consequences are profound. in ~health.mental
0xSim Link ParentThere are probably a lot of people that don't know they are aphantasics. Internet people are more aware of it since it's kind of a recurrent subject? There is also certainly a whole spectrum...Damn, how many aphantasics do we have on Tildes?! I'm one too.
There are probably a lot of people that don't know they are aphantasics. Internet people are more aware of it since it's kind of a recurrent subject?
There is also certainly a whole spectrum between aphantasic and hyperphantasic, but it's hard to position yourself because you'll never see another point of reference than yourself. I don't consider myself aphantasic, I can imagine things, but they're abstract, fleeting images. If I imagine an apple I see it red, because the "default" apple is red, but if I imagine a person, it's just the concept of a person, a sort of mannequin without any defining trait. I can recall things I've seen, but the scenes are also fleeting. And I certainly cannot play a whole movie in my head.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0xSim LinkAfter 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...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:
- It's a beautiful game, and it's well optimized. The maps are gorgeous and a joy to explore.
- PvE enemies (the titular ARCs) are actually dangerous, and not just filler between PvP fights
- The long time to kill (TTK) favors strategic thinking and intelligent use of your gear over fast reflexes
- Most maps are so large that you can usually avoid PvP encounters
- Solo lobbies are mostly chill, while duos and trios are more "shoot on sight"
- You can have freeloader equipment (1 gun, ammo, a few healing items and a random grenade) and keep it after your run
- You always get some crafting mats even when you die, most basic weapons are viable even for PvP
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.
Finding all the pictures locations is just an optional side quest that gives a small reward. I never bothered to finish it.
Reward spoiler (IIRC)
Only a line change in the final cutscene after beating Ganon.