BeardyHat's recent activity
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Comment on Fallout's Timothy Cain talks about encumbrance in games in ~games
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Comment on Fallout's Timothy Cain talks about encumbrance in games in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentDrova at least does two things to compensate, I think. It doesn't give you too much. Sure you can pick flowers and the like, but getting more stuff is definitely a choice you make when you learn...Drova at least does two things to compensate, I think.
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It doesn't give you too much. Sure you can pick flowers and the like, but getting more stuff is definitely a choice you make when you learn the harvesting skills to get more stuff off creatures.
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It really forces you to use your stuff. Whether that's healing plants or whatever, you really need to either be eating them or making them into creams; same goes for food items and making them into something more edible for longer food buffs. Even harvesting creatures, the game is kind of insisting you sell that stuff because it's so stingy with its economy, so you never really feel (at least in my 10 hours) overwhelmed with stuff in your inventory.
Gothic was the same; unlimited carry, but you picked stuff up because you really needed it and it was consistently useful, rather than just being a packrat in something like Skyrim, where you perceive that something might come in handy, but the game is generally so frictionless, you don't need all that stuff.
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Comment on Fallout's Timothy Cain talks about encumbrance in games in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentI do prefer the grid or a limited inventory over weight. Playing Daggerfall right now and weight is a concern, which is better than nothing, but definitely not ideal.I do prefer the grid or a limited inventory over weight. Playing Daggerfall right now and weight is a concern, which is better than nothing, but definitely not ideal.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentThere are only two servers, the PvE and the PvP one. I am firmly in the carebear camp, so I'm on the PvE server.There are only two servers, the PvE and the PvP one. I am firmly in the carebear camp, so I'm on the PvE server.
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Comment on Maybe Bluesky has "won" in ~tech
BeardyHat Link ParentWe've tried. Numerous community get togethers have piss poor attendance, though slightly better than meetings. Last one was a cider stand in October and we got a grand total of about 6 people.We've tried. Numerous community get togethers have piss poor attendance, though slightly better than meetings.
Last one was a cider stand in October and we got a grand total of about 6 people.
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Comment on The Lonely Island - Here I go (ft. Charli XCX) (Uncensored version, 2024) in ~music
BeardyHat LinkNo, Andy Samburg, stop looking old. Stop it. I'm not old too. No.No, Andy Samburg, stop looking old. Stop it.
I'm not old too. No.
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Comment on Fallout's Timothy Cain talks about encumbrance in games in ~games
BeardyHat LinkTim Cain is just so damn cute, I enjoy listening to him. Also, I broadly agree with encumbrance. I started thinking about it a little more seriously (I am not a game designer) a couple of years...Tim Cain is just so damn cute, I enjoy listening to him.
Also, I broadly agree with encumbrance. I started thinking about it a little more seriously (I am not a game designer) a couple of years ago when I put quite a lot of time into the original Diablo after playing Grim Dawn a lot.
Trying to be broad strokes here so I don't get too long winded, but I really love having to make the difficult choice of what to carry. It gives more weight (no pun intended) to the stuff that you need to bring with you to survive (your armor, potions, etc) and the items you can actually pick-up to replace your old stuff with or sell. When a game just has a limitless inventory, I personally find myself completely overwhelmed and eventually not wanting to bother with the game anymore. See Grim Dawn and even Divinity: Original Sin 2. The inventories become so vast because you can carry everything that they become this chore to sort through and everything becomes essentially meaningless.
Not to mention, having encumbrance encourages a player to actually use the stuff they have. I don't recall what game it was that I had been playing relatively recently, but I recall stuff like buff potions, grenades, etc all have weight (it may have been Caves of Qud, now that I think about it) and when you suddenly can't pick up anymore stuff, you start thinking, "Well, maybe I should use some of these consumables to cut down" and thereby begin to free up space for more things.
Encumbrance is one of those things these days that gets a bad name, but ultimately has a tendency to make games more bland and shallow. People like to equally complain about RNG, another gaming zeitgeist, which the removal of tends to make things generally less interesting.
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Comment on Maybe Bluesky has "won" in ~tech
BeardyHat Link ParentNo idea where most people end up spending most their time, but it seems probably busy with their kids or just generally burnt out from the week and don't feel like committing more time to other...No idea where most people end up spending most their time, but it seems probably busy with their kids or just generally burnt out from the week and don't feel like committing more time to other stuff. I know I usually dread the monthly meetings and don't want to go, but it's something that must be done and is good for our community, so I keep at it.
We have 420-something houses last I remember.
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Comment on Maybe Bluesky has "won" in ~tech
BeardyHat Link ParentThis is a big issue. I've been on my neighborhood board for 4+ years now and attendance has been consistently abysmal. When I was President for a couple years I made pushes to get people to attend...This is a big issue. I've been on my neighborhood board for 4+ years now and attendance has been consistently abysmal. When I was President for a couple years I made pushes to get people to attend and yeah, we'd see the occasional boost in attendence, but our meeting this month was just five people, all board members.
Talking about neighborhood stuff is boring, I get it. I tire of talking about the same old issues with the old people too, but we also chat and hang out as people before and after meetings, not to mention events we put on (also poor attendance). Even repeatedly asking younger neighbors to come results in nothing.
Everyone is off in their own little world with "better" things to do.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat LinkWell @kaffo, I'm sorry but I've abandoned Drova for the time being. Not that it's bad or anything, but I got a bit of "Big Town Syndrome" when I arrived in Nemeton. Just kind of had this...Well @kaffo, I'm sorry but I've abandoned Drova for the time being. Not that it's bad or anything, but I got a bit of "Big Town Syndrome" when I arrived in Nemeton. Just kind of had this prevailing feeling that I didn't really feel like talking to everyone at the moment and getting more story and more quests, so I ended-up setting it aside for now. I'm sure I'll go back, as I was enjoying what I was playing, but some switch in my brain flipped and I just started feeling overwhelmed with the game.
I saw Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D 3D Super Mega Remake Much Improved Graphics finally launched and I'm damn curious about it, having put something like 20-hours into DQ3 on Gameboy Color over the summer while traveling. Unfortunately, the game is $60 and I just can't fit that into my budget at the moment, especially when I have so much else to play. I did end-up trying to go back to DQ3 on GBC, but at the same time that I'm excited about the new release, I'm feeling rather bored with the GBC release; I'm at the point where I've received the boat and the game is now encouraging me to wander, which just isn't doing it for me. I ought to consult a guide and figure out where to go next, but wandering around and doing countless random battles has quickly become tedious and is one of my least favorite parts of a JRPG. That said...
I've started another JRPG in Dragon Quest V on PS2. I figured I'd see if my mid-range handheld system can handle PS2 and while I know it can't run the entire PS2 library, it's running Dragon Quest 5 absolutely fantastic. I flitted around with the DS version for awhile, but ultimately I just don't want to play on such antiquated hardware and lose Fast Forward and Save States, plus the PS2 version just looks utterly fantastic and has its orchestral soundtrack to boot. So far, I've only put about 3 hours into it, but I'm hoping this one really enraptures me for the long term. I've played a lot of Dragon Quest games, but the only one I've ever actually finished is 4, decades ago at this point and I'm hoping 5 ends-up being similar for me.
I've also been playing a good amount of Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront and the new US Airborne DLC. It's basically hewing pretty closely to the Band of Brothers HBO show, but I'm fine with that and it's been fun to have a campaign to go through. It's challenging as usual and well..I'm not sure what else to say other than the fact that there's nothing else like this series (and Men of War, for that matter) and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. I just wish they wouldn't disable repairing enemy vehicles and turning them on the enemy in some of the missions, because that's one of my favorite parts of the series.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentDid they ever go back and add controller support on PC for Diablo 3? I've played D2 Resurrected recently and I love the fact that it works well on my Deck with a controller, but I've always wanted...Did they ever go back and add controller support on PC for Diablo 3? I've played D2 Resurrected recently and I love the fact that it works well on my Deck with a controller, but I've always wanted to try D3 with a controller, but last I checked it wasn't an option on PC.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentI need to give this one more of a go. My buddy picked it up and gifted it to me and I've liked some of what I've played, but nothing has really entranced me too much yet. I am a big fan of retro...I need to give this one more of a go. My buddy picked it up and gifted it to me and I've liked some of what I've played, but nothing has really entranced me too much yet. I am a big fan of retro games, but every time I'm playing something out of UFO, I have this feeling that I ought to be spending more time with my vast ROM library rather than trying something "illegitimate", if that makes sense.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentYou may have seen one of my posts! I've been playing Turtle on and off for many years now and always go back when I'm needing my WoW fix, because it's everything I want in WoW these days. Plus,...You may have seen one of my posts! I've been playing Turtle on and off for many years now and always go back when I'm needing my WoW fix, because it's everything I want in WoW these days. Plus, it's really fun and exciting to come across all the new areas where previously there was absolutely nothing.
I haven't made it super far into it yet, as again, I play it fairly sporadically, but my highest is a 34 Priest and I have a 29 Hunter on Turtle mode that I like to play, but I always get a little discouraged when I die and lose exp, as Turtle mode is quite a bit slower.
That said, I'm concerned about the migration over to Unreal engine. I feel like it's created such a huge amount of buzz that Turtle is bound to get noticed sooner or later by the "Eye of Sauron" and shut down just like Nostralius.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BeardyHat Link ParentCase is on my list, along with The Investigation at Hobbes Barrow, but I just haven't felt ready to buy them each time they're on sale. Really, I ought to, so that when I am ready to play them, I...Case is on my list, along with The Investigation at Hobbes Barrow, but I just haven't felt ready to buy them each time they're on sale.
Really, I ought to, so that when I am ready to play them, I have them at the ready. I loved Obra Dinn and Case is constantly on my mind.
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Comment on Longevity of tech equipment in ~tech
BeardyHat LinkOh boy, my people! Probably the newest piece of hardware I use on the regular is my ThinkPads X1 Nano, which is about three years old and has recently been upgraded with a 2Tb SSD. I also have an...Oh boy, my people!
Probably the newest piece of hardware I use on the regular is my ThinkPads X1 Nano, which is about three years old and has recently been upgraded with a 2Tb SSD. I also have an older (not sure how old) Radeon 5500XT eGPU I plug into it for gaming.
And actually, guess I lied, I have a Steam Deck, which is 2 and a half years old.
Other than that, I have a gaming PC I built in 2019 that I upgraded last year with a Ryzen 5600 and a Radeon 6700XT, which will probably be its configuration for the next five years at least.
But the most frequently used stuff in my house is much older. I have a gaming laptop from 2016 that gets used every day, a Thinkserver TS140 with a Xeon... E3-something or other and a 750 Ti that also gets used daily. Both by the kids for gaming.
I have a new PC I put together out of old scrap hardware with an i7-7700, 1070 GTX that is my HTPC and living room gaming PC. My wife and I have been playing Dead Space Remake on that.
I'm my garage I have an old Dell with a Prentium 4 that I use for Google and looking at manuals when I'm doing automotive work; though I haven't used it in awhile, so I was thinking about turning it into a retro gaming PC.
A RaspPi 3 that is being used as in my arcade cabinet.
Then I have a collection of old handhelds, some of which don't get used, but I do still use my Nintendo DS, 3DS and PS Vita.
I recently reacquired an old Sandy Bridge i5 system that is sitting in my office, waiting to be used for something.
Edit: forgot my old Thinkpad T480s from 2018, which I gave to my wife. She uses it daily for music and games
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Comment on Unplugging from comedy shows, by Rosstin316. A Reddit post analysis. in ~society
BeardyHat Link ParentI think for many Americans it's that we all had huge amounts of hope for Kamala. It had felt like there was a lot of energy and people were excited to vote for her, at least in the circle's I run...I think for many Americans it's that we all had huge amounts of hope for Kamala. It had felt like there was a lot of energy and people were excited to vote for her, at least in the circle's I run in.
It felt like we had a good chance and if we could just get her in, we could stop hearing about Trump, because in the next 4 years he'd probably be dead or entirely too old to run in 2028.
Obviously, that didn't happen. I think the general feeling might have been different if the vote had been close, but it was essentially a landslide for Trump because so many people didn't bother to vote at all. This lead to lots of hopes and optimism dashed and people are still coping with what feels like a dramatic change in fortunes.
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Comment on Follow up on the username thread: What Tildes users do you recognize when browsing and, without being rude or inflammatory, what is your impression of them? in ~tildes
BeardyHat Link ParentThat is absolutely a good point, I hadn't considered that.That is absolutely a good point, I hadn't considered that.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
BeardyHat Link ParentIt's good enough. I've got about two chapters remaining and it's a fun little romp; not the most amazing thing I've ever read, but good enough that I did keep reading it rather than abandon it.It's good enough. I've got about two chapters remaining and it's a fun little romp; not the most amazing thing I've ever read, but good enough that I did keep reading it rather than abandon it.
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Comment on Follow up on the username thread: What Tildes users do you recognize when browsing and, without being rude or inflammatory, what is your impression of them? in ~tildes
BeardyHat Link ParentYes! This is exactly my problem. Everyone here is pretty much nameless to me because I forget to read screen names and even when I do, I can't commit them to memory. I have a very strong visual...Honestly I'm terrible at recognizing names here.
Yes! This is exactly my problem. Everyone here is pretty much nameless to me because I forget to read screen names and even when I do, I can't commit them to memory.
I have a very strong visual memory and frequent another forum a quite a bit less than Tildes, but I recognize everyone there because they all have unique avatars.
Not that I want to clutter Tildes, but it would be supremely helpful for people like us to have some sort of visual identifier.
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Comment on How well do you cook? in ~life.men
BeardyHat Link ParentYeah, I didn't learn too many life skills until my early 20s because my Mom was so anxious about everything. I have that in me too, but I try not to let it bleed over into my kids. I've definitely...Yeah, I didn't learn too many life skills until my early 20s because my Mom was so anxious about everything. I have that in me too, but I try not to let it bleed over into my kids.
I've definitely failed on the salt front, as my kids tend to quite like salty food. But it may run in my genetics, as my Dad was the same; but we all also drink a shitload of water whether we're eating salty foods or not, so I kind of feel like it may balance out.
Those big events are stressful for sure. I'm trying to be less like my Dad though, doing everything by myself and I'm working at delegating and assigning helpers. Sometimes it means things aren't exactly how I want them, but I'm trying to let that go.
Torchlight had an interesting take, but I actually prefer Diablo 1 or 2 to it for inventory management. To me, filling up on stuff poses you an interesting choice, especially once you're full up on stuff.
If you have potions, do you just continue through the dungeon until you've freed up more space? Or maybe you spend some identify scrolls to look at a few of the things you've picked up and determine if they're actually of value. If not, dump them and pick up the new thing.
Failing those, you now have the choice of whether you should press on or take a breather. I like the in built breaks the game gives you by forcing you to go back to town once your inventory is full-up; it creates this interesting tempo to the game where you're deep in the shit, but then you need to go back and calm down, talk to people, sell and reprepare yourself to go back out to press deeper into the dungeon.
But I'm a big fan of boredom in games.