Carrow's recent activity
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Comment on 'Stop Killing Games' movement gains momentum: California Assembly passes game protection bill in ~games
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Comment on 'Stop Killing Games' movement gains momentum: California Assembly passes game protection bill in ~games
Carrow Link ParentNo need for hypotheticals, City of Heroes was shut down and folks got permission from the rightsholders to run private servers and continue development some years later. An EverQuest private...No need for hypotheticals, City of Heroes was shut down and folks got permission from the rightsholders to run private servers and continue development some years later. An EverQuest private server also received official approval. There's a lot of MMOs that lost to WoW and perhaps could've still been playable today if they were legally sanctioned.
Mobile games too, Kingdom Hearts has lore content that's inaccessible because of a shutdown. We've also got the stark contrast between how Nintendo handled the shutdown of Dragalia Lost and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. The prior was gacha with a lot of offline, single player, character and story content and was fully shutdown whereas Pocket Camp was transitioned into an offline mode where folks could still access their stuff. I think DL eventually got a private server after the shutdown.
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Comment on Grand Theft Auto VI developers announce Rockstar Games Union in ~games
Carrow LinkPeopleMakeGames did a piece covering the "gross misconduct" firings and they met with the former employees back towards the end of 2025: https://youtu.be/c9nOwjeznjIPeopleMakeGames did a piece covering the "gross misconduct" firings and they met with the former employees back towards the end of 2025:
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Comment on Movie fatigue in ~movies
Carrow LinkTangential: You can find platforms for specific movies and shows by looking it up here https://www.justwatch.com/ They cover more platforms than I'm familiar withTangential:
You can find platforms for specific movies and shows by looking it up here
They cover more platforms than I'm familiar with
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Comment on When did you realize you were different? in ~talk
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Comment on What are your personal crackpot conspiracy theories about the world right now? in ~talk
Carrow LinkThe NFL is 'rigged.' Not in the sense that all players and coaches are fixing games, but through referees and selective rule enforcement. The recent Avatar leak was internally intentional and the...-
The NFL is 'rigged.' Not in the sense that all players and coaches are fixing games, but through referees and selective rule enforcement.
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The recent Avatar leak was internally intentional and the patsy is unrelated or fictional.
I have no solid argument for either. They're inconsequential enough (to me) that I haven't bothered to build a good case or dissuade myself.
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Comment on When did you realize you were different? in ~talk
Carrow Link ParentAs an AMAB child, I didn't really consider gender. Sometimes I'd end up associating with girl things without thinking about it, and then "corrected" and shamed for it. Sometimes I'd see something...- Exemplary
As an AMAB child, I didn't really consider gender. Sometimes I'd end up associating with girl things without thinking about it, and then "corrected" and shamed for it. Sometimes I'd see something like Ash cross-dressing to sneak into Erica's gym and think "I wish I could just go hang out in that nice safe girl space with our plants and plant pokemon." My parents tried to get me into every sport you could think of, but none took, and often I'd be outcasted and bullied by the boys.
When puberty hit, I really didn't vibe with the changes. How many teens do? So I didn't see it as too different yet, but I did grow depressed hand in hand with the changes. I would have thoughts like "am I a girl that likes girls, like a lesbian?" and then feel as though I was being disrespectful or fetishizing and lock it down. Where I was from, attitudes towards queerness were basically "gay is ok, but trans is weird" (quoting my dad, liberal for the area). I had guys I'd talk to at school, but never really friends I'd relate to, spending most my time in video games, until finding queer folk in high school, finally finding friends and community.
As a young adult, I'd pretty well asserted that I wasn't a man nor would ever be one, identifying as non-binary, just "accepting the body I've got," and allowed myself to be gendered as masc. Even when it felt ick to be called sir or mister or wear masc clothing (especially formal wear). Despite my best attempts, my depression persisted.
Mid to late twenties, going off for grad school, things turned into a wreck. I'd wanted to teach. I'd even had thoughts of how neat it would be if I could be transfemme representation in my overwhelmingly masc field... Without going into detail, the school was a bad fit for someone like me, as were the established folks in my niche. I fell into alcoholism. My dysphoria worsened. I'd feel strongly that testosterone was a poison in my veins. I still wasn't getting it, but I was able to kick the alcoholism and improve my depression between reconnecting with old, true friends and ketamine treatments.
One day years later, someone on Tildes shared a link to genderdysphoria.fyi and I'd decided to open it up and start reading. I don't know what I expected, I felt I'd understood what trans folk had communicated about dysphoria. Reading the site was hard at times, I'd have to put it down and come back later. And the more I read, the more I related. During this time, I'd started up a new RPG, pulled up the character creator, was faced with "body type 1/2" and said to myself "of course I want to be a lady, why would I pass up any opportunity to be one?" And then went OHHHHHH, fuck.
That was 7ish months ago, I started transitioning shortly after, and I'm happy. Scared and angry about how politicized my existence is in my country. But happy.
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Comment on Patagonia sues drag queen Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement in ~lgbt
Carrow LinkI was not very popular with my friends yesterday for explaining trademark law and referencing the suit itself (source: Reuters) instead of just saying Fuck Patagonia. I don't like being angry....I was not very popular with my friends yesterday for explaining trademark law and referencing the suit itself (source: Reuters) instead of just saying Fuck Patagonia.
I don't like being angry. Understanding US trademark law makes me less angry about these cases. Though more tired.
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Comment on Valve raises Steam Deck OLED prices by up to $300 in ~games
Carrow Link ParentTaking the ROG Ally/Ally X as an example, seems like there are several variations on sale within 600-1000 with specs that seem to be comparable or better than the deck. I imagine you're right...Taking the ROG Ally/Ally X as an example, seems like there are several variations on sale within 600-1000 with specs that seem to be comparable or better than the deck. I imagine you're right about them shooting up as back stock clears/catch wind of deck price increases.
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Comment on Valve raises Steam Deck OLED prices by up to $300 in ~games
Carrow LinkI'm not sure how they compare to other handhelds now, but idk if I can recommend a Steam Deck any more despite really loving mine. Folks with decks collecting dust can probably recoup their cost...The 512GB OLED model increased from $549 to $789. The 1TB OLED model increased from $649 to $949.
The older 256GB LCD model is no longer in production, leaving OLED as Valve’s current handheld option through the Steam store.
I'm not sure how they compare to other handhelds now, but idk if I can recommend a Steam Deck any more despite really loving mine. Folks with decks collecting dust can probably recoup their cost though.
This makes me concerned the second coming of the Steam Machine will end up dead in the water again due to pricing. The first time, they were priced like prebuilts and outsourced to other companies but ran with Linux, and Proton wasn't nearly as good yet. So your target demographic didn't really exist, folks that were willing to use Linux would've rather built their own for what 1/2 the price. This attempt was setup well now that Proton is good enough that a Steam Machine could serve the common consumer and they've had their own successful hardware products, but seems data centers may out price what most folks can justify.
Fuck AI, and mass crypto mining before that, they're ruining my hobby (not just gaming but computer hardware).
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Valve raises Steam Deck OLED prices by up to $300
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Comment on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past announced in ~games
Carrow (edited )Link ParentBased on the context, my impression is "supported" means "tested and will provide bug fixes for." Hopefully it doesn't mean they'll put in a linux-breaking game launcher... If I had a dollar for...Based on the context, my impression is "supported" means "tested and will provide bug fixes for." Hopefully it doesn't mean they'll put in a linux-breaking game launcher... If I had a dollar for every game that felt the need to do that over ten years after release, well, I wouldn't have no dollars.
Edit: GOG also allows you to download older versions, looks like they're keeping an older version release channel as a Steam "beta". So at least it shouldn't break anything already owned, though no clue what version their beta channel "classic" from Steam is on. (SoL on EGS)
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Comment on Waymo pauses Atlanta service as its robotaxis keep driving into floods in ~transport
Carrow Link ParentAh our work is almost the total opposite of a robotaxi, we collect it from a flight and process that. Not real-time or solely machine analyzed. Void would be wherever there is open air, so going...Ah our work is almost the total opposite of a robotaxi, we collect it from a flight and process that. Not real-time or solely machine analyzed. Void would be wherever there is open air, so going towards flooding, it would look like a cliff in lidar. Even under less severe flooding, it sounds like they're still panicking after "driving off the cliff". I don't think it'd happen often during normal trips, probably why Waymo didn't already have a solution prepared (other than the total lack of regard for safety).
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Comment on Waymo pauses Atlanta service as its robotaxis keep driving into floods in ~transport
Carrow Link ParentBodies of water absorb LiDAR, so no light back to the sensor and it will just report a void there. Sometimes you'll get the odd return, particularly on the ground under the water for shallow...Bodies of water absorb LiDAR, so no light back to the sensor and it will just report a void there. Sometimes you'll get the odd return, particularly on the ground under the water for shallow water. I see it pretty often in my daily work. You'll need something else to sense it.
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Comment on What's your favorite personal gaming memory? in ~games
Carrow LinkA recent one that really stuck was the wrap up of Tears of the Kingdom. A journey dozens of hours long, the musical score so artfully composed and delivered, even working in the UI for completing...A recent one that really stuck was the wrap up of Tears of the Kingdom. A journey dozens of hours long, the musical score so artfully composed and delivered, even working in the UI for completing that quest that'd been in your log the entire game, to save Zelda. I felt elated as I finally did so. I'd planned on going back and doing more stuff after, but I just couldn't.
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Comment on Grief and guilt in ~life.pets
Carrow LinkI'm going through the same thing. We let go of my lil buddy Monday. Batman was the first guy that was ours. He was about 17, dude had an insane constitution, oh the stories I could tell. We got...I'm going through the same thing. We let go of my lil buddy Monday. Batman was the first guy that was ours. He was about 17, dude had an insane constitution, oh the stories I could tell. We got Robin second but she was the first of ours to pass, a couple years ago now, somewhat suddenly. She had neurological problems, but an event during Thanksgiving was when she departed.
Batman got the best final day we could muster, chicken nuggets included. The weather was nice. He liked flashy anime with big swords.
Such a mix of grief and guilt, I'm not OK either, collapsing sobbing several times a day. Thing is, you feel guilty for doing it, but you'd also feel guilty for waiting too long. I don't think there's any "beating" the guilt when you're responsible for them, I hope processing the grief helps you move through it. We gave him the best life we could, I'm sure you did the same for Willow.
I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope it feels a little less lonely hearing someone else going through it too. It isn't fair, it fucking sucks.
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Comment on Updates to store tags: additions, removals, and edits in ~games
Carrow Link ParentThere was a time Valve was going to push harder into the full media solution, around when M$ wanted the Xbox One to be your full HTPC solution and they were tossing around the first Steam...Then some actual documentary films on Steam for some reason
There was a time Valve was going to push harder into the full media solution, around when M$ wanted the Xbox One to be your full HTPC solution and they were tossing around the first Steam Machines. I forget when tags happened relative to that, a bit after I think, but makes sense to me they'd have started with "list of genres" from a bunch of media to start.
Funny enough Yakuza did get a series adaptation, with its primary genre as 'crime drama.'
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Comment on Lifetime Plex Pass will cost $750 USD after July 1st in ~tv
Carrow Link ParentIt basically Netflix-ifies your media, streaming it from your server to the player app, providing metadata, posters, watched status, etc. It can also transcode on the fly and provide remote...It basically Netflix-ifies your media, streaming it from your server to the player app, providing metadata, posters, watched status, etc. It can also transcode on the fly and provide remote access. They lock basic functionality behind the Pass, moving more behind it each year while hiking the price of the Pass. They also try to push their free, ad-riddled content in front of your own.
The Netflix like interface with a native smart TV app was how I got my partner onboard for using my server to begin with.
My advice -- stay away, you've got a solution your family is already using after all. But look into Jellyfin instead if the features interest you. It's FOSS so no pay walling of basic features and folks are free to fork the code and write clients for any device. While it lacks some functionality compared to paid Plex, it also has a plugin system for extra features. Like Plex Pass has intro skip, Jellyfin has a plugin for it.
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Comment on List of environmental websites and YouTube channels to watch? in ~enviro
Carrow LinkTechnology Connections covers some environmental topics, mostly in relation to some sort of technology, such as solar panels, EVs and hybrid cars, and appliance efficiency. His videos often get...Technology Connections covers some environmental topics, mostly in relation to some sort of technology, such as solar panels, EVs and hybrid cars, and appliance efficiency. His videos often get posted here.
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My week with a BC-250, or how I made a gaming HTPC with a chopped PS5
I caught wind of the BC-250 after the Linux on PS5 post where @moocow1452 posted about them and shared a link. The BC-250 is an APU cut down from PS5s that didn't pass Sony QC, they were...
I caught wind of the BC-250 after the Linux on PS5 post where @moocow1452 posted about them and shared a link. The BC-250 is an APU cut down from PS5s that didn't pass Sony QC, they were originally slated for waste but largely got picked up by crypto miners. I hadn't got myself anything for my birthday or promotion, so when I found a deal, I grabbed it for the HTPC I'd wanted but couldn't justify. (Long post, tl;dr at end)
Specs:
6-core AMD Zen 2, stock clock 3.5GHz
AMD custom GPU, stock clock 1.5GHz*
16GB unified GDDR6 RAM+VRAM
M.2 2280 slot
*Stock lock is weird and limited, will discussI'm not sure exactly when they got proper Linux support or folks started using them for gaming but I'm definitely behind the curve. You used to be able to get them <$100 but now they seem to be going for $180. I found a "pre build" for $275 shipped that had it ready to go, including a case, cooling, PSU, 256GB SSD, and unlocked BIOS... this isn't too far from what I would've totalled had I gotten the board for ~$80, and saved me some headaches. While the seller pre installed Bazzite, no way was I trusting the OS installed by a random eBay seller.
So what's it take to make one of these usable, what trouble did the seller save me? Let's start with the BIOS -- this needs to be unlocked by flashing though I'm not totally sure if it's required to use it at all but at the very least it unlocks the dynamic 512mb VRAM. 16GB total is kinda limiting today and the default split is 8/8 RAM/VRAM -- a static split isn't exactly ideal -- depending on your game, you could easily be maxing out one with unused of the other. The dynamic 512 reserves only 512mb for the GPU alone and allows the rest to be properly split as needed (mostly, there's still technically a VRAM cap that can be raised with kernel parameters).
OK next saved headache was the cooling. See, these were built as server units with fans set to blow air through them. The heat sink fins are closed off on the top. One can print a sleeve to have a standard fan push air through, but opening the fins up and letting the fan push air through from the middle is more effective, more like your typical consumer GPU. Seller did a messy job, but it is opened in the middle. Some folks use 2 fans and fully open the fins for a cooler/quieter build.
The final headache was minor but they saved me from sorting out the PSU and power button. Since the board is powered just by 8 pin PCIE, for this PSU, two pins on another header need to be shorted to stay powered on, seller already had this in place. Seller also soldered power and reset buttons to the board.
So with the hardware sorted, what does the software end look like? While it can technically run Windows, but it does not and will not have GPU drivers -- though folks have added external GPUs. The main 2 OS options folks recommend are Bazzite and CachyOS. Folks say Cachy is better but benchmarks I saw weren't that compelling, I already use Bazzite and it seemed to have less extra steps so I went with that, standard installation process went smooth and it was basically ready to go from there... So why am I futzing around so much?
Well, the dynamic VRAM can collide with the default ZRAM swap, causing crashes and other errors. So I went through disabling that, enabling ZSWAP, then tweaking config and kernel parameters according to community info. So part of my futzing was comparing speed and stability with the various RAM settings and swaps.
So the next futzing was the GPU clock. The stock is locked at 1.5GHz over 920mV always no matter if load is high or low, but PS5 runs em around 2.3GHz and higher volts. There's a community governor that can decrease volts/clocks under light load and unlock the stock. Folks easily get 2.0GHz at 1000mV but some push 2200+ at 1150. So testing with that was more futzing around, playing in Expedition 33 for half an hour to see if settings were stable. I found the defaults to be fairly aggressive, causing artifacts and crashing. I disabled all their default points over 920mV, set one at 2.0/1000, and called it a day. Didn't feel like trying to squeeze out another 100MHz. Also boosted the bottom 700mV point up by 20 since I saw some graphical artifacts at low loads and that cleaned those up. (<700 locks it right back to stock parameters so that's the effective minimum)
Next up is the CPU, stock has it at 3.5GHz at 1180mV. Folks have been able to get the same clock down to 1000mV, some mad lads pushing 4.1GHz and like 1.3V. There's another community tool for helping with this where you punch in a target clock, voltage, and temp, then it tests it out. I haven't settled this one out, I may go for a bit of an under volt to help keep it quieter/cooler since it's an HTPC, or may just leave it at stock. Folks also recommend disabling mitigations for Spectre/Meltdown as it significantly slows the CPU and you're fairly unlikely to need it for a DIY Steam Machine.
So I was stumbling through this following the community wiki, it had some good and useful info, but it didn't seem entirely consistent and sometimes was just wrong. Turns out, it's an AI compilation of community info. I'd have saved myself a ton of trouble if I'd found this repo and followed their instructions as that's what I eventually found worked best.
Expedition 33 was my main real world benchmark tool. With FSR+LSFG on medium, I was hitting 1440p@90fps, 1080p@45fps without. The site compares it to a 3060, I thought that was mine until I double checked and have a 3070. It does E33 with DLSS+LSFG at 1440p@120fps cap on medium, or 1080p@60-70fps without either. So while the .info site seems to accurately describe the GPU as similar to a 3060, their benchmarks seem to include scaling and/or frame gen based on my limited testing. However, E33 still looked bad and off compared to my Nvidia at the same settings. After a day of fiddling, I looked it up and turns out, E33 specifically looks worse on AMD.
As for HTPC apps, Jellyfin flatpak works great. Official Plex apps are deprecated, both flatpak and snap, they run terribly. Girens (unofficial Plex client flatpak) seems to work well, but requires a mouse and sub menus don't work in big picture. I plan on using a PS4 controller (touchpad works as trackpad) for the time being so this isn't too big a deal, but it's definitely less polished than the Plex smart TV app. VLC with the network drive mapped so we can play direct from file as back-up. And finally VacuumTube for YT smart TV interface with ad blocking. Hardware encoding/decoding does not work and will not so it's all done by the CPU, but it was enough for my high bitrate 4k HEVC decoding test.
It doesn't have proper sleep states. Can't wake from USB/LAN, power button only, and doesn't actually sleep CPU/GPU so it doesn't really save power in sleep. Shutdown/cold boot is inconvenient for a daily use HTPC. Estimated 60W at idle, about $6 a month left on 24/7 for us, perhaps an extra $50/yr compared to a box with proper sleep. However, most it can pull under load is 235W, less than a typical gaming PC. Not enough to realistically break even versus a gaming PC with proper sleep though, so it's probably an expense worth considering in comparison shopping for a similar usage.
Final Verdict: do I recommend it? Honestly, if you're getting bare board for $180, maybe not, but also depends on who I'm recommending to. I seen someone on the discord selling them for $150, others may be selling too, perhaps prebuilts even. Between case, fan, PSU, and SSD you're ending up closer to $400 for a running build -- and that's before wifi/Bluetooth/controller if you don't have extras of those already. At that rate, you may be better off getting a mini PC + eGPU dock + older graphics card, but I'd need to shop around to see how their price:performance ratio compares. On top of that, you'll likely need to do the trouble the seller saved me. Getting the software going is fairly simple nowadays though, so long as you have the foreknowledge to just use NexGen's repo. If you're curious, do some comparison shopping between what you find for these versus a mini PC + eGPU setup. Don't forget to consider the cost of the BC250's idle draw if you don't want to cold boot each day/use. I wanted a machine that could be a media client, do some modest gaming, and to experiment with AMD and unified V/RAM. I ended up with one that can do that and some AA/A, so I'm satisfied, despite the quirks.
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Yeah, it comes out of Japan having more strict (and clear) laws regarding IP favoring corporations more, one aspect of which is no fair-use. Fans have few rights with regard to inspired works, so they do their best to stay small and cooperate in order not to draw the ire of rights-holders. Recreations tread that ground and threaten the current body of fan works that have been allowed to exist. Whereas the US has a more adversarial system encouraged by fair-use and less definitive law.
So I think it's not so much that folks in Japan are less appreciative of game restoration... but more interested in staying inside the lines so that the current fan communities don't get sued out of existence because someone halfway around the world outside that community wanted to play a game. I don't like it, but I get it. If recreations were somehow done with permission, I bet they'd be celebrated.