EsteeBestee's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on iPhone 17, 17 Pro and Air announced in ~tech
EsteeBestee Link ParentIt’s insane how few choices there are for smaller phones. When I got my iPhone 15, it was begrudgingly after doing a ton of research and finding out that it was basically the smallest phone I...It’s insane how few choices there are for smaller phones. When I got my iPhone 15, it was begrudgingly after doing a ton of research and finding out that it was basically the smallest phone I could get that supports 5g and has USB-C and a half decent camera. The only other choice was the Zenfone 10, which is only marginally smaller and is a markedly worse phone. Despite me getting my 15 early last year, I almost wish I had bought the iPhone 13 mini anyways, but too late now. I think I’ll stay on this one until it literally no longer functions, but if apple made another mini, I would buy it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI’m still going on Donkey Kong: Bananza and it’s absolutely fantastic. I love that I don’t have to worry about achievements, missions, or anything. I smash as much or as little as I want, but most...I’m still going on Donkey Kong: Bananza and it’s absolutely fantastic. I love that I don’t have to worry about achievements, missions, or anything. I smash as much or as little as I want, but most of the bananas are genuinely fun to find, especially the challenge rooms (I forget what they’re actually called). That said… I think something with the game is a migraine trigger for me. I suspect it’s the switch 2’s HDR, as I’ve heard it isn’t the best or is overly bright. I might try turning off HDR the next time I play.
The Battle on the Bricks in iRacing did not go how my team expected. We fielded two Ferrari 499P GTP cars and neither finished. In both cars, we crashed from the lead in separate splits… I’m slightly disappointed since usually I’m one of the slower drivers on my team, but I was the fastest car on track this time and my teammate usually doesn’t make mistakes like crashing from the lead. Oh well, on to the next one. I used to get super beat up over bad results, but after getting an endurance win and a handful of podiums in the last couple years, the monkey is off my back and it’s easier to shrug off a bad one.
I briefly played Hollow Knight last week as I’ve never beaten it, but despite how much I generally love metroidvanias, it was just not clicking with me. I’m sure I’ll eventually beat it and get Silksong, but apparently not this week. I’m tentatively waiting to see if Borderlands 4 is good anyways, so fingers crossed for that.
Tokyo Extreme Racer also finally got a 1.0 release date of later this month and HONDA IS COMING!!! I’ve been vibing in the game a bit last week, so it couldn’t have been better timing.
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Comment on What is a business/org that is great and ethical in so many aspects that everyone should consider using? in ~life
EsteeBestee Link ParentI just started buying their soap bars on a whim as I wanted something that felt less "greasy" than olay, dove, etc. and something that smelled and felt a bit better. I've been loving theirs and...I just started buying their soap bars on a whim as I wanted something that felt less "greasy" than olay, dove, etc. and something that smelled and felt a bit better. I've been loving theirs and now I'm glad to know that they're ethical, too!
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Comment on What is a business/org that's so terrible no one should use if possible? in ~life
EsteeBestee Link ParentYeah, where I am, at least, it's currently free to use their modem/router combo and they charge you extra if you want to use your own. It's actually ridiculous, but I paid for it because I didn't...Yeah, where I am, at least, it's currently free to use their modem/router combo and they charge you extra if you want to use your own. It's actually ridiculous, but I paid for it because I didn't want their equipment in my home, not that they wouldn't have other ways to spy on my traffic if they wanted to.
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Comment on What is a business/org that's so terrible no one should use if possible? in ~life
EsteeBestee (edited )Link ParentI recently ended my service with them. I called to cancel about a month before I was moving just so I'd have all my ducks in a row when I closed on my house. They took the opportunity to charge me...I recently ended my service with them. I called to cancel about a month before I was moving just so I'd have all my ducks in a row when I closed on my house. They took the opportunity to charge me an extra $14 on my last bill just because. This is after they already charged me $30 extra a month while on their service for the privilege of me using my own modem and router instead of their bullshit. Never again, fuck those guys.
Edit: I think the $30 a month was a surcharge to not have a data cap while using your own modem. If you use their modem, you bypass the data cap for free. But I paid it because I was frequently over the data cap and they charge you an arm and a leg for going over.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI had a busy week with moving, so I wanted to play something that was just dumb fun without needing to fiddle with anything or think too much. I picked up Donkey Kong: Bananza and it’s the exact...I had a busy week with moving, so I wanted to play something that was just dumb fun without needing to fiddle with anything or think too much. I picked up Donkey Kong: Bananza and it’s the exact vibe I wanted! The game is just so much pure fun. I was just punching things all weekend and I’m having a great time. I just got to the forest world. Oooooh, Banana!
I’m also practicing for the 6 hours of Indianapolis in iRacing this weekend. My team usually runs the Porsche 963, but we’re trying the Ferrari 499P this time around. It drives completely differently and is definitely harder, but it’s a very rewarding car. I’m looking forward to the race!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
EsteeBestee LinkI read The Bones of Birka. It's a history of the Birka grave Bj 581, which is a grave in Sweden that was first discovered in 1878 and assumed to be a high status male warrior until somewhat...I read The Bones of Birka. It's a history of the Birka grave Bj 581, which is a grave in Sweden that was first discovered in 1878 and assumed to be a high status male warrior until somewhat recently, where the remains were instead discovered to be that of a woman. I did actually already know a fair bit about the site itself and the recent findings, but I lacked some of the historical knowledge of the site and the methodology of uncovering a grave like this and how the knowledge of the person within can evolve over 150 years. It's a short and informative read if you want an interesting subject to learn about for an afternoon or two.
Interestingly, the author, C. M. Surrisi, notes in the acknowledgements that she was inspired to write this book after attending a lecture given by Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson and Neil Price in 2019 at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis... I was actually at that very same lecture! At the time, I was in a viking reenactment group and we were booked as entertainment for the night. The institute had an exhibit with a bunch of historical artifacts, then there was the lecture, then our group was telling stories and talking about lifestyle, and there was some other stuff going on. I actually entirely forgot that I attended that lecture and performed there until I picked this book up, so there's a chance the author might have heard me telling stories as well, ha.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
EsteeBestee Link ParentYeah, it’s impossible to know what life holds in 5 or 10 years, but I’m hoping that I’m happy with the place and have no desire to move. I’d love to have this paid off before I retire and be able...Yeah, it’s impossible to know what life holds in 5 or 10 years, but I’m hoping that I’m happy with the place and have no desire to move. I’d love to have this paid off before I retire and be able to perhaps retire early. I’m in my early 30’s and the thought of working for another 30 years is terrifying, so I’m hoping I can make it 20 instead.
That said, who knows if I find an SO and need a bigger place, if I need to relocate, or if other life stuff happens. For now I’ll just enjoy what I have and not worry too much about the far future until later.
The first order of business is tearing down my Impreza to fix all the issues with it now that I have a place where I can just have a car on jack stands for weeks and pick away at it.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
EsteeBestee Link ParentGood luck on the job search. I was hoping tech would rebound after all the layoffs and cuts over the last few years, but afaik it’s still a bit rough out there :( Have fun on your walk!Good luck on the job search. I was hoping tech would rebound after all the layoffs and cuts over the last few years, but afaik it’s still a bit rough out there :(
Have fun on your walk!
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
EsteeBestee Link ParentWell, no matter which plans you decide on, I hope you have a pleasant weekend! You’re reminding me that I need to dip my toes into photography a bit more than I’ve been doing lately. I got a new...Well, no matter which plans you decide on, I hope you have a pleasant weekend! You’re reminding me that I need to dip my toes into photography a bit more than I’ve been doing lately. I got a new camera last year and while I’ve had a few outings, I haven’t been the shutterbug that I was leading up to buying that, so maybe I’ll have to look out for photography events in my area, as well!
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
EsteeBestee LinkWell… I close on my house in 3.5 hours!!! I’ve been dreaming of home ownership for 10 years and I never thought I’d get here! I was extremely fortunate to fall into an excellent job that allowed...Well… I close on my house in 3.5 hours!!! I’ve been dreaming of home ownership for 10 years and I never thought I’d get here! I was extremely fortunate to fall into an excellent job that allowed me to climb up and I’m finally in a place where I can own a home. The house is functional, updated, cute, has an excellent garage (I’m an auto mechanic in my spare time), and is in a great neighborhood. It really ended up being perfect after I had two other offers rejected.
So yeah, I’ll be spending all this weekend moving. I elected to end my rental lease on August 31 so that I don’t pay any housing in September (first loan payment on the house is Oct). So I’m spending today moving over my valuables, electronics, essentials, bed, and the cats, and then movers are getting the rest tomorrow. It will take me a while to unpack and organize, of course, but the space should be livable tonight or tomorrow. I took next week off from work so that I can take my time settling in and getting used to home ownership.
So I’m sure I’ll be pretty exhausted come Monday, but this might be the best weekend of my life. I’m still trying to not count my chickens since I technically haven’t closed yet even though it’s today and I’ve already signed everything and paid down payment + closing. I’m just paranoid I did something wrong or something because it’s so unbelievable that I’m going to own a home. I think part of it is how hard everyone says it is, but the process ended up being pretty easy to me at least.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee Link ParentAh, I missed that you’re on PlayStation. Most ultra realistic sims will be PC only, but there are a number of games on PlayStation that are pretty good and at least scratch the same itch. Gran...Ah, I missed that you’re on PlayStation. Most ultra realistic sims will be PC only, but there are a number of games on PlayStation that are pretty good and at least scratch the same itch.
Gran Turismo 7, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and EA WRC are probably the three games with the “most” sim like experience on PlayStation in terms of on track driving. Games like F1 and the older Dirt games are great experiences though less “sim”, but still very fun. The F1 games do an excellent job of creating the weekend atmosphere of a Grand Prix and that’s completely unmatched, I just mean the on-track driving model isn’t quite a simulation, but that’s totally fine and to be expected since the game is supposed to appeal to millions of people. You can still absolutely turn off assists and get a difficult and somewhat realistic experience, too. Then of course you have a bunch of arcade racers like Forza Horizon, The Crew, etc. Those are all fun to play, they just aren’t in any shape a simulation.
So yeah, even though some full sims like iRacing and rFactor are PC only, you still have some great options on PlayStation, too. The world of racing is very wide and even though I’m mostly sequestered to iRacing since my goal is to be as close to real racing as possible, there are so many excellent games out there, so I’m just happy to see you having fun with it!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee Link ParentFor racing games, I almost exclusively play iRacing these days. I love realistic races, so that's typically what I stick with. Every once in a while, I do boot up F1, Assetto Corsa, etc. and I...For racing games, I almost exclusively play iRacing these days. I love realistic races, so that's typically what I stick with. Every once in a while, I do boot up F1, Assetto Corsa, etc. and I also enjoy arcade racers like Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Forza Horizon, etc., but iRacing is my main love.
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Comment on Gamescom 2025 megathread in ~games
EsteeBestee Link ParentEvery time I quit WoW, the next cinematic always gets me ready to go to war. Why are they so good?!?!Every time I quit WoW, the next cinematic always gets me ready to go to war. Why are they so good?!?!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkOkay, I'm making a second comment because I played a game and I need to talk about it. Sword of the Sea came out today, the new game by the creators of The Pathless (one of my favorite games) and...Okay, I'm making a second comment because I played a game and I need to talk about it. Sword of the Sea came out today, the new game by the creators of The Pathless (one of my favorite games) and Abzu (still need to play). Sword of the Sea was short, but beautiful. The visuals and audio were just perfect and the narrative was emotional and had some interesting lore to back it up if you went looking for it. The game had me crying at its beauty within minutes of starting and it just kept getting better and better until the spectacular third act and finale. I don't want to say anything specific because I feel this game should be played blind to get the best experience out of it, but the last hour or so is going to stick with me for a long time.
The gameplay is relatively simple on paper, but the momentum you can build feels excellent and the game encourages you to use your abilities to explore. There are even a few areas where you have to be pretty cheeky with your ability usage to get to them, so you get a good sense of discovery with your tool kit over the course of the game.
I beat my first playthrough in just over three hours, but the game very much encourages multiple playthroughs (there is NG+) and you'll need those to find all the secrets and trophies, which I will be doing. I very much appreciate shorter, but more emotional games these days. As much as I also like 50 hour RPGs, I love games that I can pick up for a night and receive a profound emotional experience.
Despite the short run time for a single playthrough, this is probably my favorite game I've played this year so far. Granted, I haven't yet beaten Expedition 33 or played DK Bananza, but I do especially love emotional games, so this one sits at the top for me at the moment, it was just an extremely special experience.
BTW, this is included in PS+, so if you have that, you can play it "for free".
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI played 18 hours of the Battlefield 6 open beta between last weekend and this weekend and that was even with being entirely unable to play this last Friday and Saturday. You could say that I...I played 18 hours of the Battlefield 6 open beta between last weekend and this weekend and that was even with being entirely unable to play this last Friday and Saturday. You could say that I maybe liked the game... I do think it's a return to form if you're a fan of the battlefield 3/4 days, it's very reminiscent of that. The gameplay doesn't have many gimmicks and I love it for that. The gun play is excellent, the beta ran extremely well, I don't have any complaints. I will for sure be picking this game up day 1 later this year!
Besides that, I had a massive week in iRacing. I race in a gen 4 nascar league on Wednesdays and I've had a horrible string of luck this and last season with being wrecked out of races when I haven't really done anything wrong, just abysmal luck. Well, I finally strung together a few good races and on this last Wednesday, I placed 3rd at '08 Atlanta, an extremely difficult track! To top it off, my team and I then placed 3rd in top split in the inaugural Portimau 1000k!! So I had a pretty fantastic week, I'd say.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee Link ParentI'm so happy that your daughter enjoyed karting! Let me know if you ever have questions on racing or sim racing, I've been doing both for about 8 years now!I'm so happy that your daughter enjoyed karting! Let me know if you ever have questions on racing or sim racing, I've been doing both for about 8 years now!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
EsteeBestee (edited )LinkI just finished Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier. I can't say how good of a general read this might be to non gamers, but I was absolutely...I just finished Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier. I can't say how good of a general read this might be to non gamers, but I was absolutely enthralled by it, even as someone who was already aware of most things that happened at Blizzard (I've been playing their games nonstop since I first started in World of Warcraft in 2006). I found the old history of Blizzard particularly fascinating since I didn't know much about them from the pre Warcraft III days, and even up to the Activision acquisition. It was both fun and horrifying to read about most of the company's history, tbh. I think Jason did a good job of setting appropriate tones for different sections while both being able to report accurate accounts as well as make it an exciting read. I do appreciate that he made proper slimeballs like Kotick truly come off as the scummy, greedy slugs that they are, and he didn't even have to do anything besides outline how those sleazeballs actually do act. Punches were not pulled and it was a good reminder of how awkward the games industry still is and how it's in a constant fight between people who want to make art and people who want to make money.
As an aside, I'm still just as conflicted about playing Blizzard games as I have been for 10ish years now. I keep finding myself going back because nothing ever feels quite as good as a good Blizzard game, but I'm keenly aware of the power struggles in the company and how shitty they've been between that, how they treat their employees, and the multiple controversies they've had. At the very least, I appreciate having more insight into the workings at that company than I did before. I do recommend this book to gamers, at least. It wasn't a particularly difficult read, I was able to knock it out in 3 sittings and it's very digestible.
I'd say the one thing that was missing for me is that the book lacked detail in certain spots. Like when I came across the chapter where Jason was finally going to talk about World of Warcraft's development and release, I started getting goosebumps at the thought of it, since WoW is one of the most culturally impactful games ever made as well as a very formative game for myself and a game that I still play 20 years on. While some time was spent talking about the cultural impact, definitely, I feel like it could have been emphasized even further how big of a deal this game was; a reader who didn't play WoW at the time probably wouldn't be able to grasp just how big this game was from this book alone. Not a big complaint, but it was one chapter where I came out of it wishing there was a bit of a deeper dive.
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Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
EsteeBestee LinkMy first car was an Oldsmobile Delta 88 that I got for $500 and fixed with my dad. My job in high school was delivering pizzas and I lived in a rural area, so I'd put on my metal albums and cruise...My first car was an Oldsmobile Delta 88 that I got for $500 and fixed with my dad. My job in high school was delivering pizzas and I lived in a rural area, so I'd put on my metal albums and cruise the highway most nights in that thing. It ended up having some overheating issues that the local mechanic couldn't figure out (and I wasn't yet much of a car person) so I actually gave it away to someone in need and bought myself a different car. Besides this Delta 88 and the second car I got, every single car I've had since then was a 4 cylinder even though I'm definitely a car person now and have driven everything up to a 10 cylinder. I have been thirsty to finally get a V8 in my life or a flat 6 (porsche go brrrrrrr), I just have a thing for 90's Japanese cars, so most everything I've bought has been a 4 cylinder.
I’m very much looking forward to getting this one. I’m kind of just waiting until I finish 2 in progress games and I want to wait to see if I’ll be picking up borderlands 4 or not, but if not, I’ll probably work Shinobi into my calendar this month.