deimosthenes's recent activity
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Comment on Jet Lag: Snake across South Korea | Trailer in ~hobbies
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Comment on Share the contents of an old file you've got lying around in ~talk
deimosthenes Link ParentYou might not have the internet available all of the time if you were still on dial-up, and if you found something you liked there was no guarantee it'd still exist later. I think there was just...You might not have the internet available all of the time if you were still on dial-up, and if you found something you liked there was no guarantee it'd still exist later.
I think there was just more of a culture of saving things locally if you wanted to make sure you'd be able to find it again later.
Maybe it's to do with the difference of wanting to preserve/hoard things if you went out actively hunting for content, rather than having it served up to you by a largely transient algorithmic feed. -
Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
deimosthenes Link ParentYeah I'd watched the anime adaptation and it's really excellent, I just wish I didn't have to include a caveat anytime I would recommend it to friends. The tonal whiplash it cultivates is pretty...Yeah I'd watched the anime adaptation and it's really excellent, I just wish I didn't have to include a caveat anytime I would recommend it to friends. The tonal whiplash it cultivates is pretty fun overall and I like that it's willing to tackle some pretty tough subjects but I wouldn't fault someone for dropping it before it had a chance to get good.
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Comment on The Expanse: Osiris Reborn | Announcement in ~games
deimosthenes Link ParentI've been playing one of Owlcat's earlier games and it's good. It'll be interesting to see how they do tackling a new genre, as to my knowledge I think they've exclusively been making isometric...I've been playing one of Owlcat's earlier games and it's good. It'll be interesting to see how they do tackling a new genre, as to my knowledge I think they've exclusively been making isometric RPGs.
They've been doing very well in that niche, a more action-oriented game can be quite a different beast though. Overall I'm cautiously optimistic to see them try something a bit different, and hoping it means we still get some deep, crunchy RPG progression options in this action RPG. -
Comment on I miss D&D in ~games.tabletop
deimosthenes Link ParentAh yeah, I'm currently running a pre-built module as my first exposure to PF2e too. They do tend to lay out the specific skills which can be used for a challenge, but I agree it's on the GM to see...Ah yeah, I'm currently running a pre-built module as my first exposure to PF2e too. They do tend to lay out the specific skills which can be used for a challenge, but I agree it's on the GM to see that as starting suggestions and to be open to some level of lateral thinking from players.
Are they perhaps newish to GMing and feeling a bit nervous going off book and potentially losing control? I still find it pretty overwhelming sometimes.
Or maybe more of a case of them wanting to present the contents of the module impartially without putting too much of themselves into it?Could be worth a conversation about GMing styles and player expectations while not in the middle of the session, if you haven't had one already and think they'd be open to chatting about it. While a bit uncomfortable in the moment I've ultimately appreciated it when players have told me about things I was doing that reduced their enjoyment.
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Comment on I miss D&D in ~games.tabletop
deimosthenes Link ParentPathfinder does have a lot of rules and I can imagine someone going too strict. What I'd suggest (as someone else also quite new to it) is that when done well, the rules are there to give the GM...Pathfinder does have a lot of rules and I can imagine someone going too strict. What I'd suggest (as someone else also quite new to it) is that when done well, the rules are there to give the GM guidance and tools to easily adjudicate things within the structure of what's already defined.
There's intentionally no surprise round in Pathfinder so for your latter point you might well be playing it correctly already. It can be a bit too strong an approach in many other systems.
If you were having a stand-off or a conversation and reach for a knife or incantation, it's down to whoever's reflexes are faster as determined by rolling initiative. One important consideration is that turns aren't really sequential, you're all moving and reacting in the same 6 second window.
What I'd say is there are still situations where you can get the drop on someone but it requires more than declaring that you attack. Maybe your party has successfully approached under stealth and are all undetected to the enemies, so even if they have turns before yours they're unaware of the danger and don't do much with those turns.
In a social situation turned combat I'd potentially allow similar if someone wanted to use Deception or Thievery to hide their intent until the last split second and the enemy wasn't already too wary. Or if that felt too strong then maybe I'd give a circumstance penalty to initiative rolls for the enemies, to represent them taking a second to react to you. -
Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (May 2025) in ~health.mental
deimosthenes Link ParentIt's such a rough thing to work through, you have my sympathies. It's coming up on 10 years since I lost my dad and it still catches me out unexpectedly at times. Be generous to yourself and take...It's such a rough thing to work through, you have my sympathies.
It's coming up on 10 years since I lost my dad and it still catches me out unexpectedly at times. Be generous to yourself and take the time.
I do get what you mean about complicated relationships, it can be hard to unpack yourself and just as hard to talk ill to others about someone you're grieving. -
Comment on Convincing the new Digg not to use downvotes in ~tech
deimosthenes Link ParentHaha, no relationHaha, no relation
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Comment on Convincing the new Digg not to use downvotes in ~tech
deimosthenes Link ParentNot Canadian, but I've come across this one. Donair is the Canadian take on a doner kebab, adjusted to suit the local tastes. I think the main distinction is that the sauce they typically use has...Not Canadian, but I've come across this one.
Donair is the Canadian take on a doner kebab, adjusted to suit the local tastes.
I think the main distinction is that the sauce they typically use has condensed milk in it. -
Comment on Passing the torch - Discord is getting a new CEO in ~tech
deimosthenes Link ParentOn the response to moderation, I wonder if it's to do with most modern social media being viewed as a public town square, rather than somewhere private that someone actually owns, hosts, controls...On the response to moderation, I wonder if it's to do with most modern social media being viewed as a public town square, rather than somewhere private that someone actually owns, hosts, controls and moderates and which you've been invited to participate in.
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Comment on Waymo to operate on car-free Market Street in San Francisco in ~transport
deimosthenes Link ParentIt could also be an issue of the more difficult differentiation between a private car and a rideshare car since it's a more fluid concept.It could also be an issue of the more difficult differentiation between a private car and a rideshare car since it's a more fluid concept.
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Comment on A daily tea routine partially protects people from heavy metals, study finds in ~food
deimosthenes Link ParentIf you end up really into teas that want a lower temperature, a variable temperature kettle (or equivalent) is a really convenient thing. That said if you're just trying stuff out or don't want an...If you end up really into teas that want a lower temperature, a variable temperature kettle (or equivalent) is a really convenient thing.
That said if you're just trying stuff out or don't want an extra appliance, plenty of people will boil water then just add a splash of cold water to bring it down to about the right range. Especially if you can test it out with a thermometer a couple of times to get the hang of how much to add.
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Comment on 'Consider Phlebas' series set at Amazon from Charles Yu and Chloé Zhao in ~tv
deimosthenes Link ParentI don't know that I'd consider Consider Phlebas a particularly optimistic story in isolation, unlike many of the other Culture novels. Although it's been a long while since I've read it so I may...I don't know that I'd consider Consider Phlebas a particularly optimistic story in isolation, unlike many of the other Culture novels. Although it's been a long while since I've read it so I may be off base on the vibe.
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Comment on Moving to the other side of the Earth in ~life
deimosthenes Link ParentAir conditioning is pretty common in Australia given the climate. That said there's no guarantee, some cheaper or older places may not have it. House construction standards can vary a fair bit. I...Air conditioning is pretty common in Australia given the climate. That said there's no guarantee, some cheaper or older places may not have it.
House construction standards can vary a fair bit. I will say compared to areas like northern Europe we are abysmal at constructing for cold weather conditions. I've met a bunch of people who have emigrated from much colder climates who complain that our relatively mild winters are much more miserable because our houses aren't built to retain heat as effectively.
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Comment on Covid was supposed to kill cinema – but did lockdown and gen Z save cinephilia? in ~movies
deimosthenes Link ParentYeah I'm in the mentioned camp of people who were reintroduced to cinema as a result of COVID watch parties and sites like letterboxd. As someone who rarely put aside the uninterrupted blocks of...Yeah I'm in the mentioned camp of people who were reintroduced to cinema as a result of COVID watch parties and sites like letterboxd.
As someone who rarely put aside the uninterrupted blocks of time to watch a movie, it's been really fun to get exposed to a bunch of classic or cult cinema that wasn't remotely on my radar, at the hands of a few far more invested friends.
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Comment on Australian Parliament bans social media for under-16s with world-first law in ~tech
deimosthenes Link ParentIt sounds like it also prohibits the companies from requiring government-issued ID at sign-up so hopefully that bullet is dodged. This is all fairly poorly thought out, my best guess is we end up...It sounds like it also prohibits the companies from requiring government-issued ID at sign-up so hopefully that bullet is dodged.
This is all fairly poorly thought out, my best guess is we end up with something fairly toothless but the government campaigns on having tried to do something to protect the kids.
The only alternatives I can think of are bailing out of the country entirely or some sort of ripe for abuse detection of age based on an uploaded photo.
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Comment on Mozilla begs courts to allow Google search deal for Firefox to continue in ~tech
deimosthenes Link ParentThis is all off the top of my head so definitely take any details with a grain of salt, but Google has been funding the majority of Mozilla's budget (via the aforementioned default search provider...This is all off the top of my head so definitely take any details with a grain of salt, but Google has been funding the majority of Mozilla's budget (via the aforementioned default search provider deal) for many years.
Alongside the obvious immediate benefit of keeping people using google search, the existence of Firefox has acted as a defense for Google against Chrome (and other related browsers built on Chrome) having a monopoly on browsers.It's been a precarious position, I'm not looking forward to the likely scenarios of Mozilla scrambling for a new revenue stream and enshittifying Firefox in the process or dying a slow death. The latter taking us back closer to the bad old days of one browser engine being so overwhelmingly dominant it gets to use it's implementation as the defacto spec of how the web works.
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Comment on Battling infectious diseases in the 20th century: The impact of vaccines in ~health
deimosthenes Link ParentYeah the X axis on some of the charts was a bit suspicious too. I imagine it's just that they're at the mercy of what data is available and it's not like "vaccines help decrease infections" is a...Yeah the X axis on some of the charts was a bit suspicious too. I imagine it's just that they're at the mercy of what data is available and it's not like "vaccines help decrease infections" is a hard notion to sell. But I do wonder if there was a bit of cherry picking for charts that looked good rather than any sort of deeper analysis, in a few cases.
Something mildly irksome when you see a nice looking chart that seems to tell one story followed by a footnote that says the vaccine had been introduced many decades before the data started. What other factors painted the picture you're showing? Was it a push to make the vaccines more available? More effective vaccines? Better health outcomes overall? -
Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
deimosthenes Link ParentThere are worse problems than to be thoroughly enjoying all of your choices in media, I suppose! I've got find memories of how ridiculous the read or die OVA got, probably haven't seen it in like...There are worse problems than to be thoroughly enjoying all of your choices in media, I suppose!
I've got find memories of how ridiculous the read or die OVA got, probably haven't seen it in like 15 years so might be time for a rewatch.
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Comment on Steam Deck shipping to Australia this November in ~games
deimosthenes Link ParentThis is an especially bad delay, but on the other hand to my knowledge I don't think the Index ever released locally. We're just not an especially big market, so I think it's an easy one to ignore...This is an especially bad delay, but on the other hand to my knowledge I don't think the Index ever released locally.
We're just not an especially big market, so I think it's an easy one to ignore if you're a company that isn't that confident manufacturing hardware at high scale.
I will say it was much worse back in the days of only physical media, when it wasn't unusual to have to wait for the PAL release of games (with additional languages) and then to have them even further delayed. The existence of digital distribution forces them to a more reasonable schedule if they want to bother with selling any physical games at all.
Yeah, I'm in the same camp.
For every time there's a crazy game-changing coincidence that surely must have been scripted, there's a bunch of decisions and situations that go much as you'd expect and could easily be rigged to be more dramatic if they wanted to.
They're just building games that lend themselves to opportunities for clutch moments, capturing a metric ton of footage and relying on editing to focus in on the exciting stuff and gloss over the mundane.