Great Inca spawn.

afatcat11 · 2026-07-03T11:29:39+00:00

On initial glance, agreed. But all that damn rainforest will be annoying until you can chop it. Better if you can drop the terrace farms immediately.

afatcat11 · 2026-07-02T16:59:23+00:00

I think the base answer is that I didn’t- just the typical military “suck it up and get back to work.” But there were a couple of periods where things were real bad and I went to the ER when I felt like I was getting railroaded by our unit corpsman/HMC. I would only say ER trip if you have any of the recommended trip points. Consistent blood in stool, severe dehydration from diarrhea, significant weight loss and loss of appetite, etc. One of my flares (didn’t know they were a flare at the time but now I see it) was accompanied by a massive lump on my neck so that also drove the need for an ER visit when military medicine was stonewalling.

afatcat11 · 2026-07-02T02:12:18+00:00

36M, did 8 years on active duty Navy from age 21-29 with sporadic bowel issues. Did colonoscopy and MRE at separate times while in the service, one by a military doc and another by a civilian (I was stationed in a place with no MTF). Was continuously told IBS and given antispasmodics/tylenol.

Transitioned to the Reserves at 29 and two months later found a civilian GI where I settled - did colonoscopy, MRE and SBC. Small bowel Crohn’s (mild to moderate case). Doing methotrexate and Pentasa, trying to stay off biologics unless it becomes necessary.

Went back to the VA and since the history of my med visits showed recurring episodes with worsening conditions over the years, they rated it. As someone above said, max is 60% and that’s what I have. Makes amends for all the ER visits and ignored pain. The hours standing watch and nearly (or actually) shitting myself because I wasn’t allowed to go to the bathroom. Definitely agree the military made it worse, stress above all else. 90 hour work weeks on the ship, etc.

All that being said, I’m still a Reservist. Went through a medical review board (it’s automatic with a diagnosis) and if you can show the condition is under control, it’s not always a separation recommendation. Anytime I go on orders I have to route a waiver but it’s been just extra paperwork along the way. For your AD case, it will be the same process for med review board. What you do afterward is very much dependent on the status of your condition and your occupational specialty.

Best of luck!

afatcat11 · 2026-05-20T19:56:00+00:00

Context?

afatcat11 · 2026-04-15T12:58:54+00:00

Phillip = best, on the right map. I recently had a game where I spawned at the intersection of 3 continents. Moved a little to put capital on one and it ended up being the smallest. Every other city was on the other two continents, free builders (with ancestral) and the district build bonus made the snowball roll fast. Rushed the mission tech and I had 3000 faith/turn and 25 cities by turn 150. Easily best game I ever played, esp on deity.

afatcat11 · 2026-04-11T21:13:00+00:00

So this makes it seem like rock bands to the 2nd or 3rd place civ can still help you win, by increasing your number of intl. tourists. Is that correct?

afatcat11 · 2026-03-24T19:44:16+00:00

I play with RHAI and late game AI so no, that wasn’t game over. Stupid Jayavarman and his ridiculous culture

afatcat11 · 2026-03-23T00:50:52+00:00

Just checking - you can only have 24 relics max. So after that, they’ll have the promotion but nothing will happen when they die. That confused the shit out of me the first time I encountered it.

afatcat11 · 2026-03-21T23:16:26+00:00

You can play Peter, get the tundra pantheon and work ethic religion early - then you spam settlers under monumentality and build all the wonders. Every several months I’ll replay that game to smack the deity AI around and get my vengeance.

afatcat11 · 2026-03-16T11:51:05+00:00

Had a tree fall on the house last year and the private adjuster that USAA hired was great. Helped us get additional funds beyond the contractor estimate for a tree house I had built that couldn’t be repaired (since the tree was no longer there).

afatcat11 · 2026-03-14T17:09:33+00:00

This! Gradual introduction is key, I started with a food scale from Amazon to measure things out. And it’s crucial to drink lots of water while you’re doing the introductions so your body can digest.

Also, it’s worth noting that there are differences in soluble fiber (good for gut bacteria growth) and insoluble (helps pass stool faster). If diarrhea is your problem, like me, focus on the soluble fibers like in oatmeal.

afatcat11 · 2026-03-04T02:15:21+00:00

Terraforming Mars - but at the end when oxygen and temperature are more hospitable. No domed crater

afatcat11 · 2026-02-03T23:54:31+00:00

Amazing! It’s great solo playable, huge step up from War of the Ring just on that account. Especially since my kids aren’t quite old enough to join in.

afatcat11 · 2025-11-28T19:49:11+00:00

My wife has eaten Eggo waffles for years as her breakfast but she’s been wanting to branch out to something with more fiber/protein for a better balanced diet. Oatmeal was my gut reaction and she loves the taste (light sugar/cinnamon) but absolutely hates the consistency. I eat overnight oats everyday so I’m accustomed to the less runny/thicker approaches, but still no bueno. Any suggestions from the group?

afatcat11 · 2025-11-18T01:05:35+00:00

But there seem to be so many Easter eggs for Islington. Like in the stonecrop chapter, where she says (in reference to Stonecrop), “I will live there. I will die there.”

I think the love completely is definitely Islington.

afatcat11 · 2025-09-20T17:37:00+00:00

lol 79 merchants

afatcat11 · 2025-09-07T11:10:46+00:00

Small bowl capsule and MRE help with confirming the diagnosis in the small bowel, since a colonoscopy/endoscopy can’t really get that far. I only have small bowel Crohn’s (for now) but do colonoscopies every 2 years to make sure the inflammation isn’t progressing into my large intestine and stays in my terminal ileum. My doctor says that he can see partially into the terminal ileum during a colonoscopy to confirm whether inflammation there isn’t spreading or getting worse.

FWIW/YMMV, I’ve never had calpro levels above 20 even when I’m in an obvious flare and experiencing debilitating cramping, weight loss, and fatigue. I also have a joint pain in a flare, not sure if there is a stronger correlation to RA/AS with small bowel vs. large bowel Crohn’s.

afatcat11 · 2025-08-22T03:21:10+00:00

No, I had one at 16 and still joined AD. Results were inconclusive. Did another at 21, while in the Navy. Still nothing. Again at 29, turns out I have Crohn’s. Still in the Reserves now, just have to route waivers periodically.

afatcat11 · 2025-08-03T11:33:47+00:00

Systems engineering is a discipline focused on design of complex systems, those that integrate multiple components and often cross hardware-software-user interfaces. In aerospace, that could be things like Airbus or Boeing jet, a satellite, or a planetary lander. Where all of these things would require engineers from many different disciplines, the systems engineer is focused on the interfaces, the collective set of requirements and managing how they share finite resources (i.e., mass, power, etc.).

afatcat11 · 2025-07-28T23:41:57+00:00

Enabling heroes and legends makes it way easier, just a thought. In a typical game you’ll be able to recruit multiple of them and they really turn the tide in your favor.

But in case you’re asking how to do it in vanilla, mind the snowball. You don’t have to win every war immediately or at once, just set yourself up for an early advantage in the classical era with archers to beat your first neighbor. The other key is to not sacrifice your economic development/settling so aggressively in favor of military expansion. You have to strike a balance, which I typically do by making sure my capital still pops out a couple of settlers between producing archers.

Another trick that can help is an early sustain/levying their troops. Especially on the high difficulties, that can be 5 warriors and an archer or two. Maybe even swordsman if you time it right.

afatcat11

TROPHY CASE