st3ph3n's recent activity
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii This is a very silly but fun game, that was let down by a pretty crappy free demo that didn't do it justice. I'm enjoying the shit out of it. If you liked...Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
This is a very silly but fun game, that was let down by a pretty crappy free demo that didn't do it justice. I'm enjoying the shit out of it. If you liked the prior Yakuza/Like a Dragon beat-em-up games before the series went RPG that is basically what you get here, plus pirate ship battle mechanics. It reuses the Honolulu map from Infinite Wealth, and you get to meet a bunch of characters from that game again, assuming you played it before.
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Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentMy main memory-hungry use case is Adobe Lightroom. That eats all the memory it can get.My main memory-hungry use case is Adobe Lightroom. That eats all the memory it can get.
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Comment on Sony pulls back from PlayStation games on PC in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentAnother snag with just buying the box that plays the games is the likelihood that future boxes are going to be eye-wateringly expensive if they keep up the hardware arms race, thanks to the...Another snag with just buying the box that plays the games is the likelihood that future boxes are going to be eye-wateringly expensive if they keep up the hardware arms race, thanks to the outrageous cost of RAM, storage, and GPU chips.
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Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentYeah, it does. Right now it shows it to be using about 740 MB of 'compressed RAM', 7.2 GB for apps, and about 1.8 GB of 'wired RAM', which as I understand it is Apple terminology for critical core...Yeah, it does. Right now it shows it to be using about 740 MB of 'compressed RAM', 7.2 GB for apps, and about 1.8 GB of 'wired RAM', which as I understand it is Apple terminology for critical core system stuff that can't be swapped out.
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Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
st3ph3n Link ParentI feel you on the fast cars (and also motorcycles in my case). I used to have tire-shredding V8-powered muscle cars with shitty gas mileage, but over the years I mellowed the fuck out and...I feel you on the fast cars (and also motorcycles in my case). I used to have tire-shredding V8-powered muscle cars with shitty gas mileage, but over the years I mellowed the fuck out and eventually found myself in a hybrid Honda Accord (ultimate dad car), and nowadays I drive an EV, and not a crazy fast one either.
I still have two gas-powered motorcycles, but one is a Honda CB from the 1970s that might make 60 horsepower on a good day, and the other is a modern Triumph Tiger ADV bike that is big and heavy and comfortable. My last hooligan bike was a 2016 Yamaha XSR900 that just wanted to wheelie all day. It was fun but I'm too old for that shit now.
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Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentThe integration with other Apple stuff if you have it really is excellent. I wish they'd open that stuff up to other platforms than Mac OS, but you know how Apple is...The integration with other Apple stuff if you have it really is excellent. I wish they'd open that stuff up to other platforms than Mac OS, but you know how Apple is...
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Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
st3ph3n LinkOnly 8GB of RAM, and no option to upgrade even for the usual extortionate Apple prices seems like a bad idea in 2026. I know, AI RAMpocalypse probably has something to do with that. My Macbook Air...Only 8GB of RAM, and no option to upgrade even for the usual extortionate Apple prices seems like a bad idea in 2026. I know, AI RAMpocalypse probably has something to do with that.
My Macbook Air running Tahoe is chilling with over 10GB of RAM in use with pretty much just the OS and Firefox with 5 tabs running.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkI'm still deep into The Witcher 3 - Wild Hunt. I've posted before about how this passed me right by when it originally came out, and holy hell, what a great game. I don't think I need to go into...I'm still deep into The Witcher 3 - Wild Hunt. I've posted before about how this passed me right by when it originally came out, and holy hell, what a great game. I don't think I need to go into details on a game with the reputation this one has. It's just damn good.
I'm also playing through Grand Theft Auto 4 on PC, using the fusionfix mod to make it pleasant on modern systems and to restore a lot of the stuff that didn't originally make it to the PC port from the consoles. It still holds up rather well.
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Comment on What's your video game comfort food? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentYeah, for real. There's a couple of CS2 community servers running a version of gungame with community maps, mostly ones imported from CS Source but the player population is super low, unfortunately.Yeah, for real. There's a couple of CS2 community servers running a version of gungame with community maps, mostly ones imported from CS Source but the player population is super low, unfortunately.
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Comment on What's your video game comfort food? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkCounter Strike 2, but only the Arms Race game mode, which is basically insta-respawn team deathmatch where you get a new gun every time you kill an enemy or two, with whoever gets to the knife and...Counter Strike 2, but only the Arms Race game mode, which is basically insta-respawn team deathmatch where you get a new gun every time you kill an enemy or two, with whoever gets to the knife and scores a kill with it first being the winner.
There's only 4 maps in the regular rotation for it and games last maybe 5 minutes.
Feels comfortable like an old shoe.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkAfter finishing Mafia: The Old Country (which I really liked) a couple of weeks ago, I started playing Tomb Raider (2013) on my Steam Deck, as I had to be out of town all last week for work. Given...After finishing Mafia: The Old Country (which I really liked) a couple of weeks ago, I started playing Tomb Raider (2013) on my Steam Deck, as I had to be out of town all last week for work. Given that game's age, it runs like butter on the deck. I'm probably about 4-5 hours in and enjoying it quite a lot. I haven't played any Tomb Raider game since Tomb Raider 1 and 2 on PC back at their original 1990s releases. It does feel very scripted and linear, but that's totally OK with me. My Lara has already got a Rambo-tier body count under her belt, mostly all sneaky-like with bow and arrow.
Now that I'm back home, I needed a new game to get started on my Xbox, which is how I pass the time when exercising in my basement. I settled on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015). It's been in my backlog forever and totally passed me by at release time, and I wanted something big to get stuck into and probably play every morning while I exercise for the next couple of months. I picked it up on sale ages ago and just never got around to playing it, mostly probably because of Gamepass, which I canceled for obvious reasons a few weeks ago.
I'm just a couple of hours in now and only at level 2. It is still very much in early game tutorial mode. This game looks absolutely fantastic for its age, though I am aware that it got some 'next gen' upgrades when the Xbox Series/PS5 came out. I'm just taking it slow and enjoying the world. I'm about to take on what feels like it's going to be the first boss/miniboss fight of the game, where I have to slay a griffin that's been terrorizing a village to gain favor with some occupying military assholes. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentI do, got a nice modern PC at home with plenty of horsepower!I do, got a nice modern PC at home with plenty of horsepower!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkI finished Mafia: The Old Country a few days ago after about 15 hours of playtime. I really, really enjoyed it. I do hope they have the juice to make another game in the series after playing it....I finished Mafia: The Old Country a few days ago after about 15 hours of playtime. I really, really enjoyed it. I do hope they have the juice to make another game in the series after playing it.
One of the voice actors let something slip a couple of weeks ago about the next one being in early development, so that bodes well. Nothing official has been said, though. The way the story ended definitely does offer plenty of scope to continue it in another game.
We need more games like this - mid-priced ($50 in the age of $70-80 AAA games) and mid-length. Not everything needs to be an 80-100 hour behemoth.
I'm on a business trip this week, and brought my steam deck to keep me occupied during down time (and flights), and am playing Tomb Raider (2013) on it. Given the age of that game, it runs like butter on the deck and looks pretty great on that small screen too. I'm a couple of hours into it and enjoying it too. I haven't played a Tomb Raider since the original Tomb Raider 1 and 2 on PC in the '90s, so I was going into this very much blind. I picked up the modern Tomb Raider Trilogy for peanuts in the Steam sale last week, so if I like it I've got the next two in the series to keep me busy too.
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Comment on Indecision: Get a camera despite having a phone in ~tech
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Comment on Indecision: Get a camera despite having a phone in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentI wish that some of the open source raw processing projects would just clone Lightroom's UI. Those years of habit are hard to break.I wish that some of the open source raw processing projects would just clone Lightroom's UI. Those years of habit are hard to break.
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Comment on Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of peace plan to pause fighting and release hostages in ~society
st3ph3n Link ParentImpossible!(if he can refrain from bombing any more countries or civilian boats for the next 12 months).
Impossible!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkI've been playing Mafia: The Old Country for the past couple of weeks and am just about at the end of it now. I have enjoyed it immensely. It is very linear, despite having what looks like a big...I've been playing Mafia: The Old Country for the past couple of weeks and am just about at the end of it now. I have enjoyed it immensely. It is very linear, despite having what looks like a big open world map that the game takes place in, but is tightly scripted and well written, and it looks gorgeous. It is essentially a sequence of linear levels chained together by the story.
As for the gameplay, there's a bunch of stealth mechanics, but usually when you screw up and get discovered you have a good chance of shooting your way out of the situation, especially if you have already thinned the enemy herd significantly enough before you got rumbled. Although, there are a couple of missions were stealth is a requirement and you fail immediately if discovered. I'm not a fan of stealth games normally, but they implemented it well in this game.
The gunplay is pretty satisfying, although the range of weapons is pretty limited. You can carry one knife, one pistol, and one long gun. There are a few pistols and knives to choose from, and a couple of rifles and shotguns. I did find that the pump shotgun was pretty much the most useful weapon type to have on me, as it made aiming easier and was still pretty lethal at medium ranges.
The game doesn't really have traditional boss fights, but there are high-profile enemies that you wind up fighting, and these almost always boil down to a knife fight with the bad guy at the end, with dodge/parry/strike mechanics.
I have clocked about 15 hours on it, and I feel like it is just about the right length. Solid recommend from me if you like a story-driven first-person action game. Also, in an age of $70-80 games it only cost $50.
I played it on Xbox Series X btw.
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Comment on OpenAI’s H1 2025: $4.3b in income, $13.5b in loss in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentI still use facebook for some things (I know, but it is unavoidable in some cases) and the amount of sensational AI slop videos it keeps trying to push into my face is disturbing.I still use facebook for some things (I know, but it is unavoidable in some cases) and the amount of sensational AI slop videos it keeps trying to push into my face is disturbing.
I'm currently reading Dungeon Crawler Carl #6: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride. I've been enjoying this series, having read them one after the other from the beginning until now over the past few months, but it is starting to wear a bit thin. Carl and friends lurch from one extreme situation to the next, over and over. I get that that is the nature of LitRPG, but I think it probably could have wrapped up a book or two earlier. There's one more already published after this one, and at least one more on the way after that.
I'm glad the author found success, and I hear it has even been optioned for TV/movie development. I have also heard that audiobook is the superior way to consume this series, but I much prefer to read text.