For example, I am terrible at Super Meat Boy, but just playing it has really improved how I play platformers and games that need faster imputs overall.
Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament. In my opinion, these are still two of the greatest games of all time. You don’t get better because your character or weapon is better. You get better because you put in the practice. you improve your reflexes. You learn the arena. Every player starts every match on an even playing field. Every frag feels like an accomplishment.
I appreciate that modern shooters are trying to do something different with every iteration. But stuff like call of duty, overwatch, or destiny never captures that magic. In many ways, they felt more like slot machines.
Halo got close, but I always felt it was too slow. And also, I felt Tribes was the better series for online play that felt similar. 
I did. I feel like it overpromised it underdelivered. Mostly, I’m not too thrilled about the character and weapon designs. There’s a lot of UI elements that were taken right from Overwatch. 
Yeah. I think there’s a lot of room for a Arena FPS Revival, especially for console players who are sick of the monetization and slot-machine point mechanics from games like Call of Duty.
I think the Quake 2 Remaster sales and rave reviews say plenty to that. There’s decent online play too.
Quake 3 Remaster could be perfect for the 25 year anniversary next year.
To me, it seems objectively easier to pull into a parking space forward and then back out of the space when you are ready to leave. You don’t have to line up with the lines while driving backwards, and it’s easier to keep from hitting other cars as well. So why back in? To me, the only advantage I can think of is that you...
I have a private parking spot off street in a city. I don’t like backing up towards the main road; since it has pedestrians and stuff. It’s a little harder to see.
So I back into the spot. It’s way easier than backing out - and pulling out is even easier. 
My work parking garage is already really tight. It’s another situation where backing in is easier than backing out - and driving forward our is even easier. So just some planning.
A few days ago we informed you that Quake 2 Remastered appeared in the South Korean age rating system, which could advance an announcement at QuakeCon 2023,
I don’t think there’s a single piece of media that impacted more as a kid. The visuals, the gameplay, the music. Good god, the music.
A quarter century later, I work part time in music production (ghost writing, gaming OSTs, ads, etc). It feels like everything I do is trying to recreate the magic of that Quake 2 soundtrack.
Funny enough, I haven’t actually played Quake 2 since my teens. I’m not even sure if I ever beat it. So I’ll be looking forward to this.
Just bought a great CPO car a week ago, so… I’ve never cleaned it.
But in general, I use steering wheel covers that I change maybe once a year.
I don’t drive that much, only like once a week. My wife also drives it once a week (we share). In the winter, we often wear gloves. So it doesn’t get too grimey.
The subway here is how I commute to work or enjoy nights out. If it’s super late or I’m lazy, an Uber will pick up the slack.
There’s nothing wrong with having a preference. At the end of the day, when you adopt a pet - you are saving their life and dramatically changing yours. How you come to that choice is deeply personal. It doesn’t matter if it’s superficial or whatever, least of all to the cat. As long as you give them love, warmth, food and shelter.
 I don’t really have a preference on breed, I just care of they’re sociable and friendly. I do have a preference for girl cats. My dearly departed cat was a girl, and my wife’s cat (very much alive) is a dude. Love him, but it’s not the same.
So no, it’s baked-in the DNA of how we survive. We group to fight threats. Early days, that threat is protection from hostile wildlife like bears.
You scale that to a modern civilization - and you have groups of people fighting for resources, food, money, opportunities, land, etc. Sometimes they’re gangs. Sometimes they’re entire countries. Sometimes they’re groups of allied countries.
And heck, you see it in stupidly small scales too. “Coke v Pepsi”, “N64 v PlayStation”, “Rock Fans v Disco Fans”.
Sunni and Shia believe 98% of the same stuff. But the bit they don’t agree on pushes fringe lunatics to terrorism, war, ethnic cleansing, etc.
Same deal with Protestants and Catholics.
The only thing could make us drop “us versus them” mentality is a giant alien force more violent and sick than anything you can imagine.
Just something I was talking about with the wife this evening. She says that our house is not natural and used the phrase “out in nature”. But lots of animals build nests. And are we not animals just doing the same?
Nature - by definition, are things found in the physical world that aren’t human creations.
Modern homes require electricity, clean running water, modern insulation, glass, smoke detectors, town governments oversight, corporate resources, insurance, etc. All of these things are human creations.
Man-made is similar to hand-made. Both are distinct from machine-made.
Nature is a bit of a spectrum. Something being handmade is closer to natural than something from a factory. Still, neither are natural.
I’m not making a philosophical or physiological distinction.
I’m making a semantic and etymological one.
Nature, as its defined in the English language, is used to describe things that aren’t human creations.
Sometimes it’s used to describe things that, even if manipulated by humans, is distinct from an artificial, chemical or industrial process. Like “natural remedies”. Sometimes it’s just a marketing term, “natural flavors” in a soda brand.
Humans categorically can’t be nature - because we use the word “nature” specifically to distinguish our own creations from the rest of the world.
A human can choose to live in nature, meaning they’re living in a place that is plurality not man-made. An cabin in an unplanned forest, versus Midtown Manhattan. But even then, the human is the not-nature thing. They’re only surrounded by it.
Of course, validation is helpful for people that feel depressed or sad. Dark lyrics speak to a listener and remind them that they’re not alone in their struggle.
Having those connections confirms that their experience, thoughts and feelings are a fundamental (albeit challenging) part of the human condition. The song brings those ideas to the forefront where they can be processed.
When done correctly, moody music is an effective instrument of catharsis for the writer and listener.
I am 18 and till this day I have never been inside a cinema, its not like i dont watch movies. I watch movies on amazon prime, but recently I was thinking of watching oppenheimer(sorry if theres a spell mistake), should I go to cinema (Its not about the movie its about should i try going to a cinema) ?? And if yes then should i...
The smaller independent theaters are a nice old timey experience. Most venues have a better sound system than anything most of us can afford - so that’s a good improvement. There’s something romantic about the whole thing, I don’t know. You see a movie the way the filmmakers intended, and being part of an audience, all gasping or laughing together can be powerful.
Big theater chains like AMC are no worthwhile for me. They’re always riddled with unruly teenagers. Like half the time, they’ll be snickering during serious scenes or whatever.
I mean, give it a try. You might like it. You might hate it. It’ll cost you like ~$18 to find out. Not that much.
Was there even a mass exodus? I largely avoid Reddit now, but I do kind of doubt that they’ve been hurt in any meaningful way by all the protests and people leaving…
I have an issue where I push too hard to be equal in all things. This leads to me asking to reciprocate oral sex when it is offered even when my partner just wants to give but not receive....
Because if you’re anything like me - then giving is the gift. I’m someone that feels validated and valued when I bring someone joy. And if I’m given an experience that I can’t share, then I’m filled with a sense of guilt. If you feel similarly, you should communicate that to your partner.
And also, I’ve been in your position.
Assuredly, your partner would feel pressured to ‘enjoy herself’ and/or give equal feedback if you ‘must’ reciprocate.
That’s a vulnerable feeling and it can be awkward. If she doesn’t ‘get there’, she’d feel like she’s dismissing your effort. So she’s trying to focus on ‘getting there’ under pressure, which creates a negative thought loop that confirms her fears. It’s just easier to do something else.
You have a loving partner that’s worth appreciating. The way each of you show and receive appreciation is different. She’s telling you very clearly that she does not need to be shown in the way you want to. So I recommend finding something else.
Maybe you could cook up a nice breakfast, give her a foot rub, watch one of her TV shows, that kinda thing.
Samuel L. Jackson believes that excessive editing ruined a performance that was worthy of Oscar consideration. In a new Vulture profile, Jackson said he thought his performance in Joel Schumacher&#…
How many people in the US have “been on tv”. There Isaacs got in my hometown who’s whole identity is that he was a contestant on a committe cooking show. I’m trying to gauge how common it is for a random person that you might meet at a bar to have been on TV. By this I mean:...
She has a small claims case against a mechanic or something. She lost, but was paid a per diem for her time that was similar to the amount she was seeking anyways. She says good things about meeting Judge Marilyn Milian.
My friend didn’t seek being put in the show, she was approached by the producers when she showed up to the courthouse. Said, “why not”.
I recommend downloading Discord to join an English Language Learning server.
The voice chat rooms allow you to speak with real people to improve your listening comprehension. The text chat rooms will improve your reading and writing.
There are many native speakers there that enjoy helping, myself included. It’s not “gamelike”, but nothing is better than talking to real people - I’m sure you’ll find value in it.
My wife works in a restaurant, and the power-tripping manager has instituted a new policy where all shift changes must be approved by management. I think that is reasonable enough, but they’re also asking the originally-scheduled employee why they are switching shifts, then approving or denying based on the answer....
Whats it say in the employee handbook regarding time off?
It’s not the manager’s job to decide if someone’s personal obligations are necessary or not. It’s their job to assure there is coverage and the work is complete.
If the employee is abusing the shift-change timeoff policy, that is a different story.
If the manager is the owner, it may be a good idea for your wife to freshen her resume.
For me it was Jeff Kinney. I was meeting a different author I love, but there wasn’t enough room downstairs and we had to go up. Turns out that’s exactly where Jeff Kinney works! He’s the author who got me into reading so I thought that was so cool
Maybe Louis CK before all that stuff. Twice actually. He was nice, and a bit shy each time.
I met a lot of other comics. Hannibal Burress, Judah Freidlander, Jim Jeffries were all favorites. All seem very genuine.
For musicians, I guess Victor Wooten is the most famous. That was really magical. He was exactly as I hoped, dude is a natural teacher.
Actors… I ran into Adam Scott (Parks and Rec, Severance) when I was quite drunk (and on a date) many years back. We were both in line at a speakeasy ramen restaurant at like 11PM.
I don’t think I met any politicians or other kinds of famous folks.
So i have (i think) no mucical talent becasue in school i was always bad at music classes and was behind compared to others also i coudent stand all the noises going on. im not sure why but i wanted a keyboard pinao becasue i like the way they sound, once i got one i tried to have some folks teach me but i imeditly got...
Firstly, remember that learning music is basically learning a new language. So be patient.
Piano/keyboards are great because of low-cost of entry. You can find second-hand instruments in all sizes (25 key up to 88 keys) on Craigslist or Reverb for as low as $50. If it has MIDI or USB, you can hook it up to your computer and control endless downloadable virtual instruments - and/or record it easily to write songs.
It’s an ideal instrument to learn theory. I recommend getting a roll of masking tape and labeling all the keys until you memorize them.
Guitars are more fun, IMO. They’re portable. You don’t have to learn as much theory to get started and it’s certainly less formal. Some of the best guitarists around don’t really know what they’re doing - they’re just feeling. You don’t get a much of that with piano.
Guitar is all about awkward hand positions and building muscular memory around that. I never know what note I’m playing half the time when I play guitar - I just know the positioning.
The downsides is maintenance. Guitars require tuning before playing, changing strings periodically, etc. There is a higher cost of entry. A lot of new players buy terrible quality cheap guitars with unchanged strings and get discouraged by the poor sound and feel.
Ukeleles are generally cheaper and it’s easier to get a good sound. They work similar to guitar and you can figure out the basics fairly quickly.
Yeah. What’s cool about guitar is that there’s really no wrong way to play it.
I’ve been playing for 15 years, and the way I pick is not going to be the same as the way my friends pick. Or, like - I have one friend whose left handed. But he doesn’t play a lefty guitar, he just plays upside down… without changing stringing (so his high notes are on top now). It’s weird, but he plays incredibly.
Ukelele has some drawbacks. It’s a comparatively thin sound that doesn’t work well as an accompaniment for a lot of singing. It’s also much harder to go from Uke to Guitar than Guitar to Uke. It’s a bigger climb if you feel the range isn’t enough.
A mini acoustic travel guitar could be a better alternative. Small fretboard so your hand doesn’t have to stretch as much.
I’m male aged 19-22, I have an older brother about 4-5 years older (giving age ranges for better anonymity). Relationship is… not good (read: it’s terrible, horrifyingly terrible, arch-nemesis). How about you?
We didn’t really get along when we were young. Fought over things - games, TV remote, CD player, etc.
But when he left for college, we grew closer. He still lived nearby, and my folks encouraged us hanging out. It was sort of an escape. Home life wasn’t great, and he and his friends were fun. He was around for a lot of my pivotal life moments. When I finally got to college, I moved in with him as roommates. Worked well.
We’re friends, basically. We have very different personalities - but we understand each other very well.
Now we live in different cities, hours apart. He’s married with a kid. I’m married and childfree. We see each other a few times a year. We text and call regularly.
How have you successfully gotten over a breakup? I did not end the relationship and it was the most significant of my life. I feel confused and trying to understand why. I’m not sleeping well and my anxiety has decided to resurface. I’m ruminating. I don’t have many people to go to about this. Please don’t say I will...
When a relationship ends, you’re watching something die. You will have to grieve, like you do for any death. Not just grieving for the end of the relationship, but grieving for all the lost opportunities.  The trips you haven’t taken together, things you haven’t said to each other, the family you never make together.
Unfortunately, it sucks.
These things take time to process, understand, learn from, and eventually move forward with.
You need to adjust to a new normal. And that new normal should be busy. Schedule regular gym visits, classes, language learning, book club, cooking, guitar time, whatever. Productive routine is important and it will help stabilize you.
Sometimes, the pain you feel will be greater than you built in resources for dealing with pain. This is when you add professional counseling to healing regiment. Please sing feel too proud for therapy. Even online therapy companies like BetterHelp are a great resource.
Go out of your comfort zone and say yes to being with people. Invited for after-work drinks, or a birthday party you don’t really care about… go anyways. You don’t have to talk to them about the breakup, just being around others will help you feel less alone.
Also, do a little house cleaning. Rearrange some furniture, get some new clothes, change the rug - something so what you see marks a clear before and a clear after. Take a vacation if you have some PTO and resources. You don’t have to spend any money or go anywhere. Just go to a park and chill on a bench. Relax a few minutes a day.
At a certain point, will be looking forward to tomorrows more than you look back at yesterdays. It could be weeks, months, but it’ll be a sign you’re ready to date.
What are some video games that made you a better gamer?
For example, I am terrible at Super Meat Boy, but just playing it has really improved how I play platformers and games that need faster imputs overall.
People who back into parking spots: Why?
To me, it seems objectively easier to pull into a parking space forward and then back out of the space when you are ready to leave. You don’t have to line up with the lines while driving backwards, and it’s easier to keep from hitting other cars as well. So why back in? To me, the only advantage I can think of is that you...
Gov. Healey declares state of emergency in response to migrant crisis (www.bostonherald.com)
Quake 2 Remaster will be announced and released next week during QuakeCon 2023 (gamerkick.com)
A few days ago we informed you that Quake 2 Remastered appeared in the South Korean age rating system, which could advance an announcement at QuakeCon 2023,
(Follow-up to "How often do you clean your phone"): How often do you clean your steering wheel? 😬
I just noticed how disgustingly sticky mine is. #blech
What's your favorite colour of cat? Also, is it morally wrong to choose a cat based on color?
This is not meant to be discriminatory. Every cat is beautiful, but which which color do you personally prefer?...
can you recommend me anime to watch?
edit: feel free to reply no matter how old this thread gets!...
Will humanity ever be able to overcome that tribalistic instinct of "us vs. them?"
The way I see it that instinct is the cause behind so much suffering and injustice in the world.
What’s the difference between natural and man made?
Just something I was talking about with the wife this evening. She says that our house is not natural and used the phrase “out in nature”. But lots of animals build nests. And are we not animals just doing the same?
Does listening to music with dark lyrics make you feel better when you're depressed?
Why is that?
I never went cinema, should I try it now ?
I am 18 and till this day I have never been inside a cinema, its not like i dont watch movies. I watch movies on amazon prime, but recently I was thinking of watching oppenheimer(sorry if theres a spell mistake), should I go to cinema (Its not about the movie its about should i try going to a cinema) ?? And if yes then should i...
Is there any evidence that Reddit has suffered at all from the exodus to Lemmy?
Was there even a mass exodus? I largely avoid Reddit now, but I do kind of doubt that they’ve been hurt in any meaningful way by all the protests and people leaving…
18+ looking a gift horse in the mouth
I have an issue where I push too hard to be equal in all things. This leads to me asking to reciprocate oral sex when it is offered even when my partner just wants to give but not receive....
Samuel L. Jackson Claims Strange Film Editing May Have Cost Him Academy Award Consideration (deadline.com)
Samuel L. Jackson believes that excessive editing ruined a performance that was worthy of Oscar consideration. In a new Vulture profile, Jackson said he thought his performance in Joel Schumacher&#…
How many people have “been on TV”
How many people in the US have “been on tv”. There Isaacs got in my hometown who’s whole identity is that he was a contestant on a committe cooking show. I’m trying to gauge how common it is for a random person that you might meet at a bar to have been on TV. By this I mean:...
An app to improve English?
I’m looking for an app or website to help my so improve her English....
Wife's boss is on a power trip. Is this legal?
My wife works in a restaurant, and the power-tripping manager has instituted a new policy where all shift changes must be approved by management. I think that is reasonable enough, but they’re also asking the originally-scheduled employee why they are switching shifts, then approving or denying based on the answer....
Who is the most famous person you've ever met?
For me it was Jeff Kinney. I was meeting a different author I love, but there wasn’t enough room downstairs and we had to go up. Turns out that’s exactly where Jeff Kinney works! He’s the author who got me into reading so I thought that was so cool
What are the best instruments for a beginner to pick up?
So i have (i think) no mucical talent becasue in school i was always bad at music classes and was behind compared to others also i coudent stand all the noises going on. im not sure why but i wanted a keyboard pinao becasue i like the way they sound, once i got one i tried to have some folks teach me but i imeditly got...
Do you have a sibling? What is the relationship like?
I’m male aged 19-22, I have an older brother about 4-5 years older (giving age ranges for better anonymity). Relationship is… not good (read: it’s terrible, horrifyingly terrible, arch-nemesis). How about you?
Getting Over a Breakup
How have you successfully gotten over a breakup? I did not end the relationship and it was the most significant of my life. I feel confused and trying to understand why. I’m not sleeping well and my anxiety has decided to resurface. I’m ruminating. I don’t have many people to go to about this. Please don’t say I will...