erithaea's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
erithaea LinkI've been on a survival crafting binge in the past few months, so I finally have something to contribute too! I tried: V Rising. Fun game, I love the vampire aesthetic, and while this game's kind...I've been on a survival crafting binge in the past few months, so I finally have something to contribute too!
I tried:
V Rising. Fun game, I love the vampire aesthetic, and while this game's kind of strict grid-based base building can feel a little limiting, I thought it was the best implementation of a grid-based building system I've ever seen. The system they implemented for moving bases especially impressed me. That said, in the later game bosses were beginning to border on "unfun" for me. Maybe I'm just missing something, but plenty of boss attacks at that point in the game just feel borderline unavoidable to me, even if your entire build revolves around mobility and dodge cooldowns, so I took a break from the game for now. Maybe I'll come back to it at some point and finish off the last few bosses.
The Division 2: I always saw criticisms floating around the internet about the game being unfun because of "bullet spongey enemies" and I just absolutely don't understand that at all. Sure, some enemies are like Call of Duty juggernauts and take a few more bullets to kill, but that's by design – they're wearing heavy full body armour. Higher difficulties have higher enemy HP, but if that bothers you, just don't play at higher difficulties? I don't see the problem here. Very fun game, though after I completed the main story (which was entirely unimpressive, but the gameplay made up for it), I realized that I didn't look forward to the grind for all the good exotics, so I put the game down for now. Still got over 50h of great fun out of it though (especially once I discovered the "Determined Head Hunter" perk combination)!
Once Human: This one might be a bit more controversial. I was really intrigued by the whole "season" mechanic that the game uses, similar to PoE, so I was looking forward to try it out. I installed it, discovered that you can't rebind your interact key to E, and also can't rebind a bunch of other keys, and immediately uninstalled it. Maybe that's a petty reason to uninstall a game, but I really don't feel like changing up my whole gaming muscle memory just for one game.
Palia: Played this one for a handful of hours and, to be honest, I really fail to see the appeal. Maybe it's because I played so many other games in this genre lately, so I've had first-hand experience with how nice a well thought-out crafting and gathering system can feel, but both the crafting and the gathering in this game just feel so tedious. With gathering, you just hold left mouse at a gathering node for 15 seconds until it's done. As for crafting: like most survival crafting games, you first need to refine your materials before you can use them in most crafts. Refining anything, however, takes an exorbitant amount of time, much longer than any other game in this genre that I've played. You need to wait 30 real-time minutes to craft a simple table, for heaven's sakes. As far as I know, there are also no mounts or any other way to get around the massive map faster, so you end up spending a majority of the time sprinting back and forth between your base and the gathering nodes. There's a button to instantly return to your home, but it's on a 30-minute cooldown.
I will say that all the outfits in the shop look fantastic. That's the one thing I really liked about the game – whatever team is responsible for designing the clothes, they're absolutely on point. A lot of games could take a page from Palia in that regard. Unfortunately, all outfits except for the starting ones are cash shop only, with limited dyeing, so even if I continued to play the game, I couldn't see myself ever buying one of those outfits.
Dune: Awakening: Currently my main groove. The game is very buggy, but the devs are continuously improving it and it's coming along very nicely. This game definitely has the best new-player experience out of any survival crafting game I've played. The first 60-80 hours feature a near-perfect progression for this genre. The endgame does have quite a few problems, but again – they're working on it. I'm optimistic they'll find a way to fix the endgame and make it feel fun and rewarding for everyone in the future.
Abiotic Factor: I recently found this gem, and holy crap. I only have about 10 hours in the game so far, but I just cannot put it down. This game perfectly encapsulates why I prefer indie games over triple A games. The game is only 5 GBs in size, and yet it's more complex, more well thought-out, more atmospheric, more bug-free, and a dozen other adjectives, than most triple A games that have released in recent years. I cannot praise this game enough, and I'm sure I'll praise it even more when I'm done. If you've ever wanted to play Half Life, but not as an omnipotent security guard but as a hapless scientist in a survival crafting game, this game is it. Or if you just want to play a survival crafting game without the classic gathering node system (in this game you get materials through scavenging and foraging, not chopping down trees or picking at rocks).
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
erithaea Link ParentI don't know if you've already tried this, but you could try Mist Raven or the umbrella. Both fantastic defensive prosthetics. I like Mist Raven in particular, since it allows you to do lightning...I don't know if you've already tried this, but you could try Mist Raven or the umbrella. Both fantastic defensive prosthetics. I like Mist Raven in particular, since it allows you to do lightning reversals without taking damage.
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Comment on Silksong’s real final boss: The translator who broke his NDA and wrote like a dead poet in ~games
erithaea LinkAs a software developer, this incident highlights my biggest concerns with hiring external translators to localize the text in your application: if you don't personally speak the language, how can...As a software developer, this incident highlights my biggest concerns with hiring external translators to localize the text in your application: if you don't personally speak the language, how can you verify that the translation is actually good? Sure, you can run a few samples through Google Translate, but that will at best tell you if the translation approximately contains the content you wanted, not if the words, structure, etc. are what you were going for. I'd be interested to hear what others' experiences are with third-party localizations.
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Comment on Silksong’s real final boss: The translator who broke his NDA and wrote like a dead poet in ~games
erithaea Link ParentI haven't played Silksong, but as far as I could tell there are no spoilers in this article.I haven't played Silksong, but as far as I could tell there are no spoilers in this article.
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentYeah, I was going to say – it would be much harder for me to find a Billy Talent song that isn't still relevant than to name the ones that are (at least as far as the songs criticizing society go...Yeah, I was going to say – it would be much harder for me to find a Billy Talent song that isn't still relevant than to name the ones that are (at least as far as the songs criticizing society go – BT does have a few songs like For You or Afraid of Heights that don't do that, but I still love them too).
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentWriting a public introduction is definitely not a requirement to participate! It's completely okay to just wait for people to write their posts, then to send a DM to anyone whose post piques your...Writing a public introduction is definitely not a requirement to participate! It's completely okay to just wait for people to write their posts, then to send a DM to anyone whose post piques your interest. That way you'll keep your conversations completely private.
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentCompletely agree with this. I don't have kids (or any plans for any in the near future), but this is definitely also one of my fears. I'm guessing most of us grew up in a world where smartphones...Terrified of the influence silicon valley tech will have on my kids
Completely agree with this. I don't have kids (or any plans for any in the near future), but this is definitely also one of my fears. I'm guessing most of us grew up in a world where smartphones either didn't exist yet or were still considered luxury goods. I honestly don't know what kind of person I'd be if I'd been exposed to the full breadth of the internet at that kind of age... probably not a better one, especially with the state of the internet today.
And the worst part is, you can't even control or curtail your kids' phone/internet usage either, because then they'll either be ostracized by their peers, or their peers will be in full control of your children's exposure to the internet, which is really not something I would want.
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentA fellow game sales enjoyer, I see. I'm the same way. I never buy games at full price unless there's a substantial risk I'd end up getting passively spoiled about story or other content by...A fellow game sales enjoyer, I see. I'm the same way. I never buy games at full price unless there's a substantial risk I'd end up getting passively spoiled about story or other content by browsing the internet. I waited half a year for the Final Fantasy XVI PC version to go on sale before I bought it, despite being a big Final Fantasy fan.
What are the last games you purchased and what did you think of them? Any recommendations?
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentFYI, the "fixed" link now just leads right back to this topic :PFYI, the "fixed" link now just leads right back to this topic :P
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentMy favourite is Cure For The Enemy. Also incredibly and perpetually relevant...My favourite is Cure For The Enemy. Also incredibly and perpetually relevant...
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentNot Canadian! Not even close, actually – I'm EU. I can't speak to Billy Talent's popularity outside of Canada (I don't listen to radio music or anything like that), but I believe the way I...Not Canadian! Not even close, actually – I'm EU. I can't speak to Billy Talent's popularity outside of Canada (I don't listen to radio music or anything like that), but I believe the way I discovered them was waaay back, like 20 years ago or so, when FPS montages were still a common thing, Red Flag was one of the songs that was frequently used as the background music for some of those montages.
Agree completely! There are very few Billy Talent songs that I skip. Same for Machinae Supremacy and LP. Looks like we have pretty similar song taste!
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea Link ParentYeah, good call. I was on the fence about joining the MC server last time since I dislike the idea of the things I build vanishing after some time, when the server shuts down again, but I'll keep...Yeah, good call. I was on the fence about joining the MC server last time since I dislike the idea of the things I build vanishing after some time, when the server shuts down again, but I'll keep it in mind for the next round.
P.S.: Your thread link is giving me a 404.
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
erithaea LinkI'll make the start. I'm mainly looking for a discussion partner at the moment, not a playmate (though I could be down for that too). General interests Writing (SFF, though I haven't actually been...I'll make the start. I'm mainly looking for a discussion partner at the moment, not a playmate (though I could be down for that too).
General interests
- Writing (SFF, though I haven't actually been able to muster the motivation to write much this past year or so, but I still think about my worlds and characters all the time)
- Programming and UI/UX design (also my profession)
Games I regularly play right now
- Final Fantasy XIV (by far my most played game)
- Dune: Awakening (at endgame and just biding my time until the next content update really)
- The Division 2 (just started playing; enjoying it so far)
- Zenless Zone Zero (the only gacha I still play)
Musical interests
- Billy Talent
- Machinae Supremacy
- Video game scores (too many to list)
Other things about me
- I'm a very neat person and I love to track things, to an almost obsessive degree. For instance, I've written a timetracking app that I use every day to track every single little thing I do. (Okay, I don't track every time I go to the bathroom, so most things I do.) If someone got access to that file, they'd have a detailed account of my entire life for the past few years.
- I would consider myself an "outgoing introvert" which, let me tell you, is a tricky combination to pull off.
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Make new friends here!
Recently there has been a discussion thread about how many people (myself included) are recently finding it difficult to find meaningful, lasting friendships. Let's change that. I don't know if...
Recently there has been a discussion thread about how many people (myself included) are recently finding it difficult to find meaningful, lasting friendships. Let's change that. I don't know if we've ever had a thread like this, but if we did then it must have been a while ago (or my search juju failed me).
Normally, the "finding friends 101" involves finding a small community that revolves around one of your interests, then make friends within that community. Finding those kinds of small communities on the internet has become nigh-on impossible, at least for me. Discord is no substitute; most Discord servers revolving around a certain interest are massive in size, with text channels flying by faster than a popular streamer's Twitch chat.
So we're breaking the code. Instead of finding a specialized community for your interests, just type up a list of your interests, quirks, or whatever other things you'd like to lure new potential friends with as a response to this thread. Go into as much detail as you'd like. If anyone has mentioned an interest you share, send them a DM and start a conversation! (That goes for the lurkers too – if you are one, don't be shy; you play an essential part in making this thread work.)
Note: it may be helpful to add other details too, like your age (if you want friends in a similar age group) and what kind of friends you're looking for in your post. Some people may be looking for people to hang in voice chat and play games with; others may just look for people to discuss topics via Discord DM; and others still may not even necessarily be looking to take their new friendship outside of Tildes. All of these are completely valid.
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Comment on Is someone using Filen? in ~tech
erithaea LinkI've been using Filen for a few months now and am quite happy with it so far. I was using Tresorit before, but I uninstalled it when it permanently deleted some of the files from my disk instead...I've been using Filen for a few months now and am quite happy with it so far. I was using Tresorit before, but I uninstalled it when it permanently deleted some of the files from my disk instead of backing them up.
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Comment on What is the most insane, tedious, difficult, and/or noteworthy gaming achievement you have completed or given up on? in ~games
erithaea Link ParentFirst try-ing a boss feels great. I'm currently playing V Rising, which is basically all about beating difficult bosses to unlock more crafting recipes, so I'm currently experiencing this feeling...First try-ing a boss feels great. I'm currently playing V Rising, which is basically all about beating difficult bosses to unlock more crafting recipes, so I'm currently experiencing this feeling again too with some of the bosses.
And yes, of course there are some that feel absolutely impossible without enough gear. So as you've said, it evens out, haha.
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Comment on What is the most insane, tedious, difficult, and/or noteworthy gaming achievement you have completed or given up on? in ~games
erithaea (edited )LinkThis isn't actually a "real" programmed-in achievement, but I'm still quite proud of my Bloodborne BL4 (basically a no-leveling run, since the minimum level in that game is 4) all bosses (DLC...This isn't actually a "real" programmed-in achievement, but I'm still quite proud of my Bloodborne BL4 (basically a no-leveling run, since the minimum level in that game is 4) all bosses (DLC included) run. A very satisfying and rewarding run to complete. You have to master every boss's moveset since about midway through the game every boss attack begins to oneshot you at full health. I thought that would be the hardest thing I'd ever do in a game – until I set out to beat all ultimates in Final Fantasy XIV, that is, which took me several orders of magnitude longer (and actually rewards you with real achievements, so I guess that makes this a more "proper" answer to the question). And since they usually release two new ones every expansion, I'm not done yet, though right now all I can do is play the waiting game since the next ultimate got delayed.
On the flipside of the coin: I did the BL4 run because Bloodborne is my favourite FromSoft game. My second-favourite is Sekiro, so naturally I initially set out to do a no-leveling run for Sekiro as well (which is actually more of a "no upgrades" run since Sekiro doesn't have a real leveling system), but I quickly realized that this was more tedious than fun, since you have to play the game in an unintended way. In case you don't know, Sekiro is based entirely around deflections (essentially parrying). Enemies, including bosses, have ridiculous amounts of health, so instead of slowly chipping away at their health bar, you instead deflect their attacks, which eventually breaks their posture and allows you to one-shot them.
The problem is that, without any upgrades, even if you deflect every single attack, their posture bar recovers so fast you'll never be able to break their posture. The only way around this is to actually ignore deflections entirely and go for health damage after all, which makes most fights take half an hour or more. It's exacerbated by the fact that (without upgrades) your own posture bar is broken in a single attack midway through the game. If you thought dodging every attack in Bloodborne was hard, try having to deflect every single attack in Sekiro or you die instantly. Not particularly fun, so I gave up on that run.
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Comment on What's a game that you feel like you missed out on? in ~games
erithaea Link ParentYeah, Final Fantasy XIV is not a great game to pick up if your only goal is to reach endgame quickly. It is, at the end of the day, still a Final Fantasy game, and that means that the greatest...Yeah, Final Fantasy XIV is not a great game to pick up if your only goal is to reach endgame quickly. It is, at the end of the day, still a Final Fantasy game, and that means that the greatest focus is always on the story.
For what it's worth though, as someone who has been in endgame for several years now, it's really nothing to write home about. The raids are very fun, but beyond that there's really nothing to do in most patch cycles. I'd love to be able to go back and experience the story again for the first time.
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Comment on What have you been putting off/procrastinating about doing? in ~life
erithaea (edited )LinkI recently got a new graphics card, and after installing it it told me that it doesn't support running under CSM. This led me to the discovery that I'm running Windows on an MBR partition, not...I recently got a new graphics card, and after installing it it told me that it doesn't support running under CSM. This led me to the discovery that I'm running Windows on an MBR partition, not GPT, and am running my UEFI in BIOS emulation mode. I honestly have no idea why that would be the case since I completely formatted the drive when I initially installed Windows 11, and GPT was already the de-facto standard for many, many years at that point.
There's a Windows utility that can automatically convert an MBR partition to GPT, but I'm a bit apprehensive about data loss, so I've been holding off on it for now. I'm planning to backup the most important data once I have some time and then try to run the utility, but so far I haven't had any problems with the graphics card yet, so I've not felt particularly stressed about it just yet. My theory is that they didn't actually test whether the GPU runs fine under CSM or not and the "CSM is not supported" disclaimer is just a legal thing to waive liability in case it does unexpectedly cause any issues.
Update (Apr 18): Since I've been getting some weird graphical artifacts, I decided to stop procrastinating and instead ran the MBR2GPT.exe tool. It really wasn't as scary as expected. The conversion completed successfully and painlessly. Very fast, too. Didn't take more than 10 seconds.
You might want to ask @BeardyHat about that. Based on their post, they're much further in the game than I am. But to my knowledge, everything in the game is handcrafted and there are no procedurally generated elements, so in that sense I don't see big replayability potential here, at least not for me. However, because the game is so much fun and (I think at least) quite big in scope, I could definitely see myself playing the game for close to a hundred hours if not more.
There is class and trait selection at the start of the game, and
these are permanent and cannot be changed once you start your character(there's actually a way to respec, but you don't unlock access to it until later on), but your class only really gives you extra experience points when leveling certain skills. Traits are more interesting – there are positive and negative traits (choosing some negative traits allows you to pick more positive traits), and some of them have quite debilitating or powerful effects. Still, I don't think I would start a new playthrough just for the traits alone.Maybe there are mods that add new levels or change the gameplay to a sufficiently significant degree to warrant a new playthrough? I'm not really sure how moddable the game is and, in the interest of avoiding spoilers, haven't done any research in that regard yet.