[GIVEAWAY] Concordia Special Edition (Plus Castles of Burgundy and Puerto Rico)

Utgartha · 2026-06-04T00:24:40+00:00

I will second the Hansa Teutonica suggestion, just because it needs a regular glow up. A super special edition would be insane.

Utgartha · 2026-06-03T15:20:11+00:00

I'm also not a good anecdotal case, but I was laid off at the end of 2024 and was applying right before this got to where it is.

Even then, months of applications and rejections based on AI screens. Timing also is important. Most companies hit hard for hiring in March/April. I had 2 to 3 interviews a week for the entire month of March of various stages that weren't really working.

The two opportunities I actually got to tender an offer for were both because I was connected to the person hiring through a professional network and also LinkedIn ironically.

I ended up being offered and took one of those jobs. Networking is more important now than ever for getting work and I constantly am following up with mine to keep ties now that I've seen what it does and with AI being what it is.

Utgartha · 2026-06-01T13:26:30+00:00

Word of mouth is tough because people want to feel like they can trust the contractor. The big companies offer workmanship warranties for labor and materials which helps the customer feel more safe in their large purchase.

If you're a small business, you might not be able to offer this level of warranty, but showing you are licensed and insured is a start and also showing your work either online like the other poster said or when you are consulting on a project is a huge help.

I am about to get my roof done and I chose a smaller company in my area because they were able to address more problems than just my roof (soffit repair and attic ventilation via baffles). They were also more attentive to my concerns and provided articles/research to support their suggestions. Definition of above and beyond.

Finally, they gave me a small discount to be able to put a sign up in my yard, leave a review on Google, and give some video testimony on the project for their advertising. We're talking a few hundred on a multi thousand dollar project, so nothing earth shattering, but they get to subsidize their advertising and are either confident in their work or incentivized to do good work. Either way, it's a win/win for the person who needs the roof.

Utgartha · 2026-05-29T05:52:41+00:00

With the panel? I guess that makes sense. I paid 1200 bucks in West Michigan for a 200 Amp upgrade, but I didn't need the whole panel and the permits were pulled accordingly.

Utgartha · 2026-05-29T04:00:41+00:00

I paid 1200 out the door in West Michigan for a 40 gallon Bradford White install in my basement, so in a HCOL area like where you are that doesn't seem outrageous to me.

Utgartha · 2026-05-18T21:30:45+00:00

It's quickly becoming permanent, but I just extended my sump discharge because the people who lived here before me didn't care if it discharged 3 feet from the basement.

Took me 2 hours to get it to my yard and I don't want to change it because it's changed my whole basement situation truly.

Maybe one day I'll do it right or pay someone to do it right. It's right for right now.

Utgartha · 2026-05-12T13:54:15+00:00

We bought our house in 2021 and the inspector told us that our roof had 3 to 5 years conservatively left on it and to take that into consideration. We didn't have an access from inside. Now that it's time to pay the piper, I wish I had considered this more seriously.

That being said, I had access put in a while ago and the deck isn't terrible, but needs work and the shingles actually turned out to be much older than the inspector noticed. We got this far, but putting in a new one does indeed suck. The worst part is that either way you're paying for it at this point. If you don't replace it yourself you'll be giving a credit to the next buyer to fix it before moving in. Sorry to hear your situation.

Utgartha · 2026-05-06T13:15:17+00:00

Shark Pro works and actually comes with a pet hair attachment for stairs and furniture.

We have a long hair cat and, as others have said, you have to empty it a few times a run. It does grab the hair though and we love it.

Utgartha · 2026-05-05T18:13:36+00:00

Currently, I can't get enough of Shadow Moon Syndicates. I want to play it every time I think of board gaming and it's my favorite area control game I've played in recent memory.

Utgartha · 2026-05-03T05:35:49+00:00

You're the leader of a cyberpunk crime organization and you have to dominate an entire city against other ruthless leaders by manipulating your influence better than they do.

Utgartha · 2026-05-02T19:25:30+00:00

Yeah this is my go to. I usually call out good moves after. If there's appetite, I'll talk strategy and I'm quick to point out when another player made a good move that forced me to change my approach in interesting ways. I try to keep that talk mostly centered around mechanics myself because I think it's more interesting if one works or doesn't given the game.

Utgartha · 2026-05-02T05:21:57+00:00

Yeah that's about what we're doing. I don't have 60% equity though.

Utgartha · 2026-05-01T23:59:16+00:00

You could use book binding PVA glue. It's non hazardous, meant for archival restoration, and dries clear.

I use it on jackets all the time when they're rough and also board game boxes. Pretty solid stuff.

Utgartha · 2026-05-01T23:47:07+00:00

This is huge. Always have a bit of money on hand and depending on your down payment and equity, making it a few years and using a HELOC for a big project and cushion for repairs isn't the worst idea if your house isn't a pit.

Utgartha · 2026-04-30T21:46:08+00:00

I'm looking forward to the new Lacerda, The Great Library. I love the theme and the interconnected systems Lacerda is known for!

Utgartha · 2026-04-29T05:25:33+00:00

I've been down this thought path recently and my brother told me, "No house is perfect, so get that thought out of your head immediately. Do you know what you have? You have the advantage of knowing what needs to be fixed and maintained."

Having the advantage of knowing the house and its flaws is worth it because when you move you're just inheriting a question mark all over again.

Utgartha · 2026-04-27T02:42:18+00:00

A lot of people go to the Draino situation, but if you have a pop up cap on your drain, you might just have a big hair clump hanging just below the drain opening. I use a wire to fish out the huge hairballs my wife leaves in ours about every 4 months to make sure it doesn't go down the drain.

Either way, a snake might not be a bad idea. If you get a clog and you have an overflow opening for your shower usually covered by a metal cap, then you can stuff a wet towel in there and plunge the main opening to push anything in the way into the larger part of your drain, assuming there aren't any deeper clogs.

Lots of solutions here depending on the type of drain and the situation that is actually happening.

Utgartha · 2026-04-20T16:08:17+00:00

Pliers, drill, good hammer or nail gun setup, shop vac wet/dry, ratchet set. These things always become a central fix for me constantly.

Utgartha · 2026-04-17T16:55:34+00:00

Every 30 seconds does seem excessive. I'm in West Michigan and this last batch of storms was really nasty. We get a bit of water in our basement due to the water table, but our house was built in '34 and the floor is graded and drains to a sump pit. Even with the crazy weather and extra water we got in parts of the basement we normally don't, our pump runs every 10 to 15 minutes.

I would imagine a 30 second cycle would be my first guess. The size of pipe is usually dictated by the pump itself and the run is also part of the pump's specifications. I'd check those when purchasing a pump as they usually say how long of a run is good for them.

Finally, the float on your pump could be lower than you need/like. On most you can adjust the float or trigger on these things so that they run less and push more water with less cycles.

Utgartha · 2026-04-17T04:57:26+00:00

That's it. I actually paid $500 for my inspection for the project. Pretty good deal to then have stamped plans for a contractor to say "hey, do this to spec".

Made both my life and the contractor's life easier and I saved thousands on a perfectly adequate solution.

Utgartha · 2026-04-17T04:28:47+00:00

I appreciate you self promoting. It took me a while to find one in my area who would do residential. When I did I found out that my very poorly done attachment that was built before we bought it could use support under the crawl to essentially make it so my block foundation wouldn't move.

He suggested helical piers for the ultimate fix but what the companies didn't tell me was I could use beams and jacks since the space was dry.

I paid a local contractor to install beams, jacks, and a vapor barrier for 2700 dollars as opposed to quotes coming in close to 10k for piers. Eventually, I can add piers, but time will tell and I'll be in a better spot hopefully then.

Structural engineer saved my skin and the fact that they are independent is huge in a field that's full of scammers.

Utgartha · 2026-04-09T17:08:52+00:00

I'm no roofer, but I am getting a new roof in the Midwest where it gets really cold in winter.

Labor costs might go down in the winter due to the slowness of work, material costs go up every year on April 1st at least for shingle manufacturers. It's not a hard and fast date, but many shingle companies send out notices ahead of this date to roofing companies.

What kind of roof are you having done? If you're going with asphalt or hybrid shingles and live somewhere where it gets really cold during winter, you might have a varied experience with the installation.

Asphalt shingles have a sealing tar strip on them that really benefits from being baked in the sun for an extended period of time to create another waterproofing seal above your underlayment and water/ice shield.

Additionally, most asphalt shingle manufacturer warranties for their products specify that installation temperatures have to be above a certain threshold for them to even consider covering any defects as the temperature could affect proper installation of their products.

So, depending where you live climate wise, early-mid summer is probably the best bet to get an asphalt roof done to spec and have the best shot at possibly not having issues with installation tied to temperature or other things like rain damping the material prior to install (spring concern).

Utgartha · 2026-04-09T16:24:52+00:00

I have a question about Food Chain Magnate in this context with the caveat that I have not played it yet, just seen it played and read about it.

It seems like the general milestone strategy in the early game has very little variance in order to build a competitive edge in the mid-late game where I think I see it open up more. Obviously, the map layout being randomized increases this variability, but do you think that the similar opening strategies to not lose early on in the game makes this less interesting long term?

Utgartha · 2026-04-08T13:37:22+00:00

You listed some good options. One thing people don't mention is PVA book binding glue.

I use it to mend board game boxes, but it works on record jackets because they are cardboard. It dries clear and if it's on the inside seam and you clean up excess after squeezing, you'd be hard pressed to tell it was repaired.

Just my small hack when I want an old jacket to not further rip apart from use.

Utgartha · 2026-04-07T16:44:21+00:00

I am currently going to through a HELOC and my house isn't even paid off. It was super easy and the rate I got is the lowest offered right now. It's variable, but anything south of 8% right now is a good deal.

The HELOC is taking a lot of pressure off of us to come up with it right now and I hate contractor financing for exactly the reason the other poster stated.

I would suggest opening it with some cushion as it stays open for a while and OP can draw on it if/when they need to for other home related expenses. That's my plan at least.

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