LadyCrimson

//google// Ah. I guess by the time I'm 70 I'll be desperately trying to take apart and fix 15+ year parts etc to keep them going. For only gaming (say a few/multiple years from now), I'm still wondering if Steam machine would be good enough for me at this point - I don't even care if it costs $1600, still cheaper than $7-$10k. I have a feeling they won't think it's successful enough ("too expensive") and we'll never see a Steam Machine 2, tho. I mean, they upped the price of next steamdeck recently I think, and ppl having fits over that already.

^ I meant, I don't like putting logins over wifi. Not saying I've never ever (mostly with a few game fora, a few times), but I don't like it. And if we get to the point where everything re: the net wants face-ID, fingerprints, retina scanning or whatever, I'm out. You'll never "hear" from me again.

Besides what Gifted said, in recent times I usually look at the Fling trainer site for simple stuff like that. I used to use some others like wemod but they all started to require register/login etc. Fling (so far) seems to be the place for direct d/l of each individual game trainer, vs. a service app with access to all those trainers in one app. At least, for the moment. EDIT: I mostly use them for temp infinite health/stamina but one-hit kills is pretty standard too. So far the ones I've tried work with no 'net cable to PC, no login etc.

Project Hail Mary - -I wanted to read it because I wanted to maybe know more re: Rocky (as an alien) and the astrophage and such. I was satisfied in that regard. :D -I didn't realize it was 1st person narrative. This makes perfect sense - eg not a complaint of quality or something - but it makes it harder for my "words into visual" brain because I'm always aware that "I" am not the book character and it takes me out a little in fiction novels. Not sure why, really, just is, for me. -The writing style is a little too staccato. Constant shorter sentence structure. I feel like I'm reading "Spot runs up the hill." "Spot sits down and enjoys the view." "Spot runs down the hill." That is ofc an over-exaggeration - but it's another factor that pulls me out of books a little. It's an issue I have with many authors, actually. That said, it is a good novel. Outside of main beats, quite different from the movie ofc - there is humor, but it's not as pronounced as example, and not as vicariously/emotionally affecting perhaps. Generally speaking a good/fast read. Well, fast for me - I started it around 10:30pm and finished around 4am, then went to sleep. :D So taking away my own reading idiosyncrasies, I'd definitely recommend. Oh - re: Rocky/species - even while watching the film, I was vaguely reminded of the non-humanoid lifeforms in Alan Dean Foster's Sentenced to Prism. Not saying the same, absolutely not - but I wonder if PHM's author ever read it. :D I think my main attraction re: the story was Rocky - not just for the cute/funny/emotion but in terms of hypothesizing other possible evolution/structure vs. squishy bipedal human-like. Probably often my fave aspect of many sci-fi novels.

I'm still occasionally getting the logged in/logged out syndrome. Not often/every time. Like today. Repeatedly hitting back/forward and reloading pages is fine/works after a bit. I've had it in both WoT and the Computer Console section. Doesn't bother me a lot personally since I no longer "live" on the fora (haha) - just mentioning it.

I remembered (one reason) why I haven't gone for the digital book buying yet. Needing an app to view it on tablet. eg, more logins. Grumpy old fart who doesn't want to register/login/javascript on tablet/wi-fi etc. I think you can read it through webbrowser via normal Amazon login, but that kinda defeats the purpose of it being portable. Not reading a novel on monitor/TV sitting in my desk chair. Paper it is. Wanted to buy/read Project Hail Mary. EDIT: purchased. Says it should be here later tonight. I'll believe it when I see it, but -- all righty. :D

I'm sure it will - at least to a point. I'm very dubious that will actually = nvidia/pc-gaming hardware market suddenly not being continuously garbage. At least not within the next 15+ years.

Crimson Desert - ok, they're up to 1.08. Based on patch notes, it's getting pretty close to where there's enough QoL and other tiny changes I wouldn't mind having/seeing - in a new playthru. I still want my initial playthru to stay as is but I'm just so slow with it. Not only because game is big, but because I don't play tons of hours per day etc. I don't plan on doing "everything" in 1st playthru (so a 2nd would still have tons of things I've never done/seen yet) but even so, I'm a snail I guess. Hoping to push myself to at least finish the MQ in a week or two, then maybe patch 1.10 is where the chapt. 3 save comes in and that's the one I'll play "forever". :D Also, I did end up buying/installing Space Haven. I haven't launched it yet tho. So I now have a backlog of --- one. Haven't even turned on CD for a few days, just one of those weeks.

Watched Project Hail Mary. It does drag a bit in the middle section, they could've cut 15 minutes here/there from whole film, but Rocky is adorable and there was a lot more humor than I was expecting, which was great. The scenes soundtrack/sound design was great. Somewhere in the middle I was thinking "the humor and main chr. sure reminds me of The Martian, in some ways." Later when I googled, yeah, book, same author, plus same screenwrite adapter. No wonder. :D Not as good as The Martian - especially re: the science-babble - but still good.

This (and other general trend news etc) just confirms for me that whatever super overpriced system I may build in a couple years, is likely going to be the last one I ever build, given my age and grumpiness re: online/AI/"apps", service/subs/own nothing, and all of that. And no I don't think AMD is really any better, company wise, and the Intel Arc hopes seems slim to none by now. It's all going to garbage re: gaming, which is the only reason I ever built major desktops anyway. I mean for general desktop use I personally could still get away with my ancient Win7 desktop PC that sits in a closet. Also - Jensen is an out of touch rich boi tool at this point, who should just stop speaking.

I'm sure no one cares - and there's probably tons of YT videos on the topic - but just reporting that after 6 years (more or less) my LG OLED TV still has zero burn-in or even temp. ghosting issues. Caveat being I use it in an always heavily darkened room so I don't have to compensate for brightly lit spaces. Still wouldn't use one for a constant 24-news/stock ticker or 1 program open 24 hrs for weeks/months, screen, but risk re: general desktop/browser use and daily hours of gaming seems super low. Just put taskbar to out of sight unless hovered over, use a single-color background or screen saver if you want, stuff like that. Dunno why I bring it up - the thought came to my mind and here I am typing it. I'm just like that. :D

Never felt like I would get into Rimworld, but for some reason Space Haven looks appealing. Maybe because it's in space and you're building a spaceship/space encounters/trading etc and that suits me more. The learning curve is probably high tho, which as is often the case these days, I'm no mood for right now - I want it because it's on initial sale but it would break the "don't buy unless you're going to play" rule. It is cheap tho - I could buy it, play it for 15 minutes, then exit/wait six months (they'll probably patch it more anyway). Then I wouldn't be breaking the rule, right. It's apparently been in early access for a long time, but I only noticed it now, with its out-of-ea launch. Anyone here tried it already?

Byrne at 74 - still amazing. And ok, Colbert dancing in the outfit was cute.

Last time I remember (gas) fuel efficient cars being even remotely semi-popular in US was the 70's crisis period, pushing into the '80's. (I remember sitting in gas lines with my mother). Then they got bigger/hungrier again. Man my mother was so proud of her new, tiny, late 70's Toyota Corolla hatchback with 30+mg freeway/mid-upper 20's town, vs. the giant family Ford station wagon. Heh. Some states (not many) are around 18-20% ev registration I think, but I think the only way the majority US masses are going to switch to hybrid/all electric (especially if their only vehicle, vs. a commuter secondary, say) at a rapid or non-yo-yo pace is if their wallet makes it impossible not to do so - eg, perm. very high gas prices or other costs. I hardly drive anymore + I really dislike modern vehicle designs/computerization. But maybe I'll get a hybrid when I'm 70+, if my license hasn't been revoked by then. :D

Do you guys still buy books once in a while? Paper, I mean. At this point reading on a device would probably be slightly easier - vs. holding a smaller book or bigger book on a lap - but I can't quite make myself do it still. Plus ofc not taking up physical space would be nice. But I get too obsessive (like I am with all things) and read even giant novels quickly. Buying books (in any form) was and would become fairly pricey, fast. There's the library, but then I would lay them somewhere and forget about returning them until "well, you bought it now" charges. Hahaha I have five brain cells left.

More like 400, maybe even 500 more hours, I've decided. I've reached the point where I don't always play every day, but there is always something to do, and previously "cleared" areas pop up with new stuff periodically, from MQ or other actions, as well. And I still haven't even come close to fully exploring the map or finishing all faction side quests etc. I did also make my "chapt 3 starter save." They've reached patch Version 1.07.00. Still haven't updated - sure there's a few (largely cosmetic) things I'd like but they're not important. I might be ready to try updating when they reach 1.20.00. Because they probably will in a few months. ;p And yes, still love/hate. Most of the time, I can focus on what I love. But sometimes -

Sorry, missed that. If you mean the scene with an aged chr, yes. Wasn't really additive for me, although it's fine it existed. :) I think most of us have at this point been trained to FWD to see if there's anything in the credits. Which is yet another reason to not see movies in theaters. EdIT: Hubby and I were always the ones who immediately stand and zoom out of the theater. Occasionally credits with nice art/animations or bloopers evenly spread out/to the side I might watch. Giant scroll of text for 10+ minutes, not so much.

@Bartimaeus Yes, he does go over many of those theories. Including motion (hunting) vs. color and pattern (gathering). I think outside of the house (store/shopping), of which I/other have no personal control, it's more that stores move and re-order things around constantly - even within the same aisle, and maybe men (average) have a harder time noticing/figuring out how things have moved. "One sees but does not observe." Based on only hubby/a few others, I also wonder if men just devote less brain/memory to remembering anything that isn't immediate survival/future plan/survival, and/or their absolute favorite thing/s plus already long-term auto-habit established. Like beer label vs. label of condensed milk, or a tupperware of meatloaf. Or despite being told/reminded 100 times, it'll take hubby 6-12 months to recall and actually remember/USE something like "if you don't want to go outside re: cans/bottles, just put it in this big plastic bin I've put on the kitchen counter." (eg, they remain put everywhere all over the kitchen, still). Where at some point much later, hubby will say something like "when did you put that there? That's a good idea." 😄

Alternate title: "Refrigerator Blindness." I chuckled a lot. There's some seriousness/info cited/talked over too, but mostly I chuckled. Some of the YT comments made were also hilarious. EDIT: Hubby: "I can't find (item), I've looked and looked they must be out." Me: (marches over to store aisle/shelf) "It's right there." (points) Hubby: "Where? I don't see it." Me: (grabs item, holds it up) "Right here." Hubby: " .... "

It was on HBO, so I watched Greenland 2. A film that absolutely didn't need a sequel, and which I honestly barely remember outside of the barest premise, but whatever. For a post-apoc. type plot, and as a sequel, it's actually not the worst. It's of course definitely more fun to watch it in company (my spouse) so you can poke fun at illogic/contrivances, obvious chr/plot direction, and such. Still, we didn't turn it off, so make of that what you will.

Finally watched Sinners. I liked the first half or so quite a bit. The actual vampire standoff was ok but seen too many similar stand-offs, whether horror or other, so can't really become too invested by such anymore, outside of any humor bits. Cinematography and the music/score - the way they used music/singing in the movie, not just the background score - were excellent. Acting was good. My cranky old self would probably give first half an 8.7 and the latter half or so 7.

Saw a video clip of Phill Collins, where he sat down at a drumkit, held/hit with the sticks a few times then said "that's enough." He's 75 and looks/stands like 98. Guess he's had health/surgery/nerve issues and retired long ago. Wasn't a huge Genesis/Phil fan, but loved some of their big radio hits of the time - so seeing him like that made me a little sad. Which led me to some of his live performances re: drums. Which led me to other famous drum rift/beat videos, until I reached Wipeout (The Surfari's) - now that's a classic. Some people like rock guitar solos, I like bass and drums. Anyway, dropping this here today. Still one of the best drum breaks/fills around and perfectly used/placed in the song. Song isn't bad either. Thanks for the memories, Phil.

Wake up early, feeling motivated, gonna get some stuff done! a couple hours later "What great weather, sitting lazily out here in my patio chair with my tablet is definitely a better use of my time." I need a better patio lounge chair.

I looked it up again, and I don't see anything that's changed very much. https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/drm Steam client has a wrapper dev's can use. They do not claim it is anti-piracy, and recognize it's more of a simple anti-freely-share with dozens of your friends, that can be easily circumvented. Steam recommends using other/3rd party drm on top of their wrapper, or "enhancing" legit copies with steam features that only work with legit Steam-purchased, to make having a legit copy more desirable, like achievements, trading cards, Steam's sever online-MP, etc. I'm pretty sure everything else is 3rd party, eg the current AA/AAA dev-popular Denuvo. The main ez-short test, last I knew, is to rename steam folder and the steam.exe and try to run games via the game exe to see if it'll run if game thinks Steam isn't there. There are many user-sourced sites/lists re: steam-drm free titles, whether they were initially or maybe removed later - but most of these fall into the moderate to very old, certain indies/devs, or somewhat obscure titles category.

CD - 150ish hours now. I probably have another 200 hours + to go! At least according to the posts from people who play for 8+ hrs a day claiming 350-450 hrs to do "everything"/near 100% it (I have zero intention of 100%). I only play an average of 2.5-3 hrs per day so I still have a few months of content. Perhaps. eg, it's been "worth the money" for me, at least. I still wouldn't "recommend" the game outright to anyone tho, because of the "it takes this many hours to get-good" or click, if it ever clicks with one at all, factor. Maybe that's ok for online-only/MMO's, but eh. It really is a sandbox more than anything else. Anyway, probably going to stop yapping about it now. Finally got a little more ahead in the MQ - which technically does get a tad (tad) more comprehensible as time goes on, but it's still not good or cohesive/immersive, even from my "don't care about story" perspective. There is apparently book-lore in the game you can get/read post-game that explains tons of story stuff, like why Kliff is so silent/blank, why the heck the sky-Abyss exists, who these beings are that keep yanking Kliff around, etc. Sounds like the intended background is more interesting than what was put/shown in gameplay. But between this sandbox and maybe one day Death Stranding 2, I may not need another "big"-new game until I build a new rig in 2-3 years. :P