Grayscail's recent activity
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Comment on Sailing skill is live on Oldschool Runescape as of two weeks ago in ~games
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Comment on Sailing skill is live on Oldschool Runescape as of two weeks ago in ~games
Grayscail Link ParentRunescape is a but different than other MMOs in that beyond conventional PvP and PvM combat, there is a very significant "skilling" aspect to the game of mechanics that dont need to intersect with...Runescape is a but different than other MMOs in that beyond conventional PvP and PvM combat, there is a very significant "skilling" aspect to the game of mechanics that dont need to intersect with combat at all.
Runescape has very high xp targets to reach max level, so its very grind intensive, and thus a lot of the game is a mix of low effort low xp rate training methods and high effort high xp rate methods. So some players really lock in and play intensively to train skills, while others do more AFK training that basically involves sitting around in one place for a long time, which makes it kind of like a background task that you can easily do while also watching TV or chatting with friends.
The typical goals are either to hunt for rare items that come as rare drops, or to try to maximize your various skill levels through training.
If you do engage in combat, there are few to no special abilities or skill trees. The combat is mostly determined by your stat levels and gear, but most of the playing skill has to do with managing your timing and positioning to avoid damage and keep yourself healed while maintaining damage output.
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Comment on Sailing skill is live on Oldschool Runescape as of two weeks ago in ~games
Grayscail LinkI was initially skeptical of the skill when it was proposed, as I thought it felt too disconnected and I worried there would be too stark a division between ocean stuff and the rest of the game,...I was initially skeptical of the skill when it was proposed, as I thought it felt too disconnected and I worried there would be too stark a division between ocean stuff and the rest of the game, the way Dungeoneering was in RS3. But Ive been pleasantly surprised at how good it is.
Ive gotten to level 72 now and have a pretty well upgraded skiff on my Ironman. Ive been dabbling in all the different sailing activities.
Port tasks have been my main source of XP, I like it alot, its really the quintessential sailing experience I was hoping for. Especially once you unlock enough ports to have more complicated shipping routes and the ability to have a few crewmates.
Salvaging hasnt felt like its particularly good xp anyway, even outside the rate changes that have been such a controversy. But being able to get into a double shipwreck spot with crewmates manning the hooks is such a good AFK setup for when I want to put it in the background that I really dont care about the rates.
Barracuda trials suck though. Tempor Tantrum was good and I have no complaints, but its too low xp to keep doing after getting the Marlin rank. Jubbly was such a pain in the ass that I gave up on it after Shark, and from what I hear Gwenyth Glide is even worse. But I guess for the kind of people who are good at that precision clicking it might be fun.
Charting the seas is kinda nice when you randomly stumble upon stuff, but I feel like it would be really hard to complete naturally without a guide. Especially when considering the Mermaid clues, I have no idea what half of those riddles are supposed to be, even after looking up the answer.
I have a few compliants. My biggest one is that the cargo hold being positioned under the mast makes it a real pain to unload cargo on delivery tasks. I wish they would move that. I also think there are some quality of life UI changes they could make, like having the default dock option be to board your previous boat instead of bringing up the selection window.
I also hate that you can log out on your boat and be fine, but if you dock on a non-port island and log out you magically return to your last port but your boat is left behind and you need to recover it. I also dont like that you cant use the Summon Boat spell if you leave your boat out at sea.
Ship combat and fish trawling both feel undercooked, I think those need some work before I would consider doing much of it, it doesnt feel particularly rewarding and also its kinda slow.
On the whole though, Im not the kind of person who cares much about how fast the optimal playstyle is or any of the stuff the community is angry about. I just enjoy sailing around with my 2-3 crewmates and pretending I have friends. I also really like that now I can travel between continents without needing to use a fade-to-black travel method.
Good addition to the game overall, looking forward to how they build on it going forward.
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Comment on Which grand strategy are you? in ~misc
Grayscail LinkProbably true, but not super helpfulYou’re a Mix of Strategies!
Selective / Deep Engagement, Liberal Hegemony
Your answers span multiple grand strategies. This is common—many policymakers mix elements of different approaches depending on the issue.
Probably true, but not super helpful
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Comment on US President Donald Trump was going to roll out a health care plan. Then Republicans weighed in. in ~society
Grayscail LinkRemember when Obama was president and Republicans spent 7 years talking about how they were going to repeal and replace Obamacare ever single day? Did that ever happen?Remember when Obama was president and Republicans spent 7 years talking about how they were going to repeal and replace Obamacare ever single day? Did that ever happen?
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Comment on Shock discovery reveals sea urchins are basically 'all brain' in ~science
Grayscail Link ParentI agree. The default stance is that pain and suffering is bad, so if something feels pain thats bad, but that stance is predicated on the human centric concept of pain. Once you start expanding...I agree. The default stance is that pain and suffering is bad, so if something feels pain thats bad, but that stance is predicated on the human centric concept of pain. Once you start expanding the definition of pain, or any other concept, you need to reassess whether those previous stances should still apply to the new definition.
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Comment on How to brew solar powered coffee in ~food
Grayscail Link ParentWe would do it sooner, but the hanging is solar powered too.We would do it sooner, but the hanging is solar powered too.
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Comment on Shock discovery reveals sea urchins are basically 'all brain' in ~science
Grayscail Link ParentIt makes sense that living things should feel pain in an abstract sense, but its hard to figure out a specific concrete sign. Like, plants dont have nervous systems like animals do, but they do...It makes sense that living things should feel pain in an abstract sense, but its hard to figure out a specific concrete sign. Like, plants dont have nervous systems like animals do, but they do still respond to stimuli. So its possible they feel something analogous to animal pain, but its hard to say if thats the "same" thing. Are plants really "feeling" that, or is the experience of "feel" something specific to the nervous system?
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Comment on Crossdressing Garbage in ~creative
Grayscail Link ParentIs there a reverse to this? I definitely see where you are coming from in this case, but I have on occassion had people make similar suggestions to me. I dont really think that is the case for me,...Is there a reverse to this?
I definitely see where you are coming from in this case, but I have on occassion had people make similar suggestions to me. I dont really think that is the case for me, but I also dont really know how to respond to such a suggestion when part of the suggestion is that maybe it is true and I just dont recognize it or am in denial.
Like, to the same extent that I dont really know what gender dysphoria is supposed to feel like, I also dont really know what non gender dysphoria is supposed to feel like. I just always feel like me, and I have nothing to compare that to.
There is a conclusion if I decide the answer is yes, then its settled, but if I decide the answer is no, then I might just be wrong.
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Comment on Rediscovering “Columbo” in 2020 in ~comics
Grayscail Link ParentI think it tends to be more that the criminals are elites of some kind. Typically intellectual elites. People like high end buisnessmen, sure, but also chess chanpions and symphony conductors and...I think it tends to be more that the criminals are elites of some kind. Typically intellectual elites. People like high end buisnessmen, sure, but also chess chanpions and symphony conductors and poets and photographers, and other people who may not be wealthy but you just assume they are because they are famous.
The real underlying thread I think is that Columbos criminals are people who have reason to think of themselves as being too smart to be caught by a run of the mill police detective.
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Comment on Rediscovering “Columbo” in 2020 in ~comics
Grayscail Link ParentThe more humanized criminals are great because sometimes they would get a big celebrity like Johnny Cash or Donald Pleasence to play the bad guy, and its fun to see Columbo get to banter with them.The more humanized criminals are great because sometimes they would get a big celebrity like Johnny Cash or Donald Pleasence to play the bad guy, and its fun to see Columbo get to banter with them.
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Comment on Rediscovering “Columbo” in 2020 in ~comics
Grayscail (edited )LinkI figured out where he was going with this about halfway through the comic but kept going in hopes that I was wrong. I dont necessarily disagree but I wish it wasnt the case. I wish people just...I figured out where he was going with this about halfway through the comic but kept going in hopes that I was wrong.
I dont necessarily disagree but I wish it wasnt the case. I wish people just liked things and wanted to talk about them for other reasons beyond circling back to the same one conversation that has been constantly ongoing for the last 10 years or so.
For what its worth, I also like Columbo, but not because of class warfare. I like Columbo as a character, I like that hes calm and controlled and polite even when facing off against murderers and criminals, for the most part. I like that the episodes telegraph who the murderer is so the whole episode doesnt hinge around a big twist reveal. I like that the show needs to find a different way to be interesting beyond having high stakes and suspense.
Columbo has actually been a really well regarded show across the world for decades. There are other reasons why someone might like any given thing beyond hating Donald Trump, is what Im getting at.
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Comment on Longest government shutdown in US history ends after Donald Trump signs funding bill in ~society
Grayscail Link ParentOut of curiosity, would it be legal for them to kill the fillibuster now, and then turn it back on before they lose control of Congress?Out of curiosity, would it be legal for them to kill the fillibuster now, and then turn it back on before they lose control of Congress?
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
Grayscail Link ParentYou call it an environmental hazard, I call it organic free-range plant food with no pesticides.You call it an environmental hazard, I call it organic free-range plant food with no pesticides.
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
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Comment on An AI-generated country song is topping a Billboard chart, and that should infuriate us all in ~music
Grayscail Link ParentMaybe, but I dont listen to music as a roundabout way to give donations to artists, I listen to music to hear sounds I like.Maybe, but I dont listen to music as a roundabout way to give donations to artists, I listen to music to hear sounds I like.
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Comment on Microsoft is adding AI facial recognition to OneDrive and users can only turn it off three times a year in ~tech
Grayscail Link ParentIn case anyone else reading is also thinking of switching to Linux, please consider something other than Arch. If you know what you are getting into it can be a fun experience, but Arch is not a...In case anyone else reading is also thinking of switching to Linux, please consider something other than Arch. If you know what you are getting into it can be a fun experience, but Arch is not a beginner friendly distro.
If you havent used Linux before, some easier options would be Ubuntu/Debian or Mint.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Grayscail Link ParentThat sounds pretty cool. The core concept of decomposing a task into a set of operations and choices is far more important to getting good at programming than learning the syntax of a given...That sounds pretty cool.
The core concept of decomposing a task into a set of operations and choices is far more important to getting good at programming than learning the syntax of a given language. Which is to say, I think what you are doing in the game sounds like a great way to practice, even if its not "real" python.
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Comment on There’s a reason US electricity prices are rising. And it’s not data centers. in ~enviro
Grayscail Link ParentKind of, but not in this case. There is going to be some added transmission infrastructure, but the costs of maintaining the existing grid dwarfs that. The study referenced says that the load...Kind of, but not in this case. There is going to be some added transmission infrastructure, but the costs of maintaining the existing grid dwarfs that.
The study referenced says that the load increases in question are deployed in a way that has not demanded a ton of new infrastructure expenditures, but the increase in load does mean that there is more money coming in, which means the maintenence they were going to have to do anyway is now a smaller cut out of their revenue.
This finding aligns with the understanding that a primary driver of increased electricity-sector costs in recent years has been distribution and transmission expenditures—often devoted to refurbishment or replacement of existing infrastructure rather than to serve new loads (ETE, 2025, Pierpont, 2024, EIA, 2024a, Forrester et al., 2024). Spreading these fixed costs over more demand naturally exerts downward pressure on retail prices. It is also notable, however, that this negative load-price relationship was pronounced when considering overall average retail prices but was smaller and lost statistical significance when analyzing residential prices alone (see SI-8). Load growth over this historical period was led by commercial customers, and cost allocation practices have tended to benefit those large, non-residential customers.
Whether these historical relationships extend to a future of significant, nationwide load growth is unclear and is a point to which we return in the conclusion.
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Comment on What's a quantum computer? in ~tech
Grayscail LinkQuantum mechanics has a thing where quantum particles have a wavelike nature and have discrete wace modes that can interfere with eachother. Scientists have theorized that we could use these...Quantum mechanics has a thing where quantum particles have a wavelike nature and have discrete wace modes that can interfere with eachother.
Scientists have theorized that we could use these quantum effects to carry out computations by mapping the problems we want to solve onto quantum effects.
There are a lot of potential ways we could do this, so its not like there is a single type of quantum computing. But most ideas involve taking advantage of interference to effectively apply algortihms to a wide range of potential inputs at the same time by using superposition to map different inputs to different wave modes.
This is because the idea of superposition implies that each wave mode kind of operates independently to eachother until you add them all up at the end. So if map a different input to each mode you can run them all through the same circuit at the same time without them changing the outcome, as long as you know how to extract that specific mode out at the end.
Thats true. I think that this could be remedied by just making the islands better. Other than the Great Conch and the islands with unique trees I dont feel like any of the islands have much reason to visit more than once. But that could be a nice way to make sailing relevant to other skills if they put more useful resources there.