smoontjes's recent activity
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Comment on Blizzard Entertainment files lawsuit against World of Warcraft private server Turtle WoW in ~games
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Comment on Blizzard Entertainment files lawsuit against World of Warcraft private server Turtle WoW in ~games
smoontjes LinkSurprised it's taken this long. Turtle WoW is huge. It has half a million accounts and reached nearly fifty thousand concurrent players this month. They had been advertising their recent patch a...Surprised it's taken this long. Turtle WoW is huge. It has half a million accounts and reached nearly fifty thousand concurrent players this month. They had been advertising their recent patch a ton with a pretty big presence on social media, to the point that Blizzard also took down their trailer for that patch on YouTube. So they have really been shooting themselves in the foot in my opinion, and been arrogant/naive that they could keep this all up. They are also working on porting the game into UE5 which, again, why would you draw so much attention to yourself?
All of us on TWoW play on it because despite being free, it's somehow better than the subscriptionbased official Blizzard servers. Those ones have major botting and gold selling problems, and there is basically none of it on TWoW. They have also developed a ton of custom stuff, improved on classes, races, added a dozen new zones, new dungeons, even new raids, most of it high quality and nearly indiscernible in quality from official WoW. So it really is not a surprise to anyone that there is a lawsuit. From the article:
A recent uptick in ads and coverage for Turtle Wow made the move seem especially likely, as did Turtle WoW's ambitious ongoing attempt to replicate the client in Unreal Engine 5. Turtle WoW is officially free-to-play, but an emphasis on donations and a shop dependent on those donations also raised some concerns.
Cannot emphasize the point about donations/in-game shop enough. t's not quite pay to win, but you can buy an item that gives you a summonable vendor, auction house, bank, etc., which is true quality of life. It runs like €20 each though. There's also mounts and pets etc. just like the official game has. You can also buy a house for your guild for €90 - someone in my guild has done this twice. And a lot of others bought aforementioned stuff. Safe to say with the many thousands of players that TWoW has, they are likely making bank from it. Undoubtedly also attracting negative attention from Blizzard to sue.
ETA: discussions on WoW reddit here and Classic WoW reddit here.
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Blizzard Entertainment files lawsuit against World of Warcraft private server Turtle WoW
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
smoontjes Link ParentI quit watching at the end of season 1 at the fairy tale episode and never managed to get back into it. Looks like that episode is the lowest rated but looking back, I suppose nothing really...I quit watching at the end of season 1 at the fairy tale episode and never managed to get back into it. Looks like that episode is the lowest rated but looking back, I suppose nothing really grabbed my attention about the show in the first place. Too many Hollywood-looking actors, too many cheesy moments, etc., imo.
The first two seasons were great. This season has half of the episodes as comedy or experimental episodes, and they haven't been funny or landed.
What else do you (and cc @tomf) feel has become bad about it now in season 3?
And since it's extremely rare for me to get so many episodes into a show and then quit: what did you guys like about it in season 1 and 2?
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
smoontjes LinkUpright - 7/10 Season one - 8/10 Season two - 6.5/10 Never watched an Aussie show before but seeing as Milly Alcock was the best part of House of the Dragon, I decided to give this show a try. The...Upright - 7/10
Season one - 8/10
Season two - 6.5/10
Never watched an Aussie show before but seeing as Milly Alcock was the best part of House of the Dragon, I decided to give this show a try. The first season was really good, it had a great journey and great writing, some super touching moments I could relate to both main characters. The second season though was a big disappointment for me since I expected similar quality as the first. It was just too goofy. Way too much weird stuff happening, the story was just completely out there. This show was certainly a bit crazy in season one but season two took it to the next level and just went super weird with it. Still decent though but sad that it didn't live up to my expectations I had from season one.
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Comment on Which directors have a flawless filmography? in ~movies
smoontjes Link ParentThis is my reason why I cannot put Nolan in any top list. I actually do like all his movies, but since he is unable to properly represent 50% of the population, then he are no longer an actually...This is my reason why I cannot put Nolan in any top list. I actually do like all his movies, but since he is unable to properly represent 50% of the population, then he are no longer an actually truly great filmmaker. He has a ton of strengths though which puts him above a lot of others - but he will never be towards the top because of this.
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Comment on Which directors have a flawless filmography? in ~movies
smoontjes LinkDenis Villeneuve. Practically nobody has watched his 90's movies, including me, but even if you do count them, he still has not had a single bad or even mediocre movie for at least one and a half...Denis Villeneuve.
Practically nobody has watched his 90's movies, including me, but even if you do count them, he still has not had a single bad or even mediocre movie for at least one and a half decades - my personal highlights being Arrival and Blade Runner 2049.
He is more consistently excellent than any other working director. Could even easily put him in the top 10 of all time too imo.
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Comment on Does anyone have a digg invite code I can get ? in ~tech
smoontjes Link ParentHad to google that haha but yeah since OP got in after 1 month,, probably.Had to google that haha but yeah since OP got in after 1 month,, probably.
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Comment on After Xi Jinping: The succession question obscuring China's future - and unsettling its present in ~society
smoontjes LinkGreat article, thanks for posting. Most people in the west are not nearly as cognizant of China as I feel they and we ought to be. It feels like at least in my country it's always talked about or...Great article, thanks for posting.
Most people in the west are not nearly as cognizant of China as I feel they and we ought to be. It feels like at least in my country it's always talked about or written about in newsmedia as something far away but reality is they have a lot of power over us and depending what Xi does with this crazy 2027 plan will probably only get worse if the US continues in its direction too.
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Comment on Does anyone have a digg invite code I can get ? in ~tech
smoontjes Link ParentThat's kinda crazy. From what I can tell it was around March that they announced this new digg?That's kinda crazy. From what I can tell it was around March that they announced this new digg?
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Comment on Does anyone have a digg invite code I can get ? in ~tech
smoontjes Link ParentIt has been a while but my theory is that ever since it started being seen as an app more than a website, that caused a shift too. I don't have the exact numbers but it's something like only 5% of...It has been a while but my theory is that ever since it started being seen as an app more than a website, that caused a shift too. I don't have the exact numbers but it's something like only 5% of users that use old reddit, and way above 50% are using it through phones - most importantly the latter because phones are of course not something you write long comments on so that always makes content quality worse imo.
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Comment on Peacemaker season 2 opens by retconning Zack Snyder's Justice League out of existence in ~tv
smoontjes Link ParentAnything can be a spoiler if you didn't want to know. For me as well, basically everything about something I want to watch is a spoiler - regardless if the director talked about it in interviews,...Anything can be a spoiler if you didn't want to know. For me as well, basically everything about something I want to watch is a spoiler - regardless if the director talked about it in interviews, or if it exists in promotional material, etc. Even what actors are going to appear can be a spoiler. Everybody have different levels of what they'd rather not know and prefer I suppose.
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Comment on Denmark ending letter deliveries is a sign of the digital times in ~society
smoontjes Link ParentEverything is indeed digital. After unsubscribing from my bank's communication, I get like 5 letters per year now total.Everything is indeed digital. After unsubscribing from my bank's communication, I get like 5 letters per year now total.
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Comment on Danish government has announced it will abolish a 25% sales tax on books, in an effort to combat a "reading crisis" in ~books
smoontjes (edited )Link ParentThe wording "simple text" must be referring to something specific. I found this but that wording doesn't appear anywhere. There's a definition of what they're testing on page 6 (just skimmed...The wording "simple text" must be referring to something specific. I found this but that wording doesn't appear anywhere. There's a definition of what they're testing on page 6 (just skimmed through the pdf a little bit):
PISA tester elevernes læsekompetence ud fra følgende definition:
Læsekompetence er at forstå, bruge, vurdere, reflektere over og engagere sig i tekster for at nå sine mål, udvikle sin viden og sit potentiale samt deltage i samfundet.So I'm not sure what the article is on about either. Haven't dived that deep into it obviously but I couldn't find any source in any other article about this either. This article for example links to the OECD survey here but it seems like it's the wrong page they linked to? Not saying the figure is wrong, only that I haven't a clue because I could not find a source, and I also feel the wording "simple text" seems misleading.
Edit: now found this. It's from 2022 so I assume these articles are about 2025 surveys that have yet to be published..?
It would make sense though I guess, that reading proficiency of these kids is worse since 2022. Extremely simple language mostly when scrolling social media, playing video games, etc., plus going to school during covid definitely must have messed up these kids' abilities.
That "simple text" phrasing is still bothering me though. I'm hyperfixating a bit on it now but assuming the criteria are the same from this as to now, the definition from that link (seems to be identical to what I copy/pasted in Danish above) is not what I would call simple:
At a minimum, these students can identify the main idea in a text of moderate length, find information based on explicit, though sometimes complex criteria, and can reflect on the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so.
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Comment on Disney’s boy trouble: studio seeks original IP to win back Gen-Z men amid Marvel, Lucasfilm struggles in ~movies
smoontjes Link ParentI thought She-Hulk was great and Captain Marvel was my favourite hero in the MCU, but sadly the reality is that the above comment is right.. fact was that it really did create pushback some of the...but men are apparently supposed to be unable to relate to that
I thought She-Hulk was great and Captain Marvel was my favourite hero in the MCU, but sadly the reality is that the above comment is right.. fact was that it really did create pushback some of the core fanbase away. No clue why. But it somehow was the case. Maybe because it happened during the comedown of #metoo which seen a lot of pushback since then, probably around Depp/Heard, in those spaces.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smoontjes LinkSuperman was Guardians of the Galaxy vibes but worse. Just some (mostly negative) thoughts rather than a review, spoilers below. Another big silly superhero movie to add to the pile. Not my thing!...Superman was Guardians of the Galaxy vibes but worse. Just some (mostly negative) thoughts rather than a review, spoilers below.
Another big silly superhero movie to add to the pile. Not my thing! I found myself bored and couldn't connect to almost anything, it was just a spectacle movie hitting every single CBM trope and cliche that we have already seen dozens of times for 20 years one after another.
At times they went all in on aiming for it to be a kid friendly borderline cartoon, but other times it seemed all in on horror stuff like the vomiting and the Russian roulette execution. So it was some really odd tonal whiplash and just felt messy as a result.
A couple of interesting side characters but otherwise forgettable personalities.
Pace was crazy fast, nothing was ever allowed to breathe. It felt like every setting was only there to check a box in the script before moving onto the next thing which made it feel hollow and insincere. Someone in a discussion thread called it a tiktok movie and honestly, that description seems about right.
Very curious about Supergirl next year as the short scene with her in this movie was by far my favourite part of it.
Unfortunately my prediction about what DC would become with Gunn helming it seems to be coming true. A bit scared that his vision for this franchise does not match what I enjoy. At the moment, the sequel to The Batman is the only CBM I'm truly looking forward to.
This released for digital purchase (very legal download) only 5 weeks after theatrical premiere. Almost ~2021 type stuff!
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Comment on Gamescom 2025 megathread in ~games
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
smoontjes LinkThe Pitt - 9/10 Been a while since a tv show held my attention so well. Binged it across 2-3 days, was fully consumed by it! I think it lended itself very well to being watched that way. I think...The Pitt - 9/10
Been a while since a tv show held my attention so well. Binged it across 2-3 days, was fully consumed by it! I think it lended itself very well to being watched that way. I think my rating would have been a lot lower if I had watch it week by week as it released. Can't imagine waiting 3 months to watch this whole thing because it felt like one single big movie. A couple of clunky moments here and there but no real complaints otherwise. Simply incredible stuff and can't wait for season 2!
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Comment on What is the most insane, tedious, difficult, and/or noteworthy gaming achievement you have completed or given up on? in ~games
smoontjes LinkInsane in the Membrane in World of Warcraft Well almost there. I still need to get Darkmoon Faire to exalted but I'm not currently subscribed. It's just daily quests for a few more weeks though so...Insane in the Membrane in World of Warcraft
Well almost there.
I still need to get Darkmoon Faire to exalted but I'm not currently subscribed. It's just daily quests for a few more weeks though so it's no big deal. By far the worst is done though - about 10000 picked pockets for Ravenholdt and about 20000 pirates killed for the 4 Steamwheedle reputations.
It used to be way harder too and yet it's still miserable lol. But nowadays you outlevel everything a lot so stuff dies in 1 hit, stealth doesn't break, and they even removed one of the reputations required for it, Shen'dralar, which used to be the worst one (yes, worse than thousands of lockboxes and thousands of pirates!). And Darkmoon Faire was changed a ton too, like it used to be you could only turn in items to get rep but now there's daily quests so it's really basically the easiest one. Anyway, I'm very close to it! Probably resubscribing soon for the new patch anyways so can finish it up!
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Comment on What broke your heart? in ~life
smoontjes LinkNaomie. Played on the same server on Trackmania towards the end of 2008, maybe beginning of 2009. I was 15 at the time and she was 33. It was probably grooming although it's still difficult to...Naomie.
Played on the same server on Trackmania towards the end of 2008, maybe beginning of 2009. I was 15 at the time and she was 33. It was probably grooming although it's still difficult to admit as much, and I don't think I have any real argument that it wasn't except to say it didn't feel like it but maybe that's still some kind of denial. And I was a hormonal teen so how would I even know, even looking back at it now as a grown adult. Anyway it didn't take very long before I fell in love with her. A cool South African adult woman that actually wanted to befriend angsty teenage me.
We would text and talk for hours most days, even outside of the game. I have some real nostalgia for MSN Messenger mostly because of her. Ended up even getting webcams so we could video chat. She was beautiful. She would help me with whatever issues I struggled with at the time and talk it out with me, and while I obviously couldn't help with hers, I would still listen as she shared all sorts of truly traumatic shit that had happened to her, including horryfying things when she was a small child. She also hid this friendship (or whatever you can call it at all) from her husband which in retrospect is of course a major red flag but he was abusive, so maybe she didn't tell him about any of her friends, whether or not they were adults.
Texting, chatting, voice, video, continued until the end of 2010. Tthings started to fall apart when she was arranging a trip to visit her family in England. Because obviously, I thought that it was close enough to me that we would be able to meet up physically. She was not into that idea though. So I believe that that's the point she began withdrawing. I was getting my heart broken obviously but she hadn't fully ghosted me yet, but I would get so upset because of how long it took between her replies. One time, I called her from the house phone when I thought she was ignoring me. I don't remember the price per minute to call from Northern Europe to South Africa but it was absurd.
Things fully ended not too long after that. I couldn't accept that she didn't want to meet up irl and I guess she couldn't accept that I was becoming so upset at her every time we spoke. Had her family to think of, her husband, her daughter, etc.. At the end it was only emails back and forth. I think it got cut off a bit before she flew to go to them, I can't fully recall anymore. But I do remember I isolated myself in my room for a month and didn't say a single word to my parents. Not too long ago they told me they were considering putting me in the psych ward and my reaction was to ask why they didn't.
So my heart was broken in a million pieces and I sunk into a deep depression. It took years to get over her and sometimes I feel like seeing as it happened in such formative years, I still have trauma or a lot of weight from it. Thought about her every day for like 5+ years. Not every day anymore, but still a lot. Her social profiles are public and apparently she nearly died from covid a couple of years ago and my heart sunk. I know I shouldn't but I still miss her every time I think of her.
However.. the first thing I would say if I got the chance to speak to her again is to ask what the fuck she was thinking becoming so close with a teenager less than half her age. I'm getting near to the age she was during everything and I cannot for the life of me imagine having that kind of a relationship with someone that age. Like. What the fuck.
Yes. They have copied everything one to one and then built on top of it. What they do is nowhere near from scratch - the house was already built, they just renovate it and make new rooms.