arqalite's recent activity
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
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Comment on Control Resonant has gone gold. Physical release date for the game has been moved to October 15th. in ~games
arqalite LinkWoop woop! Can't wait. Unfortunately I pre-ordered the steelbook edition, so I guess I'll pirate the digital edition after the post-release patches come out so I don't miss out on the discussion....Woop woop! Can't wait.
Unfortunately I pre-ordered the steelbook edition, so I guess I'll pirate the digital edition after the post-release patches come out so I don't miss out on the discussion. Thank god they don't use Denuvo.
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Comment on Control Resonant has gone gold. Physical release date for the game has been moved to October 15th. in ~games
arqalite Link ParentI did a playthrough when it came out with mouse and keyboard, and one this year with an Xbox Controller. I found both control schemes fairly easy to learn, and I'd assume they improved on them...I did a playthrough when it came out with mouse and keyboard, and one this year with an Xbox Controller. I found both control schemes fairly easy to learn, and I'd assume they improved on them since.
Alan Wake 2 also had pretty good controls.
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Comment on McDonald’s built a 515-page dossier on me in ~tech
arqalite Link ParentYeah, I know the process and plan on following it through if McDs doesn't respond. The Romanian branch is somewhat mismanaged and there's a non-zero chance of them fucking it up, so let's see what...Yeah, I know the process and plan on following it through if McDs doesn't respond. The Romanian branch is somewhat mismanaged and there's a non-zero chance of them fucking it up, so let's see what happens.
Semi-related, I was looking online to see how GDPR enforcement has went since it went into effect, and apparently none of the larger fines have been collected yet, with all of them still in appeals or annulled entirely. I'm curious in 4-5 years how things lay out.
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Comment on McDonald’s built a 515-page dossier on me in ~tech
arqalite Link ParentThe seventh world joke was because McDonalds has an online portal for most of its markets in the EU - but Romania isn't included there, and McDonalds Romania says in their Privacy Policy to send...The seventh world joke was because McDonalds has an online portal for most of its markets in the EU - but Romania isn't included there, and McDonalds Romania says in their Privacy Policy to send an email to gdpr@ro.mcd.com.
Not all EU countries are treated equally by corporations unfortunately, but yeah, they should still abide by GDPR rules.
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Comment on McDonald’s built a 515-page dossier on me in ~tech
arqalite LinkI'm gonna do a GDPR request to see how the EU branches of McDonalds are doing. From what I see, while the data collected is vast, it seems at the very least focused on selling you more burgers and...I'm gonna do a GDPR request to see how the EU branches of McDonalds are doing.
From what I see, while the data collected is vast, it seems at the very least focused on selling you more burgers and fries.
Usually when mass data collection happens, I'm more scared of them correllating it and trying to figure out things that don't relate to their business so they can sell it to advertisers or third-parties. They still could do that and simply not share it, though.
EDIT: Since I live in a seventh-world country (Romania), I have to email them and wait for a person to reply. I expect for that to not happen.
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Comment on What game are you terrible at? in ~games
arqalite Link ParentOh my god, I hate that game with a passion. I just don't feel like the parts you can control in the game are powerful enough to affect your odds of exploding, and just like you, I had a horrendous...Oh my god, I hate that game with a passion. I just don't feel like the parts you can control in the game are powerful enough to affect your odds of exploding, and just like you, I had a horrendous streak of exploding over and over again.
It was the only board game I genuinely considered cheating at, and by that point I knew I should just stop playing it entirely and ask my group to try other games. We're now onto Terraforming Mars and I'm having an absolute blast.
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Comment on What is your Mandela effect moment? in ~movies
arqalite Link ParentWe should get ready for Avengers: Endgame's re-release to do the same thing for a new generation. Apparently the re-release will have extra scenes to tie it better to Doomsday.We should get ready for Avengers: Endgame's re-release to do the same thing for a new generation. Apparently the re-release will have extra scenes to tie it better to Doomsday.
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Comment on What is your Mandela effect moment? in ~movies
arqalite Link ParentYeah, basically a slightly inferior version of that. I did switch to butter and jam as an adult too, to fill that void :)Yeah, basically a slightly inferior version of that. I did switch to butter and jam as an adult too, to fill that void :)
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Comment on What is your Mandela effect moment? in ~movies
arqalite LinkNot quite the Mandela effect, but it's probably the only time I can tell this story here, so here goes. When I was a very little kid, one of my favorite snacks was a strawberry-flavoured margarine...Not quite the Mandela effect, but it's probably the only time I can tell this story here, so here goes.
When I was a very little kid, one of my favorite snacks was a strawberry-flavoured margarine from a local brand, named Delma. This specific variety was called "Delma Căpșunica" ("căpșunică" in Romanian means "little strawberry") and I absolutely adored it. In retrospect it was probably carcinogens on toast, but that's not the point.
It got discontinued pretty quickly, so it didn't have much of a lasting cultural impact, but it did on me. As I grew up, I had random moments when I remembered it existed, so I decided to look it up online.
For almost a decade, I wasn't able to find any traces of it existing on the internet, to the point of convincing myself I just hallucinated it or didn't remember it properly. When telling others about it, they had no recollection of such a thing existing, and my mom didn't remember either but wouldn't be surprised if we did have it in the pantry at some point.
Until a few years back, when I saw someone uploaded an ad from 2003, finally proving its existence! However the packaging is not the same one I remembered.
And then this reel appeared (it's from a YouTube reaction video from ZappyTV) and that's the packaging I remember!
And also a bunch of people confirming they used to eat it as kids. I'm not alone!
Anyway, there's probably so many examples of early-2000s products that didn't manage to be relevant enough for the internet to properly preserve them, especially in areas like Eastern Europe. I wonder what other things from my childhood got forgotten by everyone, including myself.
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Comment on Control Resonant | Exclusive Metro Fault mission gameplay in ~games
arqalite Linkaaaa I wanna watch it but I also kinda want to avoid getting any more spoilers than what we already know 😭aaaa I wanna watch it but I also kinda want to avoid getting any more spoilers than what we already know 😭
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Comment on Apple sues OpenAI for stealing trade secrets to build AI hardware in ~tech
arqalite (edited )Link ParentSame here, 5.6 Luna has been more than adequate for what I need it to do. For now it's also been kind on my $10 Copilot Pro subscription + the $10 extra budget I gave it.Same here, 5.6 Luna has been more than adequate for what I need it to do. For now it's also been kind on my $10 Copilot Pro subscription + the $10 extra budget I gave it.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
arqalite (edited )LinkI kept forgetting to post in this thread, so here's what I've been up to since May: Wrote ocgcore-ffi which provides Rust bindings to a C++ Yu-Gi-Oh! script engine. I also got it to compile and...I kept forgetting to post in this thread, so here's what I've been up to since May:
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Wrote ocgcore-ffi which provides Rust bindings to a C++ Yu-Gi-Oh! script engine. I also got it to compile and link to WebAssembly so it can run in the browser.
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Started Project Tensho with the goal of creating a full-fledged Yu-Gi-Oh! simulator. Right now the minimum viable product, and the goal for v0.1, is to set up a single-player practice environment for the Fire King deck. I'm almost done with that, and right now you can play and do combos with all the cards in the deck. Still very much a WIP and rough around the edges. (I also need to commission a UI and icon designer to nail down a visual identity for the app.)
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Planned a feature update for Project Echelon, my replay to MP4 converter & Discord bot. Someone asked if the bot could provide a decklist if provided with a *.ydk file, and I thought it's a nice feature to have. Also I found some opportunities to reduce hosting costs and RAM usage, so I'm bundling that in.
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Comment on I tried to help a goldfinch - but there wasn't enough help in ~enviro
arqalite Link ParentYeah, I'm aware of that, just wanted to get the best solution possible for the little guy.Yeah, I'm aware of that, just wanted to get the best solution possible for the little guy.
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I tried to help a goldfinch - but there wasn't enough help
So last night at around 11pm, my partner and I ended up with an European goldfinch - most likely a fledgling - sitting on our balcony, backed into a corner and in a total state of shock. My theory...
So last night at around 11pm, my partner and I ended up with an European goldfinch - most likely a fledgling - sitting on our balcony, backed into a corner and in a total state of shock. My theory is that it couldn't fly properly, and hit the floor hard enough to cause a serious concussion, then tried to stay as safe as it could while it recovered.
We had zero idea how to handle the situation, and it was too late to call anyone, so we heeded the internet's advice and set up a safe shelter for it - a shoebox with some holes punched into it and a towel laid down, which we took inside and placed in a dim, quiet place, in hopes the bird was just lightly concussed and would be able to sleep it off.
That wasn't the case - in the morning we found the bird awake, huddled in the corner of the box, puffed up and unresponsive. I took the box outside next to a tree where some sparrows usually love to sit, and lifted the lid. After a few minutes it started looking around, but would not move from the corner of the box at all. I waited for 10 more minutes to see if it would try anything, and saw that it had no plans of leaving the box, so I covered it back up and took it back inside.
Plan B was to seek professional help immediately, and that's what I tried to do.
However, it turns out the Romanian government has no resources to rescue and treat injured wildlife. Unless it's large-scale animal abuse or environmental damage, there is no one to call.
So I turned to the NGOs and volunteer groups. I reached out to all the resources available in my area, hoping someone would have the time, capacity and desire to take the poor bird in and give it the help it desperately needed.
One doctor was unfortunately out of the country, and his clinic didn't have capacity to help, especially in his absence. A second doctor never returned my call or responded to my message.
I reached out to the emergency number of a wildlife rehabilitation center, and heard nothing for hours. I called a different center, and got a response, but their only contact in my area was the doctor that is currently out of the country; their center was 3 hours away by train, too stressful for both me and the bird. I called a veterinary clinic, and got a quote for ~25 euro, for a consultation with a spot at 2pm.
I then finally got an answer from the first rehab center, who asked me to try to take the bird outside again. However, at 1:30pm I checked the box, trying to follow the instructions I was given, and I was met with a bird that unfortunately passed away.
It really sucks - I tried to help this poor critter but there just aren't sufficient resources; wildlife is the least of the government's priorities, and NGOs by their nature are never sufficiently staffed nor have the funds and capacity to sustain the demand. Especially with the heatwaves hitting Europe, I'm sure my bird wasn't the only one having accidents this week.
Nobody is at fault here - it just was the wrong timing for everyone involved - but I can't help but feel guilty anyway.
I don't even know what the point of this post is besides to complain, and I guess to grieve a tiny soul that deserved more. Maybe we should all take a moment and appreciate the birds chirping outside. They're beautiful, and we should protect them as much as we can.
Rest in peace, little bird.
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Comment on Sony is closing the PS3 and Vita digital stores in ~games
arqalite Linko7 to one of the best consoles I've ever owned. Flashing custom firmware on my 1st gen PS3 and turning it into a retro emulation powerhouse while still able to play games like Persona 5 and Diablo...o7 to one of the best consoles I've ever owned.
Flashing custom firmware on my 1st gen PS3 and turning it into a retro emulation powerhouse while still able to play games like Persona 5 and Diablo III made the summer of 2016 truly memorable to me. Not to mention it pulling triple duty as a media player, DVD reader and YouTube/Spotify client. What else could I have asked for?
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Comment on Around twenty drown in France as French seek relief from heatwave in ~enviro
arqalite Link ParentIn Brasov, Romania it snowed like three times this winter? 20 years ago we were used to being buried in snow regularly. The shift is very jarring and very noticeable. Summer seems pretty standard...In Brasov, Romania it snowed like three times this winter?
20 years ago we were used to being buried in snow regularly. The shift is very jarring and very noticeable.
Summer seems pretty standard although it does trend hotter than usual.
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Comment on Are there any video games that are/were popular in your country, that the rest of the world hardly knows about? in ~games
arqalite LinkMetin2 had an absolute chokehold on late 2000s teens in Eastern Europe, most of us would go back home from school and play this game exclusively for hours. Then they somehow managed to make a...Metin2 had an absolute chokehold on late 2000s teens in Eastern Europe, most of us would go back home from school and play this game exclusively for hours.
Then they somehow managed to make a deeply pay-to-win game even more pay-to-win, so we discovered private servers and from there the floodgates opened, why play on just one server when you can level up 5 accounts on 5 separate servers, at the same time?
I still return once every few years, scope out the private server scene and maybe level up an account for a few days until I move on to something else.
My enjoyment of it is very much nostalgia-driven, though, I think a total newcomer will find the vast majority of the game mechanics off-putting or even frustrating - however if playing a relatively obscure MMORPG sounds like a good time, definitely try it out.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #10: How often do you visit/read Tildes? (Results) in ~talk
arqalite LinkI usually check the titles really quick in the morning, then open Tildes again in the afternoon/during downtime at work, and read/engage more actively. Then I occasionally refresh throughout the...I usually check the titles really quick in the morning, then open Tildes again in the afternoon/during downtime at work, and read/engage more actively.
Then I occasionally refresh throughout the evening to see if anything new got posted.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #9: How optimistic are you about the future? (Results) in ~talk
arqalite LinkI feel like my life is going well. Not the best, not by any stretch, but at least when it comes to my immediate experience, I am looking forward to the future. I might just be enjoying a position...I feel like my life is going well. Not the best, not by any stretch, but at least when it comes to my immediate experience, I am looking forward to the future.
I might just be enjoying a position of privilege however, because at a global scale, we seem like we're tumbling down to ruin so I don't know what to say in the end. Kinda neutral maybe. I do keep hope as best as I can.
I absolutely devoured Rachel Reid's "Time to Shine" in the last 2 days.
She's almost mastered MLM romance and it shows, the book was enjoyably written from start to finish with very few nitpicks from my end.
Minor spoilers inside
I love how both Landon and Casey are written, both having a "flaw" that the other's presence improves, makes them feel more fleshed out as humans than Reid's previous characters.I also love the identity pairing, a sex-positive bisexual with an implied demi-homoromantic that hasn't had sexual experiences before - Landon gets to safely explore that side of himself with a person that couldn't be better suited for the job.
One thing that I tripped over was when both Landon and Casey's parents were present in the same scene; Rachel Reid likes playing with POVs and referring to the parents as Mom and Dad depending on whose perspective the narrator is talking from, and at some point I lost track which Mom and Dad we were talking about. However that's basically a single page of the entire book so once I figured it out, it didn't matter for the rest of the story.
Reid's formula of "they get to know each other, they fall in love, one of them messes up, they fix it, happy ending finale" works well here, but I do kinda wish we spent more time on the "they fix it" stage. I do think one more chapter of them figuring out long-distance would have made the relationship feel even stronger going into the finale.
That said, this remains one of the coziest and yet detailed relationships Reid's written so far; while the conflicts aren't as huge as in previous books, this is a very strong story IMO.
For any MLM romance fans, this is a solid recommendation (as is the rest of Reid's bibliography).