Valarauka'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 What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Valarauka (edited )LinkI picked up and completed Hades over the past couple of months, and it's been absolutely phenomenal. Actually got 100% completion on both Steam and the in-game list of Prophecies which is...I picked up and completed Hades over the past couple of months, and it's been absolutely phenomenal. Actually got 100% completion on both Steam and the in-game list of Prophecies which is something I haven't bothered to do in any game for a long while.
The combination of meta-progression of both your power level and the storyline (main plot as well as various side plots for each character) makes each death feel like an opportunity rather than a failure, and the core gameplay is satisfying and varied enough through the combination of different weapon aspects and the random upgrades you get in each run to be enjoyable every time.
The Pact of Punishment is also a really cool way to approach difficulty -- after you get good enough to beat the game consistently, you can make it much much harder in different ways, and it's all unlocked right away -- compared to e.g. Slay the Spire where you have to beat each Ascension to unlock the next and each one adds a specific new challenge. Not needing to beat the game 20 times to try 20 Heat is refreshing, as is the idea that you can make up 20 Heat using any number of different modifier combinations.
Just for the sake of stats, Steam says I've put about 122 hours into the game at this point, the first time I won was on my 15th run, and the run where I got 100% completion was my 102nd overall and 49th victory.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Valarauka (edited )Link ParentExcellent breakdown, and frankly far more detailed and specific both in praise and criticism than most professional game reviews I've read in my lifetime. Kudos! Thinking back I agree that the...Excellent breakdown, and frankly far more detailed and specific both in praise and criticism than most professional game reviews I've read in my lifetime. Kudos!
Thinking back I agree that the storyline never really made much sense, but didn't really detract from the overall enjoyment of the package. Then again, I was definitely not as discerning about story back then either, at least in the FPS genre.
Reading through this also made me realize that I don't think I actually ever completed FEAR 2 or 3, just the first and one or possibly both expansions. And that that's probably no loss all things considered.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Valarauka Link ParentFantastic write-up, you really made me want to go back and play through these again. I'd also recommend the F.E.A.R. series as a follow-up and would love to hear your take on that. In my mind it's...Fantastic write-up, you really made me want to go back and play through these again. I'd also recommend the F.E.A.R. series as a follow-up and would love to hear your take on that. In my mind it's sort of a natural successor both in terms of gameplay style and also "action movie" visual / narrative elements, just in the horror genre rather than noire. Adding good squad AI to the enemies also really amped up the combat experience.
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Comment on If you could completely refresh something and rebuild it from the ground up, what would it be and why? in ~talk
Valarauka LinkThis seems like a great place to plug the Tau Manifesto.This seems like a great place to plug the Tau Manifesto.
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Comment on Is the University of Edinburgh right to rename its David Hume Tower? in ~humanities
Valarauka LinkApropos of nothing, the Exhumed Tower sounds like a fantastic name for a D&D campaign setting.Apropos of nothing, the Exhumed Tower sounds like a fantastic name for a D&D campaign setting.
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Comment on Rewriting the technical interview in ~comp
Valarauka LinkThis is fantastical, absurd, and quite awesome. I wish I knew enough Clojure to actually follow it properly!This is fantastical, absurd, and quite awesome.
I wish I knew enough Clojure to actually follow it properly! -
Comment on What keyboard do you use? in ~tech
Valarauka LinkI've used a Leopold Tenkeyless with MX Browns for a good while and it's served me well, but I'm looking into split options now to take better care of my wrists. The Moonlander is probably the top...I've used a Leopold Tenkeyless with MX Browns for a good while and it's served me well, but I'm looking into split options now to take better care of my wrists.
- The Moonlander is probably the top contender right now; the programmability, portability, and low profile combo seems like exactly what I'm looking for.
- The UHK is also a consideration specially with the trackball add-on, but it gets very expensive since all the "bonus" features cost extra (two thumb modules and the wrist rest).
Alternative suggestions, reviews, etc. welcome!
[Note: I've seen keeb.io but building my own is beyond the level of effort I want to put into this right now..] -
Comment on Dune | Official trailer in ~movies
Valarauka Link ParentIIRC, shields were intended to stop bullets and other fast-moving objects; in hand to hand combat against a shielded opponent you essentially need to "hesitate" for a split second right at the...IIRC, shields were intended to stop bullets and other fast-moving objects; in hand to hand combat against a shielded opponent you essentially need to "hesitate" for a split second right at the shield boundary but the rest of your combat motions will be just as fast as a regular knife fight. Doesn't mean the whole fight will turn into some kind of slow ballet.
The hard part will be explaining that visually; in the book you have the benefit of reading Paul's thought processes during combat.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Valarauka LinkFinally got around to playing Monument Valley, it's absolutely fantastic. Best use of isometric perspective I've seen in a long time, and the art / music / atmosphere in general is incredibly well...Finally got around to playing Monument Valley, it's absolutely fantastic. Best use of isometric perspective I've seen in a long time, and the art / music / atmosphere in general is incredibly well done.
It's also about time I admit to myself that I'm fully switched over from Hearthstone to Legends of Runeterra; haven't even opened the HS client in the newest expansion. LoR just does so many things better; I really thought I'd just try it out while playing both but my HS playtime dropped drastically as soon as I got into it.
I haven't played in a bit but Slay the Spire has also been fantastic; worked my way up to Ascension 10-11 on all characters so far and enjoying it greatly. It's the perfect blend of card strategy and rogue-like, I'd summarize it as "Dominion meets FTL".
Beat the campaign for Streets of Rage 4 co-op with my SO, brilliant retro throwback. It really felt like playing the originals on Genesis. I probably need to pick up THPS1+2 to keep the nostalgia train going.
Also got all the way through Return of the Obra Dinn, definitely one of the most unique gaming experiences I've had in a while. If you've ever wanted to play an Agatha Christie novel this is probably the closest you can get.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Valarauka Link ParentWhat's TrackMania up to these days? I played a bunch during the TMNF days but I haven't followed it at all since then.What's TrackMania up to these days? I played a bunch during the TMNF days but I haven't followed it at all since then.
I'm in exactly the same boat.