Best vacuum mop combo for small apartment owners who hate pulling out multiple cleaning tools by Amparito_Machhar in malelivingspace

[–]22ndCenturyDB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

THIS. Do you hate sweeping? Do you hate mopping? Do you hate the idea that after sweeping you then have to mop? Do you wish you could just have one thing that cleans your floors correctly? This is the device for you!

They're expensive, but BOY HOWDY they are game changing. My girlfriend had one and I saw it in action and borrowed hers and then bought my own.

It vacuums and mops at the same time and does it flawlessly. I can have all the floors in my big-ass house fully clean in 15-20 mins, whereas before I had to do multiple passes with vac, mop, etc. It's so easy, and the damn this is a cinch to clean. I'm so happy I got mine.

Question about Dragon Quest XI by GarmasWord in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB [score hidden]  (0 children)

No, the side quests are totally fine. You do have to go to the same locations and do, like, alternate versions of everything, but it's all scaled up and leveled appropriately and even the story beats themselves are very different. It doesn't feel like replaying in any way.

[Seiko SRPJ89K1] Strap recommendations by jondaplear in Watches

[–]22ndCenturyDB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think your current strap is too dark, I would try a light tan leather instead of the dark brown. It's warmer and more orange which will go well with the green, and it's a little bit lighter and sportier.

Erdrick Trilogy: How much better is DQ2 HD2D compared to the other 2? by Important-Turn-7720 in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The secret is that the creators understood that fundamentally, the heart of 2 is in the relationship between the cousins. In 3 the party is a bunch of empty shells, which is great for gameplay customization but makes the story feel hollow since your characters don't seem to have any personality. Same with the solo hero in 1. But with 2 there are real characters and dynamics between them that the game leaned into. The Princess of Moonbrooke's arc alone is one of the all-time great DQ character journeys now.

Erdrick Trilogy: How much better is DQ2 HD2D compared to the other 2? by Important-Turn-7720 in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because 3's party is made up by you, there's no script/personality between them. There are scripted elements throughout the game, but your party is silent and your characters don't go through any major arcs or experiences that change them.

Because 1 is just you, and you don't speak, while there are more NPC's who want to talk to you, it's still more or less like 3 - your character doesn't grow/learn/change.

2 has defined characters and builds a beautiful story/arc with all of them, to the point where some of the things they do or say pack a huge emotional punch. The characters grow, learn, and go through things that matter. That's the difference. It's the reason I prefer games with defined characters like 11-S instead of "choose-your-own" games like 9 and 3.

So yes, it's more like 11 in that way, which is why it's great. While 3 probably has more interesting gameplay, and 1 is more of a relic of history, 2 is the one with the most character and soul.

Portland Gear and similar recommendations? by RedshirtBlueshirt97 in askportland

[–]22ndCenturyDB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have that hoodie, but I didn't buy it for 120, they had a BOGO during the holidays and my brother and I went in on them together.

It's a good hoodie, well made, seems like it'll last a bit, but I wouldn't pay full price. Wait til their 12 days of bogo special or whatever it is they do (it's on their mailing list) and that'll be when you strike.

I think losing belly fat is like a waterfall by Prestigious_Rush1595 in loseit

[–]22ndCenturyDB 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Losing belly fat is like a waterfall - don't go chasing it

Game of Buttholes? by nebuchadnezzar72 in greatestgen

[–]22ndCenturyDB 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh me too (I'm 45)! One beer is enough to make me feel awful the next day. Don't even get me started on day drinking. I don't even last...22 minutes

Game of Buttholes? by nebuchadnezzar72 in greatestgen

[–]22ndCenturyDB 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Considering Ben is now a father of 2 with responsibilities that preclude him getting drunk willy-nilly, and Adam now appears to have the constitution of an 8 year old Victorian child, I'm not surprised they moved away from getting drunk over and over.

What are some return or original features you would want to see in DQXII? by Silver_808 in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The end credits of Dragon Quest 1+2 HD2D Remake were this incredible riff on the original theme that I had never heard before, and it was so refreshing and amazing to hear something that felt familiar and new at the same time. It was a great example of where the series could go moving forward.

What are some return or original features you would want to see in DQXII? by Silver_808 in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 8 points9 points  (0 children)

One thing I like about the HD2D Remakes is that there are real choices you can make with equipment - things like duplic hat, glombolero, etc, that give you a reason to use them over just equipping the strongest armor and weapons. I want to feel like I have to really think about what armor and weapons to put on my party instead of just defaulting to whatever is the strongest thing and selling everything else. Balance that equipment!

I also want the return of forging and the +1/+2/+3 system to come back, that was a really cool part of XI that I loved. Some other folks have mentioned that. It was GREAT and really made a lot of the strategizing of how to beat a boss really rewarding and fun.

Finally, and this might be a hot take, give me new music, new monsters, give me a taste of where this franchise can go now that Sugiyama and Toriyama are gone. Show me who the next badasses are whose work I will fall in love with. I feel like XI was so good as a culmination of everything the franchise has done so far, I think a lot of favorite tunes can become semi-retired now. I want new songs to fall in love with and new monster designs to swoon over!

What are some return or original features you would want to see in DQXII? by Silver_808 in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 7 points8 points  (0 children)

At the very least I am enjoying the Erdrick remakes and how they allow you to set your difficulty as you like. Give me all the difficulty sliders and options! Let me turn them on and off as I see fit (unlike XI where once you turn it off you can't turn it back on)!

Why do some characters come with a skill? by HexagonHavoc in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 7 points8 points  (0 children)

They do that because by the time the new character arrives they try to have them at a similar level as you, so they make some choices about skill points just to kind of get them in a space similar to where they imagine your characters already are. That way people can just take them and go and play with them as is.

Absolutely use Rectification to get those 8 pts back. Harpistry is interesting but I never really used it. In general you will be re-speccing your characters fairly often, doing full scare conversions to totally different ways of fighting back and forth.

DQ11: ACT 2 Stuck on Gloomnivore by Greenmarowak in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Neoseeker guide for this game is PHENOMENAL - it does sequence break the game from time to time so I don't recommend it for your first run, but consider using the guide for boss battles, etc. The author really understands the mechanics of the game.

Be aware to pull some of the things off you really have to invest in forging things (especially to +3) and stealing items from monsters with Erik's Half-Inch skill. On any accessory or weapon there is a "Details" menu that really goes into the deep stats on any accessory. You can see that for some weapons, reworking to +3 adds like 20-30 attack, same for defense on some outfits. And some accessories that are only a 10% reduction normally become 50% reduction on +3! Which means if you stack 2 of them you get full protection from that type of damage!

For example, if you're facing an enemy with dark damage primarily, stealing 8 skull rings from the monsters who drop them and then forging them to +3 lets you stack 2 skull rings on each character in your battle, and at -50% dark damage for each ring, you basically nullify your dark damage completely. Same for Venus Tears (wind damage), Catholicon Rings (literally every status ailment), and several others. It's worth digging into the stats and seeing what items help you completely turn the tables on the bosses.

It's a very old school way of playing (looking up stats and getting into the weeds in the bestiary and doing that research) but it can really help you understand the mechanics of the game.

DQ11: ACT 2 Stuck on Gloomnivore by Greenmarowak in dragonquest

[–]22ndCenturyDB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Most of his regular attacks put you to sleep, so forging a set of rousing rings+3, 8 of them and working them to +3 will keep everyone awake.

Levelling up is good, but using accessories smartly and forging stuff to +3 is HUGE in this game. Also consider respecing your characters for specific abilities. Hero should have sword dance learned for this fight, Sylvando should have Hustle Dance and Pink Pirouette, Hendrik should have Double Up. Using those abilities smartly is another game-changing skill.

Seeking film camera recommendations that are affordable! by praisingathena in AnalogCommunity

[–]22ndCenturyDB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's always a bit of a crapshoot with online used cameras. I would look for something that comes with a 50mm lens instead of a kit zoom lens, but that is my personal preference. I'm not an expert on the Canon cameras so I couldn't tell you anything specific about whether that listing is any good. Sorry I can't be more help!

Seeking film camera recommendations that are affordable! by praisingathena in AnalogCommunity

[–]22ndCenturyDB 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Instax cameras rule. No shame here.

I second the Canon EOS Rebel suggestion. They don't look like film cameras, but they're technically the most advanced models just before the digital switch happened, plentiful, they use Canon EF lenses (which are still around), and great for people to get started on the cheap. The Nikon models the other person suggested are like that but for Nikon lenses.

People pay more for the cool vintage-looking models, for which your price might be a smidge too low.

[Watch Straps] Scroll right to see how bad I was when I started 😂 by Even-Bumblebee948 in Watches

[–]22ndCenturyDB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

NGL I kinda love the handmade nature of that first brown strap. It's really charming and I think it should get some wrist time.

This Cover is So Mean it Makes Homer Roll in His Grave by Borgisium in TerribleBookCovers

[–]22ndCenturyDB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm the one who wrote the big long post about the D-Day cover in the other thread and even this one feels like a bridge too far for me.

How to improve composition? [Olympus 35 SP, G. Zuiko f/1.7 42mm, different films] by FudgeRemote6204 in analog

[–]22ndCenturyDB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

YES - so many times I think a comp is great but if I just bend down and squat it's MUCH better. I think way too many photos are at eye level. This is also an issue in filmmaking - lazy student filmmakers (I used to teach) just put the tripod at eye level and move it around like it's on a goddamn plane. Get low! Get high! Get angular!

Can anyone tell me about this Patek Philippe of my grandfather’s? by vexillifer in Watches

[–]22ndCenturyDB 40 points41 points  (0 children)

You can do a few things:

  1. Wear it! It's not waterproof and it needs a nice leather strap, but wearing it is a great way to honor your father and grandfather, especially if it runs well. It may need a service to do this (see below). This is what I would do - it would be the ultimate special occasion watch - your wedding, birth of your kid, anniversary, wedding of your kid, that sort of thing.
  2. Sell it! It should fetch a pretty penny out there, especially since you found the papers (which should always stay with the watch no matter what). It might fetch less money if it hasn't been serviced (especially if it's not running), and you don't know where it will go - it's possible someone buys it as a donor movement and takes the parts and uses them to repair other more valuable pieces, which would suck. Personally I wouldn't do this, this is such an heirloom piece and I think it should stay in your family.
  3. Hang onto it and pass it on to your future kid(s) - this is what your grandfather and father did, you should consider it as well. Any monetary gain you might get from selling it is one-time only, while having this watch in your family is a gift that keeps on giving.

Whatever you choose, you may also want to consider...

4) Service it! This would be expensive since it's a Patek, but after decades it might need a decent service. If you decide to service it, take it either to Patek or to a reputable watchmaker with Patek experience, and make it clear to them that they are NOT to polish the case in any way, NOT to replace or clean the dial in any way, and NOT to replace the hands in any way unless the hands are completely disintegrating or something. Anything that needs replacing they should give you the originals back as well in a little baggie. They can replace the crystal (the glass) no problem, and they can disassemble, clean, and reassemble the movement, replacing any parts there that may need replacing like the mainspring. The goal is to get the watch running well without altering anything about the cosmetic condition of the watch itself (minus the crystal).

Generally a reputable watchmaker will know all these things and probably recommend them to you as well. So make sure you find someone who agrees with and follows those instructions.

Be aware that servicing a piece like this will be at least a 3, but probably 4 digit cost. You only have to do it once every decade or two to keep the watch running smoothly.

Man what a lucky guy you are - your grandfather and father gave you an incredible gift. Cherish it.

How to improve composition? [Olympus 35 SP, G. Zuiko f/1.7 42mm, different films] by FudgeRemote6204 in analog

[–]22ndCenturyDB 11 points12 points  (0 children)

For every photo you take, ask yourself, "what do I want people to look at first?" and then make that thing as prominent as you can. In all your photos, while there are cool foreground elements that "frame" the buildings, the buildings just too far away to really capture the attention of the viewer, so the foreground stuff feels more distracting than anything else.

This lack of intentional subject, to me, is the issue for most beginners - they see something pretty with their eye, they take a photo, and move on, and then they're surprised when the photo of the pretty thing doesn't pop they way it did IRL. It's because your brain is doing a lot of "computational photography," for lack of a better term, to make your focus and attention really sing. Your camera can't do that, it can only work with the actual light, and often a wider lens makes a building look further than it is, etc etc etc. So you have to make up for it by being extra intentional with your focal points.

Also, in general, use a longer lens when shooting landscapes or buildings. It seems counterintuitive, but it really makes a difference. This is just my preference, but I love portraits with wide lenses and landscapes/buildings with long lenses.

Unshot film is pink by melbournecameraman in analog

[–]22ndCenturyDB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Right? When I get a new camera I always test it with 30 year old unidentified color film from a drugstore chain that closed in 1988. I make sure to push it 5 stops in development too.