ICN's recent activity
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 17 in ~society
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
ICN Link ParentYeah, on the XCOM front the biggest mistake Firaxis made was creating a system where it's detrimental to reveal aliens on your turn. The whole rest of the series can be seen as them trying to...Yeah, on the XCOM front the biggest mistake Firaxis made was creating a system where it's detrimental to reveal aliens on your turn. The whole rest of the series can be seen as them trying to counteract the slow and tedious gameplay this naturally leads to.
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
ICN LinkSince "around the world" isn't a strictly defined term, we can make this easy on ourselves. Most people wouldn't insist on sticking to the equator for the trip and would accept a trip along the...Since "around the world" isn't a strictly defined term, we can make this easy on ourselves. Most people wouldn't insist on sticking to the equator for the trip and would accept a trip along the Tropic of Cancer, for example. Extrapolating to absurdity from this, the simplest way is to get to the south pole by whatever means*, then "circumnavigate" the globe with a leisurely stroll around said pole.
*Yes, that part is complicated, but since it's not technically part of our trip around the world I'm counting only the circumnavigation itself.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 10 in ~society
ICN (edited )Link ParentThe Democrats just demonstrated they'll cave in exchange for nothing. If they shut down the government again, the Republicans will just wait them out again, because it's proven to be an effective...The Democrats just demonstrated they'll cave in exchange for nothing. If they shut down the government again, the Republicans will just wait them out again, because it's proven to be an effective strategy.
Ugh. This whole situation was just a real kick in the teeth for me, so apologies if this post is too aggressive or something; I have difficulty gauging tone right now. I was feeling some hope for the first time in a while after the elections, and then almost immediately the Democrats gave up.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
ICN Link ParentCompletely fair. For myself, as I get older and repetitive stress injuries and the like become greater concerns, I find myself leaning away from the more button-mashy games. For Hades 2, I find...Completely fair. For myself, as I get older and repetitive stress injuries and the like become greater concerns, I find myself leaning away from the more button-mashy games. For Hades 2, I find the daggers and the coat are still pretty fast paced, as is the skull with Medea's aspect, and you can turn on Frenzy if you want things to be even faster. And honestly, even with the increased options, I find myself still often defaulting to just plain hitting things and spamming dodge as much as possible.
For omega moves, it took me a bit to get in the habit of watching for it on boons, and I'll usually ignore at least one. I also like the eternity arcana (slows down time for a bit when using an omega move); it gives a bit of breathing room, and also means I'll occasionally catch an incoming hit in time to dodge, and when you catch a boss attack with it seeing it slowed down really helps with learning the pattern.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
ICN Link ParentThey really knocked it out of the park. The removal of double-dashing, the cast as an aoe that slows down creatures, and the addition of omega moves all serve to make for less frenetic and more...They really knocked it out of the park.
The removal of double-dashing, the cast as an aoe that slows down creatures, and the addition of omega moves all serve to make for less frenetic and more considered gameplay. Hexes are a much more customizable and fun version of calls. I like grasp and making choices about which benefits you get better than the first game's one or the other approach on the mirror. The rare resource acquisition is rendered much nicer with the loyalty card system, and aspects aren't anywhere near as much of a slog to max out. Familiars are a fun and cute little addition and offer a little way to further customize your play style.
While all told I found the game a fair bit easier than the first, almost every aspect of the game is just that little bit better, nicer, and more fun. It's truly an incredible achievement. Though all the cosmetic options are too expensive.
Spoilered ending 1 thoughts
The one fly in the ointment for me was the ending. It's very abrupt and didn't feel well foreshadowed to me, and while it's a great moment for Zagreus, it leaves Melinoe feeling like a bystander in her own game. And afterwards is just kinda sad. Melinoe is fighting the same war she's been fighting her entire life, and mostly doesn't see her family. Zag doesn't even really try to get to know her better, since he already learned about her in the timeline Melinoe has no memory of.
But my biggest criticism by far is that there's no way to get Scylla and the Sirens to play a concert at the camp. I bought all their songs, I got the poster, they wrote a love song, and still nothing!
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
ICN Link ParentTrue, I was looking at things through the lens of my own situation, where I keep the volume adjustment interval pretty low, so fine adjustments are easy but large ones take a few more clicks. For...I think it is also good for small fine tuned adjustments. Mine are not stepped, so I can really dial it in at the volume I want, and not stuck either being on a notch slightly too loud/quiet.
True, I was looking at things through the lens of my own situation, where I keep the volume adjustment interval pretty low, so fine adjustments are easy but large ones take a few more clicks.
For comparison, my own setup is generally headphones with a random grab bag of content in a household where I've come to suspect the other inhabitants don't always have absolute silence as their top priority. It sounds like your soundscape may be a bit more consistent, so I wouldn't go out of your way to get a mouse that can do it, but if you've already got one I'd give it a whirl; you'll know in a day or two if it clicks.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
ICN Link ParentA dedicated volume knob is tactilely satisfying and is better for large adjustments, but the whole point of having volume controls on the side tilts of my mouse wheel is so that I don't have to...A dedicated volume knob is tactilely satisfying and is better for large adjustments, but the whole point of having volume controls on the side tilts of my mouse wheel is so that I don't have to reach for anything; if the mumbler starts talking on a podcast or the loud part of a song starts up or whatever, my hand is already on the volume control. It's constant virtually effortless fine-tuning that never breaks my flow.
It's a relatively small change, but I'd liken it to getting forward/back buttons on a mouse; no, it's not difficult to click on the actual buttons, but once you've made things just a little bit smoother all the time it's hard to go back.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
ICN LinkI find binding volume controls to a programmable mouse so convenient for gaming or web browsing that I refuse to use one where it's not possible these days.I find binding volume controls to a programmable mouse so convenient for gaming or web browsing that I refuse to use one where it's not possible these days.
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
ICN Link ParentI think another factor is also that the left is less comfortable with snake oil. Supplements in the US are mostly unregulated; IIRC there's no guarantee that they contain what they're supposed to,...I think another factor is also that the left is less comfortable with snake oil. Supplements in the US are mostly unregulated; IIRC there's no guarantee that they contain what they're supposed to, don't contain harmful ingredients, or have any of the claimed effects. This has led to the supplement industry being a huge funder of medical misinformation/mistrust (You can't trust doctors, which is why you need my brain pills) awash in right wing grifters. Since workout supplements run parallel to that industry, there's a fair bit of spillover.
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
ICN Link ParentI agree they're different situations. Twitter is out and out ideologically motivated. Google I see as going for an air of plausible deniability when they can. No no, they're not supporting the...I agree they're different situations. Twitter is out and out ideologically motivated. Google I see as going for an air of plausible deniability when they can. No no, they're not supporting the spread of misinformation, heaven forfend. They're just optimizing for engagement, which does the same thing. Google is better than Twitter, but at the end of the day they're both heading in the same direction.
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
ICN Link ParentI suspect we both want the same or similar things, but I don't see Newsom as the one to get us there. I'm vaguely aware that there are other ways he's fallen short, but for me his stance on trans...I suspect we both want the same or similar things, but I don't see Newsom as the one to get us there. I'm vaguely aware that there are other ways he's fallen short, but for me his stance on trans people is already disqualifying; throwing a group to the wolves for the sake of perceived political expediency is a despicable act in and of itself, and once that strategy is on the table it can be applied to anyone. Why fight for single payer healthcare? The people dying from the current system definitionally have no money, and all the big industry groups will get mad and work against you if you try. If you instead work with them, changing only what they'll countenance, you can instead get all those big donations rolling in.
In short, while Newsom might talk a good game, I suspect that when time comes to walk the walk he'd instead pursue the same milquetoast Democrat agenda that fomented the conditions for Trump's rise in the first place.
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
ICN Link ParentSure, here's an article that touches on the funding received by PragerU and The Daily Wire, and another on Turning Point USA, all of which are notable right wing media presences that often target...Sure, here's an article that touches on the funding received by PragerU and The Daily Wire, and another on Turning Point USA, all of which are notable right wing media presences that often target young men. It's entirely possible that there are similar organizations on the left targeting young men, but I'm unaware of any.
For algorithms, here's an article on Youtube, Twitter, and a Wikipedia link to a Facebook leak showing their harmful algorithm priorities.
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
ICN Link ParentMy impression of Newsom is a cynical man of few actual principles who's gearing up for a 2028 presidential run. In my opinion, he's trying not to alienate the mythical magical center and remain...My impression of Newsom is a cynical man of few actual principles who's gearing up for a 2028 presidential run. In my opinion, he's trying not to alienate the mythical magical center and remain palatable to big donors in the traditional Democratic party style, and the trolling is a means of boosting engagement and getting his name in headlines.
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
ICN Link ParentGetting positive influences is a difficult problem for a myriad of reasons. First, and likely most significantly, is that there's no money in that space. There are no billionaires signing blank...Getting positive influences is a difficult problem for a myriad of reasons.
First, and likely most significantly, is that there's no money in that space. There are no billionaires signing blank checks. You can't hawk dodgy supplements which props up so much of the alt right and medical disinformation grifters. The demographic themselves aren't going to have much money in the first place.
Then there's the issue that all the algorithms are biased against you. Even before the current situation where the social media companies are mask off and embracing the right, every company tended to go through a phase of tweaking things to be a little more to the right to appease all the right-wingers screaming about imbalance, only to then get even louder complaints. All social media prizes engagement, and negative emotions tend to be more engaging than positive ones.
Then there's the social issues. It's hard to be vulnerable when the other side will make fun of you and specifically target that vulnerability. It's hard to go against the grain of centuries of media telling you otherwise.
Then for the young men themselves, the message that society was better for everyone when they were on top, that relationships work best as a dictatorship, that there's no need to ever be vulnerable, and that there's no need to go through the difficult and often tedious process of introspection and self-improvement on your reflections, those are all messages that can be very appealing. Countering them articulately and in ways that are emotionally resonant is difficult and often takes some experience and maturity on the individuals part.
Purity testing on the left can make for hostile spaces to those just getting started, but that's a thorny issue. While a significant portion of this is caused by the way social media works, it also comes down to one of the most unfair dynamics marginalized people face; in addition to all the challenges of marginalization, they often get saddled with the difficult, exhausting, and thankless work of educating people about said marginalization. It's a big ask of those worried about their survival to be nice to the people insulting and denigrating them in the hopes they'll learn to be better.
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Comment on What is a business/org that's so terrible no one should use if possible? in ~life
ICN LinkI hear the Monsters Inc. CEO got busted for child trafficking. Definitely not the sort of people you'd want to open the door for.I hear the Monsters Inc. CEO got busted for child trafficking. Definitely not the sort of people you'd want to open the door for.
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Comment on A US federal appellate court finds the National Labor Relations Board to be unconstitutional in ~society
ICN Link ParentFrom what I can tell, that general strike effort is unaffiliated with the one that IIRC has the UAW, postal workers, and teachers' unions on board for May 1st, 2028. Yes, I worry about waiting...From what I can tell, that general strike effort is unaffiliated with the one that IIRC has the UAW, postal workers, and teachers' unions on board for May 1st, 2028. Yes, I worry about waiting that long, but a successful general strike would be an incredible feat of logistics and organizing; doing it right takes time, unfortunately.
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Comment on My favorite mouse costs less than USD 10 in ~tech
ICN Link ParentAh yes, if you go deep enough, every project secretly contains every other project within it.Ah yes, if you go deep enough, every project secretly contains every other project within it.
Genuinely, what kompromat could they possibly have that Trump's base would care about and wouldn't get dismissed out of hand as fake news, AI, or a deepfake?