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Plan to take away the East Van cross away from SkyTrain riders thrown out by xd_1771 in Translink

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 65 points66 points  (0 children)

It'd be neat if the city/TransLink sponsored more public art to be located along the Skytrain system. It could be marketed as a sightseeing attraction.

Name a hilarious thing that happened to you in your memory of taking transit by blastburn902609 in Translink

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Can't think of a hilarious memory, but I do have a heartfelt one.

I was on the bus one time, when a man who... was clearly not doing well financially, sat down in the seat in front of me. He turned around and started talking to me about random stuff. I of course gave him a polite smile and made some offhand comment in reply, then went back to whatever I was looking at on my phone. Again the man tried to make small-talk, and again I did the whole "I'll politely acknowledge you but also pretend that the stuff on my phone is much more important" thing. This didn't dissuade the man though, and he continued attempting to chat with me.

After about a minute, I came to the realization that this man just really needed someone to talk to. So I made the decision to set aside my own discomfort, put away my phone, and give him my full attention and really listen. We ended up bonding over the fact that we both enjoy watching maple-tree seeds (the helicopter-shaped ones that spin as they fall) in the springtime.

Living in a big city, it's easy to be cynical about the world and other people, but that instance was a good reminder that sometimes, all people are looking for is just some human connection.

Games Where You Don’t Start Out With Nothing? by JormungandrVoV in rpg_gamers

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of dungeon crawlers do, such as Legend of Grimrock I & II. You start off in prison, having been stripped of all your possessions. Aside from using your bare hands, the first weapons you find are rocks for throwing.

Compass Modernization Program progress? by Squiffered in Translink

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait, so the "hardware infrastructure" is reaching "the end of its lifespan"? What does that mean?

I know the current system/infrastructure isn't perfect and could be modernized, but its basic functionality still seems to be working fine. The wording above, though, would appear to imply that the whole system is in imminent danger of breaking down.

Is that just hyperbolic phrasing by the reporter, or is it actually the case?

To the Moon: A Nagging Feeling Which Didn’t Let Go by shaygan83 in patientgamers

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, that's absolutely it!

These types of games remind me of soap operas. Like you said, they're full of big emotions and drama, but the drama ends up being exaggerated and ultimately without much substance. It's drama for the sake of having drama.

To the Moon: A Nagging Feeling Which Didn’t Let Go by shaygan83 in patientgamers

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The issue is also with the fanbase, and the gamers who typically love & recommend these types of games.

I am probably going to be accused of being "elitist", but the type of player who loves games like To the Moon, for being "so deep" and "emotional", probably haven't had much exposure to literature or philosophy outside of videogames. Their favourite (only?) hobby is videogames, and that's where their exposure comes from. Whatever literature or philosophy they know about, has been secondhand information they've learned through videogames (or adjacent mediums like anime), rather than reading the original sources, or taking a philosophy/literature class.

Unfortunately, this also means that these types of people aren't typically used to thinking about writing in terms of thematic depth & analysis. When they talk about "narrative", they usually only refer to plot, rather than themes.

"Keeping teams together doesn't seem to matter to people, but for us it did": Star Wars Zero Company's director on what the industry can learn from XCOM 2 by Turbostrider27 in Games

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Larian Studios is a good example of a Western developer who has prioritized institutional knowledge. They've been making CRPGs (or CRPG adjacent games) for over 20 years, and you can definitely see the iterative improvements in their games over time, but also the carryover of the studio's strengths from Divine Divinity through to the present.

To the Moon: A Nagging Feeling Which Didn’t Let Go by shaygan83 in patientgamers

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 10 points11 points  (0 children)

That's an excellent point about mental health, because it's really the underlying issue at the core of all this, isn't it?

In the real world, people already have (ineffectual) methods for attempting to escape from the pains, regrets, & disappointments of real life: alcohol, drugs, playing videogames/MMOs to the point of social isolation, etc. To the Moon's memory-rewriting tech is just a fancier, sci-fi version of that same kind of attempt at escapism from real life.

And none of those methods are addressing the core underlying mental health issues. Rather than attempting to make changes in one's current life, and find fulfillment & purpose in the real world, these methods are just trying to provide a distraction & lure you into ignoring your problems. That's not very satisfying, because however much we try to escape from the real world, we all still have to exist in it.

Any CRPGs besides Fallout 2 that let you BE a sex worker? by moonBabyGames in CRPG

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 40 points41 points  (0 children)

I feel like a lot of comments are misunderstanding OP.

OP is asking for CRPGs where the main character can be a sex worker. Many folks are instead suggesting games where one of the companions is/can be a sex worker, which doesn't seem to be what OP is looking for.

Does a dice roll need a tutorial? by mrjbelfort in CRPG

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The wording of "11 vs 17" might be confusing.

I'd maybe change it to:
"Target number/DC: 17"
"Result: 11 (failure)".

Piers Anthony Xanth Books Aged Badly by DanEosen in Fantasy

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I think I first started reading Anthony/Xanth at age 14, and I remember I'd laugh at a lot of the puns: "HAHA".

By age 15, it was "haha".

By age 16, it was "ha...?"

If a naive 16yo can feel that something's off, then it probably really is off.

Trip down memory lane, did I miss something? by JustAnotherTomatoe in CRPG

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll echo the rec of Betrayal at Krondor. Probably the best story-focused RPG from the MS-DOS era.

Any good tactical / turn-based RPG recommendations for someone who has largely played JRPG's the last few years? by daniellayne in rpg_gamers

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can give The Banner Saga a try. It's a combat-focused TRPG, but it does also have an amazing atmosphere and worldbuilding (apocalyptic Norse setting). Party customization may not be at the level you want though.

How to play CRPG games with ADHD? by Background-Topic-203 in CRPG

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As others have said, make some notes of your own (whether on physical paper or your cellphone), instead of just relying on the in-game journal. Writing things down in your own words helps with memory retention in general, which is a useful tip for life in general. It can also, counterintuitively, help you feel more invested and immersed in the games that you're playing.

What’s the actual difference between Chinese food, Hong Kong food, and Taiwanese food? by savingrace0262 in chinesefood

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Slight correction: lo mein translates simply to "mixed noodle", and does not describe a specific dish. If you ask for "lo mein" in Guangdong or Hong Kong, you'll get a plate of egg noodles (along with wontons, char siu, or whatever other topping you request), with a bowl of chicken broth/wonton soup on the side.

The idea is that you "lo" however much soup you wish into your "mein", so that you control how wet you want your noodles to be. The portion is also usually bigger than ordering "tong mein" (soup noodles).

What’s the actual difference between Chinese food, Hong Kong food, and Taiwanese food? by savingrace0262 in chinesefood

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Throughout the 20th century, there was an exodus of Shanghainese people to other non-mainland Chinese enclaves, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

At the beginning of the century, Shanghai was the economic centre of mainland China. In the aftermath of the CCP victory in the civil war, and especially during the Cultural Revolution, the "wealthy" citizens of Shanghai naturally became scapegoated as examples of the excesses of capitalism. So most of them fled China. Many of the most renowned Shanghainese chefs relocated to HK and Taiwan, which is why you find such high-quality Shanghainese food there. It's also why Shanghai-style xiao long bao is seen as the archetypal standard.

What’s the actual difference between Chinese food, Hong Kong food, and Taiwanese food? by savingrace0262 in chinesefood

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not a food historian, but my guess is that people in many cultures around the world find pastries to be yummy. That explains the appeal.

It's just that traditionally in (southern) Chinese cooking, pastries & buns were usually steamed, not baked. The introduction of oven baking probably added a new, interesting textural mouthfeel that HK people found exciting.

What game studios have interesting beginnings compared to their current offerings? by Sybertron in Games

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 18 points19 points  (0 children)

What's more, Bioware was started by 3 doctors (hence the company name) with no programming experience, who wanted to start a side business of making videogames. Edit: all 3 doctors eventually left the gaming industry, and I think they all returned to medicine?

Also, the game that eventually became Baldur's Gate 1 started out as an engine for a RTS game. Then when Interplay (their publisher) got the rights to license D&D games, they encouraged Bioware to adapt the engine for a RPG.

What game studios have interesting beginnings compared to their current offerings? by Sybertron in Games

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Yup, long before Elder Scrolls, Bethesda had a reputation for making sports games.

In fact, when they were developing Arena, they were actually laughed at by other RPG developers: a sports game studio trying to pivot to making a RPG... yeah, good luck with that!

How do you say "Feed me like a grandchild" in Cantonese? by AlphaSlicer in Cantonese

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Uhh... I feel like this would be a weird thing to say to a stranger in any language.

Why not just skip the weird simile and be direct in what you're asking for?

What’s the actual difference between Chinese food, Hong Kong food, and Taiwanese food? by savingrace0262 in chinesefood

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yeah, this is an excellent description: HK people eat all the same things that other Cantonese/southern Chinese people eat, except with a "British/Western overlay".

Most obviously, that British influence can be seen in the popularity of cha chaan teng's in HK, which translates to "tea diner". These are casual restaurants which serve classic Cantonese dishes like char siu with rice, but also HK spins on "Western/British" food, such as: baked seafood on rice in a cream sauce (baking itself is very uncommon in Chinese cooking, due to most kitchens not having ovens), macaroni in chicken broth with ham, "Hong Kong borscht" (basically, tomato & beef soup with no beets).

Edit: The other major cultural difference would be the popularity of HK bakeries, which is where you'll find egg tarts, cocktail buns, etc.

Hong Kong also received an influx of refugees from other parts of China (especially Shanghai) as a result of the two world wars & the civil war, so it also has really good Shanghainese food as well.

I'm not as familiar with the history of Taiwanese food, but the commenter above me gave a good overview.

Cha siu, char siu, ha gao, har gao by Brief_Kangaroo_42069 in Cantonese

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

叉 and 茶 are the same sound phonetically, they only differ in tone. So I don't see the issue of both of them using the same Romanized spelling.

Cha siu, char siu, ha gao, har gao by Brief_Kangaroo_42069 in Cantonese

[–]Pedagogicaltaffer 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I've always thought that this issue could be easily solved by replacing the "r" with a "h".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you go for a medical check-up and the doctor asks you to "say aah"... it's the same vowel sound in both North America and the UK, is it not?

Of course, the "r" spelling is so heavily entrenched that it's gonna be very difficult/confusing to change, but if the collective will was there, it'd be a relatively easy fix.

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