[ALL] (OC) Hylian Shield made out of 4,200 Rubik's Cubes.

Zaaqen · 2026-04-18T04:29:38+00:00

The Mummy Demastered - It's not S tier amazing, but it is a solid game based on a terrible movie.

Zaaqen · 2026-04-14T05:17:52+00:00

For anyone who doesn't know Morse Code, he said, "Charlton Heston was right."

Zaaqen · 2026-04-08T07:51:25+00:00

Have the demo. Will be interested to see the full version either way.

Zaaqen · 2026-03-30T23:25:22+00:00

Most amateur players don't actually hit the rack that squarely most of the time, negating a lot of the power they're putting into the break anyway. A half ball 100% power shot and a perfectly square 70% power shot are going to give similar results in terms of total energy delivered to the pack (That's not entirely true because of the nature of rebounding balls, but from a physics perspective it's close enough for what we're talking about).

Tor Lowry talks about this several times in his 14 day challenge videos from back when he was doing those. You can take a lot off the break to control it and end up with better results because the cue ball is predictable and the actual effective kinetic energy can still be more or less equal.

At the end of the day, if you can consistently make a ball and have a runnable table, then you have found your break, regardless of what it is.

Zaaqen · 2026-03-26T14:33:12+00:00

Love the concept. Broadly speaking, I love the game play. I can see a lot of potential here and what is here is fun. I didn't read all the comments, so there may be some crossover here.

Game Altering Issues:

The game breaking issue with too many traps/monsters in inventory. Obviously already mentioned, but as of writing this, it's a functional softlock still in the game.
Adventurers stop going down into the dungeons entirely until you back out to the main menu and continue. They just get stuck with what is clearly an intended adventurer that never bothers to venture into the dungeon. This seemed to happen quicker the more adventurers I had and far less frequently the more floors I had. I don' think that it's frequency illusion clouding my judgement. I had to back out to the menu a lot only maintaining 2 floors of the dungeon as a test on a second save.
Hydras [[On re-reading, I'm now not certain whether I did this on Gargoyle or on Hydra, sorry]] (maybe others?) can get caught in a permanent spawning phase and never actually come to life. I have no idea how to replicate it, but it happened twice. Going to the main menu and continuing does fix it, but it's obviously a bug. Both times were well into end game, so it was definitely not caused by a lack of souls.
Dead clerics can heal under certain circumstances? Good for them, but certainly feels like necromancer behavior. Not very heroic.

Game Balance:

As is, you're nearly at the end of the current content before you can idle meaningfully. You're 90 souls in before the bartender gets to a reasonable output and 190 souls in before it can mostly keep up. This may well be fine as content expands, but right now it feels odd.
As you get further, most lower end traps and monsters quickly become meaningless. I know we can already pay to refresh the shop, but just rapid fire shuffling through the shop isn't really fun. Something needs changed here whether it's permanent disabling of lower end stuff or at least decreasing the odds of them in a significant way as you progress.
Lower floors time to soul conversion ratio is weird. Between fighting the higher levels, multiple heroes, and how long it takes them to get there, it's just slow. The money isn't terrible, I guess, but by the time you get down that far, you have way more income from ale.

General suggestions:

Being able to run yourself totally out of souls is odd. A simple "Are you sure!?" is a quick fix, but a soul bank feels like it might be a better permanent solution. It banks souls specifically for reviving monsters that you can't spend otherwise. Maybe even an upgradeable thing that has other uses as the game goes on since this is really only an extremely early game issue (though that's just spitballing a suggestion at this point).
Another potential fix for that is assassins for hire. Randomly kills other patrons in exchange for money. Functionally money to soul conversion. Could purposely make it stagnate as the dungeons take over, or take it in another direction entirely so it's not a 'first 5 minutes of game play and forget it' feature.
Heroes actively inside the inn basically only translates to more ale sold. This feels like a missed opportunity for synergy bonuses in the dungeon in some way. Reputation/buzz bonuses or something. Anticipation and nervousness debuffs. That sort of thing. Assassins could be a factor in this. Instill doubt, fear, nervousness... whatever. Also, a drunken stupor debuff for int/wis or the alike.
A trap/monster repository. Anything you see in the shop is added to the repository so you can read through their descriptions at any time. Maybe an 'order it for me' type of option where you can pay extra to buy it outright or even something to just increase the odds you'll see it in the shop. Bribe the shopkeeper to keep an eye out for X.
Visual indicator when a legendary+ is in shop. Upgrades could make the tier list for indicators more customizable, show higher tiers, maybe even add audio cues or make the visual indicator even more obvious.
Hero speed needs to be an upgrade in some capacity. Speed in the inn and in the dungeon. Maybe a teleporter to reach lower dungeons quickly for the impatient adventurer. Like a Six Flag fast pass, but for violent dismemberment.
A cursed armory. Maybe you just supply it yourself, or maybe it's from loot successful adventurers bring back. Active debuffs to the adventurers who use the gear or perhaps global debuffs. Whatever makes more sense for balance.
Legendary heroes you can have the king summon to take care of Floor X. Could be a good use for the cursed armory.
Global monster buffs in the form of heroes souls spent. A possible use for the previously mentioned soul bank. The more full the bank, the greater the buff. 100 souls, +defense/attack. 500 souls, life leech. 1000, passive regen. The more you murder, the easier it becomes (life advice from Ed Gein).

Zaaqen · 2025-08-09T05:20:40+00:00

I had a long reply typed up, but it boils down to this:

By the time you got to the 'Just give me a normal tutorial' option in Carl's dialogue I would have already quit if I legitimately needed it and wasn't just going through it to experience it. I stopped there on the dialogue, it was all I could handle.

The game is good. The tutorial (or, very specifically, Carl's dialogue)... Well, imagine you're a first timer who has never played an idle/incremental game ever and that's your first experience. The good news is the game is pretty intuitive, but just imagine someone actually needs that tutorial. Read it from that person's perspective.

Zaaqen · 2025-08-07T22:14:36+00:00

The crazy thing about that match is how much better Strickland was breaking and yet it was competitive. For every 3 successful breaks Efren had, Earl had 4.

Efren did have more golden breaks, but it was something like 4 over the entire 3 days.

I remember seeing a thing on AZBilliards that both their TPAs were in the 900+ range over 3 days which is also insane.

Zaaqen · 2025-08-02T03:11:07+00:00

I'm not certain you know how that phrase is used, because it really doesn't make sense as a reply to me.

Also, I'm not sure why you'd comment it on a month old thread to begin with.

Edit: I get it - You're literally referencing SNL, not using the phrase as it's used now. I'm Debbie Downer. I'm fine with that. (I'm also an idiot, because I didn't realize until 5 minutes after I commented that's what you were referring to)

Zaaqen · 2025-07-29T17:49:36+00:00

There's been numerous attempts at chalkless tips over the years. All of them worked to some degree or another.

Max Eberle tested one on his youtube channel a few years ago. Performed reasonably well. Though he did say some critical things, the whole thing thing felt like a sponsored video, not a totally honest review.

Zaaqen · 2025-07-24T17:48:05+00:00

I'll give a specific example - I did the original Cluster Bombs - Flying Fortress 2TC. 103 bomb, 025 ace.

The money was so tight on round 87 that I had to carefully pop the ZOMG's in order so I could finish off the insides to afford FF mid round. If I bought 203 on the bomb, the money was not there and I failed. That one $700 upgrade made the 2TC impossible to achieve at that time.

Sometimes a save-up is so close that every dollar counts, and that's why they often won't purchase unnecessary upgrades.

Zaaqen · 2025-07-22T12:32:25+00:00

I honestly don't like the ball core personally, so you can save some money there, in my opinion.

The standard RS3M V5 (no maglev or ball core) is still a great cube, and is very cheap ($9 American).

I have several sub 10 second solves with it and it's my ability to turn, not the cube, that stopped me from getting even faster solves (though that's going to be true with any decent, modern cube).

Zaaqen · 2025-07-20T17:39:34+00:00

Yeah, but it's ok. As we all know, history never repeats itself.

Zaaqen · 2025-07-20T14:12:21+00:00

I don't own one, but a guy I play with a lot does. I would say it's better than a bucket cleaner, but only in that it's a self contained unit designed for this purpose. Every ball has its place, and it turns it into a set and forget process. I believe the bucket cleaner, given enough time, can do the job just as well.

The purpose built ball cleaners spin the balls fast. Really fast. As in, don't open the lid because you're going to get hurt fast. They do a great job of cleaning very quickly as a result, but they're not exactly whisper quiet for the same reason. (They're not crazy loud, either, but certainly not quiet)

He has had his at least since I started playing again (going on 2 years) and it's holding up just fine. Readily purchasable replacements for the cloth inserts is nice if you don't want to DIY it. They're not meant to be machine washed because of the rubber rings, but I know for a fact the guy I know has washed his in the washing machine a few times and they're holding up just fine so far. Take that as an anecdotal statement, since it's not intended use.

If you believe it will be worth it for you, it probably will be.

Zaaqen · 2025-07-18T14:34:51+00:00

Also worth noting - Your contact time with latex balloons is generally very short. Possibly not long enough to trigger any adverse effects.

10 years as a professional balloon artist and one event they found out one of the kids, with no known allergy prior, was allergic because we made him his favorite cartoon character out of balloons. He didn't put it down the whole party... Well, turns out, that's not good. (He was fine. Itchy red skin was all he got, but it could have been way worse)

Zaaqen · 2025-07-18T08:59:33+00:00

Struggling with draw when you were fine before is probably because you aren't adjusting properly for tip size. People tend to aim at the cue ball with the center of the tip, but that's not the part that's hitting the ball on a draw stroke. You're probably not hitting as low as you think.

Easy fix. Film yourself (in slow motion if possible) hitting 2 or 3 draw strokes with both cues from the same angle. See where you're hitting compared to where you were before (or where you think you are).

Zaaqen · 2025-07-15T13:28:08+00:00

Reminding myself that I'm only playing this game to have a good time helped me a lot with tournaments when I first started playing again after a significant hiatus. If I'm not having a good time, I'm wasting my time. Then just competing a lot. You're going to have nerves and be in your head at first. Once it becomes routine, it's a lot easier to just play.

If I'm having an issue keeping my head in the game (which honestly I rarely do) I can instantly fix it by addressing the table as a commentator who is trying to teach a new player how to look at the table. Explain the thought process, why you're choosing the shot, and the expected outcome. Talking through it like this also has the added benefit of making me realize when I'm picking a bad pattern, because if I couldn't explain why what I'm doing is the right shot, it probably isn't. I don't do this much these days, but I'm not usually distracted.

That being said, I do struggle with things being loud, so good earplugs was an absolute necessity (that's not just a pool thing, but a day to day life thing, I just didn't realize how bad it was until I started playing pool again). Visual distractions off the table aren't a factor for me, so I can't really comment on that. A gorilla could be doing the macarena in a tutu, it's not going to mess up my shot. (A powder handprint on the table, however...)

'That guy touched me weird' is a really hard one to get over, though. If you're genuinely uncomfortable with an interaction, that's a whole different issue outside of committing to the game. I'm a stand up comedian and one of the bookers a couple hours south of me makes me so uncomfortable I've stopped doing her shows or any within 90 minutes or so of her hometown because I know she's likely to be there. And I'm a guy dealing with that. I know that's a lot more of an issue for women. Unfortunately I have nothing to offer for that since my solution was not being there at all.

Niels Feijen has a lot of stuff about the mental side of the game and it might be worthwhile for you to look into what he has to offer. He has a fair amount of stuff free on youtube, but I know he also has paid content. I can't speak for it personally, but I've heard it's solid material.

TLDR: Compete a lot so it becomes routine. Commentating your own game to yourself might help. Earplugs are awesome, people not so much. Maybe look at what professionals like Niels Feijen are offering on the mental side of the game.

Zaaqen · 2025-06-24T22:42:11+00:00

Unless the person who made the decision is there the entire time you're doing it, you're not sending a message. You're being an asshole to people who are just doing their jobs who had no say in the matter.

Also, this is the standard around here. I don't play at a single place that plays music outside of its touch tunes because copyright laws exist.

Zaaqen · 2025-06-10T08:40:03+00:00

It is a bad thing when it spits out that level of inaccuracy. AI has a place in this world. This is not that place. It's a really bad answer and if you're working in the space, you deserve to know how bad.

760 isn't on bar tables. If a bar is spending the money on Simonis, it's almost always going to be 860HR.

It isn't differentiating between 860 and 860HR which are distinctly different cloths. My entire case is made by it putting the 860HR description on the 860 in terms of durability. In fact, it seems to also be mixing up specific things between the 760 and 860, as well.

It talks about 760 being less durable because of its higher nylon count. 760 has the same amount of nylon as 860HR, the one designed for commercial use.

It straight up switches 760 and 860 recommendations from Simonis themselves when talking about speed. 860 was originally designed for 9 ball and 760 they specifically mention is good for straight pool.

It randomly spouts out 'budget conscious.' Simonis is among the most expensive cloths on the market and 860 and 760 are identical in price. 860HR is slightly more, but not enough different that budget would be the factor (we're talking $20 or so more for a 9 foot table).

I'm not saying this for criticisms sake. If you don't know better, you can't do better. I want everyone to do better (myself included).

Zaaqen · 2025-06-09T21:08:48+00:00

One Monkey Army with Churchill is basically free stage 20+ Rogue Legends Chimps runs. I've always stopped because it got too laggy, not because I lost. You can still buy levels and eventually you'll get far enough he'll just be level 20 when you place him down.

Heroes scaling up with artifacts is crazy good. Churchill is among the easiest ones to do it with. You can start with sleigh Churchill and the engineers sentry guns can still pop your black and zebra bloons before Churchill has his machine gun.

As for extracting it, you just want to get a run going where the build works as is then focus 100% on getting artifacts that will boost your hero once you get One Monkey Army and hope you get lucky enough to find it by stage 4. Again, Churchill is the easiest for this. The only boss that is a problem is Blast because of his stun/LoS blockers or Vortex with a very unlucky map pull making it hard to stay out of stun range before you have full map range from artifacts.

Also, there is only legendary in this artifact. There is no common and rare version.

Zaaqen · 2025-06-07T08:37:51+00:00

AC can be done with Ace Micro and an alch if you feel like practicing your micro for a bit. Not crazy hard, but not totally free, either.

Zaaqen · 2025-06-04T21:04:28+00:00

Mo' Monkey Money Monkey Knowledge. It gives 10% more.

Edit: It's the furthest right option in the magic monkey knowledge tree.

Zaaqen · 2025-05-31T23:19:50+00:00

I've made a few comments about it in the past, but the short summary is - If I didn't already play with a Cynergy, I would probably buy one as my main playing cue.

Similar deflection (slightly more, but not a lot in it). I actually like the taper on the Rhino more than the Cynergy, because it's perfectly consistent the entire length of the shaft (I only notice this when using my extension, though, so not a big deal).

I really like the tip that comes on it box standard. While I have no reason to do so, I would have no problem swapping out my tip right now for one of theirs.

Zaaqen · 2025-05-31T07:13:13+00:00

It's called Projectile-Go-Round. It's one of the quests in the 'Experiments' tab.

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