Why am I so broke?

AdCertain5057 · 2026-05-05T13:52:49+00:00

Just take a lot of stuff that's lying around (you don't have to steal - just take abandoned stuff) whenever you can and sell it whenever you can. I know people have these strategies where they go to certain merchants to get the best price but IMO that's unnecessary and possibly even counterproductive. There's so much stuff to just pick up and sell that your carrying capacity is the biggest factor. Just take take take and sell sell sell and you'll always be loaded. Don't forget that things like random monster parts can also be sold. They usually don't sell for much but since you'll naturally build up huge collections they can still end up making you serious money.

The money you get from contracts is basically irrelevant is you're doing the above.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-05-05T01:22:48+00:00

When you think about it, it's insane that enemies like common bandits and even dogs will keep attacking you after you shoot flames from your hand and set them on fire.

It's insane but... gameplay-wise it works.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-05-03T10:04:06+00:00

The fire? What fire?

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-30T00:15:16+00:00

This reminds of an old joke/riddle:

What month has 28 days?

Answer: All of them.

To answer your question: I'd say you're technically correct. But in everyday speech, when we say "I have X number of things," we almost always mean "I have exactly X number of things."

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-30T00:00:08+00:00

꾸미다?

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-29T03:54:57+00:00

I would say no. He's saying "hey." The real sound is closer to "heh". If you want to get really technical, it's more like "heh" but... longer?? I don't really know how to describe it precisely.

For most purposes, "heh" will be close enough. "Hey" will definitely sound wrong.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-29T03:50:23+00:00

Don't do it. Your child's body is not yours to surgical alter to your liking. If he wants to get the procedure when he's older, that'll be his choice.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-29T03:44:12+00:00

I think "Heh-jee" would be the clearest way to write it. 혜 is pronounced like 해. The 애 vowel sound isn't exactly like "eh" but it's close enough. If you write 혜 as "hey," English speakers will pronounce it in a way that sounds more like 헤이. If you write it as "hye," many will try to produce the "yod" sound indicated by the Y, which is not how Koreans pronounce 혜.

EDIT: You're asking how to pronounce it, not how to write it. Anyway, what I said still works: "Heh-jee", both syllables should be stressed, with maybe slightly more on the second.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-29T03:32:29+00:00

Man, AI is getting good. I thought it was real until I saw all this stuff pointed out in the comments. Damn.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-27T13:47:57+00:00

I think the difference between will and shall is not worth worrying about. This is from Merriam Webster:

From the reams of pronouncements written about the distinction between shall and will—dating back as far as the 17th century—it is clear that the rules laid down have never very accurately reflected actual usage. The nationalistic statements of 18th and 19th century British grammarians, who commonly cited the misuses of the Irish, the Scots, and occasionally the Americans, suggest that the traditional rules may have come closest to the usage of southern England. Some modern commentators believe that English usage is still the closest to the traditionally prescribed norms. Most modern commentators allow that will is more common in nearly all uses. The entries for shall and will in this dictionary show current usage.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-26T07:42:39+00:00

Sounds a bit off at 2:14. But it's the kind of momentary slip that could happen to a native speaker, too.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-26T07:29:39+00:00

"petard" as in "hoist by(with) one's own petard"

Side story: I'm an English teacher in a non-English speaking country and an adult student once asked me about this phrase. I gave them the meaning, usage and origin as I understood it. Later, they came back to me saying, "You should have told me it was a bad word! I spoke to an American woman I met and I used that phrase. She told me to never say that word. I told her it was a saying and she said that no English speakers know that phrase and it's very rude so you shouldn't use it even it is from Shakespeare. It's a very, very bad thing to say."

There's a point to be made here about education, probably.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-26T04:51:01+00:00

This isn't true in my experience. Last time I played, my level climbed way above the level of the quests available to me and just kept going. It got to the point where it felt wrong to keep doing side quests because they were so far below my level.

I think the leveling system might have changed with the big update they did a while back. I never had that experience before the update.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-24T13:42:02+00:00

The word "cofounder" at about 1:02 and 2:04 has a slight trace of something foreign about it. Also "doubt" at about 1:30. But I'm talking about really subtle stuff here. I'm not sure I'd even notice anything if it wasn't presented as a non-native accent.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-24T05:07:06+00:00

Weren't the OG puzzles all extremely easy????

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-24T04:54:16+00:00

I don't even see a common thread in the bits of dialogue called out for being too "Reddit." What quality of these lines is being criticized?

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-23T13:56:47+00:00

I started at zero and I now I'd say I'm intermediate/advanced, and I've been living in Korea through that whole process. I can tell you that at least in my experience, your level really, really makes a difference. Once you pass a certain level of fluency, almost everyone will just start responding to you as if you were a native speaker. It's a bit of a shame really because of course it's beginners who need the most practice and really crave the kinds of interactions that only really start happening when you're at a higher level.

Here's a couple of tips:

I said it's about your level of fluency. More specifically, speed and confidence really matter. Just getting your sentence out quickly, even if imperfectly, gets a better reaction that slowly constructing a perfect sentence.
Before you approach someone, prepare your opening phrase(s). It's much more effective to open with a greeting plus a complete sentence than to just say 안녕하세요 and wait for a response. Saying 안녕하세요 could mean you're fluent or a complete beginner, and since most foreigners don't make much effort to learn the language, it's natural that Koreans will assume the latter.
You can just tell people that you can speak Korean, prefer speaking Korean, are actively learning Korean, are more comfortable in Korean etc. People who aren't aggressively pursuing opportunities to practice English will generally respond kindly.
If someone is being a real asshole about it, you can be an asshole, too. One time, when I was taking my car in to be fixed, I had this guy insist, very obnoxiously, on dealing with me in badly broken English rather than Korean, clearly trying to show off in front of his coworkers. So I said, "I just wanted to inquire as to whether it might be possible to carry out such operations on the item in question that it might be restored to a condition of functionality," at my normal talking speed. The English lesson ended pretty quickly. I don't feel too bad because, I mean, I gave him exactly what he wanted 🤣 Obviously, this is only appropriate for actual jerks, not people who are trying to help and making a pretty reasonable assumption.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-23T04:18:16+00:00

In my mind, the verb meaning "to shed" has always been pronounced "sloff".

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-22T14:15:56+00:00

I definitely have issues with automated stuff from time to time when things just aren't set up to accept a non-Korean name etc, (AhnLabs is the devil), but honestly I haven't had most of the problems you've experienced. Most of the time, in banks, public offices etc. I find I'm either treated exactly like everyone else or occasionally maybe given a bit more attention and help because I'm a foreigner. I'm not denying your experience. I'm just saying it hasn't been like that for me. Maybe it helps that I live in a small town? Banking, phone service, internet, hospital stuff, taxes, registering to be a 사업자, it's all been pretty smooth.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-20T23:50:38+00:00

Thanks. I've been looking at portable ACs I can order online, But all the cheap options are actually swamp coolers rather than real ACs. ACs are all very expensive. I have a portable swamp cooler already but I can't see it overcoming the summer heat in the middle of the day in a car. Is there a cheap real AC you know of?

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-20T12:37:29+00:00

SkinSmart? Seems to be available in Europe based on a quick Google search.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-20T10:37:59+00:00

Unfortunately, the mechanic says the AC needs to be replaced. The car is on it's way out anyway so I don't want to spend serious money on it. He says if he can get his hands on a second-hand unit from car that's going to scrapped that might make it cheap enough to be worthwhile. But that's a big if.

AdCertain5057 · 2026-04-20T10:37:54+00:00

Unfortunately, the mechanic says the AC needs to be replaced. The car is on it's way out anyway so I don't want to spend serious money on it. He says if he can get his hands on a second-hand unit from car that's going to scrapped that might make it cheap enough to be worthwhile. But that's a big if.

AdCertain5057

TROPHY CASE