SloMoMonday's recent activity
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Comment on What's your favorite music album to get high to? in ~music
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Comment on The Tiny Soapbox: a platform for small, low-stakes rants in ~talk
SloMoMonday LinkWhy is it so hard to just communicate basic information? This is a hyperbolic question, I know exactly why but it doesn't mean I'm happy about it. It feels like we had the perfect ratio of staff :...Why is it so hard to just communicate basic information? This is a hyperbolic question, I know exactly why but it doesn't mean I'm happy about it.
It feels like we had the perfect ratio of staff : customers where you could maintain a level of human contact to feel like things were happening while allowing companies to be flexible enough to meet peoples individual needs.
But ubiquitous emails, hyper abstracted call centers and unnaturally inflated startup user caps have all skewed this to the point where the customer need to be an expert in your company structures to get things done and it got out of hand the second you could eliminate "unskilled workers". And it kept spreading until its just across the board now.
And now we've hit the critical mass where LLM are soaking up all the correspondence and the only way to make contact is to somehow already be in contact.
I'm getting into the thousands of contact-attempts that are gone nowhere. Emails. Dead phone lines. LLM responses that never saw a person. Websites last updated in 2018. Meetings pushed out indefinitely. People who just don't talk to people they don't know. I WANT TO GIVE ALL YOU PEOPLE MY MONEY! WHY WONT YOU TAKE MY MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR DOING YOUR JOB!
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Comment on China, Japan, South Korea will jointly respond to US tariffs, Chinese state media says in ~society
SloMoMonday (edited )Link ParentChina can pretty safely divest from the US and have trading partners to spare. It's also an opportunity for Japan and SK to not just shift thier speciality and luxury products onto a Chinese...China can pretty safely divest from the US and have trading partners to spare. It's also an opportunity for Japan and SK to not just shift thier speciality and luxury products onto a Chinese market, but also to leverage China's trade network to push it to the world. Its an opportunity for Asian countries to diversify and develop their industrial base and I think it'll be done a lot smarter than the concentration of industry on China that happened in the 90s-00s. Biggest cost of this, Tiwan is most likely screwed. And just like Ukraine, it further kills any interest in partnering with the US.
The big issue is that the US is in a bit a logistics nightmare. Especially on the East coast. Goods need to go through Suez, which is stretching out wait times. Or they go through Panama which is drying up and has its own issues. Or they go around Africa which adds about 20 days to a trip and has its own risks. Or they use long beach, Cali port and move it across country but your rail and road infrastructure is in a bit of a state right now.
The TPP was supposed to work in concert with the India-Middle East-Europe-Economic Corridor to mitigate all of this with your own belt and road initiative on steroids. They would ship goods from the far/south east asia and Pacific into India and Saudi where a high capacity railnet would carry it across the desert and through Israel where it'd have access to the Mediterranean and all the European and East American markets.
And the best part is that it works in reverse too. Giving American industry the facilities to ship to the world.
But because this was not a Trump project, he's happy to piss it all away for a minute of showing off. It wasn't a complicated plan and all the pieces were in place to effectively muscle China out of its monopoly of international trade logistics with a fair diversification of responsibilities across developing economies. But it doesn't fall in with the agenda of "Biden weak", "Screw Europe" and "USA #1" so screw if.
Just because the US is closed for business, it does not mean everyone else should be too. Honda, Samsung, Toshiba, LG, Sony, hell even export farmers and fishermen forcast a year or more in advance and now they got product that needs to be moved. Yes, the US gave the world an insatiable customer base running on seemingly endless credit. But China has a global logistics network and trade deals that gives any company access to every market.
My guess is it'd will be more cost effective to pull out of the US and expand their footprint in South America and Africa with discounted goods that were made for America. Seriously, why would you go through the effort of manufacturing market specific goods for customers that can't afford it in a hostile nation. Worst case, you're cutting your losses.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
SloMoMonday LinkI played ENA Dream BBQ, Chapter 1. If you know anything about the ENA YouTube series, this is a reminder that the game is out after 3 years in development and you have to get on it. And there's...I played ENA Dream BBQ, Chapter 1. If you know anything about the ENA YouTube series, this is a reminder that the game is out after 3 years in development and you have to get on it. And there's also another episode that is an amazing watch.
For everyone else, ENA is a web series that's strongly inspired by the 90s surreal vaporwave, dreamcore aesthetic. Think Yuma Nikki and LSD Dream Simulator mixed with your old Jump Start edutainment games, with a ton of influence from PC98 Visual Novels and you'll have some idea of this world.
But unlike a lot of the super surrealist projects, ENA actually has a coherent narrative that you can grasp without extra substances and there's plenty of consistency to hold a story down. The series centers around an ENA. They're a sort of split personality humanoid creature who inhabits a digital world. The one in the web series faces situations with a sort of childlike wonder or existential dread and that makes them instantly endearing. The web series is an anthology of ENA just going on random adventures with their friends. Its presented using game systems and mechanics and always feels like a game that should have existed. And there's plenty of menes and absurd lines that live rent free in my head.
The game on the other hand follows a different ENA that I prefer over the YouTube character. This one seems a lot more mature, confrontational and proactive. They also have an entrepreneurial drive with some weird religious undertones and its just hilarious to see them navigate these small business relationships. The actual gameplay in this opening chapter is mostly simple first person platforming, fetch quests, mazes and puzzles. But you're really there for the incredible art, music and writing. It also has some of the best non-English writing and VO I've seen. There are AAA projects where it feels like the writing was run through Google translate and the lines delivered just as stiffly. But here, the dialogue was clearly put past native speakers and reworked to represent the languages in an organic way.
The interfaces and ui are Persona levels of creative. With hyper detailed presentations and animated transitions. Also silly little Visual details and gags make for a fun time. Like your phone being a cup on a string dangling from the sky. Or the mcguffin constantly being renamed to Bathroom never gets old.
The insane variety on offer means that nothing ever feels too out of place. The whole experience goes back to the early days of the internet. Where you had a vague sense of what you wanted to do, but it was so easy to get lost in winding rabbit holes of different art, discussion and general strangeness.
Also, the game is free. It's a three hour interactive art show with plenty of actual gameplay and multiple routes that's free on steam. Don't know if it's just for this first chapter but you've got nothing to loose and I highly recommend giving it a shot. You don't even need to watch the web series since it's an original story.
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Comment on What is the optimal way to convert an RPG book to a text format? in ~tech
SloMoMonday (edited )LinkThe best format is likely a wiki. Preferably one that is very granular, well indexed and configured to automatically hyperlink/tooltip other mentions of specialized concepts. The issue is that...The best format is likely a wiki.
Preferably one that is very granular, well indexed and configured to automatically hyperlink/tooltip other mentions of specialized concepts.The issue is that there tends to be a lot of wikis floating around for each game and its very difficult to identify one that is most current and accurate. Especially with how so many newer games seem to be updated on the fly and the constant push for new content that the players can't keep up.
Another option is the fan made apps. I used to use the pf and dnd5e companion guide apps where the community would format every source book and hide them as addons on the forum. But this was years ago and don't know if they've been taken down for copyright.
And it was incredibly easy to search up concepts, bookmark and tag pages, plan encounters, incorporate homebrew stuff and generate things on the fly. And because they're community driven, it's mostly features people need and not microtransactions all the way through.
Here's the android apps I used for 5e
Never played the 2e version but this looks like the original app.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.misthero.pf2earchive -
Comment on Cameras/software for watching roofs in ~tech
SloMoMonday Link ParentIts a 80 kva gen for that shared across the park because its not uncommon to get rolling blackouts out of the blue. They pulled everything short of the engine. Batteries. Belt. Extra Filters and...Its a 80 kva gen for that shared across the park because its not uncommon to get rolling blackouts out of the blue. They pulled everything short of the engine. Batteries. Belt. Extra Filters and oil. Starter motor. They couldn't get the alternator out so they bashed it to hell. Even cut out all the cable they could. But we're sure that they had our security in their pocket so we got an in-house security team.
The full story is actually insane and we were not the actual target. It was part of a syndicate operation run by a group of illegal foreign miners that used to sneak into the the quieter mine tunnels and go to town. But when they got violent, the mines and police started clamping down on them very aggressively so they were looking for other opportunities. And these are organized and funded operations and very well planned out. So what they did was hit a few stores with regular break ins. Then they hit us a few days later and wrecked the generator and a few trucks. And the next day there was an armed robbery at a take-away further down. So everyone was on high alert and keeping their eyes out in the area.
But that was a cover. Because they kept people in an empty garage next to those first stores. And just after the robbery it was a long weekend. And they knew that a place next to that garage would only empty their safe on Wednesday. So on Tuesday night, they literally went through the walls and cut their safe. And then they move onto the next area until things calm down.
But what happens is after a while, some of the dumber members blow all their money and try to hit up all the same places on their own. So we were expecting a follow up and prepped accordingly. But yeh, we deal with some Solid Snake, Oceans Eleven, Italian Job BS this side. Right now the big thing is kidnapping syndicates and there are some messed up stories that come out of that. Last year 3 kids were taken for a few weeks and my cousin was kidnapped for 3 months. There was also a lady who basically planned the kidnapping of her husband with some kids and messed the whole thing up to a stupid degree. So fun times.
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Comment on Cameras/software for watching roofs in ~tech
SloMoMonday (edited )LinkWe found that monitoring cameras work until thieves test them enough to find blind spots and response times. And if they find out that no one is constantly monitoring or you have remote...We found that monitoring cameras work until thieves test them enough to find blind spots and response times. And if they find out that no one is constantly monitoring or you have remote monitoring, they can just kill your data lines. So now you need cameras to cover every space and cameras to watch the cameras and cameras to watch the infrastructure and you pay someone for monitoring of all those feeds. It sounds excessive, but this happened at our warehouse where they damaged the right two network cables, waited for the security patrol to do a quick check and then hid in the blind spot where they stripped most of a generator.
And there's also the biggest downside of cameras. The crime is most likely done (its surprisingly fast to rip out parts). Even if you get the entire crime on film, with full view of the criminals faces. Are the cops going to actually do anything about it? You already noticed that when you found the scrap dealer.Youll probably only see traction if you can get a sound recording and they use real names and leave prints.
My best suggestion would be a simple camera system in combination with other, cheaper solutions. We use a hikvision cams and you can configure it for a cloud storage service. Though you would want to keep local backup of all footage and only push event footage to the cloud. It's a balance because sometimes the event triggers can miss a few critical seconds but pushing everything to cloud will eat storage.
But the cheaper solutions are is where you can get a ton of value. A big one is a security hub with a lot of passive modules that work wirelessly. Ajax is what I use for my home system since they have a pretty comprehensive package, if a bit pricier (but no subscription charge). But at work, our security team practically rigged everything themselves with cheap sensors hooked up to relays and radios. And the big security companies should have these solutions, but you need to be explicit on what you ask for because they tend to sell much more than you need and will push you to active camera monitoring. Its most expensive equipment and service.
One thing that works very well is door contacts. We caught the generator thieves a year later with a cheap sensor that picked up when the panel was pulled open and tripped a silent alarm. And since then we evolved it into multiple layers of passive security that was cheaper and dramatically more effective than adding cameras.
To paint a picture of the setup:
Layer 0 is the common sense things we didn't do. Cycling locks. Securing tools and ladders. We barred windows and razor wire where practical. Randomized patrols. Two person lockup inspection. Cleared up foliage that screened areas. Tamper tape on maintenance panels. Patrol check lists. Graveled up dirt patches since its a lot louder to walk on. There was a ton of cheap/free things we neglected.Layer 1 is general perimeter motion sensors on outside of the property. They're also hooked up to spotlights that pull a double duty. It lights up the area for pedestrians/staff walking at night. And it makes intruders feel more exposed. If it trips, security gets an alert ping.
Layer 2 is the threshold sensors. Every door and window is on a contact and we have curtain beams to flag if anyone crosses onto the roof or parking lot. That immediately prompts a patrol, gets security to monitor cameras and owners get an alert.
Layer 3 is all the critical alarms. Glass break sound sensors. Contacts on critical equipment. Motion in a locked down space. Panic button. All of those trigger sirens and starts flashing the lights.
And with this, we're not messing with any subscriptions or more data storage or putting additional work onto security.
Thankfully, with this there hasn't been any major activity for a few years now.
Also, just to loop back to cameras. Unless it's an inside job, a criminal can't tell the difference between a camera and a camera body.
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Comment on Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account in ~tech
SloMoMonday Link ParentAt this point I'd honestly be disappointment if they didn't commit to the multi dip. Pay for the OS and offloading as many essential tools to a subscription as possible. And also forcing an online...At this point I'd honestly be disappointment if they didn't commit to the multi dip. Pay for the OS and offloading as many essential tools to a subscription as possible. And also forcing an online connection to train copilot, even if you don't use it.
Seriously, MS is practically the devil in my eyes at this point. Can't trust them to not break everything on a whim or believe anything they say. The fact that you could effortlessly prompt your way to critical information with guest copilot access in a live environment means they have no clue what they're forcing into 90% of the worlds computers.
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Comment on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio boasts of canceling more than 300 visas over pro-Palestine protests in ~society
SloMoMonday Link ParentThis is the same people people who harped on for a decade about "the people you're not allowed to criticize" all over podcasts and TV. It's also the people who have no hesitation or shame in being...This is the same people people who harped on for a decade about "the people you're not allowed to criticize" all over podcasts and TV. It's also the people who have no hesitation or shame in being loudly and proudly anti-semitic. But when it helps their ultimate objective of needless cruelty, they are scholars of Herzl. All while flashing Nazi salutes that are defended by Zionists. Which makes it clear that the philosophy is ultimately about targeting the most cost convenient victims at hand.
There is clearly no idiological consistency and with no defined outcomes people are playing a dangerous game. The US is in that post revolution haze and your revolutionaries made the first mistake of thinking half-baked ideology equates to effective policy. Congrats, the libs have been beaten to a pulp, but you don't pay rent in cathartic joy.
A working government is a system of compromises. Labour and capital. Security and liberty. Foreign and domestic interests. Now you have one side holding all the cards and their supporters are expecting all the benefits with none of the risks or costs involved. But the ruling class always intended to forcably extract it from the population.
Every day more and more people are finding themselves on the other side for one reason or another. Endorsing the walking back of rights means that you don't mind the line creeping towards you. And if you are somehow lucky enough to stay on the right side, when the paradime flips, you are at the mercy of all the people who have been wronged and you better hope that they will reconcile and not be punitive.
So the ultimate question to conservatives is when does your life become materially better? Gaza has always been effectively doomed in terms of US policy. DEI has been abandoned by most institutions. Most foreigners have no intention of setting foot in the US any more. The entire world has been hit with tariffs. Your neighbors and long time friends hate your guts. How's the day-to-day different from 6 months ago? Who's to blame after every foreigner, trans, gay, liberal, muslim, mentally ill, academic, non-christian, democrat, black, vegan, native American, other state and neighbor gets what's coming to them?
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Comment on What would your past self say about your current self? in ~life
SloMoMonday LinkIt feels like any version of me pre-2020 would have a lot of "Why did you" questions. Leave my dream job? Abandon every big endeavor? Cut certain people off? Go back to the family business? Not...It feels like any version of me pre-2020 would have a lot of "Why did you" questions. Leave my dream job? Abandon every big endeavor? Cut certain people off? Go back to the family business? Not follow the plan?
And the sort answer is that you sort of need to be there, 60% percent is out of your control and you only have the bandwidth to handle 15% of the rest. I'd also beat up 19 year old me and steal his crypto wallet. The kids a stuck up asshole and hes going to blow the money anyway.
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Comment on The Donald Trump US administration accidentally texted me its war plans (gifted link) in ~society
SloMoMonday Link ParentSo it turns out that identifying your strategic military decision makers while in plain language stating the administrations priorities, unpublished geopolitical positions, strategic...So it turns out that identifying your strategic military decision makers while in plain language stating the administrations priorities, unpublished geopolitical positions, strategic considerations, rationale, messaging, intelligence capabilities, objectives at all levels and a play by play timeline of US assets in action of an operation conducted this week; all qualifies as "unclassified".
Very interested to see how this pans out.
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Comment on US government workers and military planners love Signal now in ~tech
SloMoMonday Link ParentIt feels like there's a massive disconnect between the personal sense of security and the overall security of the system. But to be fair, it's clear that in the US government right now, the system...It feels like there's a massive disconnect between the personal sense of security and the overall security of the system. But to be fair, it's clear that in the US government right now, the system is agressively at odds with itself and the people that administer it, so I can understand the need to keep things off record and to cover tracks.
And even without toxic governments, I'm sure personal IM apps are a major problem in most every organization around the world. Everywhere I've worked, people defaulted to WhatsApp or Telegram for casual correspondence, even with Slack or Teams right there. And very often some sensitive data would make its way into the chat next to personal groups. While it was obviously against policy, enforcement is near impossible at large enough scale.
But regardless, the recent event illustrated exactly why consumer off-the-shelf software is not suitable for high level government correspondence. Seriously, this is the crowd frothing at the mouth about remote work and government spending. You'd think they could make time to be in the same room to discuss untold millions in military spending and ending lives.
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Comment on Confess your food crimes in ~food
SloMoMonday Link ParentSo the original zombie mix is when I was on the hunt for a maximum umami shot to the mouth. Was playing with dry rubs for steak, powdered mushrooms and other bbq herbs but it was always feeling...So the original zombie mix is when I was on the hunt for a maximum umami shot to the mouth. Was playing with dry rubs for steak, powdered mushrooms and other bbq herbs but it was always feeling like styrofoam biltong (beef jerky). The sea weed and yeast kept it feeling like a plant and fine msg was the kicker. But I think it just became too much over time so the msg is massively reduced and pinch of maple sugar adds a milder sweetness to level it out but with a nice woody note to it.
Would like to give exact measures but it's very much a vibes based recipe. -
Comment on The Donald Trump US administration accidentally texted me its war plans (gifted link) in ~society
SloMoMonday Link ParentMy thinking is that if I was anyone in any US intelligence branch, armed forces or an informants in the field; I would be bugging the hell out and going to ground like my life depended on it. No...My thinking is that if I was anyone in any US intelligence branch, armed forces or an informants in the field; I would be bugging the hell out and going to ground like my life depended on it. No one should be joining the military or cooperating with the US or even working for the government because there is no longer a foundation of information security.
Starlink is consumer tech with a good chunk of infrastructure outside anyones scope of control. Every adversary must have bought dozens of units on launch to reverse engineer, and finding ways to spoof/intercept that signal for a mitm. And starlink aside, you've still conducting confidential business on Signal. Another consumer service with no organisational controls. If someone injected a few instructions in a media file (see Jeff Bezos and his best friend/saudi prince) that was distributed among the countries leadership, well congratulations, the us government is a new social media platform.
If you've ever worked with secure channels, they tend to be clunky and bare bones and subject to a ton of scrutiny. Like an inter-institutional banking API can involve a half-dozen back end transactions to just get you through the door. Military is likely more. And while accountability has a lot to do with it, it's also all the layers that an attacker is going to have to break through while having limited tools at their disposal. My guess is that Elon spun some scrap about advanced encryption like that is all secure communication is. What they're doing is the equivalent of asking the shady guy who hangs out near ATMs to help change their banking password while using free public WiFi.
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Comment on CITY The Animation | Preview 1 in ~anime
SloMoMonday LinkI don't have time for many anime at the moment but I'm always looking out for absurd Slice of Life comedies (I call them Slice of Strangeness). Stuff like Oron Host Club, Love is War and Azumanga....I don't have time for many anime at the moment but I'm always looking out for absurd Slice of Life comedies (I call them Slice of Strangeness). Stuff like Oron Host Club, Love is War and Azumanga. But Nichijou sits next to Monty Python and IT Crowd in terms what I look for in comedy. Its also sentimental for a bunch of reasons but that bias aside, it feels like a truly timeless piece. From that amazing OP1 to its iconic gags and even the intricate mural of ED2.
So I genuinely spit out some breakfast when several friends all spammed me this preview for this spiritual sequel. I have prints of CITY and it's just a magical evolution. Nichijou felt like any classmate could be a main character of their own show, and many had mini arcs over the series.
CITY is a city of main characters. You really have to see it. Like in chapter 53, there are 4 double page spreads showcasing dozens of characters and the intersection of everyone's weird and winding stories. And it's just a chaotic dance of every persons life, nudging the others along in unexpected ways.
So yeah. I'm a sucker for everything this manga does. Surreal, abstract humour. Sappy character driven stories. And simple but evocative art. And from the looks of the trailer and the fact it's KyoAni, I have high hopes for this anime.
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CITY The Animation | Preview 1
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Comment on Confess your food crimes in ~food
SloMoMonday LinkIf I'm really busy and no one is around to witness it, I make tea by putting the teabag and sugar in a cup, adding hot water to steep (not stirring) and then pouring it over a stack of plain...If I'm really busy and no one is around to witness it, I make tea by putting the teabag and sugar in a cup, adding hot water to steep (not stirring) and then pouring it over a stack of plain Maribon biscuits in a bowl, making sure to top it with the gooey half dissolved sugar.
Also I have a range stupid pop-corn toppings that no one wants to try.
Pop-corn is made in a wok (can use foil if your wok doesn't have a lid) using clarified butter and a little bit of brown sugar if feeling for some sweet. And then its a choice between:- unholy fusion: salt, indian spices (mostly garam masala), dried lao gan ma, mild chili flakes and Italian dried herb mix.
- yellow rainbow: aromat, Hundreds and thousands and topped with whatever crispy thing is laying around (doritos, pringles, ice cream cones, taco shells).
- zombie mix: seaweed flakes, nutritional yeast, paprika, msg, maple sugar.
- the chaos bottle (I should really throw that one out since it scares the sourdoughs)
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Comment on The strangest encounter in ~talk
SloMoMonday LinkMy guess is that you were talking about his band and so jumping to "then we'll meet again" came across as " i should see you play some time". Good chance he's also beating himself up about that...My guess is that you were talking about his band and so jumping to "then we'll meet again" came across as " i should see you play some time". Good chance he's also beating himself up about that interaction and no one is at their best at 2am after a long day. Maybe just set things straight when you cross paths again.
As for noise, I'm just glad it was a civil confrontation. I was mostly in places where we would post noise complaints about people arguing over the noise or have two watch parties going to war over a game. But the worst is when you literally can't complain.
Like when my wife and I got our first place together, we figured we were lucky because the old landlady lived above and all the college students would keep in down. And first night we moved in, 10pm on the dot her washing machine turns on and sounds like a wobbling jet engine. But no worries, she was sure to drown out the sound with religious music. Took about a month before I broke down to complain and she was surprisingly wholesome about it. She just started doing laundry in the day and even baked us apology cookies.
Right now I'm just happy to be in my own place and the neighborhood (except one person) is accommodating about noise and street parking.
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Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk
SloMoMonday LinkMy notes app is mostly work memos and my kid messing around with the drawing tools. But I did find some old notes from a game I was working on through lockdown. Here's one of the random events we...My notes app is mostly work memos and my kid messing around with the drawing tools. But I did find some old notes from a game I was working on through lockdown. Here's one of the random events we were plotting out
4.c- event: Grave Robbing (Location: -4,5,-4)
Triggers:- Camp within 2 tiles. "An anomaly was spotted not far from camp"
- Traverse within 1 tile. "The company passes by a strange natural formation"
- Traverse/camp within 4 tile + SLY in company + SLY.quirk.wander check (40). "SLY team wandered off again. (4 hours) SLY team seems to have found something interesting"
PART 1
The narrow canyon opens into an unusually wide clearing. You notice dozens of unnatural formations littering the area, as well as deep gashes carved into every surface. A quick scan reveals these formations to be ancient downed crafts caked in centuries of dust. However, there's no clear sign why they are all concentrated in one place. A thorough investigation would take several hours.
PLAYER.salvage (30): It is unlikely that you can recover any useful salvage from the ancient wreckage.
PLAYER.empathy (20): You also hear murmurings of bad omens amongst the company.
PLAYER.integration (40): But you feel drawn to something in this clearing.Consult:
KING - "Don't know about this commander. If something here took down old tech, do we really want to see if it's still around."
BOOK - "So we getting paid for this little adventure or are we getting back to work."
SLY - Sounds like SLY crew are arguing on how to split the salvage.
HIVE - No response
SEER - "Rot. Leave"Options:
C0. Leave - "We're too exposed out here and can't spare the energy on treasure hunts."
-> morale: + 2
-> stats: ?
-> standing: KING+2, BOOK+1. SLY-2, HIVE =, SEER+4
-> END EVENTC1. Quick check - "We've got half a shift to dig up what we can around here."
-> time: +3-> TEAM.salvage(65): PASS
--> stats: ?
--> munitions: +5, materials: +3, gear.old_tech x 2 common
--> standing: KING+1, BOOK=. SLY+3, HIVE +1, SEER-2
--> morale: +3
--> END EVENT-> TEAM.salvage(65): FAIL
--> standing: KING-1, BOOK-1. SLY-2, HIVE =, SEER-3
--> morale: -1
--> TO PART 2C2. Quick check - "If everyone came here for something, then we probably want it too. Prep for excavation."
-> time: + 6
-> morale: -3
-> standing: KING-1, BOOK-3. SLY-2, HIVE =, SEER-3
-> stats: ?
--> TO PART 2PART2
After a fruitless sweep of the surface, you move to begin excavation. The minute a constructor drone breaks ground in the center of the clearing, a giant spike falls from the sky and impales the autonomous machine. You watch as giant, bipedal machine slowly descend from the sky and effortlessly extract its crude weapon from the drones carcass. It faces you with cold indifference on it's blank face.Options:
C0. Flee - "Full retreat. We're not messing with whatever the hell this is."
-> time: +2
-> morale: -3
-> standing: KING-2, BOOK-4. SLY+1, HIVE+2, SEER-2
-> stats: ?
-> END EVENTC1. Fight - Guardian elite combat. Ambush.
-> VICTORY
--> gear.old_tech x 1 rare + 2 common
--> standing: KING+3, BOOK+1. SLY+5, HIVE +3, SEER-3
--> morale: +5
--> stats: ?
--> TO EVENT 4.d-> RETREAT
--> standing: KING+1, BOOK-3. SLY-2, HIVE+2, SEER+2
--> morale: -8
--> stats: ?
--> END EVENT -
Comment on For-profit (creative) software in ~creative
SloMoMonday LinkThis will be a bit more technical and aimed at people in the 3D modelling space. But if you can push through it, the author does a good job of unpacking the unique problems of making objects in...This will be a bit more technical and aimed at people in the 3D modelling space. But if you can push through it, the author does a good job of unpacking the unique problems of making objects in virtual spaces.
So this was a difficult watch, simply because its a stark reminder on all the tools I've wasted considerable chunks of my life to learn, only for it to suddenly become "unsustainable" for whatever megacorp decided to acquire it. I still can't bring myself to learn blender or godot after the whole mess with Unity and not being able to afford Maya after uni. Hell, I can't even open a TTRPG after the OGL shitshow because it feels like I wasted so much of my time creating for DnD.
My issues aside, I think its an important watch for anyone getting started in creative/technical spaces because most commercial software is a waiting game of when dependency will be leveraged against you, rather than if. A lot of people didn't have this foresight. I had plenty of well meaning people give me horrible advice on where I should have put my focus, because they trusted their tools. Sometimes the world just moves beyond those tools but most of the time, the mix of apathy for customers, homogeneous business strategy and pure greed killed unique methods of creating things.
You can argue that centralized and standardized tools allow for greater efficiency and streamlines skills development and transfer. But in my view, it only serves to make everyone expendable and dependent, while locking out people who find those specific workflows counter-intuitive. It's bad for creators for all the reasons mentioned in the vid. Its bad for the studios using the tools because they will not get alternative tools or any meaningful innovations/improvements over time. And it's bad for the company because they are priming yourself for a user revolt and the second an open-source alternative is viable.
Its been a while, but i can't help regress to my teenage/college pothead days and swing wildly from lyrical and mellow beach-stoner beats like Jeremy Loops - Critical As Water or Sean Koch - Your Mind is a Picture , to all out metal like Cains Offering - Stormcrow and eventually end up on weeb punk/jazz stuff like The World Ends With You Soundtrack.
Apart from a few Stormcrow tracks, most of these albums are pretty measured and not too overstimulating.
(Sorry, no spotify. Only use YTMusic)