granfdad's recent activity
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Comment on Games: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~games
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Comment on Affinity V3 is here with a new freemium model in ~design
granfdad Link ParentI think that’s part of the reason I’m worried. Going free is a tactic that means they’re going to have to make up that cash somewhere else (or some other time), rather than just providing a...their intentions read pure to me. They want to compete with Adobe.
I think that’s part of the reason I’m worried. Going free is a tactic that means they’re going to have to make up that cash somewhere else (or some other time), rather than just providing a product that is genuinely better than adobe and charging for major updates. I’ve seen too much enshittification of freemium software to be optimistic about this.
Plus, you can turn off telemetry, and it doesn't phone home on startup, I checked.
That’s pretty awesome, certainly a selling point for me compared to the adobe suite.
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Comment on Affinity V3 is here with a new freemium model in ~design
granfdad LinkFree software this advanced, owned by Canva, is too good to be true. This is step one in Affinity's enshittification.Here is how platforms die: first, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die.
Free software this advanced, owned by Canva, is too good to be true. This is step one in Affinity's enshittification.
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Affinity V3 is here with a new freemium model
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
granfdad Link ParentI cant tell if this is an uplifting statement or a very grim one… two things can be true at once, I suppose.I cant tell if this is an uplifting statement or a very grim one… two things can be true at once, I suppose.
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Comment on Supermarket rewards card- yes or no? in ~finance
granfdad Link ParentThat makes sense, and I suppose the last few years has shown that supermarkets don't really care about finding an excuse to raise prices...That makes sense, and I suppose the last few years has shown that supermarkets don't really care about finding an excuse to raise prices...
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Comment on Supermarket rewards card- yes or no? in ~finance
granfdad Link ParentI can't follow this logic... surely this is having the opposite effect of what you want, by indicating that they should increase pricing on vegan food, thus making non-vegan options more appealing?I can't follow this logic... surely this is having the opposite effect of what you want, by indicating that they should increase pricing on vegan food, thus making non-vegan options more appealing?
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
granfdad LinkWe are holding back New Years Eve from being the best holiday. It's a global, non-religious, and non-environmental - a purely human-devised celebration of time. Had a great year? Reminisce and...We are holding back New Years Eve from being the best holiday. It's a global, non-religious, and non-environmental - a purely human-devised celebration of time. Had a great year? Reminisce and raise a toast to the next one! Had a shitty year? Take the night to liberate yourself from the past, and raise a toast to the next one! All this crap about getting blackout drunk and new years resolutions just serve to make the day less enjoyable. Everyone should henceforth make NYE a night of hanging out with the people you want to have in your life next year, and going to watch some fireworks with the rest of your community!
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Comment on Death in D&D 5e, the various revival spells, and their impact on the game in ~games.tabletop
granfdad Link ParentWe were all getting pretty sick of 5e's idiosyncrasies after 5 years, so jumping ship was a great change of pace. It's the first time I've been equally as interested in the mechanics of a game...We were all getting pretty sick of 5e's idiosyncrasies after 5 years, so jumping ship was a great change of pace. It's the first time I've been equally as interested in the mechanics of a game compared to the storytelling, everything syncs up so well even at low levels.
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Comment on Death in D&D 5e, the various revival spells, and their impact on the game in ~games.tabletop
granfdad LinkIn my recently concluded 5 year campaign, I played a path of the zealot barbarian (kinda, a decent chunk was homebrew after my DM decided he hated 5e). At higher levels (12-13, we ended at 14) if...In my recently concluded 5 year campaign, I played a path of the zealot barbarian (kinda, a decent chunk was homebrew after my DM decided he hated 5e). At higher levels (12-13, we ended at 14) if I had a way to heal I could not die. I wove it into the character and it was a lot of fun, but the rest of my team was dropping like flies. Multiple downs per combat, death on occasion (though we always had some revivify on hand) and it never felt like we were breezing through combats. The main thing that gave the game stakes was the long-term: we could survive one bad combat, but not two. That made everything stressful, though I’m not really a fan of war-or-attrition gameplay.
I think, fundamentally, 5e’s health/death system sucks. I’m currently playing Draw Steel and it is so much better at
everythingmanaging health (or stamina) and death. You have your max stamina and your winded value (half your max stamina). If you drop below 0 stamina you are bleeding and lose 1d6 stamina every time you take an action, and if you drop to below negative winded, you die. There’s no unconsciousness so you always feel in control (and therefore responsible) for your survival, and you can go out in a blaze of glory if you want to. A much better interpretation, in my opinion. -
Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
granfdad Link ParentFrom outside the US, “y’all” is a distinctly American contraction and is thus abhorrent. I appreciate the attempt to steal “yous” as well, but the bogans will have a bone to pick with that one,...From outside the US, “y’all” is a distinctly American contraction and is thus abhorrent. I appreciate the attempt to steal “yous” as well, but the bogans will have a bone to pick with that one, especially since the evolution of “youses” and “yous guys”. My go-to for a large group is “party people”.
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Comment on GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentDo you use Lineage? I'm not super informed about alternative android ROMs (currently on iOS), but I was drawn to Graphene because of it seeming more plug-and-play than Lineage. I'm curious about...Do you use Lineage? I'm not super informed about alternative android ROMs (currently on iOS), but I was drawn to Graphene because of it seeming more plug-and-play than Lineage. I'm curious about other's experience with alternatives.
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Comment on GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentThat's very disappointing, though I don't think it's enough to stop me from making the switch at some point... very much a "least of all evils" situation.That's very disappointing, though I don't think it's enough to stop me from making the switch at some point... very much a "least of all evils" situation.
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Comment on GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentI'm looking at the 9a since it's got basically zero camera bump, but it's still ~$850 here. CMF phones are in the 400-500 range which is much more tempting, but it's got stock android, hence my...I'm looking at the 9a since it's got basically zero camera bump, but it's still ~$850 here. CMF phones are in the 400-500 range which is much more tempting, but it's got stock android, hence my crossed fingers. I think that the price will probably be closer to non-a Pixels considering the relatively small potential customer base of Graphene.
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Comment on GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentI watched a Louis Rossmann video about the guy, but I thought the Graphene team cut ties with him a while ago…?I watched a Louis Rossmann video about the guy, but I thought the Graphene team cut ties with him a while ago…?
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Comment on GrapheneOS is finally ready to break free from Pixels, and it may never look back in ~tech
granfdad LinkI’m excited and hope it’s affordable. My dream device would be a CMF phone with Graphene, Pixels are very expensive and don’t seem to be worth the price. EDIT: Damn!I’m excited and hope it’s affordable. My dream device would be a CMF phone with Graphene, Pixels are very expensive and don’t seem to be worth the price.
EDIT:
GrapheneOS also hinted that the mysterious partner’s devices will be “priced similarly to Pixels” and available globally
Damn!
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Comment on Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s – PM Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentI haven't thought about this before! It's an interesting idea, to get rid of the object rather than restrict its use. It would probably require heavy restriction/definition on what counts as a...I haven't thought about this before! It's an interesting idea, to get rid of the object rather than restrict its use. It would probably require heavy restriction/definition on what counts as a "smartphone", though.
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Comment on Updates to Xbox Game Pass: Introducing Essential, Premium, and Ultimate plans in ~games
granfdad LinkCompletely off-topic, but why does Tildes show the favicon of xbox.com to be the 360 logo, when the site itself uses the up-to-date flat version?Completely off-topic, but why does Tildes show the favicon of xbox.com to be the 360 logo, when the site itself uses the up-to-date flat version?
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Comment on Elon Musk plans to take on Wikipedia with 'Grokipedia' in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentI love Wikipedia, but whenever I get a popup to donate, it serves as a nice reminder for me to donate to the Internet Archive instead.- Exemplary
Wikipedia is how often they beg for donations like the site is about to shut down when the company generates insane amounts of revenue and the vast majority of their money goes to doing stuff other than running the site.
I love Wikipedia, but whenever I get a popup to donate, it serves as a nice reminder for me to donate to the Internet Archive instead.
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Comment on Updates to Xbox Game Pass: Introducing Essential, Premium, and Ultimate plans in ~games
granfdad Link Parentthis is the logic that makes me absolutely sure that microsoft has no interest in consoles anymore, their vested interest in PC gaming means they can never make xbox a truly compelling package...it massively devalues the console because there will be practically no console exclusives
this is the logic that makes me absolutely sure that microsoft has no interest in consoles anymore, their vested interest in PC gaming means they can never make xbox a truly compelling package like sony or nintendo can. i assume that they're looking to make xbox closer to "windows for gamers", which would work with their conflict-of-interest.
I've had a pretty bad gaming year, all things considered: only two true game "clears" over the whole year, Yakuza 0 and Shredders.
Yakuza 0 Review
4/5 = :)This was my first Yakuza experience, and I'm by no means a 100% player. The game is super easy to get into, even though there's some quirks that hurt the experience.
Narrative
This is a prequel to the first Yakuza game. Prequels aren't always the best way for a newbie to get into a story, but the writers seemed very intentional about making this accessible without knowing anything. You have to make a few assumptions about characters and how the world works, but that's mostly because the story trusts you to get the hang of it without explicit exposition, which is nice. You play as two separate characters, and while their stories do eventually line up, it takes a long time before you get that payoff... it works very well though. The tone of the main story is very intense, teetering on over-the-top without ever dipping too hard into it.
The main story is basically all serious, with the comedic elements being confined to the sub-stories. They're a lot of fun, but I never quite felt like I had time to slow down and really chew on some of the side content, it rarely made sense in the context of the main story. Luckily, there's a post-story free roam mode to explore, so this isn't that big of a deal. The side-stories are also the only place for player choice, the main story is on rails. This isn't a bad thing, the story is carefully crafted, but be warned that the characters will make dumb decisions and you will have to sit there and watch.
Overall, the plot is great; it's an emotional power struggle and political mystery told through two badass characters.
Yakuza 0 is unbelievably horny. Just about every sub-story I came across during the main story was sexual in some way, and a decent chunk of the minigames and NPC interactions have some level of horniness (if they're not outright softcore porn). This is mostly side content that you can ignore if you don't care, but it can get tiring. This is mostly a symptom of the fact that this is a beat 'em up gangster game set in the 80's, because the other problem with the story is that there's exactly one female character with any amount of depth. It makes sense since the game is a power fantasy, but it's disappointing that most of the women in the game are some combination of helpless, dumb, and eye-candy (typically all three at once). Also, If you're sensitive to themes of sexual assault, don't play this game because that card gets played a lot. Sure, it's always bad guys doing it, and you generally get the chance to pummel them, but still.
Gameplay
I played this game on easy, since it was labelled as being "for people new to the Yakuza series" and I'm not that interested in gameplay challenge in narrative games. I died a few times, but by the mid game you're so rich that healing items become trivial, and you can tank any fight with a full inventory of them. I was never bored, however, because the combat is super engaging. You've got 3 fighting styles per character for a total of 6 (there's secret fighting styles, apparently, but I did not use them). You're encouraged to switch them around depending on the situation, and they each have unique animations and battle music. Filling your 'heat' gauges and doing special moves is very fun every time, and you upgrade your character with cash you get from fighting (literally 'investing in yourself'), which is super cool. I'm sure that there's plenty of depth if you want to learn all the movesets and strategies, but I thoroughly enjoyed this game as a button-masher. There's quicktime events during combat, with a heavy emphasis on 'quick'. This isn't Heavy Rain, you should be ready to miss a lot of them. There's also has a ton of minigames (bowling, claw machines, disco, karaoke, etc.), and they are all very, very detailed. I would absolutely pay for a Wii Sports style Yakuza minigame compilation.
There's a few mechanics that I didn't like, particularly a persistent overworld enemy that... encourages you to spend your money before you encounter him, but the gameplay is super solid overall.
Audiovisual
While not graphically impressive, Yakuza 0 looks great. The warm glow of 80s japan is fun to run around in, and cutscenes are nice to watch. The game has a bad case of NPC-face, though, which adds to the goofiness of the side missions. It runs well, my Steam Deck never broke a sweat on 1080p high, 60fps the whole time.
The soundscape is very immersive, all kinds of details that add to the bustling city vibe. Fighting is punchy too, impacts feel good and it's satisfying to hear the health bar shatter when you defeat an enemy.
The soundtrack is good, mostly serving as an emotional aid. There's certainly some bangers in there (the title theme especially), along with some nice mood-music, but not every game can have a god-tier soundtrack, and that's okay.
Final Thoughts
I'm definitely going to keep chipping away at side missions when I'm bored, and I have the subsequent games wishlisted. I'm excited to see where these two characters go. My recommendation is to watch the trailer for the game, then watch a few out-of context clips of your favourite streamer/youtuber playing it. If you like both sides of Yakuza 0's tonal coin, you'll get your money's worth.
Shredders Review
5/5 = :DI don't know anything about snowboarding, I have not seen snow in my adult life. With that said, everything about this game is almost perfect.
Gameplay
Gameplay is kinda the only thing that matters in a game like this, and it's extremely satisfying. The easiest way to describe it is this: I have a lot of fun being bad at Shredders. Flicking your analogue sticks to pull off grabs and spins is satisfying every time, and my only gripe is a slightly degraded sense of "precision" in some cases, rails particularly have some trouble with detection. Or maybe that's just a skill issue...
There's a whole bunch of missions to conquer, and they're all pretty well designed, though they also lack precision with some of the mission triggers failing to clear. It can be frustrating on occasion, but it's mostly fine and a good way to learn the game.
Narrative
The Shredders campaign is awesome. It's completely silly and has zero stakes, voice acting and dialogue is bad across the board and I love it, it's very very charming (love you little scotty!). The only thing that would make it better is if there was more of it, and more back and forth between the characters.
Audiovisual
Shredders looks great, it's not photorealistic but it's more than good enough. Performance is pretty mid, which is a bummer but I can get a solid 40fps on my steam deck and 60+ on my PC. I wish there was a night-time mode.
The UI is where the art direction of the game shines, it's the perfect modern evolution of the pro-skater-esque edginess. Super clean, bright, contrasts great against white snow and blue skies.
The soundtrack to this game is "Nowhere, now here" by Jennifur. It's got a clean-ness that matches the visuals perfectly, but there's not much of it so it gets a liiiiittle repetitive.
Final Thoughts
If Shredders 2 is this game with more polish, more meat, and better performance I will be a happy happy camper. It's worth full price if you like these kinds of sports games, and it's worth sale price for just about everyone.
I'm also working on the Ace Attorney Trilogy on 3DS at the moment, having recently started Justice for All.
This year I've tried to cut out mindless entertainment from my life to varying degrees of success, but I'm still struggling with actually putting focus and effort into my non-creative downtime, which sucks because I feel like I'm missing out on all kinds of awesome games/films/shows etc. I picked up a PS3 recently hoping it could get me over my graphics/performance/optimization obsession which seems to take over my gaming time, so I'm hoping to work on that until the Steam Controller comes out, after which I'll switch back to gaming on my HTPC. That and a few games from the 3DS library are my goals going into 2026. If anyone has any tips for just shutting up and playing games I'd love to hear them.