Lapbunny's recent activity
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Comment on Looking for board game suggestions for non-gamers in ~games.tabletop
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Comment on You make friends *HERE*?! in ~tildes
Lapbunny Link ParentI get the trepidation from others about Discord, but honestly I agree. Having some friend groups that grew up on message boards and moved to it, I prefer Discord as a purely social platform. Only...I get the trepidation from others about Discord, but honestly I agree. Having some friend groups that grew up on message boards and moved to it, I prefer Discord as a purely social platform. Only thing I don't like is that chats can get clogged by a vocal minority talking about a particular interest, and shooing them to a thread tends to stifle it because forums and threads aren't visible enough to those who don't know they exist. It's also gamer-focused, which I'd get if it's off-putting to those who don't appreciate that target user, but my main car discussion outlet is a Discord channel and I don't have a problem with that there. I actively enjoy using the app.
One of my groups moved from GameFAQs to a forum to a forum to Skype to then Discord, and we're still going. (My GameFAQs account I met them on hit 20 y/o yesterday, kill me.) Originally when we split between a forum and Skype it was a little segmented, and there was a bit of a clique to people who preferred one or the other. But longer-form discussion pretty much stayed on the forum as intended until we didn't need it, and I don't see a problem with that happening here since this site is partially a feed. Long form discussion is great, but I personally find it very stuffy at times even though I like all y'all as a community and people. I find chats (that aren't reaching hundreds of active users) more conducive to one-on-one connection, and I'd join a tildes server in a hot minute.
At the same time, not sure if the site appreciates us suggesting "hey, join us on this semi-competing platform!"
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Comment on Steam Replay 2024: Discussion topic in ~games
Lapbunny Link ParentThey're weighted by the store tag votes as well. Someone mentioned they had an absurd amount of 'Rhythm' on their graph... It was because they played Sekiro.They're weighted by the store tag votes as well. Someone mentioned they had an absurd amount of 'Rhythm' on their graph... It was because they played Sekiro.
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Comment on Chrysler only sells a minivan. The iconic brand’s days could be numbered. in ~transport
Lapbunny (edited )Link Parenttl;dr it just means crossover. (Crossover Utility Vehicle) Semantically though I think 'CUV' picked up steam because SUVs used to be based on body-on-frame truck platforms, and crossovers used to...tl;dr it just means crossover. (Crossover Utility Vehicle)
Semantically though I think 'CUV' picked up steam because SUVs used to be based on body-on-frame truck platforms, and crossovers used to sometimes have unique platforms. Nowadays they share platforms with sedans to the point that they're geared to drive fairly homogenously from the ground up and replace the hatchback and wagon markets. So CUV encompasses subcompact, compact, midsize, etc models that make up most of the modern car market.
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Comment on Astro Bot wins Game of the Year 2024 in ~games
Lapbunny Link ParentIt must've been the glorified gambling AND animal abuse simulation! Won't someone please think of the quibbles??It must've been the glorified gambling AND animal abuse simulation! Won't someone please think of the quibbles??
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Comment on Chrysler only sells a minivan. The iconic brand’s days could be numbered. in ~transport
Lapbunny (edited )Link ParentFirst off this all lead me down a lot of neat random rabbit holes of sales statistics and contemporary reviews of about the whole 00's box phenomenon ("It's funky. Not very good to drive, but fun...First off this all lead me down a lot of neat random rabbit holes of sales statistics and contemporary reviews of about the whole 00's box phenomenon ("It's funky. Not very good to drive, but fun to be in."), so thank you for bringing those up...
an American automaker couldn’t have kicked off that wave, but they didn’t… it was the East Asian automakers instead
That's because Nissan and Toyota didn't need to invent it, they slapped the marquees on stuff they were already selling in Japan due to the regulations for smaller vehicle classifications like mini-MPV. The xB already existed for three years as the bB, and while it sold pretty well the updated model was a huge misfire that didn't make a dent in the sales drop. The Cube already existed for 11 years. Then it sold total booty when it popped up in the US.
There are a couple problems I can think of:
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Both the Cube launch and the xB model update were during the recession. Weird shit isn't bubble-proof; see 80's-90's pre-crisis JDM cars for other examples.
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Niche and funky appeal to younger buyers. Toyota learned with Scion that younger buyers don't actually have money to buy new cars. The xB is cool now, but at the time its lucky streak was with older buyers who appreciated the hip-level seating.
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Niche competes weird. There's a Beetle review somewhere where a VW rep noted that the biggest cross-shop against the Beetle was a Jeep Wrangler, not another hatchback or compact. If you're banking on fashion then it better be fashionable enough to plunk down car money on it, or it had better be a good car anyway. The Cube was unappealingly weird, and the facelifted xB wasn't weird enough to appeal against a Corolla hatch or what have you.
Honda Element was a really unique car, and wasn't just an Asian effort - it was USDM, built in Ohio. But:
create new models to fit niches that haven’t yet been filled.
Why and for who, and who's paying? No matter what someone walking into a car dealer ultimately wants a car, and the dealers ultimately want to sell a car walking in the door. Make something that alienates everyone and you just wasted millions of dollars for no reason other than some curiosity. Akio Toyoda is thankfully the kinda guy with money to burn on throwing a checkbook at cool vanity projects but the vast majority of owners are not car guys to the extent he is. Nor are they thinking cars - they're thinking shareholders. Take the Element, it was a compact cargo van (?) and there was nothing like it. It topped out at 56k sales its opening year, never gained momentum, never got a facelift, petered out, and no one else cared to make anything like it. The Fit/Jazz then did the spacious compact thing with the magic seats - and it happened to be a better, more efficient car to drive.
The Soul, though - definitely! It sold well through the recession and it's still on the market, was ahead of the CUV game, and sold against the Spectra. Good example. But it wasn't that far off the contemporary small car standards, and I think that was an astounding hit on being a step ahead of the market in 2009. Against shitty economics and gas prices eating into wallets, you had a car that did car things fine but ALSO enough flair to draw attention. But today in the market it's another CUV that's only moving half of what the HR-V moves, and then Kia's also selling the Seltos in the same market segment and itself moving another 60k units. That's the variety you're looking for, but it's also a potentially weird spot where Kia might cannibalize their own sales and put too much into two completely different cars? Honda's able to do that with one car. Guess it's working fine for Kia right now since they're doing it, but I doubt having to test, market, maintain, etc two different models helps on a longer timeframe. Only Kia knows.
I guess my point is risk here - taking a market you already have and trying to make it a bit fresh, sure. Investing a ton into just trying to get some variety or novelty, it can't be worth it unless you can guarantee customers who already exist. IMO if Chrysler wanted to try funky then they should've been the Stellantis EV testing ground where they put out something that was functionally useful but wildly different, which they last struck with the PT Cruiser. I think the EV market is too open for that to look cool now; huge missed opportunity.
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Lapbunny Link ParentThis is from a few years ago, but it's blue. Glad you like it too, I hope it stays just as nice!This is from a few years ago, but it's blue. Glad you like it too, I hope it stays just as nice!
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Comment on Chrysler only sells a minivan. The iconic brand’s days could be numbered. in ~transport
Lapbunny (edited )Link ParentNo, they responded perfectly - until there's another shift in preferences away from CUVs that's just kinda how it goes. They're trying to make money off of $millions+ investments; they can't just...No, they responded perfectly - until there's another shift in preferences away from CUVs that's just kinda how it goes. They're trying to make money off of $millions+ investments; they can't just sink it into a large sedan when no one buys them, a compact or a midsize sedan when Honda and Toyota already cornered the market, a cheap sports car that doesn't offer something the Miata, 86/BRZ, or GTI already offer for ~$35k... Platform sharing covers some options, but it only goes so far past all the overhead and the ability to put a better-selling car on the lot.
Ask Chrysler how they feel about a varied selection, they signposted the rise of CUVs and fall of the sedan with a big failure. If the bread and butter doesn't sell, it's time to find a new market or it's game over.
EDIT: Also I wouldn't spotlight the 00's there. Cool selection? Sure! Here's a great series of posts talking all about the wild and wacky cars that came about from just GM in that time period. Then, uh, let's not talk about the result of allat...
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Comment on 180bpm+ music recommendations? in ~music
Lapbunny LinkCould always try genre-surfing RYM, starting at something like Hardcore EDM that fits the bill and branch off the other adjacent or sub-genres when you find something you like that fits. Machine...Could always try genre-surfing RYM, starting at something like Hardcore EDM that fits the bill and branch off the other adjacent or sub-genres when you find something you like that fits. Machine Girl does it for me when I want something like that. (Though they're, uh, screamy. Often. Sometimes not.)
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Lapbunny LinkI have a Jansport backpack that's been with me in grade school since 3rd grade, through college, eight moves, Japan, dozens of vacations, and I took it to the deliveries of my children. No rips,...I have a Jansport backpack that's been with me in grade school since 3rd grade, through college, eight moves, Japan, dozens of vacations, and I took it to the deliveries of my children. No rips, tears, or anything that affects its usability. Every time I think about all that it makes me smile.
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Comment on What are your Christmas movies? in ~movies
Lapbunny (edited )LinkIt's basic, but I watch the og A Charlie Brown Christmas religiously every year. I think I've got a memory of the perfect Christmastime in my head, when I was a child, with the lights dimmed,...It's basic, but I watch the og A Charlie Brown Christmas religiously every year. I think I've got a memory of the perfect Christmastime in my head, when I was a child, with the lights dimmed, trimming a tree with my family - and the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas was playing in the background. I remember feeling a very genuine, full warmth back then, even if I didn't understand how vital that kind of security and love was.
The soundtrack and special fill me with that feeling now. While I'm cold as can be about December stressing me out over presents, my exploding hands, and my escalating SAD flare-ups, A Charlie Brown Christmas makes me recognize some people still hold some magic for the season. It pushes me to inject that energy back in the world one way or another.
A few years ago, browsing RYM, I checked out the page for the album out of curiosity. I was expecting some sneery jabs at how overplayed it is, or how the special is dated or too religious - but no, others seem to feel the same sentiment. There's one review I return to frequently that really nails what's special about it and its soundtrack:
By jshopa on rateyourmusic
>As I have said many times in the past, I have a bad relationship with religion. So why is A Charlie Brown Christmas, one of the most overtly, traditionally religious Christmas specials, my easy favourite? Part of it has to do with the nature of Charles Schulz's Peanuts strip and the tone of the various cartoons produced in this period. Schulz understood that one of the primary moods of childhood is of disappointment and frustration, something that is generally missed in the nostalgic, idyllic looks back by most adults. It can be a myopic disenchantment with a fair situation, but it is genuine. In childhood, things are just so much more desperately important all the time. A Charlie Brown Christmas is an unusually downbeat but breezy Christmas special, capturing the heartfelt social aspect of the season that Charlie Brown is largely missing in his stress over the commercialization of the season. When it comes to delivering a message of 'what the meaning of Christmas is' as practically all of these type of things do, it plainly states it in Bible verse and moves on without comment. It does not sentimentalize or make things too cute, and doesn't need to spell out that however we may celebrate, finding happiness in our social interactions is what really fulfills us. > >A large part of what makes all of this work is Vince Guaraldi's great, whimsical, jazzy score. In addition to possessing exceptional facial hair, Gauraldi was ineffably cool, a property he lent to the Peanuts series through his music. It is this music that really defined the tone of the series. It was not cheery, but it was lighthearted. Its hipness was not forced, and it is unpretentious. It projects a sense of indomitable, easygoing charm, with the light, cool touch of falling snow. The standards like "O Tannenbaum" and "What Child Is This" are given the air of slightly dejected late night piano jazz in the solo sections, then a wry groove when the drums and bass join in. The vocal tracks are by children, and have the unfussy ease of genuine Christmas caroling. > >Of course, after all these years of it being a constant at Christmastime, Vince Guaraldi's music is not only definitively an essential part of the season but it seems to be the rare music that genuinely evokes the season, that raises the feeling of it in me. It radiates calm warmth, and is the only Christmas album you might find me listening to in any month of the year.Sometimes I wonder why I write reviews on websites like backloggd, but that one reminds me how nice it is to find a particular sentiment resonates so strongly to me in the vast sea of the internet. The quip about childhood is something I try to keep in my head as a parent, and I always hope I can write something that reaches someone like this dude did...
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Comment on What’s something that you weren’t supposed to see/hear, but did? in ~talk
Lapbunny LinkWhen I was 16 or 17 I figured out how to link my ATM card to eBay so I could order things with my savings account. It was with my own money, but it somehow linked my email to my dad's bank account...When I was 16 or 17 I figured out how to link my ATM card to eBay so I could order things with my savings account. It was with my own money, but it somehow linked my email to my dad's bank account since he was technically the steward for mine. After I turned 18 and split off, for some reason I started getting emailed his checking account balance for a while. Like, a good decade...
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Comment on Poem from my 13-year-old son in ~creative
Lapbunny Link ParentIt's a verb too, I've mainly heard "rizzing on" someone if you're trying to charm them or get in their pants or trying to reach out to them about their car's extended warranty or, uh, anything.It's a verb too, I've mainly heard "rizzing on" someone if you're trying to charm them or get in their pants or trying to reach out to them about their car's extended warranty or, uh, anything.
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Comment on Favorite quick play tabletop game recommendations in ~games.tabletop
Lapbunny LinkSkull King is my wife's and my favorite; hell, we just played it while she's in labor. (She beat me by one trick...) It's a trick-taking game like Spades where you get dealt progressively larger...Skull King is my wife's and my favorite; hell, we just played it while she's in labor. (She beat me by one trick...) It's a trick-taking game like Spades where you get dealt progressively larger hands each round - 1 card, 2 cards, going up to 10 in the final - and bet on how many tricks you'll take, gaining points only if you guess correctly and losing points for getting it wrong. It's super portable, plays 2 to 6 players, easy to teach to anyone who played a game like Hearts, and has the ever-important benefit of being pirate-themed and a valid excuse for your worst pirate accents.
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Comment on Favorite quick play tabletop game recommendations in ~games.tabletop
Lapbunny Link ParentMy wife and I kill time by playing like 13 games in a row. It's stupid quick.My wife and I kill time by playing like 13 games in a row. It's stupid quick.
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Comment on Is the Cybertruck really that bad? in ~transport
Lapbunny Link ParentSame. I like the heavy focus on geometry, the Ioniq 5 does retro-future well and has a nice shape, the 6 is weird but in an appropriate EV kinda way, the Santa Fe redesign is ostensibly...Same. I like the heavy focus on geometry, the Ioniq 5 does retro-future well and has a nice shape, the 6 is weird but in an appropriate EV kinda way, the Santa Fe redesign is ostensibly practi-cool in an XJ Cherokee kinda manner, the N concept is my go-to whenever the Cybertruck comes up in conversation (lol), and the Elantra N is the only new car I'd consider buying with its redesign.
Would be nice if their dealer and QC sides of the house were as good...
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Comment on Is the Cybertruck really that bad? in ~transport
Lapbunny LinkPast it being a Tesla, as a car guy I'm disappointed. I'm not sure if safety would stop someone from making a pointer car with a low center of gravity nowadays but you can do throwback design and...Past it being a Tesla, as a car guy I'm disappointed. I'm not sure if safety would stop someone from making a pointer car with a low center of gravity nowadays but you can do throwback design and make it look both cool and novel. This ain't it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Lapbunny LinkWaiting for my kid to pop out and I was looking for a mindless but satisfying game. I have never watched a vtuber stream in my life, but somehow my friends were gushing about HoloCure enough that...Waiting for my kid to pop out and I was looking for a mindless but satisfying game. I have never watched a vtuber stream in my life, but somehow my friends were gushing about HoloCure enough that I landed on that - it feels like it's the best distillation of Vampire Survivors that I've played. Good pacing, the weapons feel fairly differentiated, the skills between characters do a good job of making everyone feel unique, there are a TON of characters to back that up, and it feels challenging without being cheap or grindy. The combo item system doesn't feel quite as pigeonhole-y as VS did, either. All for the price of free!
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Comment on Holiday season playlist in ~music
Lapbunny LinkOh baby, my family force favorite is the Family Force 5 Christmas Pageant. It's a whiter-than-snow rap rock crunk Christmas miracle that puts the make it rain on the baby Christ in Christmas. I...Oh baby, my family force favorite is the Family Force 5 Christmas Pageant. It's a whiter-than-snow rap rock crunk Christmas miracle that puts the make it rain on the baby Christ in Christmas. I wrote a review here. I genuinely listen to it (at least) once each Christmas season. I got my wife to want to listen to it (at least) once each Christmas season. It's so bad. It's so good.
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Comment on Holiday season playlist in ~music
Lapbunny Link ParentSpeaking of, this cover and this mashup are perennial favorites of mine.Speaking of, this cover and this mashup are perennial favorites of mine.
Saboteur is absurdly easy to get people into. You have a start of a mine and three potential ends. Each get cards that either lay a path of some shape down, fix/break someone's equipment, or look at the potential end. But some number of players are Saboteurs, and they're trying to mess up the path without making it blatantly obvious they're fucking it up. It's dead simple but terribly addicting.
I have board gamer friends - like, some it's their profession - but whenever there's a big party it gets pulled out pretty quick no matter the skill level of the group. It's a giant meme. Once a couple showed up with matching custom Saboteur shirts to a party. (Including a onesie for their kid.)