hamstergeddon's recent activity
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Comment on CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express in ~games
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Comment on See the true relative geographical size of different countries in ~science
hamstergeddon LinkI appreciate that it allows me to select US states because I have a much better sense of the size of my state (having driven all over it) than I do the US as a whole. Kind of a shame it doesn't...I appreciate that it allows me to select US states because I have a much better sense of the size of my state (having driven all over it) than I do the US as a whole. Kind of a shame it doesn't appear to support non-US states/provinces/territories/etc. though.
Two standouts to me are how much bigger Crimea and the Nile Delta are than I thought. It's also interesting to me how much the Mercator projection impacts US states. Never really occurred to me how it might impact state sizes (Alaska aside, since it's way up there), just country sizes.
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Comment on Denmark's National Museum unveils gaming piece which is believed to be the first portrait of a Viking – figurine depicts man with imperial moustache, braided beard and a neatly-groomed hairstyle in ~humanities.history
hamstergeddon LinkKind of irked that the article doesn't include a close-up shot of the piece and the image present can't be easily expanded/zoomed into. For anyone curious, this article has several other photos of...Kind of irked that the article doesn't include a close-up shot of the piece and the image present can't be easily expanded/zoomed into. For anyone curious, this article has several other photos of the piece, that show the detail in it quite nicely.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentHa, sorry. I got really into Fallout with 4, which is unfortunate because I think almost all of my "issues" with 3/NV are because I got into the series so late and am spoiled by the modern systems...Ha, sorry. I got really into Fallout with 4, which is unfortunate because I think almost all of my "issues" with 3/NV are because I got into the series so late and am spoiled by the modern systems in place. I will say that this attempt to get through it is going a lot better because it's been quite a while since I played 4 or 76, so there isn't the abrupt change I felt last time when I went directly from 4 to NV.
I will also definitely need to check out a radio mod. To be clear, I greatly enjoy the songs on the radio, it's just that Johnny Guitar plays way too often. Which from what I've read is an actual "problem". Johnny Guitar and Big Iron (which may be one of my favorite songs ever) take up an extra slot in the rotation so they get extra airtime.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hamstergeddon LinkAfter catching the trailer for Season 2 of the Fallout series, I decided to do another playthrough of Fallout New Vegas, this time on my Steamdeck. It's kind of perfect as a portable game. It's...After catching the trailer for Season 2 of the Fallout series, I decided to do another playthrough of Fallout New Vegas, this time on my Steamdeck. It's kind of perfect as a portable game. It's something I can play for a 15-20 minutes, make a little bit of progress, then save wherever and come back to it later.
I've got some random thoughts on it though:
- I miss modern Fallout's crafting systems
- I miss modern Fallout's combat a lot
- I enjoy the punchier and tighter writing in NV. In particular while 4/76 have their dark moments, it's hard to imagine them tackling a troop of manosphere boyscouts roaming the desert crucifying an entire town. There are only a handful of moments in gaming where I've had to pause the game and process what I'm witnessing because it's so horrific. This is one of them (the baseball scene in Bioshock Infinite is another)
- The game is really empty between towns. Which makes sense given its a desert, but ugh. I enjoy that every square inch of 4/76 have something to discover. Be it a shack with a terminal, some visual storytelling, or even just goofy stuffed bears arranged in a questionable scene.
- I generally adore the radio stations in Fallout. I owe all of my fondness for 40s-60s music to the series. But I am beyond done hearing about Mr. Johnathan Guitar.
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: Voting topic in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentI was wondering about Zork. I figured because it was my second recommendation it maybe didn't make the cut (which would've been fine). May have to update my vote. Thanks for calling this out!I was wondering about Zork. I figured because it was my second recommendation it maybe didn't make the cut (which would've been fine). May have to update my vote. Thanks for calling this out!
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: Voting topic in ~games
hamstergeddon (edited )LinkStarTropics (5) Sid Meier’s Pirates (5) The Grue That Binds (5) The Secret of Monkey Island (2) Metroid Prime (2) Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 2 (1)StarTropics (5)
Sid Meier’s Pirates (5)
The Grue That Binds (5)
The Secret of Monkey Island (2)
Metroid Prime (2)
Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 2 (1) -
Comment on Tildes' Colossal Game Adventure: Inauguration and nominations in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentOkay, but all of the NES games mentioned elsewhere need to be played via the original Animal Crossing ;)I will only vote for Zork if we have to play it in Black Ops.
Okay, but all of the NES games mentioned elsewhere need to be played via the original Animal Crossing ;)
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Comment on Tildes' Colossal Game Adventure: Inauguration and nominations in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentIt might be kind of fun to take on a group challenge to play through a long-lasting franchise like Zelda one game at a time in release order. Not as part of this game club, but as like a...However you don't want a retro game event only playing Zelda games (though you could lol)
It might be kind of fun to take on a group challenge to play through a long-lasting franchise like Zelda one game at a time in release order. Not as part of this game club, but as like a standalone/spinoff idea later on.
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Comment on Tildes' Colossal Game Adventure: Inauguration and nominations in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentI'd be down for trying the original! I certainly wouldn't miss the stupid dance mini game from the '04 version! In general, I'm hoping to use this entire experience as an excuse to finish games I...However, I would very much prefer the original Commodore 64 version of Sid Meier's Pirates!.
I'd be down for trying the original! I certainly wouldn't miss the stupid dance mini game from the '04 version!
In general, I'm hoping to use this entire experience as an excuse to finish games I otherwise wouldn't have. The kinds of games where I'd play for half an hour, hit some wall (inconvenient controls, funky graphics, story doesn't immediately grab me, etc.) lack the motivation to stick to it, and then never play it again.
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Comment on Tildes' Colossal Game Adventure: Inauguration and nominations in ~games
hamstergeddon LinkLooking at the wiki list, I'm shocked that Oregon Trail is that old. I knew the one I grew up playing (for Windows 95, maybe?) wasn't the original, but I thought the '85 version for the Apple II...Looking at the wiki list, I'm shocked that Oregon Trail is that old. I knew the one I grew up playing (for Windows 95, maybe?) wasn't the original, but I thought the '85 version for the Apple II was. Crazy!
Anyway, my first nomination is Sid Meier's Pirates. Specifically the '04 version, since that's a bit more modern, but still arguably retro at 21 years old. It gets a little repetitive in the mid-to-late game, but it's still one of the most fun games I've ever played.
For my second nomination, Zork. I've always wanted to play it, but have never really taken the time to do so. Thinking CGA would be a good excuse to play it and experience it :)
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Comment on Victories and challenges: An A[u]DHD community and support fortnightly thread #6 in ~health.mental
hamstergeddon LinkI'm struggling right now with work. The team I'm a part of is transitioning to a new project and the last few weeks have been really weird. A lot of familiarizing myself with a new code base, a...I'm struggling right now with work. The team I'm a part of is transitioning to a new project and the last few weeks have been really weird. A lot of familiarizing myself with a new code base, a lot of writing tech scopes, a lot of meetings, etc. Very little code-writing and I'm struggling to stay focused during the day because there's no threat of a deadline and not writing code is incredibly dull work.
And this is old familiar behavior. I'll have a ton of "free" time like this where my tasks are vague, spaced out, and fairly self-paced and I literally cannot focus on them as a result. Then a week or two later I'm in the middle of the ACTUAL work and I'm left wishing I'd spent more time preparing during the "free" time.
It's such a dumb cycle that leaves me feeling like a lazy failure. Which is all very classic ADHD stuff, but still. It's frustrating.
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Comment on What's your current PC wallpaper? in ~tech
hamstergeddon LinkOn my gaming laptop it's whatever boring default wallpaper Windows comes with. But on my work laptop it's this photo I took a few weeks ago at a local park up in the mountains. I'm no...On my gaming laptop it's whatever boring default wallpaper Windows comes with. But on my work laptop it's this photo I took a few weeks ago at a local park up in the mountains. I'm no photographer, and that's not even the best vantage point in the area to get a view of the valley, but it's at my kids' favorite park so I'm there a lot :)
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Comment on What's a question you could ask to determine if someone is an expert in your line of work? in ~talk
hamstergeddon Link ParentI'm curious, has the locksmithing industry seen any upticks in people interested in the field from the past few years of lockpicking videos gaining popularity on YouTube/TikTok? Or even like a...I'm curious, has the locksmithing industry seen any upticks in people interested in the field from the past few years of lockpicking videos gaining popularity on YouTube/TikTok? Or even like a widespread distrust of certain brands? Lockpicking Lawyer in particular has completely destroyed my opinion of Masterlock's brand.
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Comment on Gamescom 2025 megathread in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentI mean multiple hours of a dutch accent talking enthusiastically about lore? I already sold myself on it!I mean multiple hours of a dutch accent talking enthusiastically about lore? I already sold myself on it!
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Comment on Gamescom 2025 megathread in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentUgh. I've fallen way off of retail WoW since Shadowlands and I hate that I don't know what's going on in the Lore anymore. I know there was a big war between the shadow and light alluded to in...Ugh. I've fallen way off of retail WoW since Shadowlands and I hate that I don't know what's going on in the Lore anymore. I know there was a big war between the shadow and light alluded to in Legion, and I was really looking forward to some exploration into whether the Light is genuinely benevolent, or just another force in the universe using people to meet its ends. But then BFA did nothing with it and Shadowlands was just meh...And they'd fumbled the dragons for so long that I didn't even care about a dragon-themed expansion, which is insane because I used to adore the dragon lore.
I may need to just hunker down with a few hours of Nobbel lore videos to catch up and dive into the current expansion and then eventually this one. I believe the current one touches on the void/light stuff a bit, doesn't it?
Plus poor little Lor'themar is finally getting some love and attention? Hell yeah.
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Comment on 7/11 closing down 444 locations in ~finance
hamstergeddon Link ParentSheetz and Wawa (and to a lesser extent Rutter's and Turkey Hill) seem to fill this niche surprisingly well in Pennsylvania. 7/11 has some stiff competition on the east coast if they want to go...Sheetz and Wawa (and to a lesser extent Rutter's and Turkey Hill) seem to fill this niche surprisingly well in Pennsylvania. 7/11 has some stiff competition on the east coast if they want to go that route. Maybe my view of 7/11's food offerings is outdated, but when I think of them it's mostly just slurpees and gross hotdogs spinning on rollers all day. Whereas with Sheetz/Wawa/Rutters/TH they have actual kitchens where the food's prepped right in front of you with a pretty diverse menu.
Given the choice, I don't know that I'd ever choose 7/11 over any of those other options, even if 7/11 were closer.
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Comment on What are your favorite and least favorite airports? in ~transport
hamstergeddon LinkI don't fly often, but I've done two trips that required flying over the last year or two, which I think is enough that I've already formed opinions on the airports :) I've flown out of a few...I don't fly often, but I've done two trips that required flying over the last year or two, which I think is enough that I've already formed opinions on the airports :) I've flown out of a few others in the past, but I don't hold any recent feelings on them.
IAD (Dulles International) is my favorite. Sample size of two departures, but I found security to be very quick/easy to get through. In fact the first time I flew out of it I was traveling with someone who had TSA precheck and we both got through security at roughly the same speed. I also appreciate how it shares some design cues with the DC Metro system (Brutalist). I do kind of hate their long term parking setup though. I got on the wrong bus (my fault) and trying to figure out where I was and if I could walk to the right lot was a pain in the ass. Also if you ever get the chance to ride the people movers, take it. It's a neat little novelty.
DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) is my least favorite. Mostly just because of how rundown it felt compared to IAD and SFO. This was just terminal C, but it felt like an abandoned mall full of people. Just that level of slightly falling apart..I didn't like it. I did, however, like how each terminal has its own security check-in and then from there you can get wherever you need to. My employer is in Fort Worth, so there's probably no escaping future trips via DFW in the near future. That whole departing flight was troubled so maybe I'm not being fair to DFW.
SFO (San Fransisco) I'm pretty neutral on. Most of my issues were because the group of people I was supposed to meet up with weren't very good at communicating which floor we needed to meet up on, so there was a lot of panicked rushing around. It was kind of fun landing/departing an airport I've encountered in GTA: San Andreas though!
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Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
hamstergeddon LinkA blue, 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra. It was the family hand-me-down car. My grandparents bought it new, gifted it to my uncle, who gifted it to my aunt, who gifted it to me when I graduated...A blue, 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra. It was the family hand-me-down car. My grandparents bought it new, gifted it to my uncle, who gifted it to my aunt, who gifted it to me when I graduated high school a decade or so later.
Eventually I crashed and totaled it, but it was mostly just body damage so my dad was determined to get it fixed up. So we hit up junkyards and took all the parts to a mechanic friend of his and they cobbled it back together. It was a little sketchy...I definitely recall there being welding involved... But I was just happy to have it back. I called it my "patriotic frankencar" because the front end of the car was basically 3 different Cutlass Sierra's mashed together and the colors were red/white/blue.
I drove it for a few more years before something major and mechanical went wrong with it. I loved that freak of a car.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
hamstergeddon LinkWe took the kids to their school's open house event so they could meet their 1st grade teachers. They're twins and last year they were in the same class, but this year they were split up without...We took the kids to their school's open house event so they could meet their 1st grade teachers. They're twins and last year they were in the same class, but this year they were split up without anyone checking with us about if that's what we wanted (it wasn't). But we thought on it and talked to the kids and they were okay with the split-up, so we're running with it.
We also coincidentally moved things around the house a bit so they could each have their own rooms. So we're doing a lot of splitting them up I guess. I'm not nearly as torn up about that as I thought I'd be, but it is still kind of weird. They've been best friends and at each other's sides non-stop for the last 6 years and now it's changing. And change is always a little weird.
I grabbed the gold edition and got it running on my steamdeck last night without issue. It's not properly supported, so you're left using the touch screen or trackpads for mouse clicks. Which felt a little clumsy to me in the opening minutes of the game, so I'll probably switch to just playing at my desk on my laptop.