Crespyl's recent activity
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Comment on Spotify is no longer just a streaming app, it’s a social network in ~tech
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Comment on Steam - Game Recording Beta - A new built-in system for creating and sharing your gameplay footage in ~games
Crespyl Link ParentIIUC, the way the game integration works is just that the games will automatically attach timestamped markers to the recording, not that they will create distinct clips. After the game has ended,...IIUC, the way the game integration works is just that the games will automatically attach timestamped markers to the recording, not that they will create distinct clips. After the game has ended, the user goes back into the review/clip editor tool and can jump around to those markers to clip what they actually want to separate out.
The user can also manually create those markers with a hotkey, although when I tried it out it didn't seem to show the markers in the editor.
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Comment on Inside Netflix’s bet on advanced video encoding in ~movies
Crespyl Link ParentIt used to be possible to get Netflix to send up to 1080p to Firefox, even on Linux, by "asking the server nicely" with an addon that would modify the player JS to add 1080p as a supported profile...It used to be possible to get Netflix to send up to 1080p to Firefox, even on Linux, by "asking the server nicely" with an addon that would modify the player JS to add 1080p as a supported profile for the device type. The addon I used to use is here: https://github.com/TheGoddessInari/netflix-1080p-firefox, not sure if it still works, there's a handful of other forks and different implementations of the same idea.
This link should still go to their streaming test video that will display a bunch of information about the streaming parameters, which is handy for debugging.
Agreed about the other frustrations, it's not a great experience to have to keep debugging why resolution or audio aren't working right. I had similar problems with Prime Video, but without any (known) addons to fix the streaming resolution. In that case I've just resorted to piracy in a handful of cases.
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Comment on The quick trick for softening canned chickpeas for silky-smooth hummus, stews, and more in ~food
Crespyl LinkSomewhat relatedly, I recently learned of a fun way to make use of the liquid that canned chickpeas come in: meringues! The liquid (also called aquafaba) can be whipped up with a bit of cream of...Somewhat relatedly, I recently learned of a fun way to make use of the liquid that canned chickpeas come in: meringues! The liquid (also called aquafaba) can be whipped up with a bit of cream of tartar and sugar to make a nice fluffy foam that makes for really nice egg-free meringues.
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Comment on Recommendations for less mass-produced and more artistic tv in ~tv
Crespyl LinkI recently watched the western animated show Scavengers Reign (on Max, now on Netflix IIRC) and found it quite good. A slow burn, quiet exploration of an alien world and the characters stranded...I recently watched the western animated show Scavengers Reign (on Max, now on Netflix IIRC) and found it quite good.
A slow burn, quiet exploration of an alien world and the characters stranded there, it does a good job of letting the story speak for itself and trusting the audience to piece together what's going on. Episodes are about 20-30 minutes each.
I also recently enjoyed "Fired on Mars" (also on Max), a funnier and more cynical story about a guy working for a big tech-bro company on Mars who is abruptly made redundant and has to figure out what to do with himself.
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Comment on Co-op game recommendations in ~games
Crespyl LinkThe "We Were Here" series on Steam is a set of coop puzzle games for two players. There's four games out, and IIRC another in the works, each one is more polished and ambitious than the last. "We...The "We Were Here" series on Steam is a set of coop puzzle games for two players. There's four games out, and IIRC another in the works, each one is more polished and ambitious than the last. "We Were Here", "We Were Here Too", "We Were Here Together", and "We Were Here Forever" are the four available now.
I've played the first three with my brother, and had a great time, and we're trying to make time for the fourth.
Each one typically splits the players into separate areas, so you're each seeing different information and have to share observations and communicate closely to solve the puzzles.
Highly recommended.
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Comment on 4d Miner: 4th dimension Minecraft in ~games
Crespyl LinkReminds me a bit of Adanaxis an old freeware game about dogfighting spacecraft in four dimensions.Reminds me a bit of Adanaxis an old freeware game about dogfighting spacecraft in four dimensions.
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Comment on Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | Title announcement in ~movies
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Comment on The 100 games that taught me game design in ~games
Crespyl Link ParentI think the Steam version is the open source build, just with some of the original voiceovers and music added back in. I haven't seen any discussion of it, but I imagine it might be possible to...I think the Steam version is the open source build, just with some of the original voiceovers and music added back in.
I haven't seen any discussion of it, but I imagine it might be possible to grab the assets from the Steam version and plug them into the Linux version, but it's not something I've looked into at all yet.
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Comment on The 100 games that taught me game design in ~games
Crespyl Link ParentStar Control II is available as a free/open-source project called "The Ur-Quan Masters" these days. I never played it for the multiplayer, but the single-player is almost a kind of proto-Mass...Star Control II is available as a free/open-source project called "The Ur-Quan Masters" these days.
I never played it for the multiplayer, but the single-player is almost a kind of proto-Mass Effect style space opera. There's a large world to explore, with lots of things to find, and importantly there's a ticking clock on some key story events such that the narrative doesn't just revolve around the player. The villans aren't just waiting for you to trigger their quest, they're going to keep doing their own thing unless you get busy stopping them quickly.
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Comment on Why these giant oak barrels are the key to making some of the world's most expensive wine in ~food
Crespyl Link ParentMight "capillaries" be the word you're looking for? I'm pretty sure xylem is the specific word for the tubes themselves, and "capillary action" is what drives fluid through them, but I seem to...Might "capillaries" be the word you're looking for?
I'm pretty sure xylem is the specific word for the tubes themselves, and "capillary action" is what drives fluid through them, but I seem to recall hearing them called "capillary tubes" when I was a kid.
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Comment on Valve's next game may have just leaked / Deadlock appears to be a multiplayer hero shooter that combines elements of Overwatch, Valorant, and Dota 2 in ~games
Crespyl Link ParentCan I ask where you got that information? I missed it if it was in the article. It'd make sense, given the lanes and last-hits references, and would definitely keep my interest.Can I ask where you got that information? I missed it if it was in the article.
It'd make sense, given the lanes and last-hits references, and would definitely keep my interest.
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Comment on Valve's next game may have just leaked / Deadlock appears to be a multiplayer hero shooter that combines elements of Overwatch, Valorant, and Dota 2 in ~games
Crespyl LinkThe fact that the screenshots reference "lanes" and "last hits" makes me wonder if they intend to incorporate some Dota-esque lane-pushing/creep mechanics, which could add an interesting larger...The fact that the screenshots reference "lanes" and "last hits" makes me wonder if they intend to incorporate some Dota-esque lane-pushing/creep mechanics, which could add an interesting larger sense of scale compared to the familiar TF2 or OW team shooters.
I'm someone who plays/played a lot of Dota but never really got into online FPS games. If the lane structure comes with a bigger map and more strategic flow, I might have to give it a try.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin in ~books
Crespyl Link ParentI think without Shevek's effort to tear down the wall between Anarres and the rest of the world, it would have been a story about how this "ambiguous utopia" becomes more ambiguous and less...I think without Shevek's effort to tear down the wall between Anarres and the rest of the world, it would have been a story about how this "ambiguous utopia" becomes more ambiguous and less utopia, contracting inward and becoming calcified by it's growing implicit bureaucracy (Sabul, the PDC) and hostility to revolutionary ideas (Shevek's playwright friend who went/was pressured into the asylum).
Instead, his choice to leave and then return drives home the theme of "permanent revolution" by demonstrating the importance of continuing to exchange ideas, continuing to test your foundations and convictions, to trust their strength as enough to withstand the world outside the utopian cloister.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin in ~books
Crespyl Link ParentI thought the use of a conlang in Pravic was interesting as well. Today, to my understanding, Sapir-Whorf/lingustic relativity is considered largely discredited (at least in the strong form) but...I thought the use of a conlang in Pravic was interesting as well. Today, to my understanding, Sapir-Whorf/lingustic relativity is considered largely discredited (at least in the strong form) but it remains interesting. I do think that even within an existing language, choosing to use specific phrasing can influence how we approach a problem, to cool a heated argument, or to gently express a conflict without offending.
There's an interesting contrast between Pravic and Orwell's Newspeak, 25 years prior. Pravic is constructed and adopted communally from whole cloth, while (IIRC, it's been ages since I read it) Newspeak was something of a butchery of an existing language.
Pravic by design must be flexible enough to support the "permanent revolution" and shifting ideas, while Newspeak is all about limiting the ability to communicate/think complex ideas or dissent.
I loved the use of a single word for "work" and "play", it's a refreshing reminder of what our work can or should be like, the idea that the human spirit naturally desires to exert itself in a meaningful way.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Crespyl Link ParentI've also been digging further into Animal Well, really enjoying it. I've just gotten to 32 eggs, not sure if I'll go for all 64, but I'll definitely poke around a bit more with the newest rewards...I've also been digging further into Animal Well, really enjoying it. I've just gotten to 32 eggs, not sure if I'll go for all 64, but I'll definitely poke around a bit more with the newest rewards and items I've found.
I kind of disagree with the Outer Wilds comparison (though a lot of people have been making it), AW is much more explicitly gated by having the right items, and there's not really any narrative outside of some hints and design elements that you can try to interpret.
That said, the creativity and sense of discovery when you realize the clever ways you can use the items you get does remind me of the way I felt playing OW or The Witness for the first time.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - How is it going with The Dispossessed? in ~books
Crespyl LinkI finished it sometime last week. Definitely enjoyed it, although I had to take a bit of a breather after some of the events about halfway through. My copy also has two chapters that are in all...I finished it sometime last week. Definitely enjoyed it, although I had to take a bit of a breather after some of the events about halfway through. My copy also has two chapters that are in all caps for no obvious reason that I took my time getting through. I don't like it when my book is shouting at me.
I'm interested to see what everyone thinks of it!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Crespyl LinkAnimal Well released today, and it's pretty great so far, a few hours in. It's sort of a mix between a metroidvania and a puzzle platformer, and it feels like there's layers of things to uncover....Animal Well released today, and it's pretty great so far, a few hours in.
It's sort of a mix between a metroidvania and a puzzle platformer, and it feels like there's layers of things to uncover. I've collected two macguffins out of three (maybe four?), and I'm loving the items and the creative ways you can use them.
Spoilers for an item
I just accidentally discovered that the disc/frisbee can be ridden on, and I'm only just now beginning to think of places to apply that. And that's on top of what you can do with the bubble wand.It really feels like one of those games that rewards curiosity and exploration, in a way that reminds me a little of Rain World. I highly recommend trying to avoid spoilers, it's definitely the kind of game you want to go in blind if possible.
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Comment on Leslie Fish - Carmen Miranda's Ghost (1989) in ~music
Crespyl LinkI recently came across Vixy and Tony's cover of Dawson's Christian and have been on a "space shanty" kick since then. Carmen Miranda's Ghost is an album by Leslie Fish (and some from Vic Tyler)...I recently came across Vixy and Tony's cover of Dawson's Christian and have been on a "space shanty" kick since then.
Carmen Miranda's Ghost is an album by Leslie Fish (and some from Vic Tyler) featuring a number of such space shanty "filk" songs.
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Leslie Fish - Carmen Miranda's Ghost (1989)
3 votes
My dad used to have Rhapsody upwards of a decade ago. It was pretty decent for its time, before streaming was really a thing. Changing the name to Napster of all things is hilarious to me.