NonoAdomo's recent activity
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
-
Comment on You can bet on every aspect of the NFL Draft. But do sportsbooks actually know anything? in ~sports.american_football
NonoAdomo LinkI've soured on the growing spectical of the draft over the years. It's become quite the production and hype engine with no real payoff. There are no real winners. Sometimes clear losers (See: 2017...I've soured on the growing spectical of the draft over the years. It's become quite the production and hype engine with no real payoff. There are no real winners. Sometimes clear losers (See: 2017 Bears drafting Trubisky, an obviously bad decision)
I'm not surprised that betting has taken over such a chaotic mess. It's so unpredictable that it's basically impossible to predict and essentially a money pit for gamblers.
Just another reminder that sports gambling is a scourge and we should put more limits on how it's killing the sports watching experience
-
Comment on Sony backed down from the PSN requirement to play Helldivers 2. How will this change how the community reacts to game changes? in ~games
NonoAdomo Link ParentThis is nothing new, they just rarely ever hit to anything of this scale or even success. Helldivers 2 was an outlier because of a few things going in the community's favor: It was a deeply...The next question is how far will people take these "review bomb" protests?
This is nothing new, they just rarely ever hit to anything of this scale or even success. Helldivers 2 was an outlier because of a few things going in the community's favor:
- It was a deeply unpopular decision, with very few people being able to even try to play devils advocate
- The decision clearly came from outside the dev studio, with the lead devs saying they don't agree
- The devs themselves are passionate about providing the best possible gaming experience
- The game was a surprise hit and an unexpected GOTY candidate
- The game itself is centered around motivating players to work together to complete a significantly larger goal than any one person could hope to do themselves.
My guess is that most publishers will more than likely just quietly kill the game to cut their losses and move on to the next. This won't stop people from trying again, but most people are just apathetic. I've seen some campaigns work in FFXIV, but that took lots of time to wear down a dev who's generally open to ideas, but sometimes a bit too stubborn.
To put it simply, I wouldn't expect anything like this again for a long time.
-
Comment on Is TV advertising still relevant? Does anybody under 60 even watch traditional TV anymore? in ~tv
NonoAdomo LinkLive events like sports, news, and award shows. Not as much coverage as the past, but still enough to be notable.Live events like sports, news, and award shows. Not as much coverage as the past, but still enough to be notable.
-
Comment on Take-Two publishes WARN notice about seventy layoffs and studio closure in Seattle, possibly affecting Kerbal Space Program 2 developers Intercept Games in ~games
NonoAdomo LinkKSP2 is a sad case of the state of the video game industry. Firstly it came out as a full priced game in early access. I bought in because I wanted to support their ability to develop a successor...KSP2 is a sad case of the state of the video game industry.
Firstly it came out as a full priced game in early access. I bought in because I wanted to support their ability to develop a successor that wasn't pulled together with what felt to be bubblegum and bailing twine. I loved KSP1, but had gotten sick of the game's limitations for what I wanted to accomplish with it. Also, by the time KSP2 came out, a major update for KSP1 had come to pass and I really wasn't interested in making sure all my mods were up to date. So, back to vanilla adventures I went!
The initial launch of Early Access was not great. Many people were soured by this, and I honestly don't blame them. They had a standard of product from KSP1 and the sequel wasn't even delivering on that baseline. Not everything was there, performance was poor and it just felt rushed and incomplete. As if a larger hand was forcing the delivery of an incomplete product. Fine, it's early access and if I choose to participate, I must accept the knowledge that I am now a public beta tester.
But the updates were slow and low impact. The crowd grew restless as they wanted to see something resembling progress, anything resembling caring. The Devs would send assurances that things were in progress, but things would go radio silent for longer than recommended. Eventually, they did post an update that was worth it. The "For Science!" update was a breath of fresh air, and a reflection of what I wanted to see: Progress and innovation in their vision for the game. Yes, there were even loftier goals of colonies, resource management and multiplayer, but this felt like we finally got the game to "Feature comparable" to base KSP1.
Afterwards? Deafening silence. They were at work on something. They had to be. Right? A few weeks ago, we got a message saying: "Some big news is coming! We're eager to share the updates with you!" and got a picture of some graphical updates for clouds as a teaser (which, I admit, were really good looking) but not much more. Unfortunately, I don't think the announcement they expected to give was the fact that the studio was being shuttered.
It doesn't take a genius to see what likely was going on here. Take2 upper management was likely upset on all the money that was not being recouped from their investment into the game. They likely pressured Intercept Games into just "Get the job done, we don't care how, just do it!" The problem is that from what I could tell, Intercept's grand plans were not something that they felt could be cut down into smaller pieces. They were possibly trying to be forward thinking and preventing code rebuilds. Building code for games that are single player and multiplayer are two different beasts and having the proper framework in place was in their best interests. The downside of this is that you will likely go for a long period of time without anything to show for your work. They were able to skirt by until the economy soured for the tech world, and then it quickly shifted to a scenario where profit margins are being measured to every cent and if you're in the red, you're on notice.
I can't speak for the Devs here, but I wonder how many of them were aware of the implications of the climate in their industry. Did they know and just feel like they had no chance to succeed? Were any attempts made to rescope their work or did they just stick to their guns? These questions are forever unknown unless others come forward, but I doubt that they will and honestly, that's okay. We'll just speculate for now.
At the end of it all though? I'm sad because this likely means the end of any hope for a KSP rework. Other copycats have tried, but they all lacked the charm of slinging those goofy little Kerbals through the stars. Take2 is likely going to shelve this forever until someone who wants to try again will attempt to buy the rights. Those rights will not be cheap either, as Take2 will want to try to recoup their losses + interest and I seriously doubt anyone wants to spend big money for a niche game.
Rest in Peace, KSP. You had a good run.
-
Comment on US House approves $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan (gifted link) in ~news
NonoAdomo Link ParentI assume he also knows that his holding the speakership is contingent on pleasing as many people as possible. If he reaches across the isle for items like this, it really hurts the rabble rousing...I assume he also knows that his holding the speakership is contingent on pleasing as many people as possible. If he reaches across the isle for items like this, it really hurts the rabble rousing "Freedom Caucus" and their ability to pressure Johnson. The dems won't be quick to remove someone who is helping them get more than expected done
-
Comment on 4.8 earthquake in central New Jersey; felt in Philadelphia, New York in ~enviro
NonoAdomo LinkI was on a call with a coworker from NYC when she stopped mid meeting in a bit of confusion saying "uhh, I think there is an earthquake happening!" I've never experienced one. Technically I've...I was on a call with a coworker from NYC when she stopped mid meeting in a bit of confusion saying "uhh, I think there is an earthquake happening!"
I've never experienced one. Technically I've been in one, but I was riding a school bus at the time and obviously that in the middle of NC, far from any fault lines, it didn't shake anywhere near hard enough to feel through that.
-
Comment on Buffalo Bills trade WR Stefon Diggs to Houston Texans in ~sports.american_football
NonoAdomo Link ParentMost definitely was a problem. They were clearly ready to dump him for whatever they could get.Most definitely was a problem. They were clearly ready to dump him for whatever they could get.
-
Comment on What are some of your favorite PlayStation 1 games? Any odd or unique ones worth playing? in ~games
NonoAdomo LinkI have fond memories of games like MGS and Twisted Metal, which were tons of fun but nothing matched the sheer enjoyment I had with Hogs of War. Basically a 3d Worms style game with pigs in a WWII...I have fond memories of games like MGS and Twisted Metal, which were tons of fun but nothing matched the sheer enjoyment I had with Hogs of War. Basically a 3d Worms style game with pigs in a WWII themes world
I'm sure some of the stereotypes don't hold up well at all, but the core of the game itself was solid. I could go for another like it. -
Comment on "PS5 has no games" in ~games
NonoAdomo Link ParentI would agree with you except I have two major issues: The games that get ported have a bad habit of being poorly optimized for PC. Sometimes I want something that just "works" on the platform...I would agree with you except I have two major issues:
-
The games that get ported have a bad habit of being poorly optimized for PC. Sometimes I want something that just "works" on the platform because the devs already know the specs. Before my current overbuilt rig, I constantly had to fiddle and tweak to run the ported games.
-
I love the PlayStation controller design. Every generation, it's been my favorite. The only controller that I may like just as much is the GameCube one. Regardless, I love the PS controller. In recent years, I even enjoy the fact that I can plug in my PS4 or PS5 controller into my PC with a USB and it. just. works. It's been awesome because I'm not required to have the XBOX controller that I just do not enjoy. Unfortunately, even with all these awesome advances in tech, I really am continually upset that games on PC do not tend to carry the PS button icons by default. I do not know the XBOX ABXY layout by default. In fact, I am more inclined to use the ABXY from my Switch, which is reversed. I bought Hi-Fi Rush on launch because that game looked so much damn fun, but it took me 6 months to be able to actually play the game because it did not come with the PlayStation buttons and I had to mod them into the game. Now the game finally came out to PlayStation and I honestly just wish I waited until then and bought it there.
-
-
Comment on The creeping politicization of the US Military in ~misc
NonoAdomo Link ParentAs a former officer in the US Military (Air Force) one of the things I respected about my leadership is that I can never recall a time where senior leadership felt like they were steering things...As a former officer in the US Military (Air Force) one of the things I respected about my leadership is that I can never recall a time where senior leadership felt like they were steering things in a partisan way. Senior leadership always gave the outward appearance of not picking sides. At least in my career field, that was seen as unprofessional and unbecoming.
Now that never stopped the personal side chats. We are still human after all. I was in an education post when Trump got elected. The grumbling and disappointment was there amongst the civilian staff (they tend to get upset with constant threats of shutdowns and budget cuts) But my leadership always kept a cool head and never pushed a political agenda one way or the other. They had a bigger mission to accomplish and none of that involved being political.
-
Comment on Overwatch 2 devs fear story missions have been canceled in ~games
NonoAdomo (edited )LinkWhen OW2 was first announced, the big selling point of making a sequel to a game that was already wildly successful and live service has to be something the base game didn't have. The PvE scenario...When OW2 was first announced, the big selling point of making a sequel to a game that was already wildly successful and live service has to be something the base game didn't have. The PvE scenario missions they did for events were great and my playgroup was excited to hear that it was in fact a focus for OW2.
...but then as time went on, the PvE event missions in OW1 started to dissappear along with other items that made the original OW1 so fun. I figured "well, of course they would rather build them for the new sequel product focused on it, right?" Which makes sense, but apparently this was the time where Blizzard threw sense making out the window.
After Kaplan left, all of this became super uncertain, but my fears confirmed when they announced that OW2 would not launch with story missions. What was the point? We already had a perfectly good OW game.... well, not as good as it used to be but still was okay. Why ruin it?
Well, clearly that was because the execs wanted to push it out anyways and just get whatever return they could. That means minimal investment for ma small returns. Story missions are dead and safe money would say that they never will show up.
-
Comment on What anime do you think could have strong crossover appeal if correctly publicized? in ~anime
NonoAdomo Link ParentCyberpunk: Edgerunners most definitely is Anime without a doubt. It has the styling and it is made by my favorite anime studio: Trigger. Castlevania is great, based on a Japanese IP, and...Also do shows like Castlevania or Cyberpunk Edgerunners count as anime?
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners most definitely is Anime without a doubt. It has the styling and it is made by my favorite anime studio: Trigger.
Castlevania is great, based on a Japanese IP, and beautifully done. Not a true Anime as it does not fall into the tropes commonly found in Japanese animation (for both good and bad). It does solidly represent the non-potty joke western animation category though. I would highly recommend it.
-
Comment on Do you care about other results being spoiled while watching football matches? in ~sports.football
NonoAdomo LinkI think you're in a small minority of sports fans for this one. It sucks, because you're not going to be feeling catered to, but you just have to live with the fact that in this day and age, you...I think you're in a small minority of sports fans for this one. It sucks, because you're not going to be feeling catered to, but you just have to live with the fact that in this day and age, you will likely get spoiled on sports results unless you find some way to lock yourself in to a room with no internet and watch a sports feed with no announcers or excessive score displays.
Most fans only have the capacity for watching the teams they care about and just passively scoop up news and chatter about how the rest of the league is performing. Hell, most people will forget about what they heard anyways and still be surprised when they get told again. They just have other things they worry about.
My suggestion? Watch the game more on an analysis level and not on a surprise level. I would use it as an opportunity to see "why" the scoring events happened and not just that they did. What coaching decisions/formations were used? Where there any key injuries or substitutions? Did someone just get plain beat? In any sporting event, it's not just the scores but the mood in between. There's a bigger story that's told that's not in the scoring highlights and that's the more interesting part of the event (to me, at least, but I might just be weird like that)
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
NonoAdomo Link ParentFirstly, your individual persona levels don't really matter as long as they're vaguely close. Fuse a new one you want and your social link EXP boost will do the rest. Recently I've fused a new...... if you want to keep your team and your personas level appropriate. This also means going back and grinding levels on your under leveled team mates.
Firstly, your individual persona levels don't really matter as long as they're vaguely close. Fuse a new one you want and your social link EXP boost will do the rest. Recently I've fused a new persona that came out the gate 5 levels above me.
As for your team levels? P3R fixes this problem and I really like how they did it. Sometimes a new door that looks like a giant clock face appears on the wall near the exit stairs. If you enter (which you should) it will give you the option to boost up the level of two teammates. The boost is bigger the farther back in level those teammates are. So, randomly, they will gain like, 5-7 levels and catch up with the rest of the party.
Also, concerning the combat system itself, that's just Persona combat in general. It's an aggressive game of Rock-Paper-Scissors and sometimes the game punches you in the face. P3 in particular is a bit harsher than the other two games about it as well, as I've had several times in my playthrough where items just didn't roll in my favor and it died out.
The mini games aren't a fun reward after combat. You absolutely want to get an exp card, because again it lessens the tedious grind and it is absolutely trivally easy to get that. Might as well dump the mini game entirely, randomly award Personas instead and dramatically increase exp gain.
Good news! No shuffle minigame in P3R at all. They decided to just give you a choice between 3-4 cards that all give you some sort of buff. Significantly less frustrating to keep track of.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
NonoAdomo Link ParentP3 is my favorite of the trio because of the story, but I can concede that Tartarus isn't one of the game's strong suits. Dissecting why Tartarus is such a turn off for quite a few players is an...P3 is my favorite of the trio because of the story, but I can concede that Tartarus isn't one of the game's strong suits.
Dissecting why Tartarus is such a turn off for quite a few players is an interesting game dev thought experiment. Functionally it isn't massively different than P4 or P5 dungeons: You take a time session to dive into another realm where you try to get as far as you can. Optimally, you should go as far as the game lets you every time you go in. In P5, for example, you would hit either the Treasure room or the midpoint block as fast as possible. Why? This way you have all the time in the world to play the visual novel half of the game and reap all the bonuses, benefits and fun narrative elements. You run into enemies, have a JRPG battle against them and then move on to the next ones. At the end of it all, there's really only one massive difference between the Tartarus and the P4/P5 dungeons: In-dungeon narratives.
P3R has barely any in-dungeon narrative exposure. It's effectively a persona roguelite: Maps are random, buffs and rewards are randomly offered at the end of combat, there are random doors with bigger challenges that pop up, but you have to do them right then and there or else they disappear forever. But inherent in that random display, there are no real avenues for narrative exploration. We're here in Tartarus to climb the tower and beat up all the shadows along the way. Conversely, however, this forces all the dungeon narrative (that gets spread out over the course of the dungeon period in P4/P5) into the events on the full moon. Those days are jam packed with all the narrative, but they only show up periodically.
I still love the game though, and honestly? I'm glad they only shaved off the rough edges. Changing Tartarus too much could have easily ruined the game experience since the game is so solidly built around the tower as it's core pillar.
-
Comment on Eye glasses, especially myopia - what's real what's myth? in ~life
NonoAdomo Link ParentI personally preferred glasses over contacts. Less hassle, less things to go wrong. If and when my vision deteriorates again, I'll be getting glasses and not going for contacts. Contact lenses...I personally preferred glasses over contacts. Less hassle, less things to go wrong. If and when my vision deteriorates again, I'll be getting glasses and not going for contacts.
Contact lenses have a higher risk for complications as well. My sister did go for contacts, wore them somewhere that she shouldn't have (I think it was a water park) and got a nasty eye infection. Now she can't wear them anymore and has to wear glasses all the time.
-
Comment on Eye glasses, especially myopia - what's real what's myth? in ~life
NonoAdomo Link ParentI appreciate your approach to ensuring your kid feels comfortable in their glasses. I was given really ugly frames because they were likely cheap and I had no real say in it. Real "blunder years"...I appreciate your approach to ensuring your kid feels comfortable in their glasses. I was given really ugly frames because they were likely cheap and I had no real say in it. Real "blunder years" material of my youth there. As I got older, I got more say but those first few years? Thinking back it makes me shudder.
As for how much to spend on the frames: I would consider how rough you expect your kid to be with them. It's not worth going out of the way to buy the fancy, designer frames if they're going to end up breaking them (Bridge and arm joint are the two most likely failure points)
Personally? I learned that the best look for me were thinner frames that frankly had no room for logos on them. People notice brands of sunglasses, but I've never heard of that for eye glasses. I'm sure it exists, but if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't put too much weight in that. I got teased for lots of things, but not having a designer brand glasses wasn't one of them.
-
Comment on Eye glasses, especially myopia - what's real what's myth? in ~life
NonoAdomo Link ParentI'm going to echo the stabilization bit: My vision fell off a cliff really fast during my teen years. My glasses prescription kept needing to be updated all throughout high school until it really...I'm going to echo the stabilization bit: My vision fell off a cliff really fast during my teen years. My glasses prescription kept needing to be updated all throughout high school until it really leveled off in college. In the span of 10 years or so, I only needed to update my prescription once and that moment was when I realized I should look into getting corrective surgery. I ended up being a solid candidate for SMILE, which is a special version of LASIK about two years ago and it's been great. I ended up getting it in my mid 30s, but I could definitely have had it in my late 20s if I really wanted it.
-
Comment on Help: Dual sim mobile phone replacement in ~tech
NonoAdomo Link ParentI used an eSIM for the first time this past fall. It was an absolute godsend while traveling abroad. I agree, if a phone has that ability then the OP should look into it.I used an eSIM for the first time this past fall. It was an absolute godsend while traveling abroad. I agree, if a phone has that ability then the OP should look into it.
Others have made good points about helldivers, but my favorite one for people worried about not being able to "no life" a game is that the gear is (generally) balanced across the board. Your starter gear is just as good as the stuff you unlock, they all just have different use cases. This makes a great situation where there really isn't a best-in-slot kit that you have to take and most people just take what they find enjoyable for their play style