Protected's recent activity
-
Comment on Some people can't see mental images. The consequences are profound. in ~health.mental
-
Comment on Some people can't see mental images. The consequences are profound. in ~health.mental
Protected LinkThis is the case for me. I can't visualize actual images almost all the time, however I know for a fact (because I have very good memory for facts) that on multiple occasions as I was lucid...the hypnagogic state just before sleep
This is the case for me. I can't visualize actual images almost all the time, however I know for a fact (because I have very good memory for facts) that on multiple occasions as I was lucid dreaming or on the threshold of falling asleep I have seen vivid visual memories with a great deal of detail. It's always mind-blowing, because I normally can't do that at all, and it's also interesting that it reveals that there's a lot of crap in my brain that I just can't access.
-
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Protected Link ParentWarbreaker is interesting because you will encounter its protagonist later in a completely different book when you least expect. Emperor's Soul is listed as an Elantris sequel for a similar...Warbreaker is interesting because you will encounter its protagonist later in a completely different book when you least expect.
Emperor's Soul is listed as an Elantris sequel for a similar reason. Both take place in the same world/planet. It absolutely doesn't matter for the story, but it's something to keep in mind later on when you have a clearer understanding of the bigger picture of Sanderson's shared universe.
-
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Protected LinkThe Devils by Joe Abercrombie, which is a recent book. Joe is now successful enough to have nice fancy hardcovers with high quality illustrations and those unevenly cut pages that look cool and...The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, which is a recent book. Joe is now successful enough to have nice fancy hardcovers with high quality illustrations and those unevenly cut pages that look cool and are difficult to turn! It's about a fantastically remixed medieval Europe in which all of the catholic church's priests are women, Troy still exists and there's magic, which up to a point affects - but doesn't seem to have changed beyond recognition - the course of history.
His writing remains interesting. Very accessible but not in a bad way; his book reads like pretty good, fairly grim TV shows? I'm not a huge fan of the rapid fire dialogue that's not always explicitly attributed to a character (curious, because I like to write like that up to a point.) But I always enjoy most of the colorful characters. I'm not sure he needed, strictly speaking, yet another character who is always in excruciating pain. Characters like Sunny are better!
-
Comment on A Cloudflare outage is taking down large parts of the internet - X, ChatGPT and more affected in ~tech
Protected Link ParentThese days I see services proudly advertise "99.9%" and it makes me scratch my head in confusion... (I bet they still don't compensate you if it's lower than that, too.)These days I see services proudly advertise "99.9%" and it makes me scratch my head in confusion...
(I bet they still don't compensate you if it's lower than that, too.)
-
Comment on Any chance we can get a shorthand for the <details> tag? in ~tildes
Protected Link ParentThat makes sense. I don't have any iPhone or Samsung experience; I've always used Android keyboards in which that is not an issue. If any Android users are interested, I'm currently using...That makes sense. I don't have any iPhone or Samsung experience; I've always used Android keyboards in which that is not an issue. If any Android users are interested, I'm currently using HeliBoard, which I believe came from a recommendation right here on Tildes!
-
Comment on Any chance we can get a shorthand for the <details> tag? in ~tildes
Protected (edited )Link ParentI've written two wikis on github and I wouldn't recommend relying on HTML the way they do. They don't support the style attribute, and it's a massive headache to get anything to look the way you...I've written two wikis on github and I wouldn't recommend relying on HTML the way they do. They don't support the style
tagattribute, and it's a massive headache to get anything to look the way you want (if at all possible). Their markdown is fine though. -
Comment on Best recommendations for PC couch multiplayer games? in ~games
Protected Link ParentI've been playing certain puzzle games in small teams for years and would like to second this recommendation. It depends on the kid's tastes, but if they have any interest in this sort of thing...I've been playing certain puzzle games in small teams for years and would like to second this recommendation. It depends on the kid's tastes, but if they have any interest in this sort of thing there are vast quantities of game hours to get through out there.
-
Comment on Best recommendations for PC couch multiplayer games? in ~games
Protected Link ParentI consider recommending UCH but I would add that it's best if you can get even more players (the chaos is maximum with all 4 players)!I consider recommending UCH but I would add that it's best if you can get even more players (the chaos is maximum with all 4 players)!
-
Comment on Any chance we can get a shorthand for the <details> tag? in ~tildes
Protected Link ParentDiscord uses something called Markdown (I believe originally implemented by Aaron Swartz). There are some standardization attempts, according to which spoilers should open with >! (same as...Discord uses something called Markdown (I believe originally implemented by Aaron Swartz). There are some standardization attempts, according to which spoilers should open with
>!(same as reddit); Discord is nonstandard in that regard. I believe it descends from a modification of>for opening blockquotes, which is standard in e-mail clients and such. -
Comment on It's time for Desert Bus for Hope 2025! in ~tech
Protected LinkHere's the annual reminder that Desert Bus For Hope, the internet's oldest charity fundraising marathon, will be running (likely) all through this coming week! Here's the full explanation Last...Here's the annual reminder that Desert Bus For Hope, the internet's oldest charity fundraising marathon, will be running (likely) all through this coming week!
Last year we've collectively raised $1.25 million US dollars through auctions, giveaways, merch purchases and other donations. If you're interested in contributing this year or just hanging out and engaging with the fun, make sure you drop by at any time of the day.
-
It's time for Desert Bus for Hope 2025!
14 votes -
Comment on Valve announces new hardware: Steam Frame, Steam Controller, and Steam Machine in ~games
Protected Link ParentVAT aside, that's the full kit. But don't forget the cost of the base stations, which are independent devices. I had to replace mine this year and they cost €130 each, plus VAT (on Steam; everyone...VAT aside, that's the full kit. But don't forget the cost of the base stations, which are independent devices. I had to replace mine this year and they cost €130 each, plus VAT (on Steam; everyone else sells them more expensive). So just subtracting the cost of the base stations could get you to 700.
-
Comment on An AI-generated country song is topping a Billboard chart, and that should infuriate us all in ~music
Protected Link ParentYeah pretty much :D Grifters gonna grift. I have no respect for the music industry to begin with (as I recently stated right here on Tildes), so I'm not surprised it would facilitate the...Yeah pretty much :D
Grifters gonna grift. I have no respect for the music industry to begin with (as I recently stated right here on Tildes), so I'm not surprised it would facilitate the connection between mainstream listeners and AI-generated content. Nor do I think this is avoidable. Even though I personally dislike generative AI.
In the near future the grifters won't necessarily need musicians - they don't need the artistry of music - at all, but countless people actually love musicians and music and will hopefully be able to seek them out and connect with them more directly, as long as the Internet itself doesn't go to hell entirely. It's not the way things were fifty years ago, but it's a much larger and dispersed and globalized market anyway. Things were never going to be the same. Nvidia killed the radio star hehe
I see @cfabbro went for exactly the same example I did :)
@V17 made an interesting point about use of AI on the experimental, niche end of things that hadn't occured to me at all. That honestly bothers me a little. If AI becomes prevasive in the mainstream, how original can anyone be by using it?
-
Comment on An AI-generated country song is topping a Billboard chart, and that should infuriate us all in ~music
Protected LinkNot to detract from the outrage, but is there any significant difference between AI country music and this type of thing? Grift is grift one way or the other, right? I've had exposure to people...Not to detract from the outrage, but is there any significant difference between AI country music and this type of thing? Grift is grift one way or the other, right?
I've had exposure to people who like country, both enjoyers and creators, and I know there's good stuff out there. But the fact of the matter is that there are listeners who don't really seem to care what they listen to anymore. It reminds me of how Netflix is purportedly asking studios to make movies that don't require the viewers to pay any attention to them. I bet AI can do that too.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Protected Link ParentYeah, it was pretty good. It's the type of experience that makes me happy I pick up so many indie games. Like FAR: Changing Tides, it does not overstay its welcome; quite the contrary, as after...Yeah, it was pretty good. It's the type of experience that makes me happy I pick up so many indie games. Like FAR: Changing Tides, it does not overstay its welcome; quite the contrary, as after both of them I felt like I could have played a lot more of the same. But I also thought the way you travel towards a destination you can see in the distance even at the beginning of the game - the cohesion of the experience of the journey as a whole - adds to what made it satisfying for me. I suppose I'll just have to buy the devs' fourth game when they make it.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Protected LinkIn Herdling, you play a homeless person in a city who is awoken in the middle of the night by the noise caused by a lost, er, magical fantasy yak? You pick up a stick, guide the animal out of the...In Herdling, you play a homeless person in a city who is awoken in the middle of the night by the noise caused by a lost, er, magical fantasy yak? You pick up a stick, guide the animal out of the city and before you know it you are now a herder shaman person. The game has you care for a steadily growing herd of animals, each one visually unique. You name them, groom them, pet them, feed them and play with them, and if you're careful and responsible, you will guide them mostly unharmed through vast plains, what must have been Ori's blind forest judging by the terrifying giant owl birds in it, and up treacherous slopes across a steep mountain range (Himalayan-inspired, probably? Big central asian vibes anyway) to magical fantasy yak paradise!
The game is beautiful, with fantastic musical ambience and a melancholic vibe (no other humans are ever seen) that quickly reminded me of the FAR games, so it was rewarding to find out that these are indeed the same developers, although Herdling is in full 3D. It's more of the kind of game they do so well - a short (about 5 hours) but sweet journey featuring exploration and some puzzle mechanics that are never very difficult to figure out. The yaks (or calicorns, as they are known in game) are not as complicated to drive as the boat-submarine, but they can get hurt and apparently can die (I'm happy to say all of mine survived the trip). Guiding them safely requires swift reactions and stealth to avoid collapsing paths, creepy giant owl eggs and spiky hazards, as well as managing their speed, which is tied to the flowers and fruits they eat on the way.
I also played a full campaign of Deck of Haunts (on normal - this matters, since it's shorter on easy). In this game, you play as a haunted house, and your objective is to lure in humans and devour them in order to increase your power. The influence of the classic but still awesome Dungeon Keeper is plain to see, as you have a pulsating "heart room" which, if reached, visitors can use to damage you. After each level, you get to use your power to build more rooms, hiding your heart deep inside a maze of living rooms, guest rooms, kitchens and an increasingly greater assortment of specialized rooms, some of which come with resident monsters that will roam you and help you put those uppity humans in their place.
The second half of the game comes into play during the levels themselves. Visitors will come, each with one or more (usually several) specialized traits from a vast assortment ranging from "panicky" to "doctor" to "has a gun". In order to defeat them you have to use your, well, deck of haunts! That's right, the core gameplay is that of a deck builder a la Slay the Spire. During their turns, visitors move from room to room, using their abilities, looking for the heart. During your turn you play haunts from your deck in an attempt to either kill them (by lowering their health to zero) or scare them insane (by lowering their sanity to zero). Both options have their drawbacks as most visitors will attempt to flee the house when they see a corpse, depriving you of power and increasing the strength of visitors in the next level, while insane visitors hang around until the end of the level and prevent you from using haunts that require empty rooms or solo visitors (in other words, it's less scary with more people around!)
The deck building mechanics are pretty decent, as in other games in the deck building genre. There's a system of "tension" counters that boosts future attacks, and there are combos and synergies. You get to choose cards that you add to your deck, and cards in your deck can be upgraded. You can also occasionally expend power to remove cards from your deck. I had fun playing through the campaign, and since I recall there were other types of campaings that unlocked after beating this one I will probably pick the game up again, though I'm not sure how replayable the game will be until I'm bored. In any event, I got a solid 8 hours of entertainment from it so far. Honestly, I think it's an underrated game.
-
Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books
Protected Link ParentWheel of Time is a great example of something I hate read as a kid (up to book 11, lots of arguing about the quality of the books with online friends). By the time Sanderson was doing the final...Wheel of Time is a great example of something I hate read as a kid (up to book 11, lots of arguing about the quality of the books with online friends). By the time Sanderson was doing the final books I'd learned about the sunk cost fallacy and was no longer invested into continuing, so I never read those books. It's not because I don't like Sanderson - I've read most of his oeuvre and beta read for him - but after six chonky books' worth of mostly nothing happening and mostly characters I dislike I was just so done with that world.
-
Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books
Protected (edited )Link ParentHonestly, it was surprisingly good. It suffers from the usual TV-show-itis symptoms of unnecessary changes (gotta keep Lin-Manuel Miranda on screen!), sometimes odd pacing, lack of proper...Honestly, it was surprisingly good. It suffers from the usual TV-show-itis symptoms of unnecessary changes (gotta keep Lin-Manuel Miranda on screen!), sometimes odd pacing, lack of proper introspection leading to an excessive focus on action, etc. but it worked pretty well as a TV show. The main plot beats are there and the fantasy world scenes look pretty great. I remember enjoying the way they did some of the characters quite a bit, Marisa Coulter for example.
EDIT: I remember in one of the seasons fans were complaining because the daemons barely appeared at all. It's likely that they got a different budget each season and that got reflected on what they were able to produce.
-
Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books
Protected LinkWhen I was younger and had less disposable income, and also access to way fewer books, I'd do this. But for many years now, books are plentiful (if I read in english), there are more people...When I was younger and had less disposable income, and also access to way fewer books, I'd do this. But for many years now, books are plentiful (if I read in english), there are more people writing - sometimes much less educated authors, since it's easier to "self" publish now - and while my finances are not super liquid I can always afford more books. So I'm happy to drop that garbage like a hot potato, rant about how bad it was on the internet and move on to the next adventure!
I've told some of my closest friends and they sometimes remember to tell me who people are :D Family is the same. Sometimes they help, sometimes they forget.