Micycle_the_Bichael's recent activity
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Comment on A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #8) in ~books
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Comment on A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #8) in ~books
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )Link ParentAdmittedly these aren’t all the most original of recommendations (edit: by most original, I mean to say that some of the authors are very famous and are often recommended independently of DCC,...Admittedly these aren’t all the most original of recommendations (edit: by most original, I mean to say that some of the authors are very famous and are often recommended independently of DCC, like Steven King), and which I would recommend heavily depends on what the individual likes about DCC and their general interests.
The initial thing that got me to read DCC was some of the dark humor, absurdism, and writing style made me very nostalgic for the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy series. It’s not 100% the same, but if the RPG-ness of the books isn’t the main appeal of DCC, I think there’s a lot of overlap for enjoyment. Similarly, i feel a lot of Terry Pratchett influence in Matt Dinniman’s writing in general, so the Discworld series would be worth looking into to see if it hooks. If the appeal is more the dark/horror moments and the weirdness/absurdity, I would recommend the Southern Reach Trilogy (now with 4 books. Hey, that’s the second series I’ve recommended here that is a trilogy if more than 3 books) or Borne, both by Jeff VanDerMeer. Admittedly, Southern Reach is my favorite series of all time so I am always looking for an excuse to suggest it. Keeping on the horror/weird train, i recommend Steven King’s Dark Tower series (though with some massive trigger warnings throughout). It has been a long while since I read it, and I haven’t kept up, but I also found some of the same appeal in DCC as I felt when I was reading the Tower of God webcomic. Though I fell off of that somewhere in Season 3, and it’s a lot of work to jump back into when I have forgotten so much of the lore and power systems. This was my first LitRPG so I sadly don’t have any recommendations within that genre if that is the main appeal. Though if you like anime and are okay with a lighter tone, Shangri-La Frontier is one of the most fun I have had watching an RPG anime possibly ever.
Unfortunately, two others I would love to feel okay about recommending are American Gods and the Sandman series (again, massive trigger warnings, specifically SA). Unfortunately, Neil Gaiman is a monster (and honestly with hindsight it feels like you can see his… let’s say issues with and crimes against women slipping through in sandman). So those would come with a massive caveat on how individuals feel about separating art from artist.
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Comment on A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #8) in ~books
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )Link ParentAgreed. I definitely feel conflicted sometimes. I am not the biggest reader, but I do read a decent amount (I will usually read between 6-12 books a year [not counting comics or manga], much...Agreed. I definitely feel conflicted sometimes. I am not the biggest reader, but I do read a decent amount (I will usually read between 6-12 books a year [not counting comics or manga], much dwarfed by spouse and my best friend who will read 3-4 books a month). The books are good but it seems like all the fans I run into are people who don’t really read any other books, while heralding DCC as a flawless masterpiece, this generations
LOTR (edit: to be clear, I know this isn’t all fans of the series, nor a fair representation of all fans, just who I have happened to meet who have read it). It just makes conversations about the book hard. I really don’t want to discourage people from reading, but they aren’t interested in hearing about books that do the same things they like about DCC. -
Comment on A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #8) in ~books
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )LinkI’m extremely close to finishing (1.5 hrs left in the audiobook), but there is one thing that’s really been bothering me with this book and the last. The pop culture references feel so gratuitous....I’m extremely close to finishing (1.5 hrs left in the audiobook), but there is one thing that’s really been bothering me with this book and the last. The pop culture references feel so gratuitous. I know they existed in the earlier books so I don’t fully know why it bothers me so much now. I think in the first few books both the readers and the characters were trying to get their footing in the setting, so using cultural references helped with the mental load of understanding what was going on. But by books 7 and 8, it feels way more out of place. It feels much more like Ready Player One “HEY, REMEMBER THING! WE’RE REFERENCING THAT THING YOU KNOW”. It still kinda irks me when it is Donut doing it, but I also understand that is part of her character so whatever. Sometime I’ll have to go back and reread the earlier books now that I have a better understanding of the world the series is in and see if they bother me in those books now too.
That said, I’m still overall enjoying the book and series. It’s hard for me to rank the books because I feel like each books has its high and low points, and they all are like 7.5-8/10, so the difference between my favorite and least favorite is pretty small.
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Comment on Almost a third of Gen Z men agree a wife should obey her husband in ~life.men
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )Link ParentI have re-read your comment. It does not read as someone who is saying the issue with the question is the use of the word "obey". Your literal words are "I would agree they should obey the husband...I have re-read your comment. It does not read as someone who is saying the issue with the question is the use of the word "obey". Your literal words are "I would agree they should obey the husband the same way the husband will obey the wife". That says your issue is not with the use of the word "obey", but that the question doesn't imply the relationship is mutual. It reads as if you would see a valid version of the question to be "Men and women should obey their spouse."
Sparks tried to engage you in a polite, good-faith conversation. That maybe you weren't familiar with the cultural implications of the word "obey". Tildes is a site full of non-native English speakers (edit: also autistic people, who also can struggle with the cultural implications of words), and many arguments here have been settled by realizing different people have different understandings of what words mean and getting everyone on the same page. Instead of engaging with them in a good-faith conversation, you got offended that they asked a genuine question. Rather than clarifying, you left a vague and hostile response that made it further seem like you didn't have an issue with the use of the word "obey" in the question. Given that at least six other users in this thread also came away with the conclusion that you didn't have an issue with the use of the word "obey", maybe your intentions weren't as clear as you thought they were. Instead of trying to see where Sparks and other people were coming from and engaging with them, you decided instead to double-down on being aggressive and hostile.
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Comment on Almost a third of Gen Z men agree a wife should obey her husband in ~life.men
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentNative speaker here: I’m actually struggling to come up with terms that have less nuance than “obey”. It is one of the most cut-and-dry terms I can think of. It carries an implied authority over...Native speaker here: I’m actually struggling to come up with terms that have less nuance than “obey”. It is one of the most cut-and-dry terms I can think of. It carries an implied authority over another person. I would argue “obey” is antithetical to a healthy, consensual relationship. If both parties are meant to always obey the other, what happens if they disagree? Divorce?
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Comment on Writers who don't read books: a response in ~books
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentBehind every great man is a grandmother who inspired them 😂Behind every great man is a grandmother who inspired them 😂
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Comment on Writers who don't read books: a response in ~books
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentSounds adjacent to great man theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_man_theorySounds adjacent to great man theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_man_theory
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Comment on Something that always bothered me about the Jonathan Majors trial in ~talk
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentJust want to add this PSA in case anyone doesn’t know: Strangulation is one of the markers professionals look for because it is one of the best predictors of an abusive relationship becoming fatal...Just want to add this PSA in case anyone doesn’t know: Strangulation is one of the markers professionals look for because it is one of the best predictors of an abusive relationship becoming fatal (likelihood increases by 750%). I heard this from friends and family who are social workers so I don’t have the studies in hand, but this seems to say the same thing: https://www.allianceforhope.org/training-institute-on-strangulation-prevention/resources/strangulation-in-intimate-partner-violence-fact-sheet
I’m not going to discount race as factor because it definitely was, but strangling a partner is a different tier of IPV and should be viewed and treated differently.
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Comment on Why Disney ditched ‘Doctor Who’ in ~tv
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentHow many of them have stayed Doctor Who fans throughout the years, I cannot say, but I will say that Doctor Who was extremely popular where I was in the US circa 2012-2020. My friends in high...How many of them have stayed Doctor Who fans throughout the years, I cannot say, but I will say that Doctor Who was extremely popular where I was in the US circa 2012-2020. My friends in high school all watched the show and made references to it and had dr who merch. Once I went to college it was overwhelming. To the point where I refused to watch the show for a while from how sick I was of hearing the show brought up in any and every media conversation. Everyone on campus had a dr who shirt, or hat, or scarf, or stickers on their laptop/water bottle. I'd see at least 4-5 dr who inspired halloween costumes every year. People were graffiti-ing dr who references all over campus. Like I said, I have no idea if it is still as wildly popular now as it was then, but I was not at all surprised when Disney picked up the distribution of it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )Link ParentSpoilers for COE33 ahead I mean, “is the painted world as real as ours” is like, one of the most foundational questions of the game. If you aren’t interested in at least engaging with that...Spoilers for COE33 ahead
I mean, “is the painted world as real as ours” is like, one of the most foundational questions of the game. If you aren’t interested in at least engaging with that philosophical discussion, it isn’t surprising that you don’t understand why someone would pick the Maelle ending.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentI would not be surprised if that ends up being true. If someone tells me they thought there was one obviously correct choice, it feels like they are always talking about the Verso ending. Which I...I would not be surprised if that ends up being true. If someone tells me they thought there was one obviously correct choice, it feels like they are always talking about the Verso ending. Which I think is interesting itself.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael (edited )Link Parentthis is interesting to hear in contrast with the developers stating they went out of their way to make two endings to the game that are equally valid. They explicitly did not want there to be a...In my opinion, there was only one objectively correct ending, and the other only sounds good if you didn't understand the story that game was telling you.
this is interesting to hear in contrast with the developers stating they went out of their way to make two endings to the game that are equally valid. They explicitly did not want there to be a "good" vs "bad" or "correct" vs "incorrect" ending. Which did you think was the "obvious" one?
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkLike many others, I have been playing a lot of Silksong. I have put about 65 hours into the game and am at 96% completion and deep into act 3. I wrote a bit about my experience with HK and...Like many others, I have been playing a lot of Silksong. I have put about 65 hours into the game and am at 96% completion and deep into act 3. I wrote a bit about my experience with HK and metroidvanias on the Silksong thread (here). Overall, I am quite happy with the game. My biggest gripe right now is that I desperately want a Godmaster-esc DLC because I have so many crest/tool combinations I want to try out and no more bosses to face to do so. Jotting down some quick thoughts:
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Music - As good as HK in my opinion. Very small gripe: they made the music slightly too quiet by default IMO. Once I tweaked my sound settings to make everything else a bit quieter I am happy with this part of the game.
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Biomes - Improved over HK. I really love the map and areas of Silksong. Diversity in color and types of areas, the layout of the world makes sense generally, the biomes transition well from one to the other. My only complaint is that they put a water biome in the trailer, and that area is not really in the game (hard to explain that more without spoilers). In general, I wish more metroidvanias had water biomes.
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Movement - Holy shit is this better. The base movement feels better, they added a sprint so I am not mashing dash the whole time I am going anywhere, they added more movement options that allows for some more interesting platforming. And some of the new movement options make movement and combat bleed into one another in a way I find very satisfying.
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Combat - Again, holy shit is this better. I like that the dash-attack combos into your down-air, making for more interesting combat options that "hit them with your nail until they die". I like the silk spells more than the spells in HK and I use them infinitely more than I did spells in HK. I like the addition of tools. I like a lot of the "charms" (or whatever they are called in the new game I can't remember). I love the crests. All of the changes build to a game where I actively want to try out different combinations of crests and charms and tools because of how dramatically they change your play style. Flying enemies were a fucking nightmare in HK. They are one of the few things I look at in HK and go "this actively made me miserable and want to stop playing for a while, I wish Team Cherry didn't do this." I am so happy that Silksong gives so many more tools for dealing with them. I still hate them, but it isn't absolutely miserable anymore.
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Bosses - This is probably the only area I think Hollow Knight beats Silksong. Silksong has equally high highs and low lows with boss fights. The big differences are (1) Silksong has a lot of meh to decent boss fights that drags the average down, and (2) HK has great boss fights where it matters the most. The Hollow Knight and Radiance are incredible final boss battles. They are really high up there on my list of favorite final boss fights. They are the right difficulty that it really feels like you are fighting the final big bad of the world. Beating them gives the sense of success, accomplishment, adrenaline, and joy that you should feel beating the final boss of a game. Comparing the Hollow Knight to Grand Mother Silk, I felt way better after beating the Hollow Knight than I did Grand Mother Silk. Though to be fair to Silksong, when I fought and beat the Hollow Knight for the first time, I didn't know there were multiple endings. I thought I was done. Silksong I already knew there was an act 3 and knew this was just a pit stop on the way to the REAL final boss. And in Silksong's defense, some of the best bosses in HK were added as DLC, so there's always a chance it will surpass it in the future with some good DLCs.
- Side tangent - Grimm and Nightmare King Grimm are the best boss fights ever and if you want to disagree I'm ready to fight over it (ง'̀-'́)ง
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Visuals - Same or better. I will never get sick of the hand-drawn 2D artstyle of HK and Silksong. Its great.
I'll give my unpopular opinion: I kinda wish the game was harder. I understand it is already a difficult game and making it as hard as I wish it was would alienate most people, which is why I am not upset or complaining about it. I'm the unreasonable one here. It's just sad because the ways I want the game to be harder are not easy mods. It isn't easy to mod in a way to extend the platforming sections to be longer and more difficult. At least not compared to like, making enemies do 3 damage instead of 2. But I still love it for what it is and the way it is. I'm excited to wrap up my first play through and start my second with a whole different play style.
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Comment on What game is your personal "Silksong"? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkMy personal Silksong is, well, Silksong. I first played Hollow Knight (HK) right after the Godmaster DLC came out in 2018 and have been desperately awaiting Silksong's release since then. So I...My personal Silksong is, well, Silksong. I first played Hollow Knight (HK) right after the Godmaster DLC came out in 2018 and have been desperately awaiting Silksong's release since then. So I have been waiting for about 6-7 years. It is one of my favorite games of all time and introduced me to the metroidvania genre, which has become one of my favorites. Since there has been a lot of discussion around the difficultly of Silksong, I am a very skilled gamer; at least in this genre. It makes me feel extremely uncomfortable and narsassistic to say that but that is what the evidence says. I did almost everything possible in HK: beaten the game normally and steel soul, beaten pantheons 1-4 with everything disabled at once, beaten radiance-level against everyone in the hall of gods. The only thing I haven't done is beat Pantheon 5 and that mostly comes down to I was not medicated for ADHD when I was playing HK and I could not be bothered to sit down and focus for the amount of time it takes to beat it. I will probably go back to do that some time in the future. Additionally, I have beaten Aeterna Noctis, what many on the metroidvania subreddit refer to as the hardest game in the genre, on the hardest difficultly, and did not use the triple-jump charm that was added in a DLC that makes a lot of the platforming challenges significantly easier. I've also gotten all but 2 ladybugs for completing difficult platforming challenges in Lone Fungus that were, in my opinion, harder than any of the platforming challenges in Silksong.
I got almost exactly what I wanted from Silksong. Silksong, to me, feels like HK except Team Cherry had all of the experience and lessons from making HK plus as much time and resources as they wanted. All of the things that I think make HK great are all as good or better in Silksong. My only complaint is that I wish there was more difficult platforming. I was able to complete most of the platforming challenges in 2-3 tries (barring one where I kept failing due to input lag from my bluetooth controller, which was a me problem, not a problem with the game). I really enjoyed the 2 platforming sections everyone talks about, but for me they were over too quickly. I kept finding myself at the end of the platforming challenge right as I would be getting into a flow state and really enjoying myself. The only other thing I want that it doesn't have is its own Boss Rush section like Godmaster DLC added to HK, but I assume that will be part of a DLC eventually. I especially want it because there are so many combat options I want to experiment with but can't without fully restarting the game.
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentYeah that's basically what I was getting at. When I was writing this, the situation I had in mind is like, I wouldn't put that song on a playlist that is going to be playing loudly on a speaker in...If you're playing it around friends who know your stance on the subject well, they would hopefully know that listening to this one song doesn't demonstrate your views. Obviously, as you said, audience matters.
Yeah that's basically what I was getting at. When I was writing this, the situation I had in mind is like, I wouldn't put that song on a playlist that is going to be playing loudly on a speaker in a campground where strangers and children are around because I don't know them. Or I have friends who have a lower tolerance for slurs than others (what a sentence to write), and so I wouldn't play it around them. Or there are some days where myself or my wife are feeling less safe in the world around us and so hearing a homophobic slur hits harder than usual and so I would avoid that. But if I am driving around the car with friends I know well, I would probably put it on.
There is a whole additional complicating layer around queerness and the use/reclaiming of the slur that is just a whole different can of worms.
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkListening to rap/hip-hop songs from like 1990-2014 is a minefield. You'll be listening to a song and just out of nowhere, and seemingly out-of-place in the song, you'll just hear someone drop the...Listening to rap/hip-hop songs from like 1990-2014 is a minefield. You'll be listening to a song and just out of nowhere, and seemingly out-of-place in the song, you'll just hear someone drop the f-slur. The one that hurts the most is "Favorite Song" by Chance the Rapper ft. Childish Gambino. I need to find a version of the song that censors just that one line and leaves the rest unchanged. It has been a staple of all my summer playlists since I was in high school, but I always have to be mindful of audience when I go to put it on so I don't unintentionally harm or upset anyone. The song fills me with so many happy, chill summer vibes of hanging out with my friends...... minus one line.
Chance, acid rapper, soccer, hacky sacker
Cocky khaki jacket jacker
Slap-happy f****t slapper, bah-bah
Iraqi rocket launcherSadly, that is kinda par for the course with music from that time period, especially rap.
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Comment on Is there a sane way to use Git as a glorified sync tool? in ~tech
Micycle_the_Bichael Link<joke> "Is there a sane way to use Git..." - No. Git will always drive you insane no matter what you're trying to do :P </joke><joke> "Is there a sane way to use Git..." - No. Git will always drive you insane no matter what you're trying to do :P </joke> -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael Link ParentSpending a bit more time thinking about it, my main issues are with the UI. I am finding it a bit difficult to plan and re-spec my party because there are so many influential components in...Spending a bit more time thinking about it, my main issues are with the UI. I am finding it a bit difficult to plan and re-spec my party because there are so many influential components in different places. Character base stats, weapon stats/levels/effects, picto stats and effects, skill trees, and ability points for 3+ characters is a lot of info to try and juggle in my head at once since the game only lets me view segments of that info at once. It is a bummer because the gameplay makes me want to experiment builds and party combinations but I feel like I need an external app/spreadsheet to make sure my builds make sense before committing to respeccing.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Micycle_the_Bichael LinkI've been playing a shitload of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (which I'll shorthand to CO:E33). I'm honestly floored by how much I am in love with the game. I have only ever enjoyed one turn-based...I've been playing a shitload of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (which I'll shorthand to CO:E33). I'm honestly floored by how much I am in love with the game. I have only ever enjoyed one turn-based game before and that was Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA. I didn't really like the Pokemon games, I didn't enjoy the other FF games I tried, I couldn't get into Persona 3 when my friend suggested it. But I have been really enjoying CO:E33's combat. The addition of sweet spots, free aim, dodging, and parrying really goes a long way in making the combat more engaging and interesting to me. And each of the party members have pretty different and unique "gimmicks" (in a good way) that make each character feel different to play in your party. I have been having a lot of fun theory crafting and building different party combinations around skill interactions and game mechanics in a way I usually find tedious. The music is incredible; easily the best game soundtrack I have listened to since Outer Wilds. The art direction and execution are top-tier. I love weird and somehow beautiful eldritch horror style of the game. Overall I think that's really what I keep coming back to with every aspect of the game, it is just oozing with passion and focus towards being exactly the game the studio wanted to create. If I tried to explain all the reasons I love this game, I would be here all day. The best summary I can give is that today is my birthday, and the way I have chosen to spend it is by introducing some of my closest friends to this game. I'll try to quickly bullet-point some major points before I go to try and convince you it's worth it.
- Shockingly fun and engaging turn-based combat
- Lots of depth to the combat system, but you can also beat the game without needing to break out the spreadsheets to min-max your builds
- A very interesting and engaging story that feels unique
- Character dialogue and interactions that actually feel human in a way I feel a lot of games (especially JRPGS) fall short
- A well-designed and crafted world that is beautiful to look at
- Banger OST
- Lovable and memorable characters
- I am not sure there is a weak point in this game, or what I would single out as the weakest aspect. I am genuinely shocked at how much this game has fully consumed me.
The whole time I’ve been reading DCC my brain has pictured the AI as Jermey Pac-Man (the green guy from the cover of the Hitchhikers).
I wouldn’t say Southern Reach gets very dark. There is death and murder but I don’t remember much of it being very graphic. It’s mostly cosmic horror with some body horror as well. Nothing really gets as visceral or dark as the war crime scene in This Inevitable Ruin or some of the fucked up moments with Katya being a bulldozer on the front of the train in book 2 (3? I can’t remember which). My gut says if you were okay with DCC, you’d be okay with Southern reach but I don’t want to say for sure.