smiles134's recent activity
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Comment on The Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers in ~sports.baseball
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The Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 LinkI rarely DNF games but I've given up on Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts about 30% through. I got it for free through Epic so I have no problems giving up on it up but I generally like to get the...I rarely DNF games but I've given up on Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts about 30% through. I got it for free through Epic so I have no problems giving up on it up but I generally like to get the full picture of the game before I evaluate it. This one just never really grabbed me. It's very clearly ripping from the Sniper Elite series and isn't trying to hide that. That in itself isn't the issue, as it's also clearly pulling ideas from Hitman, at least in how it presents missions.
My frustration mostly is in immersion, which truthfully rarely bothers me. Here, though, I'm playing an elite sniper assassin, yet as soon as one enemy spots me, the whole map is aware of exactly where I am with seemingly no way to lose their tracking. Not only that, but they're able to shoot me from distance using their unscoped assault rifles. The same distance I'm measuring wind and distance to accurately line up a shot at 300 yards. Just isn't realistic.
The real breaking point for me was trying to complete the same mission checkpoint for the sixth time, as I kept dying right after doing the last part but right before hitting the checkpoint area. The last time I wasn't even killed, but accidentally jumped off a stairwell into an open barrel that was too tall for me to jump back out of.
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Comment on Avengers: Doomsday | Official trailer in ~movies
smiles134 Link ParentThe Electric State cost 320 million dollars to make and had absolutely zero impact on the public consciousness. -
Comment on Boox Go 10.3 (gen II) Lumi: An Android tablet that's also, on top of that, an E-ink screen in ~tech
smiles134 LinkI just posted a couple weeks ago about wanting an eink tablet and ended up getting the black and white version of this tablet. I've liked it so far but haven't gotten too deep into it yet --...I just posted a couple weeks ago about wanting an eink tablet and ended up getting the black and white version of this tablet. I've liked it so far but haven't gotten too deep into it yet -- mostly just taking notes by hand. I'm hoping to get my organization a little more sophisticated soon.
Curious if there are any specific apps you recommend adding? I've downloaded the Google Suite apps I plan to use, but that's basically it
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Comment on Avengers: Doomsday | Official trailer in ~movies
smiles134 LinkI haven't seen any of the MCU movies since Love and Thunder, feels pretty unlikely I'll see this one either. But we'll always have that build up to Endgame across all the Marvel movies from...I haven't seen any of the MCU movies since Love and Thunder, feels pretty unlikely I'll see this one either.
But we'll always have that build up to Endgame across all the Marvel movies from 2008-2019 which was fun to experience at the time. I do wonder how long they'll try to keep this series alive without giving it some significant time off.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 (edited )Link ParentI was actually closer to the end than I thought and I'm just hitting credits now. I'll give it this, there are very few no frills FPS single player campaigns these days and I appreciate it for...I was actually closer to the end than I thought and I'm just hitting credits now. I'll give it this, there are very few no frills FPS single player campaigns these days and I appreciate it for that. The industry would be better served (for players, not financially) if they pivoted back to this mode.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 LinkWorking my way through Robocop: Rogue City, about 2/3rds done, I think. It's... Fine? There's a story, there's gameplay that basically hasn't changed since the start of the game. The movement is...Working my way through Robocop: Rogue City, about 2/3rds done, I think. It's... Fine? There's a story, there's gameplay that basically hasn't changed since the start of the game. The movement is clunky, but I think intentionally so to imitate the movement of Robocop. But it's also kind of gratingly clunky. The game is also terribly optimized. I don't have a very robust system these days but I had to drop my resolution to 1080p and lower the graphics way down just to get a steady 30fps.
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Comment on ‘Moana’ flounders with $43 million debut, among weakest of Disney’s live-action remakes in ~movies
smiles134 LinkThere was just no reason for this movie to exist. The original animated version is only ten years old. Just silly stuff.There was just no reason for this movie to exist. The original animated version is only ten years old. Just silly stuff.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 LinkI watched Miami Vice last night and thought it was kind of a mess. It's got the Michael Mann flair but the story was all over the place. I was reading after about some of the issues with Foxx...I watched Miami Vice last night and thought it was kind of a mess. It's got the Michael Mann flair but the story was all over the place. I was reading after about some of the issues with Foxx during production but I think the script was probably just not very good.
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Comment on Microsoft’s Xbox to cut 3,200 jobs, divest five studios in major overhaul (gifted link) in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentFor about 18 months, my job was working in document management for a very small agency in the US federal government, and just getting a letter to a constituent or public stakeholder signed and...For about 18 months, my job was working in document management for a very small agency in the US federal government, and just getting a letter to a constituent or public stakeholder signed and delivered took 8 layers of approval and review at minimum. Double that for anything that needed to go through the department's secretary, and anything that went beyond that had layers I couldn't even see. It was insane.
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Comment on To my fellow Americans: Happy 4th of July, I hope you end the day with the same number of fingers you started with! in ~talk
smiles134 Link ParentI'm at the Nats game (bit of a tradition for my wife and I even though we cheer for a different baseball team), and we sprung for the club level seats this year to get some AC on the concourse hahaI'm at the Nats game (bit of a tradition for my wife and I even though we cheer for a different baseball team), and we sprung for the club level seats this year to get some AC on the concourse haha
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Comment on Midweek-ish Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 LinkI finally watched One Battle After Another and thought it was every bit as good as everyone was telling me it was. Benicio del Toro ruled, and I really didn't expect it to be as funny as it was....I finally watched One Battle After Another and thought it was every bit as good as everyone was telling me it was. Benicio del Toro ruled, and I really didn't expect it to be as funny as it was.
Leo telling himself to focus and remember and then immediately taking a huge drag on his joint, incredible stuff.
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Comment on Reddit will require you to be logged in to use old.reddit.com in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentThanks for this, I had no idea it existed. I'm rarely on reddit anymore, but there are a few subs I haven't found useful community replacements for that I browse occasionallyThanks for this, I had no idea it existed. I'm rarely on reddit anymore, but there are a few subs I haven't found useful community replacements for that I browse occasionally
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 LinkWell I beat Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a couple weeks ago and moved into my palette cleansers. I'll talk about those in a sec, cause I want to write a bit about E33 since I haven't been in these...Well I beat Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a couple weeks ago and moved into my palette cleansers. I'll talk about those in a sec, cause I want to write a bit about E33 since I haven't been in these threads for a little.
I really liked this game and I'm honestly a bit surprised it took off as much as it did. The gameplay is not what I'd consider super mainstream friendly, so I think it makes sense that I've seen many people pick this up after all the hype and really dislike it.
There are things that frustrated me: the timing of the rhythm for dodging or parrying was sometimes--maybe even often--hard to identify the first time you saw an attack pattern. I wish there had been a little better telegraphing at points. Sometimes the camera angles were really atrocious in fights, especially with Monoco on the far right of the party, so I legitimately couldn't see the attack pattern whatsoever.
I also thought the combat system had like two too many layers to it, to the point where I barely paid any attention to how my reserve team played and just focused on learning my primary team.
But overall, like I said, very much enjoyed it. I found the story baffling for a long part of the game (which was frustrating me because it seemed like the characters were intentionally avoiding discussing some things) but then when it all came together, I thought the writers pulled that off really well.
I'd certainly welcome a sequel in this universe, which I think they can manage regardless of which ending you took.
Palette cleansers! If you haven't seen me write about these before, I like to sprinkle in a couple small/indie games (completely different in style from what I've been playing) between getting committed to longer games. E33 isn't nearly as long as D:OS was, but I'm still working through some of my backlog.
I played Pony Island, which is a game by Daniel Mullins who also was behind Inscryption (and some other games I haven't yet played). Much like Inscryption, Pony Island is a very meta deconstruction on making and playing games. In this, you're playing a very simple sidescrolling runner-like game, guiding a pony over gates and blowing away enemies. Except, this game has been corrupted, and you're trapped in here, and there are several different entities inside the game trying to get you to do things outside of the game to free them (and you). It's a very short game, which is good, because I'm not sure the concept really lends itself to being much longer than a couple hours. Good, but not as memorable as Inscryption.
I'm also working through Valiant Hearts: The Great War. This is a game from Beyond Good & Evil studio Ubisoft Montpelier, a 2D puzzle game set during WW1, following a few different characters whose paths intersect. It's very good, although some of the puzzles are frustratingly obtuse. I've been told the latter half of the game is a tear-jerker, so we'll see.
Also on the docket: The Case of the Golden Idol, Star Wars Dark Forces II, and then I'll move into Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentThis was also my experience with the game (and its sequel, for that matter, although I think the sequel's story is significantly worse)This was also my experience with the game (and its sequel, for that matter, although I think the sequel's story is significantly worse)
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Comment on Re-watched the Bourne Trilogy after several years, I understand now why it was so influential in ~movies
smiles134 Link Parentoh man I can't recommend Andor enough, even if you're not a Star Wars person. It has so much to say about resilience in the face of fascism, but it's also just really well crafted with great...oh man I can't recommend Andor enough, even if you're not a Star Wars person. It has so much to say about resilience in the face of fascism, but it's also just really well crafted with great performances across the board.
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Comment on The 2026 Steam Summer Sale is live (runs June 25 - July 9) in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentCan't speak to how well they'll play on the steam deck, but hope you like them! They're a couple of my favorite games, and it's a shame there hasn't been more in the series in recent yearsCan't speak to how well they'll play on the steam deck, but hope you like them! They're a couple of my favorite games, and it's a shame there hasn't been more in the series in recent years
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Comment on The 2026 Steam Summer Sale is live (runs June 25 - July 9) in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentHave you tried Deus Ex: Human Revolution or the sequel Mankind Divided? Edit: I guess I wouldn't say these have "light" story, but it checks the other boxesHave you tried Deus Ex: Human Revolution or the sequel Mankind Divided?
Edit: I guess I wouldn't say these have "light" story, but it checks the other boxes
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Comment on Re-watched the Bourne Trilogy after several years, I understand now why it was so influential in ~movies
smiles134 LinkI love the first trilogy of these movies so much (haven't seen any that came after). For those who don't know, the first three movies were written by Tony Gilroy, who was the showrunner for Andor....I love the first trilogy of these movies so much (haven't seen any that came after).
For those who don't know, the first three movies were written by Tony Gilroy, who was the showrunner for Andor. He doesn't miss.
Highly recommend also checking out Michael Clayton and State of Play.
This was a trade many predicted months ago when it became clear the Tigers would not compete for a playoff spot this year, and with this acquisition the Dodgers have assembled what might be the best team in baseball history.
I'm a Brewers fan, a team that just passed the Dodgers for the best record in baseball this season, and who were considered to be the other frontrunners for Skubal. I'm not too upset in the grand scheme of things about missing out of Skubal, largely because the Brewers have gotten to be so good in the last ten years on the strength of their prospect development, but it does feel like another peg in the argument that the Dodgers are the only team with the resources to put such a team together. It's like they're playing a whole other class of the sport compared to the other 29 teams, and with the CBA talks ongoing, it definitely seems to be progressing toward a labor dispute next season.