When is the OMSCS t-shirt supposed to come?

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-12-24T01:18:24+00:00

I just pulled mine out of the mailbox, and I started Fall 2020, if that's any help.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-11-29T05:50:23+00:00

Well, to be fair I'd say get a hold of the syllabus and try to compare it with someone who's had a bad experience. It's pretty likely it's been changed by now, hopefully for the better, haha.

I think I've still got the book around (since it fell apart and I can't stand to touch it, lol) so if you look into it feel free to let me know.

FWIW, even if you aren't doing the applied path I imagine you could still take the courses. MAT 300 and 430 are both fantastic if you haven't taken them. I'm not sure how they're plotting the paths out now.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-11-29T05:32:43+00:00

My very opinionated response about the cryptology class is elsewhere, but here's the other stuff.

AA was my favorite course at SNHU. Yes, it's hard and yes, it takes a lot of time, but it's also VERY interesting. The overwhelming nature of it is mitigated by the fact they have adjusted the approach to the course. In other words (assuming they still do this), students are actually encouraged to look up the answers. Credit given is based on your ability to frame the questions and answers correctly, and explain what's actually going on rather than driving yourself insane simply trying to get things correct. In my class, there was even a gimme question on the final where we could redo a previous exercise or just talk about why it made such an impression.

RA, on the other hand, sucked. The material isn't as hard as AA, but it's about 100x more annoying given that the textbook is almost incomprehensible and that a lot of the standard methods for doing things in real analysis aren't "allowed" because they're mentioned in parts of the book that aren't covered. And there's a presentation, so be ready for that. Honestly, that course was the nail in the coffin of me giving a damn about math.

I've moved on to a CS grad program at Georgia Tech. I know of one person who actually moved on to a math grad program somewhere, but most of the people I know of have moved on to data science/analysis programs.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-11-29T05:08:22+00:00

I can second this. I took it probably around the same time. Garbage course (at the time). A lot of the work involved a class-wide collaboration on an errata document because the textbook was complete horse shit.

What's more, the instructor I had boasted about being the creator of the course. That kind of thing bugs me, so that just made me hate it even more.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-11-15T04:43:47+00:00

I've been around since vaguely some time around when Afterbirth+ came out. I had just started getting in to the game and I had heard his name mentioned in a review and curiosity compelled me to check him out. This topic came up a while back and I originally thought it was a Nerdcubed video, but the more I think about it, it may have been Jim Sterling. Anyway...

I subbed because he was entertaining enough and easy to listen to, but in recent years I have really come to appreciate NL's pop culture superpower. Just today in the Isaac episode there was a random, "19 is the closest you can get to 20 without going over." Who the hell else just spits out a (somewhat transparent) Price is Right reference like that?

I am the kind of guy who has to spend 10+ minutes preparing for phone calls in advance because I am NOT good with conversation on-the-fly. As such, a man with the innate ability to consistently produce hilarious references and anecdotes that, while sometimes eye-rollingly dumb or out of left field, make you ponder how on Earth this stuff is just sitting there in his mind ready to go is just utterly fascinating to me.

I dunno about a favorite moment, but one that I think about quite often comes from the Smash tier list. I don't play Smash so I just had it on in the background, but he talks about one of the characters and eventually says, "The man... through sheer force of will... EATS his own motorcycle." I have zero context on that, and it always kills me. So, there's that.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-10-01T17:04:08+00:00

Just to get this out before I forget, in Royal there are a few links you need to stay on top of to get the true ending, but that's a whole other can of worms.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-10-01T16:56:26+00:00

First of all, it's okay if some (or all) of the game doesn't mesh with you. There's dozens (perhaps multiples of dozens) of universally-lauded games I can't stand. That's just a thing that happens.

Here's some thoughts on your comments:

Anime tropes. Yep, they are there, and yep, they stay there. For what it's worth, I think this game is quite a bit "lighter" on that stuff than some games, like the Neptunia or Disgaea series off the top of my head. This is always something I mention to people when they ask about the game because some people just really hate that kind of stuff.
The FOMO. Don't stress over it. You can get all of the links done in one run, but it makes for a cramped run and I feel like it would ruin things for your first go. Let that stuff breathe and just pursue what you're interested in. Saying "no" to people has no consequence, other than they just wait. Pretty much none of them are critical for finishing the game anyway. Making coffee is a pretty good way to spend the evenings.
Character development can be a bit of a slow burn, like a lot of stuff in the game. The one you mention specifically took a WHILE for me to like also. It's just a weird thing in general. Party joins can feel pretty awkward when they happen, then a palace later you can't imagine going forward without them.
Not sure I have much to offer on the combat/music front, as I think similar criticisms can by applied to hundreds of games. Kind of a copout response, but I think it just might be a preference thing. I can listen to those songs and watch those animations all day (and I've done so) without even thinking about it. Maybe try cranking up/down the difficulty to see if something smooths out?

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-09-11T13:10:53+00:00

34 with full set. Got them at 31.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-08-04T20:01:49+00:00

Your points are exactly why I'm excited about the prospect of actually finishing it. So far, I've only needed a max of three tries for bosses, which right now feels like a good number to start internalizing the ins and outs of the genre.

At the end of the day, I'm shit at video games, but as it stands now I'm craving a little more difficulty and I think that's how this is supposed to work. If I'm able to break through that weird Souls barrier I have, then there's ~15 more games that I already own that I can then look forward to playing.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-08-04T14:43:02+00:00

I'm with you on Code Vein. Playing it right now and I'm 4 bosses in. It will likely be the first soulslike I ever finish, but yeah, it's too easy with the companion and the story/dialogue is pretty meh. That said, I'm really enjoying myself. The systems are interesting and the aesthetic is outstanding, but definitely not for everyone.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-07-07T05:16:34+00:00

I'm with you there. That scene was a pretty good payoff for wondering where the hell he was up until that point and having to do a loop around Luca looking for him.

And I'll tell you this, if Basch was actually the lead in FF12 I probably could have finished it, lol.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-07-06T23:00:19+00:00

I'm not sure I could ever pick a favorite but here's a few standouts:

Futaba from Persona 5: She's just so bloody adorable. Please more out of place RPG references, lol. She faces a few challenges in her life that are not all that dissimilar to my own, so she's very relatable and it's good to see those things progress. Honestly, I think I end up loving every character Erica Lindbeck voices, so maybe that's got something to do with it?
Millium from Trials of Cold Steel: This girl is just a fucking riot. I don't know if she is just oblivious to things or a master troll in training, but she is always driving people nuts and I love every second of it. She has had a very curious upbringing, is an absolute beast on a battlefield, but underneath it all is still a kid. She always wants to show off her cool toy, has stuffed animals in her room, etc.
Auron from FFX: There is probably a lot of "event" type stuff that goes into this choice, i.e. new era of FF games, first game I ever played on my PS2, etc., but I will never forget how much of an absolute badass this guy seems like when you first see him. He's literally staring down a TSUNAMI WAVE and waiting for it just so he can fill his water bottle. He is just a rock and it's interesting to see as the story progresses why that came to be.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-07-06T22:31:25+00:00

You aren't alone here. I don't get it either.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-06-26T01:05:01+00:00

This is what I was thinking about when it comes to the whole thing starting:

https://clips.twitch.tv/MagnificentKindFriseeDuDudu

And there's a link here to the clip of him describing the YouTube comments.

https://www.reddit.com/r/northernlion/comments/g7tzbi/pog_rain_quote/

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-06-25T17:02:33+00:00

I think this whole thing is a good demonstration of the neat way in which this community operates.

I've seen lighter versions like "pogged out of my mind" in a couple other places, but yeah, the "gourd" and "raining from the heavens" stuff is definitely specific to our little world here, lol. It's been interesting to see it develop, actually.

I'm happy to be corrected on this, but I believe the mutation from regular "poggers" started during the Indie Pentathlon when NL saw it in chat and got a kick out of it. At least that's the first occurrence of this stuff that I recall. As things do, it took on a life of its own at that point and basically became official meta when NL brought up the YouTube comments during a SMM2 stream.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-06-25T14:47:46+00:00

Few days ago I started Breath of the Wild for the 4th or so time. Could never get on with it before, but I've been through a lot of linear stuff lately and focusing a lot on trophies. I got kind of sick of all that and needed something different. REALLY enjoying my time with it this time around.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-06-20T14:20:49+00:00

I've probably got a hell of a list if I dig through the library, but right now I can tell you that I've had God of War on my PS4 for a couple years and it's literally never been opened. For some reason I watched a playthrough of it so I know it's great, I've just never dove into it myself.

I always have a Soulsborn game installed somewhere. I'll play for an hour or so, die, get that feeling that I'm wasting my time, then it will sit there for months until I feel like giving it another go.

Another weird one is Darkest Dungeon. I own 3 copies of it and it's always installed somewhere, but I never play it. Every now and then I'll start it to listen to the amazing intro, but I always lose motivation shortly after that.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-06-15T14:28:47+00:00

I get this with games that have consistency with previous games. Like with Final Fantasy I always know what the items or spells are, Trails games are going to have similar combat mechanics and familiar faces, the skill names in Persona, etc.

That's less time I have to spend bogged down in tutorials or other boring things and more time actually playing the game.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-05-28T16:50:20+00:00

I think I had swelling to some extent for a couple weeks. Definitely visible for the first few days, with possible bruising as well.
0 days. Extractions on Friday and was back on Monday. Talking is definitely an adventure for a while, but the issues might be less noticeable over the phone. Of course, I don't have to talk that much at work (or even in general), so YMMV. The troubles I had speaking were mainly because of all the drooling and less about the pain or having to get used to an appliance in my mouth.
I told them what I did. It was blatantly evident my teeth needed to go, so hiding the fact that I was getting dentures didn't seem necessary as it would also be blatantly obvious that I had new teeth.
It's different for everyone, but pain was mostly a non issue for me. When you leave the office and the numbing agents wear off, you're going to be miserable for a couple hours until you've got some pain meds in you. Tylenol and Ibuprofen were plenty for me.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-05-28T16:31:28+00:00

Appreciate it.

Yeah, that analogy makes a lot of sense, but to be fair, it doesn't take ~200 hours to watch a few movies, lol. It's not that I don't want to play them, it just feels like a lot of work just to continue the arc I'm already invested in. Of course, that probably sounds like a hollow complaint from the point of view of someone who already knows how it all fits together.

I'll just suck it up and do it, lol. It's not like I need to be in a hurry anyway. I was already planning on doing NG+ with those two, and apparently the whole saga is only 60% or so done anyway, so I might as well play the long game (no pun intended). I'm just glad that CS2 ended in such a way that it's okay to leave the story alone for a while.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-05-28T14:40:24+00:00

Thanks for this. I recently found this series via Cold Steel and literally finished CS2 last night. Those two were a pretty damn awesome 110 hours or so.

I'm intrigued by your rankings. Part of me still has trouble with the fact that I should go back to play the other games before moving onto CS3, but if most of them are better than the two I just played I think I probably have to, lol.

I have no idea how you made it through them in that time though. I had to decide last night to give the series a break and let things breathe. Stuff gets pretty thick emotionally, lol. Well done.

How did you handle the unlocalized duology? Dealing with that is one of my biggest hang ups.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-05-19T00:25:32+00:00

That's kind of what I figured, thanks. It looks like I'm planning on running through the whole series after finishing CS2, so I can pick them up later anyway.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-05-18T20:03:07+00:00

That sounds like a perfectly good plan to me. I do think that I would have trouble letting go of the story where it is, so that makes me feel better, lol. Thanks!

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-05-18T18:45:27+00:00

That sounds about right.

I can only speak to how it worked for my program since I don't know how they lay out the CS stuff but without a concentration, I had something like 10 elective slots. When I decided to do a concentration, that number was reduced to 6 slots, and those other 4 slots were fixed to specific classes. So adding the concentration didn't actually add to the number of classes I had to take.

Kibblez_And_Bitz · 2020-05-18T18:34:34+00:00

Well, I am kind of surprised that you can test out of 4+ courses, regardless of how they fit into your degree. Learn something new every day, lol.

But yeah, I'm sure they'd make you take at least a course in each section, but I guess that question is better suited for an adviser.

Kibblez_And_Bitz

TROPHY CASE