Micycle_the_Bichael's recent activity
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Comment on The pundits were wrong: Corporate greed stoked inflation in ~finance
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Comment on Who are your favourite content creators, and what do they do? in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkSo something I noticed in this list is something I also noticed about my own YouTube content the last month: there is a noticeable lack of comedy in these lists. There are lots of channels here...So something I noticed in this list is something I also noticed about my own YouTube content the last month: there is a noticeable lack of comedy in these lists. There are lots of channels here that are funny or entertaining (many of the named channels here I already watch and enjoy greatly) but there aren’t any where making comedy is the primary focus of the content. Like I’m thinking of YouTube long past where you had CollegeHumor (now also known as Dropout and they are still incredibly funny and I would strongly endorse), Whitest Kids You Know, DerrickComedy, etc. I am guessing this is because YouTube now heavily prioritizes long-form content and the type of videos I am thinking of are now the domain of the Vines and TikToks of the world. But vine is dead and I don’t like or use TikTok so I’m SOL.
It is just unfortunate that when I am really in the mood for short-form, gut-busting comedy, I end up rewatching old standup clips or sketches from a long time ago because I have a hard time finding new content to scratch that itch.
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Comment on r/antiwork seems to be back (was it really gone?) in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentJust a heads up, if the user you are mentioning is Gaywallet, they use they/them pronouns.Just a heads up, if the user you are mentioning is Gaywallet, they use they/them pronouns.
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Comment on Grammys: Harry Styles wins Album Of The Year for ‘Harry’s House’ in ~music
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentI don't know a ton about the process of submitting an album to the Grammy's for consideration; I only learned that was required last month. I am not an expert on that side of things. From the...I don't know a ton about the process of submitting an album to the Grammy's for consideration; I only learned that was required last month. I am not an expert on that side of things. From the hip-hop side of things, it is insane that Jack Harlow and DJ Khaled's albums are up for best rap album when 2022 was such a stacked year for the genre (IMO). I don't have anything against Jack Harlow or DJ Khaled; I think most of their songs are bad-to-mid and I think their albums are shallow, but I don't have anything against the artists for releasing the music they want to make, and I don't begrudge anyone that enjoy's their music. It does feel like a damning inditement of the Grammy's though when just this year we also got:
- The Forever Story by JID
- God Don't Make Mistakes by Conway the Machine
- Few Good Things by Saba
- Drill Music in Zion by Lupe Fiasco
- $oul $old $eparately by Freddie Gibbs
- Remember Your Leverage by Nas
- Aethiopes by billy wood
Hell, if the bar is just better than DJ Khaled's album then albums that aren't album of the year but more deserving to be on the list like
- Preaching In Havana by Fatboi Sharif
- Everything by Kota the Friend
- a tape called component system with the auto-reverse by Open Mike Eagle
- Ghetto Gods by EARTHGANG
- Didn't Mean To Haunt You by Quebec
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Comment on Bandcamp's best hip-hop of 2022 in ~music
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkI was initially a bit surprised by this list (well, more accurately some omissions from the list), but then I remembered this is a bandcamp list. By that I mean that the focus will be on...I was initially a bit surprised by this list (well, more accurately some omissions from the list), but then I remembered this is a bandcamp list. By that I mean that the focus will be on underground artists or artists who are currently flying under most people's radar and unconventional/unique art. This is not a bad thing or a statement against their list, I love and use bandcamp a lot. It is just important to remember what the grading scale being used is when looking at a "Best Of" list. Most of the artists I have heard on here are very deserving of their spot.
Sidenote: I always remember and appreciate how much effort and thought bandcamp puts into how they make their lists. I love that they did away with "Top <N> of <Genre>" lists. They're so subjective, and you're always going to miss out on some works that were equally deserving of being on the list but couldn't be put on because we're only allowed N items. Unordered lists that have as many items as the writer thinks earned "Best Of" is something I vastly prefer and would love to see adopted more generally.
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Comment on Why it's rude to suck at Warcraft in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkAnother great video by Dan. Probably my favorite content creator at this point. I really loved this video because of the unique position I find myself in. My formative years in gaming are the same...Another great video by Dan. Probably my favorite content creator at this point.
I really loved this video because of the unique position I find myself in. My formative years in gaming are the same era as the rise of addons. And during that time, I was definitely one of the players always looking to “optimize fun” where “optimize fun”==“make the most OP character and win PvP fights”. As time has gone on, I’ve really flipped sides. I still love mods and addons, but now I love them for PvE or just game mods. I now actively hate the “optimize for competitive” mindset built into games and that is the norm in many game communities. I still think modding is one of the best and most important parts of gaming, but what kinds of mods I value and why I value them has almost reversed. It was interesting to watch this video from the perspective of someone who was the instrumental play obsessed gamer during the timeline of events the video describes, while aligning with Dan in the modern-day.
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Comment on Looking for lessons in the ‘She Said’ box-office beatdown in ~movies
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkI saw a couple ads for this movie. I knew the general premise but didn’t realize it was specifically Harvey Weinstein. This is pretty accurate to why I didn’t have interest in seeing it. Nothing...I saw a couple ads for this movie. I knew the general premise but didn’t realize it was specifically Harvey Weinstein.
This is pretty accurate to why I didn’t have interest in seeing it. Nothing about it seemed unique or interesting to keep my attention, and the overall concept is depressing. I’m not even saying the movie gave me the impression that it was going to be bad, but it didn’t convince me it was more worth watching than any other movie or tv show.
The event the movie is covering is an important one, but not every important event makes a good movie.
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Comment on Did Real Time Strategy games die? Why? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkMy comment is mostly going to echo @NaraVara's, but I think something of an RTS revival is on the horizon. I don't think we will ever see the RTS genre dominate like SC2 dominated early esports,...My comment is mostly going to echo @NaraVara's, but I think something of an RTS revival is on the horizon. I don't think we will ever see the RTS genre dominate like SC2 dominated early esports, but I think a breath of life is coming for the genre. I've been on the newsletter for Stormgate for about a year now and it looks really good and has a ton of industry titans working on it. I've been drooling over Immortal: Gates of Pyre.
If you're interested in a 'short' (25m) youtube video about the genre, I strongly suggest Why the Next RTS Will Fail. Made by a veteran creator in the RTS space, it looks at the rise and fall of the RTS genre, what the creator thinks are the problems with the RTS genre, and where to go from here. I have a lot of fond memories of playing RTS games growing up, and the video really nailed a lot of the things I liked most about games and what I miss the most in current releases.
I'm going to take a small aside for a game that isn't purely an RTS because it is adjacent to an IP I really enjoy. The new Total War: Warhammer game is, IMO, insanely good. It has a really solid tutorial system to help players learn all the systems. Which it needs, because holy fuck is it a complex game. Really fun, definitely not for everyone. But also, it is in the Warhammer Fantasy universe, which 'recently' (jesus christ it has been 7 years already what the fuck where did time go ∑(O_O;) ) got retired and replaced by Age of Sigmar. I will stop myself from writing 100000 words about why Age of Sigmar is great and just focus on how it relates to RTS's. Basically, Age of Sigmar is Games-Workshop's new fantasy setting and it doesn't have any real good video game releases to get new fans hooked. Storm Ground exists and was fine but IMO isn't even remotely comparable in scope or quality to Total War: Warhammer. And with how much really sick lore and different factions there are in AoS, I think you could get a really really solid RTS/TWW game out of it. Anyway, that's my RTS Fanfiction.
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Comment on Kanye West is buying ‘free speech platform’ Parler in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentA great note! Nebula is pretty neat. I like the idea in theory, and there are benefits to using it! I know a couple of creators I like who have some really solid nebula-exclusive videos. And the...A great note! Nebula is pretty neat. I like the idea in theory, and there are benefits to using it! I know a couple of creators I like who have some really solid nebula-exclusive videos. And the service is way better for creators from a monetary perspective (I believe a lot of semi-big creators [like Lindsay Ellis, Big Joel, and others that I cannot remember anymore, but it isn't just left-leaning youtubers] helped fund/create it so that would make sense). I used it ~1yr ago and had some issues searching and discovering new content. However, (1) Probably a good thing to get away from frighteningly effective algorithms, and (2) not their main goal anyway, so it makes sense. It's a cheap subscription that can be tied with CuriosityStream. Would suggest it if you've got a couple of bucks a month.
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Comment on Kanye West is buying ‘free speech platform’ Parler in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )LinkComing back from an internet detox and seeing all the Kanye news has felt like a strange fever dream. None of what he is doing is particularly out of character; it all tracks with the direction...Coming back from an internet detox and seeing all the Kanye news has felt like a strange fever dream. None of what he is doing is particularly out of character; it all tracks with the direction he's been going in the last decade. It wasn't on my list of things I thought I would see when I returned from vacation, though.
For anyone who likes long-form content:
The Tragic Fall of Kanye West (Pt1) by F.D Signifier - Runtime 55:53
The Tragic Fall of Kanye West (pt 2) by F.D Signifier - Runtime 1:17:49
A good series of videos by a content creator I find has interesting takes on a lot of topics. This series is almost a year old at this point, so there won't be any discussion about recent events (though, the thumbnail for part 2 really go a laugh out of me)
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Comment on Bros fails at the box office as Smile arrives at No. 1 in ~movies
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentInteresting. For the past month or so, I have been inundated with ads for the movie. My feelings about the movie are complicated, but I have been given significantly more time than I would have...Interesting. For the past month or so, I have been inundated with ads for the movie. My feelings about the movie are complicated, but I have been given significantly more time than I would have liked to consider them. I think I saw 2-3 different trailers for it. Bros is the first movie in quite a while that I have seen enough ads of it to (a) remember the movie exists (b) remember any details of what the movie is about and (c) have feelings about the movie.
That said, there are so many factors that could cause two people to see completely different ads online that I don't know if my experience is normal or not.
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Comment on What are some of your favorite tabletop RPG systems and settings, and what do you love about them? in ~games.tabletop
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentAHHH yeah, Conquest is like that too! Each unit on the board has a corresponding card that makes a small "deck." At the start of each round, you choose the order you want to activate your units by...I like that you have to choose your orders for every unit at the start of the round so there's a bit of fog of war, you only know the state of the board at the start of the round, and you can guess what your opponent might do, but it's entirely possible to give a unit a charge order and for the enemy unit you're trying to charge goes earlier in the initiative and gets out of the way entirely.
AHHH yeah, Conquest is like that too! Each unit on the board has a corresponding card that makes a small "deck." At the start of each round, you choose the order you want to activate your units by ordering the cards in your deck and placing it face-down on the table. You then alternate turns, activating the unit whose card you flipped over. It makes it fun because you don't know the exact order the enemy will activate their units, but as a round goes on you can still strategically attack units to try and wipe them out before they can activate.
That style of activation is my favorite way to play by far. As you mentioned, It feels the most realistic and fun. I dislike games where each player takes turns activating all their units before the opponent gets to respond. It gives games an awkward flow, IMO. You end up with these lulls where one player can't react to anything happening on the table, but it is also hard to strategize until a good chunk of the enemy army has been activated cus fuck knows what they might do and what units you'll have left by your turn.
Also, fwiw: OnePage is similar. Each round, players alternate activating units, but you don't have to predetermine your activation order. The great thing about playing casually with friends is that if you want to change the rules a bit, you're allowed. I am planning to experiment with playing Grimdark Future: FireFight with predetermined activation orders next week when my buddy gets back.
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Comment on What are some of your favorite tabletop RPG systems and settings, and what do you love about them? in ~games.tabletop
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentOf course! HAHAHAHA ooohhhh man. Your friend and I definitely have that in common. I convinced my friend to try some war games with me so my models don't just sit on the shelf. In exchange, I'm...Of course!
my friend is the one who has caught the painting bug, and he's mostly just looking for somebody to play the games with so he doesn't feel like he's spending all that money just to paint them and put them up somewhere to look at (although we both know)
HAHAHAHA ooohhhh man. Your friend and I definitely have that in common. I convinced my friend to try some war games with me so my models don't just sit on the shelf. In exchange, I'm his test opponent when he wants to build new Commander decks for Magic.
As an aside, Rune wars looks pretty sick. I think it is going to get added onto the game back burner. The last games I will pitch are Reign in Hell and Legacy of Atmos. The former is a fully-finished skirmish game that I enjoy; the latter is still very early in development. Both are games created by YouTubers whose content I watch regularly. Both are big war game + ttrpg + board game guys who wanted to make games with interesting and fresh game mechanics.
I am not sure how much this weighs on either of your enjoyment of a game, but for me, I am a huge lore guy. I love expansive worlds I can spend hours or days going down rabbit holes learning more about. If that is a factor, I would say Conquest and AoS have the best lore. Reign in Hell explicitly doesn't have lore, nor do the one page rule games (they have campaigns, but nothing super deep. Like they don't have their own novels or anything). 40k lore is uhhhhh interesting. If you can embrace that somehow the hyper-religious fascist genocide army is somehow one of the least evil groups in the game, then there is a lot of interesting stuff there. But it is not for everyone. Though I suppose "this isn't for everyone" is a good motto to have in war gaming in general :)
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Comment on What are some of your favorite tabletop RPG systems and settings, and what do you love about them? in ~games.tabletop
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )Link Parent(NOTE: Throughout this comment, I focus mostly on 40k and Grimdark Future. That is just for the sake of a consistent, easily-recognizable example. 40k is by far the most popular game in the genre....(NOTE: Throughout this comment, I focus mostly on 40k and Grimdark Future. That is just for the sake of a consistent, easily-recognizable example. 40k is by far the most popular game in the genre. If you have questions about another game, I am happy to try and talk about it if I know about it or know someone who plays it)
If you both are interested in a great intro to wargaming, I cannot suggest onepagerules enough. The idea started as a way to make a free, simple-to-understand war game that you could easily use your GamesWorkshop models to play. They've gone on to add a bunch to it but the main advantages to onepagerules for someone just trying out the hobby:
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All the rules are available online for free (or at least the basic versions. You can get access to more complex versions via their patreon [which they have one of the best patreon reward programs I've ever seen but that's a larger discussion]. I have played 40k, AoS, Kill Team, Necromunda, and another game called Conquest. Conquest is my favorite but is still expensive [less so than GW but still not great] and more complicated so I would suggest OnePageRules as a better intro). They sometimes update the rule pdfs to help make sure the armies are balanced and to account for new GamesWorkshop models but the changes are few and far between.
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The basic rules are pretty straightforward. There's still a degree of complexity that is pretty unavoidable in the genre but compared to the other games I've played it is very approachable.
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As an extension of the above point, the games are shorter. Full games of Grimdark Future (40k) take 3ish hours, and the skirmish games take 30-60 minutes.
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All of the rules are made to work with GamesWorkshop models. So for example, in 40k you have Space Marines, and in OnePageRules you have the Battle Brothers who definitely aren't space marines. They both just happen to be genetically modified humans turned into mindless war machines trying to find their way in a galaxy after the death of their fascist god emperor and have nearly identical-looking armor.
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They have multiple ways to get armies for all budget levels. They have options for paper models and terrain for something like $4 an army. They sell the files needed to 3D print the models themselves for something like $10 an army (and it takes probably about a $30 spool to print a Skirmish army so if you already have access to a 3D printer you come out way ahead, and if you buy a $300 printer you still come out ahead after a couple of armies). You can also access all the files they use to make the official models for "free" if you are a $10/mo Patreon subscriber (free for as long as you are a sub, so not free). If none of those are up your alley, they do also just sell the models printed for you like any other war game company out there (except still cheaper than GW). There is a lot more to consider when making a decision on this topic, but I won't elaborate here. Again, if you want more info about any of this let me know. Hopefully, this wall of text makes it clear how excited and willing I am to talk anyone's ear off about this stuff.
So yeah. Trying to shortly summarize: One page rules is a great casual war game for anyone who wants to get involved in the hobby without committing as much money as the other major players in the space. I mostly play one page rules when I play with my friends (until I finish painting both my Conquest armies and get them to try that >:)
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Comment on What are some of your favorite tabletop RPG systems and settings, and what do you love about them? in ~games.tabletop
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkIf you ever decide ttrpg are close but not quite what you are looking for, come give war games a try :) I enjoy playing both types (though I lean towards war games) and am always happy to chat...If you ever decide ttrpg are close but not quite what you are looking for, come give war games a try :) I enjoy playing both types (though I lean towards war games) and am always happy to chat about them.
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Comment on What's a video game that you really want to exist? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentIt isn't the same because it is two different games in the same "world", but Command and Conquer did something close to this. The original games in the Tiberian Sun series were all RTS games. Then...It isn't the same because it is two different games in the same "world", but Command and Conquer did something close to this. The original games in the Tiberian Sun series were all RTS games. Then they released Command and Conquer: Renegade, an FPS that puts you in the boots of a commando in the last days of the First Tiberium War (the setting of the first Command & Conquer). I like(d) that idea. First, I got to play out the First Tiberium War campaign from this top-down, control the whole army perspective. I got to be the general making all the tactical decisions and moving my troops around. Then, when it gets to the climax of the First War, it zooms in on one individual's story, and we get to see how the war's final days play out in a level of detail that an RTS wouldn't allow.
I'm sure if I went back to play the games again the games and story would be a lot worse than I remember. I was 9, and my family couldn't afford a computer or any games, so I binge-played them with my cousin whenever I visited him. Regardless of execution, I still think it was an interesting choice. I would love to see the C&C IP tall out of EA's hands and see if someone could nail the concept.
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Comment on ‘Pre-bunking’ online misinformation in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentAbsolutely! I understand the impulse to defend independent journalism from unfair criticism. It is a good and necessary impulse in the modern day. While it might not have been the case here, you...Absolutely! I understand the impulse to defend independent journalism from unfair criticism. It is a good and necessary impulse in the modern day. While it might not have been the case here, you don't have to look too far to find instances where that IS what is happening.
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Comment on ‘Pre-bunking’ online misinformation in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentWhile it might seem off-topic at first, I think Dan Olsen's video on The Wall actually dives into this in a really important way. The full discussion can be found starting at this chapter but if...think our education system focuses too much on rote memorization and not enough on building critical thinking skills. This is backwards. Once people know how to think, learning things like math and biology will become much easier. Having "the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell" memorized is less useful than having the skills necessary to find and understand that information. And it has the side effect of teaching people how to spot conspiracy theories.
While it might seem off-topic at first, I think Dan Olsen's video on The Wall actually dives into this in a really important way. The full discussion can be found starting at this chapter but if you only care specifically about the discussion around education you can jump to 21:40 into the video. Rather than the difference being memorization vs critical thinking, it is framed (correctly, IMO) as a battle over what the purpose of education is. Is the goal of education to prepare people for the "real world" by teaching what you need to know to be an effective worker? Or is the goal of education to educate people because we think education is ethically/morally good and important?
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Comment on ‘Pre-bunking’ online misinformation in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentI think they’re just saying that countering misinformation with fact-checking isn’t a perfect solution. To debunk a piece of misinformation via journalistic fact-checking, you’re doing it after...Are they saying that journalism isn't important? Or am I wrong?
I think they’re just saying that countering misinformation with fact-checking isn’t a perfect solution. To debunk a piece of misinformation via journalistic fact-checking, you’re doing it after the piece has been published. You need to have an individual with the knowledge to see a piece as flawed, and the time, energy, and resources to research how it is wrong, present that counter-argument, and have a platform large enough to reach the same audience as the original piece. It’s like cybersecurity. You’re always fighting a losing battle if all you can do is react. Pre-bunking is for trying to make it so fewer people fall for misinformation, fact-checking articles are for informing people who were misinformed after the fact. Both are important and tackle the same issue from opposite sides and you probably need both to properly “fight” misinformation.
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Comment on What’s something you’ve been mulling over recently? in ~talk
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentOh man, this is a great comment. It makes me really mad that I didn't take my Adderall this morning, because I am having an impossible time sitting down and writing out the comment I want to...Oh man, this is a great comment. It makes me really mad that I didn't take my Adderall this morning, because I am having an impossible time sitting down and writing out the comment I want to write. What you're getting at touches on so many interesting aspects of queer history and internet trends and how they intersect. Things like changes in societal views of the queer community from being a catch-all outgroup to an in-group, the overall trend away from nuance in online spaces, the way globalization impacts symbols, or why the queer community places so much emphasis on symbols. Hopefully, I can sit down sometime after remembering my meds and try to flesh them out. Fingers crossed that my comment and listing some topic ideas will inspire someone else to think about them and write their own comment with their own views/thoughts on them.
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