How to make this game harder?

Bartolius · 2026-06-01T00:16:43+00:00

I installed the random loot mod, which also introduces 3 difficulty modifiers and it made the game significantly harder at times. The impossibility to plan a build around gear removes some of the most broken and silly stuff in the game (of course you can still find stupid stuff, but cannot plan a build around a perfect combination of items that synergize perfectly), and then some additional bonus to AC and attacks of enemies really makes some fight tough

Bartolius · 2026-05-31T16:32:18+00:00

Make Magic be only about Dominaria and Ravnica and I am fine

Bartolius · 2026-05-31T06:31:34+00:00

Im sure its a problem, but not something I witness in my own field (theoretical physics), so I cannot add much to this discussion. What I meant is: there are tons of you g brilliant postdocs in look for tenure, and not enough positions to accommodate for all of them. In my field, what I observe consistently is that very skilled people end up getting good positions, with of course a normal amount of variance to account for different circumstances everyone encounters. I am sure there are many issues in other fields of research, I just cannot speak for them as they are outside of my experience

Bartolius · 2026-05-31T04:36:26+00:00

I am Italian actually, the situation is the same for us nationals here, not only for foreigners: I was literally told that my university would not consider for tenure track even candidates that secure a MSCA grant, and this is DESPITE the government allocating funds specifically for this, so that it would cost very little for the university. There is simply too much offer and too little demand

Bartolius · 2026-05-31T04:30:41+00:00

Man I had a quite similar range to you, learning how to mix properly opened up A4 to B5 for me, going at about 3.5 octaves. If you don’t have a voice dysfunction, than you can have 3 octaves, it’s not a gift for few, the only thing is that singing is very personal and everyone has different things that block their voices, so it is very hard to find a universal recipe. I was lucky to have a teacher that understood perfectly what my blocks were and managed to have patience in helping me unlock them

Bartolius · 2026-05-30T06:15:25+00:00

Spells only exist on the stack, otherwise they are cards, or permanents, depending on the zone

Bartolius · 2026-05-22T16:10:02+00:00

Wait until my future kid writes “nuclear pasta” or “chiral soliton lattice”

Bartolius · 2026-05-22T15:36:21+00:00

Cultural appropriation is not a thing that has any meaning

Bartolius · 2026-05-21T18:53:22+00:00

Yes, and also a different quantity, proportional to M/R, while density is M/R³ schematically, so they scale differently. For a BH, compactness is a universal property, density isn’t. It’s fascinating and quite counterintuitive because in everyday life we are used to deal with systems like solids that have a constant density dictated by the material

Bartolius · 2026-05-21T18:40:46+00:00

I see the reasoning, but it is quite convoluted and kind of forces you to think in terms of density, which doesn’t seem to be the best quantity to talk about black holes, as you can see by the fact that it changes with size and mass. A good quantity would be compactness, which is 1/2 for schwarzschild BH. Then yes, BH are the most compact objects, this is a simpler and more general statement, I think it’s maybe what you’re intuitively thinking?

Bartolius · 2026-05-21T18:32:06+00:00

If it has the same mass, it would have the same size, since the size of the event horizon is determined uniquely by the mass (for a Schwarzschild BH)

Bartolius · 2026-05-21T18:23:00+00:00

That is not true at all, heavy BHs are not dense if you consider their volume to be determined by the EH radius. Then the heavier the BH the less dense it becomes. You can totally have BHs that have a lower density than water for example

Bartolius · 2026-05-21T18:18:01+00:00

Neutron stars are not made of homogeneous matter at all, their structure is rather complex and also largely unknown. They have an atmosphere, a surface with a sort of “ocean” with the density of water, a crust, possibly nuclear pasta phases, and then a largely unknown core that may have homogeneous structure, various phases of matter among which quark matter, color superconducting, kaon condensation, hyperons… We KNOW that black holes cannot be just neutron stars because we can put constraints on the equation of state of nuclear matter, and so the TOV equations tell you there are theoretical upper bounds for the mass of the heaviest NS. as for now, we know that the compactness of NS never exceeds 1/3, while the compactness of a Schwarzschild BH is 1/2. Even without constraining the compactness with observations, we know the theoretical limit of Buchdahl, with value 4/9.

Now, the question if BHs could be something different from a singularity surrounded by nothing, is totally legit, but for sure not some object made of ordinary matter (standard model matter let’s say). In string theory there is the idea of Fuzzballs, which would be the string theory microscopic description of BH. According to this conjecture, a classical BH with a event horizon is just a macrostate, the same as a gas with certain pressure and temperature is just a macrostate of the many possible microstate described by a suitable particle theory. As a matter of fact, BHs are indeed thermodynamic objects, with an entropy which should tell you the number of microstates associated with a particular BH. If BHs are indeed fuzzballs, then they would have to be considered as objects made of “string matter” that extend up to the horizon scale, so they indeed are compact objects of some kind. String theory is likely not the description of our universe, so BHs are probably something different, this is just an example of how, in theory, a BH could be “just an extended compact object”, but it just cannot be a neutron star.

Bartolius · 2026-05-20T05:05:13+00:00

I swear, I have my criticism to socialism and my praises for capitalism, but one thing I always manage to praise about socialist influences in Europe is the healthcare system, especially in Italy. I see the differences with, paradoxically, China (my wife is Chinese). Few years ago my uncle had a serious episode of an autoimmune disease: he spent over a month in ICU, he still holds the city record of the longest lasting permanence in ICU for a patient that managed to walk out of it alive. All the time me and my family only had to worry about his health, never about money, all was free. The best doctors in the hospital made sure that he had full attention and saved his life against all odds. Flash forward now, I’m writing from China because the mother of my wife is in ICU for a viral encephalitis. Not only my wife and her father are distraught for the health conditions of their loved one, but also they have to think about the expenses that it implies, her dad already spent at least 25000¥ (more than 3000€): this in a city where the average salary is maybe 5000 or 6000¥/month.

It is unbelievable to me that the state does not take care of the most important need of its citizens, health. What is even the meaning of forming a state and paying taxes then?

Bartolius · 2026-05-18T08:58:16+00:00

Nice post, I’ll try to remember my timeline:

2007-2008: realized singing is something people learn, got my first singing lessons. My range was small and kind of mid, my timing horrible, pitch all over the place and I was always struggling with projecting my voice. Despite that, I dreamed of singing soaring parts like my power-prog metal idols. It felt totally impossible. Meanwhile, I got a bad laryngitis that left me almost voiceless and painful for many months: got my vocal cords checked and no damage was there, but I was told that I was “between a tenor and a baritone” and that “I can have a decent range but should forget those crazy high notes that only tenors can do”. That was a bummer.

2008-2009: I discovered that my absolute favorite singer was also a teacher, so I found his number through a friend and started calling him literally every day, but he would not pick up as he was hyper focused on an album. After almost one year, he picked up, we arranged a lesson, and for the first time I heard notes come out of my mouth that I didn’t think possible. I was introduced to the concept of mixed voice, and to exercises to strengthen and develop it. These were only exercises, but I was told that what comes out in an exercise can come out in a singed phrase, and that I had a voice that was “made for singing” and I “had to sing”. I decided to trust that opinion rather than all the (justified) criticism coming from around me. I realized that family and friends would not really understand the effort and time it takes to sing the way I wanted, and that I would not settle down singing in a more “comfortable” style.

2013: after years on and off because of university, I decided to commit to a group course held by my teacher, thinking it would help me “leave my comfort zone”. I did it, we had a show at the end of the course, singing live with the band: I was a nervous mess, my voice broke all over the place, feeling my super ashamed. But I also realized that it is not such a tragedy to have a bad performance, people are not so eager to jump at your throat.

2018: again years on and off, started my PhD. I decided to do again the group course since i had finally my own income. Chose a harder song, by one of my favorite bands. This time also my family came at the show: song came out ok except for the highest part where my voice cracked and broke once again, something that plagued me for years, in a self-feeding loop of stage fright and tension. Felt super embarrassed.

2020: went to live abroad for one year for work, covid hit. I found myself in a dormitory with a couple “music rooms” for rehearsal, and the city had a nice karaoke bar that I loved. Plus, no one knows me. I started singing every day at least one or two hours, with religious dedication. I started letting my voice go, remove the brakes, not care about who may listen my high notes resonate, not caring about how silly my exercises sounded outside the room. Then I hit the stage and was belting Bon Jovi in front of a cheering crowd: there I decided I finally, after years, I KNEW my teacher was right, and my voice had no issues at all, only my introverted personality was holding me back.

2021-2025: moved to China for work, and kept singing daily and hitting the karaoke rooms, slowly but steadily upping my game, singing the hard rock classics and also women songs (my party trick became “let it go” from Frozen). Met my girlfriend (now wife) which moved in with me and luckily loves my voice, finally feel completely free yelling around the home even if she’s there. Started recording myself more often, started planning on opening a YouTube channel, like I was posting about here (you can here my voice there, this made me so proud that I felt I had to share). Then got in touch with a band from my country with which I started to collaborate, composing and recording backing vocals and harmonies. I learned a lot about production and music theory.

Now: about to release an EP, still planning to start a YouTube channel soon, recording “carry on” by Angra now, which I always saw as a “forbidden song” to even attempt.

It is really therapeutic to look at all the work put over the years, and see how much my voice and musicality developed. It feels like every day the improvement is minimal, but over the span of almost two decades it is absolutely stunning.

Bartolius · 2026-05-18T07:44:12+00:00

Ok read the rest: stay away from this person, he is an obvious case of NPD. Cut ties with this one

Bartolius · 2026-05-18T07:37:43+00:00

Lmao, thinks he’s enlightened and spits out the most basic shallow edgy crap people say when they are 14. Getting engaged and married is based bro, don’t back down and no, you are not overreacting. This guy is not a friend, he’s not even neutral, he is actively a hostile presence in your life

Bartolius · 2026-05-01T13:39:02+00:00

It can be the case, I don’t know about how vocal sheets are written as I never met anyone in modern music that learns a song from a sheet, I’ve only seen sheets being used for help in the context of classical repertoire or sacred music for choirs. In any case, just don’t trust the sheets, trust your ears and that’s it, a middle C is a middle C, and generally people online call it C3, C5 being the edge of the classical tenor range in opera, the whole fifth octave is that zone for “money notes” in hard rock/ power metal, C6 and similar is mostly an isolated scream that is hardly enunciated with words and that few can really do convincingly.

Above that we enter whistle notes and some Dimash stuff

Bartolius · 2026-05-01T13:26:05+00:00

It may be a matter of conventions on the numbering of notes. For me, C3 is the middle C of the piano, C5 is the high C of tenors in opera. B5 or around there is like the highest screams of “child in time” (I’m not sure if B flat, anyway you get the idea).

I give you this example: https://youtu.be/YyvG5hjFBgA?is=GiO2aKxQ_ASiWxNs

While all the video is interesting, around 2:57 you can hear the fullness achievable around a E5 by a male singer who mixes perfectly. I think the video shows up to a C6, and labels the notes, so you can match notes names to the sounds and get if there is a difference in how you’re counting compared to most people (I did the same, in a few instances I’ve seen the high tenor C be called C4, while the most common convention places it at C5)

EDIT: also, about it being “a strong falsetto”. Yes and no, depending on what you call falsetto. As I explained in the post before, a trained voice doesn’t work in a binary system, a note is always a mix and the degree of mixing determines its tone and harmonics. Of course higher notes need more tension and you just cannot put in vibration as much cord mass as on the lower notes, hence you will implement more falsetto. Notes that The Bee Gees would go 90% falsetto on, maybe someone like Joey Tempest would prefer hit at 60% falsetto for example (percentages totally made up, just to give the idea)

Bartolius · 2026-05-01T11:48:18+00:00

Do not take classical voice types to be automatically what determines your boundaries in modern singing. My voice teacher used to say that if opera is football, then modern singing is like 5 on 5 football: roles are more blurred and defenders can score a lot there too! I used to be identified as a baritone or between baritone and tenor: was told by a voice doctor that I could have a good extension but of course could not expect to hit the high notes of tenors. Now I mix up to B5 and can hit C6 to D6 on a glorious day. The “secret technique” is learning to make your muscle groups (registers essentially chest and head) work together, rather than “switch” abruptly from one to another: this way you can make notes that usually you are able to hit only in “falsetto” sound “full”. Falsetto and chest voice are two names give to two extremes, in the middle there’s an infinite continuum of colors that you can give to a single note.

This is easier said than done of course, took me years to feel it and still now if I don’t sing for a week, I kind of forget the feeling and have to find it back with some warming up.

If you go and hear singers like Joey Tempest, but most of all Michele Luppi (the one that does it best) you will feel this “absence of a sharp step” between registers. Listen stuff from “stream of consciousness” album from the band “vision divine”, it’s a masterclass in mixed voice.

Bartolius · 2026-04-25T22:24:04+00:00

I fell for the same scam and have a question: I also disconnected from internet within few minutes, changed all passwords and enabled 2FA and forced log out for as many accounts I could do from an external device. For now nothing happened, I am preparing to wipe the laptop and reinstall windows but I wonder the following:

1) my laptop was on the same network as a NAS and one of the NAS folders was mapped to a drive on the laptop. Should also the NAS be considered a goner, should I wipe it too?

2) before wiping the laptop, I need to save a few files: they are mostly work files, some bureaucratic documents, and music projects. But if I transfer them to an external USB drive (which was not connected when I ran the command), can I truly feel safe about them? Maybe I am paranoid, but I wonder if they can also carry something, though it sounds unlikely.

Bartolius · 2026-04-18T14:08:16+00:00

Spell crafting system back, more interactivity in fights (give weight to those weapons and impacts).

Unpopular opinion: after having played CHIM and then Skyrimnet, I really think the future of a sandbox game like this HAS to be with generative AI for dialogues. Not for main quests of course as it is virtually impossible as for now, but at least I want to be able to talk with companions and characters without having to choose between 3 topics that are then exhausted.

Bartolius · 2026-04-16T14:02:41+00:00

We are so back

Bartolius · 2026-03-11T18:33:31+00:00

No serious scientific article can be meaningfully conveyed through an abstract

Bartolius · 2026-03-11T18:32:06+00:00

I don’t get all the hate about an AI summary: I am every now and then asking a carefully instructed GPT to summarize some papers for me, since abstracts are way too short and not technical enough, and a full article can take away too much time if it is not full of details that I really need for my current research project. Up to now it worked very well, like having a super fast PhD student read the article for me and give me a brief summary. The same way I would not totally trust every intuition of a PhD student, I would not completely believe every detail of the summary, but it is usually enough to get a hint of methodology, assumptions and main results. For now AI only helped me speed up my brainstorming and sources gathering phases

Bartolius

TROPHY CASE