Wes's recent activity

  1. Comment on CGA-2026-01 🕹️⛵🛡️ REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in ~games

    Wes
    Link
    I didn't play through Wind Waker this month as I did so just a year or two back. It's a great game, though, and one that offers a level of openness unlike any other. True, OoT and Majora's Mask...

    I didn't play through Wind Waker this month as I did so just a year or two back. It's a great game, though, and one that offers a level of openness unlike any other.

    True, OoT and Majora's Mask offer you a great field to explore, and on N64 hardware they certainly feel expansive. Wind Waker however let's you go anywhere. I loved that sense of freedom and discovery. The waters felt just open enough to allow you to get lost, but with enough points of interest along the way to keep you engaged. You'd often stumble across little islands with treasure, challenges, or secrets to uncover.

    I do remember getting a little lost in some of the dungeons. The environments were larger, and I felt the puzzles weren't quite as telegraphed as in previous games. Though I don't mind a little friction in a video game, and I don't think I ever needed to specifically look anything up. Though I did admittedly get stuck on the final boss for a while. The weak point of Puppet Ganon is its tail, but I was distracted by the arrow pointing at its head. Cheeky game.

    I wouldn't say any of the dungeons specifically stood out to me or were that memorable, with the exception of Dragon Roost Island. Despite being an early dungeon, I loved the visuals, the sense of scale, the story beats, the epic boss fight, the grappling hook, and that brilliant theme song. Great dungeon overall.

    There's a lot of optional content in Wind Waker, but I think most of it is discoverable without guides. The game offers direction with its charts and hints, or even the Tingle Tuner if you've got the hardware for it.

    I originally played Wind Waker for the GameCube, but had only borrowed the game and so hadn't completed it. My more recent playthrough was the HD version, which did add a few niceties. I didn't mind the slight change in art style, and most of the changes were quality-of-life things to smooth out the rougher parts of the game. Though I'm not sure if I liked the more powerful sail. It was convenient, but I liked the sea being a little bit of a threat. Maybe it could've been broken down into multiple upgrades throughout the game, or moved to a later point.

    One thing I really enjoy about the Zelda series is how experimental each game is. They create a new identity for each game, making major changes to gameplay, tone, and even genre (talking 'bout you, Zelda II).

    Wind Waker is no exception. A game about piracy and sailing is completely unique in the franchise. And of course, the unique toon cel shading stands out as well. The game still looks gorgeous today, regardless of if you're playing the original or HD remake. Everything from the visual effects, HUD, and even the sound effects help support that unique aesthetic.

    It stings me a little bit to think of anything from the GameCube era as being "retro", but I guess I need to accept that truth now. So yes, Wind Waker is a solid retro game. It may have been a little controversial on release, but it has long-since shaken that off and earned its reputation as a fan favourite.

    5 votes

  2. Comment on The assistant axis: situating and stabilizing the character of large language models in ~tech

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I agree that their posts often require a skeptical eye, but their research often delves deeper than most, and they certainly provide more insight into the process than most other AI labs at this...

    I agree that their posts often require a skeptical eye, but their research often delves deeper than most, and they certainly provide more insight into the process than most other AI labs at this time.

    You can ignore the tag source.anthropic if you don't wish to see these posts.

    10 votes

  3. Comment on On being officially classed as a robot in ~tech

    Wes
    Link Parent
    It's a nice community. I hope you enjoy your time here. Self-promotion is okay as long as it's not the main focus of your account. We have some good docs for explaining the ethos of this place....

    It's a nice community. I hope you enjoy your time here. Self-promotion is okay as long as it's not the main focus of your account.

    We have some good docs for explaining the ethos of this place. Also check out the theme switcher in your Settings. Many find the default white to be blinding, but there's some nice alternatives (I like Atom One Dark).

    8 votes

  4. Comment on My favorite media of 2025 in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Hrmm... Since you seem to enjoy puzzles and deduction, I'd like to recommend The Forgotten City, which I played during our Tildes Backlog Burner event back in November. The game features a time...

    Hrmm... Since you seem to enjoy puzzles and deduction, I'd like to recommend The Forgotten City, which I played during our Tildes Backlog Burner event back in November.

    The game features a time loop mechanic and has you uncover a mystery. You learn more by talking to different people each loop, or using trial and error to test different outcomes.

    I thought it was absolutely brilliant, and I went back and finished the game after the event. I even completed each of the possible endings. If you've not played it yet, give it a go next time it's on sale (which it is now, at various storefronts).

    2 votes

  5. Comment on My favorite media of 2025 in ~games

    Wes
    Link
    It seems like we share a lot of common interests, so I've added some of your favourites to my wishlist/backlog. Strange Jigsaws looks like a good time for a low price, and while I somehow missed...

    It seems like we share a lot of common interests, so I've added some of your favourites to my wishlist/backlog. Strange Jigsaws looks like a good time for a low price, and while I somehow missed The Studio completely, I'll check it out as I love Bryan Cranston.

    Good list, and congrats on the adoption!

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of January 11 in ~games

  7. Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I had good luck by putting testificates into a boat, then hauling them on a horse with a lead. They can be moved up one block gaps, and across rivers. It seems much easier now than the old way of...

    I had good luck by putting testificates into a boat, then hauling them on a horse with a lead. They can be moved up one block gaps, and across rivers. It seems much easier now than the old way of moving them via rail lines.

    1 vote

  8. Comment on Microsoft wants to replace its entire C and C++ codebase, perhaps by 2030 in ~comp

  9. Comment on Tildes Minecraft - Get hyped countdown thread in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Prism Launcher is what most of the modded community uses now. I can't speak for the Modrinth Launcher, but I expect that would work just as well if you're interested in a Modrinth-hosted modpack.

    Prism Launcher is what most of the modded community uses now. I can't speak for the Modrinth Launcher, but I expect that would work just as well if you're interested in a Modrinth-hosted modpack.

    7 votes

  10. Comment on Elite Dangerous discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link
    If you're an Elite Dangerous player, remember to grab the items on giveaway this month. They've all been revealed now, and are available to redeem until January 8....

    If you're an Elite Dangerous player, remember to grab the items on giveaway this month. They've all been revealed now, and are available to redeem until January 8.

    https://www.elitedangerous.com/store/catalog/promo/festive-giveaway

    3 votes

  11. Comment on CGA-2025-12 🏴‍☠️🏝️🍌 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    This was very gratifying to read, because you just named basically every thing that stumped me, too. I also completely forgot that the compass was magnetic, and the text of the navigator book....

    This was very gratifying to read, because you just named basically every thing that stumped me, too.

    I also completely forgot that the compass was magnetic, and the text of the navigator book. Clever puns, but when it's 5 hours of gameplay later, the wordplay isn't so fresh. I had to use hints at both of those points.

    I also missed the nose on the totem pole for ages. The only reason I was able to get that one is because I tested every single other scene on the island, and found that the monkey only followed you to the idol. So I knew it had to be somewhere nearby. Needing to use the "Pull" action made it so much more difficult to find.

    The pirate's feet were hard to notice, and I don't think they showed different text on hover. I only got that one because the feather was given so recently, and tickling feet with a feather is a bit of a trope.

    I agree with you that the remastered graphics were often less clear. They also trolled me hard at one point. There were two giant X's on the map of Monkey Island in LeChuck's room -- one pointing at the monkey shrine, and one pointing towards the middle of the jungle. Stuck trying to reach the key, I trekked all the way out to see if I could find something at that spot. After returning empty-handed, I realized the map locations weren't even included in the original art. It was an embellishment from the new art team. "X marks the spot", my foot!

    3 votes

  12. Comment on CGA-2025-12 🏴‍☠️🏝️🍌 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Indeed. It's for that reason that I did my best to avoid using hints or looking anything up. I did invoke the game's hints in a couple places, not wanting to be stuck for weeks or miss this...

    The thing about games like this is, once you know the solutions you can never experience the feeling of your first playthrough again.

    Indeed. It's for that reason that I did my best to avoid using hints or looking anything up. I did invoke the game's hints in a couple places, not wanting to be stuck for weeks or miss this thread, but I did want to treat my only blind playthrough with some respect. I'd not have wandered around that cave for an hour otherwise.

    At one point, it was both amusing and frustrating to be staring at a banana tree, having tried everything I could think of to shake the thing, finally giving in and using a hint, just to be told "You should try getting a banana from that tree".

    If I were to check out the other games in the series, I think I'd be more willing to use hints now. Or to even consider watching a methodical Let's Play that shows the game off. I do place value on a blind playthrough, but because it's not a genre I really enjoy, it's more a question of getting something out of it than not playing at all. Still, I was glad to do it "right" at least once.

    IMHO in terms of gameplay Monkey Island is flawed, but notably better than all (most?) of the other point-and-click adventures of its era. That’s the important context for evaluating it.

    I totally get that. I understand that many early P&Cs could be cruel in misleading the player, requiring twisted logic, and making them backtrack hours if they missed something early on. Monkey Island had none of that.

    In a way, I can appreciate masochistic design in the sense that it forced people to work together, with ideas and rumours spread throughout communities of gamers. There's a certain shared struggle that is no longer present in today's games. It creates stories, and bonds people and places.

    At the same time, approaching something like that as an individual sounds like an exercise in frustration, and I don't think I'd have the patience for it. I'm glad that the design of most games has become more inclusive and accommodating over time. In no small part thanks to games like Monkey Island, I'm sure.

    I’ve been raving a bit about the Ultimate Talkie Edition but I think it’s just the way you’d like to play. Pixel graphics + voiceovers. The best of both worlds.

    Yep, I get it now. If I ever do a replay, that's how I'll do it. Also, while I liked the fuller fullscreen of the remastered graphics, having the verb menu be permanently available would actually save a lot of clicking.

    2 votes

  13. Comment on CGA-2025-12 🏴‍☠️🏝️🍌 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games

    Wes
    Link
    I'm no adventure gamer, but I was curious to know what all the hubbub was about with this one. I've seen so many references to Monkey Island over the years that it really felt like a cultural...

    I'm no adventure gamer, but I was curious to know what all the hubbub was about with this one. I've seen so many references to Monkey Island over the years that it really felt like a cultural touchstone that I wasn't part of. I'm glad to have finally played through this game to see it for myself.

    I bought the Special Edition on Steam. I know it's the less "authentic" experience, but I figured it would be more accessible than using ScummVM, and that it might be cool to swap between graphics modes. I quickly found that I preferred the pixel art of the original, but then missed the voiced dialogue of the remaster. I mostly stuck to the remaster, but never quite got used to Guybrush's dumb haircut.

    On the whole, I enjoyed the game, but didn't love it. I found myself getting frustrated at points. I got properly stuck probably five times in my playthrough, and spent a large amount of time retracing my steps, combining random items, or testing different verbs out.

    Sometimes I just missed a visual cue. It took me ages to spot the Fort on the overview map of Monkey Island, as there weren't glowing lights to mark points of interest like on Mêlée Island. I also missed the climbable wall at the river fork for an embarrassingly long time.

    Some puzzles did feel a little unclear as well. Early on when a seagull was guarding a fish, it was only by complete accident that I clicked on a loose plank to scare it off. I saw no visual indicator there. Later, when Guybrush comments, "Those luscious, juicy bananas look ready to fall off!", I expected to be able to shake the tree, not to need to build a catapult.

    The biggest miss for me was near the end, during the cave sequence underneath the Monkey Idol. I spent roughly an hour trying to figure out how the room logic worked. I came up with various theories about how to decipher the symbols that appeared in each room, trying things like assigning numeric values to them and considering how they interact. Apparently the answer was "Just leave and talk to the cannibals again", which I found very unsatisfying.

    I generally enjoy puzzle games, but I think I feel more frustration with adventure games because I never know if I have all of the pieces I need. Should I keep hunting around the island to pick up random detritus, or continue sitting here, twiddling my thumbs, trying different combinations of things?

    That said, I did think some of the puzzles were very clever. I really liked making the soup in Act 2. It was fun to determine the substitutions for items, like gunpowder for brimstone, or a Jolly Roger's flag for a human skull. I had a good laugh when I finally worked out that my final ingredient, a "live chicken", was actually of the rubber variety.

    I think Act 2 was my favourite, but Act 1 had some great moments as well. The sword fighting in particular was a lot of fun, and a super original idea. There was a bit of frustrating RNG in finding the right insults/retorts, but thematically it just fit the game so well. I do wish we'd seen more sword-insulting later in the game, though.

    Act 3 was the weakest for me, for a few reasons. There was a lot more travel time, and I began to tire of watching Guybrush trek across the jungle or paddle around. I also had so much junk accumulated by this point that it made some of the puzzles feel unfocused and random. "Can I use this staple remover on a posted notice? Nope... it's never the dang staple remover."

    I do appreciate that the game didn't have any true fail states. At worst, it may have included hints in dialogue that were non-repeatable. I did make plentiful notes as I played, though, and some of them even proved relevant later on.

    Even if the gameplay didn't work for me, I still really enjoyed the theme and creativity. The writing was genuinely hilarious, and the constant quips, wisecracks, and throwbacks were what really made the game memorable for me. I think my favourite gag was the pirates having a long conversation about tossing a knife that was "used in a felony" into the water, only to abruptly decide otherwise and walk away. Hysterical, and worth having the voiced dialogue on for.

    Even many of the fourth wall breaks felt well-done, like the "No animals were harmed" disclaimer after poisoning the poodles. There was a lot of self-aware humour, and many cute references to other LucasArts games too. By the way, have you played Loom™? It's an extraordinary adventure with an interface of magic, stunning, high-resolution, 3D landscapes, sophisticated score and musical effects. Beat the rush! Go out and buy Loom™ today!

    Ahem.

    So to summarize, I didn't click with the adventure gameplay, which is disappointing but not unexpected. However, I still greatly enjoyed the character, writing, and general charm this game offered. Best of all, I learned how to run my mouth off while sword fighting like a true pirate.

    5 votes

  14. Comment on The truth about AI (specifically LLM powered AI) in ~tech

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Even if one doesn't have the hardware to run a high-level model like that, there's many hosted alternatives available such as OpenRouter. Since the models are freely available, companies need to...

    Even if one doesn't have the hardware to run a high-level model like that, there's many hosted alternatives available such as OpenRouter. Since the models are freely available, companies need to compete on price to host them, and as a result it's actually pretty affordable to use even the best models. R1 is famously cheap to use.

    Realistically though, smaller and flash models still work great for a large number of tasks. The big models are really only needed for difficult problems. Think major refactors, not boilerplate.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on The truth about AI (specifically LLM powered AI) in ~tech

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I'm not sure who the ruling class is in this hypothetical (OpenAI?), but if the last three years have proven anything, it's that there is no moat when it comes to models. There's dozens of good...

    I'm not sure who the ruling class is in this hypothetical (OpenAI?), but if the last three years have proven anything, it's that there is no moat when it comes to models. There's dozens of good open-weight options available, allowing for all kinds of use cases that were thought impossible just a few years ago. And you can run them now, on your own PC.

    Check out GLM Air, DeepSeek R1, GPT-OSS, Qwen, FLUX.2, Phi 4, and all the other great open models. There's no need to be reliant on any cloud service.

    4 votes

  16. Comment on Five browser extensions to make every website more useful in ~tech

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I understand Grammarly is popular with students. Many colleges and universities make it available to their students for free. I'd find it a little heavy for conversational use, but for more...

    I understand Grammarly is popular with students. Many colleges and universities make it available to their students for free. I'd find it a little heavy for conversational use, but for more serious writing I'd appreciate having a review pass.

    As a heads up, you can set the default search engine, as well as custom search keywords in almost all browsers. So you may be able to drop the Kagi extension from your lineup.

    7 votes

  17. Comment on Tildes Book Club 2025 retrospective in ~books

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I'm seeing with 20/20 vision for the first time in my life. :)

    I'm seeing with 20/20 vision for the first time in my life. :)

    3 votes

  18. Comment on Tildes Book Club 2025 retrospective in ~books

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I can't believe I didn't mention Born a Crime in my comment. You're right, that was an incredible story. I'm not normally one for autobiographies, but I very much enjoyed it. I had corrective eye...

    I can't believe I didn't mention Born a Crime in my comment. You're right, that was an incredible story. I'm not normally one for autobiographies, but I very much enjoyed it.

    I had corrective eye surgery in February, so all I could do was listen to audiobooks for a week or two straight. I finished that novel, plus all three Lord of the Rings books that month.

    3 votes

  19. Comment on Tildes Book Club 2025 retrospective in ~books

    Wes
    (edited )
    Link
    As for me, I was able to participate in about half the threads and enjoyed each book we selected. I'd say Hyperion was my standout novel, as I immediately went on to read its direct follow-up (The...

    As for me, I was able to participate in about half the threads and enjoyed each book we selected. I'd say Hyperion was my standout novel, as I immediately went on to read its direct follow-up (The Fall of Hyperion).

    I also intend to revisit the Bobiverse series, which others members have raved about. I think they'll be good palette cleaners for me, read between other stories.

    Finally, I really enjoyed Stories of Your Life and Others. I hope to read more of Ted Chiang's works, including Exhalation, which was suggested by @kfwyre in the discussion thread.

    For 2026, I'm most looking forward to reading Nabokov. I find his style of writing particularly beautiful, and I'm excited to experience that with others.

    e: Typo

    3 votes

  20. Tildes Book Club 2025 retrospective

    ~books Ask
    Here we are at the end of another year. This was our first full year of the Tildes Book Club, so congratulations are in order for reaching this milestone. Currently we're taking a well-earned...

    Here we are at the end of another year. This was our first full year of the Tildes Book Club, so congratulations are in order for reaching this milestone. Currently we're taking a well-earned December break, until we return in January for more.

    This year saw us reading more variety across both fiction and non-fiction, covering scifi, history, autobiographies, and short stories.

    Here are some stats for 2025:

    • Books Read: 11 (18 if counting short stories)
    • Total Pages: 3,919
    • Participants: 50 unique users (134 total participations)
    • Total Comments: 456
    • Nominations Submitted: 55
    • Nomination Votes Cast: 233

    The superlative awards:

    • Most Discussed: Hyperion (68 comments)
    • Deepest Discussion: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (averaged 5 comments per person)
    • Longest Read: The Ministry for the Future (563 pages)
    • Shortest Read: Elder Race (199 pages)
    • Oldest Read: Cat's Cradle (published 1963)

    The full list of 2025's discussions can be found here:

    Much thanks as always to @boxer_dogs_dance for organizing this club for us. We have a great lineup for 2026, including renowned authors like Kafka, Nabokov, and Pratchett.

    Feel free to share your favourite Book Club reads from 2025, or what you're looking forward to in 2026.

    14 votes