Flashfall'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 What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkI got back into Warhammer 40,000: Darktide to catch up on all the updates after not playing for a year and it's just as hectic and visceral as it was before, only with more maps, more banging...I got back into Warhammer 40,000: Darktide to catch up on all the updates after not playing for a year and it's just as hectic and visceral as it was before, only with more maps, more banging music, and a lot more build options. As far as co-op games go, Helldivers 2 is probably still more fun but this one does top it in multiple departments, from music to immersion to rewarding skill by being considerably more punishing at the highest difficulty. Managed democracy is great, but I will always have a soft spot for the God Emperor of Mankind.
Also bought Balatro to play when I'm not in the mood for multiplayer and wow this game really is as addictive as everybody said it was. Who would have thought turning one of the most timeless card games into a roguelike would be such a dangerous combination. Haven't got all that much done in my collection and haven't even started on the challenges yet, but I did get one hand over a million and I'm pretty happy about that.
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Comment on Which anime or manga transcend the boundaries of genre and medium? in ~anime
Flashfall LinkPing Pong the Animation is my favorite coming-of-age story, and one of my favorite stories in general. The very unorthodox but incredibly expressive art style, the extremely natural voice acting...Ping Pong the Animation is my favorite coming-of-age story, and one of my favorite stories in general. The very unorthodox but incredibly expressive art style, the extremely natural voice acting of all the characters, and the animation which hits this sweet spot of being tame enough to not break immersion, but fantastic enough to really enhance dramatic moments, all those come together to create a story with some of the most realistic characters I've ever seen in fiction, and some of the most emotion and empathy I've felt from any piece of media. I try to recommend it to friends that also watch anime but the art style really isn't for everyone.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentAs a fan of the STALKER games, I enjoy the vibes of Pacific Drive. I get that the environment's supposed to be hostile and partly horror, but I guess I'm so used to it that I can kinda just cruise...As a fan of the STALKER games, I enjoy the vibes of Pacific Drive. I get that the environment's supposed to be hostile and partly horror, but I guess I'm so used to it that I can kinda just cruise through it like it's a scenic drive. More relaxing than I anticipated it to be.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentNot the devs, and not even well versed in network infrastructure, but from what I can surmise the reason people can't host their own servers is due to a combination of the need to avoid saving...Not the devs, and not even well versed in network infrastructure, but from what I can surmise the reason people can't host their own servers is due to a combination of the need to avoid saving data client-side to avoid all the really easy client-side cheating, and everyone's data being stored in one location to update the galactic war information. At any rate, I highly doubt we'll see player-hosted servers or even an offline mode anytime soon, if at all.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentThat's unfortunate to hear but sadly your story is hardly a unique one. Any of the community forums for the game (reddit, steam, discord, etc) have all become much more toxic in the span of a week...That's unfortunate to hear but sadly your story is hardly a unique one. Any of the community forums for the game (reddit, steam, discord, etc) have all become much more toxic in the span of a week due to people raging that they bought the game because they heard how awesome it was, and now they can't even play it. It's definitely a rough launch, though at least it's the best kind of problem a game could have. For the devs' sake though, I hope they're able to fix whatever is bottlenecking their servers soon, since folks are starting to refund and leave bad reviews.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkI've put about 20 hours into Helldivers 2 despite the server instability and it's some of the most fun I've had in a co-op shooter in a long time. It doesn't take itself seriously at all (that is,...I've put about 20 hours into Helldivers 2 despite the server instability and it's some of the most fun I've had in a co-op shooter in a long time. It doesn't take itself seriously at all (that is, unless you are serious about protecting the liberty of all citizens of SUPER EARTH), it feels mechanically great, it runs really well (aside from server issues of course) and isn't very demanding on hardware, it's pretty accessible and doesn't require you to have great reflexes or tons of game knowledge to have a good time, and the presentation and little details are just chef's kiss. There isn't a ton of variety right at launch when it comes to different enemy or mission types, but the utter chaos that can ensue during a mission and the tightness of the core gameplay should keep it fresh and fun for a long time regardless. Plus, this game's theme is somehow more Starship Troopers than Starship Troopers is. It might be just corny over the top military propaganda, but it absolutely works. Cannot wait to get off work and spread some more democracy.
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Comment on Steam Next Fest: what have you been playing? in ~games
Flashfall LinkI tried the very short demo for Pacific Drive and as a fan of survival/scavenging games as well as STALKER, this fits my tastes pretty well. Driving around in a half scrap-metal car, avoiding...I tried the very short demo for Pacific Drive and as a fan of survival/scavenging games as well as STALKER, this fits my tastes pretty well. Driving around in a half scrap-metal car, avoiding anomalies and radiation, scavenging materials from wrecks and abandoned shelters, and spending all that on repairs and upgrades to do it again, but better. The UI is a bit scattered all over with different bindings for various interactions but it probably wouldn't take more than a few hours to get comfortable with it.
8/10 demo, hopefully the game is even better as what's on offer right now is VERY limited.
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Comment on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach | State of Play announce trailer in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentI kind of enjoy the really campy writing and "beat your skull in with a cinder block" subtlety that Kojima has. The extreme contrast with the otherwise stellar quality that everything else has...I kind of enjoy the really campy writing and "beat your skull in with a cinder block" subtlety that Kojima has. The extreme contrast with the otherwise stellar quality that everything else has makes the already weird plot points even weirder.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkSunk about 40 hours into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth so far, and the game really lives up to its name in that it feels like there's an infinite wealth of things to do, almost too much in fact....Sunk about 40 hours into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth so far, and the game really lives up to its name in that it feels like there's an infinite wealth of things to do, almost too much in fact. Honolulu City is a sprawling locale and just traveling around, hitting up the shops, beating up random thugs, and saying hi to anything that breathes is a ton of content already. Then there's the various minigames scattered throughout the city you can play to earn points for rewards, which are quick breaks from the usual turn based combat. I haven't gone that deep into the Sujimon side game and only beaten the first gym leader so far, but it's well integrated into the main game, what with other trainers and raids scattered about the city for you to battle at your convenience.
I've also just unlocked Dondoko Island, which is the game's Animal Crossing clone and while I've never played an Animal Crossing game before, I'm pretty hooked so far. Plus, you can use your resort's income to supplement your cash in the main game so it's not just a cute distraction.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Flashfall LinkDelicious in Dungeon is probably my favorite show of the season, and that's including stuff that's still ongoing from last season (looking at you Frieren). The chemistry between the main cast is...Delicious in Dungeon is probably my favorite show of the season, and that's including stuff that's still ongoing from last season (looking at you Frieren). The chemistry between the main cast is great and I just really enjoy anime where people cook and eat food and look like they're having a good time.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Flashfall Link ParentHave you read the Tokyo Ghoul manga? The anime follows the plot well for the first two seasons but then goes off-rails, which explains why the latter seasons aren't nearly as well written. It's...Have you read the Tokyo Ghoul manga? The anime follows the plot well for the first two seasons but then goes off-rails, which explains why the latter seasons aren't nearly as well written. It's been a few years since I finished the manga, but I can still say with confidence that you'll get a much better story from reading than watching it.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Flashfall Link ParentMashle is dumb fun. Not saying it's bad, but it is very much a gag manga/anime that starts off ridiculous, and proceeds to get even more ridiculous as the story progresses. It's great if you want...Mashle is dumb fun. Not saying it's bad, but it is very much a gag manga/anime that starts off ridiculous, and proceeds to get even more ridiculous as the story progresses. It's great if you want a laugh and some excellently drawn reaction faces, but you can't take the narrative very seriously because the story intentionally won't let you.
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Comment on The story of the New Hampshire primary in one voter in ~misc
Flashfall Link ParentAs far as I can tell from this article alone, he knows what Trump did in his term, which was dismantle a bunch of things and get a bunch of suits who were previously very comfortable in their...As far as I can tell from this article alone, he knows what Trump did in his term, which was dismantle a bunch of things and get a bunch of suits who were previously very comfortable in their positions very nervous. He wants more of that, more of the folks taking advantage of these established, mismanaged and corrupt institutions to be very uncomfortable, a proper shakeup of the status quo that isn't possible under any other current candidate.
The problem is, Trump's actions are far more egregious than domestic decisions that changed the status quo, which in reality didn't even do that and only made things even less efficient in some cases (e.g. the whole postal service debacle). The ass-kissing of foreign tyrants like Putin and Kim Jong Un, the open support and/or refusal to condemn radical white nationalist groups, the very shady deals happening in the cabinet that may have resulted in classified state intelligence being sold to foreign powers (what did the Saudis give Kushner $2 billion for?), the hundreds of thousands of dead Americans as a result of possibly the most incompetent handling of a pandemic ever? Do none of these things appear as red flags to Ted, a man who has served 22 years in the Army and yet doesn't seem to acknowledge the fact that Trump openly mocked disabled veterans and clearly doesn't care about him?
Hell, I agree that we do need someone to shake up the status quo (maybe not all the deep state conspiracy stuff), but burning the country to the ground or selling its secrets to our enemies is most definitely not the right way to go about it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentPretty much, though you don't have to subject yourself to it again if you just want to get caught up on the story for the second game - they give you a synopsis right at the start if you say you...Pretty much, though you don't have to subject yourself to it again if you just want to get caught up on the story for the second game - they give you a synopsis right at the start if you say you haven't played the first one.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentOh yeah that one got dark real fast. You don't need to worry about anything that serious in Robs a Bank, it has some minor emotional moments but nothing close to that one.Oh yeah that one got dark real fast. You don't need to worry about anything that serious in Robs a Bank, it has some minor emotional moments but nothing close to that one.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkPlayed Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion and the recently released sequel, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank. Very different and very short games, but thoroughly enjoyable, especially if you spend too much time...Played Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion and the recently released sequel, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank. Very different and very short games, but thoroughly enjoyable, especially if you spend too much time on the internet and get most of the internet culture jokes and memes that the games are absolutely packed with. Commits Tax Evasion plays like a classic 2D RPG, while Robs a Bank plays like a top-down shooter, think Hotline Miami or Enter the Gungeon. If you had to choose between the two (which you probably don't have to, the games are tiny and also on sale right now until the 25th), I would recommend Robs a Bank. It fixes many of the issues the first game had, has a better gameplay loop overall, and lasts twice as long, which still isn't very long considering I 100%'d it in 6 hours, but those were some really good 6 hours. Surprisingly good music as well.
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Comment on Frostpunk 2 | Official gameplay trailer in ~games
Flashfall LinkOh boy, voting. That's going to make things a lot more interesting. Instead of forcing everyone to eat soup (this is non-negotiable, soup is delicious and I don't see why people are upset), I can...Oh boy, voting. That's going to make things a lot more interesting. Instead of forcing everyone to eat soup (this is non-negotiable, soup is delicious and I don't see why people are upset), I can just rig the vote or bribe them and convince people they WANTED to eat soup.
Also nice that it still continues to capture that story-driven, moral dilemma vibe of the first game that almost no other city-builders have. Wonder what the main story's "final boss" will be this time around, seeing as how the emphasis this time seems to be more on managing society over surviving nature.
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Comment on Is GenAI’s impact on productivity overblown? in ~tech
Flashfall LinkAs someone who's been doing some research into LLMs for work (not developing them, just gathering information on capabilities and shortcomings), this article corroborates many of my own findings....As someone who's been doing some research into LLMs for work (not developing them, just gathering information on capabilities and shortcomings), this article corroborates many of my own findings. Impressive as they are right now, LLMs are still only glorified search engines at the moment. You might be able to get your answers more quickly and in a nicer format, but in the end the answers you're getting are still limited to whatever data the model was trained on. Any flaws or bias in the data are going to reflect in the results it generates, and trying to correct that with additional layers of data or LLM processing has mixed results at best.
The quality and correctness of outputs from generative tasks (e.g. drafting emails or writing code) as opposed to basic Q&A tasks is also inconsistent and poor, and difficult to accurately benchmark at scale. Handling menial tasks that are comprehensively covered by the model's training data works well enough, but again, that just makes the model a glorified search engine. Anything that requires something more detailed or extensive, such as field-specific queries (medical, legal, etc), or analyzing/summarizing documents that exceed the model's context window (books, 100+ page long documents), or generating code that's bigger than a handful of functions, all tasks that would save significant amounts of time and really boost productivity, none of those are reliable yet and probably won't be for a while, and when they are they'll likely be prohibitively expensive to do at scale due to the enormous amount of computation that'll be required.
Don't get me wrong, I still get a lot of value out of Copilot during work for finding information quickly and generating quick bits of code when I don't want to subject myself to trawling the first few pages of google, but LLMs have a lot of growing to do before they actually start replacing jobs or justifying the crazy prices some companies are paying to use them.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkDeath Stranding has consumed an inordinate amount of my time since I picked it up during the winter sale. There's really no better way to describe it than "A Hideo Kojima Game". It feels like a...Death Stranding has consumed an inordinate amount of my time since I picked it up during the winter sale. There's really no better way to describe it than "A Hideo Kojima Game". It feels like a movie especially with the frankly absurd amount of star power in it, but it's got the length and pacing of a multi-season series, and it's full of goofy stuff that only works well in a video game. It definitely won't work with everyone, but for those it does it's a work of art. It's also the most "multiplayer yet singleplayer-only" game I've ever played. You'll never see another player, and yet the impact you can have on others is very noticeable and beneficial. This is in stark contrast to a lot of MMOs that are multiplayer-only, but are practically singleplayer games with how little you actually interact or work together with any random player you come across. I thought Kojima might've been blowing smoke up his own ass with how inflated an ego he seemed to develop but hell, this guy has earned his reputation and then some.
Abiotic Factor released in early access last Thursday so I picked it up with a friend and we binged it together until we progressed to the story's current state of completion. To put it simply, it's a survival crafting style game set in an underground research facility that's very reminiscent of the Black Mesa Research Facility in the first Half Life game. You play as one of the researchers in the lab and your goal is to escape to the surface after the lab suffers a total containment failure and all hell is breaking loose. The graphics are even done up to appear visually similar to the first Half Life, though the lighting and other details make it feel modern enough. Even the sound design is similar to the first Half Life. Aside from all the Half Life referencing though, there's also some inspiration taken from SCP. There's various anomalies and whatnot that are either locked up in containment or interactable to varying degrees.
If you like the original Half Life and also enjoy the survival crafting genre this game is a great way to kill 40ish hours so far, with more on the way. Getting past some of the puzzles needed for progression can definitely be a bit confusing right now though since the game usually won't hand you the solutions on a silver platter, so make sure you read the lore and journal entries, the information there can be good for more than just world-building.