Well_known_bear's recent activity
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Comment on The strange world of dimension jumping in ~life
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentI also enjoyed the platforming / RPG hybrid gameplay in Super Paper Mario, even though it doesn't seem to get talked about nearly as much as TYD. Apparently it sold 4+ million copies (highest in...I also enjoyed the platforming / RPG hybrid gameplay in Super Paper Mario, even though it doesn't seem to get talked about nearly as much as TYD.
Apparently it sold 4+ million copies (highest in the Paper Mario franchise), so plenty of other people agree! It's a shame they never went back and expanded on it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkI've been playing Ender Magnolia, the sequel to Ender Lilies. Both games are lovely hand-drawn indie Metroidvanias that run for about 20 hours. Ender Lilies was one of my favourite games from...I've been playing Ender Magnolia, the sequel to Ender Lilies. Both games are lovely hand-drawn indie Metroidvanias that run for about 20 hours.
Ender Lilies was one of my favourite games from recent years:
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I loved the dark 'fantasy post-apocalypse' atmosphere. The kingdom has already fallen. Everyone's dead or cursed. You play as a defenceless little girl who visibly flinches whenever she has to rely on her companions to fight. It's a great vibe.
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Fantastic soundtrack filled with lots of moody piano pieces and intense boss music. Good to listen to at work too!
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The difficulty was pitched at just the right level for me. I died a lot but each time I got a little better, leading to a great feeling of accomplishment when I finally got past a wall. The save points are also very generous so there's no Fromsoft runback whenever you die.
Ender Magnolia is better gameplay-wise, but I didn't connect with the setting in the same way:
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It's set in the same world, but it's steampunk fantasy with androids, robots and guns in a functioning society with NPCs and quests and so on. It's fine but it feels somewhat sterile compared to the first game.
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The protagonist speaks now. I understand why they did this from a story perspective, but none of the dialogue is particularly good and the silent protagonist communicating via gestures worked so well in the first game that I would have preferred that they went with that route and a simpler story instead.
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The gameplay is improved in all respects.
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You can change all aspects of the difficulty with sliders now (although the default felt just right for me).
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Your companions no longer have numerical limits on how many times you can use their moves between save points, so you end up becoming much more familiar with using them and chaining / cancelling them fighting-game style.
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The map is way better at communicating when you have the tools to progress past an obstacle or need to come back later.
- The music is still good, but a lot of it is now industrial to fit the setting. Not my cup of tea.
Overall still a fan and keen to see what this studio does next.
I'm still playing Xenoblade Chronicles X (100+ hours now).
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Feels dumb to say this as I knew what I was getting into, but there's too much content. Each time you get into a new chapter, the game throws 40 new quests at you, but a lot of them are just 'kill 5 rats' or 'collect 10 widgets'. You don't have to do them at all, but it would have been preferable for them to put the effort into just developing a handful of varied quests which focused on developing the world / your party characters.
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The mechs are fun to play with, but they don't level up and you can't 'upgrade' their level either - only buy or craft better ones. This means that if you're grinding out all of the aforementioned quests the game is throwing at you, your meatbag humans will frequently be stronger than your giant robots and the mechs then just become glorified mounts. This is kind of a bummer because in Xenogears / Xenosaga, the mechs were on another level to human combatants and when they came out, you knew it was about to get real!
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Later in the game, you get the ability to fly around with your mechs. This is really fun and adds a lot to the exploration aspect of the game, but it drains fuel like crazy (and you often need the refueling material for upgrades / quests, or just to use as fuel for fighting enemies in the air and on water where your overpowered humans won't do the job). Feels like a weird design decision given the emphasis on going out there and exploring.
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I'm still not up to the new 'Definitive Edition' content which supposedly links the story to that of Xenoblade 1-3. Very curious to see how they'll manage that as the stories seem totally incompatible.
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Comment on Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025 in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentIt's a small thing (and optional at that), but I have to say that making the "Welcome Tour" paid content is just an awful look. The comparison to the acclaimed free Astro Bot game that they had on...It's a small thing (and optional at that), but I have to say that making the "Welcome Tour" paid content is just an awful look. The comparison to the acclaimed free Astro Bot game that they had on PS5 to introduce the system is right there!
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Comment on Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025 in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkThe launch lineup looks pretty solid from both first and third parties and will no doubt secure decent opening sales, but it wasn't enough to sell me personally on buying it day one. From first...The launch lineup looks pretty solid from both first and third parties and will no doubt secure decent opening sales, but it wasn't enough to sell me personally on buying it day one.
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From first party Nintendo, I'd want at least a couple out of:
- New Mario (2D or 3D mainline platformer)
- New Zelda (2D or 3D mainline RPG)
- New Animal Crossing
- New Xenoblade / gigantic Monolithsoft RPG
to commit to buying a new console. I have no doubt all of those will come in time.
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A lot of the notable third party games (other than Duskblood) are also on PC - Deltrarune, Silksong, FFVII, etc. I'm quite happy to just play those there.
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The console pricing in my native country puts the Switch 2 + Mario Kart bundle above the price of a PS5 + Astro Bot bundle. That's not out of my price range, but it's a pretty aggressive shift from their earlier strategy of being the lower powered but lower priced console!
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The game pricing is unknown, but if it reflects US prices, it'll be almost a 100% increase from current game prices! I'll be really interested to see how this pans out, and especially if there's a difference between digital and physical versions. I've always been a physical version purchaser, but I'd be happy to switch to digital if it was $10 cheaper. If that happens, it would no doubt also tank the availability of second hand physical games.
EDIT: Based on pre-order pricing at our local retailers, it looks like the games are 50%~66% more expensive compared to Switch 1. Oof!
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Comment on Val Kilmer, film star who played Batman and Jim Morrison, dies at 65 (gifted link) in ~movies
Well_known_bear LinkRIP. Each time I see a story about someone wealthy and famous (presumably with friends, family and good health care) passing well before the life expectancy age, it's a reminder that no time is...RIP. Each time I see a story about someone wealthy and famous (presumably with friends, family and good health care) passing well before the life expectancy age, it's a reminder that no time is guaranteed to us.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentSounds awesome. I don't think you can really go wrong with playing the games in any order as they're largely separate storylines anyway (one event in Azure does takes place simultaneously with the...Sounds awesome. I don't think you can really go wrong with playing the games in any order as they're largely separate storylines anyway (one event in Azure does takes place simultaneously with the events in Cold Steel, I think).
I haven't checked out the really old LoH games but they sound like they'd be up my alley. I'd love to also check out Ys one day which I keep hearing good things about.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentAbsolutely loved the unapologetically old school JRPG feel of the original trilogy when it came out! If you liked trails in the sky, you'll likely also enjoy the two follow up games Zero and Azure...Absolutely loved the unapologetically old school JRPG feel of the original trilogy when it came out! If you liked trails in the sky, you'll likely also enjoy the two follow up games Zero and Azure which play very similarly. I played these on the PSP and had a blast.
I did also get into the next series (Cold Steel) during the PS3 era, but Falcom's endless dragging out of the story across a bunch of games and rough transition into developing for full 3D led me to fall off around the second instalment. Perhaps I'll get around to finishing those one day too...
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkI'm playing Xenoblade X: Definitive Edition on the Switch (in Japanese language). I very much enjoyed 1-3 and was thrilled when it was announced that the spinoff would also be coming to Switch. My...I'm playing Xenoblade X: Definitive Edition on the Switch (in Japanese language).
I very much enjoyed 1-3 and was thrilled when it was announced that the spinoff would also be coming to Switch. My thoughts after getting stuck into it for about 6 hours:
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The opening part is rough. Most of it is just sitting in a briefing room / standing around while people lore dump on you. You really need to push through to at least chapter 3 before the game hands you the keys to actually play.
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I'm used to systems on top of systems within systems in the Xenoblade series. It's one of its trademark characteristics! Having said that, the other games do a way better job of organically introducing the systems one by one (to the point where you'll sometimes still be getting new mechanics halfway into the game). X really forces you to read the 'TIPS' (equivalent to the manual) to understand what you can do with the layers and layers of menus. There's often little to no tutorial on how they work beyond that, which slows down the already slow opening even further.
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Once you do get acquainted with the game, it's a lot of fun. There's a nice big open world with lots of nooks and crannies to explore, loot to find and nasty high level monsters who you can come back for revenge on later (or just try and sneak past!). The systems are all very much Xenoblade 1 era, which means a lot more inventory / skills / relationship management and menuing compared to 2-3. I'm in two minds about that since it does break up the flow of the game a bit, but at the same time it's nice having more loot / progression that matters too.
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The 'Earth is destroyed and now humans have to rebuild on another world while dealing with aliens' story is... uh... OK so far. It's very different in tone from the traditional JRPG fare of 1 or the extremely anime-like story from 2-3 (which I enjoyed but some people understandably cannot abide) and makes me think more of something like Mass Effect (or maybe Xenosaga, given the mechs). This is compounded by the fact that you create your own protagonist who is silent except for the frequent choice of responses where you get to choose the vibe of the response, but not specifically what to say.
Overall I'm pretty into it, though I don't think it'll be keeping me up late on a work night like the other games did.
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Comment on Official Sonic the Hedgehog game timeline as recognized by Sega in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkThe timeline seems to span a very long time, but doesn't explain how Sonic and co survive all those years. I've only played the old master system / genesis games, but it seems like this isn't...The timeline seems to span a very long time, but doesn't explain how Sonic and co survive all those years. I've only played the old master system / genesis games, but it seems like this isn't explained in-game either.
Is Sonic like Link in that there are multiple Sonics throughout the ages?
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Comment on Jonathan Goldstein joins Pushkin Industries to revive acclaimed “Heavyweight” podcast in ~misc
Well_known_bear Link ParentAbsolutely love Wiretap even more than Heavyweight! The weird dreamlike monologues and storylines are something I really miss from the more factual latter series. For those who haven't listened,...Absolutely love Wiretap even more than Heavyweight! The weird dreamlike monologues and storylines are something I really miss from the more factual latter series.
For those who haven't listened, the entire archive is now available as a podcast (and features some characters which also turn up in Heavyweight).
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Comment on How often do you replace your phone? in ~tech
Well_known_bear LinkI replace my phone whenever my current one breaks and becomes unusable. So far, this has usually been due to the battery dying / bloating (4 years or so). I've tried replacing the battery before,...I replace my phone whenever my current one breaks and becomes unusable. So far, this has usually been due to the battery dying / bloating (4 years or so). I've tried replacing the battery before, but the replacement batteries don't tend to last long in my experience.
Phone technology is pretty mature at this point and even mid range phones are more than good enough for my use cases, so I'm happy to pick up a mid range from the existing lineup or last year's flagship, depending on what is currently best value / most discounted.
I am an android user and like the pixel a series, which usually has most of the innards of the flagship at a more affordable price. They often also have a plastic / metal case rather than glass, which makes it much more feasible to use without a case. Samsung's galaxy series is also very good (I have this as my work phone) and has a similar 7 year timeline for updates to the pixel range.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentGood to see that Avowed is getting a generally positive reception. I played the first Pillars of Eternity and enjoyed the old Infinity engine-esque gameplay, but I wasn't crazy on the story or the...Good to see that Avowed is getting a generally positive reception. I played the first Pillars of Eternity and enjoyed the old Infinity engine-esque gameplay, but I wasn't crazy on the story or the weird lore (seems divisive as others seem to love it). The premise for Avowed is sounding a lot like Tyranny which interests me a lot more.
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Comment on Do you think stressful games are kind of bad for your health? in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkNow that I'm in middle age with various responsibilities and other stressors in my life, I play video games with the express goal of taking away stress and not adding to it. Playing stressful...- Exemplary
Now that I'm in middle age with various responsibilities and other stressors in my life, I play video games with the express goal of taking away stress and not adding to it. Playing stressful games would probably be bad for me because it's the opposite of what I'm seeking to get out of the experience.
Other people will have different goals (seeking a challenge and sense of accomplishment from mastering a difficult game, etc) and be drawn to different games, and that's totally fine too. I don't think these people are doing themselves any harm, assuming they play for reasonable hours and still get enough exercise.
We are living in an age where there is a seemingly endless supply of games for every audience and I can only hope it continues.
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Comment on A shower thought on cameras in ~talk
Well_known_bear LinkMany years ago, when the Lytro was released, I had an inkling that light field cameras could be the next thing in casual photography, particularly if they could get it down to a small enough form...Many years ago, when the Lytro was released, I had an inkling that light field cameras could be the next thing in casual photography, particularly if they could get it down to a small enough form factor to use with phones.
Turns out that not only did phone cameras not go down that path, but they have remained pretty niche in general.
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Comment on How do you shave your nose and ears? in ~life.men
Well_known_bear Link ParentI am also in the device camp. I use a Philips nose hair trimmer which cost less than AUD 30 and is simple to use and clean. I've tried grooming scissors before, but found they required much more...I am also in the device camp. I use a Philips nose hair trimmer which cost less than AUD 30 and is simple to use and clean.
I've tried grooming scissors before, but found they required much more focus to do a good job and avoid injury.
Pulling out the hairs is not only painful and uneven, but also leads to infection. Avoid for sure!
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Comment on Christmas present swap ideas in ~life
Well_known_bear LinkFor similar work events (albeit lower budget), I typically get something high quality but consumable so that it's easy for the recipient to quickly use / doesn't end up as clutter in their home. A...For similar work events (albeit lower budget), I typically get something high quality but consumable so that it's easy for the recipient to quickly use / doesn't end up as clutter in their home. A food hall at a department store or a speciality bottle shop are good places to look.
Some examples:
- Fancy tea / coffee
- Cheese
- Fancy condiments (e.g. truffle oil)
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Comment on Japanese workers in their twenties turn to resignation agencies in ~life
Well_known_bear Link ParentI agreed with your takeaway. It's obviously the official PR account and only one side of the story, but it's difficult to imagine that they wouldn't have let the employee resign if they had gone...I agreed with your takeaway. It's obviously the official PR account and only one side of the story, but it's difficult to imagine that they wouldn't have let the employee resign if they had gone through the normal channels (due to the reputational risk of that story getting out if nothing else).
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Comment on Japanese workers in their twenties turn to resignation agencies in ~life
Well_known_bear LinkI had to chuckle a bit when I saw a recent story about one of Momuri's own employees using (a different) agency to resign. Post from Momuri's own X account here (in Japanese).I had to chuckle a bit when I saw a recent story about one of Momuri's own employees using (a different) agency to resign. Post from Momuri's own X account here (in Japanese).
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Comment on How well do you cook? in ~life.men
Well_known_bear LinkI am an average cook at best, but cooking as a basic skill has so many upsides: saves you money compared to always eating out allows you to eat whatever you want at any time (including stuff no...I am an average cook at best, but cooking as a basic skill has so many upsides:
- saves you money compared to always eating out
- allows you to eat whatever you want at any time (including stuff no one nearby is selling), as long as you have the ingredients
- lets you customise the nutrition for your meals down to whatever you need
- is a lot of fun when trying out new recipes (of which there are an endless number), while at the same time being very affordable and not requiring a lot of equipment
I cook every day and consider it up there with other fundamental skills like financial literacy and learning how to exercise!
I remember reading about this community years ago on reddit! I had assumed it was mostly just tongue in cheek role-players, but I suppose even joke subreddits have a tendency to eventually attract a substantial following of 100% serious posters.
In recent years, there seems to me to to be an increasing online pessimism about the world and a desire for escapism into a better one (see for example the boom in "isekai" media). As wacky as it sounds, if people are able to use this sort of thinking to refocus on a positive and constructive mindset as the article suggests (and not abuse it in a way that leads to psychosis or harmful denial of real problems), more power to them.