JCAPER's recent activity
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Comment on Monsterpatch: A cozy monster-collecting RPG in ~games
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Comment on Thoughts on ProWritingAid in ~creative
JCAPER (edited )LinkI'm in a similarly-ish boat, but I'm writing a twine game for fun, and I'm using Claude instead of a proper/dedicated tool. I can share some insights that maybe you'll find useful: (this point is...I'm in a similarly-ish boat, but I'm writing a twine game for fun, and I'm using Claude instead of a proper/dedicated tool. I can share some insights that maybe you'll find useful:
- Enabling PWA Everywhere in different places
(this point is a bit off topic but bear with me) Just to give a heads up to actually just enable it where privacy doesn't matter. For example if you only use it for creative writing and just use Scrivener for that, then enable it only in there.
I raise this point because in order for a software like that to work, it must be sending home (servers) whatever you're writing in order to process it, and give you the AI suggestions. So if you enable it in a browser, where you'll likely write emails, chat messages, forum posts, or even maybe passwords, etc... They'll get to see those.
- Critique Suite and potential improvements
Yuuup, sounds about right. LLM's are by default sycophants, at least the commercial ones. They're very afraid to disagree with the user, to the point that once upon a time you could convince them that 1 + 2 = 5 (Nowadays, you can't really do that with the top of the line models, but they're still sycophants).
I don't know what PWA does behind the scenes but if you feel that they're too soft and don't really critique, either of these two are happening:
A - Behind the scenes, they tell the AI that the user wrote itThere's a way to circumvent the kiss-ass nature with normal chats, but with several caveats (more on that in point B down below).
You would need to use an AI website like Mistral, Claude, Gemini or chatGPT. If you don't want to spend money, go with Mistral or gemini at aistudio.google.com. Then, say something along the lines "Can you critique this chapter? here: """ chapter """"
Did you catch it? Basically, don't ever mention that you wrote it. Always treat it in a third person, as neutral as possible. Don't hint that it reads weird to you, don't hint that it looks good, etc.
LLM's, the way they work, if you hint that it's bad, it will be influenced to "think" that it's bad. If you hint that there's a problem, they'll be influenced to find one, even if it doesn't exist.
Top of the line models nowadays don't suffer with these problems as much with logical problems, but creative ones are another story. Which leads me to B.
B - You're actually good at writing, and you passed a level that AI's simply aren't useful
LLM's for creative tasks generally just suck. They suck. They're terrible. And I say this while using Claude Sonnet 3.7, which I consider the best one for creative tasks, and I think that it's terrible.
The difference is that I am even worse at writing. I can think of the story structure and what to write, but I'm a guy of very few words, my game would read like an informational bulletin if I was doing this alone. Claude is incredibly useful to help me rewrite and make things more flowery and more immersive, but I believe that at best, we're creating an amateurish writing. This is not me being humble or anything like that, just stating a fact.
- General thoughts about tools like this
Tools like these are like... Someone walking on a very thin rope. Thin rope being being the LLM models, which simply aren't great for creative tasks as I mentioned. But there are other issues.
For starters, I think that for creative tasks context is even more important than logical tasks. The LLM needs to know who the characters are, what they did, what you wrote in previous chapters, etc. But here's the thing: the more context you have, the more expensive using the LLM's become.
And here's the another thing: PWA will pay OpenAI/Anthropic/Google or whoever every time you use any of their features that use AI. So, PWA being a business and me trusting that they want to make money, they:
- either are very conservative with what they send, so you end up with responses from an AI that will have little context about why you wrote a paragraph in the way that you did
- or they use the cheaper models instead of the flagship models, which... Remember how I said that they were all terrible at creative tasks? I was talking about the flagships. These cheaper models are even worse.
- or both
So... I guess what I'm saying here is, I wouldn't hold my breath for those AI features to become great or to change your mind anytime soon. I can see that happening if one day someone manages to successfully make an LLM for creative writing and also be affordable, but for now, it is what it is.
Anyway, again, I don't know if these thoughts will be useful for you but here they go anyway
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Comment on I'm tired of dismissive anti-AI bias in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentI would say that, yes, macro management is something I wouldn't trust any LLM to deal with either. Heck, I don't trust them to plan the design and structure of my scripts either. (not because they...I would say that, yes, macro management is something I wouldn't trust any LLM to deal with either. Heck, I don't trust them to plan the design and structure of my scripts either. (not because they wouldn't work, but because I like to understand what I'm doing and writing, so I need to design them myself)
The way I use them is like this: I draft a plan, think it through, and then start coding. But instead of writing myself, I ask it to give me each parts of the code. E.g. "Give me a function that receives this dataframe and returns it multiplied by 2 in every numerical column". Basically, I ask it for the pieces in a puzzle that I planned myself, and go from there.
The problem solving skills where I find Gemini 2.5 to be really good at, is at receiving my request, understand what I'm saying, go through different possible solutions, and deliver me one. It's good at that, but also at resolving issues and errors, it quickly understands why the error happened, explains why, and provides different fixes. It basically saves me the time of searching the web for that error.
I'd say that writing code is a subset of creating convincing looking text. The code it produces doesn't always run, and it doesn't always solve the problem we've asked it to solve in natural language, but it is convincing looking. Usually it's convincing looking enough for a compiler to run it without warnings too.
Reading this, I get vibes from the times that I worked with GPT 4. I totally get this if we were talking about those earlier models. But with Gemini 2.5 Pro, Deepseek R1 and Sonnet 3.7... I can't say that has been my experience.
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Comment on I'm tired of dismissive anti-AI bias in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentMost common models will reply correctly, gemini 2.5 pro for example replied: The post shows a screenshot of Gemini's AI in google search, which I don't know for sure which model it used, but very...Most common models will reply correctly, gemini 2.5 pro for example replied:
Yes, water will freeze at 27°F.
The standard freezing point of pure water at sea level pressure is 32°F (0°C). Since 27°F is below this temperature, water will transition from a liquid to a solid (ice).
The post shows a screenshot of Gemini's AI in google search, which I don't know for sure which model it used, but very likely it was Gemini 1.5 flash, which was notoriously very bad. Thus all the memes.
A friend tried to justify it to me by saying "Well, if you word your prompt precisely as such...", to which I replied "That's not how humans ask questions and expect answers."
I'll say one thing about this, I'm not trying to say that this model is pure magic and doesn't have the problems that LLM's in general have, nor that you can have normal "human" conversations with it. But in my experience, using an LLM is like using google search, there's a proper way to talk to them to get the answers that you want. Talking with it like it's a person and expecting a deeper understanding from it, is just not gonna happen with today's models.
But if you know how to use them, they're a time saver
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Comment on Why do AI company logos look like buttholes? in ~design
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Comment on Why do AI company logos look like buttholes? in ~design
JCAPER LinkI’m having mixed feelings about this article because at first I assumed the butthole was just a clickbait joke, and the point was about the overuse of circular logos, but then later it says: So… I...I’m having mixed feelings about this article because at first I assumed the butthole was just a clickbait joke, and the point was about the overuse of circular logos, but then later it says:
No single person suggests making a logo that resembles an anus, but when everyone's feedback gets incorporated, that's what often emerges. Risk aversion in corporate environments naturally pushes designs toward familiar, "safe" territory, which apparently means anatomical openings.
So… I can’t tell if it’s just a joke or if the author is legitimately comparing them to buttholes. I can see Claude looking like one, but every other one is a stretch (no pun intended)
Or maybe I’m just too tired and irony is being lost on me lol
So I guess I can say two things about this:
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if it’s about the overuse/over-reliance on similar circular shapes, agreed. But that’s a general problem, hardly unique to the AI space (as the author points out as well)
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if it’s actually about how they look like buttholes… Meh, I’ll give you Claude at least. The rest doesn’t look like one at all
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Comment on I'm tired of dismissive anti-AI bias in ~tech
JCAPER (edited )Link ParentI have a caveat with this sentiment, at least with the current top of the line models in mind. Gemini 2.5 pro is REALLY good at problem solving. If we argue that what it produces is "convincing...The problem is that that's pretty much the only thing they're good at.
I have a caveat with this sentiment, at least with the current top of the line models in mind. Gemini 2.5 pro is REALLY good at problem solving. If we argue that what it produces is "convincing looking text", then I would argue that it's semantics because it's convincingly good at solving coding problems, regardless of what we decide to call their outputs.
I use it in my work and has been a time saver, tasks that I would usually take a few days to do, now take one afternoon.
Edit: to be clear, I’m not talking about vibe coding. The time I save here is time that I would spend on google searches and browsing stack overflow
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Comment on Long-term experiences with Google search alternatives? in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentI feel that it’s important to point out that one thing is Brave Search, another is Brave Browser. Those issues you mentioned are related to the Browser, not the Search (Not saying that you should...I feel that it’s important to point out that one thing is Brave Search, another is Brave Browser. Those issues you mentioned are related to the Browser, not the Search
(Not saying that you should give it another chance or that one thing is independent from another, just pointing out for clarity sake)
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Electronic Arts slashes BioWare after ‘Dragon Age’ sales miss
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentThe local models can also be censored. I tested the 8b version and 14b, 8b has no problems talking about Tiananmen square while 14b doesThe local models can also be censored. I tested the 8b version and 14b, 8b has no problems talking about Tiananmen square while 14b does
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Comment on BYD's self-driving U9 jumps over obstacles in ~transport
JCAPER Link ParentYeah this. At first I also found it strange but when the cloud popped up, it was obviously just to make a cool cloud. Rainbow colors probably just made the most vibrant effect, not everything is a...Yeah this. At first I also found it strange but when the cloud popped up, it was obviously just to make a cool cloud. Rainbow colors probably just made the most vibrant effect, not everything is a political statement.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
JCAPER LinkI've been replaying cyberpunk 2077. But this time, on a new desktop (that I spent more money than I care to admit, it packs a 4090), and on my 4k samsung TV, with RTX overdrive. My previous...I've been replaying cyberpunk 2077. But this time, on a new desktop (that I spent more money than I care to admit, it packs a 4090), and on my 4k samsung TV, with RTX overdrive.
My previous playthrough was on my old laptop, which handled the game at high-medium settings.
I'll be the first to admit: there are weird graphics here and there, reflections not working right, ghosting, etc. But goddamn there are moments that I just stop and look around. When everything works just right, it's one of the most gorgeous games available.
Yesterday I had a moment. I was driving at night, it was raining, listening to the radio. Then this song "Delicate Weapon" starts playing. I just... Kept driving around. Idk what to call it, but it was borderline meditative. It was candy for my ears and eyes
I always argued and will continue to argue that graphics don't make a game, but damn can they go a long way when done right
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Comment on Is there a free LLM frontend that works out of the box? in ~comp
JCAPER LinkNot exactly what you are asking, but since you mentioned that you use gemini mostly, you can use google ai studio for free with no limitations, with access to all of their modelsNot exactly what you are asking, but since you mentioned that you use gemini mostly, you can use google ai studio for free with no limitations, with access to all of their models
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Comment on Stellar Blade: The fake outrage in ~games
JCAPER Link ParentMy experience was mainly on Reddit, but I expect to be the same or worse on others. Tildes is the best social group I joined for the same reason as you mentioned. People here don't assume bad...My experience was mainly on Reddit, but I expect to be the same or worse on others.
Tildes is the best social group I joined for the same reason as you mentioned. People here don't assume bad faith by default. I don't comment as much here but I enjoy reading the conversations
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Comment on Stellar Blade: The fake outrage in ~games
JCAPER Link ParentI have a personal vendetta against these groups for an admittedly stupid/superficial reason: whenever they lock on onto a game, all discussions about that game become stupid, flametory, tiresome...I have a personal vendetta against these groups for an admittedly stupid/superficial reason: whenever they lock on onto a game, all discussions about that game become stupid, flametory, tiresome and frustrating.
I love to read opinions, I love to talk about games that interest me, I love to talk about what could've been, how great/bad this character is, how the music is great/bad, etc. But in these games, forget it. Saying anything just invites trouble.
Some examples of these games are Dragon Age Veilguard, The Last of Us 2, Battlefield 5 and, to a certain extent, Witcher 3.
In Veilguard, there's a huge focus on Taash, the non-binary character. While I also believe they were handled horribly, they are just a part of a wider story that was also badly writen. The focus on Taash is disproportionate, and honestly it doesn't take a genius to know why. But the result is all the same because of those groups, I have to be very careful if I talk about Taash, with all the disclaimers to make sure that other people understand where I'm coming from, because otherwise I will be lumped up with those groups. But I don't want to have all that work, so the result is: I just don't talk about Taash.
TLOU2 is worse in general. I just checked and sure enough, r/TheLastOfUs2 is still active to this day. 4 years of hating the game and ongoing.
I blame these guys for the following: I cannot criticize that game. If I say that I didn't like some part of this game offhandedly, like just a small comment, I will invite someone to write long essays on why I am wrong and it's actually great. I'm not exaggerating, it happened to me two times. One when I said that the ending felt off, it didn't make sense when just a few minutes earlier you were blowing up and killing people in brutal ways, and another when I said that the pacing was badly handled.
To be clear, I'm not complaining about people having different opinions - I'm a big boy, I can handle it - What I'm complaining about is how off handed comments about this game get reactions that other games wouldn't. I think that I made harsher comments about other games that did not invite the same zealousness as those two about TLOU2.
Then there was BF5... Ugh, saying that the game could've been an Alternative history game, or dieselpunk, somehow was controversial. EA/DICE wanted to make a game with a lot of customization, that's cool I thought, but maybe make it a setting where you have total creative freedom, don't try to make it as an historical game. And the campaigns, missed opportunity to tell stories about women that fought in WW2 in real life.
But the end result: people thought I was from those groups. A guy pissed off about the woman in the trailer, that can't handle the fairer sex fighting in a war. And once again, I blame those anti-"woke" groups. They poisoned the well and killed off any kind of discussion about the game.
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Comment on "Valve are gathering the avengers": we believe Gabe Newell is assembling the ultimate dream team for the one game everyone's been waiting for in ~games
JCAPER Link ParentI'm cautiously optimistic that they will/are making another singleplayer game. Might not be the next one - I mean the one after Deadlock - but I'm betting that it's coming. Would love a new Portal...I'm cautiously optimistic that they will/are making another singleplayer game. Might not be the next one - I mean the one after Deadlock - but I'm betting that it's coming.
Would love a new Portal game, or new IP
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Comment on "Valve are gathering the avengers": we believe Gabe Newell is assembling the ultimate dream team for the one game everyone's been waiting for in ~games
JCAPER Link ParentI (wrongly) assumed that the tweet that these guys used as source would have mentioned who these people were. I checked it a few minutes ago and if I had known, I wouldn't have shared. But I did...I (wrongly) assumed that the tweet that these guys used as source would have mentioned who these people were. I checked it a few minutes ago and if I had known, I wouldn't have shared.
But I did take it upon myself to try to check who these three devs were. I was unable to identify the Rockstar and Naughty Dogs one, but I was able to track down the id software. It's Timothee Yeramian.
Because of this, I'm inclined to believe that the other two are also legit, and it's not the first time I had heard that Valve was recruiting people and investing more into game making.
But yes, the article is trash, sorry about that
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"Valve are gathering the avengers": we believe Gabe Newell is assembling the ultimate dream team for the one game everyone's been waiting for
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Comment on Iran launches missile attack on Israel in ~news
JCAPER LinkGetting mighty tired of living through historic events… Israel, being bellic as it is, will undoubtedly reply in kind or worse.Getting mighty tired of living through historic events…
Israel, being bellic as it is, will undoubtedly reply in kind or worse.
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Comment on Ubisoft needs the next ‘Assassin’s Creed’ to be a hit in ~games
JCAPER Link ParentAnd with Ghost of Yotei on the horizon, they better hope they don't launch too close to each otherAnd with Ghost of Yotei on the horizon, they better hope they don't launch too close to each other
This looks great, but the more I scrolled down, the more I wondered how likely it is for Nintendo to throw their lawyers at this game… The art style is dangerously similar to pokemon blue/red/yellow, even the player character looks like Red/Blue. Then I saw the two versions…
I wish the devs all the luck