What's on your mind?

[GimmeBACON]

11 hours ago, Milkjetstream said:

Transforming a shed into a house has been both fun and frustrating at the same time. It's by no means a cheap weekend project, but it's better than renting an apartment or moving back home. My other option would've been to get an RV/Camper and convert that into a house.

What's the shed size? Insulation, wiring, plumbing, yeah, that could take a while... though in my experience, three experienced people could tackle that in a weekend.

 

Converting a camper would be my recommendation... but I don't know, your situation is probably different from mine.

[RitualClarity]

On 12/1/2020 at 1:54 PM, FauxFurry said:

I have to wonder how many people think that doctors are not ever in anyone's pocket anymore or why they believe such a thing. They will believe that laws that have long ago been repealed are still in effect but they think that human nature or the laws of reality itself have been re-written in the span of 5 decades or so.

 

There are lots of medical info that has changed over the years. At one time they even gave medical cigarettes to those that had Asthma. It was thought to help .. (and in a way it did for short term effect it had a chemical proven to help loosen the bronchus.  How many times have the medical community told you you can't eat this or that only to change it later. ?

On 12/6/2020 at 5:27 PM, steelpanther24 said:

How old do you have to be to really love (and understand) this great scene?

 

  Hide contents

 

 

At the minimum 40,  50 to above. Unless someone watches lots of old series movies from the 80's (which many are  AWESOME)  I loved that from the very first time I seen it as Battlestar was actually on in re-runs where I live at the same time that A-Team was being played. 

On 12/8/2020 at 3:59 AM, GimmeBACON said:

Just do what I would do... pretend I may have covid ?

Don't even need to pretend.. just state you were exposed. According to the news that is quite believable in most cities and heavily populated areas. You are on 14 days quarantine. however, that would mean that you'd not be able to go to work or what not.. However, if you were possibly exposed most employers wouldn't want you to. I can take a leave from work any time I want.. lol.  (I do have to prove the exposure or other documentation like a positive test to get paid for that time off)

On 12/13/2020 at 4:42 PM, Darkpig said:

Yeah that was my bad. I did a quick look up on how long computers last and that was the answer I got. I never took into account the inability to update a system.

 

A well kept computer could probably last 10 years by my guesstimation but guesstimations don't really cut it as far as data is concerned. I doubt most computers could last 50 years of wear and tear and still be the same. Hence losing my mind. Oh well~

 

NASA and other goverment bodies use extremely old computers to keep the backbone of many of the systems still running.  Some are older than 50 years old. Many are over 30 and NASA is still using computer chips and such from the mid 2000's.  The older computers are actually easier to boot up and get working. Their systems are designed (in my opinion )better with better ROM chips and such that will tolerate years and years of use and even years and years of being turned off. Just look through the net and you will find late 80's, 90's computers ready for sale some of which never even booted. Suprise... they work just as if they did (most of the time) back when they were first sold. Commodore 64, Texas Instraments and other such computers from the late 80s can boot and run. .. Hell even my xbox and xbox 0ne is still clunking along. No problems along with my old Nentendo. (sadly my Commadore died.. from water damage where it was stored. Might be able to be restored but the corrosion needs to be addressed.  There is an active community of nerds and geeks that trade and restore such machines. Many can actually fetch some serous $$$ I have a original Slient Hill game (believe it was 3) which my version was on Ebay for 254 dollars.  I traded  away an old Apple FatMac (like the one in the 1984 commercials but with much more ram) it was cherry .. even had the floppy protector and tag on the bag. The guy (which is a good friend  of mine) still uses it for playing old Apple games. (even with the 8 inch screen lol)

the newer computers are the ones that are shit. The ones that break more often than not. That die in the 3 to 5 years.

4 hours ago, GimmeBACON said:

What's the shed size? Insulation, wiring, plumbing, yeah, that could take a while... though in my experience, three experienced people could tackle that in a weekend.

 

Converting a camper would be my recommendation... but I don't know, your situation is probably different from mine.

I'd be careful of the zoning regs as well. Might spend all that money and end up being forced to remove the entire structure. Not even be able to use it as a shed.

[GimmeBACON]

2 hours ago, RitualClarity said:

Don't even need to pretend.. just state you were exposed. According to the news that is quite believable in most cities and heavily populated areas. You are on 14 days quarantine. however, that would mean that you'd not be able to go to work or what not.. However, if you were possibly exposed most employers wouldn't want you to. I can take a leave from work any time I want.. lol.  (I do have to prove the exposure or other documentation like a positive test to get paid for that time off)

 

I'd be careful of the zoning regs as well. Might spend all that money and end up being forced to remove the entire structure. Not even be able to use it as a shed.

I work manual labor... no paid time off for me, just a reduced schedule due to covid.

 

Yeah zoning reg enforcement varies... but yeah, that's the main reason I wouldn't renovate a shed personally. I have worked on a great deal of demo projects because people wanted to do shit like that.

[La Nitro]

10 hours ago, GimmeBACON said:

What's the shed size? Insulation, wiring, plumbing, yeah, that could take a while... though in my experience, three experienced people could tackle that in a weekend.

 

Converting a camper would be my recommendation... but I don't know, your situation is probably different from mine.

 

It's a 12x24, so roughly about 288sqft to play around with. I've already got wiring done. I started on insulation and currently waiting on a plumber to give me a quote.

[KoolHndLuke]

Man, this year has been an exhausting one! Here's to 2021 being a boring, uneventful ride down easy street. 

 

[FauxFurry]

8 hours ago, KoolHndLuke said:

Man, this year has been an exhausting one! Here's to 2021 being a boring, uneventful ride down easy street. 

 

There is no getting off of this train we are on. We have all got to ride it to the end of the line. Well, that is, unless one is a dog. No dogs allowed on this ride. No birds, either. 

 

[W1cked]

1 hour ago, FauxFurry said:

There is no getting off of this train we are on. We have all got to ride it to the end of the line. Well, that is, unless one is a dog. No dogs allowed on this ride. No birds, either. 

 

 

That's why we'll dodge paying the fare and sneak into the Bistro! I always wanted to eat free train food ?

[FauxFurry]

The release of Cyber Punk 2077 got me thinking about other similar Cyber Punk setting and the themes explored through them. That in turn set me to ruminating over all of the science fiction that precedes it and their visions of the future, both optimistic and pessimistic.

Doing so once again let me better appreciate the ones which did not stray too hard towards utopian or dystopian visions while also providing entertainment of its own kind when considering those visions of digital El Dorados or Hell.exe which were too out-of-sync with real world science and even basic mammalian psychology.

 

Seeing the notion that the average work week of the future would be reduced to a few hours just because of the invention and implementation of labor saving devices into work places being bandied about in the Jetsons was just precious. I'd take that kind of wide eyed positivity over the delusional assertion that every other person from any other group who is not in total agreement with one's own group will inevitably try to wipe it out (if for no other reason than that type of fiction has been so very overused of late. It is never couched in a riveting narrative of any kind, either).

 

I wonder which current bit of fear mongering in fiction set in the future will become the new Soylent Green, The Day After Tomorrow or The Stepford Wives. 

 

[GimmeBACON]

 

[landess]

I just picked up Death Stranding - on sale 50% off. Having completed a Cyberpunk 2077 play through and decided to take a chance.

 

I was hesitant because: Fuckin' internet and Youtube stupidity - so tired of everyone shitting on stuff because it doesn't fit nicely into their own little box, and the others whom jump on the train for clicks.....

 

Now I got that out of my system, yeah I'm liking it a LOT. Without spoilers I'll say the graphics are very impressive. the 5 or so characters whom use real life people got passed the uncanny valley and are 98% photo real. The environment is well done - the story reminds me of something else (a cgi movie I've seen). I started play offline, but after a while I decided to go online and it turned out to be a good decision or my experience would have been completely different (increasing 'difficulty' and/or time to do 'things').

 

After shutting it down and reflecting on what the game shows me, I realized what I've been doing is probably the most clever thing in a while. A walking simulator? Please......

 

Kojima has given me the most discussed and used tropes in the video game industry, wrapped them in a new package and made them interesting and fun. I was engaging in everything people complain about in games without realizing it, and it kinda blew my mind.

 

Cut Scenes - Normally I get annoyed with long cut-scenes, but here they feel absolutely necessary.

Fetch/Delivery Quests - Who doesn't like these? Everybody it would seem - yet here they are the means and not the end.

Crafting - Yep don't forget to craft stuff to help the game experience.

Gathering - This is incorporated in a way that also feels organic and not so much grind like.

 

I'm not far enough along (somewhere near the end of Act 3 I'd guess) to know everything the game has to offer, but the so called 'walking' part is designed so travel is something the player must take seriously, and can have serious effects on a players success. Balance, route selection, pathing, and several other objects or strategies will also have a direct effect of a players experience. I would say 'simulation' perhaps best describes the game, but that would be selling everything that isn't game mechanics short.

 

I picked up Metal Gear Solid 5 on extreme sale for my first Kojima title, and after one and a half hours of cut-scene induced story intro and tutorial I was more than annoyed. Why did I choose to try Death Stranding, especially with all the internet salt? Perhaps it's because I'm learning - REALLY learning - that most of the negative being spewed in reviews is nothing more than spoiled children stomping their feet and others joining in because it gets them attention as well, which ends up having absolutely NOTHING to do with reality. I guess the same goes for hype and glaring reviews of happiness. It's mostly all opinions - and you know what they say about opinions......

 

Oh, that's another one... Tutorials - Death Stranding's tutorial is so long as to not even be realized as one because the player is so caught up with being turned loose while having scripted encounters and story elements being absorbed that by the time one realized the first couple hours were indeed a tutorial, it feels more than justified. More Kojima cleverness - I'm beginning to see why this guy is venerated.

 

 

[landess]

On 12/22/2020 at 6:34 PM, FauxFurry said:

the ones which did not stray too hard towards utopian or dystopian visions while also providing entertainment of its own kind

Tank Girl?

 

 

   

[KoolHndLuke]

On 12/30/2020 at 9:17 AM, landess said:

I picked up Metal Gear Solid 5 on extreme sale for my first Kojima title, and after one and a half hours of cut-scene induced story intro and tutorial I was more than annoyed. Why did I choose to try Death Stranding, especially with all the internet salt? Perhaps it's because I'm learning - REALLY learning - that most of the negative being spewed in reviews is nothing more than spoiled children stomping their feet and others joining in because it gets them attention as well, which ends up having absolutely NOTHING to do with reality. I guess the same goes for hype and glaring reviews of happiness. It's mostly all opinions - and you know what they say about opinions......

Actually if you read all the little stuff you pick up on your journey, through reflection on the past in game, Kojima and team seem to comment quite alot on current affairs and internet shenanigans by people after the Death Stranding event to figure out what was good and what wasn't so much and I find myself agreeing with most of it. It's damn interesting and I'm glad I picked the game up.

 

P.S. wait till yu discover zip-lines- that shit's a blast!

 

I'm feeling strangely optimistic about the new year. Let's hope we're not disappointed.

[La Nitro]

I actually prefer the weapons durability in Breath of the Wild. It makes you try out every weapon of the game and forces the player to actually think about how and when to use the right weapon instead of relying on the same sword and shield for the entirety of the game. I will be genuinely upset if BOTW 2 doesn't have this feature.

[FauxFurry]

18 minutes ago, Milkjetstream said:

I actually prefer the weapons durability in Breath of the Wild. It makes you try out every weapon of the game and forces the player to actually think about how and when to use the right weapon instead of relying on the same sword and shield for the entirety of the game. I will be genuinely upset if BOTW 2 doesn't have this feature.

Is that so. Well, here is something else to ponder on that particular topic as well as possibly give you a chuckle or two.

 

[FauxFurry]

The concept of Virophages is what is on my mind at the start of this new year. Rather than rely on weakened or inert forms of viruses to build up an immune response, would it not be novel to shoot oneself full of ravenous microorganisms out to eat other microscopic lifeforms that they find to treat any potential viral infections? 

Nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan, could there?

[Darkpig]

12 minutes ago, Milkjetstream said:

I actually prefer the weapons durability in Breath of the Wild. It makes you try out every weapon of the game and forces the player to actually think about how and when to use the right weapon instead of relying on the same sword and shield for the entirety of the game. I will be genuinely upset if BOTW 2 doesn't have this feature.

I try out different weapons regardless. I used to like the durability system but not so much any more. That said It is always fun planning out your battles with limitations in mind. This is why natural health regen bugs me in videogames. With health regen you run to a corner and wait to heal. It just isn't fun. Instead they should give the player a small hand full of med kits or sprinkle them throughout the level or both. The limited med kits makes it so you have to plan out your encounters instead of going in Rambo style and it means you are actively playing the game instead of hiding in a corner.

[MadMansGun]

 

[GimmeBACON]

Speaking about durability... This clip made it's way back into my recommendations, and god damn it, I miss weapon degradation in fallout. They had it with power armor, so why not?

 

[FauxFurry]

1 hour ago, GimmeBACON said:

Speaking about durability... This clip made it's way back into my recommendations, and god damn it, I miss weapon degradation in fallout. They had it with power armor, so why not?

 

Gear Degradation was something that BGS added to the Fallout series so it was not exactly a mainstay of the series that the diehards would want to hold onto. 

[27X]

21 hours ago, FauxFurry said:

The concept of Virophages is what is on my mind at the start of this new year. Rather than rely on weakened or inert forms of viruses to build up an immune response, would it not be novel to shoot oneself full of ravenous microorganisms out to eat other microscopic lifeforms that they find to treat any potential viral infections? 

Nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan, could there?

The Brethren Moons approved this message.

[GimmeBACON]

2 hours ago, FauxFurry said:

Gear Degradation was something that BGS added to the Fallout series so it was not exactly a mainstay of the series that the diehards would want to hold onto. 

Perhaps, but personally I liked the degradation system as it made me feel like I was scavenging and DIY'ing my gear like an actual scavenger. Though I'd have done it a bit more like Metro Exodus's weapon repair... instead of just smashing two 10mm pistols together, take parts from one, add them to the better one, and than have the weapons degrade over use and you need to keep them in operating condition, or they'd jam, be inaccurate, etc.

 

Regardless, the spectacle of an energy weapon essentially blowing up mid-game would have been a cool feature.

[FauxFurry]

10 minutes ago, GimmeBACON said:

Perhaps, but personally I liked the degradation system as it made me feel like I was scavenging and DIY'ing my gear like an actual scavenger. Though I'd have done it a bit more like Metro Exodus's weapon repair... instead of just smashing two 10mm pistols together, take parts from one, add them to the better one, and than have the weapons degrade over use and you need to keep them in operating condition, or they'd jam, be inaccurate, etc.

 

Regardless, the spectacle of an energy weapon essentially blowing up mid-game would have been a cool feature.

If the sequel to Breath of the Wild is set in the high era of high tech for Hyrule, then you just might get to see that. 

[GimmeBACON]

Finally got around to checking out some Cyberpunk gameplay (the commercials didn't wow me to begin with) and... It's just a fucking reskinned GTA.

[Darkpig]

1 hour ago, FauxFurry said:

If the sequel to Breath of the Wild is set in the high era of high tech for Hyrule, then you just might get to see that. 

BOTW has magical robots so I don't see why not. Wouldn't be surprising if some sword's enchantment exploded before it fizzled out.

[FauxFurry]

18 minutes ago, Darkpig said:

BOTW has magical robots so I don't see why not. Wouldn't be surprising if some sword's enchantment exploded before it fizzled out.

It might be interesting to see how close to a Light Saber some of the weapon designs in a possible sequel can be before Disney thinks about suing for copyright infringement. Exploding at the point of failure or flickering out might make them different enough to pass legal muster.