insomniac_lemon
@insomniac_lemon@kbin.social
- Comment on Soup 6 months ago:
Aside from cost there's also the issue of law, requiring people die of natural causes beforehand means most people will turn to soup before their brain can have any hope of being preserved.
I have cynicism for lots of things involved here, but if I had the option from some shady person who seems like they are capable and vaguely aligned with me I'd probably take the chance especially if we could make some sort of a post-revival agreement. What a brain (put into a small machine and ideally alongside symbiotic systems) can do for the people who are still alive. Probably with my brain in a jar living in VR until the details are worked out.
And if it doesn't work out that way, well... That's gooood soup!
- Comment on [deleted] 6 months ago:
I just checked, apparently we have a ~16 gallon can (15 7/8ths... Rubbermaid 3541, "Slim Jim" not cheap for plastic) and use 33gal bags. I doesn't seem that much bigger but an overfilled bag will still have room in it when removed (it's useful for last-minute additions on garbage day).
I don't know if you need to go this far, but maybe it is why they still fit the can properly with the not-expected-fit orientation like I described to prevent overfilling. 30gal might work, I guess it seems there isn't much choice here though (otherwise I'd say try 5-10gal higher).
- Comment on [deleted] 6 months ago:
In my house we have slightly oversized trashbags, have the bag oriented the other way (so when you pull the bag out it does not get stuck), make sure the drawstring is over the lip, and this depends on your trash-can but just see the picture. (placeholder text so I can edit a link in for non-Kbin)
- Comment on Had to buy a certain product to use a certain substance and there's a really stupid new law. 6 months ago:
My point is, going by the language in what you linked, the manufacturer you went with sells neither electronic devices nor devices that facilitate the use of any liquids/oils. So it does seem like their dumb policy/cautiousness not them being forced, though I am not a lawyer. Even being strict, if there was a device they sold that fell under the law I think it'd be the torches, as you said if someone has a lighter and material+paper or anything else that's all that's needed for smoking.
I was pointing out another manufacturer (quite popular/known and they only do electronic stuff, but AFAIK nothing for liquid/oils) and they have not bothered with this policy at all. They do allow the customer to request a signature check, but that's all I see.
- Comment on Had to buy a certain product to use a certain substance and there's a really stupid new law. 6 months ago:
I saw that after posting. I'm not sure if the shipping law depends on the product but I got an Extreme Q from Arizer years ago and just checked: there is no mention of a required signature (though being a desktop unit and twice the price, it is a different product).
So maybe you could've just bought from somewhere else, assuming this is the seller being overly cautious and not a wide-sweeping law.
- Comment on Had to buy a certain product to use a certain substance and there's a really stupid new law. 6 months ago:
I think it would just burn the tobacco rather than vaporizing it
I mean if the temperature is set low enough (also convection) it should prevent combustion(/harmful byproducts) for most materials. Like under 200C especially.
Although I'm not sure vaporizing tobacco intended for smoking would taste all that great and smokers generally don't seem to care anyway. Sounds gross to me, then again so does nicotine in general.
- Comment on Had to buy a certain product to use a certain substance and there's a really stupid new law. 6 months ago:
I could see it in the specific case of a cheap (steam) vape pen purchased without debit/bank card off of a general store site. They check the mail and pocket it, get vape juice from somebody. Charge+fill and it's ready with time. Similar for concentrates, portable dry vaporizers (or something like dynavap) maybe a bit less.
A $100+ desktop dry vaporizer purchased from a dedicated website seems like it'd be harder to hide unless parents are really inattentive. Miss the delivery at the door, them carrying it in (+branded boxes), a dedicated spot plugged in, and an almost ritual to properly heat up the glass/material that might give it away (glass clinking, balloon bag filling, fan on/off etc).
- Comment on [deleted] 7 months ago:
I plugged it into Google Lens (top-left corner, with some of the blurred bit in it): https://store.steampowered.com/app/18700/And_Yet_It_Moves/
- Comment on Food Delivery Apps: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) 7 months ago:
I am in USA, so I wouldn't doubt them only restricting it here (or whatever places they serve their paid service, but USA-only is a common thing).
- Comment on Food Delivery Apps: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) 7 months ago:
Fun fact: If you're subscribed to the channel, sometimes full episodes pop up in your notifications. Even if you're too slow to see it before it is removed, you may be able to watch on the YT alternatives. This has happened twice for me so far (the episode this segment was from came up last sunday), though I wouldn't be shocked if this was some marketing tactic.
- Comment on Regressing Emotionally with James Bond | TibsTV 7 months ago:
I've had similar thoughts here, but I'd add also that the remasters also bloat the data of a game massively while also completely cutting out some really smart rendering tech. Like vertex colors in general, but specifically Spyro's vertex color skyboxes.
Similarly was watching reviews on the Medievil remaster and hearing a few people say that they left some glaring design issues in.
- Comment on Gameplay mechanics were also a lot better with more replayability. 7 months ago:
Games back then were pricier - once you account for inflation.
That's commonly said but ignores other economic factors such as income and unspent money.
Though lots of things are better now: the entire back-catalogue of games, more access to review/forums, free games etc. Aside from when video store rental was applicable, early gaming was more take-what-you-can-get (niche hardware/platforms might still have that somewhat).
- Comment on This fan-made HD PC port of Zelda: Link's Awakening is so cool I can't believe Nintendo hasn't taken it down yet 11 months ago:
12 hours ago: https://itch.io/takedowns/2402026
- Comment on [deleted] 11 months ago:
I don't really care (especially when it's older than 2 decades), but when a company (this company especially) issues hundreds of takedowns in 1 batch (and they do this multiple times) I don't think they're evaluating each one at all let alone for any sort of merit/exemption. They have no real reason to do so, that's why I'm saying don't put the target on your back (especially scaling with how much work was put into it).
If anything I'd say I'm at the point where fan content kind of seems too good for companies that treat their users like dirt (and not just those who make fan content). Like that is inevitably going to be someone's introduction into a series, can this giant company not do better than free-time fan efforts? Well, I guess what I'd really like to see is a game that's simultaneously a love-letter to a game/genre yet a hate-letter (diss letter?) to the current owner.
- Comment on [deleted] 11 months ago:
It also doesn't matter how by-the-law they do that if they're still using trademarked terms so will easily show up as a search result when they use a script to do another batch of DMCA takedowns.
I mean unless they have the willingness+time+money to fight a highly-paid team of lawyers in court. (which could happen either way, but it much more likely when it's so easy to find even if it gets 3 downloads)
- Comment on [deleted] 11 months ago:
Easier: Stop using trademarked terms (particularly in this case where it's the original game name) and screenshots of the logo.
It's a multiplier to being caught, and can still result in a takedown even with original assets (for example, DMCA's sky which originally used the M name in the title). The further you distance yourself from trademarks/IP the better.
- Comment on This fan-made HD PC port of Zelda: Link's Awakening is so cool I can't believe Nintendo hasn't taken it down yet 11 months ago:
Including a trademarked term right in the title is the thing that gets most fan projects. It's a multiplier for takedowns, it can't get any easier for companies than running a simple script that just searches Itch/Gamejolt/Github for terms and then doing a mass takedown of the results.
Sure user-added* or redone assets could help, but just distancing the name would help a lot more. Having 100% new assets won't stop a takedown if you use trademarked terms (see DMCA's Sky), and the DMCA system doesn't really discourage overstepping unless somebody has the willingness/money/time to take it to court.
*=image detection could be a thing as well though, so be careful with screenshots especially with a logo
- Comment on Kotaku Asks: How Soon Is Too Soon For A Video Game Remaster Or Remake? 11 months ago:
I mean yeah we're mostly on the same page... but it should be clear that I'm not suggesting crazy detail everywhere, mostly just being a bit more intentional with model design when possible to integrate vertex color (or another old technique, use multiple objects when it means a simpler mesh). And I mentioned Spyro's texture/LoD system which is good, was going to mention sprite usage and also Crash having only 2 textures (shoes, back) but was too wordy (also Crash taking advantage of a linear camera for custom culling and view-specific models).
I'd say it's really good to give variation (and unique-ness) on detail and effects that way every tiny thing you decide to add isn't a fixed workload. Or in some cases the opposite approach, a more re-used/modular design for certain things like characters.
The problem with textures (aside from data w/high-res/high-color, resolution dependency, and workload) is that when you play an older game at modern resolutions (higher internal res or even just a Flash game) the elements that were designed for older resolutions/displays are really apparent next to the meshes that scale perfectly. Particularly if it's a GUI or pre-rendered cutscene (sometimes other random stuff). Textures on meshes can still be a really solid aesthetic for the environment/characters.
Also generative textures might be a potential fix for the drawbacks (see .kkrieger), or something like textures that are designed to be used with an upscale filter (or in a similar way, maybe converting to SDF textures).
- Comment on Kotaku Asks: How Soon Is Too Soon For A Video Game Remaster Or Remake? 11 months ago:
I don't think that's it. For 3D the workflow is already there and vertex colors are powerful (though usually used for shaders or other effects like terrain-based sounds). Even going for Spyro's approach (esp. grayscale textures that disappear with LoD so it's just color) wouldn't be too bad as I imagine its music/voice is actually what takes up the most space (newer audio compression or MIDI-like music would reduce that), though a more minimal/stylized look could make it a lot easier. Certainly some things are more suited for it than others.
I could say a lot of technical reasons for or against this workflow, but I think the biggest is just that it's something that people don't think about or would rather have photorealism or blocky pixels instead (or at least that's a large chunk of the market). Vertex lighting is cool but doesn't have much use over modern lighting (if it did, it'd be very niche) and developers often don't really care about optimization much, instead telling players 'upgrade your PC'.
(admittedly my experience with 2D vector seems less supported as far as editors and AA, though I'm not sure if Godot's clip children feature has an equivalent in 3D or if you'd just need to use meshes/rigging more cleverly... which is fair, I'm not aware of non-skeleton rigging tools in Godot's 2D either)
- Comment on Kotaku Asks: How Soon Is Too Soon For A Video Game Remaster Or Remake? 11 months ago:
Well I have a lot of problems with how people design games so I don't really buy stuff anymore, plus I haven't really seen a lot of stuff that focuses on vector (esp textureless). In other words it's pretty niche even for indie, and discoverability generally isn't great even on the best day.
I'd probably have more luck doing it myself, I've done a few things (meme made with Godot 3.X, 4.0 eye animation, not-yet-in-4.X test of someone elses' PR) but I'm not a dev and I don't have much energy or many ideas.
- Comment on Kotaku Asks: How Soon Is Too Soon For A Video Game Remaster Or Remake? 11 months ago:
Some people might be against them for the reason that they can de-list their old games from digital storefronts. For newer games especially it'd make that hard to compare what was changed.
I guess it's not as relevant with newer titles, but I feel like the classics looked fine (especially with higher internal res which is a good option for emu) and had some really cool tech that gave it a nice aesthetic without it being bloated. So it kind of feels like it's missing the point.
Like with Spyro, a big draw for me is the usage of vertex color including the skyboxes (one example, album). So it went from ~300MiB to 30-60GiB+. I mean sure some old games were designed with raster graphics that look crusty now, but for something like Spyro I'd rather play even a fan _de_make (leaning further into vertex colors) with more fleshed out gameplay (/more content) though too many fan game creators haven't learned to distance even their game titles from trademarks.
- Comment on Do you think that membership into suicide pacts will increase dramatically within the next decade because the world is falling apart at the seams? 1 year ago:
it gives suicidal folks a purpose.
Does it though?
I think that assumes: 0. They are <within viable transportation distance> at the right time 1. They know the viable solution 2. They are capable of enacting said solution 3. It's really just that simple, a real "if everyone carries a bucket" problem not a "faster than we can fix it" problem
Now sure, sometimes it will work out that way especially for the people who have training/experience. Not so much for people who struggle to get out of bed in the morning now, particularly when they may have multiple factors that contribute to that.
- Comment on Do you think that membership into suicide pacts will increase dramatically within the next decade because the world is falling apart at the seams? 1 year ago:
For the cult part, on one hand probably yeah because cults prey on vulnerable people.
But also the religious/psuedoscience aspect(s) might prevent some people from being interested and without that it'd likely veer more towards being classified as a gang/criminal-org. So it probably won't be dramatic.I would say it could be more like a tribe or something similar, but with communities eroded away as they are now I doubt that will work out on a meaningful scale. From the difficulty of being able to provide food and housing (and that's now, before things get really bad) to people who might not be able to "pull their weight" or just general distrust of people on top of other issues like location and transportation.
Any half-decent option will probably spring up organically from people who have some connection already. I'm sure there are plenty of people now who don't have much of anything tying them down but there is neither a destination nor a community or means to get to one. With no information/contact, nothing about that will probably change especially when you think about actual chances things will work out as desired.
Preventable deaths will likely be the more dramatic rise, especially related to heat and natural disasters.
- Comment on [deleted] 1 year ago:
Influencing fun or depending on others for it is one of the reasons I've never really played multiplayer. I see the SS14 update posts on here but I'd rather watch a story (Tex or BoatB) than be a part of crafting one.
- Comment on [deleted] 1 year ago:
I kinda hate the mention of "that's not universal!". That usually isn't even claimed (and factors are usually discussed in long-form videos), and needing to constantly change wording to prevent that gets old for both sides of a conversation (at least that's my experience, most of the time).
For me a lot of the things that make games not fun are things that I can describe. Hunger/inventory management/decent items being rare/underwhelming rewards/backtracking/lack-of-information-or-feedback are the most common that make games feel tedious to me. Often a tiny removal or tweak could go a long way to fix that, but that isn't really even viable in most cases (particularly for me).
I just have stopped buying games because money/purchase regret, though if I were: GPU and storage space(+6-8Mbps internet shared with other people) are considerations that block off many newer games for me (and indie games are not immune to this, particularly with resistance to buying).
That, and anything that's heavy on story or atmosphere I can probably get 80% enjoyment (if not more, because I won't be experiencing the issues) by watching a video of someone else play (particularly someone with a good voice adding their own narrative/spin). A lot of games that I've played were pretty obvious and thus don't seem to have much below the surface.
On a more general note, it often seems like games either expect too much of me or just don't respect my time (and I say that as someone with a lot of free time). And on a specific note, games that are co-op-first often just suck to play single-player.
As for Minecraft, due to the updates I was slowly losing interest until I stopped playing in the 1.8/1.9 era (I had my own resource pack with 1.8 models that kept me somewhat interested, 1.9 broke them). Then you needed to create a Microsoft account.
I've tried different Minetest games and there isn't really a base that I enjoy enough to try modding onto, especially as many go for the same types of things that MC does.
The last thing I bought was a charity bundle more than a year ago (2022 march), there were a few games that I enjoyed but not for long and most of it seems not that great. Since then I've just been playing free games, which again some is pretty OK and a lot of it isn't (it's kind of annoying to sift through it on itch).
- Comment on Why Aren't Games Fun Anymore? 1 year ago:
Well yes, but also lack of money is a big issue for buying games plus the hardware to run said games.
That and being in that situation it's easy to get burned out on buying stuff due to not enjoying previous purchases, or them not having much replay value (sometimes it is possible but tedious in implementation). Also unforgiving/tedious game mechanics in general.
Though personally I think I get about as much enjoyment (or ~80%) watching a let's-play of some games (especially if linear/atmospheric/multiplayer etc, and even more if it's the story-ified or custom goals like ambiguousamphibian's videos) as I would actually playing.
- Comment on Why Aren't Games Fun Anymore? 1 year ago:
Is it though? I highly doubt someone with the "music bad" take would give any examples of things done right let alone newer names (even in the disliked genre) and explain potential production-level problems (beyond surface-level reactions to content/people). They even say that indie games are not as prone to said issues, or that adulthood might play a part. And it's probably less of a universal issue and more of a "why are there so many multi-million-dollar-games that are over-hyped?" much like how box-office movies are often huge-budget "safe" IPs that are more spectacle than substance.
So I'd say it's more nuanced than the title/thumbnail may lead you to believe.
- Comment on 'Wildly more expensive': Workers with in-office jobs spend about $31/day that they wouldn't working from home — here's what employers need to do 1 year ago:
In my defense it was a Mazda 3.
From the collective consciousness I pulled the 2004 Toyota Corolla weighing in at 2,502 to 2,590 lbs. Because certainly there's no other way I would guess the the most average car so on-the-nose. And I have seen the videos about the Honda Insight being good for gas mileage (even back in 1999, it's a hybrid).
I guess actual price, availability, perception, mantenence etc. molds it for most people though.
- Comment on 'Wildly more expensive': Workers with in-office jobs spend about $31/day that they wouldn't working from home — here's what employers need to do 1 year ago:
2,000Lbs is a low estimate. 2,500Lbs assumes they drive a subcompact, 4,100Lbs is the current average weight (and 2004 was already at 4K so I'm not sure if this statistic counts SUVs/trucks or not). Even Kei cars are 1500-2500Lbs (ICE versions being lighter, though there are smaller and lighter cars including 2-person EVs that are under 1K).
I would also add the time spent in a car (particularly in slow/jammed traffic) is also sedentary time (which an office job also likely is) and thus a health issue. So some people buy gym memberships which they must also drive to. If they even have the time/money/energy.
Also lots of bad things to be said about roads(/stroads) and parking lots etc. But the short of it is, they aren't places hospitable for living. Particularly on a hot day.
- Comment on 'Wildly more expensive': Workers with in-office jobs spend about $31/day that they wouldn't working from home — here's what employers need to do 1 year ago:
society must allow for 200lbs of meat to be moved fifty miles per day
And in the US, said transportation will likely make even less sense (in terms of weight, cost, and health/comfort).
