st3ph3n's recent activity
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n (edited )LinkI'm currently playing the 2022 PC release of Judgment, originally released for PS4 in 2018. This is a game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the people behind the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, and if...I'm currently playing the 2022 PC release of Judgment, originally released for PS4 in 2018. This is a game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the people behind the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, and if you're comfortable with those games then you know pretty much exactly what you're in for.
It is set in the same old Kamurocho as many of the Yakuza games. The ridiculousness is toned down a bit, with this being supposedly a detective story, but you are a detective who still solves most problems by getting into brawls with street thugs and Yakuza. There are some new mechanics added, such as stealthily tailing suspects, lockpicking, and using a drone to surveil some bad guys, etc.
I'm about 25 hours into it and thoroughly hooked, just like I thought I would be. This setting and gameplay loop just really works for me.
I have already bought the sequel (Lost Judgment) and will be playing that next.
Side note, this game works excellently on Linux under Proton. I'm playing it using an 8bitdo Ultimate 2 wireless controller. The game strongly recommends that you use a controller to play it, though it can be played with keyboard and mouse if you wish. I haven't even tried that, because I played through all of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games on console with a controller, so that's what I'm used to for this type of game.
-
Comment on US condemns 'unnecessary escalation' after Israeli airstrikes on Syrian airbase in ~society
st3ph3n LinkIf the US government really condemned anything Israel was doing all they would have to do is stop funding them to the tune of billions of dollars of cash and weapons, but they don't, so they don't.If the US government really condemned anything Israel was doing all they would have to do is stop funding them to the tune of billions of dollars of cash and weapons, but they don't, so they don't.
-
Comment on Meta is adding ridiculous ‘rate limits’ and a soft paywall to its smart glasses in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentThey're probably bleeding cash like a stuck pig thoughThey're probably bleeding cash like a stuck pig though
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n LinkI’m currently addicted to Forza Horizon 6. Im a long time fan of the Forza series, having played every game since Forza Motorsport 2 on the Xbox 360. This is my first time playing any of them on...I’m currently addicted to Forza Horizon 6. Im a long time fan of the Forza series, having played every game since Forza Motorsport 2 on the Xbox 360. This is my first time playing any of them on PC, and on an unsupported operating system to boot (Linux). It was a bit rough getting it running properly with various combinations of proton versions and parameters to fiddle with, but it does work and that includes multiplayer.
I just really enjoy the Forza Horizon gameplay loop. The cars feel great to drive, there’s tons of them, lots of different events to partake in, and of course the Japan setting for this instance of the game is what the fans have been asking for for years, and I think they really did a great job with it.
It still has some of the usual Forza quirks, like fugly human models and cringeworthy bits of dialog, but that’s totally unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
If you liked previous Forza games or you just enjoy racing games that are a bit more arcade than sim then give it a shot. It’s fun.
-
Comment on Commodore Callback flip phone in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentFunnily enough the walkie talkie feature has disappeared from the beta version of WatchOS 27, so it's days may well be numbered.Funnily enough the walkie talkie feature has disappeared from the beta version of WatchOS 27, so it's days may well be numbered.
-
Comment on Rolls-Royce will build small nuclear power plants for Sweden in a major boost for the British engineering group's ambitions to lead the development of the nascent technology in Europe in ~enviro
st3ph3n LinkI hope to see more of this tech deployed, especially now with the crushing demand spike from AI data centers.I hope to see more of this tech deployed, especially now with the crushing demand spike from AI data centers.
-
Comment on What radicalized you? in ~talk
st3ph3n LinkBeing in a junior management position in a large company after years as just an individual contributor and seeing the slimy shit they do that proves they don't care about their employees at all...Being in a junior management position in a large company after years as just an individual contributor and seeing the slimy shit they do that proves they don't care about their employees at all has made me into quite an anticapitalist.
Layoffs and stock buybacks at the same time?! Sure! We love our people! How are YOU driving shareholder value today? Ugh.
-
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
st3ph3n LinkI'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...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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
-
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.
-
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...
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
You hit that particular nail on the head. I love the actual driving mechanics in Forza Horizon, but goddamn everything is so... safe. Risk-averse. Sanitized. Even the 'street racing' seems to be completely sanctioned and above board, just with traffic NPCs, lol.