st3ph3n's recent activity
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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.
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Comment on The "standard" car charger is usually overkill in ~transport
st3ph3n Link ParentAt the construction phase you don't need to go to the expense of buying an actual EVSE/charger. Just get the higher capacity circuit installed in the garage at that time. It's way cheaper to do...At the construction phase you don't need to go to the expense of buying an actual EVSE/charger. Just get the higher capacity circuit installed in the garage at that time. It's way cheaper to do when the walls and stuff aren't already up than coming back later and tearing them up.
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Comment on Layman's escapades with Linux for personal use in ~comp
st3ph3n LinkTry Fedora 42 next. It was very much an it-just-worked experience for me, although I don't have an nvidia GPU. I had similar success with Mint before that.Try Fedora 42 next. It was very much an it-just-worked experience for me, although I don't have an nvidia GPU. I had similar success with Mint before that.
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Comment on Digg’s founders explain how they’re building a site for humans in the AI era in ~tech
st3ph3n Link ParentUh, I have some bad news for you on that front...Uh, I have some bad news for you on that front...
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentI'm deep into this game too, and enjoying it very much. I think I'm approaching the end of Act II right now. I have to say I'm not a fan of the dodge/parry mechanics myself, and I think that if...I'm deep into this game too, and enjoying it very much. I think I'm approaching the end of Act II right now. I have to say I'm not a fan of the dodge/parry mechanics myself, and I think that if the 'story' difficulty option was not available I probably would have ragequit by now. I seem to have a very hard time getting the timing right for parries, and for some of the tougher bosses it is basically a necessity to beat them.
Besides all that, though, I love it. Such a well-realized world, and they are not afraid to do big, impactful things with the story.
The systems in the game can get very complex, especially the character builds, but like you said there's no need to minmax to progress, and I largely have just been sticking with what I've got until I unlock something new that's compelling enough to make me dive into the menus and start tweaking.
I say all this as someone who recently played through Personas 3, 4, and 5 and liked them, especially P5 Royal. I can see the appeal of the dodge/parry system and the QTEs, as it makes the combat somewhat more engaging. I just wish there were some accessibility options to tweak how tight those windows are.
Overall, awesome game and you should play it. Also it is on Gamepass if you happen to have that.
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Comment on How Counter-Strike took over my life in ~games
st3ph3n Link ParentWhat really made CS2 accessible to me, an adult with a job who can't spend 40 hours a week to get good, was the availability of the arms race and deathmatch game modes. Those just allow me to run...What really made CS2 accessible to me, an adult with a job who can't spend 40 hours a week to get good, was the availability of the arms race and deathmatch game modes. Those just allow me to run and gun like the good old days, and I instantly respawn rather than waiting for a round to end. After all these years, the gunplay in CS is still top notch.
Ooh, intriguing! Thanks for the link.