RadDevon's recent activity

  1. Comment on With Yuzu and Citra gone, why is Dolphin seemingly unaffected? in ~games

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    My understanding is the only reason Citra came down is that it was being developed by the same group as Yuzu. Seems like maybe Nintendo just rolled it into the settlement because it was...

    My understanding is the only reason Citra came down is that it was being developed by the same group as Yuzu. Seems like maybe Nintendo just rolled it into the settlement because it was convenient. I believe Yuzu was their target though.

    14 votes
  2. Any friendly entrepreneurship communities that aren't rotten with the whole "grindset," hustle culture stuff?

    I've always been interested in entrepreneurship, and I think I want to get serious about doing something. I checked out the Millionaire Fastlane forums, and it's just completely saturated with the...

    I've always been interested in entrepreneurship, and I think I want to get serious about doing something. I checked out the Millionaire Fastlane forums, and it's just completely saturated with the whole "grindset" BS. I tried reading a couple of threads, and my eyes almost rolled out of my head. 🙄

    I've also hung around on the entrepreneur subreddit, and it just seems like a bunch of people without much experience trading unproven advice and people trying to sell courses.

    Does anyone know of a better community? I'd like to find some friendly, welcoming adults with actual experience to talk with. Are entrepreneurship and hustle culture always a package deal?

    34 votes
  3. Comment on Steam Spring Sale suggestions in ~games

    RadDevon
    Link
    Just started Judgment, but it seems like a steal at about $16 (or even cheaper from some other stores). I also found this little game called Incarnation for $2.40. It feels like both an incredible...

    Just started Judgment, but it seems like a steal at about $16 (or even cheaper from some other stores).

    I also found this little game called Incarnation for $2.40. It feels like both an incredible game and a course in game design rolled into one. So many great ideas stuffed into one little game with beautiful pixel art as the cherry on top! It has the familiar roguelike structure, except that you start with all the powers and choose one to lose after completing each level. The goal is to give up all your powers and become mortal again. Controlled exclusively with the mouse. It's not like anything else I've played… and I could say that after each level because it's basically a new game each time since the powers you lose profoundly change the way the game plays.

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

    RadDevon
    Link
    Just got Book of Demons: Hellcard, and it's been a blast puzzling through it with a friend. It's a deck building roguelike card battler in the style of Slay the Spire but designed with cooperative...

    Just got Book of Demons: Hellcard, and it's been a blast puzzling through it with a friend. It's a deck building roguelike card battler in the style of Slay the Spire but designed with cooperative play in mind (up to 3 players). It's playable single-player, but you end up actually playing multiple decks and I find the analysis paralysis far more destructive to the experience in that scenario.

    1 vote
  5. Comment on Reducing the friction of publishing online? in ~tech

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    Yeah, I get that. I'm kinda caught between these two sides right now. I don't really want to just tinker with the tech, but I do want some of the features only that approach offers. The reason I'm...

    Yeah, I get that. I'm kinda caught between these two sides right now. I don't really want to just tinker with the tech, but I do want some of the features only that approach offers. The reason I'm here posting is that it doesn't seem like it has to be this way… but maybe it just is, for now, at least.

    Still hopeful someone will come along and say, "Oh, you just need to install ______."

  6. Comment on There has never been a better time to game on Linux in ~games

    RadDevon
    Link
    I got a new desktop computer a few months back and was determined to run Linux on it. I loaded it up and booted it… before I learned that Linux doesn't support HDR — at least, not without jumping...

    I got a new desktop computer a few months back and was determined to run Linux on it. I loaded it up and booted it… before I learned that Linux doesn't support HDR — at least, not without jumping through a bunch of hoops I'm not really prepared to jump through. If I didn't know about HDR or my display didn't support it, I'd probably be running it right now.

    1 vote
  7. Reducing the friction of publishing online?

    I'm looking for ways to make it easier to publish on my personal blog. I've had WordPress blogs in the past, and I find that they set up a constant grind of upgrading — upgrading core, upgrading...

    I'm looking for ways to make it easier to publish on my personal blog. I've had WordPress blogs in the past, and I find that they set up a constant grind of upgrading — upgrading core, upgrading plugins, reconfiguring the upgraded components, fixing the things the upgrades break...

    It was stealing too much of the little time I have to devote to my blog. So, when I built my current blog, I built in on a static site generator (11ty). It took longer to set up than just writing HTML and CSS, but it does make it a bit quicker to get something up since it will build pages from markdown, and it doesn't require a ton of upgrading every time I want to sit down and write something. Sure, I could upgrade a library or two each time I sit down with it, but it's just spitting out HTML so I don't really need to.

    That said, it's still more friction than I want. I'm currently obsessed with mmm.page. I love the playful UI. I love the design language it encourages. I love how it makes the tech get out of the way and puts you closer to getting your content out. That said, there are several things I don't love:

    1. It's not accessible. I can't pick which elements to use. I can't write alt text for images.
    2. It's not open source. This means a lot of things. It means when the developer loses interest, it will die. It means we can't evaluate it. It means we can't self-host it. Speaking of these...
    3. Development seems to be slow. There's one item on the roadmap. It was suggested in April. I have a feeling it's not making the money the developer had hoped and they've lost enthusiasm for it.
    4. We can't self-host it. Now, this means I'm stuck paying $10 a month. Tomorrow, that could go up to $20, and there's nothing I can do about it.
    5. There's no easily apparent escape hatch. I guess I could just download the pages it wrote and host them elsewhere, but that's probably not ideal. If the developer does decide to close up shop or double the price, I want an easy way to take my site and go somewhere else.
    6. As far as I can tell, it doesn't support RSS. I am a staunch believer in RSS, and I believe the web sucks without it. I won't want to run a site that doesn't offer it.

    All these problems leave me with a web site that provides too much friction and a solution to that problem that leaves many others in its wake. Does anyone know of an alternative that's similar that could address some or most of these issues? I'm a developer and I still would like to be able to publish online without doing developer-y stuff, so it's easy to see how social media has been able to bottle up so much content on the web. I'd love to think there's something that could bring us out of this dystopia... or at least make it easier for me to share a list of the games I've been playing recently. 😅

    26 votes
  8. Comment on We techies are responsible for "You'll own nothing, and you'll enjoy it." in ~talk

    RadDevon
    Link
    I'd guess the question is less often whether someone supports right to repair and more permissive ownership rights in a vacuum and more often whether they are willing to give up their income for...

    I'd guess the question is less often whether someone supports right to repair and more permissive ownership rights in a vacuum and more often whether they are willing to give up their income for that principle. Right to repair is great, but there probably aren't many who would give up their jobs for it. Unless you can get everyone to unite under this banner at the same time, that's the decision each person will need to make.

    This is probably something that needs to be legislated rather than depend on that level of grassroots organization.

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

    RadDevon
    Link
    Against the Storm I used to love city building games. As a kid, I spent probably hundreds of hours playing Sim City for the SNES. As an adult, I get incredibly anxious about the idea of even...

    Against the Storm

    I used to love city building games. As a kid, I spent probably hundreds of hours playing Sim City for the SNES. As an adult, I get incredibly anxious about the idea of even starting a sandbox-style game that I can play forever with no end.

    I don't want to play a single game. I like to constantly try new things. Also, I've got shit to do! I can't do today what I did in… I guess 1993, when I was 10-years-old, with Sim City. This game seems to be built to address that specific anxiety I have by dividing a city builder into digestible chunks. It has given me permission to play a city builder by implicitly promising me that a given session will have a beginning and an end and that it will be manageable.

    Besides all that, it's expertly crafted. All the pieces fit together so well! I find myself just on the edge of stress, where I'm trying to make sure I get all the resources lined up so I can do what I need to do… but it's not quite stressful. It's just enough pressure to make things interesting.

    Shadows of Doubt

    I want to like this game so much. Games have two ways of presenting investigation: the character is investigating vs. the player is investigating. The former is extremely common, and the latter is extremely rare. This is an example of the latter. You're not pixel hunting for a pre-ordained object that will unlock the mystery for the character. (Alan Wake 2's "mind place" is more an example of this, where you ostensibly connect-the-dots between pieces of evidence, but those connections are already set in stone and "discovering" them amounts to dragging images to the correct spots on the board.) In Shadows of Doubt, you're finding randomized clues to unlock the mystery for you, the player.

    Problem is, I've made two attempts to complete the tutorial mission, and both have ended in bugs. If they can get this figured out, it could be great. For now, it's an exercise in frustration.

    The Gunk

    This is a really charming and (so far) relaxing game. The characters are well written, and it's been a chill time cleaning up gunk! It's not breaking ground, but I'm still having fun.

    Alan Wake 2

    Hasn't grabbed me quite the way Control did, but I want to keep playing. They weave FMV into the game in a way that's really cool and compelling. I'm most interested in how it connects to Control and what it does to flesh out the world of that game. So far, it's slightly disappointing for the shallowness of the investigation mentioned above. Incredible to look at though!

    6 votes
  10. Comment on Game recommendations, specifically in ~games

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    I'm guessing you've played Hollow Knight, but if not, it's definitely this. The map maker Cornifer is actually my favorite character in the game because it feels so isolated, except for when you...

    I'm guessing you've played Hollow Knight, but if not, it's definitely this. The map maker Cornifer is actually my favorite character in the game because it feels so isolated, except for when you hear his humming. Running into him is a fun reprieve from the isolation, but I also enjoy that vibe.

    2 votes
  11. Comment on Game recommendations, specifically in ~games

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons exemplifies this — storytelling via game mechanics — for me, and it's apparently getting a remake soon! You and your brother go out to find medicine for your father....

    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons exemplifies this — storytelling via game mechanics — for me, and it's apparently getting a remake soon! You and your brother go out to find medicine for your father. You control both brothers simultaneously. I won't spoil anything else.

    11 votes
  12. Comment on Anyone attending PAX Unplugged this weekend? in ~games.tabletop

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    Those sound like great suggestions. I'll check them out. Thank you!

    Those sound like great suggestions. I'll check them out. Thank you!

    1 vote
  13. Comment on Anyone attending PAX Unplugged this weekend? in ~games.tabletop

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    Ah, cool! I remember hearing about that one. I don’t have anything in particular I want to see. I’m a bit out of the loop on the board gaming scene at the moment, so I’m looking forward to...

    Ah, cool! I remember hearing about that one. I don’t have anything in particular I want to see. I’m a bit out of the loop on the board gaming scene at the moment, so I’m looking forward to catching back up.

    Looks like you generally register for games via the app the morning of? Do I have that right?

    2 votes
  14. Comment on Do you have or know of fun domain names? Do you think it's worth having them? in ~tech

  15. Comment on Do you have or know of fun domain names? Do you think it's worth having them? in ~tech

    RadDevon
    Link
    I use devon.lol as my personal domain. It's fun, but I get a lot of questions and sideways looks when I tell people my email address.

    I use devon.lol as my personal domain. It's fun, but I get a lot of questions and sideways looks when I tell people my email address.

    5 votes
  16. Comment on Anyone have recommendations for a CD player I can charge via USB and play via BT (or USB) in my car? in ~tech

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    FYI, the "h" is missing from the front of your first URL making the link unclickable.

    FYI, the "h" is missing from the front of your first URL making the link unclickable.

    1 vote
  17. Comment on Do you have a favorite YouTube video? I want to know! in ~talk

    RadDevon
    Link
    La Munkya is an episode of a now defunct series called Written by a Kid in which children tell their original stories which are then animated by professional animators. All of the episodes are fun...

    La Munkya is an episode of a now defunct series called Written by a Kid in which children tell their original stories which are then animated by professional animators. All of the episodes are fun to watch, but La Munkya breaks through the stratosphere. The storyteller — six-year-old Emily — is precocious, charming, and funny, and her story is a wild ride madcap fantasy featuring a horse made entirely of paper and his adventures.

    Emily is nearly an adult now, and I'd love to know what she's up to. I assume she's creating revolutionary art or curing cancer or saving the world or something.

    If you like it, you might like the "making of" video linked in the description which is also a lot of fun.

    3 votes
  18. Comment on What are some of your daily use/most important apps? in ~tech

    RadDevon
    Link Parent
    Sure! Part of it is the personality of the virtual pet. He's so pure, curious, and caring. He reminds me of the parts of childhood that many of us forget and the parts of adulthood that can be...

    Sure! Part of it is the personality of the virtual pet. He's so pure, curious, and caring. He reminds me of the parts of childhood that many of us forget and the parts of adulthood that can be easy to let slip in our weakest moments. He also reminds me of raising my daughter, which was a difficult time but also full of incredible feelings — the love and admiration paired with the innocence of a young child. It's hard to explain, but if you're a parent of a child who has already grown out of that stage, I think you might understand. Not to say that tween and teenage children don't love you, but it's definitely a lot more complicated and they tend to evolve from a place of humility ("I know nothing and want to learn everything I can!") to a place of hubris ("These stupid parents don't know anything!"). Your birb mirrors the innocent curiosity of young childhood. Every day, he goes on an adventure and comes back with an observation. The observations are very cute and give you an opportunity to shape their personality by how you choose to respond. Taking care of my birb reminds me of raising my daughter and takes me back to that simpler time.

    On top of that, the app connects you to real people you know who use it and reminds you that those real people care about you. I'm totally on my own right now. I've been on the road since March, and in that time, I've only spent a couple of weeks around any people I know. One of the daily tasks you'll likely undertake in Finch as part of building up your daily energy so that your birb can explore is to send them to visit the birbs of your real-life friends. You'll get visits as well, but they're not just birb-to-birb visits; their birb will remind you that, whatever the emotion they're carrying with them is from owner to owner too.

    The other things you'll do to build your energy are basically journaling or mental wellness activities: you'll journal about your sleep or how you're feeling, do anxiety exercises when you're not feeling well, share something you're grateful for, do some stretches… all things that you should probably be doing but might not if not to build the energy to send your birb out on their daily adventure.

    Maybe it sounds silly, but it's very effective for me. It grounds me in the curiosity of childhood, reminds me to let the people I care about know that I care, reminds me of happy times and that I'm not alone, and prompts me to care for myself in various other ways. It makes me smile every day — even the bad ones!

    3 votes
  19. Comment on What are some of your daily use/most important apps? in ~tech

    RadDevon
    Link
    Password manager: 1Password May switch to Vaultwarden once I have my self-hosting setup fully going. Calendar: Fantastical I even subscribed to premium after fighting it for years. Nothing beats...

    Password manager: 1Password
    May switch to Vaultwarden once I have my self-hosting setup fully going.

    Calendar: Fantastical
    I even subscribed to premium after fighting it for years. Nothing beats it that I've found.

    Mental health: Finch
    Keeps me grounded. I love my little birb!

    Meditation: Waking Up
    I've been doing this for years. I still haven't decided how effective it is for me. Sometimes, it helps. Other times, I just think/worry my way through my meditation session. 🤷‍♂️ Try to do it every day though in hopes that someday it will click (or I will magically be fixed).

    Fitness: Adidas & Nike Training apps
    I want something more hands-off than these. I was using Copilot until my trainer left. Followed my trainer out the door until Copilot sent him and cease and desist for violating his non-compete. Then, I tried Future. Loved it until they increased my price by 60% in a single month. I've gone through every other app trying to find something that isn't either a glorified spreadsheet or hundreds of dollars per month, and this is the best I've got for now.

    Messaging: Signal
    98% of my messaging goes through here.

    Email: Fastmail
    Migrated from Google a while back, and it's been great! I still use the iOS mail app for my work email and this for my personal email, which creates a nice separation.

    Umm… internet?: Reeder
    I am my own algorithm. 😎

    Podcasts: Overcast
    I've been using it for years and have no good reason to switch!

    Work stuff: Discord, Slack, Zoom

    2 votes