Shevanel's recent activity
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Shevanel LinkI stumbled across the Hark the Ghoul demo during the Steam Next Fest, and I enjoyed it so much that it inspired me to boot up the PSX emulator on my Steam Deck and finally work my way through all...I stumbled across the Hark the Ghoul demo during the Steam Next Fest, and I enjoyed it so much that it inspired me to boot up the PSX emulator on my Steam Deck and finally work my way through all of the King’s Field games I’ve been putting off. I’ve played through the first two so far, which is to say King’s Field (the Japan-only release) and King’s Field II (jp), aka King’s Field (everywhere else).
KF jp - it’s so very… slow. Not like boring, like literally physically a very slow game. I actually turned the emulation speed to 200% once I got the hang of combat lol. Way easier to time things.
The exploration and general unforgiving combat is very DS-coded. It definitely feels like a game with the same bones.
Separately, this game got so brutal at the end. I legitimately don’t know how I could have reasonably beat it without a proper meta endgame build. It feels like it almost forces you to 100% it to get through the final area, especially the last boss.
KF II (jp) / KF - Generally enjoyed it more. Really didn’t enjoy the navigation though, the map felt incredibly same-y, to the point where I still could not reliably find my way back to points in game that I had visited and revisited probably a dozen times. And these weren’t like little hidden dungeons or locked chests, I’m talking entire villages.
Gameplay itself felt fine, minor improvements from the first entry and, while the end game was still very tough, it felt considerably more reasonable.
These were both 3/5s for me, the rough edges of the first game and its ending were salvaged from a 2/5 by the fact that I really enjoyed the navigation and map structure (generally), and the miserable map layout of the second game stopped it from being a 4/5 in my book.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Shevanel (edited )Link ParentI love that this is a solution that relies totally on a tool that anyone who finds themselves in a terminal will almost certainly already have! Thanks for sharing. I do have a large more formatted...I love that this is a solution that relies totally on a tool that anyone who finds themselves in a terminal will almost certainly already have! Thanks for sharing. I do have a large more formatted “notebook” repository that I use with git in a way similar to what you’re describing.
My approach with mrndm is to take away a lot of guesswork for the end user (if they don’t already have git set up), but also to reduce the friction. I like the idea of being able to run a script that enables the end user to type
mrndm “return library books”, hit enter, and then go about their day. I’m absolutely sure we could use aliases to do a lot of that lifting regardless though, so your approach still makes good sense and renders this moot if folks are comfy with git!Edit: I forgot to mention that using git, I’d still need a more frictionless means of capturing memos on my phone, hence my SMS approach that I’m looking to implement in the near future. I know it’s not impossible to do this via git clients that can interact with one’s phone, but it’s more hands-on than texting a phone number.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Shevanel (edited )LinkI built a lightweight brain-dump tool that lives in your CLI and allows you to send super quick notes to a server of mine with a single command, and retrieve them in much the same way. Since memos...I built a lightweight brain-dump tool that lives in your CLI and allows you to send super quick notes to a server of mine with a single command, and retrieve them in much the same way. Since memos are stored in a server, you can sync your account across workstations and write / retrieve anywhere. It’s an app intended for an audience of one, but in the interest of respecting the privacy of anyone interested in trying it out, I encrypt all notes stored in the server, so I can’t view anything regardless. You need an account because otherwise you couldn’t sync notes across environments, but email is totally optional and used only for password recovery.
Impetus: I hated losing track of notes across mediums (did I save that random thought to my phone’s Notes app? To a notepad on my Linux desktop? Or my Windows work laptop? Or my personal MacBook?), so this is widely usable in any Unix based CLI, including Git Bash if you’re on a Windows machine (though I recommend WSL). I also appreciate that it keeps me in flow. It’s a lot easier to bash out a single line command and get a thought out of my head without any extra finagling.
Of note: this is a virtually worthless tool if you are fully bought into Apple and have synced Notes functionality everywhere. I do not have that, and I also like building little CLI tools :)
More information and the download can be found here: https://mrndm.sh
Would love any feedback folks are willing to share about the script or the functionality as an end user!
Future functionality: I’m working on getting SMS certification on a phone number I’ve leased, which I’ll hook up to the server. Once that’s good to go, you can also choose to (totally optionally) link your phone to the app and save memos via text. Phone numbers will also be encrypted in the DB!
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Comment on My T430 in ~comp
Shevanel LinkThanks for sharing. This is a fun coincidence - I did a very similar overhaul on a Lenovo T440p recently! Picked one up on eBay for $60 USD and its current specs (old and new) are very similar to...Thanks for sharing. This is a fun coincidence - I did a very similar overhaul on a Lenovo T440p recently!
Picked one up on eBay for $60 USD and its current specs (old and new) are very similar to what’s in this post. I opted to get an oversized battery cell but didn’t change the charging port itself - it still uses the old cable and jack but is a lot more healthy.
The whole thing was a fun pet project and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to swap everything out. Biggest pain was the touchpad and keyboard by a long shot. I followed this “tutorial” on YouTube which is already quite dated, but for only a couple hundred bucks I have a little workhorse that does a perfectly passable job in 2026.
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Comment on Color game — how well can you remember colors? | Dialed in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentThis is fun! Grays and browns are really tough for me, not sure if others feel the same.This is fun! Grays and browns are really tough for me, not sure if others feel the same.
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Comment on Angine de Poitrine - Sarniezz (2026) in ~music
Shevanel LinkI hadn’t heard of these cats before their KEXP performance, and I was instantly hooked. One thing that isn’t called out in the tags or comments so far is that their guitarist leans into...I hadn’t heard of these cats before their KEXP performance, and I was instantly hooked. One thing that isn’t called out in the tags or comments so far is that their guitarist leans into microtonality a good amount, which (combined with the odd meters and general energy level) contributes to their super fun chaotic sound. Pinging one of Tildes’s resident microtonality musicians - @eyechoirs would love your take on this act!
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
Shevanel Link ParentI know we’ve crossed coffee paths before when talking about Hoffmann so I shouldn’t be too surprised, but it’s wild how similar our setups, methods, and roast / origin preferences seem to be....I know we’ve crossed coffee paths before when talking about Hoffmann so I shouldn’t be too surprised, but it’s wild how similar our setups, methods, and roast / origin preferences seem to be. Makes me very excited to try some of the roasters you review. Thanks for sharing this!
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Comment on Sony is shutting down the PlayStation studio Bluepoint in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentI’m reading between the lines, and yes, I do want to plan an Ocean’s 11-style heist with you to steal the Bloodborne remaster beta.I’m reading between the lines, and yes, I do want to plan an Ocean’s 11-style heist with you to steal the Bloodborne remaster beta.
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Comment on Sony is shutting down the PlayStation studio Bluepoint in ~games
Shevanel LinkThat’s a shame. Selfishly, this makes me lose any hope for an official Bloodborne remake/remaster/port. The PC emulation is shockingly good, but I was definitely ready to throw my money at a legit...That’s a shame. Selfishly, this makes me lose any hope for an official Bloodborne remake/remaster/port. The PC emulation is shockingly good, but I was definitely ready to throw my money at a legit version of it.
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Comment on I don't "get" soulslikes, but I'm interested in Bloodborne in ~games
Shevanel Link Parent100% agreed, one of my favorite ways to play DS1 especially!100% agreed, one of my favorite ways to play DS1 especially!
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Comment on I don't "get" soulslikes, but I'm interested in Bloodborne in ~games
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Comment on I don't "get" soulslikes, but I'm interested in Bloodborne in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentNo argument, it’s totally subjective and OP’s experience might not align with mine. I’ve found that, if you’re able to get your head around the mechanics, the dex dance almost always feels better...No argument, it’s totally subjective and OP’s experience might not align with mine.
I’ve found that, if you’re able to get your head around the mechanics, the dex dance almost always feels better IMO. But there are a lot of enemies that are also just trivialized when you pancake them with a hammer. There are trade-offs, no doubt. Having a slow weapon means that the occasional super-jumpy and flighty enemy becomes a major nuisance. But in the case of Bloodborne at least, thats solved by a weapon like the Kirkhammer having a second form that’s basically a quick-slashing long sword.
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Comment on I don't "get" soulslikes, but I'm interested in Bloodborne in ~games
Shevanel LinkDisclaimer: heavily biased, these are my favorite games of all time. +1 to @Carrow and wanted to bring up a separate point. The class and build you choose, especially early game, can make or break...Disclaimer: heavily biased, these are my favorite games of all time.
+1 to @Carrow and wanted to bring up a separate point. The class and build you choose, especially early game, can make or break your enjoyment of these titles. Bloodborne is probably the least affected by this, but reading that you finally attempted ER and went with a magic first build helps paint a good picture for why it was such a struggle. Magic is notoriously weird in FS games - it is almost always the very best option by the end of the game, and as such, it’s almost always the least beginner-friendly. ER is the most beginner friendly by far if you choose to go full strength build and/or start to lean Strength/INT by endgame. But I fully acknowledge that needing to be aware of a studio’s tendencies to bias beginners towards a certain class is, in and of itself, a beginner-unfriendly design choice :)
With that in mind, I’ll add that parrying in Bloodborne, and the rally mechanic (heal some HP if you do damage to an enemy shortly after taking damage yourself) encourage a super aggressive playstyle and it’s actually quite forgiving if you lean into it. Per my first point, I’m sorry to say, but I would probably steer you away from the chikage and other Skill-based (the attribute “Skill,” not IRL talent) weapons. In my experience, FS games are almost universally easier to ease into with heavy strength based weapons. Kirkhammer is an early game weapon that trivializes encounters with smaller enemies. Hunter’s axe + blunderbussis is going to be a lot easier of a starting combo than anything else (but I think you did that if I read your post correctly).
Exploration, using every tool at your disposal, taking a break when you’re bashing your head against a wall… all very viable options in FS games. Good luck!
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Comment on Møl – Garland (2025) in ~music
Shevanel LinkI discovered Møl after spinning the new Deafheaven album a bunch last year. Really digging this new wave of post/black/blackgaze, whatever folks want to call it. This is a great reminder that...I discovered Møl after spinning the new Deafheaven album a bunch last year. Really digging this new wave of post/black/blackgaze, whatever folks want to call it. This is a great reminder that their new album drops in two days. Thanks for the share!
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Comment on How I stopped cooking breakfast every day - baked oats in ~food
Shevanel Link ParentI have Nori Komi Furikake which I believe I picked up from our local H Mart. But honestly, half the time I don’t use it, so I’m kind of a poser anyway ;) Lao Gan Ma is my go-to condiment for most...I have Nori Komi Furikake which I believe I picked up from our local H Mart. But honestly, half the time I don’t use it, so I’m kind of a poser anyway ;)
Lao Gan Ma is my go-to condiment for most anything savory, so that tends to be my first choice for it anymore, especially when I run out of Furikake because I’ve been using it for other heathen purposes like as a popcorn topper.
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Comment on How I stopped cooking breakfast every day - baked oats in ~food
Shevanel Link ParentIf I have a little time, I’ll throw together a scramble of eggs and whatever chopped veggies we have leftover from dinner prep within the last couple of days. If I have <10 minutes I’ll do a poor...If I have a little time, I’ll throw together a scramble of eggs and whatever chopped veggies we have leftover from dinner prep within the last couple of days.
If I have <10 minutes I’ll do a poor man’s Tamago Kake Gohan (aka microwave leftover rice until piping hot and then crack an egg into it and stir vigorously). Usually topped with some combination of tamari, sesame oil, and Lao Gan Ma.
If I have <5 minutes, a big scoop of cottage cheese and a spoonful of Lao Gan Ma (again) stirred in. The protein and fat content keeps me decently full and it’s usually not a problem to get through lunch!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Shevanel Link ParentMaybe I’m just out of touch, but wow this gave me whiplash. “Book review” is not what comes to mind when I think of Anthony lol. But I’m watching the video now and it seems legit!Anthony Jeselnik's 2025 recommendations
Maybe I’m just out of touch, but wow this gave me whiplash. “Book review” is not what comes to mind when I think of Anthony lol. But I’m watching the video now and it seems legit!
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Comment on Looking for Backroom games with something to do in them other than walking in ~games
Shevanel Link Parent@phoenixrises mentioned Antichamber and I think that’s a solid suggestion that’s more in line with what you’re getting at!@phoenixrises mentioned Antichamber and I think that’s a solid suggestion that’s more in line with what you’re getting at!
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Comment on Looking for Backroom games with something to do in them other than walking in ~games
Shevanel LinkFirst, +1 for the CONTROL suggestion, that’s a fantastic game. Second, you have to be into horror games, but The Classrooms is quite literally just a horror game that takes place in the backrooms,...First, +1 for the CONTROL suggestion, that’s a fantastic game.
Second, you have to be into horror games, but The Classrooms is quite literally just a horror game that takes place in the backrooms, or more broadly, some kind of liminal space. It’s still early access, but there are several different backrooms-adjacent levels (classrooms, library, pool rooms, several more) that all have several types of creatures in them that you must evade while looking for the exit. All of the creatures have some sort of gimmick that you need to figure out in order to avoid or otherwise escape them, I.e. some are blind but have excellent directional hearing, some can’t move as long as you maintain line of sight, and so on.
I’ve never played it, but it gained notoriety on a couple of streamers’ channels, and it seems like a decently well fleshed out attempt at putting real gameplay into a backrooms-like environment.
Matt Garstka has been dropping drum playthroughs for the Manifeste songs on which he played on his YouTube channel. I’m so glad those cats crossed paths - seriously incredible stuff coming out of their minds!