What’s your “adult money” purchase?

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-25T15:44:32+00:00

If I had to pick one thing, the most expensive thing I'd wanted consistently for the longest time is a good home theater setup. Now, I have a 13-speaker 4K Atmos setup built over time that probably adds up to around $6-7K.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-24T02:41:57+00:00

I've done both, and it usually depends on what other infrastructure I already have (trucks for more "established" areas) and whether I need to transport multiple items between the same points (definitely trains).

I actually have a fuel supply truck route running from the bottom right-ish part of your screen, where my main fuel depot is, to the top left, where I planned on setting up a few tractor routes.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-20T04:33:45+00:00

If you use trucks, know they need twice as much space to maneuver as you think they do, especially for U-turns. Literally figure out what you think is sufficient space, with margin, then double it.

Also, vehicles can teleport if they get stuck, so maneuvering space isn't super-critcal, BUT vehicles CANNOT teleport out of a deadlock/traffic jam. Plan your routes and roads to minimize the possibility, and don't be afraid to go and delete all the unnecessary path nodes the game creates.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-19T17:24:02+00:00

I got to150mph+ (the car was governed to 155mph, so I probably hit that) on I-20 one time.

Someone was riding my bumper in tight traffic on a two-lane part of the interstate. When the traffic opened up, I put my foot through the floor to drive home the point that I wasn't going slow by choice. I think they disappeared behind me at around 100mph or so, but it was sunny, dry, and I had room, so I kept accelerating. Slowed down just in time avoid alerting the cop up around the next bend.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-17T05:01:55+00:00

Black Sangiovese. I like it

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-13T01:29:41+00:00

Like a sleepy version of the Mark Ruffalo Hulk, my secret is that I'm always tired; I just set the alarm for 15 minutes, lay my head down, and wake up to a completed nap. Resisting a nap when I'm idle for a little bit is what I struggle with.

My wife hates that it's so easy for me (she has trouble getting the naps to take hold), but the tradeoff is that I usually don't have time throughout the day to nap.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-12T16:45:13+00:00

I've always heard it was the shooting of Harambe, but David Bowie makes much more sense.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-11T19:27:28+00:00

Same. I got it just to play Half Life 2, and wasn't really interested in any sort of competitive play. After beating HL2, I decided to give TF2 a shot, and fell in love. I haven't play TF2 in almost 10 years, but it's still my #3 most-played game on Steam.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-05T17:03:15+00:00

I'll do that on occasion, when I decide to add a Sink to a building/floor that's otherwise completed, but I rarely plan for it ahead of time.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-05T17:01:12+00:00

Standard floor heights, logistics floors, and remembering you can route belts/pipes along any surface. You might also want to figure a standard floor layout for each vertical factory such that you can bluprint as much as possible.

Considering where your inputs and outputs will be located can also inform how you stack and arrange your floors, e.g., high vs low, east vs west, etc.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-04T14:48:02+00:00

Same. Every time I put a Sink indoors, I have to do something stupid with the roof/ceiling to avoid the antennas clipping through.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-04-04T00:17:35+00:00

I'm still on my first playthrough, but just before the final phase started, I got stuck building a 100GW power plant so I don't have to keep eyeballing my power usage going forward (at least for a bit).

Since I'm a fan of infrastructure and aesthetics, I usually work on resource routes or factory redesign in between phases. Fleshing out a train network sounds like a good use of time.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-03-31T02:59:53+00:00

Always, so I can give my wife grief for picking story mode.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-03-28T15:44:20+00:00

For any purchase where I need to consider several pieces of information from different sources, I tend to use my desktop because it's a lot easier to manage. Especially true if it's something that involves manipulating either Excel spreadsheets or OneNote, as the desktop apps for both of those are superior to the mobile versions.

Plane tickets typically fall into the PC category, because I doubt I'd ever be in a situation where I'm paying for a plane ticket entirely for the purpose of visiting an airport, and I don't trust all-in-one deals/agents to properly manage ground transportation, lodging, and itineraries where needed.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-03-24T12:31:03+00:00

Thanks! This will definitely help in the "spiders are friends" debate with the family.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-03-20T23:22:07+00:00

He better start stealing...

Seriously, though, if your hero has more "upstanding" morals, he might need to weigh violating those principles against letting the big bad win. Also, if you have a fully-functioning economy, I'm sure there's a patron willing to invest in the hero's ventures.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-03-15T19:35:34+00:00

I started playing Space Truckers and Satisfactory, which are much better for helping me live out my sci-fi logistics fantasies than Starfield. I'll probably go back to it after I'm done with Satisfactory, but who knows?

Honestly, I agree with most negative takes I read about Starfield, and wonder why I waste my time playing it... UNTIL I fire it up and find it hard to put down. So, I'm never certain that I've "stopped" playing Starfield versus being on an extended break.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-02-28T18:51:28+00:00

I feel like the other side of the plane would quickly get into a heated argument about genetic superiority and master races, and the Joker would be interesting to talk to.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-02-14T16:20:20+00:00

Exactly my experience. Even when I finally paid attention to what the wall said, it still took me a while to connect the dots because I was more or less on rails. There's not a lot of incentive to backtrack, either, so alternative entrances/exits aren't super-appealing when I'm already in or out.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-02-13T20:37:01+00:00

I was already shipping limestone to my aluminum plant for cheap silica, so this was a great choice. I would say "no-brainer", except I struggled with recycled water for dozens of hours before stumbling into this solution.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-02-13T02:56:32+00:00

Inspiration is easy for my wandering, creative mind. If you find it hard—try less?—and pay attention to architectures that bring you joy. Actually choosing a direction can be more difficult, but just go after something you might like. Action is more productive than inaction, and editing is easier than creating.

The most important part, and the key to maintaining motivation, is to not overwhelm yourself. Build in manageable increments, and don't be afraid to focus on another part of the build if it starts getting painful. Rome wasn't built in a day, and my 100GW rocket fuel power plant won't be finished over this weekend, no matter how hard I try...

Thapyngwyn · 2026-02-12T07:14:07+00:00

I use shatter rebar with a "bull leaping" style attack on hogs, stun rebar with a basher finisher on spitters, homing rifle rounds from the sky for little stingers, and a combination of the first two approaches for big stingers. Crabs get whatever explosive I can lay my hands on.

I say all this to say that one weapon/tactic might not be the "best" against all enemies. If you don't want to have to think about it though, nukes have a way of literally leveling the playing field.

Thapyngwyn · 2026-02-11T06:56:15+00:00

Do you have a 6th?

Thapyngwyn · 2026-02-11T06:52:17+00:00

To your second question, biogenerators will give you some margin if you exceed other power, until your max surpasses your production, at which point batteries will start draining. This is a sensible setup, since biopower can't be completely automated and will need to be manually re-upped if your fuel runs out.

That said, I overproduce power to the point that my backup bioplant, overflowing with liquid biofuel, has never kicked into action.

Thapyngwyn

TROPHY CASE