Starman2112's recent activity
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Comment on What’s a point that you think many people missed? in ~talk
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Comment on What video games would you say have the best stories? Feel free to suggest more than one. in ~games
Starman2112 Link Parent+1 for 1000xResist and Nier: Automata. I'm not usually one for visual novels, but 1000xResist is still one of my favorite games I've ever played. You can tell that the devs were big fans of...+1 for 1000xResist and Nier: Automata. I'm not usually one for visual novels, but 1000xResist is still one of my favorite games I've ever played. You can tell that the devs were big fans of Nier:Automata, which itself was probably going to be my personal pick for this thread. Happy to see both of these titles in here
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Comment on Anime: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~anime
Starman2112 (edited )LinkI was going to write about this in one of the August threads after I watched Apocalypse Hotel, but I couldn't really think of a review for it. Apocalypse Hotel is a show about a hotel in Tokyo...I was going to write about this in one of the August threads after I watched Apocalypse Hotel, but I couldn't really think of a review for it. Apocalypse Hotel is a show about a hotel in Tokyo maintained and operated by robots after humanity flees Earth due to an airborne pathogen. What a strange and delightful show. I don't have a lot of notes. 10/10, no flaws, on the rewatch pile. After Apocalypse Hotel, I started my yearly Raildex rewatch, and haven't had anything to say. I don't hate Index quite as much as I did last year, but I still adore Railgun seasons 2 and 3 as much as ever.
What I do want to write about is what a good year it's been. I consider most of the shows I've watched in the last year to be among my favorites. The only "duds" were Eat-Man and Elfen Lied. But like, Key the Metal Idol, Bubblegum Crisis, Ergo Proxy, Read or Die, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Xam'd, Kyousougiga, Orb, Eureka Seven, Edgerunners, Sonny Boy, Kurau, Black Lagoon, Penguindrum, Apocalypse Hotel, all amazing shows. The biggest standout is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. Usually it's hard for me to think of something to write about, but with Orb, it's hard for me to stop writing. It fills me with many thoughts and feelings, more so than any other show.
A list of every show I watched in the last year, and my comment reviewing it (where applicable)
Nausicaa
Kiki's Delivery Service
Black Lagoon
Apocalypse Hotel
It may look like I give most shows absurdly high ratings, but that's only because I mostly watch absurdly good shows.
... Or maybe my ratings aren't actually useful, maybe I'm too forgiving. You can pretty safely ignore my ratings if you want, and focus only on the thoughts I put on the page.
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Comment on Solasta II | Reveal trailer in ~games
Starman2112 Link ParentHighly recommend, especially if you have another person to play it with. It's no Baldur's Gate 3, but it's arguably a better representation of 5th Edition D&D. One thing it has over BG3 is that...Highly recommend, especially if you have another person to play it with. It's no Baldur's Gate 3, but it's arguably a better representation of 5th Edition D&D. One thing it has over BG3 is that all four party members are fully custom and fully voiced. The production value is a lot lower, but honestly the more amateurish voice acting makes me like it better. The player characters sound like D&D player characters, not Broadway actors.
One part that always comes to my mind when I think of the game is a little scene where your party sits around a campfire and just talks. It feels so much like D&D. It's easy to forget that all four party members are custom when they talk and have fully fleshed out personalities. I could keep rambling, but I already did a couple years ago
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Comment on Without looking, do you have a vague idea of your coordinates? in ~talk
Starman2112 Link ParentA couple things. Depending on your latitude, different constellations and deep space objects are visible. For example, I'm just a little too far north to ever see Canopus, the second brightest...A couple things. Depending on your latitude, different constellations and deep space objects are visible. For example, I'm just a little too far north to ever see Canopus, the second brightest star in the night sky. There's actually a lot of DSOs that I would like to travel to the global south to see someday.
Also, the way an equatorial telescope mount works is that you set it to rotate around the same axis as the earth. It sounds complicated, but you just have to align it north and set the angle to match your latitude. The easiest way to do this is to point the mount towards Polaris, since it sits at the celestial north pole. At a latitude of 38°, Polaris sits 38° above the horizon.
Re: Geminids, hemisphere matters because the radiant of the Geminids is in the northern hemisphere. Essentially, they'll be higher in the sky and visible through more of the night the farther north you are
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Comment on Without looking, do you have a vague idea of your coordinates? in ~talk
Starman2112 LinkAs a starman, the fact that I live ~38° north of the equator is very relevant to my hobby. I think it's like 37°56' or something. Longitude... I think I'm at 97° west? Just looked it up, I'm like...As a starman, the fact that I live ~38° north of the equator is very relevant to my hobby. I think it's like 37°56' or something. Longitude... I think I'm at 97° west?
Just looked it up, I'm like 50 miles off. I'm happy with that
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Starman2112 (edited )LinkThere is the you that remains and remains and remains. 75 hours I spent on Silksong, and it was completely overshadowed by the ~15 hour storyline of 1000xRESIST. Rarely do I find a game that's so...There is the you that remains and remains and remains.
75 hours I spent on Silksong, and it was completely overshadowed by the ~15 hour storyline of 1000xRESIST. Rarely do I find a game that's so good that I don't want to uninstall it after getting every achievement. The last time a game made me feel this strongly was Nier: Automata, which this game clearly draws some inspiration from. I don't want to play something else, I just want to play this again. I'm well aware of the irony of this sentiment, given the themes of the story.
The gameplay isn't going to draw anyone in, and the animations are really more of a lack thereof. It's essentially a visual novel with extra steps. Movement is clunky, the Orchard is nigh impossible to navigate, but by the ALLMOTHER does this game make up for all of that and more with the story. A story of survival, betrayal, loss of faith, and the complexity of figuring out what we should hold onto and what we should let go. Easiest 10/10 I've given a game since Nier. Now I have to find the motivation to play something else.
Hekki ALLMO, sister.
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Comment on What makes a game, a game? in ~games
Starman2112 (edited )LinkI was really hoping that answering the survey would help me nail down my definition of a "game," but I cannot for the life of me figure out how a math quiz is homeomorphically distinct from a...I was really hoping that answering the survey would help me nail down my definition of a "game," but I cannot for the life of me figure out how a math quiz is homeomorphically distinct from a crossword puzzle, and I said a crossword puzzle is a game. I've never been so uncomfortable answering a survey question in my life.
Games like early versions of Minecraft where you can neither win nor lose
I have actually heard an interesting case for Minecraft not being a game. That said, I am descriptivist enough to answer yes to that question
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
Starman2112 LinkI'm greedy so I'll take 3 Everyone should have to read and pass a test on the Cooperative Principle and Grice's maxims before being allowed to comment on the internet, and should be made to retake...I'm greedy so I'll take 3
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Everyone should have to read and pass a test on the Cooperative Principle and Grice's maxims before being allowed to comment on the internet, and should be made to retake the test yearly to keep comment privileges
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Driving at the same speed as the person next to you for more than some arbitrary distance should be a ticketable offense, and speeding laws should offer flexibility up to 5 mph exclusively to accommodate this
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Saying that every homophobe is secretly gay is high-key homophobic. The gays are oppressing themselves? Bruh
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
Starman2112 LinkI would give every penny to CheeseParade and demand that they make a feature-length Balloon Boys movieI would give every penny to CheeseParade and demand that they make a feature-length Balloon Boys movie
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 (edited )Link ParentOrb is my favorite anime in the last 15 years. It's so good. It's hard to write about without spoilers, but on top of being about 15th century polish astronomers, it's also about the contributions...Orb is my favorite anime in the last 15 years. It's so good. It's hard to write about without spoilers, but on top of being about 15th century polish astronomers, it's also about the contributions to history made by now-anonymous people from days long-since passed, and about having faith in an uncertain future. I want so badly to write more but I can't without spoiling anything so I'm gonna link to some thoughts I wrote down back in March for you to either read when you've finished the show, or forget about and never see. Either way is fine
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Comment on Do you share your location with your friends? in ~tech
Starman2112 LinkI'm a late millennial (on the cusp of being gen z) and I kinda share my location with friends and family 24/7. I have a Tasker profile set up so that if any of my favorited contacts asks "Where...I'm a late millennial (on the cusp of being gen z) and I kinda share my location with friends and family 24/7. I have a Tasker profile set up so that if any of my favorited contacts asks "Where are you?" it automatically gives them my coordinates. Mind, this is like 6 people total. I don't mind them being able to find me any time because I know they'll never abuse it, but I'll toss this phone in a blender before I install an app that gives some marketing firm in San Mateo access to my location 24/7
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 Link ParentI only discovered they share a director after I finished the show, and I was not surprised. The ritualistic repetition of musical sequences, the surreal settings, and the exploration of love and...I only discovered they share a director after I finished the show, and I was not surprised. The ritualistic repetition of musical sequences, the surreal settings, and the exploration of love and self sacrifice all mark the shows as closely related.
I was hoping I was done adding anime to my list when my VPN expired last month and I had to take my "media center" laptop offline, but Yurikuma Arashi and Sarazanmai are already near the top of the list. Gonna have to find a VPN that works on Linux. I already have years worth of anime to watch, and the list grows faster than I can watch them
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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
Starman2112 LinkNo Man's Sky. I reached the center of the galaxy one jump at at a time in Permadeath. My capitol ship can jump >3,000 lightyears at a time, and I started around 700,000 lightyears away, so it only...No Man's Sky. I reached the center of the galaxy one jump at at a time in Permadeath. My capitol ship can jump >3,000 lightyears at a time, and I started around 700,000 lightyears away, so it only took a bit over 200 jumps (I think it was 214, but I can't be sure).
Once you put a couple hundred hours into a permadeath save, it basically becomes indistinguishable from creative mode. Especially when you were lucky enough to get the Atlas Scepter multitool back in like the 7th expedition, it's wildly overpowered
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 LinkI finished Mawaru Penguindrum a couple days ago. I loved it. Two things stand out to me: one, it's pretty. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, and I like the character designs a lot. Two, it's...I finished Mawaru Penguindrum a couple days ago. I loved it. Two things stand out to me: one, it's pretty. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, and I like the character designs a lot. Two, it's weird. Good weird. It shares a lot of DNA with Revolutionary Girl Utena, and sits on the same shelf in my brain as Kyousougiga and Sonny Boy.
It's also very confusing. As convoluted and esoteric as the show is, one thing about it is perfectly clear: it's a story about love. What I find most interesting about it is that it isn't the sanitized, all-positive, incorruptible thing that many stories make it out to be. Love is messy, it can hurt you and make you hurt others. That's not to say it's a bad thing, just that it's complex. The show explores these themes in great detail.
This is one of those shows that it's really hard for me to write about, because it's so very inscrutible. That paragraph is about all I've got. Strong recommend if you like "Weird (Non-Pejorative)" as a genre. I'm giving it a 10.
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Comment on What is your silly or (kinda) useless talent? in ~talk
Starman2112 LinkTwo things: one, I can clap really loud, and two, Alpha bravo charlie delta Echo foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliet Kayla lima mike November Oscar papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango uniform Victor...Two things: one, I can clap really loud, and two,
Alpha bravo charlie delta Echo foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliet Kayla lima mike November Oscar papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango uniform Victor whiskey x-ray Yankee Zulu
Off the top of my head, voice to text, one breath. Obviously it's Kilo, not Kayla, but google can't transcribe everything perfectly
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 LinkI'm not sure who exactly the target audience for Sora No Manimani was, aside from Me Specifically. It's basically propaganda for your local high school's astronomy club. I don't usually pay a lot...I'm not sure who exactly the target audience for Sora No Manimani was, aside from Me Specifically. It's basically propaganda for your local high school's astronomy club.
I don't usually pay a lot of attention to the sky in TV shows, but they put a lot of effort into making sure the sky is the sky, and I had some fun pulling up Stellarium to compare it. I also really liked how realistically the telescopes were depicted. Planets look wavy and blurry, but the fact that you can see see details at all is what makes telescopes so cool.
The story is cute. Not a whole lot can happen in a 12 episode series that covers like a quarter of the manga. It is on my reading list now though. I'm giving it a 7/10. It's cute, I liked it, but in a year I'm probably not gonna remember it
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 LinkMirai Nikki was fun. A battle royale between a dozen people who can tell the future in different ways. No spoilers, compressing text It's on the same shelf in my brain as Elfen Lied. Like Elfen...Mirai Nikki was fun. A battle royale between a dozen people who can tell the future in different ways.
No spoilers, compressing text
It's on the same shelf in my brain as Elfen Lied. Like Elfen Lied, it suffers from frequent nudity, usually involving underage characters. Unlike Elfen Lied, I actually thought this show was worth watching despite that.
Yuno Gasai is an interesting character. I like her development. It's not really character development; she doesn't really change, so much as the audience's perception of her does. She goes from weird stalker to psychopath to advanced stalker.
Yuuki's character development is interesting, if a little undercooked. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but he managed to throw away any sense of morality just for the idea of absolute power. I would have liked to see a better exploration of his coming to terms with his loss of morality.
I prefer the ending without the OVA. It answers too many questions that were more interesting unanswered.
I'm giving it a 6 out of 10. Edit out the nudity and it would get an 8.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 (edited )LinkKurau: Phantom Memory is another one that's hard to write about. I like the soundtrack, I like the dub, I like the animation (it's Bones, so you know it's pretty), but it doesn't really lend...Kurau: Phantom Memory is another one that's hard to write about. I like the soundtrack, I like the dub, I like the animation (it's Bones, so you know it's pretty), but it doesn't really lend itself to much philosophizing or commentary, aside from some parallels with exploiting other peoples for their resources.
I liked the character development Christmas got. She starts as essentially an alien with no understanding of how human society works, and ends up being a particularly personable... person.
I also like the conflict Kurau feels regarding Kurau's body. It's a really unique story beat, a spirit possessing a body but trying their best to keep the body safe for when they figure out how to leave it, and the tension of wanting to stay in this world in that body, but knowing it would be wrong to just steal it? Idunno, I'm bad with words, but I thought that conflict was really neat, and I felt for Kurau (the Rynax) having to deal with it. The show doesn't lean into this internal conflict very hard, but you get glimpses of it.
I also really liked the ending. I saw it coming from a mile away, and I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears.
Huh, I guess it does lend itself to commentary. 8/10. I can't think of anything specific they could have improved, but it isn't as above and beyond as something that gets a 9.
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Comment on Favorite mobile games for short play sessions? in ~games
Starman2112 Link Parent+1 for Alto. Recently hit level 61 in Odyssey, then found out there's a Google play achievement for reaching level 61 without crashing more than 100 times, so it's been consuming a lot of my free...+1 for Alto. Recently hit level 61 in Odyssey, then found out there's a Google play achievement for reaching level 61 without crashing more than 100 times, so it's been consuming a lot of my free time lately. I never really improved at the game until I found this challenge
I'm sure it isn't new to you, but Jacob Geller made a fantastic video about Spec Ops a while ago. Highly recommend to anyone who played the game and didn't get it