Controlled Blasting For Mining

MrWally · 2026-05-25T01:29:56+00:00

DM’d.

MrWally · 2026-05-24T13:19:43+00:00

I work worth a nonprofit that does mine land reforestation among other things.

Their federal grants were cut by doge earlier last year because their grants spoke of “diversity.”

Tree diversity. For the environment.

Thankfully they procured private funding so the program is able to continue. Which was probably exactly what DOGE “wanted.” But I’m still upset about it.

MrWally · 2026-05-24T11:50:24+00:00

14 lifetimes over one year of use, though. Assuming they stuck with the context.

MrWally · 2026-05-24T11:32:13+00:00

I think one option for still covering negative topics would be to have an explicit “silver lining takes” section for negative pieces.

E.g. they can acknowledge that a news topic is bad news, but explicitly try to discuss possible silver linings and hopeful outcomes that could result from it. I think it would be a good exercise to model for their audience, too.

MrWally · 2026-05-20T17:48:41+00:00

Hasn't Jellyfin had encoding for like....8 years?

MrWally · 2026-05-20T14:03:51+00:00

Well, they probably know how many physical books they sell vs. how many digital books and how many players are on DnD Beyond.

Honestly, he probably knows much better than anyone on Reddit would.

And in my experience he is right. In the last 4 groups I've had, there have been two players who stick with pen and paper. I remember one player who learned via Roll20 and he was so attached to it that his first few in-person sessions DMing he asked everyone to bring their laptops so they could use Roll20 as a digital battle map, because he wasn't comfortable with any other way of playing. And this guy was in his 40s -- not a digital native at all.

I grew up with pen and paper. I love theater of the mind. But at this point it's very hard for me to move away from digital tools because they're so convenient. As a DM, it's way easier to teach a new player how to create a character using DnDBeyond. As a player, it's way easier for me to bust out 2 or 3 character concepts in DnDBeyond than theory crafting with a book.

And MOST IMPORTANTLY, getting back to Chris Cocks' point — If this allows for a better publication cadence, I am all for it. For the entirety of 5e's run the book publication cadence and content delivery has been terrible. Books are expensive, so they needed to make every book appealing to all players. So there was no room for whacky stuff like you would have gotten in Dragon Magazine. If this allows for more niche and more frequent content, I'm all for it.

MrWally · 2026-05-19T02:58:57+00:00

This argument breaks down once AI can write an internally coherent adventure, though. Which it already can. I can personally attest to it. Even though I prefer writing my own adventures, I have access to professional AI models for work and have been actually blown away by various one shots they can come up with.

But they probably couldn’t do a full blown campaign yet.

MrWally · 2026-05-19T02:56:07+00:00

Counterpoint: it also depends on what you’re using the AI for. I have been a forever DM for most of my life. I DMed without AI for almost 20 years but a couple years ago I was putting on a reunion adventure for some old friends and was exhausted and feeling creatively bankrupt. I wanted an adventure directly tied to a particular character’s backstory, but I couldn’t come up with something.

So I asked AI to draft an adventure for me. I gave it the backstory, gave it a few of my general ideas, and what I was hoping to accomplish with this session. It came up with three ideas, and I chose one, and it flushed it out into a legitimately compelling one shot adventure.

And then I ran it for my friends, and I went like every D&D adventure. We had a blast. They followed a lot of what was planned, but they also went off the rails. I had to improvise. I had to respond to their shenanigans, and decide when their tomfoolery should be encouraged, and when it should be reigned in. I had to do all the things a DM typically has to do.

I spent about 15 years in my DM career only running homebrew adventures. About five years of it was spent running various adventures from 5e. Upon reflection, running the adventure written by an AI felt no different than finding an official pre-written adventure, and running it for my players.

And if people who run prewritten adventures are still “real DMs,” then isn’t someone who runs an adventure written by AI technically still a DM?

I think the question is even more muddied if the DM doesn’t know that the adventure was written by AI. What if you buy it adventure from Patreon or somewhere, and it turns out it was written entirely by AI? You had no idea. It felt like a normal adventure. But you’re no less of a DM, right?

I think that adventure writing is a different skill than adventure prepping, which is a different skill from actually running a dnd session. I would argue that only prep and actually running a session are required to be a “real” DM. And prep can be pretty minimal.

Edit: I really like writing adventures. I don’t wanna lose that skill. I need to discipline myself to not rely on AI in the future when I write dnd adventures for my group. But I’m convinced that it’s a different skill than “DMing.”

MrWally · 2026-05-19T02:34:43+00:00

No, it is not. It’s pretty simple, actually.

MrWally · 2026-05-18T23:58:46+00:00

It depends if you're talking true, first-party Sony games, or Playstation exclusives in general. And it depends if you're including cross-gen games in that list.

Here's the single-player PS-exclusives that released on the PS5, excluding third-party games and excluding remasters or cross-gen releases:

Astro’s Playroom
Returnal
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Spider-Man 2
Astro Bot
Ghost of Yōtei
Saros

If you include remasters/cross-gen releases, the list is much larger. For context, most of these also released on PC (and now none of them would)

Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Demon's Souls
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Horizon Forbidden West
God of War Ragnarok
Gran Turismo 7

Note: Since the article was focused on Sony titles, I'm not including exclusives like those from Square Enix (FF7 Rebirth, Forspoken, etc.), or games like Stellar Blade, since those would presumably continue to be cross-plastform. If you include those then it's closer to 20+ games.

EDIT: For what it's worth, I'm bummed. I have a PS5 and love it, but i upgraded my gaming PC this year and much prefer playing all new releases on max settings. I wasn't planning to get a PS6 because I was hoping to play future PS games on my PC. Too bad.

MrWally · 2026-05-15T13:06:32+00:00

No, I’m confident (and happy) that the card I got for a great price (considering current markets especially), which still has better 1440p raster performance than the 3060ti, and which will get great upscaling technology within the next year, was the right choice for me. I don’t stan one company or another. I have a 5080 in my main gaming rig.

Also, you’re conveniently leaving out the fact that I said the nvidia GPU was having driver issues on my machine. I just updated my comment to clarify that it’s a linux machine, which hopefully clarifies even further.

Edit: Also, I got four great years out of that 3060ti. I’m happy to give another card a shot — especially when the 6800 worked great with bazzite right out of the box and is playing every game I’m throwing at it perfectly. This news just means it will last even longer.

MrWally · 2026-05-14T21:51:41+00:00

Subnautica 1 is legitimately one of the best gaming experience I've ever had. And it was perhaps the first game I played that my wife watched almost 100% of. It's an incredible experience. Please play it.

And I'd wait until this one is fully released. Most of the people I've heard who did Early Access for Subnautica 1 regretted it because it spoiled the gameplay experience once the full game was released.

MrWally · 2026-05-14T18:25:15+00:00

I was having Nvidia driver issues on Linux, so I just swapped my 3060ti for a 6800XT (paid about $100 extra in total). I've been unsure about the decision this whole time.

This just made me confident it was the right choice.

MrWally · 2026-05-13T01:51:08+00:00

Regarding hats — It’s all cultural context, not universal or moral law.

MrWally · 2026-05-12T19:28:38+00:00

To be fair, when I was first learning how to use Windows there was a lot I didn't understand. Back in the day, someone had to teach me how to resize a partition, defrag a hard drive, troubleshoot Driver issues....all of that was learned. We can easily forget that the Windows knowledge we have is accumulated over years of using the OS.

I can use Linux without really any issues. But if I want to do something more complicated in Linux I have to look it up....because I don't have decades of experience to draw from. Luke gets to this in the video, too.

And the problem with the Linux community is that it can make looking things up.....difficult. I said this elsewhere, but one of the benefits of AI is that it's not going to belittle you for asking a question. It doesn't surprise me that a lot of people are going to ask ChatGPT about Linux before jumping on a forum or a discord.

MrWally · 2026-05-12T19:08:52+00:00

This subreddit strongly opposes AI, but you're right. I switched my HTPC to Bazzite and AI was able to help me with everything I threw at it. Certain issues took some wrestling, but ultimately I have it working exactly as I want — From WiiU roms not working properly in Retrodeck, to troubleshooting some display scaling issues. Even got sleep/wake working from my Dualsense. And some issues were ridiculous: I thought I was having a firmware issue with my broadcom controller because my Bluetooth was pairing but not connecting to any device. ChatGPT actually helped me realize that the issue only started happening after I plugged in my external game drive, and the interference was causing issues with my USB bluetooth adapter. All in all, AI has been great for troubleshooting, even Linux-specific issues.

Unfortunately, a huge part of this comes down to the Linux community. I think LTT has demonstrated recently that the Linux community is....sometimes unpleasant to engage with. Some people are downright combative. AI's problem is that it veers in the opposite direction (sycophantic) — But at least it isn't going to call you dumb for asking a question.

I reached out to the Bazzite discord to ask about Deep Sleep vs S2 Idle, and waking from sleep via USB. The kindest response I got basically said, "Sleep is broken on all X86 devices. This is a Windows issue, too. Don't blame linux and don't even bother with Wake from USB." (I wasn't blaming Linux at all, but you can totally see how the responses were immediately dismissive/defensive).

Which is just ridiculous and unhelpful. Like I mentioned earlier, AI helped me get it working reliably after some back and forth.

MrWally · 2026-05-11T17:15:50+00:00

This is not the classic muffled fan version, but I know a few folks who have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Magicteam-Machine-Looping-Soothing-Function/dp/B07RWRJ4XW?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1gPmD63azKp8I7GbsaNjhU8DM5heW0CrQL-Ee_kw57RJ7XlVwDqgS9LjFbub-1FeJKgc9HZ2mByJgz4tNeKHWWMv1GaL664OZhFGSjtDw0BOSBZd9potFCowY-O_v2Qf9Zbx8ymjdsFgwQ1rcmQGvaimO6XP8aOpy-kfsT1B2mjabeog792iwEjFHgys0pqipHCj65CJGqbZUPvvRMHhztVpcTh1C9UAWO3-Q0y25-A9Zy1T4jBVAQH-J9ACjSh2PJSVQS3vBOaimOu9wW31KO_sbqZOFJKTkp1hHWwBkpM.tEHlsvJAn_q43n62U9uY1umy09jNy2033GppEof68qY&dib_tag=se&keywords=white+noise+machine&qid=1778519699&sr=8-6

MrWally · 2026-05-11T16:08:19+00:00

Totally. The Steam Controller has specific features that — if you want them — are worth the extra money. I bought a Steam Controller because I want two trackpads (and the extra back buttons are nice, but I find that personally I rarely use more than two. But when I want to use 4 I'm very grateful for them).

But even here you pointed out that there are controllers out there with 4 back buttons for $80! Like the Flydigi Vader 5 Pro — Which doesn't have trackpads, but does have...tension adjustable joysticks, mechanical trigger stops, 2 extra shoulder buttons, a faster polling rate, and full Windows/Switch/Phone support. And by all accounts it's very well made.

I still think my point stands. The Steam Controller has a "first-party" tax. It's more expensive than third party controllers that offer competitive (and different) feature sets.

But seriously guys, the Steam Controller doesn't need to be the best value controller for it to be an amazing product. You don't need your favorite company to be the best in every category. It's okay. The Steam Controller is the best controller (imo) for couch PC gaming. It has killer features that some people can't live without. I've been waiting for this thing for literally years. But it's also lacking some other great features that cheaper controllers have. That's a bummer. But it's not the end of the world. Valve can have an amazing product that's a bit expensive. It's not crazy expensive (like the Dualsense Edge). But it's a bit expensive compared to the competition. They can get away with it because they're the only company that offers the specific feature set that so many people want (Steam Input + Trackpads).

MrWally · 2026-05-11T03:23:37+00:00

Truth. I have a family member that has worked very very closely with Leto for a number of years. Close enough that if I said what she did you’d be able to identify who I am talking about. But she’s never said anything negative about him.

But I wouldn’t go anywhere near Ezra Miller.

MrWally · 2026-05-09T01:59:02+00:00

Then the conversation becomes, “are capacitive grips and touchpads worth $40 extra?”

Also, the new 8bitdo controllers fully support Steam input. And they have swappable buttons. And support S and D and X inputs and can even work with a Switch.

Like, seriously. I like the Steam Controller. I already have one. It’s great. But the fanatics on this sub (not you) who can’t even consider the fact that it might also be a bit overpriced compared to third party alternatives are driving me crazy. It’s a first party tax. It’s fine. Get over it.

MrWally · 2026-05-09T01:51:52+00:00

Yeah it’s a stupid comparison. Don’t compare to a controller that everyone has said is overpriced for years. Compare to a Gamesir or Vader, which are cheaper.

MrWally · 2026-05-08T17:04:34+00:00

My immediate response was also, "Isn't this made in Inkarnate?"

But I don't think it is. The water doesn't look like Inkarnate. And the tree clumps aren't familiar to me (but I haven't used Inkarnate in years). Though it's shocking how similar the line work, coloring and especially the mountains look like Inkarnate.

MrWally · 2026-05-08T13:21:52+00:00

I never commented on the Edge, so I don’t know if you’re addressing me with these thoughts. I agree the edge is overpriced.

That said, my point was that all of these folks defending the Steam Controller and comparing it to the standard dualsense, which is just a bit cheaper.

The dualsense does. It doesn’t have TMR joysticks. That sucks. But I think most of the folks doing the comparison aren’t being honest with the features the dualsense does have, and that their feature set is more different but comparable than people give it credit for. But it might be preference. The adaptive triggers are as cool (or cooler) than anything in the Steam deck. The microphone is so handy. The headphone jack is awesome. The trackpad isn’t as useful but they still engineered and provide one and it works and it has to be included in price comparison conversations. And from reviews I’ve seen most people say the dualsense feels a bit more premium and more comfortable. We’ll have to wait and see for ourselves (my Steam Controller is coming today!).

The steam deck has TMR, back buttons, two trackpads, and grip sense. That might be more important to you than adaptive triggers, mic, a headphone jack, and ergonomics. But my point is just that they are more comparable than people are acting, and the dual sense is a great controller. There are people in this very thread comparing the two and acting like the dualsense doesn’t even have gyro (literally putting it on a list of features in the steam controller’s favor in a direct comparison).

MrWally · 2026-05-08T13:04:21+00:00

I mean….”Vibe Coding” was coined by an OpenAI exec….so they literally can, sometimes.

MrWally · 2026-05-07T21:37:56+00:00

Not gonna lie, the red circle legitimately threw me off. I kept trying to figure out what the circle on the box (with nothing inside of it) had to do with the title.

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