Notcoffeetable's recent activity

  1. Comment on Tildes, I need your advice. Looking for Nintendo Switch 1 and NS2 games. in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    After spending 20 hours in Hades II, I agree.

    After spending 20 hours in Hades II, I agree.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    You know, I was a fan of what Bastion was doing, but despite starting it a lot, I never really stuck with it. I think they've really hit the sweet spot with Hades II.

    You know, I was a fan of what Bastion was doing, but despite starting it a lot, I never really stuck with it. I think they've really hit the sweet spot with Hades II.

    6 votes

  3. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    Hades II (PC/Steam Deck): I wasn't playing many video games when Hades launched but I was aware of it and I was a fan of Supergiant Studio's Bastion (2011). And Hades did get a several hours of...

    Hades II (PC/Steam Deck): I wasn't playing many video games when Hades launched but I was aware of it and I was a fan of Supergiant Studio's Bastion (2011). And Hades did get a several hours of playtime last year (only 2.5 hours per Steam), the reason it didn't stick is that I didn't really give it the focus necessary to buy into its world.

    That is not the case with Hades II (20.5hrs per steam): damn this game is clean.
    ✅ phenomenal voice acting
    ✅ darkly vibrant world brought to life through beautiful artwork
    ✅ hot but tastefully executed character designs
    ✅ a narrative structure that melds perfectly with the roguelike loop
    ✅ a very clean gameplay loop that is rewarding every time.

    Just now at this 20 hours mark does it feel like farming runs are required for progression. All weapons are unlocked and I've reached the big bad once (and I think I was close to taking him down). But I'm well aware tha tthere is much more to this game.

    I don't know how much longer I will keep playing it but October has a lot of stuff I've been waiting for (and Hades II wasn't one of them):

    • Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles releases this week but will be delivered to me on Friday.
    • Ghost of Yotei also releases this week but will be delivered to me next monday.
    • Ninja Gaiden IV near the end of the month.

    Edit: also forgot Hollow Knight: Silk Song I beat the fourth boss earlier this week but Hades II took over the rest of my week.

    11 votes

  4. Comment on Tildes, I need your advice. Looking for Nintendo Switch 1 and NS2 games. in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Well a couple that come to mind: Donkey Kong Bananza (I don't have a NS2 but when I do this will be a game I get pretty quickly) Hades II [EDIT: an excellent game but there are slightly adult...

    Well a couple that come to mind:

    • Donkey Kong Bananza (I don't have a NS2 but when I do this will be a game I get pretty quickly)
    • Hades II [EDIT: an excellent game but there are slightly adult themes and near nudity (Aphrodite is the god of love/lust/etc. after all) that you might not want to give to a niece or nephew]
    • Pokemon Legends: Z-A (Oct 16)
    8 votes

  5. Comment on Tildes, I need your advice. Looking for Nintendo Switch 1 and NS2 games. in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    You have plenty, if anything I'd see what they express interest in. IMO it's more fun getting something you want from a store than picking something off a shelf at home :)

    You have plenty, if anything I'd see what they express interest in. IMO it's more fun getting something you want from a store than picking something off a shelf at home :)

    16 votes

  6. Comment on How many valid JSON strings are there? in ~comp

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    As I was reading I was struggling to figure out why someone would be interested in counting these. Obviously "because it's there" is always a reasonable answer to such questions. But this is a...

    As I was reading I was struggling to figure out why someone would be interested in counting these. Obviously "because it's there" is always a reasonable answer to such questions. But this is a hard enough problem that usually you'd want some justification for this effort.

    • I think it is a great example of how we think about begin counting "uncountably finite" types of things.
    • One would want to do exactly this type of analysis when building a hash function of sorts.

    Any other ideas how one would use this information?

    4 votes

  7. Comment on US Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett explains why she won’t explain her recusals in ~society

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    No, but I do think that judges should be accountable for consistency and transparency. And I don't think those controls should be political. The reason you're getting the reaction that you are is...

    Sure, if by “hold me into account” you mean “threaten friends and family.”

    Are you sure you want to support that?

    No, but I do think that judges should be accountable for consistency and transparency. And I don't think those controls should be political.

    The reason you're getting the reaction that you are is because you're written the dictionary definition of a strawman argument. No one is defending threats against a justice or their family here. But that is a societal factor, I do not accept the claim that "I don't need to be transparent because it is dangerous." If being transparent is dangerous then perhaps she is not fit for the job.

    8 votes

  8. Comment on Spotify removed 75m spam tracks over the past year as artificial intelligence tools increase the ability of fraudsters to create fake music in ~music

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    That's cool you don't like AI music. I have similar concerns but notice I didn't say anything about AI? These are the concepts I'm interested in. Atonal Set Theory is an area of research in music...

    That's cool you don't like AI music. I have similar concerns but notice I didn't say anything about AI?

    I don't know where one would draw the line between noise and music. That's an older question that predates generative AI. I've seen a single piano note preceded by 15 minutes of recorded silence, passed off as a postmodern musical composition. I've heard recordings of dissonant dot matrix printers grinding their way through MIDI arrangements, which are at least technically interesting but sound awful. Far be it from me to gatekeep what qualifies as art but I can at least distinguish between what I like and what I don't.

    These are the concepts I'm interested in. Atonal Set Theory is an area of research in music theory that I've followed a bit. I don't think there is a particularly interesting discussion to have, but turning the phrase "fake music" over in my mind is fun, like a mental fidget spinner.

    6 votes

  9. Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    Piracy was mainstream about about 1600-1850 when acts of piracy were justified via letters of marque between warring nations. Similarly governments justified these letter via appeals to justice...

    Piracy was mainstream about about 1600-1850 when acts of piracy were justified via letters of marque between warring nations. Similarly governments justified these letter via appeals to justice and righting of grievances between nations.

    13 votes

  10. Comment on Spotify removed 75m spam tracks over the past year as artificial intelligence tools increase the ability of fraudsters to create fake music in ~music

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    Yes I understand what the scam is. It's a pretty boring "generate some stuff, lie about what it is" scam that snake-oil salesmen have been doing for ages. What's interesting to me is to consider...

    Yes I understand what the scam is. It's a pretty boring "generate some stuff, lie about what it is" scam that snake-oil salesmen have been doing for ages.

    What's interesting to me is to consider what "fake music" would mean in a different context. As someone who listens to experimental stuff I could see applying it, tongue-in-cheek, to some genres I enjoy. And at a more "theory of art" level... could we call random noise fake music, or is it real music? When does the intent of the artist make irregular clanging into music and what would make it real?

    7 votes

  11. Comment on Spotify removed 75m spam tracks over the past year as artificial intelligence tools increase the ability of fraudsters to create fake music in ~music

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    I'm glad to see that Spotify understands that royalties going to ai-slop undermines their business model of licensing music by human artists. The phrase "fake music" is quite funny though.

    I'm glad to see that Spotify understands that royalties going to ai-slop undermines their business model of licensing music by human artists. The phrase "fake music" is quite funny though.

    8 votes

  12. Comment on How to stop seeking validation? in ~life

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    This is a really cool technique, thank you for sharing it :)

    This is a really cool technique, thank you for sharing it :)

    1 vote

  13. Comment on Is anyone else having trouble focusing? What strategies do you use to help with focus? in ~society

  14. Comment on Why do some gamers invert their controls? Scientists now have answers, but they’re not what you think. in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    My partner is not a gamer but also prefers inverted controls if she plays something like powerwash simulator. But the real trippy part is that she also inverts the direction her computer scrolls....

    My partner is not a gamer but also prefers inverted controls if she plays something like powerwash simulator.

    But the real trippy part is that she also inverts the direction her computer scrolls. But she swipes the same direction as the rest of us.... which is technically inverted right? Does anyone invert their swipe direction on their phone?

    2 votes

  15. Comment on Is anyone else having trouble focusing? What strategies do you use to help with focus? in ~society

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    This was the key phrase in a social media post I saw years ago. And I've been in a similar mental state due to a confluence of factors (quit nicotine, stressful work, moved from my home of 10...

    The lion's habitat is lacking sources of stimulation.

    This was the key phrase in a social media post I saw years ago. And I've been in a similar mental state due to a confluence of factors (quit nicotine, stressful work, moved from my home of 10 years, vague gesturing at it all).

    This week I've achieved a bit of traction though, I took a day off mid-week and focused on sharpening some programming skills. This led to a simple linear algebra problem (degree 10 polynomial interpolation) that I worked out on my whiteboard by hand last night. It's been years since I worked on something in that way and it's felt like being in touch with myself again. I'm trying to bring this type of thing back in to my job.

    So I dunno, I guess rather than focusing on the chaos, I'm focusing on reinforcing my own identity 🤷.

    9 votes

  16. Comment on Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor | Official version 1.0 launch trailer in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    This has been one of my go-to travel games over the last year and a half. I don't always travel with my steam deck, but on work trips I do and this is a great "unwinding in the hotel catching up...

    This has been one of my go-to travel games over the last year and a half. I don't always travel with my steam deck, but on work trips I do and this is a great "unwinding in the hotel catching up on a favorite podcast" type games.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Seeking recommendations for a solo journey to London in ~travel

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    What are you planning on doing the first 5 days? Kinda hard to make recommendations without knowing what you already have on the list.

    What are you planning on doing the first 5 days? Kinda hard to make recommendations without knowing what you already have on the list.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Notcoffeetable
    Link Parent
    I agree with this description, I generally like "hard" games. But I find my self more drained playing this game, enemies just feel so dang spongey. It's doing the thing where I know how to win in...

    Silksong is not like that. I think the best way to put it is that the game is not substantially more difficult than the above games, but it is much more taxing. Because bosses, enemies, and Hornet herself all have really complex movesets, and you die in way fewer hits than the first game, you basically have to be fully locked in the whole time.

    I agree with this description, I generally like "hard" games. But I find my self more drained playing this game, enemies just feel so dang spongey. It's doing the thing where I know how to win in combat, I "get" it, but the focus it requires just limits the amount of time and energy I have to repeatedly attempt stuff.

    5 votes

  19. Comment on Throwback Thursday: Let's talk old flash and memes! in ~talk

  20. Comment on Throwback Thursday: Let's talk old flash and memes! in ~talk

    Notcoffeetable
    Link
    A lot of the classic posted but not the one that lives in my head: Leek Spin (Loituma Girl)

    A lot of the classic posted but not the one that lives in my head: Leek Spin (Loituma Girl)

    4 votes