HappySailor's recent activity
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Comment on Where do you stand on climate change? in ~talk
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Comment on Thoughts on Final Fantasy 16 in ~games
HappySailor LinkI'm probably 8 or so hours in. I just got my second eikon and I'm kinda already tired of waiting for the game to be fun? The only interesting thing I can do during the combat is try to constantly...I'm probably 8 or so hours in. I just got my second eikon and I'm kinda already tired of waiting for the game to be fun?
The only interesting thing I can do during the combat is try to constantly magic burst, no other mechanic they've given me actually seems... To do anything?
Like, I have lunge, and stomp, and phoenix shift, and I can shift into a strike or a spell, or I can etc etc etc... But the combat lacks the action feedback to tell me that any of these are ever the optimal play/ that they do anything at all.
When I stagger a big enemy, I just... Beat on them for a little while? Like, that's supposed to be the "Your enemy is weak!" Big exciting moment and I just... Mash attack and then pop all my specials in the final moments. Every. Time.
There's no nuance to anything I do. There's nothing to explore and I always have the most up-to-date equipment for my 1 party member.
I don't hate the story, but I do hate that they told the localization team "You're allowed to say Fuck, now," and they've taken to it like a goddam 13 year old. I swear, but this game swears so much it's pointless.
I lost interest in FF15 because there was so much to do, I've lost interest in this one because there's nothing to do. Except gratuitous cutscenes
Edit: I am not using any of the easy mode accessories at all. This combat is still brain-dead so far.
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Comment on Favorite "cozy" games? in ~games
HappySailor Link ParentI'm replying to you, as many do not know this, but there's a good chance, you in particular do know this. Harvest Moon, specifically anything that's come out in the past 9 years, is no longer...I'm replying to you, as many do not know this, but there's a good chance, you in particular do know this.
Harvest Moon, specifically anything that's come out in the past 9 years, is no longer technically related to any of the classic harvest moon games many remember.
Due to a licensing dispute around 10 years ago, the rights to the name "Harvest Moon" is owned exclusively by the company that used to translate the series (Natsume), but never developed them. Story of Seasons is the new name of the long-running series, as made by the development team that has always made it(Marvelous).
This is why almost every Harvest Moon game in the past decade has been... bad.
So Story of Seasons is the series that's actually the sequels to everything after Harvest moon New Beginning. If you've played some of the Story of Seasons game and been like "Man, this kinda blows", I would also remind you that at least 1 in every 3 Harvest Moon Games has always blown. (Looking at you Save the Homeland, Animal Parade, and Two Towns)
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Comment on What are your favorite webcomics? in ~comics
HappySailor LinkKill Six Billion Demons Absolutely an incredible journey, almost finished now too.Kill Six Billion Demons
Absolutely an incredible journey, almost finished now too.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
HappySailor Link ParentEzra is Non-Binary and uses they/them pronouns.Ezra is Non-Binary and uses they/them pronouns.
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Comment on Should retail businesses be required to accept cash? in ~finance
HappySailor Link ParentMaybe this is a Canadian thing, but cash is absolutely not an option for renting a car. They genuinely only accepted credit cards as payment when I rented one a few months ago. Additionally, The...Maybe this is a Canadian thing, but cash is absolutely not an option for renting a car. They genuinely only accepted credit cards as payment when I rented one a few months ago.
Additionally, The demand for cash as tender is not even really enforceable with how prevalent ecommerce has become. Like, there's already tons of American businesses who you just don't have the option of throwing paper at and expecting product. Why should the fact that someone has a storefront mean they suddenly have to accept cash when other businesses already do not?
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Comment on Everything about air frying in ~food
HappySailor Link ParentYou're not wrong that a Toaster oven is incredibly similar, but really, the biggest issue with Toaster Ovens was that the technology was so old - most of us didn't have a toaster oven. A lot of us...You're not wrong that a Toaster oven is incredibly similar, but really, the biggest issue with Toaster Ovens was that the technology was so old - most of us didn't have a toaster oven. A lot of us had a SHITTY toaster oven.
Honestly, that's why I like my air fryer. Not because it's a miracle appliance that does something that can't be done anywhere else. But simply because I used it and got good results.
It's a quick and easy second "oven" for when I want to make french fries but I'm about to throw the cast iron in the oven to finish some steaks. Would a Toaster Oven do the same? Yeah, that's never been the point. The point is that my stupid air fryer is good at its job and no toaster oven I ever owned was. I don't know if the "Counter Top Air Convection" was refined just before the great rebranding, or I just had rotten luck.
However, I have also watched Mythical Kitchen and learned that some Air Fryers are just absolute garbage. So it's probably some combination of inputs. Watching someone struggle to use an appliance with 4 buttons and then make soggy limp flaccid french fries - I'm not surprised they walk away thinking air fryers are bad. But I add a little oil, some homesliced potatoes, and some seasonings, and i get dope crispy potatoes every time and it is not a complicated machine.
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Comment on 'No kill' meat, grown from animal cells, is now approved for sale in the US in ~food
HappySailor LinkI hope this takes off. I would love there to be an affordable and sustainable meat that isn't insect based.I hope this takes off. I would love there to be an affordable and sustainable meat that isn't insect based.
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Comment on Thoughts on Gloomhaven RPG? in ~games.tabletop
HappySailor LinkPlayed a bunch of Gloomhaven, and our group is 10 sessions into frosthaven. I am a long-time GM of RPGS and have played dozens of RPGs. I cannot, for the life of me, understand what would be fun...Played a bunch of Gloomhaven, and our group is 10 sessions into frosthaven. I am a long-time GM of RPGS and have played dozens of RPGs.
I cannot, for the life of me, understand what would be fun about an RPG using Gloomhaven's card mechanics. I am trying to keep an open mind, I do not know everything. But every ounce of Gloomhaven's system exists to:
A) Ride a very thin attrition based difficulty curve
B) Make Killing 10 things in 2 rooms take 3 hours.
C) Be extremely lethal.I was interested in the idea of running RPGs in the Gloomhaven setting, but I don't want to just prepare Gloomhaven Scenarios in my free time. It's not... remotely interesting to me, and will either be a nightmare to balance or will lose all semblance of challenge.
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Comment on Should retail businesses be required to accept cash? in ~finance
HappySailor LinkNo, they shouldn't be forced to accept cash. If they have a reason that cash management is proving to be something they no longer want to deal with - more power to them. The customer is not...No, they shouldn't be forced to accept cash. If they have a reason that cash management is proving to be something they no longer want to deal with - more power to them.
The customer is not entitled to anything and does not always get to choose their tender. I can't rent a car with cash, I can't pay debit at the local fair, and if a nearby boutique has decided that they're ditching cash - that's just life.
If a business wants to turn away cash-users. that should be within their rights. They may lose money, but that is their decision.
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Comment on Nintendo Direct tomorrow Jun 21 in ~games
HappySailor Link ParentI wouldn't get too excited about anything groundbreaking, but you never know. Obviously we're gonna get some Pikmin 4 content, and presumably the next Mario Kart DLC. I'm wracking my brain trying...I wouldn't get too excited about anything groundbreaking, but you never know.
Obviously we're gonna get some Pikmin 4 content, and presumably the next Mario Kart DLC.
I'm wracking my brain trying to think of what the holiday release could possibly be. They need something new around Xmas time and I can't, for the life of me, think of anything they've already announced that might fit that bill. But I also don't think they'll announce anything too big and crazy with only a 6 month window.
6 month window for a holiday release makes me feel like a Mario Sports game is coming.
Is there a pokemon game slated for this year at all? They usually do pokemons in separate directs though, right? But S/V was 2022, we don't usually go a calendar year without seeing one.We might see some content on a Zelda roadmap like they've done lately. Where they say "We have 2 free post-launch content patches planned, and a paid DLC This FALL". But it feels a little early to pumping DLC (For Nintendo, that is).
I'd love a new mario game, but I feel like there's usually a longer hype window on those? It has been years since we got a mario game that wasn't a remake. (Not even hating on remakes, but the 3d world remake was 2021, before that was Mario Maker 2 and New Super in 2019)
Obligatory Metroid 4 comment.
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Comment on Have any of you emigrated to a more "affordable" country? If so, where, how and how did it work out for you? in ~life
HappySailor LinkIf you work remote. Just move to a less expensive part of Canada. That article may not be the most exciting news. But there's plenty of houses in my city here in Canada for 200k-300k and they're...If you work remote. Just move to a less expensive part of Canada. That article may not be the most exciting news. But there's plenty of houses in my city here in Canada for 200k-300k and they're perfectly affordable on a 90K salary. There's even Nice new Condos in the sub 200s.
Selkirk, North Battleford, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Airdrie, Lloydminster, Swift Current - Plenty of affordable houses.
No need to doomsay and try and find some mythical foreign land where your money is magically worth 3 times as much.
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Comment on What board games have you played this week (to 19th June)? in ~games.tabletop
HappySailor Link ParentDune the original is such a cool piece of game design. Weirdly, it was my first exposure to the world of Dune. Hadn't read books or seen movies, just knew there was a worm. The core mechanics are...Dune the original is such a cool piece of game design. Weirdly, it was my first exposure to the world of Dune. Hadn't read books or seen movies, just knew there was a worm.
The core mechanics are all quite simple on paper. despite the Game having like 9 phases to every turn, some of those phases are literally: "Has anyone one the game" and "Give 2 spice to all players who are bankrupt". However, the game is riddled with asymmetric exceptions and almost every single rule in the game has a situation where it is excepted by a player/circumstance.
If this sounds finnicky, and hard to keep track of, and a little bit stupid - you'd be right! But it's SO rewarding. I recommend only playing with 6 players, no less. The end result is this really cool mosaic of rules and alternate win conditions and weird special cases. There's something magic about it to me, when it all comes together, and you have people paying the emperor player for products only the Atreides player can see, only for the emperor to pay the guild player to deploy soldiers, but the fremen player doesn't have to pay to deploy, and etc etc etc.
I probably have un-sold you on this game, if such a thing exists. But I like it.
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Comment on What is your favorite board or card game for seven or more players? in ~games.tabletop
HappySailor LinkI've got to give it to Wavelength and Codenames as two of my all time favorites for large groups. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is good as well!I've got to give it to Wavelength and Codenames as two of my all time favorites for large groups.
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is good as well!
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Tress and the Emerald Sea - By Brandon Sanderson - Discussion
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
Just finished this book this morning and wanted to do my usual jump to reddit to read what others have said/are saying about it. But as I have decided to leave reddit indefinitely, I have come here!
Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Any Cosmerenauts on Tilde yet that are anxious to discuss the implications of the book?
Personally, I enjoyed the book, but found it very quick and convenient in terms of plot and structure. It bothered me a tiny bit, at first, until I read the postscript and saw that he was going for a "Princess Bride" structure, and suddenly the whole book reframed itself in my mind. It wasn't convenient, it was a bedtime story. Every chapter being 3-5 pages, and being a non-stop string of events, that was its strength now.
From a cosmere perspective, it's interesting that this book is obviously very late future compared to most cosmere books. I'm not wise enough to know exactly where, but the mention of Spaceships landing on planets indicate we're not in Kansas any more.
Few small glimpses into Hoid, which was interesting, if nothing revelatory.
How did you all feel?
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Comment on Creatives, how do you feel about the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of art, illustration and design? in ~creative
HappySailor LinkContext: From the perspective of a writer and game designer. I have commissioned art and covers before, and due to my economic station - will continue to do so. First, I think it's important to do...Context: From the perspective of a writer and game designer. I have commissioned art and covers before, and due to my economic station - will continue to do so.
First, I think it's important to do away with concepts of like/dislike, and I worry that harping on ethics/theft is growing to be denial of reality. At this point, the technology is developing and proliferating faster than any reasonable organizing body will be able to properly adjudicate. In addition, I think it's simply idealism to believe that soulless corporate entities will ever go back to a "pre-AI-Generation" world. These tools will become more advanced, and the corporations with the money will ensure that AI-training and modeling won't be regarded as IP theft.
So, if I accept that the giga-rich will be using these tools to maximize their bottom lines, and if I choose to accept that fact as incontrovertible (you may choose otherwise). I can no longer afford the ethical dilemma of "should this be used". Doing so would be simply giving a powerful advantage to the rich and powerful, and denying it to the poor who are struggling to compete. People online would have me boycott a local butcher for using AI art to make his ads, because of the societal value of art. I posit, that this is a tax of economic status and privilege. Wal Mart and Amazon will not crumble under an "AI Boycott", so the only people who will suffer are the people who we should want to survive.
I understand the distress artists feel to have a competing technology entering their field - much as I understand the distress accountants felt when you no longer needed to pay them to do your taxes.
The value of art is getting discussed a lot lately in this conversation - but I think many people are dropping the nuance of "Value =/= Cost". Artists are seeing something many industries have seen before. Technology is driving the "Costs of your specialization" down, and increasing competition - this is a natural and common phenomenon - but it's not one we can simply deny. It also doesn't mean that art and artists have less value.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
HappySailor LinkJust started playing Sonic Frontiers, it's enjoyable and engaging so far. First 10 hours has been decent fun.Just started playing Sonic Frontiers, it's enjoyable and engaging so far. First 10 hours has been decent fun.
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Comment on What board games have you played this week (to 19th June)? in ~games.tabletop
HappySailor LinkIt was my birthday last week, so I got to do my annual: "Make all my friends play the Dune board game with me". I was the Harkonnen and spent most of my time in rough spots. I couldn't gather...It was my birthday last week, so I got to do my annual: "Make all my friends play the Dune board game with me". I was the Harkonnen and spent most of my time in rough spots. I couldn't gather spice competitively and failed a ploy to wipe out the Atreides with a shield wall destruction.
In the end, my only semblance of victory was throwing a fight to prevent the Guild from winning via timeout and the Atreides were able to claim victory. I love this stupid game, but it's so long and such a bear, I wish I played it more than once a year.
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Comment on What were your gardening adventures this weekend? in ~hobbies
HappySailor LinkThis weekend was a pests weekend. Last year we had noticed that we had an extremely large population of spiders in our yard, and this year they have already been out in force. I am arachnophobic,...This weekend was a pests weekend. Last year we had noticed that we had an extremely large population of spiders in our yard, and this year they have already been out in force.
I am arachnophobic, so it's difficult for me to appreciate the service these little demons provide, but I have done my best to only spray a little bit in parts of the yard where it looks like the population is getting out of hand. Having the occasional web reducing the flies and mosquitoes is okay, but I won't be happy in spider-metropolis, so some of the yard has to be a bit more hostile.
Additionally, I raked and overseeded the yard with a new blend, incorporating some heartier fescue into the mix to survive a little better.
Finally, for growth update, my Dill skyrocketed last week and is just a beast of a plant now. My Parsley followed suit. Basil grows healthy, but the Thyme is fighting me. My Peas have started podding, our flowers are doing well. My Cayenne peppers are in full growth and bearing...fruit? My serranos are getting tall and starting to flower. My Habanero plants are steady, but slow - was hoping for some more progress by now. My Tabasco Peppers seem to hate the heat? Once a week, we get a really hot day, and no matter how much water they get, they do not look happy about it. I feel like every time they look healthy and ready to grow, 3 days later, they look horrible again.
I'm honestly a little beat down by the whole thing to be honest.
I don't think it's a matter of belief, it's pretty damn incontrovertible as far as I'm concerned.
But, I am pretty exhausted from living in the world where it's still up for debate, and from all the billion dollar corporations making it the everyday citizen's problem, thus furthering the debate.
I live in big oil country, and the oil companies here pump out so much propaganda that our oil is the cleanest ever, and doesn't hurt the environment at all.
And when the government passes laws against non re-usable plastics, all of these companies switch to the cheapest most inconvenient options, and raise their price by 79ยข and say "blame the government". Like the corporations that contribute the most damage per capita instead get to transfer all the costs to the consumer and all the blame to any politician who supports environmental bills.
It's exhausting.