CannibalisticApple's recent activity
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Comment on Let's talk about tropes! in ~books
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Comment on Let's talk about tropes! in ~books
CannibalisticApple LinkOne trope I hate in all forms of fiction is just really bad communication. Which is funny because one of my favorite tropes when reading fan fiction is misunderstandings. It all boils down to...One trope I hate in all forms of fiction is just really bad communication. Which is funny because one of my favorite tropes when reading fan fiction is misunderstandings. It all boils down to characters just NOT telling others about very vital, basic information about ongoing events for no good reason besides adding drama. Not a book, but Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the prime example to come to mind. Literally the whole movie's plot stems from the commanding officers NOT telling one character there was indeed an escape plan, prompting him and others to go rogue and launch their own plan.
Aside from that: when it comes to novels, I particularly like the mystery genre but don't have many particular tropes I can name from that genre besides the grand reveal. The denouement where the detectives reveal everything in a "deduction show" is always pretty fun.
I honestly read more fan fiction than novels these days though, and the tropes I like for that are different since I go in knowing the typical character dynamics and settings. One of my favorite tropes is something that doesn't quite have a name. To sum it up, I like when typically close characters fight where one gets really frustrated with the other but bottles it up, and tension building between them until there's a big blowout moment where it all comes out. The catharsis of them finally releasing all their thoughts so they can all start to make amends is just so good.
One more trope I really like is just found family. Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but I love seeing all these family-like bonds arise between characters with no blood relation. I love people becoming practically siblings, I love adults all but adopting a child... It's fun to see the types of bonds that can form.
Also, I love seeing tropes and story formulas get subverted or twisted in some way. I like it when media can genuinely surprise me (might be why I like mysteries so much?), or when characters have some trait that defies their archetype. I particularly remember being surprised by one book I read in high school that defied my expectations by NOT having the main character develop romantic feelings for a girl he just met. It made me realize most of the other books I'd read at that time would have new friends of the opposite sex become a love interest, even though it was never the focal point.
On that note, shout out to Neal Shusterman's works for often subverting tropes and twisting formulas. His first books I read were the "Dark Fusion" trilogy which used classic fairy tales as the basis and twisted them in horror-adjacent ways. I think most of his works subvert tropes even while following formulas. Took me years to realize Unwind is a dystopian novel because it had the typical formula of running away and being hunted by the government, but it had none of the usual tropes of micromanaging people's lives or restricting free thought.
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Comment on Meet Kit: Firefox's new mascot in ~tech
CannibalisticApple Link ParentThat first post was on my mind when writing the comment since it was reposted so recently, so makes sense. I've had this general thought for a while though. Really came to the forefront when I...That first post was on my mind when writing the comment since it was reposted so recently, so makes sense. I've had this general thought for a while though. Really came to the forefront when I watched Austin Powers for the first time recently, the opening scene jn the 60's showed such a colorful world compared to even the "present" of the early 2000's. Everything just feels increasingly drab and utilitarian, and I feel like that's impacting people's psyches on a massive scale.
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Comment on Meet Kit: Firefox's new mascot in ~tech
CannibalisticApple LinkKit is adorable and I love them. Honestly I think we need more cute mascots like Kit. Right now, literally all design and branding is just too cold and sterile. Overly sleek and minimalist logos,...Kit is adorable and I love them.
Honestly I think we need more cute mascots like Kit. Right now, literally all design and branding is just too cold and sterile. Overly sleek and minimalist logos, corporate architecture that rely heavily on neutral color palettes... Everything is blending together in the worst ways, it feels like even all the corporations are losing any individual identity. I've been saying for a while now the world needs more color because going outside can honestly be kinda depressing with how droll everything is. A rise of cute mascots would be a nice step away from the current cold landscape of corporate design.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
CannibalisticApple Link ParentI've been playing it too and came here to rave about it! I finished the main story a couple days ago, and am now just building whatever I want. (Related: I suggest saving REALLY big projects for...I've been playing it too and came here to rave about it! I finished the main story a couple days ago, and am now just building whatever I want. (Related: I suggest saving REALLY big projects for after completing the main story and unlocking all abilities. The last one is VERY helpful.) Mainly I'm working on fixing up part of the last area, which is absolutely my favorite.
You've hit the main notes on why I like the game. There's a lot to do and see, the game has some of the best exploration I've seen in a long while. Heck, I think I'm still missing one "human record" from the final area somehow despite all the work I'm doing, so I need to do some more serious exploring to find it. And it's always neat (and a bit jarring) to recognize landmarks and realize where we are. We can still see the basic shape of familiar towns, though some are genuinely unrecognizable... But we also have a lot of freedom on how to rebuild them. We can restore what remains, or just totally reshape the maps to our liking. (I miiiiiight build a giant faux-spaceship in Rocky Ridges...)
I will confirm now that storage sadly does not get linked in any way, so best we can do is organize it. I've seen people use frames to mark the contents of chests, and I should probably do that. And just... Set up an actual organization system rather than "put building stuff and furniture in the big Wasteland chests, oh and put anything meant for specific areas in THESE chests in said areas". Honestly, I'd love if the PCs could be used to access all chests from all areas. Would be a great homage to the item storage in older games, too.
That said, one neat thing is that all chests in the same level of a prefab house will be connected to any worktables inside it, so may be worth building yourself a dedicated workshop.
And to your last point about FOMO, I don't think the design is really like that. A lot of games have some shop or other element that changes daily just to keep things fresh for players (though today I confirmed the daily shop's rotation can include recipes you've already learned). The stamp rally and daily missions, meanwhile, were most likely implemented as ways to guarantee players will always have a way to earn coins for the shop as they gradually complete the regular missions. And the daily missions are simple enough that I usually complete them just playing normally. So far I've seen only one that would genuinely require going out of my way to complete it.
The seasonal events are the only things that really give potential FOMO vibes, but... Well, I'm an Animal Crossing fan so I'm used to those sort of events. No clue if the events will be an annual recurrence, but they seem to be hard-coded into the game. Time travelers have already confirmed a second event for the end of April.
My own big complaint: you run out of PP so fast in the post-game. That post-game skill can eat it up within a couple minutes of use. You'll want to keep a LOT of food on hand to replenish it.
But it also incentivizes me to just... Walk normally rather than using abilities to zip around the map constantly. That lets me actually see the town I'm building. The area I'm currently working on was a bunch of disjointed, disconnected areas on an isolated part of the map, so I've spent most of the time just restoring infrastructure. It's really cool to see Pokémon actively using the infrastructure I spent all that time setting up just for them, and using it myself makes me feel like I'm also part of the town.
I had an awesome moment last night when I saw the local Pokémon really moving around far from their habitats for the first time. They'd go up and down stairs to talk to other Pokémon, Murkrow just ignored doors and used windows... Taking my time to traverse the town the way a non-Ditto would, and seeing the local Pokémon moving normally, makes the town really feel alive in a way not many games accomplish.
Overall, it's definitely a really solid and well-made game. The developers put a ton of clear thought into the mechanics and how to make sure it lasts. A lot of games, once you complete the main story and side quests, have very little to do besides grinding and/or chore-like tasks. Even more sandbox-style games can run out of incentives to play after players reach a certain point in progression. I can already tell Pokopia is really designed with the long haul in mind, doing its best to give players even little things to look forward to every day.
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Comment on Gamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don't rewrite an Iran missile story in ~society
CannibalisticApple Link ParentThe lottery (specifically tickets, not scratch cards) feels very different to me, even though it technically is gambling, since it has a delay before finding the results. So it's not actively...The lottery (specifically tickets, not scratch cards) feels very different to me, even though it technically is gambling, since it has a delay before finding the results. So it's not actively targeting people's impulses the same way casinos and other gambling options do, making it easier to limit yourself.
That, and people buy lottery tickets knowing they most likely won't win at all. The odds of winning are low enough that extended periods can pass with zero winners. With other forms of gambling though, people are more likely to expect to gain something because you CAN win in small increments. I went to a casino for the first time recently, and the first machine I tried gave me a few jackpots so I went from $10 to $15 worth of credits... And I then wasted all those credits on more plays on that machine until they got too low to continue.
I can really see now how people get so addicted to gambling. You win once and feel a high from it, and you become convinced it can happen again. The impulse targeting is stronger at casinos (pressing that button or lever was so easy), but that same high from victory applies to all gambling. Minus lottery tickets, because again, we don't really expect to win.
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Comment on Pokémon Pokopia | Gameplay video in ~games
CannibalisticApple Link ParentI've been playing it since release, and have not been this absorbed in a game in a long time. I keep losing track of time even though it technically uses real time (no clock shows up in-game, and...I've been playing it since release, and have not been this absorbed in a game in a long time. I keep losing track of time even though it technically uses real time (no clock shows up in-game, and you can change time on your system easily to change the time in-game). I am a lifelong fan of Pokémon and Animal Crossing (I cite those two franchises as the reason I'll always eventually buy Nintendo consoles), and I can already tell I'll easily put in hundreds of hours into this game just because of how versatile the building options are.
And from what I know, most players agree. One of my friends is also playing it, and we just talk about Pokopia every day right now because we're both having a blast just building stuff and decorating. Cozy gamer content shows up on my Youtube feed a lot, and based on thumbnails alone everyone really likes it. Most cozy games are indie projects which often means they can be a bit buggy and unpolished (especially 3D games), so having a AAA-level game for once is really refreshing. It's raising my standards for cozy games a bit, which is probably a good thing. (Actually, I'm now realizing my like for pixel games is because they tend to be more well-polished and are less buggy...)
If anything, your niece and nephew might have trouble sharing it. Thankfully it doesn't have the "shared world" problem that Animal Crossing has where all profiles use the same world, so they won't fight over the builds or progressing the story.
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Comment on Meet the UK's Eurovision entrant: 'The BBC is taking a risk on me' in ~music
CannibalisticApple Link ParentSo that's why the Furby Organ suddenly showed up in my recommendation feed the other day! Was curious why it got a sudden revival years later since I don't watch many similar videos right now.So that's why the Furby Organ suddenly showed up in my recommendation feed the other day! Was curious why it got a sudden revival years later since I don't watch many similar videos right now.
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Comment on Survey reveals almost 50% of California teachers may quit teaching soon in ~life
CannibalisticApple Link ParentTeachers deserve higher pay and more respect than they get. The low salaries are genuinely mind-boggling given how much time and effort it consumes, being a teacher genuinely becomes a part of...Teachers deserve higher pay and more respect than they get. The low salaries are genuinely mind-boggling given how much time and effort it consumes, being a teacher genuinely becomes a part of your identity. Given how infamous the low salary for teachers is, I think teaching is one of the few fields that's sustained by workers being genuinely passionate about the field in some way, or at least when they first start. I can't think of any other careers off the top of my head where people sign up with intentions of hopefully working in this field for the rest of their lives with no expectations of a high salary.
And I think that just really goes to show just how bad the situation really is for so many teachers to be thinking of quitting.
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Comment on Survey reveals almost 50% of California teachers may quit teaching soon in ~life
CannibalisticApple Link ParentWith how infamous the low salary is, many people who get into teaching do so because of passion, not a high paycheck. I considered becoming a teacher myself because my high school made me so...With how infamous the low salary is, many people who get into teaching do so because of passion, not a high paycheck. I considered becoming a teacher myself because my high school made me so passionate about the importance of education, and I wanted to specifically work at that school in some capacity. I've also heard many tales of people leaving more lucrative jobs for teaching because they found the work more fulfilling.
Basically, teaching is one of the few fields where people are (largely) motivated by morale more than money. The job's conditions can vary wildly each year with each batch of students sometimes one or two really bad years can lead to someone quitting. So the fact so many teachers are simultaneously this low in morale is a REALLY bad sign about the current state of education. And possibly society as a whole, since they're the ones who deal directly with the next generations the most.
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Comment on Leon S. Kennedy is a car salesman now in ~games
CannibalisticApple Link ParentI suppose the price tag does seem more affordable for serious luxury watch enthusiasts. I know people in that hobby are willing to pay a lot, but I didn't know how often "ordinary" people (e.g....I suppose the price tag does seem more affordable for serious luxury watch enthusiasts. I know people in that hobby are willing to pay a lot, but I didn't know how often "ordinary" people (e.g. people who don't work in fields or social circles that involve flaunting your status) are willing to pay hefty prices for them. Leon and Grace (particularly Grace) just don't strike me as luxury watch enthusiasts. I feel like both would be willing to buy a nice, practical watch for under $1000. Weirdly, Leon shelling out a ton of money for a Porsche feels less jarring to me than the watch. (Even if he has a bad track record with keeping vehicles intact...)
On further reflection and after reading your comments though, Leon buying a luxury wristwatch does seem a bit less wild. Dude risks his life in his job regularly, treating himself to the occasional very nice and pricey thing makes sense. He does have a very nice and expensive jacket, though that's justified by the practicality of a high-quality jacket that can last decades.
Grace still does not feel like the type to pay over $1500 for a watch though. Heck, she doesn't feel like the type to go for a luxury watch at all unless it was a gift or inherited from her mom.
I do wonder how much these watches would cost in-universe... I suspect the price tag is higher since it's a collaboration.
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Comment on Leon S. Kennedy is a car salesman now in ~games
CannibalisticApple LinkThis part feels like nitpicking to me. I don't know about other law enforcement, but I suspect Leon of all people knows how vital it can be to have both hands free in an emergency. Wristwatches...And the idea that one modern-day law enforcement agent would wear a luxury wristwatch instead of just checking their phone's clock like a normal person is already wild.
This part feels like nitpicking to me. I don't know about other law enforcement, but I suspect Leon of all people knows how vital it can be to have both hands free in an emergency. Wristwatches are definitely more convenient than phones in that regard, you can literally just look at your wrist instead of having to waste precious seconds getting out your phone. Plus don't have to worry about the battery if another zombie apocalypse happens.
Though the writer does have a point about the price of that thing. Converted, Leon's watch would be $2350, which... Wow. Yeah, REALLY weird to wear something that expensive in field work, I can see how that can break immersion for people who know the price tag. Even Grace's is over $1500. Presumably they wouldn't be as expensive in-universe, but neither of them seem like the type to splurge.
The fact Leon can't shoot the Porsche is pretty funny though. I choose to believe he decided to splurge on it as one of his few Very Nice Things during a minor midlife crisis moment, and so of course he won't shoot it and waste all that money!! That, or it belongs to the agency and he doesn't want to deal with the paperwork from shooting his own car. I know some police forces do have Porsches for the sake of high speed pursuits and the like, so it actually isn't too crazy he'd have one.
Actually, it makes a lot of sense for characters to NOT shoot their own cars. Kinda weird anyone would take any sort of risk with their main mode of transportation.
Overall, this post feels very nitpicky about product placement given it's fairly minor in my opinion. There are far more blatant examples out there. In comparison, the Porsche logo and watch are pretty easy to ignore and actually do fit inside the setting. Mostly.
those price tags for the watches definitely don't...Also, after the mention of police Teslas, I now have the cursed mental image of Leon driving a Cybertruck. Imagine him driving it instead of the motorcycle during that one scene. I guess the Beethoven's Nightmare thing could serve as a decent distraction/lure for zombies...
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Comment on Proton Mail helped US FBI unmask anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ protester in ~tech
CannibalisticApple Link ParentI think mail carriers will generally take any envelopes in a mailbox without closely checking it. I once mailed $40 cash to a hobbyist doll maker who didn't have digital payment options. Just put...I think mail carriers will generally take any envelopes in a mailbox without closely checking it. I once mailed $40 cash to a hobbyist doll maker who didn't have digital payment options. Just put it in an envelope with their address in our mailbox. We may have used a stiff envelope or had a letter wrapped around it so it wasn't obviously just cash (this was ten years ago, so can't remember if we did anything special), but in any event, there were no problems.
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Comment on Kristi Noem removed from position as Secretary of US Homeland Security by Donald Trump in ~society
CannibalisticApple Link ParentScrew her experience. I have seen Noem as an even bigger threat than the majority of MAGA after she openly admitted to killing a puppy in her autobiography. Humans have a particularly strong...Screw her experience. I have seen Noem as an even bigger threat than the majority of MAGA after she openly admitted to killing a puppy in her autobiography. Humans have a particularly strong sympathetic response to dogs dying over other animals. There is literally a website dedicated to "does the dog die" because dogs dying in movies for any reason upsets people THAT MUCH.
One of the quickest ways in fiction to establish a villain as having no moral qualms and being irredeemable? Kill a dog for no reason. Heck, Jojo's Bizarre Adventures has so many dogs killed people ask if the creator hates dogs, but no, it's a shortcut to quickly make it clear just how awful the latest villain-of-the-week is.
The fact that admission didn't kill her political career is dumbfounding to me. Her reasons were so callous, there was ZERO justification for murdering that poor puppy. And the fact she doesn't see it as something shameful and to be hidden, that being a dog killer might make her look bad, says everything you need to know about her morals. Namely, that she doesn't have any, and her mind is so twisted she either can't understand that most people would be horrified, or just doesn't care.
I almost wonder if that admission is why they put her in that position. She was quite possibly the most psychopathic option they had, the person most willing to ignore basic morality and human death to accomplish their agenda. And also an easy fall person for when their agenda inevitably went too far.
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Comment on Proton Mail helped US FBI unmask anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ protester in ~tech
CannibalisticApple Link ParentI have no clue how much they track about where each batch of bills go, but bills can travel all over the country thanks to people taking them on trips. If they get cash via cashback at stores, it...I have no clue how much they track about where each batch of bills go, but bills can travel all over the country thanks to people taking them on trips. If they get cash via cashback at stores, it could originate from quite literally anywhere. And extra paranoid people can always make a point to only pick up cash from ATMs far away from their home. I mainly hear about serial numbers being useful in identifying bills from bank heists or other high-stakes crimes like the D.B. Cooper plane hijacking, since they'd KNOW the most recent step of the bill's history was the theft.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
CannibalisticApple LinkI bought Pokopia last night. I like Pokémon. I like Animal Crossing. I am very happy. ...More seriously, I haven't gotten very far yet since I started last night at midnight. Had to restart my...I bought Pokopia last night.
I like Pokémon.
I like Animal Crossing.
I am very happy.
...More seriously, I haven't gotten very far yet since I started last night at midnight. Had to restart my save because I decided I didn't like the name I chose very quickly, and that was a pain since you have to do it from system settings rather than in the game.
Of the bit I've played thus far, I'm enjoying it though! It's definitely a bit handholdy and made to be very accessible to young players with the way they talk sometimes, but not obnoxiously so. It's clear this world had some apocalyptic scenario. You can find old journals and documents from humans that reference weird stuff with the weather, so I'm very curious to learn more about the history. It feels like a bunch of the Pokémon fell through some spacetime wormhole given so far only Professor Tangrowth has any memories. Others talk about being confused on what happened and remember seeing humans very recently.
It's packed with super tiny references to old games, too, like in the background tracks and the message "Now saving... Don't turn off the power" when you save (I don't think the modern games really use that message anymore). Despite that, it thankfully doesn't prioritize Gen 1 or the newest generation like many spin-offs do. I've seen more Gen 1 Pokémon so far, but it feels like there's a fairly even spread of representation overall. So that's fun!
Also, I saw Ho-Oh flying. Gave me flashbacks to Ash in the first episode of the anime.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
CannibalisticApple LinkMore Shiboyugi. And I'm starting to really see how they're cutting corners. There's a lot more of those stylized distant shots, including in a tickling scene where it felt really weird since they...More Shiboyugi. And I'm starting to really see how they're cutting corners. There's a lot more of those stylized distant shots, including in a tickling scene where it felt really weird since they were so out of focus. Lots of close-ups, to the point some shots feel like they have no transitions. There was a close-up of a girl's eye before fluff appeared and she fell, no leadup to show anything else or even really show a change in expression. One scene had a girl point a gun at someone, then the very next shot had her suddenly aiming it at her own head.
The lineless art style is still one of the prettier workarounds I've seen for budget purposes. But I feel like this episode depended on it a lot more than previous ones. One of the weirdest shots was a scene with a detailed close-up of one character, but used the lineless style for another character whispering in her ear. It was weird to see the outline of her lips without them moving directly against a clearly defined character.
That aside, I still really enjoy the oddly serene atmosphere. This episode turned up the dissonance factor a lot. Lots of very pretty-looking scenes centering around a particularly psychotic girl who revels in murder, while acting the picture of serenity herself. Her voice-over was so cheerful sounding... The anime did a good job at clearly showing this woman is very much a monster.
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Comment on Sony pulls back from PlayStation games on PC in ~games
CannibalisticApple Link ParentI think this may be a bigger selling point than people think right now. I remember several major releases in the last few years had great reviews for consoles, but PC gaming was very hit or miss...PC gaming is more convenient than ever, but it will never be as convenient as just going to a store, pick up a console that you know that will run any game that is advertised for it.
I think this may be a bigger selling point than people think right now. I remember several major releases in the last few years had great reviews for consoles, but PC gaming was very hit or miss due to the games being nearly unplayable for many people, even with high end gaming PCs. Part of it is how PC specs can vary so wildly so they can't test for every configuration, while consoles have hard-defined limits that the developers can actively work around. This is doubly true for games initially developed for consoles, as they'll be starting with a fairly high performance and have to find ways to optimize it to run on more PCs. Even with simultaneous releases, I feel like optimization for PC versions just isn't seen as big of a priority.
And with the expected upcoming shortage of RAM, it actually very well may be easier to buy a console and know the games for it will work, rather than struggle to find upgrades for gaming PCs and/or hope your current build is good enough for whatever game you're anticipating. It's a one-time purchase that can last for years of fairly consistent quality in performance.
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Comment on CGA-2026-02 🕹️🚗 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Racing Lagoon in ~games
CannibalisticApple LinkSo I think two, maybe three people played this somewhat fully. The majority of top-level comments are about not being able to play at all for whatever reason, or not getting too far (including...So I think two, maybe three people played this somewhat fully. The majority of top-level comments are about not being able to play at all for whatever reason, or not getting too far (including me). The reasons for not playing seem to involve the complicated setup, and just not being a good time to start the game for varying reasons despite having an interest in it.
Since barely anyone played this, I propose we properly revisit this one in the future. As in, have it be one of the games of the month, ideally paired with a game that's a lot shorter and easier to set up as an alternative option (maybe another racing game). I'd suggested in the nominations thread having some months serve as a chance to revisit games, and while that would probably work best with free reign... well, Racing Lagoon is a big one, and is probably the most neglected game thus far despite multiple people talking about anticipating it.
If we do, maybe we should have it go through the nomination and voting process again as if it was a brand new game. It might be best to do it on the third or fourth round, since by then the club will be a lot more settled and we'll have an idea of how people's schedules look throughout the year. The book club does take December off, after all. With the complicated setup and length, Racing Lagoon should probably be saved for a month that isn't too busy.
(And if we do, perhaps we should post or someone should offer to DM people a link to an already patched version that's already uploaded on the web. Because as I found out during the setup, it turns out the patch's official instructions specifically include a .exe file which only runs natively on Windows, which definitely added an extra layer of complication to the whole thing.)
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Comment on Humble Choice - March 2026 in ~games
CannibalisticApple LinkHave no experience with any of these, but glanced at them and have to say: why does Hard West 2 use images of text for the description what were they thinking wth I thought they took screen caps...Have no experience with any of these, but glanced at them and have to say:
why does Hard West 2 use images of text for the description what were they thinking wth
I thought they took screen caps of the Steam listing, but no, they use the same images on Steam too. I genuinely cannot understand the logic, the text isn't even formatted in any special way from what I see.
I think I know the exact kind of trashy romance fiction you're talking about, since it sounds like a lot of the comic adaptations of Korean romance fantasy web novels I read during the pandemic. For some reason, that genre is just over-saturated with male leads full of endless red flags and scummy behavior. It's especially bad in stories that have time travel involved, and yet the female lead still ends up with the same bad spouse after initially resolving to get away under the thin veil of "misunderstandings in the first life".
This comic panel sums up way too many female leads' mindsets in this genre. Source is "Cheating Men Must Die", a series that's all about hijacking bodies of characters in romance web novels to deal with these exact sort of male leads.
Then there's the alternative trope from that genre: the "perfect savior" who swoops in to save the female lead from an abusive family or spouse, and fixes everything with his massive political (or physical) power and wealth. He gets revenge on all those who wronged her, sometimes giving her the chance to confront them, and basically just worships the ground she walks on.
And... that's it. The guy's whole character and sole motivation revolves around lavishing the abused female lead with love and affection. Sometimes he has a secret dark and murderous side towards those who hurt her, but is still always like a puppy around her.
There's practically nothing in between those two options. You either have a horrible awful asshole, or a one-dimensional savior. Weirdly, the exceptions I can think of are primarily comedies and satires...