Flying_Anvil's recent activity
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Comment on All the ghosts you will be in ~science
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Comment on Why is the right so fascinated with fantasy literature? in ~books
Flying_Anvil Link ParentPerhaps it's not Lord of the Rings itself which is conservative, but rather the tropes that it inspired, resulting in a kind of "Seinfeld is unfunny" effect. It could be that ideas which were...Perhaps it's not Lord of the Rings itself which is conservative, but rather the tropes that it inspired, resulting in a kind of "Seinfeld is unfunny" effect. It could be that ideas which were unique or novel to LotR became tropes that, when divorced from the original context, become conservative. Then people rediscover the original work after a few decades and interpret it differently.
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Comment on Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out (2025) in ~music
Flying_Anvil LinkDefinitely has that Pharell sheen all over the project. Not a problem for me since I love his production, but I do prefer the beats on Hell Hath No Fury for being a little grittier. No Malice is...Definitely has that Pharell sheen all over the project. Not a problem for me since I love his production, but I do prefer the beats on Hell Hath No Fury for being a little grittier. No Malice is incredible.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flying_Anvil LinkI'm a big fan of indie Boomer Shooters and have been completing Nightmare Reaper. It's a roguelike retro fps with randomly generated levels and weapon stats. What sets it apart from other shooters...I'm a big fan of indie Boomer Shooters and have been completing Nightmare Reaper. It's a roguelike retro fps with randomly generated levels and weapon stats. What sets it apart from other shooters in its genre, apart from its varied and engaging gameplay, is the subtle storytelling and psychological horror inspirations. While I do enjoy the game, there are moments where it can be a bit of a slog when you roll bad weapons or get a boring level, especially in the first episode. However, because the game was originally released in early access with updates coming regularly, you can see how the single developer gradually improved their skills and started to implement more and more creative ideas. The overall game is finished, but the dev plans to add multiplayer in the future.
People in this thread have already talked about Balatro, and I've been playing that game also. But I got bored of it pretty quickly after beating my first gold stake. I gave up the game for a while until I found out about the Cryptid mod which completely overhauls the game. It adds dozens of new decks, stakes, jokers, blinds, and so on. It completely renewed my interest in Balatro and my academic record is now under threat ;)
A few months ago I beat Blasphemous 2 which is a metroidvania heavily inspired by Spanish Catholicism. The game was excellent and the art style is just stunning. Very challenging but rewarding, I want to play it again.
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Comment on Do you think stressful games are kind of bad for your health? in ~games
Flying_Anvil LinkI had a very similar experience as you did in Dark Souls 3. I made it to the Abyss Watchers and grinded that fight for approximately 8 hours. Once I finally defeated the boss I wasn't relieved at...I had a very similar experience as you did in Dark Souls 3. I made it to the Abyss Watchers and grinded that fight for approximately 8 hours. Once I finally defeated the boss I wasn't relieved at all. I felt genuinely discouraged and frustrated. Whenever I played a different game afterwards and made it to a boss or some kind of final challenge I would always get flashbacks to the Abyss Watchers and my motivation to play would vanish. I'd shut the game off and play something else more casual.
Years later when Elden Ring came out I decided to give the genre another go, but I gave myself some boundaries. If I ever got stuck at a boss I would only try again a certain amount of times before quitting and doing something else. Not only that, but I would try to relax as much as possible while playing and if I noticed my frustration rising I would take a break for a few minutes. Not only did I end up enjoying the game, but I made it a lot farther than I would have if I hadn't tried to emotionally regulate. I still haven't beaten the game but it doesn't really bother me. My mindset changed and I started to see what made these games so excellent. I went from banging my head against the wall to understanding that persistence and patience is the key to success. I've even applied this idea to my education and it has worked out well.
As for health, I definitely had worse sleep and poorer emotional regulation when I used to game for a lot longer, multiplayer or not. Nowadays I keep to a strict sleep schedule and I have a program on my computer that automatically logs me out in the evening a few hours before I need to go to bed. I'm also a lot more physically active these days which has helped me with emotional regulation. Running and exercising are much more effective stress relievers than video games in my experience.
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Comment on I quit teaching because of ChatGPT in ~creative
Flying_Anvil LinkI think this is a problem that mostly comes down to incentives. When it comes to grades, I seriously doubt students are getting bonus marks for developing a distinctive voice in their writing or...I think this is a problem that mostly comes down to incentives. When it comes to grades, I seriously doubt students are getting bonus marks for developing a distinctive voice in their writing or for making their summaries unique. This issue is compounded when one considers that post secondary education costs a lot of money and students have too little time to really absorb the whole material. Generative AI isn't going away, so I think it's best that we try and reform our education system to be less of a rat race. If not for the benefit of society, then at least for the benefit of students who are being criticized for doing what they are incentivized to do.
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Comment on Does anyone use Framework laptops? What has been your experience? in ~comp
Flying_Anvil LinkI bought a Framework two years ago. I wasn't using it very much since my circumstances kept me at home with my desktop. Since becoming a student I've started using it again and I have some...I bought a Framework two years ago. I wasn't using it very much since my circumstances kept me at home with my desktop. Since becoming a student I've started using it again and I have some thoughts, but first if you're looking for a reliable laptop then Framework is decent, but the battery life is kinda sketchy (especially if you put Linux on it like I did. Linux is known for not being very well optimized for batteries).
My laptop is an earlier version which I bought in July of 2021. This edition of the laptop has the faulty CMOS battery that has since been completely revised on all new Frameworks and is no longer an issue if you buy new. My laptop also has had some problems with the I/O, namely my USB-C Expansion Card has stopped working. This isn't a real issue on paper since all expansion slots are USB-C anyways, and I'm sure that by now they have revised their expansion cards to be more reliable.
I was also having issues with my charger. It comes in three parts, the outlet connector, the power brick, and a USB-C to USB-C connector that plugs into the laptop. The USB-C connector seemed a little cheap and the wire deteriorated after a year of use until it stopped working entirely. The good news is that you can buy pretty much any USB-C to USB-C connector and use that to charge instead, which is awesome unless your USB-C expansion card also broke like mine did. In that case, you need to find a wire that will actually fit into the expansion slot, which surprisingly took me a while to find (they do sell a replacement wire on their website, but it's still the same quality and would cost me ~$30. You can get better quality for cheaper).
All of this is to say that I would still recommend the Framework despite its early flaws. The company behind the product is very much committed to doing good. If I had the means then I could totally fix all the current issues I have with my laptop and it would basically be perfect, which counts for a lot especially since so many laptop manufacturers want you to throw out your tech as soon as it starts to break.
This is probably the first vsauce video I haven't been super crazy about. The topic felt very narrow and comes across as book report. I'm more used to him pulling several ideas from different places to answer a question, so maybe this is a new format he's experimenting with. I also mostly disagree with the conclusion he makes at the end regarding our relationship with information, but I'll have to watch again later. It's good to have him back though.