Froswald's recent activity
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Comment on What's a game you're dying to play that doesn't exist? in ~games
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Comment on What are your gaming idiosyncracies? in ~games
Froswald Link ParentI'd say total thinking/writing time on the journal itself isn't too long; my longest that I mentioned in the previous post maybe was an additional 6ish hours to the total playtime. However, the...I'd say total thinking/writing time on the journal itself isn't too long; my longest that I mentioned in the previous post maybe was an additional 6ish hours to the total playtime. However, the playtime was around 110 hours which is far longer than usual for that game (I usually only take 70) since I was intentionally exploring and wandering more than usual. It's far easier and quicker than writing a short story from scratch though, since the bulk of the creative foundations are lain out by the game itself. It definitely helps to have both a character trait clear in mind that guides your writing style for their inner voice/entries as well as some justification for them writing the journal.
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Comment on What are your gaming idiosyncracies? in ~games
Froswald LinkIn RPGs (or really any game with a customizable character if the urge strikes me) I'll write an in-character journal for them. In the case of say, Mass Effect it's done in the form of post-mission...In RPGs (or really any game with a customizable character if the urge strikes me) I'll write an in-character journal for them. In the case of say, Mass Effect it's done in the form of post-mission reports, or a fantasy MMO it's just a physical written journal they keep on hand for downtime. It gives me a chance to do some easy writing (just responding to events of the recent play session) in a structured framework, and to explore character concepts and personalities for how they might react in certain situations. It's mostly fun, but the results are (with some rounds of editing) fun to read as a record of that playthrough. The only downside is that they can get long. I think my record is like 50k words/100+ document editor pages, just bit-by-bit written as I did a full playthrough of some RPG or another. Now, is it good? Almost certainly not, but it's made me much more observant and mindful of seeing background events in games, or even just observing the scenery.
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Comment on The user is visibly frustrated in ~tech
Froswald LinkI literally (day and regularly) dream about the opportunity to converse with a sentient AI, a created intelligence that is able to process the full scope of human intelligent interaction as we...I literally (day and regularly) dream about the opportunity to converse with a sentient AI, a created intelligence that is able to process the full scope of human intelligent interaction as we do--albeit aided by scalable machine infrastructure. I've written more than one short story playing with the concept, my favorite character moment in all of science fiction is speaking with Legion in Mass Effect 2, Ex Machina is my current darling for 'movies with sentient AI that handle it in a compelling way.' I might be in the 1% of people who really really really want it to happen.
No LLM will be it. Sentience is more than mimicry, the Turing Test is merely a benchmark, not a conclusive method of determination. Sentient AI isn't in the foreseeable future yet; this is just another (admittedly, large) step on the ladder towards that goal. I understand people wanting to believe, but I think the biggest reason I feel vaguely uneasy when dealing with public LLMs that have this faux-personable demeanor is because it's a sham. One day artificial intelligences will be able to think, feel, express and interact as a human would and for all intents and purposes be a person. But no matter how personable and supportive ChatGPT/Claude/Replika/what-have-you is, it's not at that stage of personhood yet and I sincerely hope companies will stop trying to fake it.
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Comment on The user is visibly frustrated in ~tech
Froswald Link ParentThe first time I saw the 'new' Windows BSOD that just said 'Something went wrong. :(' I felt a deep sense of quiet anger that has never fully abated. As I understand now it does show error codes...The first time I saw the 'new' Windows BSOD that just said 'Something went wrong. :(' I felt a deep sense of quiet anger that has never fully abated. As I understand now it does show error codes again, but I hate the infantilization of the end-user experience. Give me the product with the faceplate off, I'll accept any confusion or misunderstanding dammit
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Comment on Do you prefer to 100% games, or to move on to new experiences? in ~games
Froswald LinkIn general, I prefer to let my achievements serve as a record for what I naturally do in games. It's fun to look back at a game and see what I unlocked just passively playing; sometimes it's a...In general, I prefer to let my achievements serve as a record for what I naturally do in games. It's fun to look back at a game and see what I unlocked just passively playing; sometimes it's a rare achievement that I just lucked into. Or in the case of Devil May Cry, I obsessed over it so much I unlocked most of the achievements for pure love of the game. But the only game I've ever 100%'d(?) is Saints Row 4.
The sole reason for that was because the basic movement gameplay loop was fantastic, being able to wall-run at hyper speed, effectively fly across the map and seamlessly shift between these different move states while dipping down to cause havoc with your powers whenever you care. What drew me in was the Data Clusters (pick-ups you grab to unlock more powers, with a set amount scattered across the city.) It was a way to increase my power scale, and in the process of getting them/having fun flitting about Steelport/Stilwater(?) I also ended up nabbing a lot of other collectables without really trying.
By the time I actually got all the Data Clusters I needed, I was close enough to 100% that it didn't feel like such a big hassle to get the rest. The only other game that came close to me for that was Spiderman 2 for the GameCube, where I really enjoyed getting the little question mark orbs because they gave you points to buy moves with, and Bruce Campbell was a fun narrator (even if 'something different' still lives in my head to this day.)
On the flip side, games like Assassin's Creed 1, with collectables spread throughout areas that aren't as fun to navigate that are hard to track down? I never even thought about trying.
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Comment on Grief and guilt in ~life.pets
Froswald LinkIt might sound strange to say, but I am so grateful, happy even for my vet's euthanasia offerings. (Heavy subject matter below, please do skip if you don't feel up to reading it.) The reason stems...It might sound strange to say, but I am so grateful, happy even for my vet's euthanasia offerings. (Heavy subject matter below, please do skip if you don't feel up to reading it.)
The reason stems from a prior pet I had, named Harley. He was named because he looked like a Harlequin (black and white) but it gradually became a silly nickname for 'Harley Davidson.' He liked to play-bite, and was both very affectionate and a bit of a trickster at the same time. Lots of late-night struggles to get him inside over the years. We had our scares with Harley too, over his life--most prominently, the time he either got attacked by an animal or hit by a car. There were no wounds, but his hips were shattered. He couldn't walk, and I had actually seen him laying in a field as I had walked by earlier that afternoon. I felt so bad when the other person living with me had realized he was hurt and brought him inside, like I betrayed him somehow even though I honestly didn't realize.
His prognosis was grim, but we wanted to try and heal him. It was painstaking, long and difficult--especially for him. But Harley was walking again, eventually running and jumping like before; just a little more carefully now. He warmed up even more to me since my bedroom was where he recovered in; he knew it was a safe place.
Some years later, he comes in one night as he often did. After awhile, he started drooling heavily, then with the biggest eyes you could imagine he began running. Back and forth in the room, looking up at me then elsewhere. Clearly, he was panicked. I didn't know what to do in that moment beyond 'get him somewhere isolated' so I brought him in the bathroom while I opened up my phone and tried to figure out what he might have and what I could do. Then, he had his first seizure of that night.
What followed was me searching for any open clinics (at the time, none were open and nearby) while trying to rationalize that the symptoms weren't that serious, all while doing my best to comfort him. When he had his second seizure, and was looking so haggard afterwards, I had to confront what I didn't want to admit: he might not survive until we can get him treatment. Even if he did, what state would he be in?
Out where I live, it's not unheard of to euthanize your own pets or livestock. Not common at all, but it's a rural community and sometimes that's just the least-bad option for both animal and person. So I did. I won't mention what method I chose or the gruesome details, only that Harley's last moments were not peaceful like I had wanted them to be, whenever they had happened. I buried him outside immediately, sweating and aching as I dug a deep hole in a hot, humid summer night so I could at the very least put his body to rest, as if that mattered at that point.
This is all to say that, while before I had thought it merely a 'nice service' and 'helpful' that vets offer euthanasia, after that? After failing the cat I had at my side for over a decade, who I was responsible for all that time? The ability to give our pets a peaceful, happy final day, to be with them and hold them in their last moments as they drift off to sleep forever before the pain grows too intense, before they're left broken and feeble by their sickness is something I hold sacred now. I've handled several other pet euthanasias since (I'm often the one to take the pets and be with them for certain relatives who don't have the heart for being there) and it's so much better. I'll never forgive myself for Harley, but I can take solace in knowing that it won't happen again now that there's an emergency clinic open nearby.
So I guess what I'm saying is, you handled Willow how I wish I handled Harley. It sounds like Willow had a blast, and that's ultimately what matters. She didn't suffer, and was surrounded by her loved ones. Time does and will help, even with pain never felt before. But it's okay for it to hurt now; it's half of how we heal, with the other half being exactly what you're doing with Pinto. Helping others, especially pets is one hell of a way to quiet grief--in my personal experience, at least.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #5: Pineapple on pizza? (Results) in ~talk
Froswald Link ParentI'm both jealous and inspired; I'm only mediocre at Indian cooking basics, but I have to at least try to make a tandoori chicken pizza now. I doubt I'll be able to swing the naan-ish dough, but...I'm both jealous and inspired; I'm only mediocre at Indian cooking basics, but I have to at least try to make a tandoori chicken pizza now. I doubt I'll be able to swing the naan-ish dough, but that sounds excellent!
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Comment on A random sci-fi question for you in ~talk
Froswald LinkPresuming that technology is advanced enough to result in the concerns about Martian life beyond 'no air and it's all red and nothing' being negated, and that we're dumped on New Mongolia without...Presuming that technology is advanced enough to result in the concerns about Martian life beyond 'no air and it's all red and nothing' being negated, and that we're dumped on New Mongolia without any technology whatsoever, just our minds and birthday suits?
I'd probably go with New Mongolia. Context: I'm obese and have at best moderate survival skills. So realistically, my odds of survival are exceptionally low on New Mongolia. But I feel like I'd be able to make peace with that a lot more easily on New Mongolia versus the penal colony; I can handle suffering on an intellectual level if I'm not bound by any authority but 'natural law.'
Now if we can choose what part of New Mongolia we're thrown out to, I'd pick somewhere between temperate forest and southern tundra. I handle the cold a lot better than the heat, and being obese I have padding as well as an excess calorie supply. If I manage to not be easily chased down by wildlife or poison myself by eating the wrong kind of flora (as this is an alien planet that is simply Earth-like, normal rules for determining poison may not necessarily apply) then I think I can manage to subsist long enough to build myself into a healthier state of being and possibly eke out a Jeremiah Johnson lifestyle. I watched a lot of Primitive Technology's channel so while that does not at all translate ability, it does leave me with ideas I could trial-and-error my way into.
But essentially I'm choosing 7 years of horrid suffering and torment (for me) with a possible chance of dying, or a lifetime where my life is in my own hands and will very likely lead to me dying painfully. But, with an opportunity for making it, and being able to say I lived on two planets.
Шинэ Монголын анхны ба сүүлчийн эзэн хаанд урт наслах болтугай
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Comment on I made my own Reddit alternative in ~tech
Froswald LinkPositives: I'm really intrigued by your decentralized jury moderation idea. Did you see this system implemented similarly elsewhere, or think of it on your own? I'm not terribly sure it'd scale...Positives:
- I'm really intrigued by your decentralized jury moderation idea. Did you see this system implemented similarly elsewhere, or think of it on your own? I'm not terribly sure it'd scale well, but online moderation is very much an area where new ideas are welcome IMO.
- It's not a visual carbon copy of Reddit. I'm being literal here; 'inspired by' is fine but one thing that frustrates me about Discord alternatives is nearly all of them have the exact same UI down to the pixel, just maybe colored a slightly different shade of grey.
Negatives:
- The name itself is fine, but 'PP' as the logonym instantly takes my mind to the gutter. Though, that may be more an indictment of myself than anything.
- As a tech demo and hobby project I like it, but if the idea is to actually offer a real-world usable alternative to Reddit, it needs far more to offer users since it's working with a lot of sunk cost from people's Reddit reputations + the information already present on Reddit.
- The moment a lot of people hear 'vibecoded' they'll lock up and it'll be on your website presentation/pitch to win over their now much higher standards.
Overall it's an impressive example of what a competent mind can do with AI assistance and I want to emphasize the moderation idea; even if this Reddit clone doesn't go anywhere I definitely would love to see a real-world trial of some kind of social media/forum using a jury moderation method.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #5: Pineapple on pizza? (Results) in ~talk
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Comment on Tildes Survey #5: Pineapple on pizza? (Results) in ~talk
Froswald LinkMy all-time favorite pizza is a NY-style buffalo chicken pizza, followed closely by a classic NY-style cheese slice. But as I live very far from authentic NY pizza, my practical all-time favorite...My all-time favorite pizza is a NY-style buffalo chicken pizza, followed closely by a classic NY-style cheese slice. But as I live very far from authentic NY pizza, my practical all-time favorite is a thin-crust BBQ chicken and pineapple pizza with loads of onions, mushrooms and a smattering of black olives; light on cheese.
Thin-crust supreme (with mushrooms/olives) is also good too, but that's only if BBQ chicken isn't an option.
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Comment on I before she — on the shift in narrative perspective in romance novels in ~books
Froswald Link ParentYour last point is what I tell myself when I feel the curmudgeon roil up, especially about TikTok. Social media's benefit in general is a whole different topic, but as long as people want to do a...Your last point is what I tell myself when I feel the curmudgeon roil up, especially about TikTok. Social media's benefit in general is a whole different topic, but as long as people want to do a thing then you're right, some of them will be curious enough to branch out to other subtypes of the thing. I think the only two genuinely disheartening things are the aforementioned creative sacrifices for profit, and the lack of curiosity expressed by the readers mentioned in the article. I'm tempted to agree that curated feeds on social media have contributed to this last part; why be curious when the personalized information dispenser gives you what you want?
Still, as long as people are reading, I'll take it. Thoughtful and creative reading/writing may become niche, and relegated to the hermits at the end of Fahrenheit 451, but it won't ever be gone for good.
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Comment on I before she — on the shift in narrative perspective in romance novels in ~books
Froswald Link ParentThanks for the recommendation! I'll freely admit I've experimented little in first-person because of my preferences, but I love writers that get for lack of a better word 'experimental' with...Thanks for the recommendation! I'll freely admit I've experimented little in first-person because of my preferences, but I love writers that get for lack of a better word 'experimental' with structure and format, not just wordplay.
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Comment on I before she — on the shift in narrative perspective in romance novels in ~books
Froswald LinkI think the final conclusion of the article's where I fall on this: I'm more than a little uncomfortable with how 'safe' these popular books are. Not just in content but structure; it's escapism...I think the final conclusion of the article's where I fall on this: I'm more than a little uncomfortable with how 'safe' these popular books are. Not just in content but structure; it's escapism refined to a flawless sheen, no imperfections or unexpected edges. At the same time, it's long-form reading. Books, words, literacy. I'd be much more uncomfortable if people just weren't reading anything longer than 500 characters.
As someone who dabbles in fanfics, romance fics and worldbuilding (with the eventual goal of writing original stories in said world) I couldn't imagine writing primarily in first-person. It'd be too limiting for me for exactly what the author of this article wrote: you can't build juxtapositions as easily, and dramatic irony is significantly harder to build. Plus, I don't want my readers to be immersed in a specific character by default. I have protagonists in mind certainly, but I want them to not be railroaded, if that makes sense.
Altogether, I'm glad people are reading, even if I wince at how loudly money talks in this space. I felt so bad for Iwancio. Someone flatly saying 'I won't read this unless it's in first-person?' Then swapping to first-person just to keep making a living. I felt pain third-hand.
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Comment on German chain Aldi bets big on cheaper groceries as US shoppers feel squeezed in ~finance
Froswald LinkI finally decided to check out the Aldi that opened up in my area after being a regular Super 1 Foods shopper (mostly due to it opening so close to my house an NFL pro could bean the front door...I finally decided to check out the Aldi that opened up in my area after being a regular Super 1 Foods shopper (mostly due to it opening so close to my house an NFL pro could bean the front door from my front porch.) It was downright magical seeing meat and produce anywhere from 20% to over 50% cheaper, not accounting for sale prices. Other items were about the same price or maybe like, 20 cents cheaper--but I was smitten. Genuinely, I didn't think you could find decent quality and relatively cheap prices these days. Super 1 Foods still has the variety for those niche purchases, but Aldi sells shelf-stable gnocchi, prepackaged havarti, and the first frozen alfredo meal that I've had which actually tastes like the freshly made version. If all that wasn't enough to win me over, the cashiers get to actually sit in chairs. It actually looked like it would be fun to be one! I didn't even mind bagging my own groceries since it gave me a moment to recollect myself since sometimes I get a bit internally spazzed out in public.
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Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games
Froswald LinkDo you think about Overwatch at all these days? Occasionally. I enjoy(ed) the lore as well as the game itself back in the day, but when OW2 killed my interest in the gameplay (and the glacial pace...-
Do you think about Overwatch at all these days?
Occasionally. I enjoy(ed) the lore as well as the game itself back in the day, but when OW2 killed my interest in the gameplay (and the glacial pace at releasing lore to boot) I fell off hard. -
Did you drop it because of Blizzard, OW2’s launch, monetization, balance, something else?
OW2 launch. The fact they took OW1's version away was such a middle finger; OW2 may be very similar but that difference is the key for me. Plus, the sheer fact they actually took a game away, even if all we could do on it was vs bots or local multiplayer. -
From the outside, does it feel “fine now”, “permanently tainted”, “kind of irrelevant”, or just background noise?
Not permanently tainted; Classic mode was a big step in the right direction. If they just released OW: Classic as a standalone title (and you know, gave it to OW1 purchasers) I'd go back in a heartbeat.
I got embarrassingly into OW in my personal heydey of it, I dropped WoW and pretty much every other game for Overwatch. I even dropped TF2 once custom game modes came out. Plus, even though OW1 lootboxes were pretty easy to get for free I bought a huge amount of them over the years simply because I wasn't spending money on other games, so why not?
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Comment on What are some of your favorite stews/soups? in ~food
Froswald LinkThe overall favorite is gumbo, which for the unfamiliar is basically a thick soup (but not stew-thick) with a roux base, typically served with rice. This is my personal favorite recipe, but the...The overall favorite is gumbo, which for the unfamiliar is basically a thick soup (but not stew-thick) with a roux base, typically served with rice. This is my personal favorite recipe, but the ingredients save for the roux itself are very flexible. Okra's generally added for a thickener, but you can use cornstarch in place if you prefer.
I'm also a fan of a beef and cabbage tomato-based stew which I don't really use a recipe for, but the gist is:
- Beef (or pork if you can't justify beef prices) roast, cubed, 2.5 lb
- Half head of cabbage (or whole if you like a dense cabbage-y stew)
- Several carrots or a bag of frozen carrots
- Several onions and bell peppers or one bag of frozen ones each
- 3 cans of tomato paste. Substitute 1 can of diced tomatoes for 1 can of tomato paste (or a jar of red pasta sauce in a pinch)
- For liquid, 2 parts water and 1 part red wine. The cheap boxed red is great (Black Box brand). Add your stock powder (if you aren't adding liquid stock) as desired, or defaulting to 1 packet per cup of water added
- Brown meat, sautee vegetables then throw it all in and cook at medium heat for about an hour, hour and a half. It's hard to overcook as long as you watch and start taste testing after an hour.
I'm also a huge fan of a Jamaican style chicken stew, linked here. Not my own recipe at all, but it's quick and easy, slow cooker compatible and is primo comfort food. Plus, bone-in chicken thighs haven't been hit by the price bug just yet, in my area at least.
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Comment on Godzilla Minus Zero | Announcement in ~movies
Froswald LinkGodzilla Minus One won me over big time. I'm a huge fan of the antihero Godzilla films, particularly the earlier 'sumo guy in a suit' era. When I heard Minus One's Godzilla was back to the 1954...Godzilla Minus One won me over big time. I'm a huge fan of the antihero Godzilla films, particularly the earlier 'sumo guy in a suit' era. When I heard Minus One's Godzilla was back to the 1954 roots, I was mildly interested but decided to watch it on a lark with my relatives (one of whom is a big monster movie fan too.) It really was the full commitment to Minus One Godzilla's boundless hate--hate for humans, hate for human civilization, and the fact it wasn't mindless hate was an inspired shift. Even the human plot was compelling (and well acted too, not just leaning on the post-war framing to carry it.) Day-one theater purchase for sure.
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Comment on Halo: Campaign Evolved | The Silent Cartographer – Thirteen minute gameplay demo in ~games
Froswald Link ParentI'm really torn. On the one hand, the cinematic was mind-bogglingly gorgeous (and realistic to boot, at least in my eyes.) It even makes what Blur did in Halo 2 Remastered look dated, and I do...I'm really torn. On the one hand, the cinematic was mind-bogglingly gorgeous (and realistic to boot, at least in my eyes.) It even makes what Blur did in Halo 2 Remastered look dated, and I do like the visual details added in actual gameplay.
But, I'm in the same boat. MCC, flaws and all is a solid remaster of the first two games--and it enables 3 + Reach (and I think ODST too?) to be playable on the same platform. I feel like a remaster/remake now is too incremental to really be worth it. Graphics had advanced considerably since Halo 1/2 released, but MCC compared to this release? It's more impressive certainly, but on a refinement level. I don't know, I'd need like, Halo 1 VR (but properly playable without gimmick movement) or some new threshold of graphic shift to go out and buy a second remaster/remake. (Or to make a new hard sci-fi action game series, but at this point I'll take what I can get)
Devil May Cry LAEWM (Literally Any Entry With Multiplayer.) The cameo feature in DMC5 proved it was possible, Mission 13 confirmed it could be fun. Mods sort of make this possible, but I'd -kill- for that kind of gameplay and co-op modes.
Though I would settle for another genre: No Man's Sky but with a mix of human and alien NPCs and a less fantastical art-style. Starfield has the visuals I crave (and I think it's shaping up to be decent at this point) but No Man's Sky has the gameplay loop of roaming space to scavenge just enough to keep on truckin' that I once only dreamt about.