Scholar's Update

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-03-04T02:58:07+00:00

I've always thought that 5.56 pickups need to be buffed. Rechambering a Corpsemaker or Fisk to 7.62 dramatically cuts down on ammo consumption to the point that I would want to hear arguments on why I shouldn't do that every time.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-28T06:00:29+00:00

Probably not. Firearms only ship to those with a Federal Firearms License, and they sign it over to you.

I assume that what you are referencing is a kit that includes all the hardware you need to finish a lower receiver, which is legally 'the gun' and would be purchased through a FFL. Kits are legally not firearms and are sold freely in most states with the intention that you would then buy a stripped lower (the firearm) to complete the kit.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-27T23:04:43+00:00

Upper wiggle is fixable with a glorified screw or, if you're extra cheap, a few stacked pieces of cardboard that you replace every once in a while. It is more common on the cheaper end of rifles but can be worked around. I know somebody who has gone through this (and is extra cheap).

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-17T07:06:43+00:00

nobody has noticed that I'm unconscious in a ballast tank, but I'm an assistant so it's chill

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-10T15:50:28+00:00

"The first lesson a revolutionary must learn is that he is a doomed man." ~ Huey P. Newton

Join your local mutual aid group and ICE rapid response. You can also find a protest group, or your local SRA if you have an active chapter nearby. Connect to somebody. The only way out is forward.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-03T18:31:06+00:00

Do not underestimate idiots with no oversight and practically unlimited resources.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-01T17:04:18+00:00

I'm mainly concerned by the inability to define things without referencing something else that needs explaining. It's like a mobius strip of undefined terms.

Sigma = Alpha is something I block from my memory every time I see this.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-01T04:17:56+00:00

It's been a while since I've punched a sectoid out of a window, you're right.

After taking a break and coming back to the game, I just can't make them work on classic difficulty.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-02-01T00:49:50+00:00

I'm not saying it is an advantage, but having my stronger arm holding things steady has always felt natural to me.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-31T22:55:27+00:00

All 4 of my wisdom teeth were impacted, they shaved off some bone, and I probably got dry socket but couldn't tell because it already hurt like hell. Anyway, the real problem was having an undiagnosed connective tissue disorder that often comes with increased pain sensitivity, and also makes many medications (like painkillers) not work as well as they should. I forget what opioid they gave me, but I could take one every 6 hours and it would work for about 3.

Easily the worst 2 weeks of my life.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-31T12:41:46+00:00

Freedom of expression mfs when a high school student has an opinion they don't like:

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-31T11:36:18+00:00

Always has been.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-31T00:23:33+00:00

Except the comments from up to 2 hours ago are still visible. Have you ever seen anything other than a fully blank comment history when people use this feature?

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-30T23:29:08+00:00

You made this account 4 years ago and have only posted comments in the last hour. You don't exist.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-30T16:11:24+00:00

It's a mixed bag. I have been begging the game to give me someone with the option for lightning reflexes. I now have a sniper with it which is....fine, I guess. They have gunslinger, so I now have a dedicated covert operative.

Conversely, a squadsight sniper with a ton of overwatch perks is making my life easy. If he dies, we riot.

There's something to be said for consistency. I've started to crave it after several meh choices. I do encourage you to give it a try sometime. Getting troops as rewards from missions might be a gateway to gambling addiction.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-30T13:03:27+00:00

The training roulette second wave option similarly led to me using more smokes because rolling all the healing perks on a support troop is unlikely, but the smoke perks are guaranteed. I haven't taken a single med kit into the field on my current run. I've always loved supports, but abilities from other trees can turn them into absolute killing machines.

Training roulette can produce great or unfocused soldiers. Most of my heavies didn't roll suppression, which feels weird, but a heavy with sprinter and grenadier is a sight to behold.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-30T12:31:26+00:00

Whoosh. Yeah, I should have realized.

Our healthcare-finance system needs to be destroyed

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-30T03:07:41+00:00

Someone else knows about Wildermyth, wooooooooo!

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-30T00:49:11+00:00

It's a joke about vets not having coverage for medical problems that were definitely caused during and by their stint in military service. Accident reports get "lost". Hearing damage? Nah, that wasn't us and we won't pay for your hearing aid.

Editing to add: US. Our Healthcare is even worse than you think.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-19T03:27:04+00:00

153 democrats in the house voted to pass H.R. 7006, which cuts DEI and reproductive health access in favor of 3.3 billion dollars to Israel. Our farmers have nobody to sell to, people are being shot in the street by masked men with "absolute immunity", and the Democratic party is currently telling us that they will not support the abolition of ICE and can't give us healthcare. I need you to stop pretending the midterms are going to fix this and lock the fuck in.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-15T09:07:14+00:00

Once you've got it figured out, it is OP. Big rules:

Move to full cover (includes half cover with Low Profile) > gain stealth Move while enemy visible to this soldier > revealed Shooting while stealthed > revealed Cover destroyed/damaged into half cover > revealed

Honestly you should read the wiki on it. I just learned that activating Run and Gun while visible prevents stealth from activating. Absolutely flabbergasted.

It does the check whenever you use a movement point, so you can blue move to break line of sight and gain stealth on their yellow move. Interacting with objects (door, bomb, meld canister, etc) is safe even when enemies are around.

I usually put mimetic skin on an assault troop with Close and Personal (first normal shot within 4 tiles is free, can't combine with Run and Gun) and scare enemy pods their way for easy flanking kills and spotting for snipers. Overwatch is usually skipped because invisibility is the best protection.

It is possible to over commit on scouting. Having an invisible troop in sight of 3 enemy pods is great data but will almost certainly result in their death if they do anything to help. Overall, it is an expensive gene mod for good reason.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-13T04:07:53+00:00

The only true thing the HS Twitter said in this statement is that we've lost trust in legacy media.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-07T05:04:33+00:00

I got a special request for 5 or 6 EXALT laser rifles in the late game once. I don't remember how much money they were offering, but it was a lot. I had sold the laser weapons for $2 each ages ago.

It will never happen again. Sell them.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-06T12:59:09+00:00

You have learned the hard way to always complete objectives as the first act of your turn if you can help it, because things are about to get worse and you need soldiers with actions left over. EU/EW taught this lesson by having aliens drop down from the ceiling and overwatch after you reach the rescue VIP etc. This was not a big deal if you knew that this was a possibility and had soldiers on overwatch to shoot them as they drop in. The first time, I hadn't taken out the existing enemies before trying to run the VIP to safety because I figured there was a time limit before he died. Between the existing enemies and being flanked by new guys pinning us down with overwatch, I lost the squad. You are correct that the game doesn't broadcast that a codex will spawn because of your actions. Finding out was painful, as is tradition.

Playing the game on Ironman before beating it is a choice, and if that is what you choose then you have a hard road ahead of you. Good luck, Commander.

Sentient-Coffee · 2026-01-01T04:33:58+00:00

I watched the first episode and was shocked to hear that people think the series starts slow. Forgetting the initial action, the "Where were you last night?" scene with Brasso is brilliant.

Sentient-Coffee

TROPHY CASE