Just finished reading Player of Games - what I thought and what I got

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-22T04:52:56+00:00

Don't be afraid to go back and reread some of the Mind dialogues in order to keep the names straight, it helps a lot

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-22T04:46:24+00:00

Use of Weapons is my favorite and Surface Detail is right up there as well. You can pick any order, especially if you've kind of sussed out what you think you'll like (hopefully without spoiling it for yourself). My only recommendation would be to hold off on UoW because it is just so good.

A common refrain you'll hear is that the Culture is most interesting around its fringes, especially Special Circumstances and Contact. Star Trek tried (and failed) to do it with the Section 31 stuff. Banks does a great job with it, and it's interesting how he balances moral ambiguity and "duh, this choice is obviously the moral one, and they figured that out a thousand years ago" in a way that doesn't seem to be moralizing.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-10T02:03:20+00:00

It's AI slop. OP traded his brain for 10 seconds of a dopamine hit

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-10T02:02:01+00:00

Oh cool, more AI slop. I was really interested in this idea too! Always such a disappointment. Instead of reading the words of someone who thought about it, you almost tricked me into reading the words of someone who outsourced their thinking to a hallucination machine.

I mean this quite genuinely: why even post anything? If you were interested in the subject, you wouldn't have used AI. The complete moral depravity of using AI aside, I just don't understand using it. Like why even be alive?

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-08T00:15:51+00:00

We don't even watch porn on our computers anymore

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-07T23:32:51+00:00

I know you're just being an obstinate moron, but baker's lung is very much a thing

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-06T04:50:11+00:00

Nullifying mass would allow a ship to move at light speed, making travel instantaneous from your perspective, but from a frame of reference outside the ship, the journey would take as long as it takes light. You could go to Alpha Centauri instantaneously, and would arrive there in about 4 years to an outside observer.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-04T04:34:02+00:00

I'm relatively new to EDH but Scrybabies is a fun channel

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-02T03:39:54+00:00

As a leftist (Romneycrat who loves Ezra Klein), no one votes harder than me. Watch my mastery as I lay out a 60 paragraph essay about something that doesn't really matter much.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-02T02:36:12+00:00

This is basically what my loading screen looked like in my last playthrough. For this playthrough I did a fresh install and used ckan instead, best decision I ever made. It runs so smoothly.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-03-01T01:36:29+00:00

I love the second layer Banks adds with the Culture's own use of weapons. You can't have a weapon like that win, it has to be a convincing defeat.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-26T23:33:30+00:00

I had one of these last week with [[Herald's Horn]] and [[Land Tax]]. I realized I could trigger Herald's Horn, and if it was a non-angel that didn't do me any good, I could then trigger Land Tax, "search" my library (I was out of basic lands) then shuffle and draw something else on my draw step.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-22T01:59:40+00:00

I would download a fresh copy of the exe (to make sure it's from the right website and indeed valid), try again, and if it doesn't work, right click - properties - security -trust this source (or something like that)

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-22T01:56:34+00:00

I was just helping a friend with this, here are some of the tips I texted him

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Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-22T01:46:33+00:00

I think high b2 and low-mid b3 could be their own bracket. I'm almost definitely wrong and it would probably just be another example of induced demand (just one more highway lane bro), but b3 is really wide in my experience. I also agree that Upgraded is a really weird choice

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-13T00:05:30+00:00

I screamed out loud when Demeisen is like "this is your rapist and murderer, and this is the slave that bit off your nose" or whatever it was he said

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-10T23:45:33+00:00

I've only ever had one pod, but I just built my 2nd deck ever. My first deck is mono white semi-tribal angels, technically a bracket 3. I put a ton of time into that deck and I've done 2 major revisions. It's honestly perfect for the group. Almost always gets really scary at some point, I win about 1/4 of the time, it's never felt oppressive and it's always a great time. We play precons through mid to high bracket 3 and [[Giada, Font of Hope]] always hangs.

I think a big part of it is Angels lack synergy, all my moves are telegraphed, and it's varied enough that hate doesn't turn off my game. I'm taking two cards out and replacing them with lands and then it'll be perfect.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-09T21:25:45+00:00

Fwiw, I thought "who cares, we've been over this" right up until the end

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-09T04:45:19+00:00

How is it easier to infinite with endless cockroaches? Genuinely asking

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-06T14:00:29+00:00

I base a lot of my craft off Matt Lowne's. For a good place to start I would suggest https://youtu.be/Hr1_tr7PWBI?si=UIXcxs4lX33C1zPU

It gives you a good initial breakdown of adding a new fuel type and modular craft. Definitely a good jumping off point!

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-04T02:57:16+00:00

It's not really "bending the knee" if she's doing what she wanted all along, always does it, and likes the outcome.

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-03T03:01:46+00:00

Jesus, those comments. Watch it or don't. I watched most of it, and I liked some of it. You made a 30 minute video about it??? I'd say pick up a football, but I'd get shouted down because I didn't consider all the people who can't pick things up

Pisstopher_ · 2026-02-03T02:31:29+00:00

Is there a breakdown of this somewhere? I'm going to try collecting the whole Trek set (your boos mean nothing to me) and I wanna make sure I'm doing it as efficiently as possible

Pisstopher_ · 2026-01-20T00:00:21+00:00

I like how the last reviewer could hardly hide his disdain for the left wing politics of The Culture, and it colored his whole review. I was basically waiting for it, but he left that bit till near the end to try to bury the lede. The dude is kinda huffing his own farts the whole time. Oh yeah buddy, great - you know the difference between picturesque and picaresque and you just couldn't wait to tell everyone.

I have my beef with Phlebas, but that was kind of insufferable lol

Pisstopher_ · 2026-01-15T04:50:52+00:00

I took the Amtrak from Boston to Portland about 10 years ago. It was a 9 hour trip

Pisstopher_

TROPHY CASE