Raistlin's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on Triforce Arcade emulation incorporated into Dolphin Emulator in ~games
Raistlin LinkThis is just so fucking cool. I'm so happy there's people who spend their free time doing stuff like this. Am I the only one who really really wants to try playing Key of Avalon??This is just so fucking cool. I'm so happy there's people who spend their free time doing stuff like this.
Am I the only one who really really wants to try playing Key of Avalon??
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Comment on Diablo | Warlock class cinematic trailer - New class for Diablo II, Immortal, and IV in ~games
Raistlin Link ParentYeah, puts me in a bit of a bind. I just haven't wanted to give ActiBlizz any money after the breast milk thief charges. But D2 really is my childhood, so it hurts not being part of it.Yeah, puts me in a bit of a bind. I just haven't wanted to give ActiBlizz any money after the breast milk thief charges. But D2 really is my childhood, so it hurts not being part of it.
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Comment on Diablo | Warlock class cinematic trailer - New class for Diablo II, Immortal, and IV in ~games
Raistlin Link ParentMan, seeing D2 get updates tickles a really old part of my brain.Man, seeing D2 get updates tickles a really old part of my brain.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Raistlin Link ParentIt's just so variable with Fire Emblem. Like some games punish you for changing your roster, but I just finished Engage and that game just almost demands you switch your worse-in-every-way early...It's just so variable with Fire Emblem. Like some games punish you for changing your roster, but I just finished Engage and that game just almost demands you switch your worse-in-every-way early units for new ones.
Awakening is really built around that Gen 2. Do you give Owain a physical dad and have him use his sword arm, or a magical dad to enhance his already formidable magic? Do you give Inigo Chrom and get an incredible Inigo out of it, but lose on the S rank bonuses for Chrome as Olivia wants to he dancing and not supporting? You can get through it with Gen 1, but you get the most power out of Gen 2, and you need that power for the harder DLC maps, particularly Apotheosis.
My usual flow with Awakening is to field the units I need to get the pair ups I want and then slowly transition Gen 1 put as I unlock the desired Gen 2 units one by one. By the end game, the roster has mostly transitioned to Gen 2 + Chrom, Robin and Olivia, or maybe the DLC units if I want something a bit different.
Hypocritically and by contrast, I never do this in Fates because I hate both the concept of the child units in that game (it's fucking problematically awful on multiple levels), and I don't like the units themselves.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Raistlin LinkI just finished Fire Emblem Engage. My expectations for the story were rock bottom, which definitely helped with appreciating some story beats that I would've otherwise dismissed. It's a really...I just finished Fire Emblem Engage. My expectations for the story were rock bottom, which definitely helped with appreciating some story beats that I would've otherwise dismissed. It's a really weird Fire Emblem game. I started with the Awakening era, so I'm used to thinking about my second playthrough as I reach the endgame. Engage is the first modern title where I haven't. There's no paired endings, so nothing new to try there. No NG+, so can't easily play with crazy builds. Have to unlock the DLC units again in maps I really don't enjoy. And I didn't particularly enjoy the story. So... I'm just done. Which is a strange feeling for a Fire Emblem game.
Anyway, I've now moved back to Sakura Wars for the Sega Saturn and just reached chapter 7.
Oh, and during the free weekend in World of Warcraft, I finished the bulk of the story for War Within. See you in two years again, WoW!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Raistlin Link ParentYou definitely made your game harder by sticking to the Gen 1 units! The Gen 2 units tend to be a tier above the Gen 1 ones (particularly units like Several and Cynthia), and Morgan in particular...You definitely made your game harder by sticking to the Gen 1 units! The Gen 2 units tend to be a tier above the Gen 1 ones (particularly units like Several and Cynthia), and Morgan in particular is the best unit in the entire game by a mile. A Chrom!Robin Morgan is extremely powerful, and a Gen 3 Morgan is a god of destruction.
It's a shame that you burnt out before the end, but still happy one more person in the world played Awakening 🤣
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Raistlin Link ParentIt just depends on how familiar you are with the genre and game, though. Most of the games I play are normal or easy, but Fire Emblem? I usually go for Hard Classic and find it a good balance....It just depends on how familiar you are with the genre and game, though. Most of the games I play are normal or easy, but Fire Emblem? I usually go for Hard Classic and find it a good balance. Now, Lunatic/Maddening? That one I can't do. The only one I've ever done was Awakening, with a guide for the earlier chapters and some DLc grinding which just makes it easier.
Specifically in Awakening, a cheap way to get through Hard/Classic is to not fully deploy. You're not losing a single unit if all you're sending out is Robin, Lucina, Chrom and Morgan. Morgan in particular can probably solo the game themselves if it's a Gen 3 Morgan. And if you plan your Gen 2 right, most of your units are carrying Galeforce and are clearing half the map before the enemy can even move.
The opening in Lunatic, by contrast, took me about 20 restarts, and that was even following a guide.
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Comment on Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month in ~tech
Raistlin Link ParentIRC still exists? Christ, that's a trip.IRC still exists? Christ, that's a trip.
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
Raistlin (edited )Link ParentYup, same experience from the opposite world. Women offering their hands short-circuited my brain for a second before I could recover and proceed as normal. Having moved out of Latin America, my...Yup, same experience from the opposite world. Women offering their hands short-circuited my brain for a second before I could recover and proceed as normal. Having moved out of Latin America, my brain doesn't freak out anymore, but I think it's always going to feel a bit strange for me.
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
Raistlin Link ParentHahaha, I'm sure he probably got used to it! It's difficult when you go to countries with different personal space bubbles than yours, and having to adapt to that. Yeah, same. When I say kiss,...Hahaha, I'm sure he probably got used to it! It's difficult when you go to countries with different personal space bubbles than yours, and having to adapt to that.
Yeah, same. When I say kiss, it's that cheek touching action and blowing a kiss in the air. Although with close family members (mom, aunties), it can be an actual kiss on the cheek if, like, they haven't seen you for a while.
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
Raistlin Link ParentI think it would be quickly understood that it's not a thing another culture would do. If a local, you might be perceived as... stand-offish, I suppose, if you didn't kiss. Rejecting a kiss would...I think it would be quickly understood that it's not a thing another culture would do. If a local, you might be perceived as... stand-offish, I suppose, if you didn't kiss. Rejecting a kiss would probably be perceived as intentionally keeping your distance, maybe almost rude, or at the very least strange. If my wife (who is also not Latin) were to reject kisses from my aunties and cousins, that would carry real social costs, for example.
It's heavily age and gender coded. You would absolutely have to kiss your aunties, for example, that's not optional. Males would kiss female friends of within a certain level of social distance, and female friends kiss each other. Male friends do not. I got kissed on the cheek in France by the father of the groom for a friend's wedding, which gave me a taste of my own culture shock medicine!
And yes, her reaction wasn't cute at all, she was legitimately distressed. I probably could've logicked my way into guessing that most cultures aren't as physically close as ours, but you make these unconscious assumptions sometimes. I learned my lesson, anyway!
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
Raistlin LinkWhen I met my ex girlfriend for the first time, when saying bye, I went to kiss her on the cheek. She's Chinese, I'm Latin. It turns out that this is not how to say goodbye to people universally.When I met my ex girlfriend for the first time, when saying bye, I went to kiss her on the cheek. She's Chinese, I'm Latin. It turns out that this is not how to say goodbye to people universally.
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Comment on Turtle WoW's remake of World of Warcraft using Unreal Engine is reportedly cancelled in ~games
Raistlin (edited )LinkI mean, good. It was a huge investment of resources, it put the game in Blizzard's sights, and to what end? It should've never been attempted.I mean, good. It was a huge investment of resources, it put the game in Blizzard's sights, and to what end? It should've never been attempted.
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Comment on Proposed amendments to Denmark's laws on copyright and broadcasting would see VPNs limited for common uses under changes to combat access to illegal streaming services in ~tech
Raistlin (edited )Link ParentI hear what you're saying, but I still don't understand the profit pipeline here. There are some sites that charge people less than the legal version. That I understand, I can see where the money...I hear what you're saying, but I still don't understand the profit pipeline here.
There are some sites that charge people less than the legal version. That I understand, I can see where the money is coming from. Generally on torrent sites, there's no business model, because the hosters don't actually have to host the software themselves. The seeds will be people that already own the software, not necessarily related at all to the people running the site. I suppose there'll be a small amount of profit from ads, but no serious pirate will click on a rom site without their adblocker on. So I don't understand why the mafia would host a torrent site for some GBA roms.
You're comparing digital piracy to stealing, and perhaps so does Danish law, but very very few countries equate the two. Stealing is defined as depriving someone of something, which piracy doesn't do. Piracy is usually defined as IP infringement, which is a different offense, often civil and not criminal. Again, I'll defer to you on Danish law.
The reason I'm digging deep into this is because it very important to me is that this law is used to protect children from exploition and not to make sure people can't watch Lion King for free. I tentatively support the Australian social media ban, for example. However, I do not believe in the concept of copyright as the modern world has formulated it, and would resist any attempts to tighten it, which this law seems to do.
From what I understand of this law (and I can't read Danish, so please correct me), it seems I'd probably write to my MP asking them make sure that the provisions of the law protecting children and cracking down on the mafia can't also be used by the police and corporations to enforce their copyright on normal individuals. If they were unwilling to do this, I would immediately assume that "protect the children" is being used as an emotive cover for unrelated policy changes because your legislative body doesn't have the confidence that they could crack down on piracy and IP infringement just on its own.
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Comment on Proposed amendments to Denmark's laws on copyright and broadcasting would see VPNs limited for common uses under changes to combat access to illegal streaming services in ~tech
Raistlin Link ParentYou've made this point that, basically, piracy funds actual crimes. I'm not trying to pick a fight, I just want to understand the pipeline here. I go to a rom site that is essentially links to...You've made this point that, basically, piracy funds actual crimes.
I'm not trying to pick a fight, I just want to understand the pipeline here. I go to a rom site that is essentially links to torrents. I download, I don't fucking know, Tears of the Kingdom through BitTorrent with my VPN on for extra safety.
How is the money being made here and how is it moving?
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Comment on How Europe is gearing up to follow Australia's teen social media ban in ~tech
Raistlin Link ParentI think there is a difference between "think what would happen if the children were exposed to this" and "this is actively hurting children and we can see it in our lived experiences". This law...I think there is a difference between "think what would happen if the children were exposed to this" and "this is actively hurting children and we can see it in our lived experiences".
This law isn't trying to stop a theoretical problem dreamt up by Parliament, who then blasted propaganda on state tv to get the public onside. This is addressing something that the overwhelming majority of the Australian public considers to be a problem, which Parliament is responding to.
You're not going to be able to tell a parent whose kid's response to any difficult situation is the Gen Z stare, who jokes about being unable to read stories that don't have any pictures (I've seen this!) that there's not a problem. And yes, these are anecdotal, but if every parent has similar anecdotes and the other side's solution is that there's no problem everything's fine, well then of course there's going to be a break there.
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Comment on How Europe is gearing up to follow Australia's teen social media ban in ~tech
Raistlin (edited )Link ParentThe internet is still open to them. Forums are open to them, Discord is open to them, tildes is open to them. In terms of social conservatives, they want to do this for their own reasons, but...The internet is still open to them. Forums are open to them, Discord is open to them, tildes is open to them.
In terms of social conservatives, they want to do this for their own reasons, but liberals are forcing leftists (mostly parents) to ally with them. So far the liberal approach has been (and continued to be) to not do a single thing about the effect of social media on kids. Similar to the leftist-MAGA alliance in stopping the Trump admin from going full GenAI. Both camps have two very different reasons for stopping this, but in the face of liberal indifference, who the heck are we meant to ally with then?
I think it's a bit extreme to say that an incalculable number of people are going to kill themselves over this, don't you think? I'm not going to say zero, because I truly have no idea, but if Aus does actually successfully implement this (which is a big if), I suspect that in average literacy will go up and suicide rates will go down, as some of these kids actually start going outside and socialising.
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Comment on How Europe is gearing up to follow Australia's teen social media ban in ~tech
Raistlin Link ParentI think that's perfectly fine. Like I said, if kicking them off Reddit gets them into Discord, that's fine. It's not ideal, ideally they go outside and socialise. But Discord doesn't have the...I think that's perfectly fine. Like I said, if kicking them off Reddit gets them into Discord, that's fine. It's not ideal, ideally they go outside and socialise. But Discord doesn't have the algorithmic poison that FB, TikTok and Instagram have. If they self organise and make their own bootleg forum, the government considers that a win.
Ultimately, this will resolve around metrics. If literacy goes up and suicides go down, this will be successful and we in NZ will replicate it. If it makes it worse, it'll be repealed and we'll try something else.
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Comment on How Europe is gearing up to follow Australia's teen social media ban in ~tech
Raistlin Link ParentI don't think it's meant to be an overall solution. If they move to discord, that's fine, that's not full of algorithmic poison. A lot of these kids aren't that tech savvy, they might not know how...I don't think it's meant to be an overall solution. If they move to discord, that's fine, that's not full of algorithmic poison. A lot of these kids aren't that tech savvy, they might not know how to get around it.
Like, if you're really intent in getting around it, you will. But you might be surprised on what simple roadblocks can do. Like, emulation is trivial, but I still see people excited about basic ports, even though it'd take them 30 secs to set up the game if they wanted to. Or how I still see so many people with ads in their browser, even though getting ublock origin is literally 2 or 3 clicks.
A simple roadblock can filter out a ton of people.
The Tales of Phantasia Cross Edition English patch finally came out a couple of weeks ago, so mostly that. It's been great being able to use Rody, and it's such a huge QOL thing to not have the spells slow down absolutely everything on-screen.
I've also finally created my own personal World of Warcraft server, WotLK client based on AzerothCore. I got unexpectedly emotional when the process finished and I was able to log in to this world that I've been part of for around 20 years, but it's mine now and I can do what I want.