h3x's recent activity
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Comment on You're not crazy. The bugs are disappearing. in ~enviro
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Comment on How do you design your campaigns? in ~games.tabletop
h3x LinkI’m currently running a game set in a capital city during a tournament called The Choosing. This is a week-long competition to decide on the next leader of the country. It’s a sort of playground...I’m currently running a game set in a capital city during a tournament called The Choosing. This is a week-long competition to decide on the next leader of the country. It’s a sort of playground sandbox affair with a bunch of NPCs plotting at their own things. The idea was to give my players enough hooks to choose their own adventure and to pick on the threads that are most meaningful. We’ve ended up with some really fantastic character moments, including my all time best moment as a GM; bypassing an entire boss fight with some absolutely excellent roleplay and emergent storytelling.
In terms of prep for this game, I loosely sketched out a setting and a world history (I even wrote a creation myth). Then I drew up a city map, and then came up with major 12 NPCs, 4 factions, and a handful of intrigues. I sketched out a vague “this is what happens if the players do nothing” schedule for each character and then just sort of pantsed the rest. It’s been really nice playing a sandbox where I’m guided by the players as to the session-to-session prep I need to do. Whole subplots have been ignored that I can save for another time.
The downsides are a rapidly waning sense of interest in the game. I think this is a combination of factors including the final boss of all TTRPGs, but also that I’ve had a new idea for a campaign that I want to explore. I’ll try a different approach for that, more along the lines of a hexcrawl.
My main struggle is knowing just how much to railroad. I don’t want to take up too much charge of the story’s direction, but equally if I know there events ahead that are important to the plot then I want to guide my players toward that.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
h3x LinkI'm just working my way through the Advent of Code (in Python). I'm having a great time doing it, and despite having done very minimal coding over the year, I'm finding it much more within my...I'm just working my way through the Advent of Code (in Python). I'm having a great time doing it, and despite having done very minimal coding over the year, I'm finding it much more within my grasp than previous years. So that's a good feeling :)
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Comment on Modern Christmas carol renditions that aren't mediocre CCM? in ~music
h3x LinkEnglish traditional folk artists could potentially be up your alley! Christian carols and folk music have a lot of overlap here, but they needn't be dreary. Kate Rusby is putting out a Christmas...- Exemplary
English traditional folk artists could potentially be up your alley! Christian carols and folk music have a lot of overlap here, but they needn't be dreary. Kate Rusby is putting out a Christmas album this year. I saw her live in concert a couple of years ago, and she's such a delight. These go really traditional though, so there are a bunch of songs in there that you may not have heard of. Sometimes the tunes are familiar, or the lyrics seem to overlap with existing carols. But she's got a lovely voice, and the arrangements (at least in a live setting) are delightful.
Glad Christmas Comes by Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden is in heavy rotation for me at the moment. This album veers a lot more traditional, and that might not be to your taste. Solo vocal performances in the folk milieu can be... interesting. There's definitely a few tracks I'm less keen on on this album, but I cannot stop listening to The Good Doctor; it's so good!
Jon Boden also did a project a few years back called "A Folk Song A Day" in which he recorded and put out 365 folk songs. Most, if not all of December in that collection are Christmassy. The delivery is once again quite traditional, but I enjoy it a lot! I can't find a working link, but you might have some joy finding it on a streaming service.
Bonus recommendation: O Holy Night by Ben Caplan. It's a fabulous rendition of a traditional carol, and I love it. It's dark and moody and gravelly. It's very fun, give it a try :)
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Comment on Over 120,000 home cameras hacked for 'sexploitation' footage in ~tech
h3x Link ParentYep. As ever, the S in IOT stands for security.Yep. As ever, the S in IOT stands for security.
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Comment on Advent of Code starts tomorrow/tonight! Are you participating? Do you have any specific plans for this year? in ~comp.advent_of_code
h3x LinkMy only goal is to try and actually finish the challenge for the first time. I'm a complete amateur when it comes to coding, and all of my Python scripting is scaffolded by heavy use of Stack...My only goal is to try and actually finish the challenge for the first time. I'm a complete amateur when it comes to coding, and all of my Python scripting is scaffolded by heavy use of Stack Overflow (I don't know enough to be able to look at whatever ChatGPT generates and assess if it is good or not). That said, I do enjoy the challenge, and the rush of excitement when I generate a correct answer is second to absolutely none! It being shorter this year will be good for my ability to actually complete the challenge, I think :D
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Comment on After my dad died, we found the love letters in ~lgbt
h3x LinkReading this makes me feel glad to live as part of a socially liberal culture and family, where I did not need to fear coming out in the same way that the author’s father did. Not being part of a...Reading this makes me feel glad to live as part of a socially liberal culture and family, where I did not need to fear coming out in the same way that the author’s father did. Not being part of a diaspora, I couldn’t possibly know, but I do wonder how living abroad might have increased the strength of conviction in “traditional values.”
What an achingly sad story. There are no winners here. Not Edward, not the author, certainly not the mother or father. I’m glad he got to spend at least a few years with his own xin fu, however snatched those moments of happiness must have felt. I wish he had had the courage to spare his family this trauma.
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Comment on Some people can't see mental images. The consequences are profound. in ~health.mental
h3x Link ParentYeah, it honestly sounds exhausting. My fiancée sometimes refers to me as having "a void brain" but I would find her constant stream of monologue and imagery utterly exhausting. One thing my brain...Yeah, it honestly sounds exhausting. My fiancée sometimes refers to me as having "a void brain" but I would find her constant stream of monologue and imagery utterly exhausting.
One thing my brain does constantly have is music. Melodies I've heard, ones I'm writing, whole songs, snippets of lyrics. Sometimes one at a time, and sometimes all at once. I've no doubt that sounds exhausting to some, but I love always having a little bit of my own mental soundtrack going on.
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Comment on Posts vs. comments. Where do you fall and why? in ~tech
h3x Link ParentI think it's more that I get to a point where the scope of my reply feels more relevant as a top-level comment to the OP, rather than a reply to a comment, if that makes sense? If there's OP a...I think it's more that I get to a point where the scope of my reply feels more relevant as a top-level comment to the OP, rather than a reply to a comment, if that makes sense? If there's OP
awith commentb, I often get to a stage where it feels like my reply starts to feel like it's more aboutathan aboutb, so I change where it goes to with any relevant edits.I guess I could post two comments, one in reply to
band one toa, but there's some part of my brain that doesn't like the idea of that. -
Comment on Posts vs. comments. Where do you fall and why? in ~tech
h3x Link ParentI tend to find that my comments are mostly top-level as well, though often they begin life as draft replies. Once they grow beyond a response to another user's comment, incorporating other...I tend to find that my comments are mostly top-level as well, though often they begin life as draft replies. Once they grow beyond a response to another user's comment, incorporating other thoughts about the OP or whatever else might happen to increase the scope of relevance, I tend to redraft it as a top-level comment and post that way.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
h3x LinkI am very slowly putting together a hard rock/heavy metal album exploring some of the feelings and experiences I've had in my transition so far. The intention is to write about 8 songs, of which 2...I am very slowly putting together a hard rock/heavy metal album exploring some of the feelings and experiences I've had in my transition so far. The intention is to write about 8 songs, of which 2 are very nearly almost finished, just polishing lyrics and instrumentation left to do. The remaining 6 are in varied states from "instrumentation pretty much written, and in need of lyrics" and "haven't even begun to conceptualise what this is going to sound like yet." I'm finding it hard to generate space for writing music at the moment. I swing wildly from my day job into parenting and housework, so I'm invariably knackered by the time it's 9pm and unable to find the energy to pick up a guitar, much less write. Despite those setbacks, and a nasty bit of writer's block, I'm enjoying the process of writing music just for my own amusement, and I'm looking forward to the recording process very much.
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Comment on The ten best board games we played at Spiel Essen 2025 in ~games.tabletop
h3x Link ParentCan I interest you in some fish (Finspan) or dragons (Wyrmspan) instead?Can I interest you in some fish (Finspan) or dragons (Wyrmspan) instead?
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Comment on V for Vendetta - 20th anniversary | Announcement trailer in ~movies
h3x Link ParentI've been watching this film for years, and I had no idea that it was by the Wachowskis!Adapted by the Wachowskis
I've been watching this film for years, and I had no idea that it was by the Wachowskis!
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Comment on Crossdressing Garbage in ~creative
h3x (edited )LinkFar be it from any person in the trans community to declare someone else's identity for them. But I agree with @TaylorSwiftsPickles: I think you owe it to yourself to do a bit of reading and...Far be it from any person in the trans community to declare someone else's identity for them. But I agree with @TaylorSwiftsPickles: I think you owe it to yourself to do a bit of reading and looking into what transness means for other people, and see how that might or might not be reflected in yourself. https://stainedglasswoman.substack.com might also be a worthwhile read, especially her earlier posts about realisations and comings out: Part One: A Webcomic.
There are as many trans identities as there are trans people, and that label covers everything from binary trans all the way to "gender is completely meaningless and I refuse to have one." It simply means "not cis." Take your time, and remember that whatever the outcome of your self-exploration, you will know yourself better. And that is unequivocally a good thing.
I will also say: thank you for making this. I wish I'd seen this in the period between 2008-2020 while I was desperately trying to figure my self out. The world needs this kind of expression, this kind of art, possibly now more than ever. It resonates with others, and it allows them to see their own experiences mirrored in some way. It's comforting to know we're not alone, and there is safety in realising that the struggles we have are not brand new in the world (although they are of course unique to us). Art can help to bring such clarity, both to the artist and to the people who experience it. I hope expressing yourself through this medium brought a measure of peace. Sending love <3
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
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Comment on The goon squad. Loneliness, porn’s next frontier, and the dream of endless masturbation. in ~life
h3x Link ParentBut in some ways, highly enjoyable. The author clearly had a good time writing this (although perhaps not in the researching).But in some ways, highly enjoyable. The author clearly had a good time writing this (although perhaps not in the researching).
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Comment on Looking for a beginner turntable and near field speaker in ~hobbies
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Comment on Looking for a beginner turntable and near field speaker in ~hobbies
h3x LinkI wrote out a long comment about the benefits of buying second hand gear, and then I reread your post and saw that you want specifically new equipment. My audio system is basically all pre-owned,...I wrote out a long comment about the benefits of buying second hand gear, and then I reread your post and saw that you want specifically new equipment. My audio system is basically all pre-owned, and all of it at least 30 years old, so I don't have a huge amount of recommendations for you within your stipulations. However, the Yorkshire-nationalist in me would implore you to get hold of Wharfedale speakers if they're available in your region. They sound and look excellent, and are handmade in the UK. A pair of Diamond 9.1s runs about £130, which converts to around €150.
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Comment on I've changed my username (again)! 0d_billie => h3x in ~talk
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Comment on I've changed my username (again)! 0d_billie => h3x in ~talk
h3x Link ParentCaveat: I’m not sure where in the world you are, and what follows is very UK-oriented. The only one that comes to mind is to make a list of everywhere you need to change your name. There are some...any tips for updating financial etc information smoothly with the new name?
Caveat: I’m not sure where in the world you are, and what follows is very UK-oriented.
The only one that comes to mind is to make a list of everywhere you need to change your name. There are some good lists online that can jog up some ideas. And then try to prioritise that list according to urgency.
Both times I’ve done it (and there’ll be a third next year when I get married) I went in the rough order of Work (who inform HMRC for me) > Primary bank account > Credit card > Car registration and driving licence > NHS and other doctors
It’s helpful to have a bunch of copies of your deed poll document so you can send out multiple of these at once, although increasingly places can just accept a scanned version.
Are you my neighbour? If so, apologies. We've been doing battle with the ants every summer for years, and they still get in.