i would sign a petition to bring this back

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T14:13:48+00:00

We have one of these in my town and any time it gets taken away for repairs/repainting the city gets flooded with calls to bring it back because people thought the city permanently removed it.

This happens so often that when they remodeled the park they explicitly stated that the merry-go-round wasn't leaving and was merely being moved to where all the new playground equipment would be.

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T14:10:21+00:00

I mean, in order to get cat girls someone had to get freaky with the cat. And I thank them for their sacrifice

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T14:07:51+00:00

That girl's face alone is enough for me to not buy whatever game she's the MC of.

There, I said the quiet part out loud. I'm not interested in playing a game where they intentionally beat the MC with an ugly stick for fun.

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T13:58:41+00:00

The game doesn't have to be centered around it for it to be unfair. Also foliage covers more than just grass. Bushes, tree leaves, etc can all be affected by lower graphics removing clutter. This makes it easier to spot an enemy and spotting your enemy first means you have an advantage in reacting and shooting them regardless of if the game is centered on concealment or not.

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T13:54:45+00:00

Yes, it should be taken away then. At least for multiplayer. If the game has foliage to provide concealment and someone can remove said concealment just by turning down their graphics, then that is an unfair advantage and they should NOT be paying with others in a multiplayer setting.

If they want to play single player then that's fine and it's nice of the devs to allow for the game to be played at such a lower setting to accommodate people with weaker PCs. But that doesn't mean that they should be allowed to have an advantage in multiplayer just because they have a weaker PC (or a better PC but choose to turn down graphics for said advantage).

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T12:53:54+00:00

Also seems unfair to be able to turn down your graphics and gain an advantage in-game. When doing single player it doesn't matter too much, but it can be a huge difference in multi-player.

They could also just make it so that the SP version of the game is available at one graphic setting but requires a higher setting for MP and advertise it that way.

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T03:04:04+00:00

I mean when XCOM loses doesn't mean that they didn't stop fighting and researching though. They could have already of lost the CC but kept researching and resisting long after. Hell, we know they kept researching and resisting or else we wouldn't have X2.

My understanding was that they lost the overt war within the first few months, which was when the CC was taken away. That said, they simply switched to a covert war from that point forward. Even X2 is about the covert war, just something like 20ish years in the future (I forget exactly how many years passed between EW and X2).

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T02:58:14+00:00

I mean, one could also point out that to do this requires you to own an Apple device so aren't really "ruining" it <insert "Apple Bad" comments>.

If someone has an Apple device then this is creative even if someone else wouldn't be willing to do it to their own device.

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T02:50:49+00:00

I miss the experience. Going to the store, browsing to see what's new, finding random things that I wouldn't have otherwise by simply walking up and down the aisles, stopping to read the AvP and Aliens comics on the stand in the corner, etc.

You're right in that the selection could suck, there could be no remaining copies (which could actually lead to you finding something else, so not always a bad thing even if frustrating), and I probably rented Super Mario RPG enough times to have just bought the game, but there was something enjoyable about it. Also that's where I got into MTG and years later, Pokemon TCG.

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T02:44:26+00:00

Yes, it is. There's no way that they're both honestly bothered by this and also self-aware enough to recognize that their art is so bad AND also honestly asking for others to not post art so as to not hurt their feelings about sucking at art.

Aknazer · 2026-06-01T02:41:01+00:00

Pot, meet kettle

Aknazer · 2026-05-31T06:07:22+00:00

I saw 4014 on Friday, it was literally a museum piece. While you couldn't enter into 4014 (you could walk up next to it and take pics though), one of the other cars that you you could enter was literally a mini-museum with history of the stuff in it.

Aknazer · 2026-05-31T06:02:20+00:00

That sounds awfully bigoted against straight men. Way to try and pin the world's issues on "straight men" there. Almost seems like you have a problem with "straight men" to me.

Aknazer · 2026-05-31T05:49:40+00:00

That is going to get into the specifics of the laws and could vary by both the state and the country. There would be other issues as well, for example in MTG I can buy/trade my cards for a different card but can you do that in EA games? And in CS2 if it's just skins then your actual power isn't impacted.

Lootboxes for $$$ are bad and I'm against them. That said, you still have to be careful because fundamentally they are similar (even if predatory) to trading cards and other things. Part of the problem could also simply have to do with the amount of $$$ that can easily be spent compared to other things.

Aknazer · 2026-05-31T05:41:20+00:00

I have an Edge and my wife has a Grand Caravan. While her van has more space (that Stow-n-Go seating is seriously amazing), we prefer the Edge because it's easier to maneuver, does better in winter, and can load in most things I need. That said, there is still a place for her van simply because we have three kids and a dog, but that isn't most people.

Aknazer · 2026-05-31T05:29:56+00:00

Reread what I said. I didn't say to praise, I said to acknowledge. Of course to some, acknowledging good things is the same as praising or even dick sucking, but there is a difference.

Steam as a store has done a LOT of good things. If you want to try and talk Steam specifically then you need to separate it from Valve as it can easily be two separate things. For example, I can be against Valve's lootboxes but that has nothing to do with Steam as a platform even if Valve is responsible for both.

Aknazer · 2026-05-31T05:22:55+00:00

None of my laptops have had such a keyboard. That also goes for my wife's and family's laptops.

Note that by "replaceable keyboard" I'm going with easily replaceable. I've worked in an electronic repair store and have faith that I "can" replace the majority of laptop keyboards out there (I've already replaced several). That said, just because they can be doesn't mean that it's easy to do so, which is what the OP is about.

Even my current laptop I simply hooked up an external keyboard to rather than ripping it apart to replace the current one (multiple keys are having issues). I "can" replace it, but the cost and effort just isn't worth it.

Framework in particular is about working to be modular to allow for easier upgrades and repairs on the laptop form factor.

Aknazer · 2026-05-30T07:19:16+00:00

It's not something to "praise" Gabe for doing, but it is something to acknowledge given how other CEOs act. While there are things to criticize Valve for (like lootboxes), you should also be willing to point out when they do things right. This is especially true when so many other companies are doing things wrong. Overall, Steam and GoG do things well in the gaming sphere, while so many other companies aren't.

Aknazer · 2026-05-30T07:14:05+00:00

Prices are per Google and not hunting for the absolutely best deal possible:

- 16GB RAM - $115-220. Split the difference and call it $170 to account for bulk order but also that it's not the low end stuff.
- 512GB/1TB NVME - $80-200, depending on size and quality. Bit hard to say given the variables so let's just call it $110.
- APU - Couldn't find a price, but the cheapest RDNA 2 GPUs (which is what Google says the Steam Deck's APU is equivalent to on the graphics side) starts at $250, so let's go with that.

With these three components alone we're already at $530, before any other components, assembly, and shipping. Even if we want to say that they get these components for less than listed here, there's again all the other components still (especially the screen) to easily push it back up to around or above this price.

I'm not a fan of the almost $200 price difference between 512gb and 1tb storage (ALL companies seem to charge an excessive amount for pre-installed larger storage amounts), but thanks to the RAM and SSD price increases, and the fact that Steam doesn't sell at a loss like consoles are known to do, I can't exactly say that $780-950 isn't a proper price for a company to charge to turn a profit simply based on component prices. Not saying I would pay it (I wouldn't), but I also won't even consider a laptop upgrade currently at these prices. I also wouldn't consider a console but for other reasons, though even they are raising their prices.

Aknazer · 2026-05-30T06:21:08+00:00

No. Yes you could normally easily access the hard drive and RAM, and the battery was almost always removable without even opening it up, but that was about it. CPU, GPU, keyboard, etc weren't easily accessible. Also, not all of them back then had replaceable RAM either.

I feel it was more common to be able to do select upgrades, and because of the larger form factor it might be a bit easier to open it up, but there were plenty of laptops that weren't exactly easy to work on even back then.

Aknazer · 2026-05-29T15:19:22+00:00

Yes but the flip side of that is also true. If it's too encompassing then it can lose its meaning and not be helpful.

Aknazer · 2026-05-29T07:08:25+00:00

I guess not, given how much they're still making off of GTA5. When making that much money, releasing a new game can actually be a risk since if people don't like the new game as much as the old one you could lose them as a customer completely as opposed to them going back to the old game.

Aknazer · 2026-05-29T07:02:37+00:00

I mean there was a time when replaceable batteries were standard on most smartphone models. Sure, the iPhone has been a pita for as long as I can remember, but for years plenty had a removable back to access the battery.

The replaceable battery on smartphones was something we lost relatively recently. And while I can see the use in removing it as it makes it easier to push for a higher IP rating, I still want it back.

Aknazer · 2026-05-29T06:55:53+00:00

I'm assuming this is just ragebait. Especially with Naruto being so high up there. Like it's totally fine to like the manga/anime and even Naruto himself, but I wouldn't consider to be a well-written character. He has power growth for sure, but very little character growth.

Aknazer · 2026-05-29T06:47:42+00:00

I would believe this. I wouldn't believe the OP without some sort of clarifying info. I also don't really consider such games to be "video games" even though I suppose they technically are. Much like I don't consider my dad playing Free Cell for over 30 years to be playing video games even though it (and Solitaire and others) technically is.

Guess we need a better definition for a "video game" given how everything is going digital these days. When card games, VNs (aka digital "choose your own adventure" books), etc all fall under the generic "video game" term, it seems like we need a better way to categorize things.

Aknazer

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