BruceVC

The midterms has become more of a disaster for the GOP than assumed The polling was more or less accurate which makes a change The reasons how the Dems won Congress and what created Trumps complete collapse of popularity after his resounding presidential victory will be several realities and some of them will be subjective and sensationalized But the most significant ones must be The war in Iran : No consistent objectives leading to a prolonged conflict and that having a direct influence on energy prices and cost of living in the USA Corruption: Endless stories about things like crypto deals and the WH and inner circle being involved. Most Americans are feeling the economic pressure and you see elites associated with Trump making millions ICE domestic policies : Far too heavy handed and draconian around how they did there important job. This alienated the important Hispanic voting block. That's how Texas went blue MAGA vs MIGA : The perception and reality of this. This would include things like the Epstein files and how Massie lost in Kentucky Its not enough in the US anymore to have a loyal base, they cant win elections for you irrespective if you a Dem or GOP. You need to convince large numbers of undecided and independent voters who make up close to 45% of registered voters to vote for you But in summary very disappointing result for the GOP but not unexpected

Are you prepared to say who you voted for, the Dems or GOP Of course I respect the fact some people prefer to keep their vote decision secret which is also fine? You still dont vote? There is a large group of Americans who never vote

Big vote today, finally the midterms have arrived This will be an overall judgement on Trumps policies, I predict the GOP will get a hammering but I will comment more on the reasons once its over and we know the results

Its interesting you raise the dialogue as superfluous or unnecessary as a legitimate criticism with your experience. I have played games like that and I have found myself getting bored or a little impatient But I didnt find that with Numenera in almost all dialogues. You can come across 5-9 questions but the responses are only a few lines and its quick to read them. When you use merecasters that becomes more about longer paragraphs but there aren't many of those I found games like Planescape and PoE much more heavy on the reading but I enjoyed those because I liked the lore

I completed Torment: Tides of Numenera after about 40 hours It was a great game, I assume most of the criticism towards it was because people were comparing it to Planescape. It has similarities like the fascinating cities of Sagus Cliffs vs Sigil and then the mystery behind who is the Last Castoff and the Nameless One but the entire IP of Numenera is unique and created by Monte Cook. So this game should be judged on its own The overall narrative was excellent, I was left guessing right to the end but you uncover more and more parts of it as the game unfolds. I had a very hard decision at the end with the various options but I finally decided on the spoiler below but it was very thought provoking Choices The developers also did an excellent job at creating different ways to complete most quests so I always had options I was constantly motivated to explore and I found the lore engaging. The TB combat was very entertaining and you have many skills you can develop to make things interesting and strategic. But the game is not combat heavy and you can use dialogue to avoid lots of battles which for me undermines using your combat mechanics. So this was a " negative " but its also part of design so I cant say its a design flaw. I also found the various companions to be interesting and unique around there side quests, my favorite being Matkina the White Death Then some of the regions you come across were amazing, the whole Bloom concept was one of the best places I have ever explored. This is not part of the Monte Cook IP and it was created by George Ziets for this game Its recommended for anyone who wants a Planescape similar experience which is all about the mystery of the main protagonist set in a bizarre, enthralling and strange world with lots to do and see outside the main narrative It gets a 75/100 on the highly respected "BruceVC game rating system"

Yes there are obvious and real differences between the 2 blocks and what they believe and I have mentioned several The war with Iran and should it be fought again is just one of them But all parties take Israeli security seriously

Not sure what that means? Most right-wing parties typically dont want to align with Arab parties in the same way Arab parties dont want to form coalitions with them But if you want to end Netanyahu's coalition you wont have a choice. So again it goes back to the same reality, compromises have to be made because of how people voted because there is no majority The voting predictions were more or less accurate and 91% of the votes counted. Netanyahu block has 53 seats, the opposition has 48 and the Arab Israeli have 19. So the 2 main parties are far from the 61 majority The only way you wont end up aligning with the Arab parties is somehow creating coalitions between the 2 main blocs but that's highly unlikely

I am really enjoying it and especially the lore and how inXile has implemented it. Initially when the game started I was " mmm....Im not sure about this, is this sci-fi or fantasy" but its a very believable and engaging combination of both I love how you meet these random and weird creatures or structures. And the quests are really interesting and varied. For example I just completed " Eyes of the Adversary" and the background and lore was fascinating Then I love how death works around the Calm and the different portals I have created in the Labyrinth I am also very disappointed they not making a sequel because this is a great world and IP

You right Wormie, it was 5% cheaper 🤑

Most of the opposition are right-wing parties but there is a difference between them on various issues and Netanyahu coalition which is considered the most right-wing party in the history of Israel For example Eisenkot believes in several different policies to Netanyahu that include West Bank Approach: He opposes formal annexation and illegal outposts, criticizes controversial projects like the E1 settlement block due to international backlash, and advocates returning Civil Administration and policing coordination to the military October 7 Accountability: He strongly demands a formal state commission of inquiry into the intelligence and leadership failures of October 7, 2023 Universal Service: He champions mandatory military or national service for all Israeli citizens, which includes ending the historical draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men and requiring national service from Arab citizens (though with allowances for specific exemptions). Governance Reforms: He supports prime-ministerial term limits and institutional reforms to strengthen the separation of powers

Considering the views on Israel's ostensible global influence this Israeli election should be getting more attention Arab parties make up 16 seats in the Knesset and since no landslide victory or majority is predicted for either main party\coalition these Arab parties will become kingmakers Huge political changes could be coming to Israel and I think many people are underestimating the significance of this election I was watching on CNN how many Israelis living in other countries are flying back just to vote. They interviewed a large group from the USA who will be voting for change and the opposition block This election also has the highest voter turnout in 50 years https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/27/world/live-news/israel-elections-live-results-latest-votes-intl

@Gfted1 This is the same special price as before, it ends on the 2 November Save 53% on Solasta - Lightbringers Edition on Steam

I just finished Omen Exitio: Hunger after about 15 hours Its a gamebook about a journalist investigating a child's disappearance and murder. It has several adult themes that include the dark occult, child murders, cannibalism and other similar things. It is another game that is based on a Cthulhu theme It has some very scary moments and events and its definitely worth using a headset for maximum horror. Its a worthwhile game and gets a 65\100 on the globally respected " BruceVC game rating system " Now Im playing Torment: Tides of Numenera. I heard that this game was suppose to be the spiritual successor of Planescape Torment but it disappointed some people I am really enjoying it. I know nothing about the Numenera TT game so the lore and mechanics was confusing in the beginning but after 8 hours and some occasional research its all making sense. The main city, Sagus Cliffs, does remind me of Sigil with all the strange creatures and idiosyncratic events that you encounter. The developers have done a really good job at creating interest in the world for you to explore I like my party members and there different bizarre personalities and the combat system grows on you. The quests are varied and interesting. Its very similar to Planescape where combat can and should be avoided unless necessary and dialogue options are very important Im very interested in the main narrative around the Changing God and his Castoffs so its been an excellent experience so far 💫

Im not sure what " quasi dictators " means. Orban was worse than Vucic but he was limited in how he could undermine free and fair elections because Hungary was part of the EU. But neither country was like Russia, both countries did have free and fair elections which is why you seeing legitimate political change. Thats why Putin and other autocracies will never allow free and fair elections, they cant take the chance of losing an election even if they could win fairly There are several Serbs on Codex discussing this outcome and its been fascinating for me because this is the RL opinions of Serbs living in Serbia who voted The one guy supported the Student party to the point of being involved in fund raising and helping with transport at various rallies. He has rejected any suggestion that this movement was somehow funded and controlled by the deep state\EU\USAID which is the expected comments how some people dismiss this outcome He is pro-Serbia but not anti-Russian or anti-EU but his biggest concern and motivation was the structural corruption and inefficiency that existed under Vucic This is a new party with bold but achievable aspirations and political objectives , We need to give them time. I would say wait 2 years to assess the outcomes? But its good to be cautiously optimistic. As I mentioned I still think its an incredible outcome and unique in modern Democracies that was started from outrage protests This type of political change obviously requires commitment and support from enough citizens to make a voting difference. That's whats missing from protests in other countries like USA or South Africa , not enough people agree with the reasons people are protesting about or some of the protesters are not sincere about the issue themselves and that reflects how they decide to vote In Serbia it was much simpler and enough citizens were united. But that doesnt mean this cant happen in other countries, you just need to find the significant issues that unite people on the ground

Thanks. I will buy it Thats a good a deal as reasonably possible 👍

Yes Warhorse is another good example. We can think of lots and then small indie studios Thats my whole point., its sad about Bioware and Obsidians possible future but we still have many reasons to be positive about the future of gaming

Kanie dont get too depressed We still have several independent companies that aren't owned by massive corporations and they produce great games that include Larian, CDPR and Owlcat and then we have excellent indie studios like Stygian games that made Underrail Its not all doom and gloom 👍

Yes but its foundation was because of the Novi Sad train station disaster which was only 2 years ago Its the first time I have ever heard of any outrage protest creating a political party that ends up winning an election The normal reason for most protests is based on established party ideology and what they already believe or its just about raising issues This is something truly unique and impressive. Its too early to say how successful they will be but its definitely something unexpected I typically dismiss these types of student protests because of how inconsistent and unrealistic there demands are in countries like South Africa and the USA. But here we seeing an election being won because of something that students started

Its a fascinating outcome and its surprising how very little global attention this election got What really surprised me is the student movement was started by the corruption and mishandling of the Novi Sad train station disaster in 2024 Im concerned the student movement has no defined leaders and no political experience but lets wait and see how things unfold They do have a 11 point manifesto so that's something they can focus on. But this must be the first time I can ever recall that this type of grassroots movement has won an election so quickly. Its more about overall issues around corruption and inefficiency with Vucic but its an impressive and unexpected election outcome "The elected MPs will have the task of fulfilling what is in effect a manifesto. In the words of the students themselves, they were looking for people who could enter institutions "do their jobs responsibly and not forget why they are there". Under an 11-point programme, the student movement wants to: Eradicate corruption by forming a police unit to arrest those responsible for it Purge officials in the internal affairs ministry of anyone who broke rules on cracking down on protesters, or anyone linked to organised crime Reform Serbia's skewed media scene and free the public broadcaster of political control Stop recruiting party loyalists to head public enterprises. Vučić and the SNS party deny corruption and seeking to influence the media."

That really looks amazing. I have been following much of the new features and mechanics that GTA6 is going to include and I believe its going to create a better overall experience than my recent GTA5 playthrough

Im sad about Bioware closing down. They developed some of the best CRPG I have ever played and BG2 ToB is still my favorite game of all time I also enjoyed ME1-3 and Andromeda and DA1-3 Veilguard was an absolute sales disaster and that was the final nail in the coffin for the new owners RIP Bioware

Who do you think is more likely telling the truth, Trump or Musk? Well done for Alberta referendum outcome. I didnt think for a second it would be yes to start the process to leave Canada Carney also used Trumps attacks to Canada to motivate people to vote to remain, good strategy and another own goal from Trump "FOREVER CANADIAN " !!! Alberta's decision to stay in Canada gives Carney backing...The overwhelming vote by Alberta to stay in Canada gives Mark Carney political capital to focus on remaking the country's economy, writes the BBC's Lyse Doucet." Vote like Canada depends on it," Prime Minister Mark Carney declared to cheering crowds in Calgary last week on a stage emblazoned with bright red and white "Forever Canadian" banners. It's a message that appears to have struck a chord with the electorate, as preliminary results show more than two-thirds of Alberta voters said they want to remain a part of Canada"

I mentioned this before but WotR is my second best party based RPG of all time and 3rd best game of all time It delivered on so many things. I really enjoyed the different companion side-quests and the various Romance arcs, my favorite being Arueshalae and her quest to find humanity\love and her constant internal clashes with her succubus self There is a known rare bug with Woljif where he wont reappear, it happened in my game and once he left I never came across him again which was a pity I loved the RTS side of the game, I ended up defeating every single enemy unit on the map. It was a nice break from the RPG elements

@majestic and @marelooke I finished SOMA after 20 hours Incredible and thought provoking narrative. It made me really think about a myriad of existential questions like life and death and is existence just consciousness? Im impressed that a little IT company could come up with this type of narrative @Gorth you like sci-fi? You should play this game, I think you will be blown away by its concepts I'm not that good at Sci-Fi adventure games because I lack the imagination. I like Sci-Fi but its not like fantasy or horror for me where I spend most of my time. So I used a few game guides in parts of the game. The monster escape scenes were terrifying and Frictional always delivers on that mechanic and atmosphere I did end up making some profound and incredibly difficult deciions Hard Choices Great game overall and recommended as the best sci-fi adventure game I have ever played Its gets a solid 68\100 on the " BruceVC game rating system

I felt a little sorry for her Her first press conference was an absolute; disaster but she would have got better with time But Trump can't afford anymore scandals and she misrepresented her lawyers qualification and didn't have much understanding of geopolitics And now before the midterms is not the time for her to learn and all she was doing was getting negative media attention What I found more hilarious is Leavitt getting a job at FOX after saying she was leaving the WH to focus on being a mother 😝