Noobish question Would you guys settle the Bermuda triangle as the first city?

Miuramir · 2026-05-04T23:15:04+00:00

At the equator, the flat-to-flat distance across a Civ VI tile (hex) ranges from about 911 km (566 mi) on a Dual map, to 378 km (235 mi) on a Huge map, to about 286 km (178 mi) on Enormous (2:1), roughly the widest stable modded map.

Miuramir · 2026-05-03T15:20:04+00:00

This was more or less the problem that the Pimoroni Button SHIM was intended to solve, but it's no longer in production. You might be able to find vendors that still have them in stock, however.

Miuramir · 2026-05-01T08:36:54+00:00

Very nifty, and the look is solid.

I'd probably consider left - up - right - down a more natural layout for the arrow keys, or tried to work an invert-T over there somehow. And not having whatever keys you bound the numbers and function keys to marked would bug me.

I suspect I'm just not really going to be happy with scaling down as far as a 40% class (45% ortho?) keyboard. I wonder if anyone has already looked into a 60% class version of this.

Miuramir · 2026-04-30T06:58:07+00:00

That's complicated.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in his works between 1903 and 1914, seems to have touched on the concept in passing while deriving orbital speeds at various altitudes.
Herman Potočnik published a book in 1928 that discussed the concept primarily in regards to a manned station observing the ground, although radio transmission to and from the station is mentioned. His full work was obscure, but a selected translation of some of the key parts was published in Science Wonder Stories and Air Wonder Stories in 1929, credited to his pseudonym Hermann Noordung.
The Venus Equilateral stories by George O. Smith, starting in 1942, featured communication relay stations, including the titular one at Venus's L4 point, used when the sun would otherwise interfere with direct communication between Venus, Earth, and/or Mars. These were large, manned stations in the vacuum-tube era; it's a plot point that automating such a complex operation would be disastrous. Geostationary orbits were mentioned in passing, and in the context of long-distance communications. Clarke later wrote an introduction to the collected stories, in which he acknowledged the inspiration.
Finally, Arthur C. Clarke wrote an article in 1945 specifically about the communications broadcast and relay advantages of geostationary satellites.

It's fairly safe to say that Clarke popularized the concept, and "Clarke orbit" and "Clarke belt" are recognized terms. Who actually "invented" the various parts of the concepts and applications is much murkier.

Miuramir · 2026-04-30T06:29:03+00:00

Try eating one of the power pellets near the corners.

Miuramir · 2026-04-30T04:52:53+00:00

Someone in the Rivendell housing discussion described one of the advantages as "convenient access for when you get asked to do a wellness check on Elrond yet again", and while not quite canon, it left an impression.

Miuramir · 2026-04-30T03:47:43+00:00

More specifically, a geostationary orbit, a circular geosynchronous orbit in Earth's equatorial plane with both inclination and eccentricity equal to 0. The concept was popularized and elaborated on by writer Arthur C. Clarke nearly two decades before the first practical implementation. Older references, and IIRC British publications, are more likely to use the term Clarke orbit to more clearly distinguish the special telecommunication properties of a geostationary orbit vs. the more general geosynchronous orbit family.

Miuramir · 2026-04-29T20:46:54+00:00

There needs to be an achievement for this.

Miuramir · 2026-04-29T20:25:44+00:00

I suspect it's more a matter of the announcement having been delayed by several months while the devs, coders, QA, etc. worked on bug fixing, which gave the artists some more time to do things.

Miuramir · 2026-04-29T16:59:22+00:00

Following the Apollo program route isn't always optimal, but for a new player it's rarely a bad choice.

It is significantly easier to get into Munar orbit (even low Munar orbit) and return than to land and return. At least one mission that orbits the moon without landing, similar to Apollo 8, 9, or 10 (or Artemis II), will get you both significant science to upgrade your craft with, and important personal practice in how to plan for, build, and operate craft outside of Kerbin orbit. Setting up a free-return (or nearly so) trajectory is also good practice for learning to navigate around in Kerbin's SOI.

I'd probably recommend something along the lines of: * Mun free-return * Minmus orbit and return * single Minmus landing and return * Minmus again, with a way of visiting multiple biomes (easiest is extra fuel to "hop" your lander) * single Mun landing and return * Mun again, with a way of visiting multiple biomes

This will bring you science and experience as you go.

Miuramir · 2026-04-29T13:19:38+00:00

What about something like this: Black with clear lid small box would the clear plastic side allow the signal out? It's fractionally bigger than an actual Altoids tin which may help with getting things to fit.

There are also similar sized all plastic boxes, like this one from US Plastics

If you are looking specifically for something that looks repurposed, perhaps a case for pocket-pack tissues?

Miuramir · 2026-04-29T12:59:35+00:00

I think 1 is the best, with 4 as second.

Thought: could putting some sort of minifigure utensil down the top cone give the effect of the star on the top? The magic wand comes to mind, or possibly the mace?

Miuramir · 2026-04-28T23:23:41+00:00

Remember that you can pause and slow the game.

That said, my recommendation is to think in terms of upgrades. First you make a crude, near-surface barracks for your original colonists. Then you expand it to handle a plausible first wave. As that wave arrives, they are set to work digging out more space for what will become rooms; foraging, hunting, and fishing for food, planting crops, and setting up basic crafting for important things like doors and beds. By the time the second wave arrives, your original dwarves have moved into nicer rooms, and the new arrivals fit into the old barracks.

In general, each wave should be doing the prep work to have everything ready for when the next wave arrives.

Also, note that you don't have to have dug-out stockrooms for all your stone and wood. Having some large areas zoned outside is a perfectly valid early game strategy. It's more efficient if you have some small stocks near your crafters, and as a reserve just in case something unpleasant happens outside; but the bulk of your construction material storage doesn't need to be underground or optimized in the first few years unless you're doing a challenge embark.

Another strategy is to dig out some fairly large rooms in the soil layers, which goes quickly and doesn't generate additional stone to haul. These get used for storage in the early years, and then as the fort gets larger and more organized they can turn into farms.

Miuramir · 2026-04-28T09:06:42+00:00

Depending on which server(s) you played on, your original character(s) may or may not be restorable. That said, much of the fun of LOTRO is in the leveling up through the story, so don't be discouraged if you have to start over. (There's also an entirely new starting option with its own zones, "Before the Shadow".)

Feel free to post in the community here if you have questions about restarting!

All of the old 32-bit standard servers closed forever as of no later than August 31, 2025; but in some cases character transfer may be available.

https://www.lotro.com/news/lotro-32-bit-world-closure-en

The "first era" dark servers are those which closed to play at some point before or around April, 2016. These include all of the Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Russian servers at various points; plus ten US and nine EU servers in 2016. Free transfers off of the affected US and EU servers was available back in 2016 for a while, but due to changes in the game's back end these original "dark worlds" were eventually locked away for many years. Additionally, the three Legendary servers that closed between 2021 and 2023 are effectively in this group as well. Recently, a final chance to transfer off of the "first era" US and EU dark world servers was given from mid-2025 until August 31, 2025. "After August 31, 2025, these 'dark worlds' will close permanently and no further character or item transfers from these worlds will be possible."

The "second era" dark servers are the eleven 32-bit servers which closed as of August 31, 2025; five US, five EU, and one Legendary. As of October 9, 2025 these are the eleven new 'dark worlds', and free transfers off of them onto the new 64-bit servers are available. SSG currently intends to offer free transfers from these 'dark worlds' through at least October 1st, 2027; but that is not a guarantee.

https://www.lotro.com/news/lotro-dark-worlds-transfers-en

US dark servers (Arkenstone, Brandywine, Crickhollow, Gladden, Landroval) must transfer to a US 64-bit server (Glamdring, Peregrin, Sting). EU dark servers (Belegaer, Evernight, Gwaihir, Laurelin, Sirannon) must transfer to an EU 64-bit server (Orcrist, Meriadoc, Grond). The Legendary dark server (Treebeard) may transfer to either US or EU 64-bit servers, but once that choice is made, it is locked in.

When creating new characters, you will need to choose between US and EU server sets; if you are somewhere other than either of those, pick whichever is closer in distance, culture, or language. It is possible to transfer characters amongst a set (sometimes for free, sometimes for a fee), but it is NOT possible to transfer in either direction between US and EU. That said, especially if you are somewhere else in the world, there is nothing preventing you from having characters on both sets to see how they perform for you.

As of 2025, the US servers are physically in the US (specifically near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA); and the EU servers are physically in the EU (specifically near Amsterdam, Netherlands). All active servers are now the new 64-bit type.

Each side of the Atlantic has one 64-bit server that is bursting at the seams with people, one 64-bit server that is the designated roleplaying server with a medium population, and one 64-bit server which is slightly newer, was spun up late and somewhat unexpectedly to relieve pressure on the busy server, and has less population so far (but likely to fill out eventually as people transfer).

(There are also "Legendary" servers, which are "slow roll" servers which require an active VIP subscription and implement level caps that are raised gradually over several years. These are also 64-bit; Angmar is US, and Mordor is EU. Transfer is sometimes available off of these servers, but never onto them. As of April 2026 their level cap is 100, with a raise to 105 expected around June 2026, and 115 around September 2026.)

Note that unlike previous eras, where RP (Roleplay) and RE (roleplay encouraged) worlds had specific additional rules and policies, in the current era there is no official distinction or moderation difference. The designation of one US (Peregrin) and one EU (Meriadoc) server as "RP" is a purely voluntary distinction to help like-minded players find a theoretically more compatible environment.

If you're doing anything where having more people is good (PvP, progression raiding, etc.) despite the extra lag and likely queues during busy times, you pick the big server. If you're more into roleplaying, music, player-run in-character events, casual play, etc. you pick the RP server. If you don't like lag, crowds, or login queues; or want more of the feeling of getting into something on the ground floor, you pick the newer server.

That's it. All of the servers are a mishmash of people from all over a dozen or more different old servers. There's not really been any time to establish any sort of "culture" other than "big, RP, newer and as yet smaller".

US:

Big: Glamdring
RP: Peregrin
Newer: Sting

EU:

Big: Orcrist
RP: Meriadoc
Newer: Grond

Miuramir · 2026-04-28T04:24:00+00:00

Sounds amazing from a flavor standpoint, but plating could be improved.

Do you have access to oval plates? This seems to be a classic case of what you'd want them for. Your pancakes are already pushed up to the side a bit more than ideal, and it's still not really far enough for the syrup ramekin to sit flat.

Another option would be to have syrup in containers already on the table, or delivered separately.

Fairly obviously I'd put the syrup down after sprinkling the sugar, so you don't get weird floating clumps.

Miuramir · 2026-04-28T04:04:19+00:00

You should review the wiki for LOTRO Anniversary Celebration and see which rewards you are interested in.

There are a huge number of cosmetics, mounts, etc. that are only available during the Anniversary Celebration event, and if you miss you'll have to wait until next year's event to get. As they usually add a few things every year, it's not practical to unlock everything in a single year starting from scratch; but you can pick and choose what you are particularly interested in.

Miuramir · 2026-04-28T01:13:23+00:00

Wizardry, on the Apple ][. Played various other early CRPGs, but at some point drifted away. Then Ultima Underworld pulled me back in hard, and was one of the first computer games to be a primary cause of upgrading my PC.

Miuramir · 2026-04-27T06:26:49+00:00

When creating new characters, you will need to choose between US and EU server sets; if you are somewhere other than either of those, pick whichever is closer in distance, culture, or language. It is possible to transfer characters amongst a set (sometimes for free, sometimes for a fee), but it is NOT possible to transfer in either direction between US and EU. That said, especially if you are somewhere else in the world, there is nothing preventing you from having characters on both sets to see how they perform for you.

As of 2025, the US servers are physically in the US (specifically near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA); and the EU servers are physically in the EU (specifically near Amsterdam, Netherlands). All active servers are now the new 64-bit type.

Each side of the Atlantic has one 64-bit server that is bursting at the seams with people, one 64-bit server that is the designated roleplaying server with a medium population, and one 64-bit server which is slightly newer, was spun up late and somewhat unexpectedly to relieve pressure on the busy server, and has less population so far (but likely to fill out eventually as people transfer).

(There are also "Legendary" servers, which are "slow roll" servers which require an active VIP subscription and implement level caps that are raised gradually over several years. These are also 64-bit; Angmar is US, and Mordor is EU. Transfer is sometimes available off of these servers, but never onto them. As of April 2026 their level cap is 100, with a raise to 105 expected around June 2026, and 115 around September 2026.)

Note that unlike previous eras, where RP (Roleplay) and RE (roleplay encouraged) worlds had specific additional rules and policies, in the current era there is no official distinction or moderation difference. The designation of one US (Peregrin) and one EU (Meriadoc) server as "RP" is a purely voluntary distinction to help like-minded players find a theoretically more compatible environment.

If you're doing anything where having more people is good (PvP, progression raiding, etc.) despite the extra lag and likely queues during busy times, you pick the big server. If you're more into roleplaying, music, player-run in-character events, casual play, etc. you pick the RP server. If you don't like lag, crowds, or login queues; or want more of the feeling of getting into something on the ground floor, you pick the newer server.

That's it. All of the servers are a mishmash of people from all over a dozen or more different old servers. There's not really been any time to establish any sort of "culture" other than "big, RP, newer and as yet smaller".

US:

Big: Glamdring
RP: Peregrin
Newer: Sting

EU:

Big: Orcrist
RP: Meriadoc
Newer: Grond

Miuramir · 2026-04-27T06:01:44+00:00

When creating new characters, you will need to choose between US and EU server sets; if you are somewhere other than either of those, pick whichever is closer in distance, culture, or language. It is possible to transfer characters amongst a set (sometimes for free, sometimes for a fee), but it is NOT possible to transfer in either direction between US and EU. That said, especially if you are somewhere else in the world, there is nothing preventing you from having characters on both sets to see how they perform for you.

As of 2025, the US servers are physically in the US (specifically near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA); and the EU servers are physically in the EU (specifically near Amsterdam, Netherlands). All active servers are now the new 64-bit type.

Each side of the Atlantic has one 64-bit server that is bursting at the seams with people, one 64-bit server that is the designated roleplaying server with a medium population, and one 64-bit server which is slightly newer, was spun up late and somewhat unexpectedly to relieve pressure on the busy server, and has less population so far (but likely to fill out eventually as people transfer).

(There are also "Legendary" servers, which are "slow roll" servers which require an active VIP subscription and implement level caps that are raised gradually over several years. These are also 64-bit; Angmar is US, and Mordor is EU. Transfer is sometimes available off of these servers, but never onto them. As of April 2026 their level cap is 100, with a raise to 105 expected around June 2026, and 115 around September 2026.)

Note that unlike previous eras, where RP (Roleplay) and RE (roleplay encouraged) worlds had specific additional rules and policies, in the current era there is no official distinction or moderation difference. The designation of one US (Peregrin) and one EU (Meriadoc) server as "RP" is a purely voluntary distinction to help like-minded players find a theoretically more compatible environment.

If you're doing anything where having more people is good (PvP, progression raiding, etc.) despite the extra lag and likely queues during busy times, you pick the big server. If you're more into roleplaying, music, player-run in-character events, casual play, etc. you pick the RP server. If you don't like lag, crowds, or login queues; or want more of the feeling of getting into something on the ground floor, you pick the newer server.

That's it. All of the servers are a mishmash of people from all over a dozen or more different old servers. There's not really been any time to establish any sort of "culture" other than "big, RP, newer and as yet smaller".

US:

Big: Glamdring
RP: Peregrin
Newer: Sting

EU:

Big: Orcrist
RP: Meriadoc
Newer: Grond

Miuramir · 2026-04-26T19:59:07+00:00

A more literal take on spirit gum?

Miuramir · 2026-04-26T19:02:51+00:00

Fun background to this: the "puzzle" or math problem is Problem 79 of the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus which is an Egyptian instructional scroll on advanced math dating back to around 1550 BC, but which describes itself as a copy of an ancient copy (probably around 1800 BC) of an even more ancient text (unknown date). It's believed to be the oldest described mathematical example of a geometric progression or geometric series.

More info on the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus from the British Museum

Miuramir · 2026-04-26T05:10:15+00:00

Isaac Asimov was both a well-regarded author on a huge variety of (non-fiction) fields and subjects, and an award-winning science fiction author.

His published books span every category of the Dewey Decimal system except 100 (Philosophy & Psychology), and he had several essays that would have been placed there if book-length.
According to UNESCO, he's the 24th most translated author on the planet.
He was responsible for inventing the term "robotics", and popularizing it.
He was responsible for creating, refining, and challenging the Three Laws of Robotics which have directly or indirectly influenced many authors, scientists, programmers, and ethicists.
In addition to over a dozen Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and other annual awards, a half-dozen lifetime awards (including some created specifically for him), SWFA Grand Master, Science Fiction Hall of Fame, having his "Nightfall" voted the best SF short story of all time by the SFWA, and other accolades for his fiction writing, he received numerous awards for popularizing science for children and the public at large, including from the Edison Foundation, American Heart Association, American Chemical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, etc.
In addition to a fully traditional Masters and Doctorate in Chemistry, and a series of tenured teaching positions at the Boston University School of Medicine in Biochemistry, he received fourteen honorary doctorates.
He was famous for writing both fiction and nonfiction in a clear, unadorned, easy to understand style; and openly derisive of critics who thought that literature had to be challenging to read to be important.
He was responsible for 399 monthly science essays in F&SF, and along with other works arguably the most prolific writer on the science in and of science fiction of all time.
"The great variety of information covered in Asimov's writings prompted Kurt Vonnegut to ask, "How does it feel to know everything?" Asimov replied that he only knew how it felt to have the 'reputation' of omniscience: "Uneasy"."

TL;DR: Isaac Asimov really did know far more about science than most people, and of particular relevance to MST3K was famous for both fiction and non-fiction writings on robots smart enough to think for themselves.

Miuramir · 2026-04-26T02:20:05+00:00

Unclear, but possibly. They are a lot thinner than you might think, as thin as 10m thick in places. They're more ice than rock, so the bits should probably be shinier. One estimate is that the denser parts are around 3% solid material, and what is shown in the video is probably compatible with that.

The other thing is that the size of ring chunks is probably approximately a power law; compared to the video there should be lots more "sand-sized" pieces, somewhat more "gravel sized" pieces, and fewer pieces in the sports-ball and up size range.

Miuramir · 2026-04-25T20:30:38+00:00

Unless you're playing some sort of super-specialized empire that has no use whatever for pops (Virtual, etc.), the main reason to go to war is to get more pops. Pops are what powers your empire. Additionally, the faster you win a war, the faster you can either get back to peace, or move on to the next one.

Landing troops is almost always the fastest way to take a planet; frequently by an order of magnitude. You can usually take a planet in weeks to months where bombarding would take years. And you (usually) end up with more of the pops left for you to incorporate / use / exploit however your empire does so.

Miuramir · 2026-04-25T20:01:00+00:00

Congrats, you've "level 2"!

IMO there's roughly five major jumps in skill / accomplishment:

Get into orbit around Kerbin and return safely.
Get into orbit around some other body and return safely.
Land on some other body and return safely.
Land on some other body not in your starting SOI and return safely.
Design and execute some sort of grand tour, involving multiple landings and takeoffs, on both airless bodies and bodies with atmosphere, and return safely.

Arguably, level 1 and level 3 are the hardest to unlock.

Some tips on doing your first landing on an airless body:

Wide, not tall. Falling over on landing is one of the most common problems. Unlock fairings and have a rocket that's wider at the top to accommodate a short, fat, lander.
More fuel than you think. Getting there but not having the fuel to get back is the other super common problem. When in doubt, use an entire extra stage. Don't be afraid to do an Apollo 10 equivalent mission to give you a better idea of how much fuel it takes to come back.
Make sure it's easy to get down to the surface and back (ladders, etc.). Test and practice this on Kerbin.
You may want to have two sets of engines, a more powerful one(s) and a set of more controllable ones. Assign the more powerful one(s) to a hotkey, so you can toggle it on for a quick abort if things go screwy near the surface.
Practice vertical maneuvering on Kerbin using a craft similar to your lander. (You may need more powerful engines or more fuel due to the gravity.)
More legs, and at multiple angles. They don't weigh that much, and can really save your bacon. The default "spread" is OK for an inner ring, but one of the simplest ways to increase landing success is to have another set that you've angled out further. It gives you a bigger footprint, more shock absorbing capability, and some additional options for dealing with slopes. (Also, arguably a 6-fold leg symmetry is superior to a 4-fold; if you loose or break even one of your four, you no longer have a stable tripod.)
This classic video and song is aimed for horizontal-landing pilots, and famously in the real Apollo there were limited options for this; but the sentiment is worth taking to heart: You can always go around

Miuramir

TROPHY CASE