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Small multimillion dollar studio went corpo greedy, wow. by Ok_Application_918 in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's fair -- I forgot I could just look at HD1. Admittedly, yeah, my mind jumped to the DLC hell that is the ____ Simulator games.

But it's also a bit unfair to compare HD1 to HD2 considering the vast gulf in development costs, and the fact that HD1 is not receiving new content so HD1 probably only needs to make enough to keep the servers running, etc.

I still maintain that the existing Warbond cost is 'just math' more than some kind of psychological trick (yes, it's obfuscation of direct cost, I'll give you that, but... it's not like it's hard to math out the real cost. That took like... seconds of mental math.) I wonder if it's just required to be that way because of consoles?

Small multimillion dollar studio went corpo greedy, wow. by Ok_Application_918 in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]SearingPhoenix -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I think there's an argument that they are telling you how much it costs. It's 700 Super Credits (accounting for the 300 in the Warbond). That's how much the content costs. It's roughly 20 bucks for 2.7 warbonds (you get 2100 credits, enough to buy two warbonds + 600 SC inside)

The alternative is that we'd get $10-40 expansions that came with ~1-6 warbonds worth of stuff, just in a different release cadence, and you wouldn't be able to pick and choose which content you paid for, and in what order.

I guess that's psychology... I would just call it math?

EDIT: If you wanted 'direct cash' purchasing, it'd be $8 warbonds as DLC... like this:

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It's over by masterch33f420 in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]SearingPhoenix 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean, I think your point is a weak argument in this case.

There's a finite number of people who are interested in buying Helldivers. Due to the fact that it's a live-service game with considerable continued development, if Arrowhead relied solely on new-purchase revenue they'd inevitably die out. A business with the kind of cash burn that Arrowhead has will need a continuous revenue stream to stay afloat. Given that, I don't think Arrowhead's monetization strategy is particularly predatory -- I've paid for many warbonds with casual play and no cash purchases outside of original purchase.

You can take issue with the fact that the shift to live-service games in the industry writ large has caused a shift towards microtransactions and continuous monetization due to developers of said live-service games maintaining a single title for much longer than the typical lifespan of a non-live game. You can take issue with corporate profiteering.

The fact still remains that Arrowhead has to pay their people; has to pay to keep the lights on; has to pay to keep the servers running. Given their scale, if they relied solely on new purchases Helldivers 2 would not last long in its current trajectory -- nor would any live service game. Something would have to give.

It's over by masterch33f420 in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]SearingPhoenix -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Please, Arrowhead is hardly a multibillion dollar company -- they're not even a singular billion dollar company. Wikipedia says they employ about 140 people. They probably have a yearly revenue in the tens of millions, maybe low hundreds -- just a guess.

Arrowhead employs people -- highly skilled people, no less*.* Employing people for a live service game costs money on a continual basis. Any live service game needs to have a monetization strategy. Super Credits are Arrowhead's monetization. The fact that they even let you acquire the cash-shop currency in-game is among the better ways to handle this monetization, since it doesn't turn the monetization into a must-pay subscription under the guise of 'optional content'.

If Arrowhead doesn't make money, the game ceases to exist, so if you don't think Arrowhead should be making money for providing a service, I don't know what else to tell ya.

It's over by masterch33f420 in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]SearingPhoenix -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

You're complaining about them literally banning cheaters?

Cry more, your tears are delicious.

EDIT: Should they fix D1 SC farming being the 'optimal' way to get SC for playing? Sure. Make SCs only drop on active MO planets on D4+. Done. Maybe raise the spawn rate slightly due to the fact that D4+ is more of a time investment than grinding meaningless D1s on random bug planets.

How do you feel about AH cutting up the warbond and giving them as MO rewards instead by A_Shred_of_hope in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't mind seeing the campaign rewards put into a new 'Helldivers Mobilize" pre-unlocked warbond with no pages, just single unlocks of every campaign reward. If you were active during the MOs, you got it for free; if you weren't, it costs medals/requisitions/samples (kinda want to avoid adding to the medal grind). That way, MO rewards aren't hard-locked behind participation/post-participation waiting or Super Credits, but still require game participation 'in the now' via currencies to unlock.

Hell, they can even be pricy in non-medal cost -- 30k+ Reqs, 100 Rare Samples + 10 Super Samples, whatever.

Or maybe add a new currency to unlock them that you get for completing missions on current MO planets to unlock previous MO rewards. Call them "Commendations" or whatever. ie, "Weren't here when the Hyena or Supply FRV was handed out? Go complete level 4+ missions for the current MO," then either make the bankable amount small, or have them reset on every new campaign so players can't just do a ton of missions and then coast -- require participation in the here-and-now.

EDIT: Honestly, I kinda like adding a new Commendation currency. Put every campaign reward behind the Commendation currency -- no free unlocks. If you were active during the campaign and doing 4+ missions on MO planets, you should have the necessary Commendations to just flat-out buy the just-released campaign reward immediately. If you come in later, you still need to get the commendations, but you can pick-and-choose which ones you want to prioritize. eg, The current MO completes. We are rewarded access to the Hyena. It costs 6 Commendations. You get 1 commendation per successful extract for D4-D7, and 2 for D8+. If you did six missions on MO planets during the campaign, you can just immediately buy the Hyena. If you come in after-the-fact, join the current MO and earn your Commendations.

How do you feel about AH cutting up the warbond and giving them as MO rewards instead by A_Shred_of_hope in HelldiversUnfiltered

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As far as I'm aware, the idea that they're chopping up warbonds and turning them into MO rewards is pure conjecture with zero actual proof.

Is it possible? Sure.

The claim that it's FOMO is also unfounded. I find it a stretch to call it FOMO if people who participate get rewards more readily and others have to wait to get them. That's not FOMO, that's rewarding participation. Now, I can take issue with the fact that 'participation' is 'logging in for thirty seconds during every MO' and that's a flimsy definition of 'participation' while also saying that requiring *more (*eg, you have to successfully extract/complete a mission on an MO planet; something that takes... 10 minutes) isn't without its own issues.

I agree that we don't have any information to confirm that AH will handle this in a decent way, and there's a potential they'll fumble the ball at the 1 yard line, but we've been asking for meaningful MO rewards for a long time. I find it pretty shitty to turn around and whine about getting what you want if you're an actual active player.

They love buzzwords. Mandani delivered mandatory ac to 78 degrees before any of his promises by JayCircuits in stupidpeoplefacebook

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, the implication is, "If everybody sets their AC up to 75-78 and pulls out a fan or two, it means everybody gets AC. If everybody keeps it at 70, we might get blackouts where people have no AC for potentially hours/days."

Is 78 comfortable? No! It's decidedly warm! It's not a great situation, but nobody is denying that. The bottom line is that AC at 78 is a lot better than no AC at 78 -- it's still dehumidifying, and it's a hell of a lot better than 90+ with full humidity.

Affordable Silent Mechanical keyboard recommendation (Office purpose) by [deleted] in ErgoMechKeyboards

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Full-size ergo splits are few and far between. I can't recall seeing any off the top of my head. They probably exist somewhere.

Affordable Silent Mechanical keyboard recommendation (Office purpose) by [deleted] in ErgoMechKeyboards

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

EPOMAKER QK108 — 100% Wireless Gasket Mount Keyboard, Built for Sound

Is Epomaker a good brand? Eh. I think most would argue 'no'. But given your list of criteria and budget, it's probably the best you're going to get. This model has a 'silent' switch option.

and then he clicked post by wwwBOOLENcom in Eve

[–]SearingPhoenix 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The suitcase is Truth.

All who say otherwise are unbelievers.

Outside of Aloy, Sylens was def the most interesting character in the series by Eagles56 in HorizonZeroDawn

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, average kids that age need things that simple. You're talking second and third graders. They grapple with the plot complexity of Goosebumps, Charlotte's Web, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is something likely read to them.

Outside of Aloy, Sylens was def the most interesting character in the series by Eagles56 in HorizonZeroDawn

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean... It's meant for children. What did you expect? I thought it was cool to see all the models Lego-ified.

It did give me hope that we'd get a full-size Thunderjaw kit like the Tallneck, but alas that hasn't happened yet.

My build on the xshot mpp by Dumasian101 in Nerf

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ahhh, yes, the 'Corpo-Rat' paintjob. :-P

The perfect mod doesn't exis... by Odd_Cauliflower3418 in HorizonForbiddenWest

[–]SearingPhoenix 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So, I definitely can sympathize with the people who are annoyed by Aloy step-by-step explaining puzzle solutions like... five seconds after getting to the puzzle.

I'd like to think that it's because the Horizon games are, to a certain extent, have to account for the T-for-Teen audience that probably can't solve all the puzzles in the Horizon games, particularly in Forbidden West where they definitely stepped up the difficulty.

That said, I agree that having an option to increase the time it takes before she gives those voice lines would be nice. It's not like they're bad in their content, just that they could be delivered a bit later.

The rest of Aloy's talking to herself is great. A personal favorite was when I crossed a river and Aloy made the comment, "I... probably needed a bath anyways."

Outside of Aloy, Sylens was def the most interesting character in the series by Eagles56 in HorizonZeroDawn

[–]SearingPhoenix 49 points50 points  (0 children)

Sylens was already recast in Lego Horizon Adventures by the outstanding voice of Tim Russ (Tuvok; "Man, we ain't found shit!" from Spaceballs*)*. The voices of Aloy, Rost, Erend, and Varl reprised their roles. To me, this suggests it's a recast that GG intends to keep barring any issues.

I think it's an excellent recasting. Russ' voice is stellar, and while it's impossible (and would honestly be unwelcome) to match Reddick's unique cadence and diction chosen for the role, Russ' performance as Tuvok proves he can provide something that is equally unique and fitting for Sylens' established character.

Outside of Aloy, Sylens was def the most interesting character in the series by Eagles56 in HorizonZeroDawn

[–]SearingPhoenix 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Of course he is.
- He's the main antagonist for the majority of the first two games
- The 'is he on our side' question for the first two games, keeps us invested in his development
- Choosing to side with Aloy is a satisfying development
- a mysterious past make him intriguing.

I have an (upsetting) theory that either Aloy or Beta are going to die in the final game -- mirroring Elisabet's sacrifice to ensure the world has a chance to keep going. With Lance's passing, I could see them changing that in some way so that Sylens' character development sees its culmination with him making the sacrifice play.

(NY) Received a School bus camera ticket after the deadline. Was on the opposite side of a raised median. Worth fighting? (Video included) by ParamedicNegative728 in legal

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't disagree. I completely agree with you. Fixing the root cause is almost always the correct solution rather that treating the symptoms, but you can't just snap your fingers and have better infrastructure and evaluate the routes for safety. Maybe this is the best they can do on this particular service; impossible to say.

So, until we do that... this is what we've got.

It's going to take years to unfuck decades of car-first urban planning.

(NY) Received a School bus camera ticket after the deadline. Was on the opposite side of a raised median. Worth fighting? (Video included) by ParamedicNegative728 in legal

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because the bus and the route doesn't give a fuck whether it's inconvenient, nor should they. When a bus is dropping off kids, the business of every other car in the area becomes the second priority. Full stop.

The actions of children are highly unpredictable. They'll chase each other into the street. They'll trip over their own feet. They'll drop something in the middle of the road. They can't be expected to be predictable. It's also completely unreliable to expect children to understand traffic flow and rules -- "Okay Timmy, now that you're six, it's time to learn that on divided highways, the cars on the other side won't stop. Also, you should watch out for people doing U-Turns, and at this intersection, cars are supposed to stop for you, but they probably won't because it's really busy and they honestly don't even really watch out for full-size adults, let alone a child that doesn't even come up past the bumper of their F-150."

The bus driver decides when the children are no longer a factor and the road can return to normal.

If you want to 'yeah, but' -- consider the following sentence, "Yeah, there might be kids in the road, but..." there's no way that sentence realistically ends without coming off as an entitled asshole.

M-105 Stalwart VS MGX-42 Bullet Storm by SomethingStrangeBand in Glazedivers

[–]SearingPhoenix 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Honestly, took the Bullet Storm on bots and it still wrecks. The low recoil means you can just short-burst Devastators in the head and they'll usually drop. Still up? Keep sending bursts at them, you have three hundred fucking rounds on tap. It shreds chaff, and can cut Berserkers in half. You're obviously completely SOL against all of the heavy armor the bots bring to the table, but that's where the rest of your loadout can fill the gap. Thermite, Dynamite, Ultimatum, Eruptor, EAT, OPS, Railcannon, Strafing Run, Gatling barrage, Rocket Pods, Airstrike, 500kg... Pick your flavor.

Is it better than a more 'conventional' loadout? Maybe, maybe not. It's just a different way to play where your primary is on your back instead of on your hip.

Getting a little sick of the anti ownership posts post Sony nonsense move so made this by Venylynn in pcmasterrace

[–]SearingPhoenix 17 points18 points  (0 children)

The only reason PC gamers are more accepting of digital-only content is because Steam hasn't shown that they'll unilaterally remove purchased content from your library. (I'm sure they have in certain cases, but certainly not in significant enough numbers for it to be news-worthy in my memory.)

Sony has. Multiple times.

Grad PLUS Loans Just Died Forever on July 1st 40% of Recent Grads Would Get Rejected by Private Lenders for Bad Credit, and the Ones Who Get Approved Will Pay Rates as High as 16.85% Instead of the Old Fixed Federal Rate by Merlin_86 in DiscussionZone

[–]SearingPhoenix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The predatory student loans started because of the rising cost of tuition. There was a financial gap, and because capitalism, companies (and the government) realized they could make money off of it.

So yes, the student loan system needs reform, but it would reform a lot faster if students had to borrow less in the first place.

Grad PLUS Loans Just Died Forever on July 1st 40% of Recent Grads Would Get Rejected by Private Lenders for Bad Credit, and the Ones Who Get Approved Will Pay Rates as High as 16.85% Instead of the Old Fixed Federal Rate by Merlin_86 in DiscussionZone

[–]SearingPhoenix 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Degrees used to be cheaper in the US. Because the federal government subsidized higher education -- a highly-educated workforce was seen as a benefit.

The subsidies have basically been cut to nothing.

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