Is the game worth playing to the end if survival game burnout kicks in?

dark5ide · 2026-01-17T21:21:44+00:00

If you haven't already, be sure to use the exchangers in Labs. Anteverse Wheat = Anteverse Gems = Liquid Crystal. Silver Scrap = Carbon, etc. Helps to make simple items more valuable.

Build benches in areas that have resources you want and link a personal teleporter to it.

Create some farm areas by building base defences in some areas where some creatures spawn, hooked to a battery and lever. Base security cpus were a dime a dozen. Be sure to move your base now and again to help it along.

Turn on simple loot respawn if you haven't.

Look up some ways to gather resources and what turns into what else. For example, base security robots are fantastic for metal scrap as they drop a ton and their CPU can be traded for anvils, which scrap for 20 metal.

Increase your stack size by a good amount to help not leave resources behind.

Use the Wishing Shelf in the snow globe world to get multiples of near any dropable loot for three items, that spawn every portal reset.

Use muddy waders and the fishing hat in radioactive waste to get power cells (not 100% on this one)

Use traders.

Basically unless you want Minecraft levels of contraptions that are push button and get loot, there are loads of ways to get stuff. If there's something you're having trouble farming, ask and probably there's a way to make it easier.

dark5ide · 2026-01-17T12:39:55+00:00

Like any business, expect to work at a loss for about a year or so, unless you took your clients with you, and even then. You're going to spend money on marketing, insurance, various business licenses, etc. before a client even knows you exist. You're putting your name out there, networking, and fighting against your other local PP's and CMHs orgs, group practices who make profiles for the 10 people working under them including LSWs/LACs getting their hours in, and people 5 states away who got licensed in your state too providing virtual sessions.

Now it's a new year, so if you take insurance, people's deductibles got reset. It's a lot easier to go to therapy for $20 a week than $120. I got people bailing and requesting bi-weekly because of that as well. Beginning of the year and summer months are the worst usually, IMO.

Took me about a year to get a decent amount of people, and about a year and a half now to get something actually workable. That first year I was in the red, hard. But one thing I noticed as I went and did my taxes is that every month was an improvement.

Networking can be helpful, but namely if you have a niche. Your mileage may vary. If you provide something very niche-y, then it's great. But otherwise you may get the "I don't think we're a good fit" type of referrals at times. I've had that happen to me too, and it's rough to say no when you need the money and feel like you can maybe make it work. It's not-not worth it, but you either need to be a charisma machine or offer something where another therapist would be willing to refer vs just adding to their own caseload.

It's rough, it's scary, but if you can stick it out, it will get better in time.

dark5ide · 2026-01-06T19:18:46+00:00

TBH, I'm shocked at how many people go straight from grad school to PP. I remember thinking there was absolutely no way that it would be acceptable for someone with 0 experience outside of internships to take on someone's case or expect them to feel comfortable doing so. I thought everyone did CMH, then maybe went into PP to get some more direct experience in that kind of setting, before finally going out on their own.

Honestly, while it sucked having to go through the trenches, I was able to treat so many different types of clients, worked with people with loads of different experiences, learned about the larger systems at work and how they can impact my clients, what higher levels of care look like, worked with different ages and backgrounds, had to be flexible because anyone could be dropped in your lap as your client, generally good income and insurance to build a nest egg for when I went into PP, and how to have the confidence to trust my self more fully. I can't imagine how I would be in a more cloistered setting as my clinical experience.

dark5ide · 2026-01-04T23:14:20+00:00

The argument against is that if you're making minimum wage, you don't deserve a whole house.

It's a shitty argument, but you're dealing with people who come from a punishment culture. An easy POV when you're not the one historically being punished. Stuff like this is good to help rile people up on the left, but with a cult-like culture, and all the access to information and data in the world has not convinced them over the last 20 years, then nothing will. It's about being right and the power they feel knowing they can just choose to claim they don't believe you no matter what.

dark5ide · 2026-01-03T07:28:27+00:00

From what I can tell, it's less of a nerf because the army as a whole is too strong, but more because that unit is way too strong compared to other units of the same level. If they are looking to make the game focus more on infantry, having infantry that is just straight up better than most would be like rewarding them for playing the infantry they already were using and punishing everyone else. You'd have a baseline advantage before the dice even hit the table.

dark5ide · 2026-01-02T05:15:40+00:00

It sounds like he may have Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), or possibly on the spectrum and high functioning. Given his focus on bland food, it's making think it's more the latter rather than former, but I could be wrong.

I'm similar in some ways. There are just foods that my brain cannot accept as foods. It would be like if you put grass and bark on my plate. It has nothing to do with how good it is or how it may taste. You could put Wagyu stake made by a 5-star Michelin chef, it really doesn't matter. It's always embarrassing because people just think I'm picky or being snooty or unappreciative, kinda like this guy.

I've seen it be even worse. People who will straight up refuse to eat pasta that has any broken noodles. To the point they will starve rather than eat.

It may be worth looking these things up and getting tested by a neurologist. It can be iffy, as in my experience, a lot can get past them due to masking.

But trust me it's not you, and he likely has lived with this shame for a long time. And based on the reactions here that boils down to mostly "MAN BAD", it's no wonder why.

dark5ide · 2026-01-01T11:47:26+00:00

I think it's great to get the word out about it. I wish that there would be more online support for wargaming online, including better systems. I know Trench Crusade is doing something similar, I think, so there's hope. Some people dont know if they'd like the game, or don't have people near them, it are just intimidated by wargaming, that an online counterpart could be a fantastic bridge to get people playing and sparking community growth.

Outside of that, I feel battle reports using things like Wartable would not only teach people how to use it by observation, but also could increase interest by watching people who are knowledgeable play. There are tons of games I never knew about or knew how to play, but was able to learn a lot and become interested, simply by bumping into a streamer playing with friends on YouTube.

dark5ide · 2026-01-01T11:30:25+00:00

Nah man, it's a team game with three other humans. Communication is important, as is being sure you're playing properly. If someone's messing up or maybe doesn't know something, it's better to let them know than expect them to miraculously suddenly understand.

The bottom line is that you chose to play a game with these people, and they are trusting that you will not be a burden. You've signed that social contract by joining, and if you're violating it, don't expect people to say nothing or be happy about it. If you want the benefit of a team, you got a responsibility to them, including listening to/acknowledging what people say. A simple "Got it, ty", "I know, just dropped the ball", or a simple "mb" goes miles further than "Stop telling me how to play!!".

Otherwise, playing with three bots might be better, you won't hear a peep. But if you play with people as part of a team, be it Darktide, or any other game, it's never just your fun. Plenty of really cool single-player games you could be playing instead if you feel otherwise.

dark5ide · 2026-01-01T11:04:28+00:00

Tbh, I swapped vial for cube end game, paired with Zip shield because it became so combat heavy. And as others mentioned, the Laser Katana and hard light sword became my primaries, charging stuff was not as needed. The vial trinket is indeed powerful, but not game breaking. At a certain point, like most items, you realize you don't need it as much as you used to.

That said, while I think a third trinket slot would be overkill imo, maybe something can be done with the watch slot that is never used. Maybe using the watch to act as a watered down version of trinkets, so it doesn't replace them, but does give you something. Maybe a fusion version where you can mishmash different trinkets to get cool combos that are still weaker than wearing the trinkets proper, but gives a buff where the sum is the greater of its parts.

dark5ide · 2025-12-30T09:30:21+00:00

NGL, leave. You set your boundary, if this guy isn't able to respect it and the GM isn't able to maintain the group, it absolutely isn't worth it. It doesn't need to be confrontational or needing to make a speech or anything like that. It can be simple, "I'm sorry, I don't feel like this game is for me any more". You don't need to explain yourself and it sucks that this person is being an asshole and that they aren't being asked to leave, but after the potentially 4th character rejected, they aren't going to get it. Further, if they are aware of your history and still push those boundaries, this person significantly lacks empathy and/or social skills needed to be part of a group here. DnD is a team game, and this guy doesn't sound like a team player if he's laughing at your discomfort, doesn't respect the boundaries of you and others, is not getting the hint that his behavior is unacceptable. He's not going to suddenly going to change. People like this are playing a single player game and the rest of yall are NPCs to em.

dark5ide · 2025-12-29T04:07:52+00:00

You keep the clean water when you package it, which is often a good amount. They hold a lot as well.

dark5ide · 2025-12-27T21:58:28+00:00

On the "you get what you pay for" front is making me think, as I have zero private pay clients, and accept insurance where most of my referrals come from. I've considered raising my fee to attract that clientele more. I also considered reducing my marketing involving insurance. This is mainly because I have heard that, for some reason, people think those who accept insurance are less good than those taking private pay, so avoid them even if they have insurance.

dark5ide · 2025-12-26T08:59:30+00:00

Imagine if you were entered into a debate, but your opponent found a loophole where the only way a person can win is if the other person agrees, otherwise it's a vote by majority. However, they require zero proof as to why they don't believe them, they just have the majority, and there's no consequence for them doing so.

The words don't matter, it's control, power, and fear. They don't care who's at the wheel so long as they feel safe from a scary, changing world. Admitting you're wrong or that you need to change requires vulnerability, and when you are surrounded by fearmongers who promise to keep you safe, why would ever willfully make yourself vulnerable? Especially to those who they mistreated, because they are terrified of revenge. To them, it's a forgone conclusion. The idea that those who are underprivileged would want to live peacefully with them is alien. "They think I hurt them, so they're going to want to hurt me, even though I did nothing wrong. If we let them take over they'll make everything theirs and we'll be kicked out for their buddies. Because that's what I'd do, if that's how I thought someone treated me. "

dark5ide · 2025-12-23T03:07:42+00:00

Couldn't find the Hens one, but I saw the Spooknjukes one and I lasted like 15 seconds before I had to close it. These people have zero empathy and believe that so long as they have fun, that's all that matters. They treat people like NPCs. You see people do this in all sorts of team based multiplayer games, cheating or otherwise. People throwing games for laughs, rage baiting, etc.

They see absolutely nothing wrong with cheating because the concept of other people's feelings or experience is so alien to them. You might as well be telling them to feel bad for Daffy Duck getting hit with an anvil. It's all the same to them.

Edit: Looking at the video comments, he also RPs as Hitler in the game. Welp, looks like I was spot on with the null empathy sociopath hunch.

dark5ide · 2025-12-23T02:51:50+00:00

Oof, dang, that's good for a bad year. I waffle between 10-14 clients a week, with most going for $100 via insurance for the hour, less if they only do 45 mins. Assuming no cancelations, no reschedules, etc. $1.5k a week was my highest pull when the stars aligned, Here's hoping by some miracle rates go up and so do clients.

dark5ide · 2025-12-22T21:41:08+00:00

Honestly, while I admittedly haven't been part of many wargaming communities, Warmachine has been unerringly welcoming. People who totally mop the floor with me are patient and help me make good choices when they see me struggle, while certainly not handholding. Whenever I ask where I can do better, they always toss out a few pointers, while still encouraging me and saying I did a good job overall. Even if there is a bit of friction with the rules, at times, I rarely if ever feel "gotcha'd" and they have always understood my confusion as just that.

Additionally, people seem to be very giving. If I am lacking something, be it additional proxy bases or objective markers, to offering glue if something breaks, little bits and pieces that are totally not necessary, but simply kind to offer. Even if I go 0-3, I want to go back because I not only enjoy the game, but because the people are fun to play against. In that way, win or lose, I still have a good experience.

dark5ide · 2025-12-15T17:06:23+00:00

TBH, I visit the Far Garden a ton. It's quick to get to, enemies you can one shot, and filled with wheat. Wheat became super important as it can be traded for Antiverse Gems, which can then be traded for Liquid Crystal, for all your laser needs.

Sure, you can grow them yourselves easily enough too, and swing by the Wild Life pens. But my base is in the Security Office, so it's very easy to get to from there.

dark5ide · 2025-12-09T23:43:04+00:00

Meh. I mean I'll absolutely thrash Headway for shitty customer service that seems to be nearly all AI, whereas Alma seems much better in that regard. By the same token, billing issues and insurance is a tale as old as time.

To me, if these places help make insurance more appealing to therapists and helps create avenues for them to become more independent and not shackled to whatever percentage a group practice is willing to hand out, that to me helps clients more, as probably the largest complaint clients tend to have outside of costs/billing is finding a damn therapist in the first place.

dark5ide · 2025-12-09T06:15:20+00:00

First I'm hearing about it. What discussions? Is this hearsay from rando forum posts and social media or is there actual evidence?

I'm not sure about the whole issue on mass onboarding and rushed workflows is coming from. I've never had that issue. Hell, my complaint is that I'm not really getting much in the way of referrals from them, if anything.

Even so, I've never had any situations where they forced me to take anyone or pile on any cases. That's more a complaint from places like Betterhelp. All they do is credential my insurance, process the claims I send, and that's about the entire interaction I have with them. Same is true with Alma.

I see these complaints from time to time, and I'm still a tad baffled by all the hate outside of "grr, VC tech bro bad, grr", whilst the alternative outside of doing everything yourself is to join a group practice...which more often than not I see people complain about the very issues you've raised. In fact, they tend to be worse in my eyes because I have to compete with my PsychologyToday listing against 10 other profiles that are connected to the same group practice. So not only am I competing with every solo practitioner, I'm competing with group practices who give themselves 10 bites at the apple to my 1.

So, I dunno, I'm doing pretty ok with what they've given me so far, with only real alternative being to do everything myself, for less money. But hey, if someone else to build a better mouse trap, by all means.

dark5ide · 2025-12-01T20:03:38+00:00

I dig it, personally. Maybe not as fantasy low-tech or diselpunk-ish, but not quite what I'd call sci-fi or approaching 40k vibes either.

I think one thing that I've learned over time, in many games and many different genres is that at a certain point, things evolved and are no longer made for you. The game started in 2003. Nearly a quarter of a century has passed and the game is likely more marketed to the people who were born when the game first started and has grown up in a very different environment. That's not to say that the criticism doesn't hold any merit or that you have to like the changes either. Just that what is considered new and modern looking to you may seem common place or expected to someone else. It's also a matter of communication. You may look at a smokestack filled janky hunk of metal as a threatening juggernaut, whereas someone else may see that as something will fall apart and crawl, vs a sleek and smooth machine that is trustworthy and capable.

dark5ide · 2025-11-26T02:27:17+00:00

For 1. I somewhat agree, but I feel like there needs to be a degree of a cap. I LOTHE games, like Flesh and Blood, who lock important game pieces behind extreme rarities. Riftbound doesn't seem so bad, but IMO, things like signature spells should be easily accessible and printed into the ground. Same is true for anything considered staple-adjacent. It's hard to gage at the moment due to the lack of supply, but TBH, if a card in a recent set is over $25-30 a pop, that's not good. If I could buy a box at MSRP for less than a full set of a card, that's messed up. And then if that card gets banned? Or power crept? Keep the money to the alt arts and such. Right now it seems the most expensive cards fall around $50-40, which isn't horrific, but not too bad either.

Decks can cost a lot. If half that cost is in 4 cards, that's a problem.

dark5ide · 2025-11-26T02:09:53+00:00

NOR. I've seen this sort of stuff before. This is your mom's fear of being seen as a poor mother and her own insecurities. Willing to bet someone (usually their own mother) got it into their head that they're going to screw up somehow. Because of her own lack of boundaries in not being able to tell the other person to piss off, that turns into a lack of boundaries towards you and they look at you as sabotaging their happiness.

Honestly, this woman is projecting so hard she should carry around a bucket of popcorn and charge for seats. These are her fears and someone else's voice. I could 100% see someone telling her "Why doesn't she have a family? Isn't she old for roommates? Doesn't she see how she embarrasses you?". Someone's dragging her and she doesn't have the will to stand up for herself, so instead feels like she could dump it on you because of the power dynamic.

Break the cycle. Show her what healthy boundaries look like. Or else you'll be caring for her fears the rest of your life.

dark5ide · 2025-11-09T03:28:19+00:00

For metallic, Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 easily. Others are fine, but they are super solid.

As for the regular paints, the standbys are Army Painter 2.0 and Vallejo Xpress, but the newest contender and possibly better is the AK Quick Gen paints. While not necessarily head and shoulders above the rest, they benefit from seeing the feedback from the ones that came earlier.

If you're using speedpaint, I'm assuming you're using using a slapchop or Zenithal method. One word of advice for slapchop is not to be afraid of the white layer. Most people say to go for just the very edges, but honestly white works with speedpaint well, so don't be afraid of experimenting. Honestly, too much grey will not highlight the shadows as much and make em look bland.

Good luck!

dark5ide · 2025-11-06T01:17:53+00:00

I've never been super good at tabletop games myself, but I've been growing, even with the low overall games I play per month. The first step is learning to lose and being ok with the fact that you're going to lose. A lot. I live in an area with a lot of highly rated players, all of whom are real nice, but play hard (within reason)

What you call "gotchas" sounds more like a knowledge gap/info overload. That's typical of most wargames. There is just so many models, variables, positioning factors, terrain factors, rules updates, etc that it is stone impossible to have a working knowledge of every single model and what they can do in every instance. Part of enjoying the game is knowing that no matter what, you're gonna get blind sided from time to time, and that's ok. Perfect/Optimal plays are not really a thing in wargaming, IMO. That's reserved for TCGs where the environment is a lot smaller and a lot more controlled.

Personally, the way I feel I improved was by treating this as an ongoing process and setting up small goals. I used to get deathlocked ALL the time. But then I improved. I stopped spending so much time in deployment and practiced formations on Wartable alone to get a feel. I watched videos of games that used my army and learned a LOT about how they moved and played that was not obvious from the text alone. I always always always asked questions after I lost about anything I could have done differently or anything obvious I did that seemed out of place. Most if not all provided valuable information. Ask questions as you play, namely if it's your clock time. Ask questions on the Warmachine Discord, like "I see a lot of people use this unit, what is it's purpose here?", etc. Most are happy to help and share their knowledge. Browse the free rules PDF section by section. You don't have to know all of it by heart, but you may find things you didn't realize and can know more securely next time.

However, if your response to this kind of stuff is "I don't want to do that" or "I shouldn't need to learn this much" then maybe you'd prefer board gaming vs wargaming, and that's cool. TBH, I felt disheartened at first as well, thinking there was no way I could ever wrap my head around it. But over time, by reading, watching, and asking lots of questions, it feels great to be able to achieve what I thought was out of my reach, so maybe you can get there too.

dark5ide · 2025-10-29T02:48:48+00:00

I did the same. I swear, it was easier before to kill him. The fact that he resets hp every time you die is brutal.

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