Apex's recent activity

  1. Comment on How do you handle being around other people? in ~talk

    Apex
    Link Parent
    I don't think responding to a scheduling request or "what are you interested in doing this upcoming session" is much more serious...

    I don't think responding to a scheduling request or "what are you interested in doing this upcoming session" is much more serious...

    3 votes

  2. Comment on How do you handle being around other people? in ~talk

    Apex
    Link Parent
    Relatable. I’m fairly extroverted but do burn out if I have a couple social engagements in a row. My current D&D group (I DM) frustrates and exhausts me because they just don’t seem like it...

    Relatable. I’m fairly extroverted but do burn out if I have a couple social engagements in a row. My current D&D group (I DM) frustrates and exhausts me because they just don’t seem like it matters enough to them to respond when I text a question to the group, own the development of their character, be more proactive. “We’re busy”. I’m a full time dad with lots of other things going on and I still manage to handle the game…so that’s not an excuse for people who are only working and don’t have kids.

    My wife is a part of it, too, and kinda acts the same. She makes it feel like it’s a “me” problem, but I’m not sure that’s true.

    4 votes

  3. Comment on What is your passion? And why? in ~life

    Apex
    Link
    I'm a big hobby person, but my favorite hobby is tabletop RPGs. I started by playing D&D 2e back in Boy Scouts as a kid (early 2000s), but unbeknownst to me, D&D 3rd edition was what was in the...

    I'm a big hobby person, but my favorite hobby is tabletop RPGs.

    I started by playing D&D 2e back in Boy Scouts as a kid (early 2000s), but unbeknownst to me, D&D 3rd edition was what was in the stores, so I ended up buying that my mistake. I read through those books cover to cover so many times but never actually played it, and eventually ended up selling them at some point along the way.

    I always romanticized what the game would be if I played it again, but I never actually committed to attempting to run or play any edition. Back in 2017(2018?) I started running D&D 5e as a Dungeon Master and quickly escalated...everything. I wanted to be the best I could be, and learn as much as I could, so I started buying up other tabletop RPGs to look over their mechanics, advice, and methods of doing things. That got me a bit further, as well as Youtube advice videos (Matt Colville) and some Critical Role.

    When COVID rolled around, my purchasing amped up significantly because I wanted to recreate the vibe that I felt when I played AD&D 2e but always found 5e wanting. This was partly the game system, but also partly that my game switched from in-person to an online game for the duration of the pandemic and it just felt too...streamlined, I guess. It lacked heart. I started acquiring physical books from old editions of the game - 1e, 2e, 3e, and a little 4e. I now have...a lot. I'm at the point where insuring my collection should probably be a consideration, but any near-mint books I purchased I also opened because I want to use them, not just collect them. As convenient as digital is, I prefer physical copies of books because they just have an ineffable quality about them that cannot be replaced by a PDF.

    I've since transitioned to a game based on older D&D (B/X) - Dolmenwood, and having a blast running it for my friends. It may be a bit clunky in ways that older game mechanics can be, but rolling the same dice for every game mechanic isn't all it's cracked up to be, either.

    Tabletop RPGs for me are an all-hobby. It can contain so many other hobbies - drawing, writing, painting, cooking, mapmaking, crafting, performing, socializing, etc. It's the oral storytelling tradition passed onto the current generation and amplified by making it into a game. It speaks to something deep inside me, and I think many others.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on What is your passion? And why? in ~life

    Apex
    Link Parent
    I love Spirit Island! I haven't gotten Slay the Spire but I do love the video game.

    I love Spirit Island! I haven't gotten Slay the Spire but I do love the video game.

  5. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Apex
    Link Parent
    I finished Wolverine yesterday. It was very meh. Far too linear with collectibles mostly in the path. Too many slow walking segments. I felt the story got a little incoherent where they were...

    I finished Wolverine yesterday. It was very meh. Far too linear with collectibles mostly in the path. Too many slow walking segments. I felt the story got a little incoherent where they were adding new plot points late in the game, like

    Spoilers

    Phoenix and Apocalypse, and stealing the X-genes where not much earlier Essex just wanted to use the helix engine to awaken latent mutants.

    I was very much looking forward to the game being over by the end.

    1 vote

  6. Comment on A college girl was exploited on camera. A network of anonymous men got to work. in ~tech

    Apex
    Link Parent
    I grew up in Texas. Unfortunately this is kinda what I mentally associate all sports people with, which may be unfair, but it’s so fucking prevalent.

    I grew up in Texas. Unfortunately this is kinda what I mentally associate all sports people with, which may be unfair, but it’s so fucking prevalent.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Deciding whether (or not) to have a child in ~life

    Apex
    Link
    I’m pessimistic about the state of the world, concerned about my fit for being a good parent, have low patience, and a bit of a temper at times. But I’m also caring, decisive, spontaneous, and...

    I’m pessimistic about the state of the world, concerned about my fit for being a good parent, have low patience, and a bit of a temper at times. But I’m also caring, decisive, spontaneous, and generous. I was frequently unhappy as a kid, lonely, and wished I wasn’t around. But it passed, much later in life.

    I’m the parent of an almost-2-year old. My wife and I were on the fence for all of our relationship when we talked about having kids. Finally we just decided to let fate take over, and whatever happened happened, and we wouldn’t do any intervention to ensure we had a kid. We got pregnant almost immediately, and the first six months after my son was born were so extraordinarily difficult due to the sleep impacts of a newborn. In the midst of a midnight feeding, I’d wonder why we chose to inflict this on ourselves, and there was more than once I lost my temper when I couldn’t get my son to stop crying.

    However…after six months, it all got better. Once it stopped being exclusively “negative reinforcement” from him and he smiled at me (even if it was just a fart), there was a sense of reward to it. Feeding him’s been a struggle due to throwing food, but overall, I have no regrets even though it’s difficult. I say that even now that I’m a full time parent due to losing my job, which is utterly exhausting, but it’s okay. I’d be sad not to have him in my life, and I know one day I’ll miss these moments, even if they sometimes suck. I hope he’ll remember them fondly too (once he starts making memories).

    If you think you’ll be a good parent, and you have the emotional capacity for it, I won’t say do it or don’t do it because someone else shouldn’t make that huge decision for you. But maybe just allow nature to take its course if you’re not opposed to having a kid (after some forethought).

    2 votes

  8. Comment on My son pooped in the toilet in ~life

    Apex
    Link
    And they look at me weird when I announce I did it…

    And they look at me weird when I announce I did it…

    25 votes

  10. Comment on D6 TTRPG suggestions in ~games.tabletop

    Apex
    Link
    I’m gonna come shill Dolmenwood…it’s not quite all d6s but they get used a lot 😄

    I’m gonna come shill Dolmenwood…it’s not quite all d6s but they get used a lot 😄

  11. Comment on Is there a way to filter out everything posted by a user? in ~tildes

    Apex
    Link
    I hope it's not me? I rarely post or comment.

    I hope it's not me? I rarely post or comment.

    5 votes

  12. Comment on Dark Sun, Star Wars, and more classic settings return to D&D in ~games.tabletop

    Apex
    Link Parent
    Astinus was from Dragonlance, but Dark Sun did use heavy psionics. I unfortunately never got to play those settings though I read a decent amount of Dragonlance growing up. I hope they do all of...

    Astinus was from Dragonlance, but Dark Sun did use heavy psionics. I unfortunately never got to play those settings though I read a decent amount of Dragonlance growing up. I hope they do all of the settings justice!

  13. Comment on Dark Sun, Star Wars, and more classic settings return to D&D in ~games.tabletop

    Apex
    Link Parent
    D&D is also doing Universes Beyond now, so probably.

    D&D is also doing Universes Beyond now, so probably.

  14. Comment on Dark Sun, Star Wars, and more classic settings return to D&D in ~games.tabletop

    Apex
    Link
    Looks like D&D might be revitalizing some old settings. I hope they modify the mechanics to match the settings rather than the other way around!

    Looks like D&D might be revitalizing some old settings. I hope they modify the mechanics to match the settings rather than the other way around!

    1 vote

  16. Comment on Suggest Chicago food places in ~food

    Apex
    Link
    Webster Wine Bar. Best burger, imo. Barbaro Taqueria for the best carne asada tacos I've ever had. Piece Pizza. High Five Ramen. Momotaro. Green Street Smoked Meats.

    Webster Wine Bar. Best burger, imo.
    Barbaro Taqueria for the best carne asada tacos I've ever had.
    Piece Pizza.
    High Five Ramen.
    Momotaro.
    Green Street Smoked Meats.

    4 votes

  17. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

  18. Comment on Are there any games that had their development abandoned that you followed where you wish that continued/completed development? in ~games

    Apex
    Link
    StarCraft Ghost.

    StarCraft Ghost.

    3 votes

  19. Comment on The everything, everywhere, all at once corruption story in ~society

    Apex
    Link Parent
    I can't help but feel it is somewhat just, though...how many eyes can one lose before eye for an eyes is a valid way forward. I find myself really enjoying street-level superhero shows/movies far...

    I can't help but feel it is somewhat just, though...how many eyes can one lose before eye for an eyes is a valid way forward.

    I find myself really enjoying street-level superhero shows/movies far more than the shinier ones because it's like an outlet for me where people finally get their comeuppance for their actions, unlike the real world where there's rarely any repercussions.

    1 vote

  20. What steps can the average user do to secure their data privacy?

    ~tech Ask (recommendations)
    With all of the identity verification laws in the pipeline, data breaches, and government overreach (mandated monitoring in new cars in the US), what steps can the average person take to secure...

    With all of the identity verification laws in the pipeline, data breaches, and government overreach (mandated monitoring in new cars in the US), what steps can the average person take to secure their anonymity and data and device privacy?

    I’m a tech-savvy person but nowhere near the level of a great many. It seems like in the face of overwhelming odds, making small changes is only a drop in the bucket. I have all the data encryption settings enabled on my phone, but I use services like Dropbox and rely on it heavily. I’ve always thought that if the product is free, you’re the product…but I pay for Dropbox, so they shouldn’t use my data for training AI (but they likely are). Setting up a personal cloud seems like a daunting task, as is getting involved in any of the small projects that people have going (decentralized networks, mesh…things, P2P, etc). I’ve focused more on securing my home networks recently so my Ubiquiti devices are restricted in what they can access, but I haven’t actually pen-tested my network yet. I have PopOS! installed on my home desktop because I got tired of Windows’ invasive…everything, but ultimately I don’t know what I’m doing.

    There’s probably a great many people out there that feel like it’s hopeless to try to do anything because it won’t matter as there’s such a heavy push to invade, restrict, and monetize our digital lives. What can the average person do to take control of our devices and data?

    34 votes