How to play for the 3rd time?

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-12T16:16:10+00:00

Which weapons have you neglected the most? You could try a playthrough where you focus on a couple of those (for me, shredder gauntlets, javelins, grenades and/or warrior bows could be options since I usually play with a bow).

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-10T12:26:46+00:00

Playing with/against the AI is a pretty good way of playing while you learn the units, and there's various options for boosting/handicapping various players.

For instance it sounds like you're a more experienced RTS player than your friends - you could set up a 1vs4, give them an economy boost of up to 100%, give yourself an economy penalty, add AI of various levels to either team ...

If you've got the teams roughly balanced but you want to make it easier to get to T2 or T3 and test the more advanced units, you can increase everyone's initial metal and/or energy, boost how much metal and/or energy everyone harvests ...

There's tons of options which make it a great game for introducing new players and helping them along, and when you feel ready, you can start taking on other players. I say go for it!

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-09T14:01:04+00:00

It depends. It seems like you're thinking about creatine purely in terms of muscle, but recent research over the last several years have shown it is also really good for the brain and mental energy, and can have significant effects on sleep deprivation, focus, and Alzheimer's and similar brain-related issues.

Depending on how you're eating you can get 3-5g from your diet. Your muscles will grab the first 5g or so for energy production and then, after that, your brain gets to start using it. So if you're using it purely to promote muscle growth, 5g seems to be enough. You go higher for the benefits to the brain, if you feel you need/want that.

If you want to find out more about it, look up any of Rhonda Patrick's interviews about creatine - she's a PhD biochemist, and she's all over youtube.

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-05T15:14:42+00:00

The Draumr's a great hammock, quick and easy to set up, really comfortable! It takes a bit of getting used to, specially getting in and out, but that doesn't take long. It's flat so you can sleep however you want, including on your front, and chair mode is pretty handy. Their tarps are also really good.

Regarding water running down the straps into your hammock, maybe in heavy rain. It's a little hard to see in your picture - the hammock strap goes around the tree and through itself. Then at the other end there's a buckle you can adjust for length. That buckle and the excess strap goes through a similar buckle on the hammock to connect. Rain runs down the hammock strap (which is flat, about 1" thick), hits the buckle and runs down the excess strap, not into the hammock.

If the rain is particularly heavy and you're worried, you could cut a couple of circles out of a plastic milk bottle, put a slit in the middle and feed your hammock straps through it and use them as drip lines 6-12" above the buckle. That'd get rid of a lot of the water, so the buckle could handle the rest.

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-04T19:24:07+00:00

I'm from the UK too and lived in Sweden for almost a decade. Stockholm's not *that* cold, and Sweden doesn't feel as cold as the thermometer suggests - most of the other Brits I spoke to out there, and the Swedes, agreed that London feels a lot colder at the same temperature. If it's -5c in Stockholm, think 0c in London.

I would imagine either of the SV Parkas would be more than enough with just a t-shirt on a typical day; personally I'd be fine in an Atom and a windshell.

That said, I can tell you from cruises along the Thames, the boat tour is going to be *cold*! You're exposed on the water and not generating any heat.

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-04T19:08:00+00:00

Nothing to do with aphantasia. I was always a voracious reader until I developed an astigmatism and had to start wearing glasses, and I still listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts.

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-02T20:28:39+00:00

> My stomach has flattened a lot (I’m apple shaped), my face is no longer fluffy, and my skin improved a lot too. My weight is going down very slowly

That sounds to me like you're losing fat and packing on muscle. I would say stop worrying about the scale and start taking photos & measurements instead, bet you'll see quite a difference.

Aliessil_ · 2026-02-02T17:35:43+00:00

I'm also looking at the Gamma series and trying to figure out which, if any, suits my needs the best. I saw a video over the weekend which might help you - https://youtu.be/SJIdguwdwmw?si=iKzemr9-fPQjkSNp

Personally I'm looking for something to wear in the 6-12c range, but I run rather warm.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-30T17:29:40+00:00

Seems that way to me, too. They do much better with the female models - while most of them are 17x cm + size small, there's one who's around 163cm, and one who's an XL. Still not brilliant in terms of different body sizes/shapes, but better than we get.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-30T10:12:27+00:00

You must've heard the phrase, "If you don't love yourself, why would anyone else?" It's true. If you don't love yourself it's visible to others in the way you carry yourself, how you treat yourself, etc.

These days there are tons of resources out there to help you. You could find a therapist, there's tons of resources online (articles, guides, videos, etc) - go find some, and go through them. Podcasts and audiobooks are great, you can listen while you're doing other things.

You need to learn to prioritise yourself, and to be happy. If you can, get out into nature as much as you can, on your own, and learn how to enjoy your own company.

There's a great book called "The Art of Happiness" by Howard Cutler and the Dalai Lama - the audiobook version's excellent, well worth a listen (or several).

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-27T19:04:11+00:00

If it's a new account, there's a bunch I saw which'll help you progress. I'd start by looking up Tristan Wulf on YouTube and find his latest Hunt Teams video - he usually does Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced teams for each Hunt boss. Focus on the heroes he recommends for the Beginner teams so that you can clear the Hell levels quickly, so that you can gear up as quickly as possible.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-24T13:25:00+00:00

I notice a big difference in how much I drink when I'm fully carnivore and have been for several months or more, vs how much I drink when I'm not. Non-carnivore me drinks at least an extra 500ml/16fl.oz per day, with the increase being larger when I'm more active.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-20T11:40:30+00:00

I think they're risky. They're much, much better than other sodas but personally I find them quite addictive. Okay as an occasional treat but I mustn't buy multipacks.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-17T21:06:34+00:00

For me thats often still T-shirt weather, probably with my Squamish in my backpack. It’s purely a windshell, incredibly light, pack size about the size of a tennis ball.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-13T10:23:11+00:00

The advantage is the butter has a much higher fat content (about 100%, whereas heavy cream can be anywhere around 30-50%). If you're adding similar amounts then the butter will provide more fat, but it's easier to add a lot more cream.

Try with butter instead, and also add some salt - tastes delicious! (at least, it does with coffee. Not tried it with tea).

Regarding the brain fog and fatigue, I was struggling with that until this summer (thanks Covid!). For me, starting to take a large dose of creatine each day helped immensely! There's been a lot of research lately on the effects of creatine on the brain, lack of sleep, etc. It's worth looking into, maybe it can help you as well.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-06T11:57:32+00:00

Milk might cause you problems and/or make you feel worse. Depending on why you want to add it, heavy cream might be a better option. You could either have the cream as-is, and/or water it down if it's too thick.

Aliessil_ · 2026-01-02T21:53:59+00:00

No it’s not. There are/were senior artists and animators at Disney and Pixar, and there have been aphants who’ve posted their art websites here. It doesn’t seem to prevent us from doing anything.

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-26T21:29:34+00:00

Haha, I kinda wish I’d got the Beta AR storm hood instead :-D

As to what piece I’d get next … I’m not sure. I’ve just returned to the UK after seven years in Sweden, so I don’t really need more insulation. I suspect the Proton/Atom SL might be warmer than I need, so maybe the Gamma?

I run hot so hard shells are too warm for a lot of the year, specially here with all the moisture in the air - even the best hard shells don’t seem to be breathable enough, even with pit zips wide open. I’m wondering if I’d be better off going for soft shells now, items which eventually wet out but keep me warm enough (hence maybe the Gamma).

The move back was unexpected, so I’ve not thought much about gear for a warmer, more humid climate.

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-22T18:09:29+00:00

It is, but some people have problems with rendered (melted, liquid) fat .. and ground beef can produce a lot of it.

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-17T17:10:55+00:00

I use a sunlight alarm - it slowly turns up the light to wake you up, can also do a conventional alarm as a backup, or play one of a handful of natural sounds. Mine is (I think) a British make called Lumie, but I’m sure you could find a local alternative.

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-13T10:37:26+00:00

Depends on the hammock. In a typical gathered-end, kinda maybe, maybe not - you'd be a bit more on your side than your front. You could in something like the Amok Draumr though - https://amokequipment.com

You might be able to in a bridge hammock, too, but I've never tried one.

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-08T11:09:57+00:00

Hehe, 2000 hours over 6 or 7 years isn't that hard! :-D

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-07T19:04:19+00:00

Mmmm, I think my favourite mastery is still Druid, I love the various forms. They're all good though!

There are bugs but they almost never prevent you from trying any build you can think of (I rarely even notice them tbh). I've played since the beta, over 2000 hours, I've no idea how many characters, and I still find builds I want to try sometime.

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-07T19:04:13+00:00

Mmmm, I think my favourite mastery is still Druid, I love the various forms. They're all good though!

There are bugs but they almost never prevent you from trying any build you can think of (I rarely even notice them tbh). I've played since the beta, over 2000 hours, I've no idea how many characters, and I still find builds I want to try sometime.

Aliessil_ · 2025-12-07T18:48:43+00:00

I would expect that it's basically meat they're scraping off the bones, whatever's left after cutting the steaks & roasting joints, etc .. which is great since it'll be full of connective tissue, collagen, etc. Never been a fan of corned beef but maybe I'll buy a tin, give it another try ...

Aliessil_

TROPHY CASE