deimosthenes's recent activity
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Comment on Is it time for a user growth campaign? in ~tildes
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Comment on “Wherever you get your podcasts” is a radical statement in ~tech
deimosthenes Link ParentWhile it's not a debate I'm interested in hashing out in any great detail, I imagine they were referring to the broad public perception that many Apple products tend towards walled gardens. Good...While it's not a debate I'm interested in hashing out in any great detail, I imagine they were referring to the broad public perception that many Apple products tend towards walled gardens.
Good interoperability when you stay within their ecosystem, some glaring holes if you don't. Resistance to allowing any browser engine other than WebKit on iOS. All the drama about RCS and iMessage. That kind of thing.I think there's some truth to the perception, but it doesn't mean they don't also contribute to OSS or have admirable initiatives in other areas. A company that large is rarely monolithic.
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Comment on Long Term Refactors in ~comp
deimosthenes LinkI like the idea of keeping a list maintained of which long term refactors are ongoing. I've done most of the rest with reasonable success and had good buy-in from other developers at the time we...I like the idea of keeping a list maintained of which long term refactors are ongoing.
I've done most of the rest with reasonable success and had good buy-in from other developers at the time we originally discussed it, but it's all too easy for it to become hidden institutional knowledge over time because it was an orphaned wiki page among dozens of other irrelevant pages.
Then a new starter copies patterns from the wrong part of the codebase and you don't pick up on it until the PR and they have to redo it all, which is demoralising for everyone involved. -
Comment on Most bingeable book series? in ~books
deimosthenes Link ParentGonna have to have another stab at these. I made it a couple of books in and the world-building was super cool, but I was struggling to keep it all clear in my head.Gonna have to have another stab at these. I made it a couple of books in and the world-building was super cool, but I was struggling to keep it all clear in my head.
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Comment on Most bingeable book series? in ~books
deimosthenes LinkThere's some really great recommendations already listed, so I'm definitely going to need to check out some of the ones I don't recognise. One I'd like to throw into the mix is The Wandering Inn....There's some really great recommendations already listed, so I'm definitely going to need to check out some of the ones I don't recognise.
One I'd like to throw into the mix is The Wandering Inn.
It's a fantasy series which is notable for a huge cast of lovable characters, surprisingly in-depth world-building and just being really, really long. It's the right mix of silly slice of life, epic fantasy and poignant moments to make it really bingeable, so I see the word count as an advantage rather than an imposition.Like a few stories mentioned above it's a web novel, with some of the trappings of the progression fantasy and litRPG subgenres. Importantly though the purpose is to tell a good story, these gamey elements are in aid to the story and not the other way around.
Also the whole thing is available online for free, or there is ebooks / audiobooks for those that prefer to consume it that way.
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Comment on Just finished my first twitch stream in a while. It wasn't great, but for once, that's actually okay. in ~talk
deimosthenes LinkCongratulations for pushing through and having a good time! I definitely know what you mean about the pressure to be 'on', but I think there's something to be said for a more relaxed stream which...Congratulations for pushing through and having a good time! I definitely know what you mean about the pressure to be 'on', but I think there's something to be said for a more relaxed stream which is more hanging out with friends than needing to put on a performance.
What was the game, if you don't mind me asking?
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Comment on What was your highlight of 2023? in ~talk
deimosthenes Link ParentIt's completely turn-based combat, no fast reflexes required anywhere in the game. So more akin to Dragon Age than the Witcher games. It's a dungeons and dragons game, but with a ridiculous level...It's completely turn-based combat, no fast reflexes required anywhere in the game. So more akin to Dragon Age than the Witcher games.
It's a dungeons and dragons game, but with a ridiculous level of care and polish to try to nail what draws people into the idea of tabletop RPGs.
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Comment on Gurren Lagann movies 'Childhood's End' and 'The Lights in the Skies Are Stars' dubs to premiere in theaters in January in ~anime
deimosthenes Link ParentThat's certainly correct on the animation, I haven't looked into the dub but I expect that's also true if they could get everyone they needed. One important piece of context is that this is a...That's certainly correct on the animation, I haven't looked into the dub but I expect that's also true if they could get everyone they needed.
One important piece of context is that this is a 2008/2009 movie compilation of a 2007 series. So it's not like there was any great need to redo the animation except where they wanted to make changes, mostly for runtime concerns in the first movie and extending the finale in the second.
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Comment on Gurren Lagann movies 'Childhood's End' and 'The Lights in the Skies Are Stars' dubs to premiere in theaters in January in ~anime
deimosthenes Link ParentThere's a few pacing issues in places and some stuff in the first half that gets rushed through so I'd still tend to consider the series the definitive version, but I think the second movie does...There's a few pacing issues in places and some stuff in the first half that gets rushed through so I'd still tend to consider the series the definitive version, but I think the second movie does improve upon the ending. Well worth a watch if you've seen the show and are feeling nostalgic for it.
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Comment on Thank you. You helped me to plan for the best possible goodbye for my dog. It was today. in ~life.pets
deimosthenes LinkIt's incredibly tough and I'm sorry you had to go through it. You did what was best for him, and while nothing would make the grief go away immediately I think being able to say a proper goodbye...It's incredibly tough and I'm sorry you had to go through it.
You did what was best for him, and while nothing would make the grief go away immediately I think being able to say a proper goodbye helps a lot in the long run and will make it easier to focus on the good times than on the end. -
Comment on Novo Nordisk suggested to senior UK government officials that they could “profile” benefit claimants – those who are most likely to return to the labour market in ~health
deimosthenes Link ParentI can't speak for the UK, but in an Australian context I feel like 'jab' will be used fairly neutrally. For example various governments have used it in the name of legislation promoting innoculation.I can't speak for the UK, but in an Australian context I feel like 'jab' will be used fairly neutrally. For example various governments have used it in the name of legislation promoting innoculation.
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Comment on Australians reject indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum in ~news
deimosthenes LinkYeah it's a sad but predictable outcome. Constitutional amendments are (understandably) incredibly hard to get across the line, so once the Liberals and Nationals made it clear they'd rally...Yeah it's a sad but predictable outcome. Constitutional amendments are (understandably) incredibly hard to get across the line, so once the Liberals and Nationals made it clear they'd rally against it things were looking pretty dire.
There was a hell of a lot of misinformation floating around for what would have been a pretty tame and symbolic first step in actually listening to a marginalised and disenfranchised community about how best to support them.
As a relatively recently colonized country, a lot of our worst scars aren't all that far back. Genocide, breeding programs, some really dark stuff. Hell, it's barely been more than 50 years since we started counting indigenous Australians as people in the census or stopped state-sanctioned kidnapping of their children.
There was a hope we might have reached a point as a country where we could turn a corner and start a serious conversation about how to have a more respectful and open relationship going forward. Which is why the scare-mongering being so immediately successful is so saddening.
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Comment on UK PM Rishi Sunak applauded for being openly transphobic in speech in ~lgbt
deimosthenes Link ParentI'm taking it on faith that this is a good faith argument and not whataboutism. So let's say I'm perfectly happy to acknowledge that I'm more ideologically opposed to a far-right religious...I'm taking it on faith that this is a good faith argument and not whataboutism.
So let's say I'm perfectly happy to acknowledge that I'm more ideologically opposed to a far-right religious fundamentalist dictator in a distant country than I am to a local politician in my liberal democracy that said something nasty about trans people. Seems reasonable, I'm sure there's less overlap of beliefs.
What then? I don't have any influence in this other country, I can't effect any change. In the unlikely scenario that I could directly effect change then it's as an interloper without a sufficient understanding of the culture, the geopolitics involved or the ramifications of my actions. Historically that has frequently not gone well.So what outcome am I gunning for by focusing my attention on hating this far off group of people that I have maximal disagreement with? Is it making my life or the lives of others better in any way, or is it just a distraction? Would I not be better served by focusing attention on a less extreme issue within my sphere of influence? Perhaps something closer to home which I understand better and might be able to do something about in some small way.
The point being made is that defining an out group is a secondary byproduct.
It's about caring more about identifying a societal problem and possible solutions and in the process of which butting heads with those that disagree, not about defining them as the enemy up front. -
Comment on Modern controls are needlessly convoluted in ~games
deimosthenes Link ParentI'd say in the case of fighting games that there are plenty of cases where most/all buttons are attacks but that doesn't imply that all inputs are attacks. You often end up having to learn what...I'd say in the case of fighting games that there are plenty of cases where most/all buttons are attacks but that doesn't imply that all inputs are attacks. You often end up having to learn what action every different permutation of multiple buttons is linked to. Grabs, parries, supers, dashes, EX moves, blood heat, etc.
That's before you get into all of the unintuitive directional input for quarter circles, dragon punches, etc. which can be a stumbling block for new players.In the same way that standardisation of console controllers informs game design there, standardisation of arcade cabinets informs fighting game design, frequently overloading a simple control scheme with a game design largely too complex for it. It's always a bit of a relief for me that the console ports will map some of these additional functions to a button rather than force me to remember and execute on how BC differs from ACD in the middle of a fight.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
deimosthenes LinkAmong others, I've been sinking a few more runs into Noita. Finally won my first run today, feels like I'm starting to get an idea of how to abuse the wand mechanics. Which did lead to the...Among others, I've been sinking a few more runs into Noita. Finally won my first run today, feels like I'm starting to get an idea of how to abuse the wand mechanics.
Which did lead to the slightly odd experience of entering terrifying new areas with imposing miniboss-style fights who nevertheless disintegrate like tissue paper within a second.Lots more to explore, but I think for my own sanity a lot of that exploration will be guided by spoilers on the wiki rather than self-guided.
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Comment on Euthanizing my old friend. When is the right moment? in ~life.pets
deimosthenes Link ParentYeah, this is good advice. Had to put my dog down a few years ago and as heartwrenching as the experience was at least he got to be comfortable, in a place he knew surrounded by all his people....Yeah, this is good advice.
Had to put my dog down a few years ago and as heartwrenching as the experience was at least he got to be comfortable, in a place he knew surrounded by all his people. The vet did a great job of keeping things dignified and letting us say a proper goodbye.
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Comment on A new weapon in the war against robocalls in ~tech
deimosthenes Link ParentI'm in Australia and the quantity of robocalls, scam calls and phishing SMS messages here seems to have stepped up pretty drastically in the last 3 years or so. I guess I don't have a good...I'm in Australia and the quantity of robocalls, scam calls and phishing SMS messages here seems to have stepped up pretty drastically in the last 3 years or so.
I guess I don't have a good benchmark for how bad it is in the US to compare against though. -
Comment on Want employees to return to the office? Then give each one an office. in ~life
deimosthenes Link ParentI think it's often self-imposed, but has become self-imposed because of that one workplace with poor culture (or individual shitty manager at an otherwise alright workplace) that many of us will...I think it's often self-imposed, but has become self-imposed because of that one workplace with poor culture (or individual shitty manager at an otherwise alright workplace) that many of us will have passed through leaving some lasting paranoia.
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Comment on Do you think there will be a "Baldur's Gate Effect?" in ~games.tabletop
deimosthenes LinkI think if Baldur's Gate 3 does become the gateway to a bunch of new people trying out tabletop gaming in general and 5e in particular, they will of course bring some of their own expectations...I think if Baldur's Gate 3 does become the gateway to a bunch of new people trying out tabletop gaming in general and 5e in particular, they will of course bring some of their own expectations with them, much like if the initial exposure to the hobby was something like Critical Role.
In the case of BG3 if that initial expectation is that 'video game logic' will hold true or that the world will be intricately crafted and populated ahead of time, then these are false expectations that plenty of new players have grappled with anyway.
Plenty of people myself included have picked up the hobby subconsciously attempting to use a game like Skyrim or the Witcher as a rough template to what to expect, I don't know that Baldur's Gate will make that any worse.
On your latter point about niche content, I think it can also relate to plenty of users (myself included) being reluctant to comment if I don't feel like I have much insight to contribute.
If I've followed the link through and read an interesting but niche article and see that there are 0 comments then that can feel kind of intimidating and I'm likely to move on. If there's already at least a little bit of discussion (even just the op saying what they found interesting) then it can be easier to riff on that existing discussion.