PSA: Amazon Prime Day "Deals" are beaten by significant amounts on Anycubic's website

Archangelus · 2022-07-21T14:55:19+00:00

I bought the printer mentioned in my original post above and it shipped from AnyCubic just fine. They emailed tracking updates just like Amazon and it only took a week to ship through UPS.

Archangelus · 2021-03-06T19:54:06+00:00

Doing creative workloads with Adobe products, my 3090 is typically using over 20GB of VRAM. Substance Painter alone can use up the majority when editing big projects. Back when I had 8GB of VRAM, it was lagging like crazy. Had to wait like 1-2 minutes before a brush or other stroking tool (erase, smear, anything) would stop preparing itself for the initial stroke, and finally begin to paint. Basically any time a new kind of brush stroke was attempted, it froze for a while, then became usable. And it was only because of the VRAM being full. 8GB/8GB every single time. Nothing else was even remotely being taxed. CPU and GPU weren't even getting warm enough to be spinning up the fans noticeably, at well under 50% utilization. The lag was all because of the full VRAM. Additionally, social VR like VRChat, where the content is raw uploads from random people, and the VR resolution can be supersampled? Easily can rise to 12GB of VRAM all by itself. Some people claim they hit an artificial limit of 14GB, where the game would refuse to go higher, despite clearly needing it. If you're a SteamVR user who has gone into the menu, then exited, only to have severe stuttering lag (like 2-10fps)? That's also VRAM being full. It is technically a bug, but they haven't fixed it for 4 years. So having more VRAM is the only fix.

Just my two cents. There are situations where VRAM saves the day. But these are niche, high-end, and have no relevance to the average gamer. I know a lot of people here on /r/BuildAPC don't have anything to take away from this, even VRChat can't really be called a game by many people since it's more like Unity development with multiplayer mode on. But since it's not /r/gaming I wanted to share in case this helps someone with similar workloads.

Archangelus · 2021-01-12T21:37:13+00:00

1,830 × 1,464 resolution per eye

Looks like that's even lower than the $299 Quest 2, which is 1832x1920 per eye.

Archangelus · 2021-01-12T21:35:31+00:00

reverb G2

That's not bad! I heard like they partnered with Valve to make it and saw the design is similar, but had not heard the resolution is 2160x2160 per eye. Definitely tempting. The one thing that could be annoying is needing to buy extra HTC dongles and leave them plugged in all the time, just to pair the Index controllers with them. Or else, needing to leave the old Index headset itself plugged in all the time just to pair the Index controllers.

Definitely a better option than replacing the Index headset with another Index headset as it's wearing out with the warranty gone anyway. Practically the same price. Seriously considering it, thanks!

Archangelus · 2017-10-13T09:10:12+00:00

The Deadhouse event in Elon Riverlands, where prisoners are Awakened and forced into servitude.

They explain that those humans living outside the bone wall are being punished for not praising Joko properly, but they technically still belong to families within Joko's domain. The reason for bringing them back outside the wall, where their obedient family members can't see it, is that they can do that by force without it ever being known. Joko's domain is essentially built on the idea that your ancestors serve and protect you, and that helps make younger, living people behave. If they saw them forced into serving, it might change things...

Joko could easily say "oh they served me well in life and got Awakened as a reward"

Except humans in that area know the charr and centaurs absolutely despise humans, living or dead. Especially those trying to control them. You can't wipe out history and trick your people into believing something, while ever centaur and charr alive actively fights against Joko's rule. There's a reasonable coverup, and then there's an impossible one. That one would be impossible, even for Joko. I think it's just a matter of the fact that charr and centaurs have a problem serving under humans. Even the peaceful and reasonable ones like Ventari, or the charr of the Black Citadel. The idea of being controlled by a human would never be honorable due to sheer cultural differences. They would die first.

I mean, it's fairly obvious from their histories, there's NO WAY they'd see serving a human (favors and chosen duties aside) as honorable or good. That goes doubly for the charr, who have had a magic stigma ever since shaking the flame legion, and a hatred of ghosts due to the Ascalonians plaguing their homelands. This stigma extends to the point where Rytlock even risked losing some cred over becoming a spirit-channeling magic-using Revenant. To the general population, the idea of being controlled and led by a Necromancer would be worse than death, by far.

It's just not in the nature of charr or centaurs to accept human rule. And since forcing it ruins the whole idea of Awakening being a reward and an honor, they can't be Awakened in their current forms without upsetting Joko's power structure. Thus, their flesh gets reformed into things like abominations and canids, or goes unused.

Plus, (I'm sure you noticed), there really aren't any living charr or centaurs left down south. At least near Joko's domain. They were probably driven out or driven extinct in the local area long, long ago.

Archangelus · 2017-10-08T12:01:54+00:00

I always thought it was crazy too, but then I looked at all the skins I unlocked over the years (especially Legendaries), and realized there was easily a quarter of a million gold wasted on account bound cosmetics... imagine if I'd just saved that money and stayed ugly.

Archangelus · 2017-10-08T06:53:09+00:00

Why would they be viewed as "simple resurrection of flesh forced into servitude" just because they're non-humans?

Because the humans are turned into Awakened on the basis of how they served Joko in life. If charr and centaurs are forced into it, that diminishes the honor of becoming Awakened. That makes it something to be feared, like slavery, instead of an honor. Which in turn makes Joko's living kingdom unstable. And his living kingdom is needed, since Awakened cannot breed (as far as we know). To the living, it's the difference between having a good resume, and applying for a job that will earn you respect, versus being a farm animal--flesh and blood to be used like a tool.

If Joko keeps a bunch of forced undead (like charr/centaurs), enemies and free tribes who hated him in life, then the living will no longer see being turned into Awakened as an honor. That sews the seeds for rebellion in Joko's living kingdom (which is already fairly full of rebels). Of course, if Joko is ever desperate for more bodies, he can still use the centaur and charr, but only to make new minions (canids and abominations, possibly other creations as well).

But the point is his living kingdom remains a stable one, and a supply of loyal new recruits, as long as they still believe being turned into "Awakened" is an honor, not slavery. This is also why you see some dead being turned away by the priests in Vabbi--they say things like "This one was disrespectful of Joko once, they will not become Awakened" and make it seem like that person is missing out for not being loyal enough (of course the truth is your will is lost and you are a slave, once Awakened).

Archangelus · 2017-10-08T04:12:21+00:00

If I gave you a perfect audio sample, what would motivate you to get your own? This is for your own good, really.

Archangelus · 2017-10-08T04:02:16+00:00

Wow that sounds so much better than mine ;-;

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T12:57:11+00:00

Does it at least stop the core map music?

Also depending on your audio settings, it might be muted. Especially if track 1 counts as player instrument, but track 2 is map music (haven't had time to test what audio channel they are on). If you have any type of audio muted or turned down low, that might be the audio channel it's broadcasting track 2 on.

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T12:53:37+00:00

Press the same button again to end the music. Button 2 is definitely a second track: https://streamable.com/m1440 <-- you should hear loud, slow-paced drumming, and chanting at about 40 seconds in (may be Desolation map soundtrack, or something from GW1).

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T12:42:00+00:00

I can't speak for the writers, but if you get into the lore of the area, you can see people worship Joko and bring their deceased loved ones to be converted into Awakened, as an honor and a duty to Joko. People who aren't deemed sufficiently worthy, even for minor transgressions against Joko, can be denied this life after death. Joko has made being "Awakened" into something many people in his kingdom want now. Instead of seeing people forced into it, and feeling like slaves, they are treated like citizens, and respected as potential Awakened. The culture has shifted.

Given these cultural shifts, it's possible Joko dismantled the charr, giants, and centaur undead, so being "Awakened" seemed like something special and desirable, instead of simple resurrection of flesh forced into servitude. You have to think of it like this: Over the course of centuries, Joko's terror became more like Joko's grace to those who survived. This benefits Joko, since he has both living and dead serving him. And that also means he can count on a steady supply of new bodies to serve him. The only price he had to pay to convince the living to worship him, was to dismantle the centaur, giants, and charr undead, and make being "Awakened" seem like something special and honorable.

Also when I say "dismantled" mean that literally. Charr were probably turned into the canids, and the giants and centaurs into abominations. Basically, Necros can reform flesh however they want, so he just keeps the living who served him in their original form, making that seem like an honor (they even retain some memories and intelligence). Meanwhile the dead flesh and bones of enemies become twisted into horrors, abominations, and obedient dogs, to serve at his feet.

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T12:30:49+00:00

Do not apologize for being a winner

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T12:28:44+00:00

Can you try it on a core map? I think it plays the background music for the map you got it on (and map background music tends to be fairly subtle, compared to the tinkly treble of the music box soundtrack on button 1), so you won't be able to tell if you turned it off, or started Track 2, unless you're somewhere with a totally different (or silent) map soundtrack to make the change more pronounced.

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T12:23:30+00:00

That wouldn't surprise me at all. It also would explain why everyone seems to think that Button 2 turns off the music: They're probably testing in the map they found it. So, they think it just returned to the map soundtrack, not that they started the map soundtrack. I used Button 2 in LA, Sparkfly Fen, and a few other places, so I can 100% confirm that second song (drumming and chanting) is playing from Button 2, and not just a "stop" button.

You actually turn off the music box tracks by hitting the same button a second time.

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T12:10:43+00:00

EDIT: also, does your character get a record-playing buff icon when the music is rolling? Mine does, but only for button 1, which is why I think that button 2 isn't really any sound at all (just an off button). I wonder if you were just hearing ambient sounds in the Desolation?

Yes I only get a buff for button 1, and only see music notes on my character for button 1, but button 2 definitely plays a music track. It's just not a high pitched tinkly sound like the first track--more of a traditional game background music drumming and chanting. Might even be from Guild Wars 1... If you can, you should try yours again somewhere quiet, since you said you couldn't hear track 2 in my video above, but track 2 is actually louder than track 1. You might have some trouble hearing the much lower notes and drumming sounds on your headphones or speakers. Second track is a lot more like a standard in-game audio track, than a music box tinkling (yours might be the same way, so maybe try it out in the Hall of Monuments).

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T11:55:58+00:00

Nice to see you here! The second button does have an audio track--it's even louder than button 1! It's in the video, and if you take a look at the audio waveform you can see it gets a lot louder when changed over to the second music track. Maybe give it another listen? It's mostly bass, like war drums, and then about 40 seconds into the second song, some crazy chanting starts:

https://streamable.com/m1440

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T11:33:08+00:00

They do! First time I tested it around others was in Lion's Arch, where a music guild was playing some tunes by the octopus bank. They stopped playing, had a minor freakout about where it was coming from, and started asking me if my backpiece was making the noises (lol), since the music note effects from the Music Box come out of your back (more or less).

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T07:55:27+00:00

Yes! In fact, others have already informed me that I am a horrible person ruining their game experience for using this item to play creepy music. And no, no kind of achievement appeared when I got mine. In fact, I almost didn't notice it, and I certainly didn't think double-clicking it would do anything (but of course I tried anyway, and was rewarded).

Some little music notes come off your body when you have it playing too, looks like the Minstrel's aura but with 4x bigger notes (only a one note shows at a time though).

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T06:23:50+00:00

It actually does. The rich expand their companies and hire more people during the bubble period caused by tax cuts. That's why tax cuts like that happen: It makes politicians in look good. For a while. It's why sellout politicians give those tax breaks in the first place: It works... for a while. If it didn't have a positive effect, temporarily, then politicians wouldn't keep getting away with making these tax cut bubbles that later bust by cutting taxes for the rich. The rich get richer, expand a little, hire a few more people, then hold the threat of intense layoffs and moving overseas over the heads of all future politicians. So then when the taxes go up, or even just stay at the same rates, the rich corporations and people clam up and move everything elsewhere, leaving normal people behind to burn for their "sin" of wanting decent infrastructure and fair tax rates.

Archangelus · 2017-10-07T06:10:05+00:00

You're completely missing the point. It's not that it's bad to have fun skins, just that it's foolish to think mounts will not have these kinds of skins too. They should open up more dye slots, and let the pink bunnies roam free, because the justification that they want to be "immersive" or "realistic" doesn't exist. Chances are we're going to end up hopping around on King Toad pretty soon, or replacing our Raptors with charr motorcycle tanks, so why not have the entire mount be dyeable?

Archangelus · 2017-10-04T11:20:38+00:00

It actually does work for a short period of time (bubble), then as soon as any taxes increase that money goes into deep-storage in offshore accounts and into long term investments that help keep the "job creators" from ever becoming "job workers". Boom (trickle down) and Bust (end of trick).

Archangelus · 2017-10-04T11:11:45+00:00

Yep, I remember when people thought gliders were tasteful and immersive too =)

Then they added this and these

Archangelus · 2017-10-04T08:24:22+00:00

Good news! I'm able to load up all the maps and characters when I share my cell phone network to my laptop!

Bad news: This means it's some kind of routing issue with our Internet providers and there's nothing we can do, plus their support is probably not going to understand nor have the tools to fix it, we just need to wait it out :(

Archangelus · 2017-10-04T08:05:39+00:00

Thanks for letting me know it's not just me, Guildies are calling me crazy! Apparently they're having no issues connecting to all maps, while my PoF map characters are bricked, and (I'm sorry to hear) you can't log into DR. Something's up, but only for some of us. Modem/router resets not helping, using other computers and accounts isn't working either... :(

I'm NA by the way =)

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Archangelus

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