kfwyre's recent activity

  1. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

  2. Comment on Steam Winter Sale 2024: Hidden gems in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    This is a great list! I’m probably going to pick up a few of these for myself. Thank you for sharing.

    This is a great list! I’m probably going to pick up a few of these for myself.

    Thank you for sharing.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    I haven't, but at 100% off you're speaking my language! To be honest, they do genuinely seem interesting but I think I've held off on them for three reasons: The labor cost of setting up non-Steam...

    I haven't, but at 100% off you're speaking my language!

    To be honest, they do genuinely seem interesting but I think I've held off on them for three reasons:

    1. The labor cost of setting up non-Steam games on my Steam Deck (pretty much negligible)

    2. The fact that they are romance-heavy (less negligible)

    3. Having to explain to my husband why I'm playing a furry visual novel (significantly less negligible! 😂) For what it's worth: he wouldn't have a problem with it and would find the whole situation funny.

  4. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    That is… a LOT of DLC! As far as I know, only the Origins game is getting delisted, so the other versions should be safe. I’m a sucker for “get it in your library before it’s gone in case you ever...

    That is… a LOT of DLC!

    As far as I know, only the Origins game is getting delisted, so the other versions should be safe.

    I’m a sucker for “get it in your library before it’s gone in case you ever do want to play it even though you probably never will” so I pay the FOMO tax for games like that pretty frequently.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link
    Here’s a link for what I call The 4H Club on IsThereAnyDeal. What is The 4H Club? These are the sales for games that are: Hugely Popular (3,000 or more Steam reviews) Heavily Discounted (75% off...

    Here’s a link for what I call The 4H Club on IsThereAnyDeal.

    What is The 4H Club? These are the sales for games that are:

    1. Hugely Popular (3,000 or more Steam reviews)
    2. Heavily Discounted (75% off or more)
    3. Highly-Rated (85% or higher rating on Steam)
    4. Historical Lows (at or matching its lowest price ever)
    19 votes

  6. Comment on Tildes Book Club 2024 retrospective in ~books

    kfwyre
    Link
    Big thanks for leading our book club, @boxer_dogs_dance! I know a little bit about running events here on Tildes, which means I know how much time it takes behind the scenes to make them happen....

    Big thanks for leading our book club, @boxer_dogs_dance!

    I know a little bit about running events here on Tildes, which means I know how much time it takes behind the scenes to make them happen. In particular, it’s clear you put a ton of thought into the conversation questions for each book. Thanks for all of your efforts!

    I didn’t participate in the book club as much as I would have liked to. I’m trying to cultivate a better personal reading habit, and I’m also in a monthly IRL book club as well, so at any given moment I’m juggling what to read and for whom: friends, Tildes, or myself?

    It’s a good problem to have: in particular because I’d gotten so out of my reading habit over time that having a near-constant pressure to read is actually quite helpful. If left to my own devices, well, I’d be on my Steam Deck all the time and not my ereader. Not because I like gaming more than reading, but because gaming is easier than reading — especially when I had a long day at work and I’m tired and yada yada yada.

    I can always find an excuse to turn my brain off. I like that book club encourages me to not do that.

    With regards to specific titles, I loved Roadside Picnic, Piranesi*, Project Hail Mary, and Kindred. I appreciated but didn’t personally love This Is How You Lose the Time War. I unfortunately didn’t read the others, but almost all of them interested me and will remain on my (far too large) TBR list.

    I do think one of our strengths has been surfacing books I find personally interesting/appealing. Our book club is very much in my lane, whereas my IRL one often has me reading well outside of my comfort zone. I like that I’m exposed to things I wouldn’t otherwise read from that one, and I like that this one tends to give me stuff that aligns more with my interests. It keeps the two clubs from feeling redundant.

    Overall, I’m really happy with how the book club has been going, and I’m excited for what we have coming up. Having the list ahead of time is also nice — I can put things on hold, and also set up price drop notifications just in case any of them go on sale between now and then.

    6 votes

  7. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    Are there any good Skyrim-likes out there? I've got a hankering to play Skyrim again, only I don't want to actually play Skyrim (nor Oblivion or Morrowind). The games don't have to follow the...

    Are there any good Skyrim-likes out there? I've got a hankering to play Skyrim again, only I don't want to actually play Skyrim (nor Oblivion or Morrowind). The games don't have to follow the formula exactly, but a big open-ended open-world RPG sounds nice.

    Any recommendations?

    Also, anyone have any recommendations for non-romance visual novels that play well on the Steam Deck? I’m trying to cultivate my reading habit.

    For consideration: I liked 999 and 428 Shibuya Scramble. I’ve tried a few others, but anything that leans heavily on romance bores me. Also, anything with fan-servicey art is a pass. Target audience here: middle-aged gay guy looking for an entertaining or interesting story (yes, I know that’s well outside the norm for this genre).

    I should also mention that I liked the concept of Danganronpa but didn’t like the gamey elements (if I’m in the mood for a VN, I’d rather just read than have to navigate a character around the world and whatnot).

    8 votes

  8. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link
    Talisman: Origins (85% off) is on its final sale. It's getting delisted tomorrow. Sol Survivor (50% off) is getting delisted at the end of the sale. It's a fun tower defense game. I haven't played...

    Talisman: Origins (85% off) is on its final sale. It's getting delisted tomorrow.

    Sol Survivor (50% off) is getting delisted at the end of the sale. It's a fun tower defense game. I haven't played it in a decade, so I have no idea how it holds up today, but I loved it back when I played it.

    Retrovirus (50% off) is also getting delisted at the end of the sale, but I haven't played this one.

    Rocksmith (70% off) has, surprisingly, been re-listed on Steam (though the DLCs aren't discounted and are the main focus of the game).

    Emerald City Confidential (80% off) is an old Wadjet Eye point-and-click adventure that has gone on sale for the first time in a decade.

    4 votes

  9. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link
    Just a heads' up: because of my holiday schedule this year, I actually won't be able to run my usual big giveaway comment for at least another week. I didn't want to delay the whole topic on...

    Just a heads' up: because of my holiday schedule this year, I actually won't be able to run my usual big giveaway comment for at least another week. I didn't want to delay the whole topic on account of me, however, so I'm still opening it up today.

    Please mark this as noise so that it doesn't get in the way of the giveaways!

    8 votes

  10. Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024

    ~games Text 237 words
    Important: This will be a noisy topic. If you do not wish to see it in your feed, please use the Ignore feature to hide it! Tip: If the large number of comments are cluttering up the topic and you...

    Important: This will be a noisy topic. If you do not wish to see it in your feed, please use the Ignore feature to hide it!

    Tip: If the large number of comments are cluttering up the topic and you just want to see the main giveaway posts, click Collapse Replies at the top of the comments.

    🎵 It's the most wonderful time of the year 🎵

    This is our annual holiday game giveaway topic. Spread some goodwill and holiday cheer with others!

    Before you participate, please make sure you read the rules below.

    Rules

    -Gifters

    Post your available games, the platform and method of delivery, rules for your giveaways (e.g. first-come first-serve, random draw, etc.), and any additional info or requirements. Feel free to get creative!

    -Giftees

    Request giveaways. Please make sure you follow the gifter's posted guidelines.

    -Guidelines

    Anyone can choose to be a gifter, giftee, or both! Giveaway rules are set by individual gifters, but there are handful of guidelines everyone should follow:

    1. No grey market keys! Only give away games from reputable sources. If you're not sure what this means, please ask.
    2. Requests for games should be done in this topic, but if the gift is a key, those should be delivered by PMs only. Please don't post keys publicly in this topic, even obfuscated ones.

    If you're new to these, check out previous giveaway threads to see how these usually go.

    9 votes

  11. Comment on Steam Winter Sale 2024: Hidden gems in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link
    Here are links to my previous hidden gem lists (1, 2, 3). Most if not all of those still count. Everything below I've either played since the last topic, or didn't have on my previous lists. I’m...

    Here are links to my previous hidden gem lists (1, 2, 3).

    Most if not all of those still count. Everything below I've either played since the last topic, or didn't have on my previous lists.

    I’m not saying all of these are amazing games by any means (though some are). Instead, each is at least noteworthy and, in my opinion, deserves more attention than it’s currently gotten.

    Shockingly Overlooked (≤20 reviews)

    Devastator

    • A Geometry Wars-inspired score attack shooter. Learn the different enemy patterns to survive.

    Buried Treasures (≤150 reviews)

    Andro Dunos II

    • A 2022 sequel to a 1992 side-scrolling shooter that feels exactly like something that would have been on the Sega Genesis.

    Beyond the Storm

    • A fan love-letter to Tyrian 2000. Rough around the edges, but worth it if you liked its inspiration.

    Eigengrau

    • A four-direction scrolling shooter with a bunch of novel ideas. Polished. Deserves way more attention.

    Flame Over

    • Top-down firefighting roguelike. Very difficult, but satisfying when you’re successful.

    Hot Lap League

    • "We have TrackMania at home." It's not nearly as good as TrackMania, but it scratches the same time-trial racing itch.

    Mr. Run and Jump

    • A precision platformer with a neat side-leap move. This one gets quite difficult, but the devs also include some optional but very generous and robust player assists (e.g. showing you a ghost of complex movement sequences in levels).

    Nebula

    • Vampire Survivors in space. Doesn’t do much to change up the formula, but it’s satisfying if you like the genre.

    Orc Survivor

    • Vampire Survivors but you’re an orc. Does a little to jazz up the formula, but is mostly familiar.

    Planet Cube: Edge

    • A mix of Mega Man and precision platformer. Gorgeous monochromatic pixel art. (Warning: achievements were bugged for me on Steam Deck — none of them triggered)

    Treasures of the Aegean

    • 2D time-loop exploration collectathon platformer with lots of running. Think of it as 2D Tomb Raider x Mirror’s Edge. Great hand-drawn artwork.

    Vostok Inc.

    • An incremental (and sort-of idle) space shooter. It's not great, and it's got some definite issues, but it's a solid audiobook/podcast game.

    Xanthiom Zero

    • A really solid retro old-school Metroid-like. Satisfying and doesn't overstay its welcome.

    Underrated Greats (≤500 reviews)

    FRACT OSC

    • A very odd abstract open-world exploration game focused on music. I played it a decade ago, and I still remember its amazing ending.

    Hourglass

    • An execution-heavy first-person puzzle game where you can record a clone of yourself to help you solve puzzles. I didn’t love it personally, but the game is good for people that like puzzles of that type.

    Islands of the Caliph

    • A deliberately old-school first-person grid-based dungeon crawler. Feels like something straight out of the 90s in a good way. Hint: take some notes with real pen and paper to make navigating the game’s locations easier.

    The Last Express

    • Honestly, I'd recommend the GOG version over this one (it's closer to the orignal, and the Steam release has some bugs). I also highly recommend playing it with a guide. The game has an open-ended "learn from your mistakes" loop that, combined with its dated presentation, will likely frustrate most modern players. If you can look past its age, however, you'll get to experience one of the greatest gaming narratives of all time. Seriously, play it with a guide.

    MARSUPILAMI - HOOBADVENTURE

    • (Yes, that's actually its name.) The collectibles and time-trial mode reminded me of Crash Bandicoot; the rolling dash reminded me of Sonic; and the overall level design and gameplay reminded me of Donkey Kong Country. This is a very competent 2D platformer hidden underneath what looks like a licensed kids' game.

    Nimbus

    • A gravity-based 2D racing/navigation game. Movement feels great -- smooth and satisfying.

    Puzzler World and Puzzler World 2

    • Big puzzle packs with a variety of different puzzle types and lots to complete. They're pretty simple and more aimed at kids than adults. 1 is better than 2.

    Resonance

    • A lot of games I play I don't really remember too much after they're done. I played this over 10 years ago and it's stuck with me. A modern sci-fi point-and-click adventure. Feels like it would probably be a good fit for people who don't love the genre.

    Runespell: Overture

    • RPG combat mixed with solitaire and poker. Novel idea. Quite difficult.

    Sagebrush

    • A first-person walking sim where you explore a cult compound. Compelling and unsettling.

    Sensorium

    • A first-person open-world mystery island puzzle game based around the five senses (yes, even taste and smell). It's not anywhere near The Witness, but that's also the closest game I can compare it to. Deserves a much bigger audience than it has.

    Star Drift Evolution

    • An absolutely splendid little racing game. Great low-poly aesthetic and satisfying handling. Doing time-trials against the person ahead of you in the leaderboards for each track is addictive. My favorite in this list, and one of the most criminally overlooked games on Steam, in my opinion.

    Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe

    • A little bit Tetris; a little bit match-3; a little bit Mega Man. You Jump around on the tops of blocks that continually fall down the screen, attempting to clear big blocks of the same color for big points.

    Title_Pending

    • A Stanley Parable-inspired meta game where you’re a playtester for a beta build of a game. Doesn’t reach nearly the same heights as Parable, but I still enjoyed it.

    Cult Classics (≤1000 reviews)

    Rumu

    • A top-down narrative adventure where you play as a robot vacuum investigating a central mystery.

    Gem Graduates (1000+ reviews)

    Accident

    • Ten different scenarios where you are the first person to drive up to the scene of a car crash. You must call emergency services, assess victims, and and administer necessary aid. The game felt like practice for my IRL first-aid training. It better in concept than execution and holds your hand way too much, but I've also never played anything like it. I would love a more polished and expanded sequel.

    Super Kiwi 64

    • A short and sweet (less than an hour) retro 3D platformer in the style of Banjo-Kazooie.
    14 votes

  12. Steam Winter Sale 2024: Hidden gems

    ~games Text 99 words
    Inspired by the recurring topic every Steam sale over at /r/GameDealsMeta: What are some lesser-known Steam games that you recommend? Are there any genres you’d like hidden gem recommendations...

    Inspired by the recurring topic every Steam sale over at /r/GameDealsMeta:

    • What are some lesser-known Steam games that you recommend?

    • Are there any genres you’d like hidden gem recommendations for?

    If you're interested in previous Hidden Gem topics, you can find them here.

    For popular recommendations and general purpose sale discussion, please use the main Steam Sale topic.

    Optional: Feel free to categorize your recommendations by number of reviews (as a proxy for popularity)

    Category Maximum Review Count
    Shockingly Overlooked 20
    Under the Radar 50
    Buried Treasure 150
    Underrated Great 500
    Cult Classic 1000
    Gem Graduate 1000+
    38 votes

  14. Steam Replay 2024: Discussion topic

    ~games Ask
    Your Steam Replay for 2024 is now out! If you're on the mobile app, hit Menu > New & Noteworthy > Steam Replay Share your link (if you want to) or summarize your results. Tell us all about your...

    Your Steam Replay for 2024 is now out!

    If you're on the mobile app, hit Menu > New & Noteworthy > Steam Replay

    Share your link (if you want to) or summarize your results. Tell us all about your most-played games, your year of gaming, and any other thoughts or highlights.

    16 votes

  15. Comment on "Open" platform to post lyrics in ~creative

    kfwyre
    Link
    WriteFreely might be what you’re looking for: open source and federated (via ActivityPub). If you don’t want to host it yourself, they have their flagship instance at write.as where you can post...

    WriteFreely might be what you’re looking for: open source and federated (via ActivityPub).

    If you don’t want to host it yourself, they have their flagship instance at write.as where you can post even without an account, or make a full blog of your own.

    3 votes

  16. What short standalone book is worth more than its page count?

    ~books Ask (recommendations)
    This will be the final topic in the series. (Sorry about the confusion!) This one is about short books that have more heft than you would think from their size alone. As before, there are no hard...

    This will be the final topic in the series. (Sorry about the confusion!)

    This one is about short books that have more heft than you would think from their size alone.

    As before, there are no hard requirements on what counts as “short.”

    24 votes

  17. Comment on School smartphone ban results in better sleep and improved mood in ~health.mental

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    I definitely did the same myself! I don't think they're the sole reason, but I do think phones are far more potent stay-up mechanisms than anything kids have ever had access to before.

    I definitely did the same myself! I don't think they're the sole reason, but I do think phones are far more potent stay-up mechanisms than anything kids have ever had access to before.

    1 vote

  18. Comment on Tildes Demographics Survey, year… uh, it’s 2024? in ~tildes

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    No no, I can use the callout directly! 😁 I have donated money to the app, but with how much I use it, I should definitely give more.

    No no, I can use the callout directly! 😁 I have donated money to the app, but with how much I use it, I should definitely give more.

    5 votes

  19. Comment on Tildes Demographics Survey, year… uh, it’s 2024? in ~tildes

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Data about app usage would be really compelling. I was a diehard “the site is fine in a mobile browser” user for years (and it genuinely is!), but I more often access it through Three Cheers these...

    Data about app usage would be really compelling. I was a diehard “the site is fine in a mobile browser” user for years (and it genuinely is!), but I more often access it through Three Cheers these days. I’m curious what the breakdown looks like for the wider Tildes population.

    Just for you, next year's survey will ask for your credit card numbers and home addresses. 💖

    Don’t forget any government ID numbers, Mothers’ maiden names, and the street(s) we grew up on.

    8 votes

  20. Comment on Study: essay graders rarely detect AI, give higher grades in ~tech

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    I’m not teaching at the college level, so for me, AI detection is generally pretty easy because a lot of the time it’s very obvious. I don’t use any automated detectors, which I think are pretty...
    • Exemplary

    I’m not teaching at the college level, so for me, AI detection is generally pretty easy because a lot of the time it’s very obvious. I don’t use any automated detectors, which I think are pretty much garbage.

    The main tells for me:

    • It’s written in a completely different voice from the student’s usual writing.
    • The font is different from the default, or suddenly changes mid-text.
    • It’s too perfect.
    • It uses vocabulary and sentence structure that far exceeds the student’s writing abilities.
    • It quotes from parts of the text that were not included in the assigned excerpts.
    • It outright hallucinates inaccurate information (usually the case when it’s applied to less well-known texts).
    • It suddenly appears as a single blob in the document’s revision history.
    • The student can’t answer questions about their writing.

    My students are at an age where they’re not very savvy about utilizing it, and the gap between their expected language skills and the level of language that AI pumps out is quite large. I can see how it gets much harder to detect as students get older and wiser to workarounds, alongside the language gap narrowing.

    That said, I have no doubt that some of my savvier students are using AI and “getting away with it.”

    Why?

    Writing will always have an analog loophole.

    Instead of copy/pasting an AI-generated text into an assignment, if you instead have it generate an essay in another tab or on another device, but then you proceed to write THAT essay yourself, then you have circumvented every single tell I mentioned above.

    This takes more work: you’re not so much copying the essay word for word as you are using it as a “first draft” that you’re reconfiguring into your own words to make it less obvious, but that’s still much easier than writing the essay from scratch. Nevertheless, if I check revision history, I’ll see writing over time. I’ll see words and sentence structures that the writer would be using. They’ll also have to read it closely enough in their rewrite that they’ll catch rogue quotes or hallucinations.

    If this is done, it’s pretty much indistinguishable from a standard academic essay, in big part because academic essay writing is so formulaic.

    Do I have students who are doing this? Almost certainly. Do I have any way of detecting it or countering it? Nope. So, when I say I’m catching students using AI, what I’m really doing is catching the obvious, low-effort instances.

    The open question for me is whether using the “analog loophole” is a circumvention or just a foundational skill for the future. Plenty of adults I know now use AI regularly to draft emails and whatnot, with them doing an edit/rewrite of the text to make it sound less like AI. This is exactly what some of my students are likely doing as well. Who am I to tell them they shouldn’t when that is now how so many adults do their jobs daily? The administrators at my school recently told us they use AI “multiple times a day, every single day.”

    Is this simply the new “way” of writing? Will generating your own text word by word be seen as too cumbersome for the future? We don’t have any problem with turning to calculators and spreadsheets for more than simple arithmetic (and, even then, many still do it for simple arithmetic). Will text generation be looked at similarly, where you know what you want to say but you rely on AI to actually say most of it for you in the first place?

    Is this a new, convenient “boxed cake mix” that makes baking writing from scratch seem unnecessarily difficult and old-fashioned in comparison?

    13 votes