JCPhoenix's recent activity
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Comment on F1 closer to approving Andretti bid for expanded grid with Michael Andretti now out of picture in ~sports.motorsports
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Comment on F1 closer to approving Andretti bid for expanded grid with Michael Andretti now out of picture in ~sports.motorsports
JCPhoenix LinkLAS VEGAS (AP) — With a restructuring at Andretti Global that pushed Michael Andretti into a smaller role, the chances of his organization landing a Formula 1 team have substantially increased.
So much so that F1 and Formula One Management could have a decision to grant the General Motors-backed entry a spot as the 11th team on the grid in the coming weeks. Dan Towriss, now the majority owner of the Andretti organization, was at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Thursday scoping his chances of entering the top motorsports series in the world.
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F1 closer to approving Andretti bid for expanded grid with Michael Andretti now out of picture
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Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
JCPhoenix LinkGetting close to some Bingo's! Though I'm just playing games based on my interest. If I get a line, cool. JCPhoenix's Bingo Card Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 9/25 Known for its legacy You have...Getting close to some Bingo's! Though I'm just playing games based on my interest. If I get a line, cool.
JCPhoenix's Bingo Card
Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 9/25 Known for its legacy You have to tinker to get it running A solo-dev project
✅ Odysseus Kosmos and Robot QuestHas a isometric perspective
✅ The Battle of PolytopiaA romhack or total conversion mod Has a lives system
✅ This War of MineHas a skill tree Has romanceable characters
✅ Yes Your GraceNominated for The Game Awards Popular game you never got around to playing Has more than 3 words in its title Has a review score above 90 ★ Wildcard Has permadeath
✅ Crying SunsOwned for more than 3 years Randomness determines your fate
✅ ConvoyHas a moral choice system Focuses on exploration
✅ Between HorizonsRecommended by someone on Tildes You heard about it in our weekly gaming topics Released in the year you joined Tildes Is considered relaxing
✅ The Gardens BetweenHas creatures Has both combat and puzzles
✅ SignalisIs open-source Review - Crying Suns
- Released: Sept. 18, 2019
- Purchased: Feb. 2, 2021
- Bingo Category: Has Permadeath
- Time Played: 5hrs
Crying Suns has many similar systems to FTL. The ship you’re controlling is being chased through space. There’s a branching-path starchart, where there are limited opportunities for backtracking. If you backtrack, you could get caught out by the enemy and have to face some very difficult opponents. You’re pretty much always moving forward to the next sector. These are all FTL-like.
There are ship upgrades – weapons, hull/armor/shield, fighters/drones -- and they cost scrap,. You also have to watch your fuel; if you run out, that’s game over. Which I believe is permadeath. Like FTL. Haven’t actually tried that out yet.
The place where it differs, however, lies primarily with the battle system. Battles in Crying Suns play like an RTS. Simply, each side sends 1-4 fighting ships – fighters, frigates, drones, or cruisers – from their respective battleships, with the goal of blowing up the opposing battleship.
But that battles aren’t that fun. They seem more like battles of attrition, and once you figure out a good strat – such as using your own battleship weapons against the enemy ship and using your combat ships as battleship defenders – you can just keep doing that every engagement. Managing the combat ships just seems to get in the way. Also seems like it wants to be turn-based. Mainly because you can pause combat, which seems to be encouraged, in order to plan and execute actions. It’s not like a true pause where the UI becomes inaccessible.
Gameloop-wise, it’s explore a system, battle some BSs, deal with random events, maybe do some planet-side exploration to gain scrap or loot, visit stations to buy/repair, and then move on. And then do it again. And again. And again.
It also doesn’t have the same level of pressure or danger of FTL. In FTL, you might have to limp your damaged ship through space, with limited resources, hoping you can avoid fights or coming across a small chance to repair/restock. But in Crying Suns, the battleship gets repaired after every engagement. If a combat ship isn’t wrecked (not fully destroyed, but damaged and partially fixed) once during a battle, they’re auto-repaired to full after. In 5hrs of playing, I’ve yet to feel the pressure of running out of fuel or scrap.
Overall, it’s an OK game. It’s basically an easier, but trying-to-be-more-complex FTL. And I don’t think it does a great job at it. More than anything, it’s repetitive and even boring at times. It's something to play, but it’s not like I’m itching to get to the end.
Review - Between Horizons
- Released: March 25, 2024
- Purchased: March 26, 2024
- Bingo Category: Focuses on Exploration
- Time played: 2.3hrs
Between Horizons is a detective game. The player controls a young woman who’s the Chief of Security for this large generation ship of about 1300 colonists. And there appears to be some kind of conspiracy going on. As I’m exploring this ship, I’ve been presented with cases like, “Who attacked the network engineer?” and “Who’s trying to recruit who for this shadowy group onboard?” More importantly, “Why did my dad get killed?” I’m sure all of these will coalesce and be revealed by the end.
I’m only a couple hours in so far, so the main story is just starting to emerge. Can’t speak much about the story quality yet.
Solving the cases requires actually looking at evidence. The only case I’ve solved this far required me to figure out how to interpret characters or shapes. Had to do some simple math to see what numbers a square or line represented. Another piece of evidence has some kind of visual marking that I need to be on the lookout for as I talk to residents on this ship.
My one complaint so far is the control scheme. You can pretty much play the game with left-hand only on a keyboard. But it feels clunky. I find my constantly pressing the wrong key and exiting menus unintentionally or skipping past dialog (luckily there’s a log).
In menu screens and dialog boxes you can use the mouse. But navigating the character around the 2D side-scrolling world can only be done with keyboard. Same with interacting with the environment; no mouse. I wish I could click and she’d move. Hmm, I wonder if controller would be better here, now that I think about that. Anyway, I think I’m complaining because I’m expecting it to be a point-and-click game. And it’s not.
I’ll probably keep playing this. I’m always down for a good detective story and mystery (I’m still playing through the Ace Attorney games). Hopefully it’ll be a satisfying ending.
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Comment on How the heck do you go about moving cross country? in ~life
JCPhoenix Link ParentSame, Midwest to East Coast, though I did it alone. I finally moved a few months ago, but back in October 2023, I flew out to the new city, friend picked me up, and we checked out apartments in...Same, Midwest to East Coast, though I did it alone. I finally moved a few months ago, but back in October 2023, I flew out to the new city, friend picked me up, and we checked out apartments in various parts of town. I did it as a long weekend, and we spent a couple days looking at places and just driving around, getting a feel for neighborhoods. OK, I could live here, or, no...I think I'll pass on this one; looks rough.
And very similarly, I'm glad I was able to be on the ground to actually tour apartments. I had my picks ranked, and in case I couldn't get my top options, I could quickly pivot to one of the other apartments, without wondering if the place was OK or not.
A few years back, a friend of mine moved to my previous city after I got him a job where I worked. He did not have the benefit of scoping it out beforehand, as he had only like two weeks to move. He was in such a rush that he basically picked the first affordable place he could find online. At least I could advise which neighborhoods to avoid. As such, the place he moved into was a bit of shithole. He knows now that he really should try to check places out himself beforehand. And maybe don't start a new job in a new city with only two weeks to spare!
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Comment on United States Department of Justice will push Google to sell Chrome to break search monopoly in ~tech
JCPhoenix Link ParentI use Edge, and I'm signed-in with a Microsoft account that I have (though this is not my primary email address). I use Edge across multiple devices every day, so the ability to have almost...I use Edge, and I'm signed-in with a Microsoft account that I have (though this is not my primary email address). I use Edge across multiple devices every day, so the ability to have almost everything accessible from any device is nice. If I'm setting up a new device and browser, I can get like 95% of the browser set up just by signing-in.
When I was using Chrome, I signed-in to browsers with my Gmail for the same reason: Convenience. Even Firefox has this feature.
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Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
JCPhoenix Link ParentMy friends and I tried out NMS a couple years ago. I think all of us only played after that big updated that "fixed" the game. While it was cool at the start, it definitely lost its luster pretty...My friends and I tried out NMS a couple years ago. I think all of us only played after that big updated that "fixed" the game. While it was cool at the start, it definitely lost its luster pretty quickly. Since it's primarily an exploration game, everything else just kinda seems bolted on.
The multiplayer, especially. Which I think is for sure for got bolted-on, as that was one of the key criticisms/request when the game initially came out. There were probably like 6 or 7 of us at the start. One of the big problems we had was people's bases going missing. Someone would logoff, but then come back, and their base building would be gone. Even if some of us were still in the same area. Or the base properly saved at first, they came back to add-on to it, left again, came back later, but the new stuff wasn't there. All that effort gone. That happened to 2 or 3 people, so they quit completely.
After a handful of days, it was just two of us left. And the exploration started to get repetitive. Millions of stars and planets, but they all felt the same. Even discovering ruins and such stopped being exciting.
And I wanted to like it, but in the end, it just wasn't for me. Or any of my friends.
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Comment on Conformity and contrarianism at the same time in ~talk
JCPhoenix Link ParentOne of the seeming cultural components of Tildes, or at least something I've noticed, is that many users here really don't like these kinds broad-brushed "gimmees." Such as your example. I think...So if someone says something like "The American financial system was designed to keep lower class people as wage slaves"
One of the seeming cultural components of Tildes, or at least something I've noticed, is that many users here really don't like these kinds broad-brushed "gimmees." Such as your example. I think part of that stems from this group's anti-reddit mentality, where that kinda thing is pretty common. It's free upvotes over there. So people, here, feel the need to pushback and such. And I get it. I do this in real-life with people I know. Maybe too often. Sometimes people just want to complain or let off steam, after all.
Relatedly, I think it's also why we get so many comments across Tildes that are full-on essays. Quick quips just aren't a thing here, really. I'm not saying people aren't saying interesting, thought-provoking stuff. But when I come across them, I sometimes also think, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"
Clearly there's a want here to elevate the discussion. To have discussion, period. And I wonder if this is what's driving the contrarianism/defense of the status quo, plus the long-windedness. Sometimes to the annoyance of others. It's a fine-line to walk. Or maybe a blurry line is more accurate.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
JCPhoenix LinkWhile doing the Backlog Burner, I did actually finish one of the games: The Gardens Between. Cute little puzzle game, where you control time and space as the two characters navigate these little...While doing the Backlog Burner, I did actually finish one of the games: The Gardens Between.
Cute little puzzle game, where you control time and space as the two characters navigate these little "memory islands." Basically just trying to get them from beginning to end of each level, solving the puzzles while doing so, to create paths for them. And these unlock the memories of their adventures together.
None of the levels are particularly hard, though some are move involved than others, nor are they long. The game is trying to tell a story of friendship more than anything. No audio, other than music and effects. No text dialog; only visuals. Story isn't particularly deep, but it's probably something we've all experienced at some point in our lives.
It's fun and relaxing, and not very long. I finished it in about 3.5hrs.
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Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
JCPhoenix Link ParentNever played Prey myself, but have watch a couple of Let's Plays, and even watched a friend play it. It's easily one of my favorites, even though I've never played it. I loved the story and the...Never played Prey myself, but have watch a couple of Let's Plays, and even watched a friend play it. It's easily one of my favorites, even though I've never played it. I loved the story and the worldbuilding.
I'm also reminded of the Remedy game, Control. Having never played either, only watched others do so a few times, I can't speak to the mechanics and gameplay (I know Control is not an immersive sim like Prey), but storywise to, they're similar. If you haven't played it, might be something to add to the list.
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Comment on Twenty-eight years later, Escaflowne is suddenly trending in Japan in ~anime
JCPhoenix LinkI remember watching Escaflowne here and there in the US. I can't remember if it was on during Saturday morning cartoons, but being a young teen by the time it came out here, I can't imagine I was...I remember watching Escaflowne here and there in the US. I can't remember if it was on during Saturday morning cartoons, but being a young teen by the time it came out here, I can't imagine I was waking up on Saturdays for that.
Either way, I always did want to see the whole thing. I've watched various Gundam series, Evangelion, and Code Geass is one of my favorite anime IPs, so I should've watched Escaflowne at some point. But I just kinda forgot about it.
Unfortunately, not seeing it Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. Might need to hunt this down on the high seas.
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Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
JCPhoenix (edited )Link ParentReally only playing Backburner games during the weekend, so posting as I play them. Update: Did beat the game. 3.5hrs, total. Review - The Gardens Between Released: September 20, 2018 (Steam)...Really only playing Backburner games during the weekend, so posting as I play them.
Update: Did beat the game. 3.5hrs, total.
Review - The Gardens Between
- Released: September 20, 2018 (Steam)
- Purchased: April 25, 2022
- Bingo Category: "Is Considered Relaxing"
- Time played: 74min
The story of The Gardens Between isn’t quite clear at the start, which is the mystery part of the game. What’s going on here, and why do they seem sad or even scared at the start while in their treehouse? How did they get to this realm of memories? Probably need to play the game to find out!
The player “controls” two young friends, Arina and Frendt, as they make their way through little islands that seem to be memories of good times past. Such as when they first met, hanging out in the backyard with a pool, playing video games during sleepovers, and building a treehouse.
And to progress through these islands of memories, they must solve various puzzles through both time and space.
Control-wise, it’s simple: Left/A, Right/D, and Spacebar are all that’s needed. Left reverses times and Right moves time forward. Spacebar allows the two kids to interact with the world around them. Mainly a lantern that Arina carries, that can be used to carry some kind of orb of light. This orb can be used to activate bridges or shine through dark clouds, among other things. Frendt tends to interact with mechanisms that manipulate specific objects. In one stage, there was a rope and pully he used to manipulate an elevator of sorts. Other times, he can control flowers that hold “black holes,” that eat-up the orbs of light.
Some objects, however, persist through time. So, if Arina needs her lantern and an orb to activate a bridge, they might need to go back in time, so Frendt can cause a flower to bloom that contains an orb of light. Arina goes back in time to get it, then the two of them move forward again with an orb and use the bridge. Even though time has gone backward and forward, her holding the orb has persisted throughout.
If that’s confusing, I recorded this one as well. Better to see it, I think.
As the game progresses, the puzzles and layers get deeper. I’m basically trying to determine what the correct order of actions of both characters are, along with when to use items around them. Do I rewind at this point so that Frendt can move this thing, before Arina walks on? Or should I wait til Arina walks on, then have Frendt do this thing later? I should also mention that the paths each character takes are predetermined. I can’t control exactly where they go. The only way their paths may change is by manipulating the environment and time.
Sometimes it’s not immediately clear what needs to be done. Such as in my LP. So there’s a lot of trial and error. And while I got stuck at the end of my LP, I figured out what needed to be done a few minutes later and moved on. I just needed to pay attention! It is a relaxing game, but the player must watch what’s going on around the kids and the island. Otherwise, it’s easy to miss a solution.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this game. It reminds me a lot of Monument Valley. I also get the feeling that it’s not a very long game; I plan to play some more this weekend. Maybe I’ll even finish it. If you’re looking for something chill, you need a break from a more action-heavy game, this is it. Also the music is so relaxing; I could fall asleep to this easily!
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Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
JCPhoenix (edited )LinkJCPhoenix's Bingo Card Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 7/25 Known for its legacy You have to tinker to get it running ✅ Odysseus Kosmos and Robot Quest ✅ The Battle of Polytopia A romhack or total...JCPhoenix's Bingo Card
Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 7/25 Known for its legacy You have to tinker to get it running A solo-dev project
✅ Odysseus Kosmos and Robot QuestHas a isometric perspective
✅ The Battle of PolytopiaA romhack or total conversion mod Has a lives system
✅ This War of MineHas a skill tree Has romanceable characters
✅ Yes Your GraceNominated for The Game Awards Popular game you never got around to playing Has more than 3 words in its title Has a review score above 90 ★ Wildcard Has permadeath Owned for more than 3 years Randomness determines your fate
✅ ConvoyHas a moral choice system Focuses on exploration Recommended by someone on Tildes You heard about it in our weekly gaming topics Released in the year you joined Tildes Is considered relaxing
✅ The Gardens BetweenHas creatures Has both combat and puzzles
✅ SignalisIs open-source Review - Convoy
- Released: April 21, 2015 (Steam)
- Purchased: July 5, 2018
- Bingo Category: "Randomness Determines Your Fate"
- Time played: 82min
Convoy is a 2D, top-down roguelike in a Mad Max-esque setting. It's somewhat like FTL, in that the player can choose their own path, can upgrade and repair their vehicles, and there are lots of opportunities to fight and salvage loot. All while trying to get to the game’s end goal of repairing their crash-landed mothership.
The player has their Main Convoy Vehicle (MCV) and two support vehicles. The MCV has no purely offensive capabilities, only "support" capabilities. The two support, or "combat," vehicles can equip both offensive and support capabilities. Also, the MCV can't be moved or positioned. The player primarily controls the support vehicles, primarily through positioning, choosing which enemies to fire upon, and the ability to ram enemy vehicles.There's also a lot of reading. A LOT. Like FTL, various scenarios pop up as you traverse the desert wastelands. But some of the text is just ridiculously long, and there may be multiple pages of it depending on the decisions you make in these scenarios. And none of it was particularly interesting. I feel like the game does too much telling the story, instead of showing it. That works well for some games like Disco Elysium, but not here. The story is the most important thing in Disco, where in Convoy and also in FTL, I think the gameplay is supposed to more important.
The game was also difficult. I felt like there was no ramp-up. I did the brief tutorial, which was nice. However, as soon as I got into the actual game, it seemed like it was on hard mode immediately. The very first battle I went into had my convoy up against like four enemy support vehicles, two of which had shields, on top of their armor and health (which all vehicles have). Trying to figure out how to position my two combat vehicles against the enemy, while taking an onslaught of fire, and trying to keep them alive was tough. There were also things that weren't explained in the tutorial. Such as the fact that environmental dangers could appear, such as canyon walls or old utility towers, and if my support vehicles hit those, they go boom! So do the enemy ones, but the enemy "knows" that and tries to avoid them. I didn't, because I didn't know. Stupid me, right? So quickly I lost both my combat vehicles.
I could continue the game without the combat vehicles, and I tried to. And it's possible to find new ones through random scenarios, but there didn't seem to be a buy-back method for combat vehicles. Once they're gone, they're gone. Which made it difficult to truly progress with only the MCV, since there's so much random combat. That playthrough ended about 10min later with my MCV going boom.
I tried another attempt, and I was able to survive for about 30min that time. I brought the difficulty down to "easy," but that only really seemed to affect the starting resources I had. The battles didn't seem any easier, at all. But the RNG gods did seem to favor me, at least for a bit. I was able to complete at least two of the main item gathering quests.
Overall, this game was OK. I think FTL, which Convoy compares itself to on its Steam page, does everything much better. That was a game that really made me want to keep progressing and trying again, even after I died over and over. Convoy, not so much. FTL has a difficulty ramp-up period in each game. It helps get the player acclimated and stocked and makes them feel like they have a fighting chance. In Convoy, it feels like I just get tossed in and told "good luck!" I don't generally prefer, in games, difficulty for difficulty's sake.
I probably won’t go back to this game.
I recorded this one as well, but given I was doing this at like 3:00a, it's not my best LP. If you click here, you'll get taken to the first fight to see what I was dealing with.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
JCPhoenix Link ParentHappy belated birthday! Those Teenage Engineering products look so cool. I've always wanted to get one of the Pocket Operators, but I never bit the bullet. The OP-1 would be cool, too, but that's...Happy belated birthday!
Those Teenage Engineering products look so cool. I've always wanted to get one of the Pocket Operators, but I never bit the bullet. The OP-1 would be cool, too, but that's a bit pricey. OK, a lot pricey.
Anyway, would love to hear some of your creations, if you ever feel like sharing!
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
JCPhoenix LinkI was off on Monday, so I finally got off my ass and went to a furniture store to try out a couch/sectional I've had my eye on, online, for the last month or so. Seemed comfy enough and the price...I was off on Monday, so I finally got off my ass and went to a furniture store to try out a couch/sectional I've had my eye on, online, for the last month or so. Seemed comfy enough and the price was decent. So I bought it.
Been without any couches since I moved 2.5mo ago. I didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal, as I don't watch that much TV. I'm usually sat in front of my computer in my bedroom, gaming or watching YouTube. But I do once in awhile want to watch an F1 race or some show on a bigger screen. I'd been using an extra office chair in my living room in the meantime. Which works, but obviously not ideal. Plus the empty space just made my living room look weird.
The sectional arrived today and already took a nice nap on it. Which is at least half the reason why I got it. I'm like a cat; I need places to nap.
Workwise, it's going better, I think. Now that I have some tasking and I'm being asked to get involved with various projects, I'm feeling more comfortable in this job. I felt like I didn't have any purpose for the first 4-5 weeks. Nor did my own supervisors. That was rough. Didn't help that when people asked me, "So what are you doing for us? What's your role here?" I could only say "Idk." Made me look foolish, which is always bad at work, but worse when you're new. Anyway, I'll just keep chugging along for now.
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
JCPhoenix Link ParentWe could've had our fourth phoenix... Eh, close enough.We could've had our fourth phoenix...
Eh, close enough.
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Comment on If you had to start a blog and post even though very few may read it, what would get you blogging weekly? in ~talk
JCPhoenix LinkI have a blog that I'm sure no one reads. I don't post weekly though. In 2023, I posted once. Oops. Anyway, I write about games I play, homelab things, and once in awhile, just life stuff. This...I have a blog that I'm sure no one reads. I don't post weekly though. In 2023, I posted once. Oops. Anyway, I write about games I play, homelab things, and once in awhile, just life stuff.
This year, however, I've already posted a handful of times this year. My goal is to write at least once a month. I think I've posted three times this month, due to the Tildes games backlog burner thing. So I'm ahead of the game!
While it is public and it's written for the public, in many ways, my blog is mainly for me. Especially the homelab posts. It's my way of recording and reminding myself of how I implemented a piece of hardware/software or how I fixed a problem I had. For the gaming-related posts, again, it's a record of what I've played or even completed.
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Comment on Donald Trump nominates Fox News host and Army National Guard Major Pete Hegseth for US defense secretary in ~society
JCPhoenix Link ParentA friend has a theory, or maybe hope is a better word, that since the GOP has both houses, that they have “full” power as a coequal branch, they the GOP there may grow a spine and try to do shit...A friend has a theory, or maybe hope is a better word, that since the GOP has both houses, that they have “full” power as a coequal branch, they the GOP there may grow a spine and try to do shit their way. They may not always listen to the White House.
The downside of having power, as we’ve seen when the GOP got the House and had to deal elect a speaker, is that all of a sudden everyone wants a piece of it. Hopefully that leads to some dysfunction.
We shall see.
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Comment on Donald Trump nominates Fox News host and Army National Guard Major Pete Hegseth for US defense secretary in ~society
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Comment on Donald Trump nominates Fox News host and Army National Guard Major Pete Hegseth for US defense secretary in ~society
JCPhoenix Link ParentI know the Republicans have the trifecta, but I have to think that even the Senate may put a stop to this one. All departments are important (except for Elon and Vivek's new "Department" of...I know the Republicans have the trifecta, but I have to think that even the Senate may put a stop to this one. All departments are important (except for Elon and Vivek's new "Department" of Government Efficiency), but the DoD is definitely up there as one of the most important. Given the state of things, are Senate Republicans really going to confirm him? They're not all crazy MAGA types.
Or is this some kinda 5D chess where he's putting up a totally unqualified person for nomination, who he knows can't get confirmed without fight, only to withdraw him and then later nominate someone else who's somewhat qualified and still awful, but will then get an easier confirmation hearing?
I can't believe I'm back to thinking like this again.
Also, don't answer my question about Senate GOP. Deep down, I know the answer. Sigh.
Like many things in F1, especially when it concerns the FIA and/or FOM/Liberty/the teams, we'll probably never hear the real story. Or at least it'll be several years til we do.
But assuming there is some kind of personal grudge against Michael Andretti, I can believe some of the reasons for it. Andretti going through the FIA, and waving around the approval. Not to mention getting into whatever is going on between FOM and the teams one side, and MBS and the FIA on other. Andretti waging a very public battle with the teams. Alleging anti-trust breaches and getting Congress and the Justice Department involved.
If someone wanted into my exclusive, somewhat shadowy club, and was doing this to gain entry, I would probably stonewall them too.