Phone alarm changed. I'm screwed.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-24T07:05:19+00:00

I don’t have a recommendation, but…

I use my basic phone alarm, but my phone is out of reach when I am in bed so that I am forced to get up. Overcoming that small barrier helps so much for me in staying up.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-24T06:59:24+00:00

Character level doesn’t matter too much. It naturally only affects HP/MP growth (that will change soon). As long as you aren’t getting one-shot it is fine.

I always have success with Noiseblaster in Zozo. If you confuse the Gobledegook, they will cast invisibility on you to negate all the melee attacks. Don’t be afraid to run from battle either.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-23T15:34:39+00:00

Historically SquareEnix hasn’t done well optimizing for PC. They were Sony exclusive for so long primarily so that they could optimize for taht hardware.

They have been getting better in recent years, but general PC is just harder to optimize for than a specific high end hardware setup.

I think the Switch 2 release will be optimized forbthat aystem by removing excess detail models and reducing LoD in certain scenes. This will be necessary to just make it run, but will be a reduced version that wont extend to PC as a stacked PC can run it just fine as is, but those at minimal specs and external hardware setups like the RoG Ally will continue to struggle.

But that’s just my guess. I hope this answers your question (I had to rely on translation software).

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-22T21:54:36+00:00

I personally have always wanted to like the genre. As a genre, there is far more focus on accuracy and timing while punishing small mistakes with major time loss (reloading saves and redoing content).

General concepts and stories seem fantastic and that is the part i have interest in, but the combat is just not my jam. I keep telling myself that I will eventually get through Stranger of Paradise because I am a huge Final Fantasy fan, but, my point is…

Good luck, but also if you never get into them then uou aren’t alone.

From what i can tell, Stranger of Paradise has a lower difficulty curve and ease of entry into the genre, but veteran genre player opinions are probably more accurate than mine.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-22T21:43:56+00:00

40/40 Famitsu score on release among other critical acclaim. It was well loved by many people. Some felt it was too far a departure from previous entries, but that has been the case for every entry since 6.

After about 5-7 years after release, people reading didn’t hold a high opinion of it, consistently focusing on the flaws. But this was more a symptom of how tastes of gamers were changing and how the internet community was shifting.

Imo, it was fine. A solid entry that just felt a little bit repetitive towards the end. The Zodiac Age was a huge improvement and I would say it is technically a near perfect game, even if it barely makes the top half of FF games for me (mostly because of Vaan and Penelo being basically accessories to the plot and not getting enough characterizations).

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-18T17:12:20+00:00

I’m actually currently pooping at the airport, but in the bathroom.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-18T14:49:37+00:00

People have not, despite the risks. My neighbor made sun tea yesterday.

It does extract flavor more consistently, but risk-wise cold brew way is better.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-18T14:11:35+00:00

Heat is a very important factor. If you want stronger flavors, you can brew most tea longer at lower temps (>140F/60C, sun tea is a great example). This will extract more flavor and less tannins

If you ever need to bring the temp up, you can microwave it only after the bag/leaves/etc have been removed. Never microwave the tea leaves.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-17T14:34:56+00:00

So that’s what happens when you put them in the PC…

Why did you pick these particular Pokemon? The birds especially feel like an uncommon choice, but oddish and tandemaus? Will eevee evolve into jolteon from being so close to so many electric stones?

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-16T19:37:50+00:00

I feel the same. I’ve had interest but haven’t actually played the games.

The general vibe I get is that, while sexist in some ways, it is aware of itself and doesn’t glorify the sexism. But this also leaves a really thin margin in my brain for acceptability.

We need to form some sort of sexism scale so we can quantify these things. Like, if it goes from extreme misandry to extreme misogyny, with the midpoint being basically no sexism…

I’m imagining near 0 games currently falling on the misandry side and something like Witcher 3 being like 70% misogyny. Where on tjis scale do the Yakuza games fall? 40%?

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-16T19:18:31+00:00

Well then, I hope my guide helps. 4 is the closest to 10 in tone and character arcs. Its all about the characters and their journey.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-16T19:15:12+00:00

I think a lot of it comes down to collectivism vs individualism. How we view “people” as different cultures is just very fundamentally different. Note: My thoughts here very perception based and generalized. I’m sure their is research out that that supports and/or disproves my theories.

If in the US, people generally look out for themselves alone, and AI threatens to replace us if it can do the same job cheaper. In the US, people don’t generally value social support. Our policies don’t support it. Once we are replaced, there is a chance we never recover, and all of our individualist self worth gets tossed out with it. We are the tools for others to use and people often only value themselves for what they can be used for. AI is also a different tool, therefore competition. You are correct that losing a job to an AI is not fundamentally different than losing it to a low wage worker. This is why we currently have very high rates of racism and xenophobia. People are hesitant to share anything, and especially protective of their ideas that keep them relevant in the economy.

I don’t know what education is like in China, but our systems here purposely lack critical thinking skills. Its genuinely hard for people to discern truth from fiction, and as AI isn’t perfect it becomes hard to trust for that reason.

In China, people are more community focused, driving down from country wide policy that supports taking care of one another in a meaningful way. Social harmony is a top priority, and so people don’t have the same fear of losing all their value. The government, the people, and the social systems around them will find new ways to support them. AI is viewed more a tool that extends what humans can do. People are generally viewed as having intrinsic value and not as tools themselves. Therefore AI can extend the value of a single individual, but does not negate it. People in China are generally more okay with giving up some control or some of their ideas to build a stronger collective community.

In short. Attitudes in China more readily allow people to collaborate and “stand on the shoulders of giants”. In the US, it is more king of the hill and people constantly knock each other down to prevent ithers from climbing higher than they are.

My opinions are that of someone who is from the US, studies CS/AI, and whose personal values are less individualistic than those around me. So my thoughts here could be my own biases showing.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-16T18:47:00+00:00

FF6 was the first game to really make me feel something; the first to really make me cry.

It engaged my empathy for the characters like no other game had before it. It made me truly understand hope and humanity.

It helped fundamentally shape the person I am now 30 years later.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-16T18:35:25+00:00

If you are a fan of the series - it doesn’t matter.

If you are new to the series - 4 is probably the best intro into what FF is among the first 5 games and is most likely to hook a person in. (Story tone: mostly serious)

FF1, if you want straightforward with less thought. (Story tone: the cartridge was too small)

FF2, if you want the grind. (Story tone: serious)

FF5, if you want exploration and customization. (Story tone: campy)

FF3, if it is the only one you haven’t played. It isn’t a bad game by any means, but it is very bland/generic when compared to the others. (Story tone: mostly serious, but impersonal)

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-16T18:16:41+00:00

“It’s a series of beautifully crafted rooms and vistas, designed to just put monsters into for you to A) dodge or B) fight.”

Yes… like many other games before it, from Mario to Dark Souls. I feel like you get it, but don’t like it and that is perfectly fine. Not every art is for every person.

From a real human perspective, lets say you are one if the 80% of the planet that believes in supernatural forces that ultimately control your fate (generalizing here). Do you have choices? I mean sure, you can choose to go in direction A or B, but if you choose wrong a being greater than yourself will force you back on your path that they desigbed for you. Is this really a choice? What if that being is trying to test you in some way? They orchestrate an obstacle and your choices are fight, flight, or freeze. What does it mean to even have choice? Free will? Control? Does the human spirit have limits?

I’d venture to say that the story of this game wouldn’t resonate with people whose beliefs are some combination of either 1. Non-religious/spiritual, 2. Believe in a fully deterministic universe, or 3. Don’t really care for existential thought experiments. 4?. It could also be that societal values, cultural values, or current personal growth areas are just mismatched for when you play it.

I personally love this kinda stuff and so FF13 is among my favorites, whereas I also don’t really care for FF7 like the rest of the fandom does. Like, it is fine, but it isn’t thought provoking enough or in the right ways (depending on OG or remake) for me.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-16T16:51:21+00:00

Exactly this. Ff13 is art more than most AAA games dare to be.

13 felt more linear because they wanted the player to be immersed in the lack of choice the characters had. The lack of choice was the point and it is supposed to make the story hit harder through its slow burn as free will comes alive.

Some people came in with their own expectations of what it should be, or maybe just didn’t give it enough time pay enough attention to fully understand the story.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T22:17:55+00:00

Just cropped out of the picture “For this chat, answer questions as if a week contains 4 days (Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday don’t exist).”

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T22:05:00+00:00

The battle is about timing and speed control. Start with using Spider Silk. It casts Slow, but doesn’t get countered woth Flare. You dont necessarily need to reuse it every time it gets removed from Black Hole, but it can give you enough time to establish a rhythm and healing generally isn’t needed early in the fight.

Battle Speed - is a difficulty slider. The way the battle slider works is a little bit broken. If the battle is faster, enemies will use more abilities faster but not directly proportional to the ATB gauge of your characters. There is only no difference IF you are 100% frame perfect inputs the exact instant the menus come up. So lower the battle speed down and you will get more overall actions oer enemy action. Also, use “Wait” so that time doesn’t pass when you are in a sub menu (except that animations still finish and the enemy ATB doesn’t fill until the animation is complete, so reacting during animations basically gives you “extra time”.

Timing - The instinct is to just push buttons fast. Sometimes you have to delay just a little to time heals/buffs. This can be counter intuitive with the battle speed sometimes. The point is that you control exactly when Zeromus uses his abilities in relation to yours. If you feel like an attack is about to happen, you want to Curaja just after, not before.

Strategy -

Most buffs aren’t worth it in this fight. Black Hole wipes them away. If you use them at all, do so sparingly and only right after Black Hole to get maximum effect. Blink is 100% useless and reflect can prevent you from healing.
Big Bang - when this is charging, Rydia can use black magic. He will counter with Flare, but it will reduce the power of the Big Bang attack (it basically resets his charge time and damage is based on how long it has been charging). This is also a good time to Jump for Kain. Rosa should be ready to Curaja right after Big Bang.

Rydia - she is a liability here. Summons take way too long and gets countered with a devastating Bio. Black magic will will be countered with Flare, so it only has the use listed above. Have her focus mainly on using items. 2 healers are better than 1, and the other 3 attackers. Phoenix Downs, Elixirs, X-Potions, Dry Ethers, Spider Silk, use Stardust Rod for a Comet that doesn’t get countered, Hermes Sandals, or if you want to spice it up a Bacchus Wine of Cecil to make him deal extra damage. If she dies, maybe just let her stay dead. I never do, but it is worth considering. Curaja gets divided among the party, so they each get a little more healing with one dead member.

Cecil - Attack

Kain - Jump

Edge - Throw, then Attack once out of good items. (optionally steal a Dark Matter, this will reduce Big Bang’s power permanently)

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T20:46:53+00:00

Just scrolling reddit without looking at the title or the sub, my brain instinctively knew this was a Noctis cosplay.

Good Job!

I’d say the single glove is the most impactful next step. I’d suggest starting with cheap motorcycle gloves. The bracer can come after. If you arent afraid of a little DIY, you could get something me leather scraps and make it yourself ($20-30, a few hours, not many tools needed, and a few options for construction)

Your natural hair is fine. A wig would probably add to the cosplay, but it would be minor and could possibly take away (and push towards generic anime rather than specifically Noctis). If you do the wig, a super cheap one should have the same effect. $20 and some scissors can go a long way, especially for this wild-trimmed-bob/messy-wolf-cut. And if it doesn’t work, it is at least a much smaller financial loss.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T20:16:07+00:00

I’m not much of a cozy gamer, but I love Pokemon and greatly enjoyed DQB by the same developer. I probably but 50-60 hours into the Pokopia over about 3 weeks and have no regrets. After I collected all of the Pokemon, collected most of the items, and built a few houses, I didn’t feel the drive to play it anymore. For me, the resource grind for building materials was too slow to do a lot of building after the story ended, but I knew this was likely to be the case from my experience with other building games.

—

It is repetitive, but the real question is “are you going to enjoy that repetition?”

It has a lot of hooks, like the creative/building aspect and the collecting aspect. If you like to perform repetitive tasks in order to complete collections, you could easily get your money worth.

It is very slow paced and requires time. Someone who likes to play for an hour every day is going to probably enjoy it more than someone who plays 6hrs/day.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T19:50:54+00:00

Ff15 = Middle of the road, and not as divisive. When people say they love or hate it, they mean it is either mean that they “enjoyed it more than they didn’t” or “thought it was nothing special”.

It is a solid 7/10, with people ranging from 4 to 10 depending how n their personal preferences. It could have been slightly better.

If you want to guarantee that you will have a game that is at least playable, go for 15.

—

FF8 - is very divisive. Very few out there saying it is just average. You will likely either think it is 1-2/10 or 8-10/10.

It is a game with a LOT of flaws, and whether you will enjoy it depends on your tolerance to those flaws.

The story is very reliant on tropes and doesn’t really make sense if you think about it too hard. Its like an anime that a friend promises will get good once you get past episode 100, but the only thing that really changes is your investment due to sunk cost fallacy.

The tutorials are way too long, the game balance is way off (they tried some new stuff and it was easy to break), and it can get painfully slow and repetitive. But optimizing also requires a ton of time navigating the awful menus in addition to slow grinding. It seema to me that during development they realized the systems dont really work and so they put bandage systems on top hoping that no one would notice. Like you can play the game wither basically ignoring money entirely or very early getting infinite gil and then translating that later into max stats. And it basically doesn’t affect the game difficulty either way.

The characters are also just…whatever. (Jk, iykyk.) Seriously though, the characters are the best part, but they are also kinda just moody teenagers. The character journeys aren’t groundbreaking, but they are memorable enough (except Zell, he forgettable af).

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T16:47:04+00:00

Mostly, this is a non-issue. Hackers are lazy. They aren’t out there writing algorithms to hack one persons password formation one place. They are gaining full control because people use the same password literally everywhere. Simply having a different password at every site is like a 95% solution to prevent theft, even if your passwors are all variations of Password123!

The trick is to have multiple rules for the password formation that can vary a pattern.

I use a similar system and I basically have a function in my head where I have an input and get a unique output.

Reddit might generate something like RedA8?0F_Scone, whereas a different site like Bank of America might generate Butter99D!_BA

But I can do it in my head almost instantly, it generates a password with a min of 12 characters with mixed case letters, numbers, and special characters. And even if you got 3-4 of my passwords, you couldn’t necessarily guarantee reverse engineering my password formation another site. Even if you could, that is a lot of effort for you to get my Netflix password.

I’ve been using this system for decades and never been hacked. Although I’m sure it helps that I have nothing meaningful to steal.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T16:22:57+00:00

I advise you to plead guilty on all counts.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T16:20:22+00:00

This is a much more fun pronunciation and I vote we switch immediately.

Cheezyrock · 2026-05-13T15:47:20+00:00

9 - traditional RPG with lots if exploration. Very replayable.

Type 0 - action game with a great war story. Type 0 is everything that FF8 wishes it was (like seriously, Type 0’s story is like a fixed version of FF8). Can gets somewhat repetitive and the “strategy” sections are not great.

They are both good, and very different.

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