st3ph3n's recent activity
-
Comment on I bought a bike. What next? in ~hobbies
-
Comment on The Costco of housing is…Costco? in ~design
st3ph3n Link ParentYep, the huge mall near me has built several apartment buildings in what used to be part of their massive parking lot, and as far as I can tell they're at pretty much full occupancy, while the...Yep, the huge mall near me has built several apartment buildings in what used to be part of their massive parking lot, and as far as I can tell they're at pretty much full occupancy, while the mall itself is not.
-
Comment on Stephen King’s ‘Fairy Tale’ getting ten episode series adaptation from A24 in ~tv
st3ph3n LinkI really enjoyed the book. Looking forward to this now.I really enjoyed the book. Looking forward to this now.
-
Comment on Bike manufacturers are making bikes less repairable in ~transport
st3ph3n Link ParentA one-by drivetrain (as in one chainring up front, no front derailleur) is my number one must-have feature on a bike, especially if paired with a rear cassette with a decent number of gears. No...A one-by drivetrain (as in one chainring up front, no front derailleur) is my number one must-have feature on a bike, especially if paired with a rear cassette with a decent number of gears. No more screwing around adjusting front derailleurs, huzzah!
Even better if it has a clutch on the rear, makes it almost impossible to drop the chain when you hit a bump or come off a curb too hard or whatever. My old bike had a 3x8 drivetrain and it would drop the chain on the regular. My current bike has 1x12 and has never once dropped the chain on me in about 3000 miles of riding.
-
Comment on Red Dead Redemption 1 finally gets a PC release date - October 29th, 2024 in ~games
st3ph3n LinkUndead Nightmare is included. Will release on Steam, Epic, and Rockstar's own store. It only took them 14 years! Support for 4K, 144hz, and all of the modern GPU scaling/frame generation voodoo. I...Undead Nightmare is included. Will release on Steam, Epic, and Rockstar's own store. It only took them 14 years! Support for 4K, 144hz, and all of the modern GPU scaling/frame generation voodoo.
I replayed this game last year via an Xbox 360 emulator, which gave a lot of those features, albeit with a bit of jank, but it stood up well and I played it through to the end of the story again. Hopefully they didn't do anything to ruin this like with their recent re-releases of several of the Grand Theft Auto games.
-
Red Dead Redemption 1 finally gets a PC release date - October 29th, 2024
31 votes -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n (edited )LinkI just got done with Persona 3 Reload via Xbox Gamepass. It was my first experience with any Persona game, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I wound up putting approximately 110 hours into it,...I just got done with Persona 3 Reload via Xbox Gamepass. It was my first experience with any Persona game, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I wound up putting approximately 110 hours into it, but it did feel like it was starting to overstay its welcome towards the end.
I did find it surprising how they managed to stretch out such a small number of locations in a game this long. I played it on easy, and I suspect that the final few boss bottles would have been a rage-inducing slog had I played it on higher difficulties.
I wasn't sure that the high school setting was going to click with me, but it didn't take long for the characters to get their hooks into me. The music was also surprisingly good.
Once I finished with Persona 3, I started with Star Wars Outlaws. I'm only a couple of hours into it yet. The graphics and scenery are excellent, giving a pretty authentic Star Wars vibe, but I'm not too keen on the gameplay so far. It feels pretty slow, and I don't enjoy stealth mechanics all that much, but going loud isn't really an option for me yet because I am stuck with beginner gear and an un-upgraded blaster pistol until I can get a few more missions/side jobs under my belt.
This is probably the first Ubisoft game I have played since Far Cry 5, so it has been a few years. I will reserve judgement for now.
I've also been playing Balatro since it came out for iOS/Android. I already have it on Steam with tons of hours put into it, and now it can ruin my self control when I'm out and about too. Well worth the $10 they are asking for it, and it is also on Apple Arcade if you're into that (I'm not).
-
Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
st3ph3n LinkI'm driving a 2022 Kia EV6. I'm very happy with everything about it except for the resale value, which has tanked since then, and the fact that the car apparently has all of the hardware needed to...I'm driving a 2022 Kia EV6. I'm very happy with everything about it except for the resale value, which has tanked since then, and the fact that the car apparently has all of the hardware needed to do wireless Carplay/Android Auto (which it does in the Korean market) but Kia decided we just don't get that here.
Literally the only maintenance I've had to do in the 17,000 miles since I got it is tire rotations and a couple of free software updates from the dealer. It's apparently due for a cabin air filter now, but I can do that myself.My wife has a Chevy Bolt that she is totally in love with too. The slow DC charging doesn't bother us as it has never been charged anywhere but our house anyway.
-
Comment on My experience buying a used low-range EV a year later in ~transport
st3ph3n Link ParentI do that. I have a 240V/50A circuit in my garage that my EV charger is plugged into, and I just run the cable from it under the garage door to the outside. It is rated for use outdoors. The...I do that. I have a 240V/50A circuit in my garage that my EV charger is plugged into, and I just run the cable from it under the garage door to the outside. It is rated for use outdoors. The charger I have came with like 20ft of very heavy gauge cable to the J1772 plug. I don't see why the same thing wouldn't work for 120V/15-20A.
-
Comment on Grokking KOReader in ~books
st3ph3n Link ParentI got an Onyx Boox Page a few months back, and have been very happy with it. It is basically an Android tablet in 7 inch e-ink form. You can install whatever you want from the Google play store,...I got an Onyx Boox Page a few months back, and have been very happy with it. It is basically an Android tablet in 7 inch e-ink form. You can install whatever you want from the Google play store, or sideload apps, use F-droid, whatever. I have KOReader and eInkBro on mine.
Battery life has been excellent and the device is smart enough to automatically stop a bunch of background shit that would ordinarily eat battery life on a normal Android device.
Some might have privacy concerns with Onyx being a Chinese company.
-
Comment on Grokking KOReader in ~books
st3ph3n Link ParentSame. Found it difficult to read purely because of the goofy font choice.Same. Found it difficult to read purely because of the goofy font choice.
-
Comment on Indiana appeals court upholds injunction on abortion ban, citing religious liberty in ~society
st3ph3n Link ParentThat's what it took to finally legalize abortion in Ireland.That's what it took to finally legalize abortion in Ireland.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentYeah, the whole find-a-phone-to-save thing was kind of annoying. The other games in the series that I have played just let you save anywhere from the menu, as long as you're not actively in the...Yeah, the whole find-a-phone-to-save thing was kind of annoying. The other games in the series that I have played just let you save anywhere from the menu, as long as you're not actively in the middle of a custscene or a fight.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentI completed a run on the default stake for the first time tonight. I got the joker that increases multiplier by 2 every time you play a hand containing 2 pairs very early on, and leveled my 2 pair...I completed a run on the default stake for the first time tonight. I got the joker that increases multiplier by 2 every time you play a hand containing 2 pairs very early on, and leveled my 2 pair up a whole bunch of times, playing those hands as much as possible.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentRDR2 definitely is one of those games that you need to dedicate large chunks of time to, in my experience. It moves along slowly, but - at least for me - was totally worth it. I loved it, and I...RDR2 definitely is one of those games that you need to dedicate large chunks of time to, in my experience. It moves along slowly, but - at least for me - was totally worth it. I loved it, and I didn't even dip into some aspects of it (hunting and such). I played the story from start to finish twice, with a gap of a couple of years between first and second runs.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkI finished Yakuza 0 after 56 hours of play time a week ago, and then was out of town for a week. I've been playing a bunch of Yakuza games lately from the selection that are on Gamepass, and have...I finished Yakuza 0 after 56 hours of play time a week ago, and then was out of town for a week. I've been playing a bunch of Yakuza games lately from the selection that are on Gamepass, and have fallen in love with them. Yakukza 0 was great fun, with so much side content to engage in.
While I was gone I took my Steam Deck with me and developed a severe addiction to Balatro, the poker-styled roguelike/deck builder. I don't normally care for deck builder games, but the poker trappings sucked me in, and now I'm finding this game hard to put down. I'm terrible at it, but it doesn't matter. It keeps scratching that 'just one more hand' itch. I have struggled to explain this game to people.
As soon as I got back I started playing Yakuza Kiwami, the 2016-2017 remake of the original first Yakuza game. I'm 4 chapters in on that one now, and enjoying it a lot too.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentI just went into it completely blind after seeing it on Gamepass and thinking 'that looks fun'. If I knew more beforehand I would have started with 0.I just went into it completely blind after seeing it on Gamepass and thinking 'that looks fun'. If I knew more beforehand I would have started with 0.
-
Comment on Has anyone here received any benefit as a consumer from algorithmic ad targeting? in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentAs soon as I hit 10 years of marriage I started getting ads for divorce lawyers and dating sites. Sleazy bastards.As soon as I hit 10 years of marriage I started getting ads for divorce lawyers and dating sites. Sleazy bastards.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n (edited )LinkA few weeks ago I started playing Like A Dragon Gaiden - The Man With No Name. It was my first time playing any Yakyza/Like a Dragon game, and I enjoyed it so much that I blazed through it, and...A few weeks ago I started playing Like A Dragon Gaiden - The Man With No Name. It was my first time playing any Yakyza/Like a Dragon game, and I enjoyed it so much that I blazed through it, and then Like a Dragon: Ishin, and am now deep into Yakuza 0. Pretty much every main game in this series is on Xbox Gamepass, so that's how I'm consuming them.
I'm really enjoying the side content, probably even more than the mainline stuff. There's just so much fun/goofy/funny stuff to do in these games. For example, right now I'm busy trying to takeover the nightlife industry in Kamurocho, which eventually triggered a karaoke battle against my main rival. Also, a child is trying to get me to buy him porno from a vending machine, which becomes a stealth mission. lol.
-
Comment on The end of the MrBeast era in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentI'm aware of him because I see his face on cereal boxes and merch at the grocery store.I'm aware of him because I see his face on cereal boxes and merch at the grocery store.
Those pedals, what a great idea!