Varth's recent activity

  1. Comment on Having been on Android for over a decade, I just got my first iPhone! What should I know? in ~tech

    Varth
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    Not a iPhone user but I'm decently familiar with iOS. When I first started learning my way around it, it took me way too long to realize that swiping down on a key will quickly type its secondary...

    Not a iPhone user but I'm decently familiar with iOS. When I first started learning my way around it, it took me way too long to realize that swiping down on a key will quickly type its secondary character, much like pressing and holding the key on most Android keyboards. Great for quick access to punctuation.

    2 votes
  2. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    Varth
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    I got iMessage working on my Android phone last night by setting up a BlueBubbles server on an old 2011 Mac Mini I got from work. So far, so good! It will be useful for sending media to and from...

    I got iMessage working on my Android phone last night by setting up a BlueBubbles server on an old 2011 Mac Mini I got from work. So far, so good! It will be useful for sending media to and from other artists and my family, all of whom are on iPhones. It was a fun project and I'm glad I was able to keep some old hardware out of the landfill for a bit longer.

    2 votes
  3. Comment on A Goodbye in ~talk

    Varth
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    Thank you; this was a beautifully written tribute to a wonderful friend. I felt your post viscerally; my 12 year-old American Eskimo has had breathing issues for the past six months. He's been...

    Thank you; this was a beautifully written tribute to a wonderful friend. I felt your post viscerally; my 12 year-old American Eskimo has had breathing issues for the past six months. He's been through one surgery and will likely need another. Though we've determined at this point that his life isn't at risk, thoughts of this have been heavy on my mind through the process. Again, thank you for sharing. Based on your writing, I suspect life with you was purest joy for your friend as well.

    3 votes
  4. Comment on Do you carry a knife with with you? If so, what type/company? in ~hobbies

    Varth
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    My dad was an Eagle Scout, so I got started early. He gave me my first pocket knife when I was eight (still have it, actually) and I've been carrying one ever since. I've sworn by the Leatherman...

    My dad was an Eagle Scout, so I got started early. He gave me my first pocket knife when I was eight (still have it, actually) and I've been carrying one ever since.

    I've sworn by the Leatherman Skeletool for the past ~10 years. My current ST is a base model with a 154CM straight-edge blade from a CX model swapped onto it. I've never cared for the aesthetics but the feature set is exactly what I need. Having a blade, screwdrivers, pliers, and wire cutters available in a compact form factor in my pocket is really convenient at work. I also recently picked up a Civivi Elementum that I've started to carry instead of the Skeletool on my days off.

    2 votes
  5. Comment on Do you carry a knife with with you? If so, what type/company? in ~hobbies

    Varth
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    There may be a workplace liability concern here in addition to a weapons concern. Purpose-designed box-cutters are (generally) safer for that specific task than a general-purpose knife and also...

    There may be a workplace liability concern here in addition to a weapons concern. Purpose-designed box-cutters are (generally) safer for that specific task than a general-purpose knife and also run less risk of damaging product inside the boxes due to their shorter, sometimes retractable blades. One of my friends is a stockman at a supermarket and has to use work-issued box-cutters for those reasons. I remember stocking staff at my first job in high school telling me similarly.

    6 votes
  6. Comment on Do you carry a knife with with you? If so, what type/company? in ~hobbies

    Varth
    Link Parent
    Nice! I've been considering a Mini Bugout for a while but I'm not wild about the limited color schemes compared to the full-sized Bugouts. I've thought about replacing the scales on an orange one...

    Nice! I've been considering a Mini Bugout for a while but I'm not wild about the limited color schemes compared to the full-sized Bugouts. I've thought about replacing the scales on an orange one with Flytanium Ti scales but that becomes a bit pricey for a knife I don't strictly need. I've also heard of people Rit-dyeing the white-handled ones but I'd prefer the silver blade to the black blade. Hopefully they expand the color range at some point in the future!

    2 votes
  7. Comment on The JRPG Startup Cost, Part 3 - An analysis of how long it takes to reach various gameplay milestones in classic JRPGs in ~games

    Varth
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    I was initially confused by the "FTC" metric the author uses since it isn't defined in the post. Once I realized that the post was part of a series, I was able to find the author's definition of...

    I was initially confused by the "FTC" metric the author uses since it isn't defined in the post. Once I realized that the post was part of a series, I was able to find the author's definition of the "FTC" in part 1:

    My main goal was to measure two elements, Time to Freedom (TTF), and Time to Comfort (TTC). I define Time to Freedom as the first time the player gets to interact with the game in any way beyond simply advancing cutscenes, and Time to Comfort as the amount of time it takes to experience all applicable gameplay-milestones within a 2 hour limit. These two metrics are meant to show how quickly the player can start experimenting with the game, and how long it takes to experience its main mechanics and gain a certain sense of mastery over them. Additionally, I noted each game’s Freedom to Comfort (FTC), defined as the difference between TTC and TTF.

    4 votes