The_Picard_Maneuver

The_Picard_Maneuver, 10 days ago

Public opinion seems to be souring on all the big corporate social media sites, and I truly think if we’re able to get the word out about federated social media platforms, people will jump ship.

Also, it’s hard to dislike a platform that isn’t showing ads, selling user data, or generally making decisions for the enrichment of shareholders.

The_Picard_Maneuver, 10 days ago

I deal with this too. I’ve accepted that there’s a sweet spot for the types of games I enjoy, and I generally stay in that zone.

First, the short-term gameplay loop has to be rewarding enough, which cuts out a lot of tedious “shopping list of waypoints” type of games and ones that are heavily story-driven with boring/tedious gameplay in between story beats.

Second, the upper limit needs to be right below the Skinner-boxes of dopamine traps. No gachas, no games with daily grinding, and I try to mostly stay away from MMOs these days. I know that I’ll get trapped in the dopamine loop and play them, even if I’m not actually having fun.

The_Picard_Maneuver, 10 days ago

It depends on what you’re into, but I love turn-based tactics/strategy games, so the XCOM series (and the numerous games influenced by it) are top notch for me. I like the gameplay loop of completing turn after turn, with the ability to easily get up and do something else if I get distracted at any time.

For more of an action game, my favorites are the Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring, etc. The challenge is unmatched, and there are no waypoints or quest logs to make you feel like you’re mentally juggling a dozen tasks at once (which I find exhausting and off-putting). I like being able to just pick up the controller and simply know that I need to make progress in that direction.

I do also enjoy competitive multiplayer games, but I haven’t liked the direction that those have gone in recent years: with battle passes, dailies, and grindfests, I’d rather avoid getting trapped in that FOMO cycle, so I don’t have one that I play at the moment. (Unless you count online chess, lol)

The_Picard_Maneuver, 10 days ago

I hope you enjoy your evening affairs, Mr. Bringsteen.

The_Picard_Maneuver, 11 days ago

Nobody gets it. Better luck next time.

The_Picard_Maneuver, 11 days ago

I’m just now seeing it, wtf