Stranger's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on Astro Bot wins Game of the Year 2024 in ~games
Stranger Link ParentBalatro is in no way a gambling sim except in the most superficial sense. It doesn't even have a wagering mechanic. It's a rougelike deckbuilder a la Slay The Spire that happens to be built around...Balatro is in no way a gambling sim except in the most superficial sense. It doesn't even have a wagering mechanic. It's a rougelike deckbuilder a la Slay The Spire that happens to be built around a poker aesthetic.
Also, while I haven't played UFO50, I did beat Animal Well and found it to fall short of the hype. It's a good game, to be sure, but it just never felt like it came together into anything more than a collection of disjointed puzzles and chill vibes. Compared to games like Fez or Tunic it just felt half baked, especially in the endgame. I'm not even sure what it is exactly aside from maybe some QoL changes that it needs, but with Fez and Tunic (or even Outer Wilds if you wanna lump that in) the deeper I got into the game's layers, the more enraptured I became with it. With Animal Well, the more I played the more annoyed I got with it.
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Comment on Borderlands 4 | Official first look in ~games
Stranger Link ParentBL3 was...ok. I enjoyed the gameplay and didn't hate the dialog as much as people seem to, but the story just sorta fell flat to me. Mostly I feel like it was a pacing issue. The plot moves from...BL3 was...ok. I enjoyed the gameplay and didn't hate the dialog as much as people seem to, but the story just sorta fell flat to me. Mostly I feel like it was a pacing issue. The plot moves from point to point so quickly that there really isn't any time for anything to carry any weight. Characters get introduced for a couple missions then get killed off before you get a chance to care about them, even though the game plays it up like they're supposed to be these gut-wrenching twists.
But the actual shooting and crazy guns and such were a blast.
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Comment on Great shows with a truly satisfying ending? in ~tv
Stranger Link ParentI got to the part where he decided to live in the driveway of his old crush and had to bail. I've enjoyed awkward and uncomfortable shows before but that took it to a whole new level.I got to the part where he decided to live in the driveway of his old crush and had to bail. I've enjoyed awkward and uncomfortable shows before but that took it to a whole new level.
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Comment on Pennsylvania should not determine the outcome of the election in ~society
Stranger Link ParentActually, Trump got more votes in California than in Texas in 2020. Still lost the state 2:1.California has more people voting Republican than any state other than Texas
Actually, Trump got more votes in California than in Texas in 2020. Still lost the state 2:1.
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Comment on A dealership damaged my car. Any advice? in ~transport
Stranger Link ParentSeconding your insurance. Not sure of your coverage, but: Half the cost of your car seems steep for catalytic converters. Not a mechanic though, so what do I know. If that's true, then insurance...Seconding your insurance. Not sure of your coverage, but:
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Half the cost of your car seems steep for catalytic converters. Not a mechanic though, so what do I know.
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If that's true, then insurance would consider it a total loss. I doubt they'll want to pay out a total loss without having you go to someone they trust for a second option. If it is totaled then they'll want to go after the dealership to recoup their costs.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Stranger Link ParentI'm curious how far you are in Dark Souls. Some parts of the game definitely hold up for difficulty, but otherwise it's reputation for difficulty is moreso a product of its time. Souls-style...I'm curious how far you are in Dark Souls.
Some parts of the game definitely hold up for difficulty, but otherwise it's reputation for difficulty is moreso a product of its time. Souls-style combat has permeated much of the gaming world along with games wearing their difficulty as a badge of honor, and the arms race that's become. Dark Souls was a trailblazer in a lot of ways (Demons Souls notwithstanding), so much of what it was praised for had been refined and ramped up to 11 since it's release. The speed of combat in particular has really ratcheted up since Bloodborne and going back to DS1 after DS3 or Elden Ring feels like playing at half speed. At this point, the hardest challenge is dealing with the games jankiness, especially poor camera controls and falling off edges (still a FromSoft staple).
It's a great game; still highly recommend to anyone who never got around to it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Stranger Link ParentThe DLC, particularly Ringed City, is definitely worth a play if you enjoyed the main game. Ashes of Ariandel is definitely the weaker of the two but collectively Sister Friede, Midir, Gael, and...The DLC, particularly Ringed City, is definitely worth a play if you enjoyed the main game. Ashes of Ariandel is definitely the weaker of the two but collectively Sister Friede, Midir, Gael, and Demon Princes are some of the best bosses From has ever done.
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Comment on cohost.org to shut down by the end of 2024 in ~tech
Stranger Link ParentKind of but also not really. There's nothing stopping you from slapping a few WD Green SSDs in there and calling it a day. Personally I wouldn't go that cheap but when I worked for an MSP we would...storage is much more expensive for servers
Kind of but also not really. There's nothing stopping you from slapping a few WD Green SSDs in there and calling it a day. Personally I wouldn't go that cheap but when I worked for an MSP we would absolutely buy consumer tier SSDs for the servers we managed for our clients. Keep them in RAID10 or 5 in case one goes out and you're set. Like, yeah, you could just buy the server from Dell or whoever preconfigured with your drives and then your paying 4x the cost, and you could buy server tier storage guaranteed to last until the heat death of the universe, but there's very little practical upside for the cost. As long as you have a backup that you can swap to if/when you need to take it offline then there's no real reason to dump cost into storage.
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Comment on Is Google doing its darndest to squeeze out Firefox or other browsers? in ~tech
Stranger Link ParentThis might be a mighty nit to pick but 5% of users doesn't necessarily mean 5% of traffic. It's entirely possible that the 5% of users who are motivated enough to install ad-blockers make up a...4-4.7 percent of users are using adblock
This might be a mighty nit to pick but 5% of users doesn't necessarily mean 5% of traffic. It's entirely possible that the 5% of users who are motivated enough to install ad-blockers make up a disproportionate amount of the traffic.
In either case given the size of Goggle's ad revenue stream, paying a team of programmers to solve a known problem for a 5% boost in revenue is a no-brainer from a business point of view.
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Comment on Internet Archive loses appeal in Hachette v. Internet Archive in ~tech
Stranger Link ParentAre they though? Or is it just a sentiment that gets over represented in certain social media circles? The closest I've seen to actual public opinion polling is a Pew survey that found that the...people are mostly against that, too.
Are they though? Or is it just a sentiment that gets over represented in certain social media circles? The closest I've seen to actual public opinion polling is a Pew survey that found that the overwhelming majority of respondents believe AI applications should credit the sources used in their models. Otherwise, I have not seen anything objective indicating widespread disapproval over the practice.
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Comment on Balatro Mobile coming to Google Play, Apple Arcade and App Store on September 26th in ~games
Stranger (edited )LinkWith all the hype earlier this year, I had been putting off purchasing on PC as I expected it'd make a good mobile game and didn't want to buy it twice. Months passed after they announced their...With all the hype earlier this year, I had been putting off purchasing on PC as I expected it'd make a good mobile game and didn't want to buy it twice. Months passed after they announced their intention with mobile without an ETA, so I finally broke down last month and bought it. Just finished gold on my first deck, got past ante 11, got a 100,000,000 hand, and have just about every joker unlocked (I think I might have one left?). I've just cracked 100 hours.
It's weird, I came into it from completing my first A20H in Slay the Spire and went in expecting it to fill the same niche, just a new flavor. I'm not sure why but it didn't quite grab me at first and even now it doesn't quite excite me as much as StS. I don't know how to describe it but it feels less strategic? I think because StS has 4 distinct characters each with multiple strategies in deck build. You can grind out The Silent for a while and if you get bored switch to The Watcher for a completely different playstyle. There's a lot of randomness and options with Balatro but aside from maybe the plasma deck it's all pretty much the same jist.
I'm not sure I'd really call it an exciting or interesting game, but it is a very easy to play game. Not easy to win, mind you; easy like a good Old Fashion is easy. Easy to get started, easy to slip into the groove, easy to lose hours to. No anxiety. No real frustration. It's the Long Hike of rougelite deckbuilders. It's comfy.
Anyway, I'll be picking it up Day 1 even if I have to start from scratch. It'll be an easy way to kill time in the waiting room or during flights or on my lunch break.
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Comment on I've been to all fifty states, and I've unexpectedly fallen in love with these seven cities in ~travel
Stranger Link ParentTo be fair, I feel like this describes every major city these days. Having lived in Southern California, then Houston, with family in Norfolk, and now looking to move somewhere in the north east,...wages are stagnant, housing prices are out of control, leadership is thoroughly inept and steeped in a culture of not creating any meaningful forward progress, and violent crime is through the roof.
To be fair, I feel like this describes every major city these days. Having lived in Southern California, then Houston, with family in Norfolk, and now looking to move somewhere in the north east, these are complaints I hear often no matter where I look. Not that it isn't true, even if only in a relative sense, but it seems to be a pretty universal sentiment.
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Comment on Borderlands 4 | Official teaser trailer in ~games
Stranger Link ParentI doubt it's that. BL2 was already a bit divisive with it's humor being incredibly annoying to a lot of people. BL3 kept the trend going but didn't have as entertaining of an antagonist and had a...I doubt it's that. BL2 was already a bit divisive with it's humor being incredibly annoying to a lot of people. BL3 kept the trend going but didn't have as entertaining of an antagonist and had a generally poorer story. The gameplay is solid but the BL universe might simply have worn out it's welcome.
In general I think we're at the tail-end of pop culture interest in the irreverent quippy humor that dominated the 2010's. You see a lot of similar harping on "Marvel dialog" with respect to film and TV. It makes me wonder if we're going to swing back to the grim-dark style of the 2000's or if something new will emerge.
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Comment on What game do you consider an unconventional masterpiece? in ~games
Stranger LinkTunic First, what I think holds it back. Tunic is a Souls-like puzzle game that presents itself like a 2.5D Zelda clone. You can play through the game from start to finish and only engage in it as...First, what I think holds it back. Tunic is a Souls-like puzzle game that presents itself like a 2.5D Zelda clone. You can play through the game from start to finish and only engage in it as that unique Souls-like with some mild puzzles and it would be...fine.
The combat is not very deep but it's varied enough to keep things interesting. The soundtrack is phenomenal and the art in the game's in-game manual (put a pin in that) is uncannily reminiscent of early 90's gaming in the best possible way. The difficulty curve is all over the place; you'll go forever without sweating only to hit moments requiring near perfect play in order to proceed. I'm talking "SL1 Dark Souls 3 run" difficult. It can be jarring and insanely frustrating in a way that I don't think would be fun for people who don't like bashing their head through a brick wall. On the bright side, there are (what can generously be called) "difficulty accessibility options" which allow you to turn off stamina or damage if things get too difficult. I like breaking through frustration, but I 100% recommend enabling those if it means someone can finish the game without souring on it. The story provided through the normal ending is interesting enough with some twists.
You can play the game like that and it's alright. A fun little Zelda-clone Souls-like with some great atmosphere, but not much to write home about otherwise. I expect a lot of people either stoped halfway or beat the game like this and called it a day or watched trailers and think it's just not for them.
But that's only half of what Tunic is.
I called it a Zelda-clone before because if you only play it liit'shat, that's all it really is. A Souls-like with a Zelda aesthetic. When you take the full picture though, it's a very loving homage to 90's era Zelda. It's also not primarily a Souls-like; it's a Witness-like.
Tunic's greatness, what shoots it up into the highest tiers of the gaming echelon imho, is it's puzzles. Like The Witness and Outer Wilds, Tunic hides an incredible amount of secrets in plain sight, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to follow until you reach a point where the veil comes off and the things you learn completely recontextualize the game you've been playing this whole time. Very few games are able to induce this type of "Holy shit" moment as effectively (honestly, only The Witness and Outer Wilds compare imho).
The big gimmick with Tunic is that there is an in-game manual reminiscent of old school manuals that came with games back in the day. The manual explains everything you need to know about the game: mechanics, lore, hints and tips, maps of each area. There are even hand-written notes scrawled in pen throughout as if from the previous owner of the game's physical media. The catch is that everything in the manual and in the game is made in a (totally decipherable) made-up language. The experience has been described like buying a used game at a garage sale only to find out when you got home that it's in Japanese.
As you play, you find more missing pages of the manual which reveal more information, mostly through context (since you can't read the language). It's very effective and there are multiple layers of puzzles (including a whole ARG, but I have mixed opinions of ARGs in general so I won't go into that). Finding every page of the manual will require, among other things, solving one of the most intricate and satisfying puzzles I've ever come across in gaming: The Holy Cross and The Mountain Door. Of course, finding the full manual unlocks the true ending which, along with translating some of the lore, again recontextualizes the game.
Altogether, it is a damn impressive achievement of a game especially considering that it was the work of a single dev. I highly, highly recommend anyone with an interest in puzzle games or knowledge-based games to give it a try.
TL;DR: Tunic is like an onion. It has layers. Unfortunately, the outer layer undersells how amazing the lower layers are.
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Comment on AI music generator Suno admits it was trained on ‘essentially all music files on the internet’ in ~tech
Stranger Link ParentThis case gets trot out often for finding that AI art is non-copyrightable, but that's not actually what the case held. There are very, very important caveats which get skipped over that...This case gets trot out often for finding that AI art is non-copyrightable, but that's not actually what the case held. There are very, very important caveats which get skipped over that effectively make this case irrelevant with respect to whether or not you can copyright an AI generated image.
The most important fact is that the plaintiff never claimed to be the artist of the work. His position going into the case was that the AI engine (that he created) was the artist and that he owned the copyright by means of work for hire. The defense (the copyright office) did not challenge his assertion of authorship. As such, the only legal question under consideration was whether an AI could be considered the artist of a work for the purpose of copyright. As you mentioned, this was already a settled legal question, thus his lawsuit was denied.
Importantly, upon appeal he changed his position and claimed that he was the original artist and that the AI was only a tool, however appeals courts do not consider questions of fact, only law, and his attempt to change his position was denied and the original verdict upheld.
Ergo, the question as to whether you can copyright an AI image if a human claims to be the author is still legally unresolved.
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Comment on California’s restaurant industry can keep its controversial service fees in ~food
Stranger LinkHopefully it gains traction. I've gotten really sick of placing orders online or over the phone only to show up and see a piece of paper taped to the counter saying "menu prices reflect 3% cash...Meanwhile, two San Francisco residents started a petition to ban “drip-pricing,” the Chronicle further reports, potentially leading to an upcoming ballot measure.
Hopefully it gains traction. I've gotten really sick of placing orders online or over the phone only to show up and see a piece of paper taped to the counter saying "menu prices reflect 3% cash discount". That's not a discount; that's your processing fee. Just be strsight about it. Pizza Hut also has a special "California fee" that they tack on, which is a whole other layer of frustrating and hilarious. The whole thing is becoming absurd.
Should put up a Proposition to ban tipping altogether while at it. It will never happen otherwise; it needs to be an industry-wide change or else the first restaurants to try will be priced out.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Stranger Link ParentI've heard complaints about the combat being clunky, but seems to go hand-in-hand with the genre. Did the combat (or anything else) stand out as particularly annoying to you?I've heard complaints about the combat being clunky, but seems to go hand-in-hand with the genre. Did the combat (or anything else) stand out as particularly annoying to you?
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Comment on Governor Gavin Newsom orders homeless sweeps throughout California in ~society
Stranger Link ParentI'm not so sure. California, by and large, is very liberal. The conservatives in the state aren't going to suddenly come around to him (Fox is still blasting him for this as we speak), and the...I'm not so sure. California, by and large, is very liberal. The conservatives in the state aren't going to suddenly come around to him (Fox is still blasting him for this as we speak), and the more progressive wing is going to be seriously pissed off over this. The question is whether or not there are enough moderate Dems and left-leaning Independents that will be happy enough over this to keep the incumbent in office if he gets challenged from the left.
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Comment on 'Skibidi Toilet' film & TV franchise in the works from Michael Bay in ~movies
Stranger Link ParentThis feels more like Snakes On A Plane.This feels more like Snakes On A Plane.
It's funny, when I started playing Balatro I found it reasonably entertaining but there was just something about it that felt... I don't know how to describe it except that it was just okay? I found it fun enough but very easy to put down and wasn't really feeling the hype.
I don't know what changed or when but at some point along the way I realized I'd become consumed by it. The more you play, the more you begin to understand all the different synergies. Each new game throws different cards your way and instead of holding out for the "perfect" combo (which, at this point, you realize wasn't as good as you thought) you get better at adapting to what gets thrown your way. Then somewhere around ante 4 you get a joker that completely changes the deck you thought you were building and you switch strats mid-game to adapt.
The game is infinitely replayable. It's incredibly easy to just start one more quick game. Then there's the challenge runs, different starter decks with their own quirks, the "ascention" mode of collecting the different color challenge chips for each deck, the achievements, and of course just trying to get the highest scoring hand you possibly can. Finally cracked a 1 billion chip hand for the first time last week and felt like hot shit...until I looked up how high you can really go.
Anyway, yeah, it's definitely a game that sneaks up on you with a simplistic appearance that belies how deep it goes.
Edit: According to Google, I've played 167 hours on mobile over the past 3 months. Steam says I've got 155 hours in PC.