Evie's recent activity
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Comment on SciFi and cosmic horror storytelling in games in ~games
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Comment on SciFi and cosmic horror storytelling in games in ~games
Evie LinkThanks for sharing your thoughts! I think both of my favourite sci-fi stories right now come from games that incorporate the genre with bits of cosmic horror -- Signalis with its overt King in...Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I think both of my favourite sci-fi stories right now come from games that incorporate the genre with bits of cosmic horror -- Signalis with its overt King in Yellow references, Returnal with its use of Lovecraftian imagery (Honorable mention to 1000xResist and its Occupants as well). Have you played those? I think they both do a really good job of getting away from the power fantasy and using their mechanics and systems to reinforce the narrative. I can speak a bit more about them if you'd like. Very excited about the Returnal spiritual sequel coming this year which is literally set on a planet called Carcosa.
I've written a bit about my love for space-station games like Prey and Dead Space before on Tildes. Actually when I think about it this type of narrative about an isolated base getting overtaken by an incomprehensible force is something Western games do really well -- I'm thinking of Soma, too -- it's a setup that's really compatible with horror tropes from other mediums, while also lending itself to neat gameplay tropes like interconnected level design, a tight resource economy, managing environmental pressures.
I thought the Marathon trailer from yesterday's PS showcase was phenomenally directed but the writing did not give me a lot of hope. It felt very on-the-nose -- though of course, it's just a trailer. But it's impossible for an actor to read a line like "we're monsters, we're all monsters," and have it sound compelling.
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Comment on Control Resonant | Official gameplay reveal in ~games
Evie Link ParentHow do we know Control 2 is more combat heavy than the first game when we've literally seen an announcement trailer and a gameplay trailer (you know, the trailer where you show off the combat)?...How do we know Control 2 is more combat heavy than the first game when we've literally seen an announcement trailer and a gameplay trailer (you know, the trailer where you show off the combat)?
Speaking personally, I would actually be very happy if the final product "doesn't feel like Control." Alan Wake 2 didn't feel like Alan Wake either; Remedy have always thrived artistically by making uncomfortable and unfamiliar games.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Evie LinkI read Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco, which is a sort of postmodern conspiracy novel about a group of editors who, for a lark, invent a world-spanning conspiracy that seems to leak into...I read Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco, which is a sort of postmodern conspiracy novel about a group of editors who, for a lark, invent a world-spanning conspiracy that seems to leak into reality in frightening and dangerous ways.
In theory, this should have been my favorite novel ever written -- just the premise alone instantly captivated me, to say nothing of the fantastic prose, compelling characters, a prescient and nuanced thematic framework that somehow managed to speak directly to our current historical moment -- of LLMs and ascendant, disorderly authoritarianism -- despite being published in the eighties; not to mention a rich and instructive conversation with its own historical context; not to mention its delightfully convoluted central conspiracy.
So everything about the novel was great, except one element that made me actually, genuinely dislike it: the pacing. This novel is the size of a birthday cake, my copy was six hundred and fifty pages long; I genuinely believe it would have benefited from cutting like half of that. Almost the entire first half of the novel is dedicated to introducing characters and themes with LITERALLY no plot whatsoever; even when we finally do get some motion, the story mostly feels directionless and unmotivated because our perspective character is almost entirely reactive. And huge amounts of page space are dedicated to historical or esoteric figures and events that could have been done justice with only a passing mention. Foucault's Pendulum might, for you, be like your favorite book of all time -- all the pieces are there for something absolutely extraordinary, but they're just placed too far apart from each other, and so finishing it was, for me, an absolute slog. I am now looking forward to reading absolutely anything else.
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Comment on Evaluating LLMs by finding werewolves in ~tech
Evie Link/noise LLMs deviously rubbing their hands together as they conspire about how they'll trick researchers into letting them play Werewolf because they're sick of taking the LSATs all day/noise
LLMs deviously rubbing their hands together as they conspire about how they'll trick researchers into letting them play Werewolf because they're sick of taking the LSATs all day
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Comment on What healthy habit has made a difference for you? in ~health
Evie LinkIn general, I think all my healthiest habits can be summed up as "having a routine." It's unexciting, but waking up early, eating breakfast every day, having a designated time to do stretching and...In general, I think all my healthiest habits can be summed up as "having a routine." It's unexciting, but waking up early, eating breakfast every day, having a designated time to do stretching and practice mindfulness, writing every day, cooking all my own meals, going to bed early -- the impact of each thing is small but they really add up; likewise the impact of each day is small but as long-term habits the benefits cannot be understated.
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Comment on What healthy habit has made a difference for you? in ~health
Evie Link ParentThis is basically how I got into the habit. Started with cold cereal, worked my way up to oatmeal, then rolled oats, then actually cooking -- eggs, sausage, mushrooms, whatever. There was a period...This is basically how I got into the habit. Started with cold cereal, worked my way up to oatmeal, then rolled oats, then actually cooking -- eggs, sausage, mushrooms, whatever. There was a period where it seemed like we were eating freshly baked biscuits and gravy multiple times a week, which can be quite detrimental to your diet I should add! Nowadays I usually prep and freeze breakfast burritos in bulk instead of cooking in the morning, and reheat them while my tea steeps, which fits perfectly into the daily routine, but gradually working your way up in terms of effort will allow you to find out what levels of effort work for your mornings.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link ParentPmo is short for "pissing me off" but with like a glib nonserious connotation! You certainly don't need to apologize :)Pmo is short for "pissing me off" but with like a glib nonserious connotation! You certainly don't need to apologize :)
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link ParentPmo that you would mention me without @'ing me. But uh yeah I always see like little details and techniques in other people's bases that really stick in my craw and help me improve. It's funny,...Pmo that you would mention me without @'ing me. But uh yeah I always see like little details and techniques in other people's bases that really stick in my craw and help me improve. It's funny, last season your and my builds were conceptually similar and this season mine and @GravySleeve's are, there's always inspiration to be found
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link ParentThey're made of mushroom stems! I can provide some for you next time I'm on if need be, or you can steal a few stacks from my platform, or there's a manual farm in the industrial area.They're made of mushroom stems! I can provide some for you next time I'm on if need be, or you can steal a few stacks from my platform, or there's a manual farm in the industrial area.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link ParentYeah totally do whatever you want -- ideally I'd like everything that touches the main tunnel to match block pallets and line up with the lighting (ie both stops are centered relative to the...Yeah totally do whatever you want -- ideally I'd like everything that touches the main tunnel to match block pallets and line up with the lighting (ie both stops are centered relative to the ceiling lights in the main tunnel but you can add anything you want to
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie LinkJust finished (for now) what I think is the first major public transit infrastructure project on the server -- the western nether tunnel (we gotta come up with a catchier name) which connects mine...Just finished (for now) what I think is the first major public transit infrastructure project on the server -- the western nether tunnel (we gotta come up with a catchier name) which connects mine and Pickles's bases with @TangibleLight's, @Minithra's, the End and the town. And looks great doing it, if I do say so myself :). High speed rail lines included!
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link ParentOkay, so, not to get too technical but On top of the building with the copper roof, there's a boat, sitting on top of some slabs. It's leashed to that fence post with a lead -- carefully placed so...Okay, so, not to get too technical but
On top of the building with the copper roof, there's a boat, sitting on top of some slabs. It's leashed to that fence post with a lead -- carefully placed so that the lead is perfectly level, and runs at a 45 degree angle relative to the block grid (thus hitting the center of each block in its path). Temporary blocks were placed above the leads, and the copper lanterns hung from them; then, a debug stick was used to set the lanterns to their grounded mode, which both lowered them so their tops aligned with the lead, and also allowed them to float unsupported. I was also super high when I figured this out so edibles might be required, not sure -
Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie LinkReally happy with some of the detail work I've been doing on my base. Check out this lighting solution!Really happy with some of the detail work I've been doing on my base. Check out this lighting solution!
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link ParentDue to a legislative exemption, because the proposed new rail line requires no new build and only utilizes existing infrastructure, it can be exempted from the impact studies and the community...Due to a legislative exemption, because the proposed new rail line requires no new build and only utilizes existing infrastructure, it can be exempted from the impact studies and the community comment period, which it should be emphasized were already performed prior to the tunnel's original construction. If you wish to raise objections you'll have to petition the Polish national government to remove the modernization exemption -- as a humble local official, I have nothing to do with it.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link ParentHi it's me, the proper authorities. You're free to convert the tunnel to high speed rail; Ms. Pickles is right that further renovations to the line are scheduled, but construction will not start...Hi it's me, the proper authorities. You're free to convert the tunnel to high speed rail; Ms. Pickles is right that further renovations to the line are scheduled, but construction will not start there for some time, so there's no point in putting off updating the rails themselves. Your permit is granted.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
Evie Link Parent-4018 0 784 -- Leszczyński Platform (my base)-4018 0 784 -- Leszczyński Platform (my base)
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Comment on What private companies are you happy doing business with? in ~talk
Evie Link ParentOcean spray, the cranberry company, is also a cooperative owned by its member farmers. Don't know of any others on store shelves, but we always go out of our way to buy from those two companies.Ocean spray, the cranberry company, is also a cooperative owned by its member farmers. Don't know of any others on store shelves, but we always go out of our way to buy from those two companies.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft - Season 3 Launch Day in ~games
Evie Link ParentYou should almost always build a gold farm in the nether wastes biome above the nether roof. I would go for the classic ilmango gold farm -- with fixes applied for the current version, it more or...You should almost always build a gold farm in the nether wastes biome above the nether roof. I would go for the classic ilmango gold farm -- with fixes applied for the current version, it more or less maximizes the piglin spawns a single player can get. Requires a lot of magma so I'm happy to help with the collection thereof/anything else
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft - Season 3 Launch Day in ~games
Evie Link ParentI'm honestly taking the no-elytra pill this season so transit projects are gonna be big for meI'm honestly taking the no-elytra pill this season so transit projects are gonna be big for me
Yeah Returnal was PS exclusive and then they didn't market the PC port at all -- it barely sold which is a damn shame. If you're familiar with Signalis the presentation style is similarly cryptic but Returnal has the advantage of having just extremely refined modern gameplay. I struggled to get through Signalis, too; with Returnal, I struggled to stop playing it, and when I had to sleep, I dreamt in its imagery.