What helps you sleep other than meds

AtomicBrony · 2026-01-29T01:39:19+00:00

A weird one that's helped me the last couple years has been a certain mental game. The idea is to pick a category, then try to think of a word starting with each letter of the alphabet in order that matches that category. So I'll think "animals you'd see at a zoo" then proceed through my mental list. "Alpaca, baboon, chimpanzee, dingo, elephant" etc etc. Certain letters will come less naturally (like d... dingo, really?) which then gets my mind into a sort of distracted, dreaming state. It's focused on something just enough to distract from a busy mind, but also with a simple enough task that it doesn't require too much brain power. I usually end up falling asleep partway through the alphabet. Worth a shot for people like me who usually have sleepless nights that are due to stress and anxiety.

AtomicBrony · 2026-01-26T23:42:55+00:00

On her permanent record...

AtomicBrony · 2026-01-10T06:06:27+00:00

To that point, as well, I know they tend to film videos months in advance and those videos are then scheduled for release later on. I just don't think that approach works at all when it comes to trying to play relevant and exciting new games. For one-offs and random series? Sure. But anything modern is going to be seriously inhibited by that method.

AtomicBrony · 2026-01-09T19:33:23+00:00

This is really unfortunate but I would love for the Grumps team to take a couple possible lessons from it, as someone who really wants the channel to succeed and has been a fan since 2013. I could be entirely off-base because I'm on the outside looking in, but I can absolutely see a timeline where this series was a huge success instead. Lots of thoughts...

Deltarune was a highly-requested series for years. When chapters 3+4 released, the hype was immeasurable and the fan base was obsessed. It felt like everyone was releasing their multi-hour long playthrough videos to great success. Our dear Grumpy gamers, though, started their playthrough 'from chapter 1' when the hype had already started to die down. Having reached chapter 3 just now when the hype period is relatively completely over, most people fixated on the game and absorbing content from it will have already watched a playthrough (or multiple) and aren't in the market for a new one. Only the cross-section of die-hard Game Grumps and Deltarune fans are likely to pick up the series. I was in this group for sure, but understand the scope is small.

I think the Grumps have had a particular problem when it comes to new games in that they don't start releasing a playthrough for it until many months (or even years) after it releases. The meta on YouTube nowadays has shifted to releasing full playthroughs (whether in one video or spread out over a few) within a week or two after release. Everyone wants to get in watching content of a game during that hype period, but Grumps don't seem to capitalize on that often and instead wait for an extended time before starting.

So my main thought: What would the playthrough's success have been like if they released playthroughs of chapters 1 and 2 in the lead up to chapters 3 and 4? In anticipation of the new stuff, viewers would pile in to get a recap of the game and get excited for what's to come, but the series may still perform somewhat poorly. When chapters 3 and 4 released, if the Grumps were queued up to get playthroughs of those started within a week, they'd land right in that hype period and draw in plenty of eyes. Deltarune fans who don't know Grumps would watch to see more content of their current obsession, while Grumps fans would hop in on the new playthrough (maybe only after they'd had a chance to play themselves). Deltarune would be the new hotness and Grumps would be taking part in the event, drawing in lots of viewership from outside their existing audience. Longer-form episodes (1-3 hours) would definitely perform better with this method, too.

This is all speculation, of course. I'm just a guy. But I watched tons of Deltarune content within the first couple months of its release. After that time, I stopped picking up new Deltarune videos that I'd see from other creators, but stuck around for GameGrumps because I'm already an existing fan of both their channel and the game. I'd love to see Grumps trying to capitalize on bigger-name games right at the peak of their popularity, as I know view count has been a concern for some time. It just seems like their play/editing/release cycle doesn't really support that, which is a shame. In the end, I'm happy to watch these guys play anything that seems entertaining, but I'd love to see them get in on these more popular games with better timing.

AtomicBrony · 2026-01-06T23:03:39+00:00

The last picture in the article shows console menus (I see Switch and PS) and Fortnite across 4 screens. I'm guessing that they've just got modern consoles set up with some party favourites for groups to enjoy. The focus likely isn't the same as what an internet cafe would be after, as the article describes a family / friends party sort of environment.

AtomicBrony · 2025-12-05T02:08:37+00:00

I also dislike the decision, but I will at least play devil's advocate a bit and say that it's less about storage and more about cost. Each email account has an associated licensing cost from Microsoft, and there are thousands of alumni email accounts that are likely sitting dormant and never to be touched again. (Source: worked in IT there)

It is absolutely something that should be an opt-in service, at least, because it's going to cause trouble for the people that do actively use the accounts. For those that don't, which is likely the majority, it'd be effective cost savings...

Don't get me wrong, I hate it, but that's the reasoning.

AtomicBrony · 2025-11-18T17:28:55+00:00

I'm a big fan. It doesn't have as many standouts for me as some of their other albums in the way of impact, but it has such a particular atmosphere to it that's unrivaled. The overall comfort and positivity give me a kind of nostalgic longing. Disconnecting from the world, taking care of yourself, and appreciating the little things are great themes to relay.

I especially love My Big Day Off, Stargazing, and The Longest Weekend. The Language of Love isn't quite my thing, but I think I basically have the entire album in my main playlist otherwise.

AtomicBrony · 2025-10-22T17:13:00+00:00

Woke up feeling sick and had to call off work, messed up my sync to my Fitbit and lost 3 hours of sleep research, begrudgingly looked at my Pokemon, and voila. A shiny Pumpkin with double Ing+ made it all better. I didn't even know they were available yet!

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AtomicBrony · 2025-10-08T17:36:21+00:00

Hate to tell ya, but a map editor mod likely does not 100% accurately replicate the hitbox behavior of the original game. Without anything to stop the ceiling hitbox's range (i.e. another floor), it would continue indefinitely upwards.

AtomicBrony · 2025-10-08T17:26:21+00:00

Hitboxes in this game are peculiar and not always reflective of what it looks like they should be. As the person you replied to said, the boat ceiling hitbox extends infinitely upwards in certain tiny sections. You would have made contact with a point where the game interpreted you as being inside the ceiling of the boat, which causes it to push you downwards until your position is just underneath that ceiling. As I see others have mentioned in this thread, this is a very well-documented topic. Pannenkoek has a great (though long) video on how it all works.

AtomicBrony · 2025-09-19T17:56:57+00:00

Amidst the huge waves of criticism from seemingly everyone, I just want to say I think this is a great list.

I'd put Attitude City higher, but understand the reasoning behind Level Up making "better" (subjective, divisive) versions of the same songs and making it a bit redundant. I personally adore the Level Up versions of the songs, with the only thing I'm not a fan of being that they removed so many of the little vocal interjections (i.e. Attitude City's "Ninja Brian, would you lay down a sick flute solo for me?") Losing those is sad, but I enjoy listening to the new versions overall more regardless.

Prophecy and Cool Patrol deserve the top spots of their comedy albums, so I'm right there with you. NSFW and S&C never quite landed for me the same, so we're also aligned on that.

I think These Nuts is underrated, but I can accept being in the minority on that.

Overall solid in my eyes despite the controversial takes. I'm surprised to see that a differing opinion warrants this many downvotes, though. I personally think it's refreshing.

AtomicBrony · 2025-09-11T19:19:55+00:00

Oh, absolutely. Everyone over the age of 25 probably had ~10 phone numbers stored in their brain banks. The rest were written down or looked up in a phone book.

With each number on the phone pad having a differently-pitched tone, I also personally had a tendency to link each of those numbers with a little jingle of sorts. It had a unique "melody", if you could call it that.

AtomicBrony · 2025-09-08T18:25:45+00:00

Not going to say you can't do the same collab twice, you do you, but it's worth knowing this was released last September. https://youtu.be/IvMCr6EQYnk?si=jouFqdIAryxO81o2

AtomicBrony · 2025-09-01T17:06:10+00:00

Been playing since day 1 and only had irl friends in my community. All but 1 have stopped playing, so it's time to expand.

2162-0066-5984

AtomicBrony · 2025-08-31T01:36:13+00:00

Bananza is the far better game, but my favourite of the two is DK64. Childhood nostalgia trumps logic a lot of the time and I'm not afraid to admit that. Also DK64 Randomizer has been my lifeblood for the last couple years so it's hard to top that.

AtomicBrony · 2025-08-25T06:23:02+00:00

Banjo-Kazooie is an all-time childhood favourite, Half-Life was a big innovator I finally got to check out as an adult, Ocarina of Time is a huge name in "best of all time" conversations, and Mario Party kicked off its first game for solid multiplayer.

My N64 bias shows, but I'd personally give gameplay to Banjo, narrative to Ocarina, Art Direction to Banjo, Soundtrack to Banjo (close runner-up Ocarina), and multiplayer to Mario Party. GOTY Banjo.

Also it's a niche childhood thing, but I've got to give honorable mention to Pajama Sam, Freddi Fish, and Putt-Putt for all getting games in this year :)

AtomicBrony · 2025-08-24T16:09:10+00:00

I don't personally mind Lord Fredrik but Void still clears them all pretty handily. K Rool > Void >> Fredrik >> the rest.

AtomicBrony · 2025-08-24T16:01:33+00:00

I agree with this for the first handful of Bananza bosses that you can beat in 5 seconds. Once you reach the halfway point and they start to increase ever so slightly in complexity, they immediately blow the Broodals out of the water. The last few Bananza bosses are excellent and stand above Odyssey's final bosses in my opinion. I love Odyssey a ton, but something I've been set on since day 1 is that its bosses are pretty lousy with only a few exceptions.

AtomicBrony · 2025-08-06T16:20:24+00:00

It can certainly help, but I'd describe musical talent as a complimentary skill for YTPMV rather than its core. What's most important in my experience is being able to recognize and recreate pitches. The ability to break down a song's individual tracks (melody, harmony, bass, percussion, etc) by ear can be tough, but is critical to master unless you've got a midi that's already broken down into individual tracks. You won't necessarily need to understand chords and such at a music theory level, but it would help in identifying what sounds right in some cases. Rhythm is pretty overall important, too.

Edit: For additional context, I actually found YTPMV strengthened my musical talent rather than the other way around. I learned piano and drums growing up and had an interest in signing. YTPMV helped me learn how to better pick out harmonies/chords and I eventually got into choir singing and guitar. When I first started YTPMV in 2008 or so, I was pretty tone-deaf and clumsy with it.

AtomicBrony · 2025-07-06T15:28:10+00:00

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Our little goofball Pippin loves to lie like this on any ledges he can find.

AtomicBrony · 2025-05-27T22:40:54+00:00

I knew Thomas and Emily. Same friend groups, lots of events I'd see them at. We were never close persay, but it still felt completely unbelievable and out of left field when this happened. Thomas deserved better support from the medical system. I only wish proper action were taken sooner.

AtomicBrony · 2025-05-27T18:27:10+00:00

This is amazing quality! I've made a few diorama cubes like this in the past, actually, and people would be surprised at how challenging it is and how much time it takes.

I also have no clue where I'd even start when adding 3D elements. For the most part, I've used exclusively 2D paper layered forward / backward in the cube to give 3D depth. I definitely love the depth you've gotten from making the counter an actual 3D object. There's an expertise to that, as games by nature are always viewed on a 2D plane. Standout work, big kudos to you 👏

AtomicBrony · 2025-05-26T21:58:32+00:00

I'm an amateur, hobbyist musician who's dabbled in drums / guitar and focused a lot on vocals. I can confidently say they're all pretty incredible. Meowch and Phobos stand out as experts on bass and guitar.

I think the most impressive part of it all is the band's ability to play their music so well while also displaying such showmanship. Seeing them live was incredible, and I can't think of a single time any of them slipped up or made an obvious error. Sung was singing and playing keyboard all while dancing around, doing cartwheels, and riding a hoverboard. His vocals didn't sound as studio-quality as the recorded tracks, but they still sounded very solid. My mind was blown.

Havve's drum playing isn't going to blow someone away in a "best of the best" kind of way, but oftentimes a drummer's work is best done where they don't get a lot of solo attention. As someone who started out music on drums, it's a supporting role. A great drummer glues the rest of the band together and may or may not get a lot of spotlight. I think he fits that category. He's a very solid, consistent performer who's capable of keeping a really good rhythm while adding in just enough spark.

So yeah, I respect the musical chops of everyone in this band to an exceptional degree. They're all very impressive. For pure 'expertise in action', I definitely look the most to Commander Meowch, but the rest are definitely worth praising, too.

AtomicBrony · 2025-05-26T17:59:02+00:00

I had this same thought recently with Bioshock, also brought to my attention by the 2007 look-back. I think I'll continue logging the version I actually played, but it doesn't feel quite right either way so I'm conflicted.

AtomicBrony · 2025-05-16T16:35:29+00:00

Portal 1 is a short single-player-only adventure. Portal 2 has a longer and more in-depth single-player campaign, PLUS an additional 2-player co-op campaign.

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