BeardyHat's recent activity
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
BeardyHat Link ParentDevin is one of my favorite artists, but not so I feel like his output has been super bland since the quadrilogy of Ki, Deconstruction, Ghost and Addicted. I've desperately tried to like Empath,...Devin is one of my favorite artists, but not so I feel like his output has been super bland since the quadrilogy of Ki, Deconstruction, Ghost and Addicted.
I've desperately tried to like Empath, Z2 and Transcendence, but none of them stick with me and I tend to feel pretty bored with them after not too long.
Maybe it's because I come from a Metal background, so I like that as a sound in general, while Townsend has really moved away from that aspect in his music, but even his newer stuff that's Metallic or heavy tends to pale in comparison to his earlier releases.
Hate to be a negative Nancy, but just been kind of disappointed with his work over the last 10 years or so and it causes me a lot of internal conflict.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
BeardyHat Link ParentThis is generally how I read, as well. I only read 2 books last year, one so far this year and just finally picked up another one. I really need to be in a certain kind of mood to read, but if I...This is generally how I read, as well. I only read 2 books last year, one so far this year and just finally picked up another one. I really need to be in a certain kind of mood to read, but if I can find a string of books I really like, I won't stop.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentThe Dell I have definitely doesn't support 98, unfortunately. I have experimented with PCem in the past, which was pretty neat. I'd actually be curious to set that up and run it on a second (CRT)...The Dell I have definitely doesn't support 98, unfortunately.
I have experimented with PCem in the past, which was pretty neat. I'd actually be curious to set that up and run it on a second (CRT) monitor to see if it would scratch the itch. Of course, the trouble then is finding a CRT in reasonable shape for a reasonable price.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentI definitely don't know if I have the motivation to fix the machines. I've watched plenty of retro computing Youtubers to know that I absolutely don't need more projects like this, as I already...I definitely don't know if I have the motivation to fix the machines. I've watched plenty of retro computing Youtubers to know that I absolutely don't need more projects like this, as I already have plenty I'm neglecting.
Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't mind experimenting if I could get in for like $200. I do have a newer Pentium 4 I use just as a garage computer and I've considered downgrading the CPU to something slower and using it for Windows 98, but again, most anything I'm interested in playing, I already can on a modern machine. I know it's not exactly the same without some proper hardware like a Sound Blaster, but it's largely good enough for me and I don't have a good enough memory to recall what my actual SB16 sounded like.
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Comment on Where are you on the spectrum of vacation planning? Detailed to the hour or floating like a leaf in the wind? in ~talk
BeardyHat Link ParentThis sounds exactly my speed. Honestly, I have minimal interest in London itself and am more interested in spending time in the country and the villages, but my wife really wants to check out the...This sounds exactly my speed. Honestly, I have minimal interest in London itself and am more interested in spending time in the country and the villages, but my wife really wants to check out the city, so I'll find something to do there.
I have at least got us a driving trip planned to go to Wool/Bovington, so I'm excited to drive out there and take our time along the way.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentI've read that Falcon 4.0 is still played today amongst the Sim Community, though heavily modded, I guess. Never played any of the games myself, always preferred arcade style flying games, but...I've read that Falcon 4.0 is still played today amongst the Sim Community, though heavily modded, I guess.
Never played any of the games myself, always preferred arcade style flying games, but I've been wanting a retro computer for quite some time now, just haven't really been able to justify it. The cost, while not crazy expensive, is still not terribly cheap (would love to get the same computer I had in 96 or so, but they're rare and expensive) and the space requirement with CRT is non-negligable, plus I'm not really sure what I'd play, most of the classics I like I can still get running.
All that said, I am going to VCF Southwest this year and I'm stoked to look at all the old hardware and I am tempted to find a laptop that might fill that retro computer hole in my life, even if it's not as perfect as a desktop may be.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentI ought to give this another go, as it's been... Shit, almost 30 years since I played it, I think? It came with my first graphics card, a 3dfx Voodoo and it was just such a cool game, made me a...I ought to give this another go, as it's been... Shit, almost 30 years since I played it, I think? It came with my first graphics card, a 3dfx Voodoo and it was just such a cool game, made me a lifelong Mechwarrior fan, I even play the Battletech Miniatures game these days.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentGood to hear about your brother not caring about Superheroes, as this is exactly what's kept me away from this game. I adore xcom having played hundreds of hours between the Enemy Unknown and 2,...Good to hear about your brother not caring about Superheroes, as this is exactly what's kept me away from this game.
I adore xcom having played hundreds of hours between the Enemy Unknown and 2, but the superheroes put me off every time I look at this game. So I may have to get over it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat LinkI'm mostly oriented this way already, but I've been in a handheld mood lately, as well as a "simple" "straightforward" mood, so I've gone back to my Gameboy Color. This week, I've been playing a...I'm mostly oriented this way already, but I've been in a handheld mood lately, as well as a "simple" "straightforward" mood, so I've gone back to my Gameboy Color. This week, I've been playing a pretty damned good amount of Dragon Quest 3 on GBC and it just hitting so right, right now. I love that with my GBC, I can have my coffee (or beer) in one hand and play DQ3 in the other and it's just not too involved, mostly just walking around and then when battle starts, hitting A with the occasional press of the D-Pad.
It's far from the most in depth of the series, but it's exactly what I want right now. I was thinking about putting it off and saving it for my travel I have coming up here in about two weeks, but it's all I can really think about as far as games go, so I've given up and just decided to play it. I also love that I know I'm not in for a 100-hour experience and can realistically finish it within about 30, which means I shouldn't get tired or bored of the gameplay as I would in a much longer game.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentThe Deck is great. I played on it exclusively for about a year after I received mine in June 2022 and now it's much more sporadic, but I still love the thing and it's great for both Indies and...The Deck is great. I played on it exclusively for about a year after I received mine in June 2022 and now it's much more sporadic, but I still love the thing and it's great for both Indies and older AAA titles. My library spans 20-years now, so it's cool to go visit a lot of games I've never played or put only a little bit of time into and they fit the Deck just right. The last one I was playing on there was Red Faction: Guerilla and prior to that, Star Wars: Republic Commando.
My only complaint is that it's so damn large, I use it more as just an option for how I want to play games in my house. It seems so large to travel with and I prefer to travel light, so I end-up bringing a laptop instead of the Deck since the laptop can serve double duty, even if it can't play everything the Deck can.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentI really ought to try out 2. I played the first one something like 15 years ago, but didn't get a chance to finish it because I encountered some game breaking bugs. I loved 3 and played New Vegas...I really ought to try out 2. I played the first one something like 15 years ago, but didn't get a chance to finish it because I encountered some game breaking bugs. I loved 3 and played New Vegas for twice the amount of time, finished the main story, but always intended to go back and play more.
I've heard 2 is so great, but just never made the time for it, in spite of owning it on GoG for years and years.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentHuge RPG's, especially JRPGs are kind of a turn off for me. Speaking of Dragon Quest, I actually just reset my save (backed it up first, anyway) of 8 after 45 hours, because I'd been playing it...Huge RPG's, especially JRPGs are kind of a turn off for me. Speaking of Dragon Quest, I actually just reset my save (backed it up first, anyway) of 8 after 45 hours, because I'd been playing it over the course of years and I'll be damned if I can remember what has happened in the story so far. I did end-up starting a new game, but put it down immediately, because I just can't stomach the thought of going through all of that again (even if I can't remember it) and losing 45 hours in what is probably a 60-80 hour playthrough. Thinking about it, I may just put it down and say that I'm done with DQ8 and I liked it ok, but never intend to actually go back and finish it.
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Comment on Where are you on the spectrum of vacation planning? Detailed to the hour or floating like a leaf in the wind? in ~talk
BeardyHat LinkTo me, it's not a vacation if it's planned to the hour and I'm obligated to do stuff. I'm going to London in a few weeks for a week and the only thing I really wanted to do was go to Bovington...To me, it's not a vacation if it's planned to the hour and I'm obligated to do stuff.
I'm going to London in a few weeks for a week and the only thing I really wanted to do was go to Bovington Tank Museum, so I made that known and set that up, which includes renting a car (good luck me, hope I can drive in a different country), an alternate place to stay for a day or two and that's about it.
I want to just exist in a place for awhile, no obligations and just see where things take me. If that means I stay in a 2 block radius because that's what seemed interesting at the time, so be it. You're never going to see or do absolutely every thing you want to in life, there's always going to be something you feel like you missed, but you can't have FOMO because otherwise you end up just running through sights and never really seeing or absorbing anything.
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Comment on Is Tildes failing to thrive? in ~tildes
BeardyHat Link ParentThis is myself. I tend to lurk more than I post, simply because I don't have anything intelligent to say on most topics. Even this comment explaining myself and my lack of posting doesn't feel all...This is myself. I tend to lurk more than I post, simply because I don't have anything intelligent to say on most topics. Even this comment explaining myself and my lack of posting doesn't feel all that useful and it's the kind of comment I often write and then delete without posting because I feel it adds nothing to the conversation.
I'm posting this one for illustrative purposes...
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Comment on Kingdom Come: Deliverance II -- coming 2024 in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentExactly my sentiment. We have a few comments in here asking to gamify it more and I believe that would cause me to completely lose interest. If you want gamey combat and systems, play Skyrim...Exactly my sentiment.
We have a few comments in here asking to gamify it more and I believe that would cause me to completely lose interest. If you want gamey combat and systems, play Skyrim instead (a game I also like) and don't drag a game with interesting systems and niche appeal down with it.
KC:D is easily my favorite game of the last 10 years. Sure it's full of jank, but it wouldn't be the same without all the ambition embedded within and would end up just being another generic open world game. This is a game I finished and yet still go back to to do other random quests and things I didn't finish.
My only real complaint is that after getting the Master Stroke, combat becomes trivial, but maybe that's your reward for making it so far in the game by that point.
Jesus Christ, be praised.
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Comment on The two cultures in ~games.tabletop
BeardyHat LinkBackgammon has too much RNG... I'm seriousness though, this is at play in video games as well, with the above "insightful" comments often left on Steam reviews. That said, I appreciate this...Backgammon has too much RNG...
I'm seriousness though, this is at play in video games as well, with the above "insightful" comments often left on Steam reviews.
That said, I appreciate this article, because I never had the words to describe the style of games as Deterministic vs Probabilistic and it makes perfect sense. I'm definitely in the Probabilistic camp myself and that's probably because I'm similar to the author in that I'm "good" at games, but I wouldn't describe myself as amazing or anything. I can regularly beat friends and family at pretty much any game, but at tournaments, I'm generally in the middle of the pack.
I know this wasn't really the point of the article, but one of the fun things about Probability style games is trying to mitigate that risk and what goes into it. I play a lot of Tabletop Wargames and often, you might find yourself going for an overkill on an opponent, because you're not sure if the dice are going to be on your side or not for that particular roll. But that overkilling can itself leave you open to reprisal. It's all about trying to make the best decision out of many with the information you have available at the time.
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Comment on Song lyrics are getting more repetitive, angrier in ~music
BeardyHat Link ParentThere is a lot of that in the genre, but that's because Metal is largely made by and for Nerds, Dorks, Geeks and on. We're not a tough lot, so it's fun to get to listen to music that makes us feel...There is a lot of that in the genre, but that's because Metal is largely made by and for Nerds, Dorks, Geeks and on. We're not a tough lot, so it's fun to get to listen to music that makes us feel powerful; plus it is an inherently aggressive, posturing genre of music. Listening to Metal is the equivalent of the animal that puffs itself up to make itself look bigger so that other animals will leave it alone.
That said, if that's all one is listening to, yeah it could get tiring, but I can fire off at least a dozen bands with interesting lyrical themes, from Fantasy, SciFi, Being Metal, Smoking Weed, Partying, Sex, Introspection, History, Politics, Social Issues, Environmental Causes and of course, the old standby, Satanism. If you're just listening to stuff about being an Alpha Male God, you're not branching out much and getting into the truly interesting stuff.
Don't get me wrong, I don't listen to Metal as much as I used to after 30 years, but I still listen to a lot of it and there's plenty of interesting bands out there.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat LinkI was forced to take a hiatus from Lies of P for the last week, but I was still craving the gameplay style, so I decided to jump back in to Dark Souls (Remastered) for the first time in about 10...I was forced to take a hiatus from Lies of P for the last week, but I was still craving the gameplay style, so I decided to jump back in to Dark Souls (Remastered) for the first time in about 10 years. It's still pretty great, though I'm realizing I'm missing a lot of QoL features from the newer games, such as teleporting to various bonfires (I'm in Sens now, so soon), as well as resuming where I previously was if I die as a phantom. I've died twice as a phantom so far and just find it obnoxious that I don't return to where I previously was, but instead go all the way back to my last bonfire. Minor gripes, but I'm definitely spoiled these days after Dark Souls 3. I probably should have gone back to Elden Ring instead of Dark Souls, but my last play session of ER left me feeling so annoyed with the game, I haven't felt like returning to it.
I've also been dabbling again with my New 3DS, primarily playing two things: Fire Emblem: Awakening and Tetris DS. To my surprise, I'm enjoying Fire Emblem. I tried playing the first North American release on GBA many years ago and just didn't really care for it in the slightest, Advance Wars was much more my speed (still is, I think), but I'm enjoying the story and the cutscenes and the gameplay isn't too bad either. I'm not sure I'll see it all the way through, but I'm enjoying it well enough so far.
Tetris DS has been great for the puzzles so far. My only complaint so far isn't with the game, but with the fact that playing DS games on a 3DS is like viewing them through a vaseline smeared lens in comparison to a regular DS. I could just use my DS, but I want access to all the other games and features that the 3DS gives me, so I suppose I'll stomach it for now.
Also, I just watched Band of Brothers for the first time last week, which enhanced my already severe World War 2 itch, so I'm finally going to give Company of Heroes 2 a go, solely for the Ardennes Assault DLC. I much prefer the Men of War/Call to Arms series as far as WW2 goes, but we'll see if CoH can scratch that itch, otherwise I may go back to Assault Squad 2.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentWhat do you think is the best Arkham game to start with? I've owned the series for years on Steam, but being indifferent towards superheroes, I've never given them a chance, in spite of how great...What do you think is the best Arkham game to start with? I've owned the series for years on Steam, but being indifferent towards superheroes, I've never given them a chance, in spite of how great they apparently are.
I woke up this morning to discover that Darkthrone has released another new album, though I looked at when they released Astral Fortress and it's already been two years, which it certainly doesn't feel like.
I bought it immediately, but of course, have had zero chance to listen to it beyond one song this morning through my semi-crummy phone speakers. Just been damn busy all day and I won't really have a chance to give it an active listen probably until later this weekend at the earliest, but I hope I'll have time today.
But it's apropos, considering I've been listening to plenty of Darkthrone lately anyway and had no idea they were working on something new (though I suppose they always are.)