kru's recent activity

  1. Comment on Bethesda, id Software reportedly hit hard by Microsoft layoffs in ~games

    kru
    Link Parent
    Obsidian got hit to the tune of around 25%. I doubt any studio escaped completely unscathed.

    Obsidian got hit to the tune of around 25%. I doubt any studio escaped completely unscathed.

    3 votes

  2. Comment on Does generative AI have a natural limit without a major innovation? in ~comp

    kru
    Link Parent
    Most of the gains over the past cycle have come from better tooling. I think this is widely recognized. But it's a tit-for-tat thing. Tools get made. Models get better at generic tool use. Tools...

    Most of the gains over the past cycle have come from better tooling. I think this is widely recognized. But it's a tit-for-tat thing. Tools get made. Models get better at generic tool use. Tools get better/standardized. Models get better at using those tools. Rinse. Repeat.

    I liken it to the development of software for creatives. Back in the days of yore, if you wanted to edit a digital photograph (not that those were easy to come by in the 80s/90s, heh), you were doing direct pixel manipulation. Then photoshop (and similar) came out and there was suite of nifty editing tools - but you had to learn how best to use them. Then those tools got better/more advanced and you learned the new usages. Then the tools got even better, and you learned more to keep up. Then the tools started being able to use themselves and here we are.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on Any fellow software engineers using paid GitHub copilot? in ~comp

  4. Comment on Humble Choice - June 2026 in ~games

    kru
    Link
    Riftbreaker is the sleeper hit. That game is an underrated gem. It's not as deep as factorio or satisfactory, but it's a wicked fun romp. I haven't tried coop. I did have a blast running through...

    Riftbreaker is the sleeper hit. That game is an underrated gem. It's not as deep as factorio or satisfactory, but it's a wicked fun romp. I haven't tried coop. I did have a blast running through the main story (no dlcs). I got about 30 hours out of it.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Valve raises Steam Deck OLED prices by up to $300 in ~games

    kru
    Link Parent
    Yell abuse all you like with my blessings, but avoid spitting, unless you're willing to suffer a battery charge.

    Yell abuse all you like with my blessings, but avoid spitting, unless you're willing to suffer a battery charge.

    12 votes

  6. Comment on Dice Tower West 2026 in ~games.tabletop

    kru
    Link
    I figure the intersection of people who visit Tildes and people who attend Dice Tower West is exactly me. But just in case it's not, send me a message if you're attending and want to grab a game...

    I figure the intersection of people who visit Tildes and people who attend Dice Tower West is exactly me. But just in case it's not, send me a message if you're attending and want to grab a game or two.

    The Dice Tower convention is a huge gathering of board gamers who just play board games nonstop for days on end. It's great fun, if you enjoy board games. It's not as big as spiel or gen con, but it's 100% focused on playing board games.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on The future of AI in ~tech

    kru
    Link Parent
    We've got to find a better way to bring people back to reality, or make it socially acceptable to admit to being bamboozled, or something to that effect. I don't have an answer. I just know that a...

    What is anyone supposed to do about that level of dissociation from reality?

    We've got to find a better way to bring people back to reality, or make it socially acceptable to admit to being bamboozled, or something to that effect. I don't have an answer. I just know that a big part of the problem is that people often get angrier at the person who is showing them they've been bamboozled than they get at the person who bamboozled them in the first place.

    10 votes

  9. Comment on What’s your preferred work monitor setup? in ~comp

  10. Comment on Some of my family members aren't convinced that ICE isn't overstepping and that they are just deporting people that broke the law, can you help me share unbiased links that proves they are? in ~society

    kru
    Link Parent
    Fair enough. I was hasty and let slip my frustration at the dichotomy of reality that we share with our fellows. I often lament that I have no idea what to do about the situation we're in. If we...

    Fair enough. I was hasty and let slip my frustration at the dichotomy of reality that we share with our fellows. I often lament that I have no idea what to do about the situation we're in. If we can't all agree on reality, how do we begin to move forward? Your question is just a more nuanced and specific version of that.

    I'll give you the only thing that has slightly worked for me: Authority. You'll have to find people that your family view as an authority on the subject who are telling reality as it is. That might have a chance to break through to them.

    5 votes

  11. Comment on Some of my family members aren't convinced that ICE isn't overstepping and that they are just deporting people that broke the law, can you help me share unbiased links that proves they are? in ~society

    kru
    Link
    It sounds like your family members don't want to be convinced. They're emotionally attached to their position, and you've already lost them. They're not waiting for a sound logical argument, or...

    It sounds like your family members don't want to be convinced. They're emotionally attached to their position, and you've already lost them. They're not waiting for a sound logical argument, or hard data to show them the truth. They're in their happy bubble of ignorance.

    20 votes

  12. Comment on Why we are excited about confessions in ~tech

    kru
    Link Parent
    I view LLMs as Mr Meseekses. They pop into existence when given a discrete task, do their utmost to solve that task, then, when done, disappear into a (blissful?) non-existence.

    I view LLMs as Mr Meseekses. They pop into existence when given a discrete task, do their utmost to solve that task, then, when done, disappear into a (blissful?) non-existence.

    11 votes

  13. Comment on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown in ~society

    kru
    Link Parent
    I'd like to think this is true, too. But Russia and China have been one-party rule for a very long time. Their populations consist of people who either agree with ruling hegemony, or don't but are...

    The MAGA narrative is diverging further and further from reality as time goes by. That can’t be sustainable, sooner or later a kid in the crowd is going to ask why the emperor’s naked and the whole illusion will collapse.

    I'd like to think this is true, too. But Russia and China have been one-party rule for a very long time. Their populations consist of people who either agree with ruling hegemony, or don't but are unable to do anything about it. The US might end up in a similar situation for a very long time if David Frum was actually right, and they've rejected democracy altogether.

    7 votes

  14. Comment on The 2025 Steam Awards in ~games

    kru
    Link
    The 2025 popularity contest.

    The 2025 popularity contest.

    11 votes

  15. Comment on Divinity | World premiere trailer from The Game Awards 2025 in ~games

    kru
    Link Parent
    Yeah. The d20 system was mechanically complex and compelling, and the grounded nature of wotc probably prevented them from doing a lot of goofy things that they wanted to (wotc can be very...

    Yeah. The d20 system was mechanically complex and compelling, and the grounded nature of wotc probably prevented them from doing a lot of goofy things that they wanted to (wotc can be very discerning and definitely flexes their creative control rights). the OS1 & 2 weren't as mechanically deep, were flashier and definitely goofier worlds.

    I'm not saying that a bit of goofy is wrong. Raphael is easily the top 10 villains ever solely due to his boss fight. But the original sin worlds were just a bit too goofy, or didn't let take themselves seriously enough for me.

    8 votes

  16. Comment on Living wage calculator in ~finance

    kru
    Link
    The site displays wage numbers in hourly format but displays average salaries in yearly formats without any hourly calculation for ease of comparison. This is a fairly big oversight, imo.

    The site displays wage numbers in hourly format but displays average salaries in yearly formats without any hourly calculation for ease of comparison. This is a fairly big oversight, imo.

    8 votes

  17. Comment on How investors 10x each dollar, before they even invest in ~finance

    kru
    Link Parent
    That's the gist. Now all you need to do to complete the circle is: Know people with deep pockets, or have the connections to get in touch with some. Be able to have a sit-down with said people....

    That's the gist. Now all you need to do to complete the circle is:

    • Know people with deep pockets, or have the connections to get in touch with some.
    • Be able to have a sit-down with said people.
    • Convince the deep-pockets that your plan has a net positive outcome for them (not necessarily a monetary ROI but some positive outcome, goodwill, brand improvement, etc).
    • Set up the corp/llc to handle the financing and legal shields that are entirely necessary in today's age.
    • Execute.
    12 votes

  18. Comment on Part of me wishes it wasn't true but: AI coding is legit in ~tech

    kru
    Link
    Very apt. The models will happily add dependencies willy-nilly. I am constantly telling it to make a seam and separate the concerns into smaller classes. "Don't add a dependency on NPC to our...

    the comparisons to having your own dedicated junior or intern who is at once highly educated and dumb are apt.

    Very apt. The models will happily add dependencies willy-nilly. I am constantly telling it to make a seam and separate the concerns into smaller classes.
    "Don't add a dependency on NPC to our Sensor Service just to get the range of the currently active weapon/ability. Make an IRangeProvider and pass that in." If I could knock it upside the head, I would. It's good about doing those minor corrections, though, which makes it useful.

    I have a little armchair-psychologist theory that using language models tickles the same pathways that addictive activities such as gambling or video games do. There's anticipation of the models next response, the novelty of the response, near-misses as the model gets it so close but not quite right, and variable reinforcement that all of that brings together. I'm not suggesting LLMs are addicting, just that I've felt that my use of it tends to feel similarly to how I feel when playing gambling type games (slots, roguelikes). The other week I caught myself eagerly anticipating using a language model to solve some problem, rather than eagerly anticipating the solution to the problem itself. I'm still a wee bit wary about the endgame of these tools.

    26 votes

  19. Comment on Outrage over American Eagle's 'great jeans' ad was a conservative media creation in ~society

    kru
    Link Parent
    The meat here is that right-wing personalities and popular influencers found something to be outraged about and helped other people become outraged about it. Hyperprogressives, as you call them,...

    The meat here is that right-wing personalities and popular influencers found something to be outraged about and helped other people become outraged about it. Hyperprogressives, as you call them, will always exist. The trouble here was how easily a few popular right-wing posters were able to stir up a hornets nest from what was essentially nothing.

    I disagree that this article should call out the fact that this type of manufactured outrage can occur regardless of political bent. The article was about the facts of this one specific instance, which had very clear political lines. There isn't a need to say both sides here because we're discussing a very specific instance.

    7 votes

  20. Comment on Recommendation Request: New Mouse in ~comp

    kru
    Link Parent
    This is the truth. Wear on the switch will cause the contacts to degrade and register extra clicks. Logitech is notoriously bad with this. At this point, I'm convinced logitech keeps using low...

    In my experience, it's not really dirt that causes this in mice, but just the gradual wear on the buttons of the mouse itself. Granted, this has only happened to me a couple times in the past 10 years.

    This is the truth. Wear on the switch will cause the contacts to degrade and register extra clicks. Logitech is notoriously bad with this. At this point, I'm convinced logitech keeps using low quality switches as a built-in obsolescence, to force users to buy a new mouse every 2-3 years.

    6 votes