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Achilles

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Posts posted by Achilles

    Custom-framed Obsidian collectables need a new home

    in Obsidian General

    Posted · Edited by Achilles
    link descriptions

    Hey all,

    I'm in the process of moving and unfortunately, some of my most treasured items can't come with me. If anyone here is interested in taking ownership, please reach out to discuss arrangements.

    https://ibb.co/ngWJHZF (autographed Alpha Protocol cover with dev team patch, mounted and custom framed)
    https://ibb.co/C7cqFCD (autographed Deadfire Collector's Edition cover and autographed full color print, mounted and custom framed)
    https://ibb.co/7kYKWLW (autographed Pillars of Eternity Collector's Edition cover and backer patch, mounted and custom framed)
    https://ibb.co/Lk0Y3RX (Deadfire and Neketaka maps with backer patch, mounted and custom framed)

    • Like 1

    What We Know & What We Can Reasonably Suspect

    in Avowed Speculation

    Posted

    10 minutes ago, Wormerine said:

    Am I the only one who felt like Watcher's presence in PoE2 was completely unnecessary?

    I don't know if you're the only one, but I'm not sure I agree. Since none of us have been able to play part 3, we can only speculate as to where the story was going, but I suspect that there were still more revelations about the Watcher to come.

    3rd person?

    in Avowed Speculation

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, NikolaNesic said:

    Why Devs insist that First Person is more immersive for the story

    Do they? I'm pretty sure Obsidian is on record as saying they did first person for TOW because it's easier.

    My impressions of the gameplay trailer

    in Avowed Speculation

    Posted

    I watched it a couple of times yesterday and wanted to sleep on it before commenting.

    • As others have pointed out, it seems pretty obvious that this is going to take a page from the Outer Worlds. That's fine with me; I liked that game.
    • I think that enough has been teased about the Living Lands that I'm excited about it as a setting.
    • Hub-and-spoke games usually have some sort of ship that acts as a base for the player and companions. I wonder if that means more sailing.
    • Day/night cycle is shown in the trailer. Wondering if that will have some impact on game play.
    • Narrative of "representative with growing power" reminds me a bit of Tyranny, which I also enjoyed tremendously. Would love if this is a "spiritual successor" (especially if we get to revisit that magic system).
    • As someone who's mostly been playing Valheim the last few years, the graphics look fine.

    Wake me again when the story trailer drops :)

    I have to admit... I am dissapointed by the interview news.

    in Avowed Speculation

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Wormerine said:

    He did indeed say "very profitable".

    Well, Obsidian, where is my PoE3? 😆 No excuses now.

    My recollection of the evolving thought process sounds something like, "we're not going to make part 3 until we understand why part 2 didn't sell" -> "we're not going to make part 3 until we feel like working on another Pillars game". I suspect that the latter will happen eventually, but only after the pain of the former subsides a bit.

    • Like 1

    The All Things Political Topic - We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    So...it was a long time ago and I admit that I didn't necessarily do a deep dive at the time, but didn't the aid come in the form of anti-viral drugs that were produced by a company with ties to Donald Rumsfeld?

    Please correct me if I'm mistaken/remembering that incorrectly.

    P.S. Which isn't to say that would shouldn't care, only that I remember Bush's "help" being not that altruistic.

    The New Cinema and Movie Thread

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    53 minutes ago, KP wants Blue Velvet said:

    The Departed (2006)

    It's been a while since I've seen this, and I think it was previously the only Scorsese movie I've seen once. The Bawstawn accents were a source of (unintentional) comedy, but even with that it's a beautiful film. It was nice to see Jack Nicholson in something where he gets to go madcap.

    I really wanted to like this one, but could never get over the shoddy text-based chase scene, nor the part where holding up your cell phone allows you to locate the person you're calling.

    It's almost like Scorsese is confused by mobile phones and assumes the audience is also.

    The All Things Political Topic - We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Gromnir said:

    is worth repeating that Gromnir is a ubi advocate in the sense am recognizing that as automation becomes more common and ai improves, vast swaths o' US jobs is gonna disappear, never to be replaced. ubi, long-term, is unavoidable in our estimation. whatever resistance we got to ubi is sole based on matters o' practicality and implementation.

    there has been numerous ubi experiments conducted over the decades in europe and the US and none o' those efforts has been sustainable and positive. to manage US $12k per year as some envision would require and additional near $3 trillion per year and is impossible to magic into existence that kinda money. to achieve ubi requires Congress to pass paradigm shifting legislation and am not seeing that happening anytime soon, even if all the kinks in past programs could be addressed so is feasible with a diverse republic such as the US.

    I think the people who have reservations about UBI are well served to re-read your first two sentences as many times as they need to for the argument to sink in. For better or worse, folks.

    As for practicality of implementation, I'm sure there are better and worse options. "Figuring it out later" falls into the latter category.

    The All Things Political Topic - We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted · Edited by Achilles
    fixing formatting

    33 minutes ago, Gromnir said:

    we would say the friedman observation that, "The number of people on welfare has been skyrocketing. Why? Because once they get on welfare, we make it almost impossible for them to get off," is indeed complete wrong. is not almost impossible to "get off" welfare and statistics reveal most persons/families do indeed stop taking free money sooner as well as later.

    I appreciate the clarification.

    I believe I understand the point you are trying to make and agree that statistically, the majority of people do take welfare benefits usually only do so for a limited period of time.

    However...

    33 minutes ago, Gromnir said:

    yeah, there is more than a handful o' folks who abuse the system. any social program is gonna suffer a free rider problem. 

    <snip>

    ps to make clear, to describe as a trap near impossible to escape when more than 50% stop taking welfare w/i the first year and 90% terminate benefits w/i five years, strains credulity, no? if Gromnir or @Achilles made such a boast we would at best be accused o' gross hyperbole.

    ...this isn't to say that there isn't a legitimate welfare trap. Just as there are people who do abuse the system there are also people who find themselves in situations where getting off of welfare becomes almost impossible (you either have to win the job lottery, be willing to work two or three jobs, or figure out how to make just enough NOT to lose your benefits while waiting for one of the other two opportunities to present itself).

    Is Friedman painting everyone with this brush when he shouldn't be? Yes.

    Does that means these people don't exist? No.

    Would UBI help them? I'm going with "yes" but could be persuaded otherwise.

    33 minutes ago, Gromnir said:

    unlike welfare/snap/disability, with ubi it is initially rich people and middle class who will be free riders exploiting the handout, yes? based on extreme limited example o' obsidian feedback, the most ardent appeal o' ubi is a prospective free rider exploit where individuals who have jobs and own property and can afford to send kids to college nevertheless want the free money.

    That's a question of framing and whether or not we should have means testing. Not whether or not UBI would benefit some people.

    Admitting that my thinking could be wrong on this, I don't care that Bill Gates gets UBI when "he doesn't deserve it" if it means that a school teacher can quit her second job to focus on the one she loves. Or my son can quit his part time gig to focus on going to school full time. Et cetera.

    Yes, I'm paying for his college because I can afford it. I'll also be paying off the parent plus loans until I die. I'll take the "free money" too please.

    33 minutes ago, Gromnir said:

    regardless, the welfare trap is not as friedman describes... nowhere close.

    "Nowhere close" is fair

    The All Things Political Topic - We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Gromnir said:

    interesting third point. too bad is complete wrong.

    I think there's a difference between "is not representative of all circumstances" and "completely wrong". I would agree with you that Friedman's take is sloppy and leaves out a lot of people's stories. I don't think that makes the point completely wrong.

    As someone who grew up poor white trash, and lived around other families who were also struggling with the welfare trap, I can attest that it's very much real. Happy to look at whatever metrics you'd like to share regarding percentages.

    For the record, I agree that our track record with homelessness and mental health treatment is deplorable.

    The All Things Political Topic - We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted · Edited by Achilles
    typo

    1 hour ago, Gromnir said:

    was planning on getting a motorcycle when we went away to college. given the parking situation in berkeley, our 78 jeep cherokee were gonna be problematic. we thought a motorcycle were a decent alternative and we already had experience (limited) riding.

    our aunt, an er nurse, advised us not to wear a helmet if we rode a motorcycle. said the people who wore helmets tended to survive, "poor bastards." motorcycle injuries, being on the horrific end o' the spectrum, our aunt saw death as the more enviable alternative.

    decided we would get a nice bicycle and use bart as much as possible.

    My dad was a cop. Every time he saw me so much as look admiringly at a motorcycle he would start in with the stories about cleaning up accident scenes.

    "You know why motorcycle insurance is so cheap, son? They never have to pay out on it"

    • Like 1

    The All Things Political Topic - Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    37 minutes ago, Gromnir said:

    if kids taking an otherwise good idea to comical extremes were a real problem we would need shut down all universities everywhere as there is nothing more foolish than the ordinary undergrad who after a few semesters believes they has unlocked the secrets o' the universe.

    The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

    If you're interested in what academia is telling us, I recommend the above

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