bkimmel's recent activity
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Comment on What is your most essential pessimistic belief? Conversely, what is your most essential optimistic belief? in ~talk
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Comment on Prince Rupert's Drop exploding in molten glass in ~science
bkimmel LinkThis was so damn cool. I want to quit my job and be an apprentice glassmaker so bad now.This was so damn cool. I want to quit my job and be an apprentice glassmaker so bad now.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bkimmel LinkI've been playing Dredge on Switch for the past 5 days or so. A week ago if you would have asked me what I thought of a mashup of Darkest Dungeon, Stardew Valley and Tetris, I'd say "hard pass;...I've been playing Dredge on Switch for the past 5 days or so.
A week ago if you would have asked me what I thought of a mashup of Darkest Dungeon, Stardew Valley and Tetris, I'd say "hard pass; that sounds like a hot mess". And yet... Somehow Dredge really pulls this off. The core gameplay mechanics are really fun (and not extremely complicated) and the story really just kinda sneaks up on you. "Fishing Horror" is a genre that - as far as I know - has only one entry, but it's pretty compelling thus far. I think I'm about 80 percent done with it and it's been really fun.
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Comment on Trump indicted in hush-money probe in ~news
bkimmel Link ParentI think it's also important to demonstrate that just because the law doesn't operate at the same speed social media does, it still gets you in the end.I think it's also important to demonstrate that just because the law doesn't operate at the same speed social media does, it still gets you in the end.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bkimmel LinkChained Echoes on Switch Just finished this title: It's an absolutely amazing love letter to SNES-era RPGs like FF6 and Chrono Trigger that stands on its own as a deeply fulfilling experience....Chained Echoes on Switch
Just finished this title: It's an absolutely amazing love letter to SNES-era RPGs like FF6 and Chrono Trigger that stands on its own as a deeply fulfilling experience. "Just OK RPGs" in my experience tend to come in two flavors: Ones with good stories and characters that you hold your breath and grind through the battles/tactical parts, or the inverse where you just try to "quick mash" the buttons to skip the absolutely terrible writing. Chained Echoes pulls off the rare "double good" where both elements are good enough to stand in their own and reinforce a good experience for each other. The writing and story are fantastic - totally passed the "would you pay to see this as a movie" bar that 95 percent of RPGs would not. Only a few snafus in the localization appear and honestly they almost lend an air of "early 90s authenticity" to the game. The gameplay is also great, overall. Some of the equipment systems are overwrought but they don't detract much from what ends up feeling like a "perfectly tuned challenge" tactically. This was the last game I started in 2022 and it was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise: Pure joy from start to finish. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bkimmel LinkChained Echoes A true 'Pixel Opera' in the style of Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger with a little Game of Thrones where the plot is concerned. I'm having a lot of fun with this one - it's funny,...Chained Echoes
A true 'Pixel Opera' in the style of Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger with a little Game of Thrones where the plot is concerned. I'm having a lot of fun with this one - it's funny, engaging, challenging and well-balanced. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bkimmel LinkI've been waiting all week for this: Against the Storm This is the best game I've played in several years. If the notion of a "roguelite city-builder" is even somewhat palatable to you, this game...I've been waiting all week for this:
Against the Storm
This is the best game I've played in several years. If the notion of a "roguelite city-builder" is even somewhat palatable to you, this game is a revelation. The premise - greatly simplified - begins with something you'd see in a city builder: there is a "reputation bar" that wins the scenario that increases when you fulfill certain conditions like keeping your citizens happy and well-fed. Working against that is a "timing pressure" element in the form of a far-off Monarch's "impatience" and if that bar fills up first, you lose. And you have all the basic resources you'd probably expect to see in a game of that type: clay for making pottery, leather to make cloth, metal to mine and smelt into bars... To then be crafted into tools. But here's where it gets super clever: you won't get to use them all. In place of a "tech tree" you get mechanics similar to what you'd see in a roguelite like Hades or FTL: but instead of weapons you choose blueprints for what buildings you get to build. If you end up trying to produce ale, for example, you'll need to look at the "recipe" (which is another delightful system where a lot of the fun options present themselves) and try to pick the blueprints that produce the ingredients... And then hope you get a building that serves ale (and you hopefully have Beaver People and Humans in your city who both drink ale). But if you're doing all that you probably had to pass up buildings for other things you might want like a Clothier to make cloaks or a brickyard so you'll have to either figure out another way to get those things or do without.
Even for recipes you "have" in one building already, you might get tempted later to choose a building that makes that same thing more efficiently: you could keep baking bricks in your bakery for 10 clay each, but there's a kiln that makes them for 2 clay each. No two runs will have the same buildings, and even if they did the best choices for one map might be terrible on another.
Every choice manages to feel interesting without feeling forced. The balance and execution are incredible, which is all the more impressive because it's in "early release" but it feels incredibly polished.
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Comment on Why do people play MMO's solo? in ~games
bkimmel LinkI played a ton of WoW back in the day. As much or more than anyone... And I never went on a single guild raid. Not one, in all my years playing it. I just did 5-man pickup groups all the time and...I played a ton of WoW back in the day. As much or more than anyone... And I never went on a single guild raid. Not one, in all my years playing it. I just did 5-man pickup groups all the time and it was so much fun. I loved to just solo out in Hinterlands and get lost in the grind. The other stuff just didn't seem as fun.
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Comment on Did Real Time Strategy games die? Why? in ~games
bkimmel LinkThere's a lot of great indie entries in the space. They are Billions is great. So is Northgard and Dune (so far). They come from smaller studios, for sure so maybe not at the same AAA level but...There's a lot of great indie entries in the space. They are Billions is great. So is Northgard and Dune (so far). They come from smaller studios, for sure so maybe not at the same AAA level but they are on the level with those other earlier entries gameplay-wise if not quite there in production value.
Also, things have branched out a little bit with things like Factorio which mash more design/management in place of some of the squad tactics but have some common DNA all the same.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bkimmel LinkBeen working my way through Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on the Switch. It's really been a lot of fun so far. I don't love the combat system and it occasionally wanders into annoying jrpg/anime tropes,...Been working my way through Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on the Switch. It's really been a lot of fun so far. I don't love the combat system and it occasionally wanders into annoying jrpg/anime tropes, but these are small problems against the backdrop of an absolutely breathtaking world packed with engaging stories and characters in every corner. It almost feels too big and the main story becomes something you consider a small distraction like in Breath of the Wild. Overall, it's been really fun and it's expensive but it packs a metric ton of content.
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Comment on Why Nintendo doesn't make everything you want in ~games
bkimmel LinkI just saw something the other day that said we're in the longest "drought" between new Zelda games in the franchise history. BOTW was half a decade ago. Cynically, I think they want to tie BOTW...I just saw something the other day that said we're in the longest "drought" between new Zelda games in the franchise history. BOTW was half a decade ago. Cynically, I think they want to tie BOTW to a new hardware platform you have to buy and that got delayed by chip shortages, hence why we still don't have a new Zelda.
Other things - like why I can't play Chrono Trigger on Switch - genuinely confuse me and make me think Nintendo just hates my money.
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Comment on Jaguar cacao - Chocolate's little known cousin (Theobroma bicolor) | Weird Fruit Explorer in ~food
bkimmel LinkBeen a fan of this channel for a long time. Super interesting seeing all the things - even in just the category of "fruit" - that we don't eat. Almost everything we eat was selected by farmers 500...Been a fan of this channel for a long time. Super interesting seeing all the things - even in just the category of "fruit" - that we don't eat. Almost everything we eat was selected by farmers 500 years ago for how easy they would be to cultivate at scale. Sometimes they were just flat out wrong and passed up crops that would have been way more productive. In a lot of other cases, they passed up plants that just taste better and are healthier. WFE gives a nice view of things that might be missing.
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
bkimmel Link ParentYeah - honestly my opinion (in the age of Citizens United) is that I don't think it's really that big of an issue. You can see what anyone donated at any time to any candidate or PAC by reading...Yeah - honestly my opinion (in the age of Citizens United) is that I don't think it's really that big of an issue. You can see what anyone donated at any time to any candidate or PAC by reading FEC reports (or check opensecrets.com for an easily searchable version). So it's not even legally possible to make it so no one can see it.
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
bkimmel LinkHaving worked in it for a decade, I would point to the fact that this is an entire class of its own in law. So the good news is you don't have to think about it yourself that hard. I know "legal"...Having worked in it for a decade, I would point to the fact that this is an entire class of its own in law. So the good news is you don't have to think about it yourself that hard. I know "legal" is not the same as "ethical", but it's not a bad place to start and the FEC guidelines are mostly written to be read by normal people: https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/taking-receipts-ssf/who-can-and-cant-contribute-to-ssf/ .
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of August 1 in ~news
bkimmel Link ParentIt is so resoundingly stupid for the GOP to have popped the bubble of Roe the way they did. I am gobsmacked: I always knew it was possible, of course, but "snatching defeat from the jaws of...It is so resoundingly stupid for the GOP to have popped the bubble of Roe the way they did. I am gobsmacked: I always knew it was possible, of course, but "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" is just typically a thing only Dems do on this level. I think the House is back in play. The corporate/regulatory-capture end of the GOP is going to be so pissed about this. They don't give a flying fuck about abortion and they are going to lose a ton of leverage for the sake of it. Abortion was never more than a "means to an end" for them: "Don't mind us tearing apart the fabric of your communities for the sake of unadulterated greed... And we'll look the other way and fund your chip shots at Roe.
. As long as you don't actually destroy it" was the social contract that served as the axis around which the entire GOP revolved. When/if they fail to capture the Speaker's gavel in November there is going to be a Reckoning. This proves something very important about abortion as a single issue: there are messy realities on both sides and a broad range of beliefs that defies a simple pro-/anti- dichotomy. What it all means in the end is a massive electoral disadvantage for whatever side finds itself defending the status quo... Which is now the GOP. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bkimmel LinkTMNT: Shredder's Revenge Been years since I played a beat-em-up but this one is undeniably superbly balanced, clever and fun. It's made me think back to other 2.5d beat-em-ups I enjoyed in the...TMNT: Shredder's Revenge
Been years since I played a beat-em-up but this one is undeniably superbly balanced, clever and fun. It's made me think back to other 2.5d beat-em-ups I enjoyed in the days of arcades like D&D Tower of Doom/Mystara, Simpsons, etc. -
Comment on Disney+ said that Willow, its live-action original series based on the 1988 fantasy film directed by Ron Howard, will premiere on November 30 in ~movies
bkimmel Link ParentFor a long time, Willow was the only game in town for High Fantasy. I want to go back and watch it again now to see if it holds up, but it was tremendous fun when I was little.For a long time, Willow was the only game in town for High Fantasy. I want to go back and watch it again now to see if it holds up, but it was tremendous fun when I was little.
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Comment on Tips for moving to VA? in ~life
bkimmel Link ParentTraffic is not great, but I'll say it's gotten a lot better after the pandemic. DC area jobs broadly had simultaneously the least reason to be in the office and a lot of stuffy policies forcing...Traffic is not great, but I'll say it's gotten a lot better after the pandemic. DC area jobs broadly had simultaneously the least reason to be in the office and a lot of stuffy policies forcing people to be there. The WFH revolution had a much bigger impact on DC than most cities with a huge drop in people driving in. Traffic is still bad and if you can afford to live by one of the Metro stations in Herndon/Reston, I'd highly recommend that.
Potential areas of culture shock: you're moving into the most highly educated county in the nation. It's a lot harder to be the "smartest person in the room" here. If someone tells you they "work for the government" and doesn't seem keen to discuss it too much, don't push the issue. There are a lot of 3-letter agency employees/contractors in the area. If you see political/news people you know out and about, don't make a big deal about it; this is "Hollywood for Ugly People" as the saying goes.
Like the other commenter said, the Dog Days of summer are humid here. But I'd say a really nice thing is that Spring and Fall are both amazing and they "last longer" here. Which is nice because you are within 30/40 minutes of three very nice National Parks. If you enjoy biking, the W&OD trail is one of the nicest experiences you can have, lined with little brewpubs and bike shops along the way. Reston is literally a grid of beautiful paved trails through the woods connecting the lakes, Village Centers, and Golf Courses. It's been massively overdeveloped in places (and getting worse) but it's a quality of life you won't find almost anywhere else.
Other fun things;
Aslin brewery in Herndon Old Town (they usually have food trucks)
Jimmy's in Old Town
Lake Anne Village Center is like going to Europe... Esp. if you are a Brutalism/architecture buff.
Lots of "great experience" wineries/breweries within 30ish minutes (Vanish, Paradise Springs, Bull Run to name a few).
Meadowlark Gardens is amazing.
Wolf Trap is great - go see any show there at all, it's just fun to be in.
Occoquan/Clifton are both fun and have great hiking around.
Tons of really nice little concerts at Reston Town, Lake Anne, Herndon Fest, etc.And, of course, all the stuff in DC 20 minutes down the road.
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Comment on Why the GOP won't deliver on any of their promises (including Roe v. Wade) in ~humanities
bkimmel LinkYou heard it here first. https://tildes.net/~lgbt/vvo/the_massive_republican_push_to_ban_trans_athletes_explained#comment-6byl -
Comment on Leaked draft opinion show the Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights in ~news
bkimmel Link ParentAfter decades and decades of making noise over it, I can't believe they actually did it. This is the worst possible thing for the GOP. There was almost no way to make the midterms about anything...After decades and decades of making noise over it, I can't believe they actually did it. This is the worst possible thing for the GOP. There was almost no way to make the midterms about anything but inflation... Now it is 100 pct Roe and the status quo is 90 pct against their position. I even lean pro-life somewhat and I will absolutely vote against this as a single issue. This is absolutely the GOPs dumbest moment and a complete loss of either control or understanding of the political situation.
Both wrapped into one:
The Universe is fundamentally cold and unfair. We can choose not to be.