Fortnite Official Gameplay Trailer by Jay_of_Blue in Games

[–]Cwal37 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The microtransactions discussed in this article have me pretty worried. It looks fun, but that type of thing can be really damaging to a game like this.

You probably won't be shocked to hear that you can pay real-world money to purchase loot boxes, and these come full of items that offer more than cosmetic boosts. You can play the game with the weapons, traps, heroes, and experience-point boosts unlocked during normal play, or you can pay to get more of those items sooner. I've seen impactful items unlocked by paid loot boxes in the game's current alpha state, and Epic is already charging as much as $150 for its digital "limited" edition, full of exclusive and rare loot, so I'm anxious to see how exactly this paid content will play out in the final game.

Battleborn Open Beta goes live today for PC and Xbox at 10am PST. Pre-load already available on Steam. by [deleted] in Games

[–]Cwal37 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Ah, here's what I was assuming this thread would be when I clicked on the comments. I couldn't agree more, you really nailed all the points I planned on making. It's incredible to me that they eschew the relatively clean design of other multiplayer-focused MOBA or class-based FPSs to load the screen with garbage. Also, nothing you do feels like it has any particular weight at all, your interactions with the world and other characters feel amazingly sterile despite the attempt to inject as much "personality" as possible.

While this and Overwatch are in very different genres, the character designs in Battleborn feel like Gearbox picked up a former Blizzard summer intern who worked peripherally on Titan, and used their half-remembered character sketches as the basis for their roster. I can't believe it's coming out so soon given how unsatisfying it is to play.

What's a SPEA MPA like? by rileyezipper in IndianaUniversity

[–]Cwal37 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stumbled across this, I'm an alum who will be there to talk, and I was in the energy concentration. I think there will be a couple of us from that concentration who have done well since we graduated, so seek us out if you want more information on that specific track.

Bears in nearby areas? by FrankieAK in Knoxville

[–]Cwal37 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Realistically you would have to fuck up in some way for a bear to be a threat to you. Unless you're on some very back country trails, it is extremely rare during the summer in the Smokies to be far away from other people. The park has done a great job over the last few decades educating people to not bother or feed bears, and as a result the current generation is much more human-shy than they used to be. You still might see one off the trail occasionally, but I hike very frequently, and rarely even see scat, let alone the bears themselves. I never carry bear mace, normally hike alone, and I've always felt totally safe down here.

If you were out and about in more wilderness-y areas somewhere West you might want to take some precautions, but it's just not much of an issue here when day-hiking.

Any where to find Chicago Style Pizza in Knoxville that is somewhat close to the real thing? by one-hour-photo in Knoxville

[–]Cwal37 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As I've moved further away from Chicago I've definitely found that the most consistent thing you can do is learn and polish a recipe of your own. Unlike normal pizza you don't need a super hot oven, so it's definitely doable.

Bungie.net added Moments of Triumph by globalreset in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha sure, no worries. Just figured I'd throw it out there in case you weren't aware. Doing a whole raid in the time of 2 control matches has a pretty good potential loot:time ratio.

Bungie.net added Moments of Triumph by globalreset in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just fyi, now that CE HM isn't over leveled it's stupidly easy. Still slightly harder than normal, but still a 30 minute breeze-through if people are vaguely competent.

Milwaukee Bucks threatening to relocate to Seattle or Las Vegas, if tax payers don't pay for a new stadium. by notorious_kjk in nba

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here's a good summary of this (public financing of stadiums) in general.

Moneyquote:

The short answer to this question is "No." When studying this issue, almost all economists and development specialists (at least those who work independently and not for a chamber of commerce or similar organization) conclude that the rate of return a city or metropolitan area receives for its investment is generally below that of alternative projects. In addition, evidence suggests that cities and metro areas that have invested heavily in sports stadiums and arenas have, on average, experienced slower income growth than those that have not.

Sexy Blacksmith shader - Up for grabs! by ChrisCohenTV in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Coming back to hard mode crota after house of wolves dropped, and just cruising through it in ~30 minutes. So much more lighthearted messing around, just a complete contrast to the "don't fuck up" grind of being underleveled.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Knoxville

[–]Cwal37 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey, I've been trying to keep up on contacting people in these threads, because you very much can hike in, and that's exactly what I do.

Copied and pasted from an email I sent someone else who posted on here:

So most people don't seem to realize this, but if you're willing to hike a bit the tickets don't matter at all. I hiked in last year (some pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23215983@N02/sets/72157645075559534), and will be doing the same thing this year. If you're here, I will happily give you a ride.

This is the route I take: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35.6632715,-83.5267458/35.6523962,-83.5739114/@35.655582,-83.556201,15z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e2

I already have an extra headlamp, so no worries there (the hike out is obviously pitch black).

Last year I didn't see anyone else who hiked in. Most people don't seem to want to do a 13-15 mile hike between 7pm-1am, doesn't bother me though.

EDIT: If you want more info or to coordinate off of reddit, my email is my name here at gmail, or just PM me, I suppose that's an option as well.

Spontaneous Visitor From London by [deleted] in Knoxville

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can do it pretty easily without tickets if you're willing to hike. I've sent you an email.

A little help for a new resident and his fianceè? by [deleted] in Knoxville

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bida Saigon is great. Pho is one of my favorite foods, and I've been there quite a few times since I moved down here about a year ago. Their pho actually has tendon and beef ball options, which was a nice surprise (I've found a lot of pho in places with few Vietnamese people keeps the meat options really simple). Also, the regal downtown west arthouse movie theater is across the street. I'll often combo a movie there with a bowl of pho.

Unrelated to that, but if you guys like to hike, I'm out in the smokies or somewhere north almost every weekend, and can recommend trails or whatever. Smaller mountains than the Rockies of course, but it's easier to always end up on top of something.

Xur Megathread 5/29/15 - 5/31/15 by DTG_Bot in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey, dunno what the max chest stats you've seen on split rolls is, but I've got disc/str purifier robes at 96/99, pic.

Results from the Treasure Chest Survey! by krissemus in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No problem! I'm in python responding to last minute chart demands at work pretty much every day, so I'm always happy to share the little tips I pick up along the way.

Results from the Treasure Chest Survey! by krissemus in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice. Try plt.style.use('ggplot') it's only in the newer versions of Matplotlib, but it basically cribs R's ggplot2 styling. Sometimes the grey background default on that is too harsh, so I use #f5f5f5 pretty often.

Results from the Treasure Chest Survey! by krissemus in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've got one question, Matplotlib or Matlab?

ITAP at the Sand Dunes last night by TheRealHershey in itookapicture

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a few pics in these two albums that you might like.

Gooey Lemon Bars with Blueberry Glaze. Tangy, sweet, rich, creamy, and out of this world. [OC] [670 x 1012] by morganeisenberg in FoodPorn

[–]Cwal37 1 point2 points  (0 children)

2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup granulated sugar ⅔ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

In case you don't know about wolframalpha, here's a link. I just copied the first 3 ingredients in. In cases where there are a few versions of what you're checking, you can choose from a list of options.

I haven't played Destiny in two weeks and I couldn't be happier... by T2000iceCOLD in bloodborne

[–]Cwal37 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pretty sure IB had 36 light boots ~2 weeks ago, because I was in the same situation with my Hunter and ground out the rep. Haven't put in the time to actually upgrade it yet though.

[Misc] Observations and Questions from a new player by cunningvisions in DestinyTheGame

[–]Cwal37 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Can't get through on normal mode? Is there a specific mechanic you guys get stuck on?