Thea's recent activity
-
Comment on Surviving the Titanic - dining on Carpathia in ~food
-
Comment on Kobo for a casual reader in ~books
Thea Link ParentI also got the Kobo for ability to link to my library card through Libby. Before I had my e-reader I was very much like the original poster here - I would read maybe 5-10 books a year. I got the...I also got the Kobo for ability to link to my library card through Libby. Before I had my e-reader I was very much like the original poster here - I would read maybe 5-10 books a year. I got the Kobo in April and I'm on track for 50+ books this year. I love reading, so it's been a quality of life improvement for me. I can also add books I already have through Google Drive, or load it up with a few academic articles before a long car ride. My one criticism is that it's a pain in the ass to add notations, the keyboard types very slowly and doesn't intuitively switch between caps/lowercase, but if you're not a note-taker it's not an inconvenience.
All in all, given the ability to make the choice again I would definitely buy a Kobo, but other peoples' mileage may vary.
-
Comment on Is all language linear to a native speaker? in ~humanities.languages
Thea Link ParentThere is a rule on order in English, and we adhere to it even if it's not explicitly taught. It goes - non-physical/opinion-based quality, size, age, shape/physical quality, colour, origin,...There is a rule on order in English, and we adhere to it even if it's not explicitly taught.
It goes - non-physical/opinion-based quality, size, age, shape/physical quality, colour, origin, material, type, purpose.E.g. the weird, green French spoon, not the French green weird spoon. The rough plastic cup, not the plastic rough cup. There may be some room for variation, ( e.g the beloved, sharp, old sewing scissors, could be the old, sharp, beloved sewing scissors, but not the old, sharp, sewing, beloved scissors) but this is the pattern it tends to follow. "The blue new car" sounds strange to native English-speakers, but "the new blue car" sounds correct. People learning English will know this as "OSASCOMP".
The things we do within our own languages that we don't even realize - it's interesting, isn't it!
-
Comment on Looking for adventure(-ish) games to play alongside my 8 years old in ~games
Thea Link ParentI got the new one and started playing it too - it's cute! I haven't been able to finish it because of "being an adult" and "having responsibilities", but I'm looking forward to playing it again...I got the new one and started playing it too - it's cute! I haven't been able to finish it because of "being an adult" and "having responsibilities", but I'm looking forward to playing it again for sure!
-
Comment on Miles Davis album all done by 8 bit. Bloop- Bleep-Bloop. in ~music
Thea LinkAhhh I listened to this on YouTube before, I loved it. I didn't know about the out of court settlement regarding the cover art - I love the "where would you draw the line" section on the related...Ahhh I listened to this on YouTube before, I loved it. I didn't know about the out of court settlement regarding the cover art - I love the "where would you draw the line" section on the related blog post linked from the site, and it looks from their icon they really leaned into a sardonic vagueness. Discussions of fair use and IP aside, I do love a well-done 8-bit cover and this one is fantastic.
-
Comment on Looking for adventure(-ish) games to play alongside my 8 years old in ~games
Thea LinkCurse of Monkey Island. Any of the Monkey Islands would be great, but CMI is, to me, the definitive instalment. It's adorable, it's funny, it encourages lateral thinking, it's kid-friendly, and it...Curse of Monkey Island. Any of the Monkey Islands would be great, but CMI is, to me, the definitive instalment. It's adorable, it's funny, it encourages lateral thinking, it's kid-friendly, and it should be pretty cheap on Steam because it's almost 30 years old. Your kid should get a kick out of it!
-
Comment on What are your ten favourite movies of all time? in ~movies
Thea Link ParentThe Man from Earth - that was an interesting movie! A friend recommended it and I'm glad I watched it. The discussion around "what if" prior to the film's conclusion, a community of people telling...The Man from Earth - that was an interesting movie! A friend recommended it and I'm glad I watched it. The discussion around "what if" prior to the film's conclusion, a community of people telling stories around a fire - it really captured a foundational part of humanity. I heard that there's a sequel, I'm not sure I want to watch it.
+1 for Young Frankenstein, Madeline Kahn was one of my favourites, Clue is on my list, I think.
-
Comment on I'm visiting the region you're from, what's your favorite food I should try? in ~food
Thea Link ParentIndigenous cuisine exists. If you can, take some time to learn about it, there's lots that chefs are doing with traditional ingredients and ways of cooking. Strawberry juice is one of my faves....Indigenous cuisine exists. If you can, take some time to learn about it, there's lots that chefs are doing with traditional ingredients and ways of cooking. Strawberry juice is one of my faves. Any event that has strawberry juice and tradish donuts is aces in my book.
-
Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Thea Link ParentI've been on a RATM kick myself, Renegades of Funk came on my YTM last week and I decided to just dive right in. Metal-wise, these aren't new songs, but I've been looking at world metal and have...I've been on a RATM kick myself, Renegades of Funk came on my YTM last week and I decided to just dive right in.
Metal-wise, these aren't new songs, but I've been looking at world metal and have been listening to Alien Weaponry from Aotearoa - I added Kai Tangata to my workout playlist, there's something very powerful about Indigenous metal. I also recently found the group Bloodywood and I'm into it. Oh, and the Our Last Night cover of Please Please Please - it makes me smile :D
I've had Heartbreaker by Purple Disco Machine on repeat - it's such a summer song; and Quezacotl by deadmau5 - I think I'm responsible for maybe 300 of those 1.3M views 😅
-
Comment on Branch fires team behind Android launcher Nova, only the founder remains in ~tech
Thea Link ParentI did the same thing - tried other launchers when the acquisition was announced but eventually went back to Nova because I couldn't find anything that did what Nova does. All the launchers are...I did the same thing - tried other launchers when the acquisition was announced but eventually went back to Nova because I couldn't find anything that did what Nova does. All the launchers are minimal, but I don't want something that's minimal - I want most used icons and a widget on my main page, I want a search bar at the top, custom icons, and the app drawer button at the bottom, and to call it a day. But this development changes things, and now I'll have to go back to researching alternative launchers and I'm not happy about it!
I'll keep an eye on this thread for suggestions, here's hoping there's a good replacement!
-
Comment on 5etools repository taken down after DMCA request by Wizards of the Coast in ~games.tabletop
Thea Link ParentI would argue that if you own a copy of the PHB, DMG, and MM, you should be able to create tools for an online campaign that reflect those purchased, owned resources; you should not need to use...I would argue that if you own a copy of the PHB, DMG, and MM, you should be able to create tools for an online campaign that reflect those purchased, owned resources; you should not need to use the WotC-brand online service, same as you can use self-drafted maps and character sheets based on 5e for in-person games instead of using the official materials. Where it gets fiddly is IP and whether, as another user stated, proprietary sources are being shared to people who don't own them.
I'm interested in how this will impact vTTRPG games and players. There will be a subset of users who will move to DnD Beyond, but knowing gamers (being a gamer with an online campaign myself), I think a lot of people will either modify their vTTRPG campaigns to utilize other systems, or will develop their own tools to keep things rolling. There was a lot of backlash when WotC proposed the changes to the licensing for creators last year (I think it was last year?) It prompted a lot of publishers and creators to start drafting their own systems. Several of my friends moved their vTTRPG games to P2E afterwards. And now there is a wealth of competition from places like Kobold Press, MCDM, Critical Role, etc. DnD has the benefit of legacy and brand knowledge - by now, it's a household name. While WotC is within their rights to do this, it doesn't foster good will with the player base, and they're already on kinda shaky ground as it is. People are free to use other resources as they will, or to pay for the resources WotC makes available, and I will be interested to see what players decide to do. We'll see how it shakes out.
-
Comment on 'Skibidi Toilet' film & TV franchise in the works from Michael Bay in ~movies
Thea Link ParentCringe is a little outdated; "Ohio" is the word that means something bad or cringey now. It's like a combination of 'cringe' and 'mid'.Cringe is a little outdated; "Ohio" is the word that means something bad or cringey now. It's like a combination of 'cringe' and 'mid'.
-
Comment on Where can men go to become better men? in ~life.men
Thea Link ParentComing in with my perspective as a Haudenosaunee woman - we see how much the isolation and exhaustion hurts men. As women, we've had to do a lot of work to keep ourselves safe and create...Coming in with my perspective as a Haudenosaunee woman - we see how much the isolation and exhaustion hurts men. As women, we've had to do a lot of work to keep ourselves safe and create opportunities for ourselves, but what we always need to remember is that the patriarchy hurts everyone, not just cis women. Men are hurt because of exactly what you list here - men are told to toughen up, to be the best, to not have feelings, to not care. But men need to feel loved, cared for, accepted, valued, and men need to be able to have, feel, and express their feelings; they need to be able to care; they need to be able to process loss, grief, and pain.
"If I'm not these things, who am I?" - my dude, you are whoever you make yourself to be. You are your gifts, your hobbies, your interests, your responsibilities in your home/family/community; you are your knowledge and your work, you are the culmination of the things you have learned throughout your life; you are the things you make and the things you give and the things you do for others; you are your truth and you're the only one of you there is. In my culture, we're taught that everyone has a role, everyone has a purpose, everyone has gifts. We have to recognize the gifts in ourselves the same way we recognize the gifts others possess, and it's in our gifts we find our purpose. Hopefully that gets folks thinking about identity a bit differently; we don't need to be defined by a society that was not built to accept us for who we are.
-
Comment on ‘I wouldn't come here, to be honest,’ says the disdainful star of Visit Oslo's latest advert, which has become a viral hit online in ~travel
Thea LinkOk, I live in Canada and the Bag of Milk tote bag at the 30 second mark ... I'm dead. I might need to know where to get one of those. Crazy to see a relatively obscure cultural reference in a...Ok, I live in Canada and the Bag of Milk tote bag at the 30 second mark ... I'm dead. I might need to know where to get one of those. Crazy to see a relatively obscure cultural reference in a global travel ad unrelated to Canada
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Thea Link ParentI've looked into Helldivers a little bit - as someone who can't no-life a game anymore, I'm always aware of the bar to entry. Would you say that it's still possible to jump in as a newbie and have...I've looked into Helldivers a little bit - as someone who can't no-life a game anymore, I'm always aware of the bar to entry. Would you say that it's still possible to jump in as a newbie and have fun, or is it like Rust and hard gate-kept by a few shovel-wielding maniacs?
My brother plays Slapshot a lot. I've heard good things!
-
Comment on On DM’ing for the first time in ~games.tabletop
Thea Link ParentThis is such a good point - 5e is very popular and there is a lot of support for it through online resources, but it is SO involved. I remember watching a Matt Colville video where he talks about...This is such a good point - 5e is very popular and there is a lot of support for it through online resources, but it is SO involved. I remember watching a Matt Colville video where he talks about different systems and he mentions that 5e is actually one of the more complicated systems out there. If you can manage 5e, you can manage just about anything. But a lot of folks (myself included!) have spent a lot of time learning 5e, and it can be hard to want to learn a whole other system, so I understand the barrier to entry as well.
Thanks for the nod to Old School Essentials - I'm going to look into that!
-
Comment on On DM’ing for the first time in ~games.tabletop
Thea LinkThis is a great reflection! I think new DMs will probably be able to take a lot away from your experience and feel a lot more confident going into their first games. I agree that one significant...This is a great reflection! I think new DMs will probably be able to take a lot away from your experience and feel a lot more confident going into their first games.
I agree that one significant thing that's hard to plan is how long it will take for players to complete the story. So for me, when I say "one-shot", I mean there is a single thread that we'll be following, that it has a beginning and an end, and that we'll see it through to that end. For my most recent "one-shot", we had 3 full 4-hour sessions plus one mini session to wrap everything up. Everything took place over two in-game days (10am-ish Day 1 through to afternoon of Day 2, one long rest in between); there were 3 main locations (one of which had 3 possible levels to explore). I was prepared for players to rip through it and be done in one session, I was prepared for them to take 6 full sessions to get through it. We have a regular biweekly meeting time, so it wasn't too painful to get that set up. Because it's a short burst, I had characters set up at level 10 and let each of them have either a +1 weapon, +1 spellcasting focus, or +1 armour. They each also found a magical item relevant to their character during the game that was either a lot of fun for them to use or that could help in the final encounter.
One other thing I learned was about the balance between player choice and game direction. If I thought players would go left, they went right; if I created a nondescript hallway insignificant to the plot, they'd spend 30 minutes investigating it thoroughly; if I thought players would talk to a person, they killed them immediately. There's no accounting for that, so I had to be a little bit flexible in the story telling (and move a special item I left for a player that was in a room they completely ignored!!) So in future, if I want players to be in a place or find something or do something, don't make it a choice, don't make it a roll - make it happen.
Also, there are some really great resources out there to figure out things like combat balance. Although challenge rating isn't a perfect system, it does give you an idea of how tough a foe will be, and there are calculators out there you can use to figure out whether your combat is too easy, balanced, or really challenging. I will also keep a few "minion" tokens handy for different interactions - if a fight is going too easily, boom, a few armoured skeletons appear. Or 3 angry ghosts. Or in one case, 5 knife-wielding otterfolk. Use existing resources to make it easier on yourself - keep a document with a list of links so you can grab a stat block or a tavern name or a list of magical items super quick if you need to.
Anyways, that's enough out of me :D Congrats on your first DMing experience, and all the best in your next adventure!
-
Comment on Why Bluesky remains the most interesting experiment in social media, by far in ~tech
Thea Link ParentI tried Mastadon and couldn't figure out how to follow people properly. I still have it, but don't use it - the feed is just like, 2 guys. I follow a bunch of people on BlueSky, and it's still...I tried Mastadon and couldn't figure out how to follow people properly. I still have it, but don't use it - the feed is just like, 2 guys.
I follow a bunch of people on BlueSky, and it's still just 2 guys in my feed, but that's because one of those guys is Neil Gaiman and he posts constantly. CONSTANTLY. It's hard to see anything else for all the Neil Gaiman posts. I have an account because I think this is where social media is headed, I want to understand it and be familiar with it, and I want to be ready for when major personalities/companies start making the move.Plus, it's kind of nice to have a new social media space without ALL the companies; lots of conversation, but less corporate noise at the moment.
-
Comment on Larian Studios won't make Baldur's Gate 3 DLC, expansions, or Baldur's Gate 4 in ~games
Thea Link ParentI remember hearing after the Hasbro/WotC layoffs that no one who was originally at the table during BG3 development was there anymore. Any future work would require starting from square one to...I remember hearing after the Hasbro/WotC layoffs that no one who was originally at the table during BG3 development was there anymore. Any future work would require starting from square one to develop relationships, set expectations and communications, get used to working rhythms... and I would wonder whether anyone from the WotC side has anyone with passion for the game (DnD or BG3) or whether they're only really there on business. I remember when the backlash against WotC was in full force last year due to the discussion around licensing and fan-created materials; it seemed that they were not really clued in to the gaming community or the product outside of its monetization possibilities.
Larian proved that you can make profits, keep your team happy, and create an exceptional product. Good leadership and good allocation of adequate time and resources. I'm very sad that there won't be any Larian-created DLC or sequels, but I'm excited to see what they do next, and interested to see if WotC approves any further work on the franchise in the near future.
-
Comment on Finland has remained the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row, according to the annual World Happiness Report published on Wednesday in ~life
Thea Link ParentI hear you, but I think understanding the "whys" is probably a big point of the study. It's not supposed to scale to make up for differences in the metrics of the population, it's supposed to be a...I hear you, but I think understanding the "whys" is probably a big point of the study. It's not supposed to scale to make up for differences in the metrics of the population, it's supposed to be a snapshot to show what current rates of happiness are, which can possibly then be studied. In this case, one of the points we could arrive at/study is that it's more likely for a small to moderate size nation to score high on happiness ratings - now we can try to figure out why that might be.
The US is a behemoth of a nation, both in population and landmass; I could imagine that it's hard for them to be agile and make decisions to improve the quality of life for their citizens from a policy perspective. But I don't think it's sensible to say "Aww man, if Finland had the same demographic distribution and geography that we do, they wouldn't rank so high!" I mean - maybe? But it doesn't really matter because that's not the point of the study. If that's the study you want to see, make it happen! I'd be interested to view the results, but curious as to how the data points could be adjusted for scale.
I think it's ok to feel that way. The thing about content creation is that, even when it's earnest and well-done, there are still elements of transaction and performance, so the noodle-caboodle attitude that a lot of creators adopt to make their audiences feel at-ease can contrast really starkly with darker or more tragic content elements.
Professionally, I have to do a lot of presentations and lectures that discuss traumatic information and historic events, and I can tell you that there is a balance you need to strike. It's challenging and people aren't very good at it because it's uncomfortable and no one wants to be in an uncomfortable place. But you notice when it doesn't quite sit right, and I think that's what you picked up on here. I love Max's videos, and haven't watched this one yet, but I can imagine what you mean.
Sidebar - my great great aunt was on the Carpathia and in a weird twist of events, her steamer trunk from that voyage was dropped off at my house last week for me to send to my mom. It felt significant and a little strange to have an actual artifact from that event in my house.