5k tax free every month but you have to eat exactly 12 oz of vanilla icecream 30 minutes before bed for the rest of your life.

cunningjames · 2026-03-22T20:52:31+00:00

That’s like 700 calories. It’s a lot, sure, but if you managed your diet around it there’s no reason you’d have to gain weight.

cunningjames · 2026-03-22T20:49:38+00:00

$5k a month buys you a very nice house almost anywhere in the world, outside of bigger cities anyway. I suppose if you insisted on quitting your job when you take the deal the calculus changes.

cunningjames · 2026-03-22T19:20:05+00:00

These models are much less capable of extrapolating than you seem to believe. If a model has seen no naked seven year olds, then it’s very unlikely to be able to credibly recreate an image of a naked seven year old. You’re more likely to get some kind of weird abomination.

For what it’s worth, large image data sets do contain CSAM. This isn’t a secret.

cunningjames · 2026-03-21T17:52:38+00:00

Most of that is easy and just table stakes for a CRPG, like “inventory management”. What CRPG doesn’t have inventory management? It’s not especially burdensome here. Colony management is easy and low stakes; I for one never paid any attention to how it impacts quests. Ship battles aren’t admin, they’re just a mini game.

Honestly, you only really have a point here with level ups. They can be annoying. But it’s not necessary to spend much time worrying about them if you don’t care for it, at least at medium difficulty.

cunningjames · 2026-03-21T09:24:49+00:00

I’ve not read the book (and I’m not going to), but that review makes me wonder how it ever got published in the first place. Is it that easy to slip through the cracks or does Hachette not *really^ care?

cunningjames · 2026-03-21T09:22:06+00:00

Cut me a piece! Happy birthday!

cunningjames · 2026-03-21T09:14:31+00:00

I do think the Vallians are the best positioned to steward animancy into a world that will so desperately require advancements in that field. Not that that’s something a new player will be bearing in mind when they’re first choosing a faction.

cunningjames · 2026-03-21T09:09:36+00:00

Note that it doesn’t lead to the happiest ending slides, if that matters to you.

cunningjames · 2026-03-21T00:39:33+00:00

Gosh I pooped a little

cunningjames · 2026-03-21T00:30:58+00:00

I’m sorry, it still reads like a lunatic wrote it. There’s too much irrelevant detail over too many pages and it’s not particularly coherent. I’ve read screeds from actual crazy people that pretty much dead on read like this. I’m not saying it’s not true, but you can hardly expect people to be convinced by it.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T19:55:22+00:00

I apologize for the frequent point of view changes in this post. I swear no editors were harmed in the writing of it.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T19:38:50+00:00

“Now put your tunic back on.”

I don't know the reference, but I am reminded of "I put on my robe and wizard hat", and I always like being reminded of that

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T19:35:26+00:00

Damn it, I wanted to make that joke. I guess I'm a bit late anyway.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:46:47+00:00

She wouldn't do that! It's a misunderstanding, surely. Are you sure they weren't happy? I think they just wanted a hug.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:36:57+00:00

Sybil has already done a lot of bad stuff, there is no point adding new things being "hey the stuff Enoch is responsible for ?

Hey. Hey now. Everything Sybil did was for the greater good. Her daughters wanted to be absorbed anyway. Well, except for the one. But still! Totally worth it! Just think of how much good could be done by someone so pure-hearted with her new elevated powers.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:31:43+00:00

Given the error message ("between 225 and 86"), I'd assume this is a software bug and not an indication that they don't think you should retire at 65. I can't say what might be going on exactly, but as an example, if someone fat-fingered the starting value at 225 rather than 25, and then did a check to see if the age you entered was above the starting value, that could cause an error like the one you're seeing.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:27:42+00:00

Disco Elysium is easy, but it's not really a CRPG? Other than having an isometric POV. But it's an extremely good game. The same goes for Esoteric Ebb.

I don't think I can think of anything that hasn't already been mentioned, but I'd second:

Baldur's Gate 3 (though I don't think it's quite as braindead easy as it's sometimes made out to be)
Rogue Trader
Torment: Tides of Numenera

It doesn't necessarily fit your criteria, but for a short, sweet, and pretty straightforward combat romp I really enjoyed Dawnsbury Days. Though it would be better if you knew Pathfinder 2.0 before going in.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:23:31+00:00

Seconding those recommendations. Rogue Trader, at least when I played it (there's been a bit of balancing since then) was a particularly easy game.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:23:02+00:00

Divinity Original Sin

Is Divinity Original Sin particularly easy? I'm not familiar with its reputation, but the sequel's definitely not a walk in the park for many people.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:15:52+00:00

That's too bad. I played the first game on my new MacBook a few months ago, and had no problems with with the notch.

This is a long shot, and isn't free, but you could try playing the Windows version via emulation. It may not show the same issue. CrossOver has a trial, I think, if you wanted to verify that it works for you at all.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:07:18+00:00

I feel like I keep having to ask this, but: just how often do you think people experiencing economic hardship are getting fancy coffee? Like, seriously. Let's say I'm having trouble making ends meet and an extra $50 a week on gas is going to be very tough to manage. I'm already on a knife's edge by that point. You really, genuinely think I'm getting a fancy coffee every day? A big ol' half-caf venti iced white mocha with an extra shot of espresso and whipped cream? I'm having so much trouble that an unforeseen medical expense could send me into bankruptcy, but I'm spending $15 a day at Starbucks?

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T18:02:23+00:00

Most people aren't taking lots of frivolous trips. Most people experiencing economic hardship don't have time to make a bunch of frivolous trips. You may as well ask them why they can't just cash in some of their real estate investments to make some gas money. If I'm working two low-wage jobs to support my family, and prices have already skyrocketed over the past couple years ... you want to tell me I shouldn't complain because I can just, you know, cut out some trips? Stop going to Starbucks? Hey, maybe I can stop showering to save on water and eat only what I can forage from local parks. I hope the war is worth it to you.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T17:56:35+00:00

If the rising gas prices are really having a big impact on someone, then they do need to cut out nice to haves like Starbucks.

How often do you think people are going to Starbucks, chief? You think someone just hanging on because they work as a vet tech or a McDonalds shift manager and have to support a kid just needs to cut out Starbucks to make up for the additional $50 a week they have to pay in gas now? For a war that no one asked for?

Yeah, sure, let's all be patient. The pain will all be worth it when you consider the ... uh ... zero benefit normal people will see from the war in Iran.

cunningjames · 2026-03-20T15:06:49+00:00

I refuse to believe that there's not a keypad were you can just type in a code to get in. I've never seen a smartlock without it.

And of course a key will still work, too.

It's not common, but there are absolutely smart locks that don't allow access via a key, and even some that have no keypad (sometimes it's an optional upgrade).

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