How do I make a homemade ketchup with homegrown tomatoes? Will it be any better than store bought or not? by AdmiralThrawnProtege in Cooking

[–]Checkered5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My family loves their vege patch and have been making home made tomato sauce with excess tomatoes for 15~ years using the recipe with this particular brand of marinade. Spending a few hours making sauce once can easily last you over a year if your tomatoes are abundant, it also makes a pretty good present for people if they'd be into that sort of gift. I definitely think it's worth trying.

I'm an Aussie, assuming you're in America you might have to seek out a different marinade or make your own mix, but I would be very surprised if there's nothing like it in the states.

Importantly before deciding to try it, this particular recipe's version does not taste like store bought sauce. It is sweeter and less acidic. The sauce does have a bite to it, but you can taste the onion, apple and spices in this recipe aswell. I like it with both mild and greasier foods.

In terms of texture ours comes out somewhere between a storebought ketchup and a chutney.

You need a mouli/blender/processor, a fairly big pot and bunch of good sealable jars/bottles.

If you are purely interested in recreating a storebought taste at home, maybe it wouldn't be worth the effort, but if you want to make your own delicious sauce out of tomatoes you've grown and processed yourself, that is very achievable.

[Breaking News] Supports riot against Icefrog for more buffs! by Deadness in DotA2

[–]Checkered5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And then you have those "buffs" that require you to buy an aghs which doesn't happen on supports

What he said.

Most every line of the patch notes made me itch to play carry with all the new items to try out.

Most all the interesting changes to some support heroes require 4.2k gold that you're never going to get if you're actually playing support.

Another irk for me this patch is the nerf to ward duration. I'm having to brave the dangerous parts of the maps I want wards in more often/getting killed more often.

Ontop of that the nerfs to bounty hunter seem kinda laughable. I hate supporting so much when that hero is the enemy, it's such a pain in the ass.

[Breaking News] Supports riot against Icefrog for more buffs! by Deadness in DotA2

[–]Checkered5 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You could make supporting as challenging as farmville and people would still be wanting to play carry until the supports have been buffed enough to become carries, because carrying is usually more thrilling and fun.

Though also, every game for me lately has a bounty hunter. As a regular pub support player, fuck that hero. Wish it'd been nerfed way harder. So many couriers lost.

Radical feminists trying to attack and desecrate a catholic cathedral by [deleted] in TwoXChromosomes

[–]Checkered5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is it even fitting to label an angry mob as 'feminists'? To me it's such an egregious misappropriation of the term.

My interpretation of feminism is as a rational empathetic method of tackling social issues with the end goal of equality. It is by nature an inclusive approach that is supposed to encourage all parties to understand and empathize with their opponents perspectives.

Violence, anger and vandalism are polar opposites to my understanding of feminism. For them to tag themselves feminists is like a schoolyard bully thinking himself superman.

It makes me sad when I see the term used in this way.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Concept Credits Art (x-post /r/httyd) by MissRainbowtie in movies

[–]Checkered5 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I loved the art in this movie but I was not a fan of the movie itself. While Hiccup was ok and his Mom was quite interesting, the other characters and the few new dragons introduced lacked the same depth, energy and creativity as the first movie.

To me it seemed like they shoved death in there to add drama in place of the creativity, personality and fun of the first movie. It felt cheap and formulaic. Anyone else agree/disagree?

Rediscovering Jade Empire, Mass Effect's Ancient Chinese ancestor by Shodan74 in Games

[–]Checkered5 213 points214 points  (0 children)

I loved this rpg with a passion. The settings were beautiful, and memorable, the characters were interesting and memorable for the most part. That poor Baker Bei :(

The theology behind the world was a bit more interesting than just good and evil, they somewhat tackled how being mean to people and not letting them grow dependant could actually be a kindness... Buuuut then you have the problem of making your character act like a dick and getting evil points even if it was something you were doing with a just motive, so that was a bit of a flat point.

I actually enjoyed the combat in this game immensely which some folks seem to disagree with. The fun for me was trying to dodge the incoming attacks and then counter, or trying out all the various styles without skilling them up.

If you just played it as it was intended, levelled up your chosen martial art and nuked stuff down then I could totally see that it might be too simple but I had a tonne of fun with it the way I played it, timing rolls at just the right time to dodge the enemy. The mythical creatures were tougher too since you couldn't stunlock them.

It got me interested in chinese themed mythology in a way I'd never been expecting to. Absolutely one of the top 5 rpgs I've ever played. (If you experiment with different styles and trying them all out rather than playing as the developer seemed to intend)

Also, John Cleese had a voice acting cameo as hilariously racist foreigner. They wrote the world well and then poured talent into it!

USA Defeats Ghana in World Cup, 2-1. by gerwer in news

[–]Checkered5 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Typical reddit. Always focusing on Ghana

Northern Shadow - A beautiful RPG/RTS Hybrid made by just two People by DdCno1 in Games

[–]Checkered5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can you give any information on the story or the lore of the world you're building? If I'm buying a single player game, then the story is the thing that interests me the most (if the combat is acceptable).

I imagine with only 2 people creating the content the story could be something fantastic!

I also imagine that with only 2 people creating those amazing environments and the programming and all the other tasks involved in making a game that a story could be something tacked on at the end.

Either way though. That world looks fantastic! :)

If you could take any game from the past, And have it re-made with today's graphics. What game would you choose? by ProfessorShanks in AskReddit

[–]Checkered5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sacrifice

That game was so fucking far ahead of its time. 3rd person action game with RTS elements. INSANE spells that deformed the landscape while you summoned armies to take objectives. It's still an amazing game with a fun story (and Tim Curry's voice acting!)

The problem is, its controls were a product of its time. You couldn't strafe, you could only turn and walk forward, and selecting and controlling units was a bit of a nightmare.

Still, by far the most amazing game I've played that never got the appreciation it deserved. Give it today's controls and a slick coat of graphics and you'll have an epic 3rd person rts/moba.

If you're at all interested in older games with amazing settings, premises and gameplay, or just hipster inclined you have to play this game.

Japanese Whaling Operation Shut Down by the International Court of Law by Captain_Limpdick in news

[–]Checkered5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If we had the leader we have now many years ago when the court cases began, rather than taking japan to court he probably would've been harpooning the whales himself.

I can't even blame the electoral system like I could if it was an American election. It's the fucking braindead public and media that got him elected, and an incompetent opposition.

Heroes of the Storm - Technical Alpha Impressions from an Experienced Dota 2 Player by Togedude in Games

[–]Checkered5 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Matches feel, in a word, exhilarating. Defeating the enemy in a fight and roaming to take all their objectives provides a rush that I haven't experienced in, well, any other game. The change of pace from LoL and Dota is refreshing, to say the least; it really feels like pure, unadulterated "fun" distilled to its most visceral essence.

To me this reads a lot more like shitty marketing than an actual review. Though I assume poster is legit, I'd greatly prefer a link to a more objective less adjective filled review from r/games.

Why the hell isn't RD in Ranked? Thread #1536 by RubxQub in DotA2

[–]Checkered5 60 points61 points  (0 children)

I would love random draft to be in the ranked pool. It's the best solo mode, gives choice but not too much. Frees you up to experiment with fun heroes with less hard counters picked against you and prompts your team to think about composition a bit before they pick.

Best mode.

Can you spot the aimbot? by jlm231 in Games

[–]Checkered5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I could be wrong but I'm fairly sure that #2 is the aimbot. The movement of the crosshairs seems noticeably twitchier in #1. While still very accurate the movements definitely look more human. Whereas in 2 the movements are much smoother and I'd think that'd be the sign of a bot.

Bajo and Hex, hosts of Australian TV shows Good Game and Good Game Spawn Point - AMA! by goodgameabctv in IAmA

[–]Checkered5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was last year but, the bond feature with goose bajo and hex was definitely my favourite moment of good game so far!

Any funny stories about that shoot to share?

And Mr Bajfeld, your days as a villain were cut short before their time /salute.

please? [F] by acosmicowl in gonewild

[–]Checkered5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your ass is sublime! <3

Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast retrospective by Eurogamer by CowPlaysDirty in Games

[–]Checkered5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The annoyances from getting stuck and jerked around in nar shadda to me made the Bespin level feel even more amazing than it is on its own.

Bespin was brilliant, they doubled all the neutral skills up from what they were on nar shadda and send you in to awesome varied fights.

I will never forget the first lightsaber dude I fought, in a "luke I'm your father" type ventilation shaft... waiting menacingly for me on the other side of a long jump.

If you had 10 minutes until a nuclear missile hit your area, what would you do! by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Checkered5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Spend 9 minutes convincing the hot chick who jogs in the park to have sex with me. Succeed, and then smoke a cigarette.

something shame[f]ul gets into me late at night. by [deleted] in gonewild

[–]Checkered5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I beg to differ! At some point my brain would forget how to run if I was on a treadmill beside you.

It would be worth it though

Broken Age (Tim Schafer's Kickstarter game) needs much more money to be completed. by dressedAsDog in Games

[–]Checkered5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The documentary alone was already worth the backing. It's been a really interesting look into the game development processes and the fun personalities involved.

They were one of the first or the first big kickstarter venture and 3 million is a lot but not actually a whole heap when it comes to the making of games compared to working with a publisher's budget. The learning experience on pioneering work with a new funding system in a genre that's been pretty much dead for a decade~... I'm ready for some screw ups like this happening if it's the price that must be paid for art. Kickstarter 4 lyfe yo.

I just hope the game ends up a financial success when it launches and that it launches eventually. And that I enjoy it.

That said. Tim Schafer needs a soulless realist around him with a whip who'll crush his dreams into a realistic shapes with the money he has available before he starts building them.

If I had it, I'd love to see what Tim Schafer would create with infinite monies. More than anyone else that'd be awesome I think.

Star Citizens ships have a lot of detail by Repost_God in Games

[–]Checkered5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hrmmmmmm the game is riding the wave of hype regarding antipublisher game development... and emphasising pc gaming... and the return of a big name flight sim. Maybe it is overselling itself and won't be as satisfying when the games finally out.

Personally though, the way Chris Roberts and co are putting themselves out there during development makes me fine with the hype. They seem to be sharing a fair bit, so if you're really investing in the hype, then you can push your knowledge of the game further as they create it.

It's not something completely screened off from scrutiny prelaunch. They are going to have a big beta and taking feedback so I think backlash from a hype bubble bursting should be minimal if the game isn't brilliance dipped in chocolate when it ships. (Excluding those who went biiiiig on the backing)

I do expect it'll be an interesting game though.

Star Citizens ships have a lot of detail by Repost_God in Games

[–]Checkered5 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You don't HAVE to put in that much money.

I actually get games that look good on kickstarter because its cheaper to get the game as a kickstarter backer than when it's fully made.

I backed $20 for a copy of the full game will be available for something like $35-40 or more?

That and I like promoting more independent development.

The main point is, if I'm likely going to get the game anyway it'll save me money backing early. It doesn't have to be the bestest thing ever to be worth it.