st3ph3n's recent activity
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Comment on What's your video game comfort food? in ~games
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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.
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Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
st3ph3n LinkI suspect my first chariot has long since been recycled into coke cans or something by now. It was starting to fall apart and I traded it in against the next one back in like 2005.I suspect my first chariot has long since been recycled into coke cans or something by now. It was starting to fall apart and I traded it in against the next one back in like 2005.
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Comment on What is your criteria for what counts as a "retro" video game? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkI think anything roughly 20 years old or more counts as retro. Even looking at many PS3/Xbox 360 games now, they feel very different to modern games. There were certainly standout games on those...I think anything roughly 20 years old or more counts as retro. Even looking at many PS3/Xbox 360 games now, they feel very different to modern games. There were certainly standout games on those platforms that advanced the medium towards what we have now, but the vast majority of games were not like that.
A few months ago I played through a bunch of old PC FPS games from roughly that time period - on also fairly period-correct hardware and software - and the differences were stark. Most of those games felt old (like Medal of Honor: Allied Assault), but some, like Call of Duty 2 genuinely still felt quite modern and were leaps and bounds ahead of many of their competitors of the time.
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Comment on iOS26 "Liquid Glass" - is it really such a big deal? in ~tech
st3ph3n LinkI don't get the big deal either. Also it just reminds me of Aero Glass from Windows 7, lol. I've always found MKBHD a bit light on actual technical detail and heavier on hype.I don't get the big deal either. Also it just reminds me of Aero Glass from Windows 7, lol.
I've always found MKBHD a bit light on actual technical detail and heavier on hype. -
Comment on Working on a ~2008 dream gaming computer running Vista (in an old server) in ~comp
st3ph3n Link ParentLegacy Update is the shit. I built a dream Windows 7 system and was stuck in driver signature hell (thanks AMD for not re-signing your old drivers) until I used LU to fix that and several other...Legacy Update is the shit. I built a dream Windows 7 system and was stuck in driver signature hell (thanks AMD for not re-signing your old drivers) until I used LU to fix that and several other problems.
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Comment on US Senate passes Donald Trump’s megabill after pulling all-nighter in ~society
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentMinimap is the feature I wanted most in Expedition 33! I kept finding myself getting turned around after finishing fights, then getting lost going the wrong way.Minimap is the feature I wanted most in Expedition 33! I kept finding myself getting turned around after finishing fights, then getting lost going the wrong way.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkI finished Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a few days ago. It was fantastic. I played it on story difficulty, which was good because I lack skills to get the parry timing down. I'm very much looking...I finished Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a few days ago. It was fantastic. I played it on story difficulty, which was good because I lack skills to get the parry timing down. I'm very much looking forward to whatever Sandfall does next.
I then started playing Metaphor ReFantazio. I played Personas 3, 4, and 5 over the past year, so I kinda know what to expect from an Atlus game. This is a bit different though, not the least because it doesn't revolve around a Japanese high school, instead taking more of a traditional fantasy-setting. I'm only about three hours in, but enjoying it a lot so far.
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Comment on Most US exhibition execs think traditional moviegoing has less than twenty years as ‘viable business model,’ according to new survey in ~movies
st3ph3n Link ParentMany theaters have embraced this now, becoming full on restaurant-like experiences. Like Alamo Draft House, Studio Movie Grill, and I'm sure plenty of others. I think I feel less like I'm getting...Many theaters have embraced this now, becoming full on restaurant-like experiences. Like Alamo Draft House, Studio Movie Grill, and I'm sure plenty of others. I think I feel less like I'm getting fucked over when I pay $20 for some hot food and a drink than when I pay $20 for popcorn and a coke...
These places usually have nicer seating and stuff too.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n (edited )LinkI'm still deep into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and loving it. I'm in Act III now, doing side stuff before I go on to fight the big bad at the end. The side stuff itself is interesting and worth...I'm still deep into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and loving it. I'm in Act III now, doing side stuff before I go on to fight the big bad at the end. The side stuff itself is interesting and worth doing even if you don't need a useful way to level up before the big fight.
They recently patched the game to loosen parry timings and damage and stuff for the 'story' difficulty level, which has really enhanced my enjoyment of it, as I am a low-skill scrub and was having a hard time getting parries right.
I also made a conversation choice at camp that pretty much killed any further relationship progression with one of the characters, which I wasn't aware was a thing in this game until it happened. Oops.
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.