Wes's recent activity
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - February 2026 - The Truth by Terry Pratchett in ~books
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - February 2026 - The Truth by Terry Pratchett in ~books
Wes (edited )LinkSo this was my first Pratchett book. Somehow, it was everything I hoped it would be. I don't always jibe with British humor, but this worked for me. Pratchett clearly liked to play with the...So this was my first Pratchett book. Somehow, it was everything I hoped it would be.
I don't always jibe with British humor, but this worked for me. Pratchett clearly liked to play with the English language, and I found the novel charming and full of pith. There was so much clever wordplay, yet he never tarried or drew attention to it. He kept the story flowing while maintaining a steady supply of witticisms and quips.
The characters all felt unique and established. While some of them felt story-specific, I can almost guarantee that a few were recurring, such as Mr. Dibbler. He simply felt too fleshed out for a side character to be anything but.
Of the main cast, Otto was my favorite with his torturous love of
photographyiconography. Most folk had a silly air about them, though I was surprised that some of the bad dudes really were bad dudes. To throw a sack full of doggies into a river? Heavens, that's --ing mental.I'm not sure how to take the general commentary on journalism. That it's important, even if people don't care? Or that the position can be misused? Maybe there was no strong commentary at all, and it was more about exploring the role. In any case, it felt like stronger comments were directed at policemen and lawyers, who did not get off so easy.
I had a little trouble sourcing this book. I'd originally requested an audiobook from the library, but noticed too late it was an abridged copy. I found an older unabridged copy read by Stephen Briggs, but the quality was very poor. Thankfully, I was able to clean it up in Audacity using the DeepFilterNet plugin, then set up a macro to process and export all files. That worked a treat, and I was able to get a crisp, unabridged narration, which was excellent.
I've always put off starting Discworld because it's such a massive series, but now I've officially broken in. While I don't think I'll binge them - I might become a sarcastic bastard if I do - they do seem like a great interlude for when I need something lighter.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E1: "The Gathering" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
Wes Link ParentThe CGI in Babylon 5 is extremely early. So early they were using a bunch of Amiga 2000's networked together to render them. Some of the effects have been particularly tortured as well, as they...The CGI in Babylon 5 is extremely early. So early they were using a bunch of Amiga 2000's networked together to render them.
The FX for the pilot movie, "The Gathering", were rendered by eight networked accelerated Amiga 2000’s, with Video Toaster boards holding lightwave, and 2 meg of memory. A 486 (DX presumably) with dual hard drives and 8 gig on board acted as the novell server, as well as the central store for all the 3D assets.
Some of the effects have been particularly tortured as well, as they have been converted between letterbox and widescreen. Instead of redoing them, the effects were cropped and stretched for the new form factor.
So yeah, it definitely does not look good by today's standards. It does get better in season two, but it's still very much a time capsule of early computer rendering.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Wes Link ParentWhat I meant is that when combining two items in an anvil, the prior work cost assigned to the new item is equal to the higher existing work cost of the two items, plus 1. So the order of those...What I meant is that when combining two items in an anvil, the prior work cost assigned to the new item is equal to the higher existing work cost of the two items, plus 1. So the order of those two items (left or right) doesn't actually matter, but the XP cost still fluctuates. My suggestion was that the game calculate the lesser of the two costs for you, as a matter of convenience.
But yeah, the order in which you combine items over multiple steps absolutely does matter. I haven't used the calculator yet, but generally you want to use a "pyramid" approach to build up towards your final tool, avoiding working the same piece as much as possible. And since there's no in-game display of prior work, you need to just remember the value for each item.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Wes Link ParentI've never been a huge fan of how the "prior work penalty" works. It's way too technical for how vanilla Minecraft should feel, and has a real impact on creating gear. Yet few people seem aware of...I've never been a huge fan of how the "prior work penalty" works. It's way too technical for how vanilla Minecraft should feel, and has a real impact on creating gear. Yet few people seem aware of how it works.
At the very least, I feel the prior work count of gear and enchanted books should be visible somehow, even if it requires advanced tooltips to be turned on. There's no indication right now if something has been worked before, potentially screwing up the math and "bricking" a tool. You can at best make an educated guess from the total cost of combining items in an anvil.
Which is another weird thing. I don't see why Minecraft doesn't calculate the cheapest XP cost for you, instead of requiring you to test swapping the order of items in the anvil. The work cost comes out the same either way, if I'm not mistaken.
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Comment on I don't "get" soulslikes, but I'm interested in Bloodborne in ~games
Wes Link ParentDS2 probably makes the best use of heavy weapons, which quite literally do pancake many enemies. In particular, NPC-style enemies are some of the most difficult fights, but you can stunlock them...DS2 probably makes the best use of heavy weapons, which quite literally do pancake many enemies. In particular, NPC-style enemies are some of the most difficult fights, but you can stunlock them by swinging a Greatsword. It can even flatten the reindeer in the Frigid Outskirts.
That said, DS2 also has the Rapier, which is an incredible dex weapon. To say nothing of the Ice Rapier...
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - February 2026 - The Truth by Terry Pratchett - Have you started? in ~books
Wes LinkI'm first in line at the library. This will be my first Pratchett read, so hopefully it's a good entry point to Discworld. I've been reading Stormlight Archive this year, but knew I wouldn't have...I'm first in line at the library. This will be my first Pratchett read, so hopefully it's a good entry point to Discworld.
I've been reading Stormlight Archive this year, but knew I wouldn't have time to get through another one of those tomes before my hold comes up. So this week I've been reading the Bobiverse books while waiting, since they're much shorter. I'm still enjoying them, but I'm now well past the point of needing a Bob family tree.
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Comment on What healthy habit has made a difference for you? in ~health
Wes Link ParentYeah, I definitely don't expect it to be possible for everyone. I still remember how I felt when I heard what the daily recommended intake was, and I thought it sounded impossible. Eight glasses a...Yeah, I definitely don't expect it to be possible for everyone. I still remember how I felt when I heard what the daily recommended intake was, and I thought it sounded impossible. Eight glasses a day of bland, gross water?! I can't say what flipped the switch for me, but I think just having the water bottle nearby helped a ton. Later, getting a proper thermos bottle that kept cool was even better.
I'm sorry to hear about your health issues. I wonder if a mineral water or such would offset any dilution caused by drinking, but I'll not profess to know anything about the topic. I'm sure you've tried everything you can. I hope you can find some solutions that work for you.
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Comment on CGA-2026-01 🕹️⛵🛡️ REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in ~games
Wes Link ParentCongrats on finishing your first Zelda! You're now eligible to make referential comments like "Hey, listen!", or "It's dangerous to go alone!". There is definitely some item swapping in these...Congrats on finishing your first Zelda! You're now eligible to make referential comments like "Hey, listen!", or "It's dangerous to go alone!".
There is definitely some item swapping in these games. It's worse in the GameBoy games, which often play a bit more metroidvania-esque as items are used to navigate terrain. Though even the 3D games have their moments. In Ocarina's Water Temple, you needed to swap your boots dozens of times to navigate the dungeon. Though this was greatly improved in the 3DS rerelease.
Also, I fought my way down to the 50th floor of the Savage Labyrinth only to be rewarded with A QUARTER OF A HEART?! Come on, game.
Thankfully that was also improved in the HD remake. They swapped it to the Hero's Charm, which is a bit of a better reward.
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Comment on Winter storm across the US in photos in ~enviro
Wes Link ParentIt's a little off topic, but they still allow ad blockers. You're probably thinking of them replacing webRequest with declarativeNetRequest in Manifest v3. The tl;dr is that the new API is...but we all know chrome no longer allows ad blockers...
It's a little off topic, but they still allow ad blockers. You're probably thinking of them replacing
webRequestwithdeclarativeNetRequestin Manifest v3. The tl;dr is that the new API is faster/more private by nature of being declarative, but loses some capability in edge cases. Instead of the addon being asked to confirm or deny every request individually, they report to the browser on startup what content to block. That way, the addon doesn't get access to all your browsing history. In practice, it works for about 99% of content, though the odd thing slips through. I hear Twitch.tv in particular is problematic, though I don't use the site myself.There's a category for ad blockers on the Chrome Web Store. I recommend AdGuard, since it's more powerful than uBlock Origin Lite, and has better cosmetic filtering.
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Comment on What healthy habit has made a difference for you? in ~health
Wes LinkMy best healthy habit is keeping a water bottle at my side at all times. It's become very natural to reach over if I'm ever dehydrated, or looking for a way to cool down. 20 years ago, I'd have a...My best healthy habit is keeping a water bottle at my side at all times. It's become very natural to reach over if I'm ever dehydrated, or looking for a way to cool down.
20 years ago, I'd have a Coke in my hand at all times. It was an unending deluge of empty calories. If I hadn't killed that habit, I'm sure I'd be in far worse physical shape than I am now. Keeping a water bottle nearby helped substitute that oral fixation and wean me off the sugar.
Other considerations:
- Most of us get too much salt in our diets. This helps rinse it out.
- You don't need to brush your teeth after taking a drink
- Helps to dislodge any plaque-causing food chunks
- You might have to pee more (but this is probably a good thing)
- Spills, though rare, are far less catastrophic than other drinks
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - January 2026 - Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bisson in ~books
Wes Link ParentThat was a very punchy quote. The kind that hits you right in the face. Thanks for sharing it. It does feel like colonialism is an ongoing theme in our book picks, and I'm glad of it. All these...That was a very punchy quote. The kind that hits you right in the face. Thanks for sharing it.
It does feel like colonialism is an ongoing theme in our book picks, and I'm glad of it. All these different perspectives grant an understanding far beyond what I was capable of imagining on my own. Plus a depiction of a human experience - whether fictional or not - really helps humanize the historical understanding I typically file these things under.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - January 2026 - Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bisson in ~books
Wes LinkI feel guilty for skipping this one as I did vote for it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find it at my library or any other sources at an affordable cost. Normally I skip the discussion threads...I feel guilty for skipping this one as I did vote for it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find it at my library or any other sources at an affordable cost. Normally I skip the discussion threads if I haven't read a book for fear of spoilers, but I think I'll follow along just to see what others thought of this one. The premise did intrigue me.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Wes Link ParentI'm not sure if it's the same code running, but I know Minecraft does have some anti-cheat for checking if a player has moved too quickly. There are mods to disable it, such as Too Fast, which I...I'm not sure if it's the same code running, but I know Minecraft does have some anti-cheat for checking if a player has moved too quickly. There are mods to disable it, such as Too Fast, which I tend to install whenever I run a server.
Looking at the same patch from RandomPatches, it is overwriting three values. One for elytra, vehicles, and general player movement. So it's possible the gamerule you mentioned is only affecting one of them. I assume your contraption relies on elytra, but I do see the rule
player_movement_checkalso exists, in case that's relevant.Whenever the movement code runs, it logs "<Player> has moved too quickly" to the log. So someone with server access could confirm if that's what's kicking in when players are having their velocity reset.
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Comment on CGA-2026-01 🕹️⛵🛡️ REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in ~games
Wes LinkI didn't play through Wind Waker this month as I did so just a year or two back. It's a great game, though, and one that offers a level of openness unlike any other. True, OoT and Majora's Mask...I didn't play through Wind Waker this month as I did so just a year or two back. It's a great game, though, and one that offers a level of openness unlike any other.
True, OoT and Majora's Mask offer you a great field to explore, and on N64 hardware they certainly feel expansive. Wind Waker however let's you go anywhere. I loved that sense of freedom and discovery. The waters felt just open enough to allow you to get lost, but with enough points of interest along the way to keep you engaged. You'd often stumble across little islands with treasure, challenges, or secrets to uncover.
I do remember getting a little lost in some of the dungeons. The environments were larger, and I felt the puzzles weren't quite as telegraphed as in previous games. Though I don't mind a little friction in a video game, and I don't think I ever needed to specifically look anything up. Though I did admittedly get stuck on the final boss for a while. The weak point of Puppet Ganon is its tail, but I was distracted by the arrow pointing at its head. Cheeky game.
I wouldn't say any of the dungeons specifically stood out to me or were that memorable, with the exception of Dragon Roost Island. Despite being an early dungeon, I loved the visuals, the sense of scale, the story beats, the epic boss fight, the grappling hook, and that brilliant theme song. Great dungeon overall.
There's a lot of optional content in Wind Waker, but I think most of it is discoverable without guides. The game offers direction with its charts and hints, or even the Tingle Tuner if you've got the hardware for it.
I originally played Wind Waker for the GameCube, but had only borrowed the game and so hadn't completed it. My more recent playthrough was the HD version, which did add a few niceties. I didn't mind the slight change in art style, and most of the changes were quality-of-life things to smooth out the rougher parts of the game. Though I'm not sure if I liked the more powerful sail. It was convenient, but I liked the sea being a little bit of a threat. Maybe it could've been broken down into multiple upgrades throughout the game, or moved to a later point.
One thing I really enjoy about the Zelda series is how experimental each game is. They create a new identity for each game, making major changes to gameplay, tone, and even genre (talking 'bout you, Zelda II).
Wind Waker is no exception. A game about piracy and sailing is completely unique in the franchise. And of course, the unique toon cel shading stands out as well. The game still looks gorgeous today, regardless of if you're playing the original or HD remake. Everything from the visual effects, HUD, and even the sound effects help support that unique aesthetic.
It stings me a little bit to think of anything from the GameCube era as being "retro", but I guess I need to accept that truth now. So yes, Wind Waker is a solid retro game. It may have been a little controversial on release, but it has long-since shaken that off and earned its reputation as a fan favourite.
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Comment on The assistant axis: situating and stabilizing the character of large language models in ~tech
Wes Link ParentI agree that their posts often require a skeptical eye, but their research often delves deeper than most, and they certainly provide more insight into the process than most other AI labs at this...I agree that their posts often require a skeptical eye, but their research often delves deeper than most, and they certainly provide more insight into the process than most other AI labs at this time.
You can ignore the tag
source.anthropicif you don't wish to see these posts. -
Comment on On being officially classed as a robot in ~tech
Wes Link ParentIt's a nice community. I hope you enjoy your time here. Self-promotion is okay as long as it's not the main focus of your account. We have some good docs for explaining the ethos of this place....It's a nice community. I hope you enjoy your time here. Self-promotion is okay as long as it's not the main focus of your account.
We have some good docs for explaining the ethos of this place. Also check out the theme switcher in your Settings. Many find the default white to be blinding, but there's some nice alternatives (I like Atom One Dark).
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Comment on My favorite media of 2025 in ~games
Wes Link ParentHrmm... Since you seem to enjoy puzzles and deduction, I'd like to recommend The Forgotten City, which I played during our Tildes Backlog Burner event back in November. The game features a time...Hrmm... Since you seem to enjoy puzzles and deduction, I'd like to recommend The Forgotten City, which I played during our Tildes Backlog Burner event back in November.
The game features a time loop mechanic and has you uncover a mystery. You learn more by talking to different people each loop, or using trial and error to test different outcomes.
I thought it was absolutely brilliant, and I went back and finished the game after the event. I even completed each of the possible endings. If you've not played it yet, give it a go next time it's on sale (which it is now, at various storefronts).
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Comment on My favorite media of 2025 in ~games
Wes LinkIt seems like we share a lot of common interests, so I've added some of your favourites to my wishlist/backlog. Strange Jigsaws looks like a good time for a low price, and while I somehow missed...It seems like we share a lot of common interests, so I've added some of your favourites to my wishlist/backlog. Strange Jigsaws looks like a good time for a low price, and while I somehow missed The Studio completely, I'll check it out as I love Bryan Cranston.
Good list, and congrats on the adoption!
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of January 11 in ~games
Wes Link ParentSounds like one for you, @JCPhoenix!Sounds like one for you, @JCPhoenix!
I wouldn't call it philosophical, but this conversation near the beginning had me cackling:
This bit was narrated perfectly in the audiobook, where the retort came out more like "Wot wot?". The phrasing "raising the stakes" also really tickled me, for some reason.