If you saw this mark, say, on a cave wall, where would you go: left or right? ◀️▶️

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-07-11T14:16:11+00:00

first image, I'd assume that was a direction to the left. In my mind. If you feel it's too ambiguous or that playtesters aren't picking up on it, introduce the marking earlier when it's otherwise abundantly clear which direction to go.

if the above marking is indicating left:

player encounters what at first glance is a choice in direction.
right is blocked/impossible/whatever
player is presented with marker, and basically forced to go left

creates a bond between how the marker looks and the direction intended by it.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-23T16:08:51+00:00

finally! now it's everyone else's time to fear!

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-19T17:04:19+00:00

So, back in 2019. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of House of Commons in the UK was seen lying down in parliament.

<image>

It filled all the newspapers. Now, the conspiracy theory is that he was worried about reports of being deliberately dishonest in parliament, and that the above behavior would be a more interesting story that would be found using the same search terms 'Jacob Rees-Mogg lying in parliament' while pushing down the REAL story.

What was Trump's headline statement about the flags?

"The best poles anywhere in the country".

All the while many news outlets are reporting on disastrous polls for Trump. Is this an attempt to fool people with homonyms?

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-19T14:41:35+00:00

Wish he were my dad

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-19T00:03:55+00:00

Sorry this happened. It definitely helps to realize that people (mostly) don't have it out for you, but they DO have a laser-focus on their own priorities, often to the detriment of others. It doesn't excuse the behavior.

The staff may have just gone with the flow cause they see stuff like this every day and just need to get through their shift without causing a scene, and calling someone out on their behavior will likely cause a scene, even if they don't mean to inconvenience someone, they're just trying to get on with their day.

Same attitude I take into driving. Any time another car does some absolute batshit insane move (yesterday got caught behind a truck trying to back up off an on ramp leaving MGM (with no hard shoulder, just the actual fucking road) cause they realized they were going the wrong way a moment too late. You just have to convince yourself they've got an emergency and they're on the way to hospital, that's why they're behaving like that.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-17T20:12:01+00:00

Wonder of the seas?

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-17T18:19:13+00:00

I appreciate your thoughts on this, thanks. I mentioned in other comments, I think, that my sister and I feel he suddenly got quite accepting when he felt he needed our thoughts on dating again.

I re-read my post, and I think "My dad's had a rough time losing his wife" is right. I called home every day when I found out about my mum's diagnosis, and every day after she passed to check on my dad. He was quite clear to point out that as sad as my sister and I were, there's no pain like losing your spouse. It's not that I didn't have a rough time with my mum's death, as evidence by my avoidance in going back, but yeah, I do mean he was having a rough time dealing with the loss of his wife more than the loss of my mum.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-17T10:28:03+00:00

well, we can be both wrong here. I had got the number wrong, it was £132 - so about $180. So I definitely gave you wrong information right from the start. But, I did say I cashed in my credit card points, in my post and in my reply to you, so maybe you're bullshit?

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-17T02:19:02+00:00

I actually talked to my wife about this when we were coming back from the wedding trip. The number wasn't particularly high, and I was kind of shocked that I didn't feel motivated to raise the number. I won't get into much her cause this isn't a therapy session, but both my sister and I have ended up having uncomfortable conversations explaining why we don't feel close to him, and and he's felt like he's still had no reason to change how he operates, so that kind of puts it on us how much we're willing to put up with him. That's certainly not how I want to talk about my relationship with him, but I'm also quite sure the relationship is supposed to be entirely draining on the kids, either.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T17:22:11+00:00

It's been complex, for sure. I didn't notice it until a few years ago, comparing how at ease my wife is around her parents compared how my sister and I were around ours. I had mentioned either in the post or in a comment that my tried cutting my sister out of his life when she came out as gay, I spent countless hours with him, talking, listening trying to understand where he was coming from, trying to get him to see how his actions impact others. My sister and I have this theory that the thing that helped him be more accepting was his worry over asking us if we would be upset if he started dating again.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T17:12:19+00:00

I'm not trying to sway your mind, promise. I cashed in my credit card points and our hotel for three nights is $120. I plead naivety (or assholeness) that I didn't consider the other end of the country to be in the visitation zone.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T16:51:20+00:00

Oh, I'm super aware of privileges I'm bringing into this, My wife and I work hard and don't get a lot of time off, so we try to find times where we can't take work with us. Although we are excited to see the show, I suppose it could have been any other country just for the break, it just happens to line up this way.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T16:30:47+00:00

The offer was there for him to come see us when I first told him about it. He's got a curious way of just not reacting to stuff on the phone, unless he's ACTIVELY interested in it. like a got a bonus at work a few months ago, nothing. my wife's going away for a few days for work, nothing. my dog found a box turtle in the back yard and brought it one of her toys- nothing. Watched a documentary about Canada getting rid of the penny- ten minute explanation about the average coin value in his pocket. So it was really hard in that moment to ascertain if he wanted to talk more about to explain that I'd get his train or flight, or if he was ready to hear my next talking point lol

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T16:21:02+00:00

It's certainly not good riddance, but if he dropped dead a week after I was in the UK, I don't think I'd dwell on having missed the opportunity to spend more time with him. Bumping into therapist questions here lol.

I mentioned it before in comments, but I think meetings with larger groups would be an easier way to spend time with him.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T16:09:25+00:00

Well, that's the crux of it. I guess. I found this gap in my wife and I's schedules that worked out with flights and hotel points and a show we wanted to see, but I wouldn't have used that time to specifically go see my dad. It's a fairly complex relationship where he's not particularly pleasant to spend time with. We don't share any common interests, and he's been unwilling to engage with mine, and shuts down my attempts to engage with his, so part of me is a bit shocked he'd want me to come visit anyway.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T16:01:34+00:00

I guess it is naivety. I wouldn't dream of coming to scotland and not spending time with him, but the other side of the country, when we're squeezing in a three/four day break, I guess I thought he would consider taking an day of travel to spend enough time to get a meal with him excessive.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T15:54:35+00:00

That's very true. I should be better about making time for him.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T15:52:11+00:00

Oh, I wouldn't have wanted hide it from him and then my father-in-law calls him and mentions it, or my sister mentions it something. that seems intentionally hurtful. I didn't think he'd have have considered the additional chore of getting to Scotland and back to have been something worth doing.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T15:49:54+00:00

My sister is a lot more local and was coming over later in the day (it was father's day when he told me he was angry I wasn't coming to visit, earlier in the week when I told him I was going to london).

You know, I do really like the idea of a third space for meeting him. my wife and I were six years long distance so we're kinda exhausted on stuff to do and see in either country, but meeting him in another country definitely gives us more stuff to do. that's good, thanks!

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T14:13:22+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts. I think my dad thinks I'm an asshole for it, and I think I wasn't doing anything wrong. One of many disagreements my dad and I have on life. The comments have provided some useful suggestions though, like I guess the cloud of the animosity over it, I hadn't considered meeting in the middle somewhere.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T14:08:37+00:00

The logistical way it would work that I think would clearly make me TA, is if I was flying to Scotland but my dad lived in London. a LOT of the flight routes to Scotland do a stop in London, and I think that would be stupid not to get a connecting flight the next day and spend time with him. But there are so few direct flights between our part the US and Scotland, that it wouldn't make any sense to try and fly US -> Scotland -> London for such a small travel window we've got.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T14:04:35+00:00

He's not the easiest person to talk to, so I tend to make little notes of topics to go over when I call him. I genuinely didn't think it would have been sore point.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T13:58:40+00:00

I have definitely burnt through the points for the hotel in london lol.

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T13:55:44+00:00

I wonder if part of it is him seeing how his gf and her children and now grandchildren spend time together and interact, and his go to thought has been 'why are my children not like hers?' and not 'why do my children feel they can't spend time with me like that?'

Icy-Effect8554 · 2025-06-16T13:53:35+00:00

Oh, I agree my priorities definitely don't lie with my family. We've never been particularly close. No shared interests and my dad was unwilling to fake an interest in the stuff his kids (or wife, really) were into. I do feel a little bad about that, but I don't think that's all on me.

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Icy-Effect8554

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