Tuaam's recent activity
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Comment on PC gaming is mainstream. Now what? in ~games
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Comment on PC gaming is mainstream. Now what? in ~games
Tuaam (edited )LinkHuh? I thought it was always mainstream since the late 90s? I never understood when people said PC was 'becoming mainstream', wasn't it mainstream when windows 9x and 3d gaming (glide, directX)...Huh? I thought it was always mainstream since the late 90s? I never understood when people said PC was 'becoming mainstream', wasn't it mainstream when windows 9x and 3d gaming (glide, directX) took off? Maybe that's not as mainstream as console gaming, but it's sizeable enough where it permeates the mainstream pop-culture zeitgeist.
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Comment on How generative AI could reinvent what it means to play in ~games
Tuaam LinkI think this sort of tech can be used for older RPGs like Daggerfall or Morrowind to 'enhance' their content and make their world immersive. I don't know how well it can be used for modern-day...I think this sort of tech can be used for older RPGs like Daggerfall or Morrowind to 'enhance' their content and make their world immersive. I don't know how well it can be used for modern-day RPGs, but out of all the AI stuff I hear in the day this can be very interesting.
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Comment on How bad are Nvidia GPUs for Linux really? in ~comp
Tuaam LinkI have a GT 710 for my linux box and driver installation was relatively painless on my end - but there are essentially two drivers that you choose here. The first one is the 'noveau' ones which...I have a GT 710 for my linux box and driver installation was relatively painless on my end - but there are essentially two drivers that you choose here. The first one is the 'noveau' ones which are open source third-party ones and the second ones are the official drivers Nvidia has on their website. You can use either one, but I think the takeaway is that they may or may not be for gaming, it depends on what you use your machine for. I don't use my linux box for gaming (mostly schoolwork and programming), sometimes it is weird getting certain settings to work (I tried running quake once and it would display on both my monitors with the crosshair set at the edge of both), and other times it is relatively painless.
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Comment on India election results in ~news
Tuaam (edited )LinkI always get worried every now and then because I'm from a community who can get negatively affected if Modi wins (again), but I'm not sure what to do or if anything can be done. I suppose only...I always get worried every now and then because I'm from a community who can get negatively affected if Modi wins (again), but I'm not sure what to do or if anything can be done. I suppose only time will tell...
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Comment on AI is making economists rethink the story of automation in ~tech
Tuaam LinkI think we're at a point where AI may or may not make huge changes to how we live and think. I'm a bit skeptical on if it will be an emergent technology that creates new job sectors like the...I think we're at a point where AI may or may not make huge changes to how we live and think. I'm a bit skeptical on if it will be an emergent technology that creates new job sectors like the Personal Computer did for the past 30 years, I think what might happen is that it will create new avenues of employment but it won't lead to a serious shift like some (or many) assume.
People like to get very 'gloom and doom' over this but I don't know if we will change as much. There is some recent controversy over Google AI and the failures of AI, and people oftentimes confuse traditional robotics with sensors as AI. I feel like people don't really know what is AI and what is not AI, and investors will flock to your product if it mentions AI which implies some form of blind faith. This could be a new computing paradigm much like GUI-based operating systems and the Internet, or it could be a bust like Crypto.
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Comment on What video games have had you taking real-life notes? in ~games
Tuaam LinkAny of the Professor Layton games count because it's easier to write down notes on the puzzles than use the memo function, minus any puzzle where you trace a path. I think the only game I ever had...Any of the Professor Layton games count because it's easier to write down notes on the puzzles than use the memo function, minus any puzzle where you trace a path. I think the only game I ever had to write down notes was Ultima Underworld (Or any 90s-era CRPG), only because there's alot of dialogue quotes which you need to take note of to progress in the game. System Shock 1 and it's reboot are also games where you do need to write down codes, but it's not as note-heavy as Ultima Underworld. Ultima is also a very slow paced game so that means you'll be moving at a snails pace taking notes.
I've noticed that many new games have completely ditched the quest marker or have made it more in-depth, I was able to play prey without the quest marker fully and the game was much more fun that way. Obviously this is different from preparing and writing notes for a video game, but I think this is a wholly good thing as we have figured out how to telegraph directions to a player in a more clever way than what was done with Skyrim.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Tuaam Link ParentI've been trying to get through the story but the 300 bounty has made it hard to get through to finish Chapter 2, might just turn myself in at this point. Honestly I think PCem (or 86box) is a...I need to jump back in to RDR2. Think I've played about 13 hours or so and I was liking it, but just haven't been up for more story yet; the last time I played, I just rode the train around its loop, because I was curious where it went.
I've been trying to get through the story but the 300 bounty has made it hard to get through to finish Chapter 2, might just turn myself in at this point.
The PicoGUS and Raspberry Pi sound super interesting. I've been wanting a retro computer for a couple of years now, just to mess around and play some old stuff, but I haven't really been able to justify the cost and the space.
Honestly I think PCem (or 86box) is a great alternative because it's the same deal (You're just not dealing with tangible hardware, so no pushing 30-year old cards into 30-year old dusty ISA slots), and you'll get solid DOS emulation. I think the only way to get one of these systems is to get lucky and find someone who does not want it, any other way requires paying too much especially when retro prices are kinda bullshit atm.
But yeah the Pi for sound-card emulation is such a cool aspect, it still needs tweaking but I'll definitely keep it on my main DOS machine.
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Comment on Valve confirms your Steam account cannot be transferred to anyone after you die in ~games
Tuaam Link ParentOh yeah those systems are a no go for internet, I basically use them offline by this point The last time I actively browsed the internet with XP was 11 years ago...Oh yeah those systems are a no go for internet, I basically use them offline by this point
The last time I actively browsed the internet with XP was 11 years ago...
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Comment on YouTube seems to once again be rolling out its widely hated new web redesign in ~tech
Tuaam Link ParentI guess, I don't like how the comments are on the side as that has ruined my flow of watching videos for a good decade, but it's not like we're loosing a feature (Not to mention, youtube comments...I guess, I don't like how the comments are on the side as that has ruined my flow of watching videos for a good decade, but it's not like we're loosing a feature (Not to mention, youtube comments are terrible).
One thing I wish we always had were fully archived comments, you can't really ever go back and see the first comment of a video. Maybe this is for technical reasons
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Comment on Star Citizen crowdfunding passes $700 million in ~games
Tuaam LinkIt's insane to see Chris Robert's immense contributions to various 90s games which everybody should be familiar with by now, and then see something like Star Citizen never get off the ground. All...It's insane to see Chris Robert's immense contributions to various 90s games which everybody should be familiar with by now, and then see something like Star Citizen never get off the ground. All I remember about Star Citizen was having huge joystick problems for whatever reason (Ironically, wing commander joystick support was plug n play).
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Comment on Valve confirms your Steam account cannot be transferred to anyone after you die in ~games
Tuaam Link ParentI think GOG is nicer for setups where you just want to setup games without a cloud connection, which is why I use it for certain indie titles. Also very helpful for windows 7 and xp legacy rigs...I think GOG is nicer for setups where you just want to setup games without a cloud connection, which is why I use it for certain indie titles.
Also very helpful for windows 7 and xp legacy rigs...
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 20 in ~news
Tuaam Link ParentStrange, I didn't get your response immediately, I had to go back to my comment link to check if people responded. I was merely asking if he was the same dude. It's not him being conservative that...Strange, I didn't get your response immediately, I had to go back to my comment link to check if people responded.
I was merely asking if he was the same dude. It's not him being conservative that is a problem, I mean I have a problem with the neoconservative label because... neoconservatives. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Tuaam (edited )LinkRed Dead Redemption 2 Decided to play some of RDR2 since I bought it last year and did not get into it up until now. It is genuinely a great game and I'm amazed at how immersive it is (bodies sink...Red Dead Redemption 2
Decided to play some of RDR2 since I bought it last year and did not get into it up until now. It is genuinely a great game and I'm amazed at how immersive it is (bodies sink into mud, decompose). The story is an interesting one, I never played the original xbox games despite being aware of them at the time but I like how the main character (Arthur) has a deep connection with the rest of his gang-members and that they're portrayed as a group of people just trying to survive. Even if they are criminals, they aren't without their morals or compasses - I think Arthur being a very indifferent protagonist allows the player to insert themselves within his POV, in this sense he is a 'blank slate'. At the same time, there are characters who are clearly terrible (Looking at Micah only because he gave me a 300 dollar bounty) which make you question if the entire notion of Outlaws being the bad guys is actually true. Haven't played through much so I won't take spoilers.
I think the best part about the game is that the World is extremely in-depth and sometimes disturbing, many times I have wandered off the path only to find scary or unusual sights like mass graves, log cabins with nothing but skulls, and abandoned forts with (disturbing) letters from the civil war. It is a game set during the decline of the Wild West, where the West is settled but it's still wild.
I think people tend to scoff the AAA scene because of the 'lack of compassion' regarding producing blockbuster-level titles, but RDR2 is clearly a sign of many games from that area of the Industry being clearly revolutionary and innovative.
Descent
I recently got a PicoGUS for my pentium-dos machine and am trying it out with various games from the era. The PicoGUS is an ISA card which can emulate Soundblaster and Gravis Ultrasound cards with a raspberry pi pico micro-controller. For what the card sounds like, check it out here.There is some sort of irony with using a micro-controller which is a few times more powerful than the system it is being geared on but I think it's much better than the alternative of scouring for a 30-year old card which probably does not work as well as it used to. I did test this primarily on Descent, which is a somewhat over-looked space game where you explore a series of mazes and fight robots while saving hostages. It appears to render the music correctly until a few levels where it crashes due to being out of memory.
In all regards Descent is an extremely fun game with possibly the greatest DOS soundtrack and a somewhat difficult learning-curve, the game can be very hard if you're trying it out with a HOTAS setup (this includes a period-accurate one) and you need to take into account the size of levels and exactly where to go. Still a very fun game, not sure if there's a reboot in the works.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 20 in ~news
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Comment on Am I alone in thinking that we're bouncing back from a highly technological future? in ~life
Tuaam Link ParentDefinitely improving. I have a laptop with Iris graphics that I use for school and my PC gaming needs are met with a standard desktop computer (which is extremely powerful), but yes if you're...Definitely improving. I have a laptop with Iris graphics that I use for school and my PC gaming needs are met with a standard desktop computer (which is extremely powerful), but yes if you're playing the majority of PC games on the market then you'll be fine with a decent laptop. I suppose it comes down to preference between owning a Desktop or Laptop
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Comment on Am I alone in thinking that we're bouncing back from a highly technological future? in ~life
Tuaam Link ParentI was thinking about this, it seems another factor behind laptop and desktop gaps are graphics cards. I have a laptop from 1998 (Gateway) with a 500mhz pentium III and a desktop with a voodoo 3...capability between desktops and laptops. As you note, there’s not much compromise in laptops any more.
I was thinking about this, it seems another factor behind laptop and desktop gaps are graphics cards. I have a laptop from 1998 (Gateway) with a 500mhz pentium III and a desktop with a voodoo 3 and a similarly specced CPU. The Desktop blows away the laptop due to the graphics card, but otherwise both machines perform similarly for other applications (Like software-based dos games). Fast forward 10-12 years afterwards and the same principle applies, many laptops I used in the early 2010s were horrible gaming machines due to poor Intel HD Graphics support, and this included games like Minecraft and Terraria. Nowadays, it seems like this gap is shrinking in some aspects which means your average "demanding" user will go for a laptop moreso than a desktop.
What’s more is that performance oriented laptops were only nominally portable massive bricks in the early 2010s (“desktop replacement” notebooks) where today laptops that are almost as portable as 2014 ultraportables can yield “desktop class” performance.
To be fair these 'brick computers' still exist as gaming laptops, but they're often fitted with full RTX cards and sound like an F-16 taking off... Regardless a PC gamer will probably build their own Desktop which is just as popular as it was back then, barring the parts shortages
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Comment on Am I alone in thinking that we're bouncing back from a highly technological future? in ~life
Tuaam (edited )Link ParentI remember when phones were hailed as the replacement to desktops and laptops and people actively pushed this 'Post PC era' (esp the new-tech lovers), but fast forward 10 years later and most...As for phones, as some one who loves new tech, phone tech has slowed down. There isn't much new and exciting that makes me feel I must get the new phone (I never cared about the camera other than taking good enough pics which they have done long ago at this point and faster speed is nice but it's not like I can't run things on a phone a few years old).
I remember when phones were hailed as the replacement to desktops and laptops and people actively pushed this 'Post PC era' (esp the new-tech lovers), but fast forward 10 years later and most people still use your traditional PC setup for serious work. I really don't use my phone for anything else besides basic websurfing and video-watching, for most of my teen-life I had a gaming PC anyways. Desktops and Laptops have also stayed the same over the past decade, minus changes in how small the transistors are on a GPU or CPU - there is absolutely not a substantial difference as say, 1992 versus 1999 in computer technology, where the increase in CPU power went from 33mhz to 600 mhz. I don't even think the 'AI improvements' on newer CPUs is going to be anything specifically revolutionary, i.e Intel Ultra. I'd be interested to see the desktop version and assume it will mean faster training times...
As for buttons on cars... touch screen is always going to be a horrible experience for using if you can't look at the screen to see where you are touching. There is nothing touch wise that will tell you what you are touching on the screen. In driving that makes for dangerous situations when everything is touch screen
I suspect this is because people adapt a technology which they think is futuristic by modeling their vehicles off of it, then realize that said tech isn't reliable and then phase it out. The result is a 'dork phase' where products exhibit this otherwise tacky design and stick out like a sore thumb in retrospect. I think I remember desktop computers also having touchscreens for a while (All-in-ones) and these were phased out as people realized that nobody wants to move around files with their fingers on a huge screen.
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Comment on Meet Iran′s President-elect Ebrahim Raisi (2021) in ~misc
Tuaam LinkIt's been stuck in my mind forever that Rouhani was the president, I never really considered Raisi even though he has been since 2022 (?)It's been stuck in my mind forever that Rouhani was the president, I never really considered Raisi even though he has been since 2022 (?)
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Comment on Time blocking, do you do it? in ~health.mental
Tuaam Link ParentI think instagram has a daily limit which you can use to control yourself, but it doesn't really work too well. I would delete the app but I use it for contacting close friends, so...I think instagram has a daily limit which you can use to control yourself, but it doesn't really work too well. I would delete the app but I use it for contacting close friends, so...
Definitely, I did read the article and it mentions many of the things I was thinking about - certainly the dark ages and golden ages.