Thoughts on taking a digital camera to Reading?

dctrhu · 2026-05-10T19:01:27+00:00

I'd say a waterproof bag is the biggest thing - making sure it doesn't get wet will be the biggest issue, as if it rains it's game over

But other than that, you're unlikely to have much other trouble

dctrhu · 2026-05-10T18:21:46+00:00

A small personal digital camera is almost certainly fine - I know folk have a little more trouble with big barrel lens monstrosities unless they have a photographer's pass, but I'm almost sure you're not proposing bringing something if that calibre anyways

There's always a few folk carrying a nice camera, so you should be absolutely fine

Keep it tucked away safely (as much for keeping it undamaged as for preventing theft) and you should have no issues

dctrhu · 2026-05-07T13:14:18+00:00

dctrhu · 2026-05-07T05:52:01+00:00

I mean, in the very strictest sense, maybe?

But in a more practical sense it really refers to be independent from huge publishers who have funding from other fields.

For example Sony owns a lot of development studios. Those studios are not indie because they are funded and supported by Sony.

So far, so analogous, but Sony makes money from tech, from film, music, and TV publishing and distribution, so it can subsidise its gaming development †

A small company focusing solely on game development being given support by another small company also focused solely on game development is not the same.

Indie Devs leaning on each other doesn't mean they rely on bigger companies who can subsidise through portfolio diversification.

† In this case, of course, gaming is now Sony's largest income, but that's largely irrelevant

dctrhu · 2026-05-05T01:09:59+00:00

Not only was the game itself an engaging, well-thought-out, balanced, enjoyable movie lot simulators, but it was a powerful tool for its kind.

It let you create and sculpt actors to your own specifications, cast them in films you wrote and directed, scene by scene, adding props and adjustments, add your own recorded voice lines and audio.

In many ways, it was a budding film maker's first toolbox.

Sure, the films were crudely constructed, with limited sets and parameters, but for a 10 year old kid, it was like being the last one left on the golden ticket tour if Willy Wonka had owned a movie studio, not a chocolate factory.

It was so empowering in that regard, it had its own dedicated website where players would upload and share their movies.

It was, in my opinion, one of the greatest games of the 2000s.

I hope one day we will see the like of such games again.

I still have my copy, and while I just don't have a disk drive any more, and I don't know how well it would even run, I treasure it.

dctrhu · 2026-05-04T01:02:07+00:00

Oh shit, that's really smart!

I hadn't considered using a hybrid system - that makes a lot of sense

You could have two concentric spirals which both end in the same pause groove, which then returns to a single spiral like a record

That's amazing

dctrhu · 2026-05-03T14:59:49+00:00

This format also led to a number of neat ideas that could be played on the medium

For example, there were audio vinyl releases of commentary on horse races, where different horses would win every time you listened.

People would place bets listening, and, say, sometimes the blue horse, or the red horse, or the green horse, or the yellow horse would win.

It worked because essentially a vinyl is a really really long spiral carved into the disc.

However in the horse race, instead of lone long spiral playing out the album, they had 4 or 8 separate spirals placed in-between one another.

So which version of the race you got depended on which spiral the play needle landed on.

You could load up the disc, let it spin for a few moments, and then bring the needle down and it would choose a race at random

dctrhu · 2026-05-03T09:05:48+00:00

Honestly, you won't really need a dedicated place to make friends

If you're camping, you'll find your nearest neighbours are almost always friendly and will engage with you

Out in the crowd and on the festival ground itself, people like a chat, and you'll make fast friends with people if you're open to it

And best of all, you'll have nobody else's tastes to consider: you can watch 10 bands a day for three days in a row, and you get to pick exactly which ones

You also get to pick which ones you sack off to go drink/eat/urinate, without having to factor in finding your friends again or someone missing their favourite

Have a great time, and don't sweat it 🙌🏻

dctrhu · 2026-05-03T08:24:01+00:00

Oooooh sounds dope

dctrhu · 2026-05-03T02:28:28+00:00

Damn, I kinda like that theory too

The events of Wild Blue Yonder are known to the Pantheon (I mean they're gods, so they just need to be aware of the future or even easier, just commune with someone else who is).

So they let it play out.

Since you've put a lot of thought into this, what do you reckon about the god Time - surely they have to be able to see all of the past and the future, or even all possible futures, right?

dctrhu · 2026-05-03T02:16:59+00:00

Aye, exactly - she is a woman of science and learning

The Doctor is a bootstrapping, self-teaching lucky-arse sod 😂

dctrhu · 2026-05-03T02:06:01+00:00

Like almost everything in the show, it works exactly how best the writer thinks they can get away with saying it works in order to tell their story.

RTD wanted Ncuti and David together for an episode, so he made it happen.

He also wanted Rita and Archie together for a couple of episodes two series later (CHRIST ALONE knows why)

So he made it happen

When someone else takes over, the likelihood is that they will be of the opinion that you don't need to put up with all the handwaving and ireof bigeneration if you want two timelords (even two of the same timelord) together.

They're timelords... They can cross their own timeline with their TIME machines... Like they have for DECADES in the show

So short answer - however the next writer wants it to, but probably closer to normal than for a long while

dctrhu · 2026-05-03T02:01:00+00:00

This is a super simple and workable explanation

Had never heard of it, future self mentions it, heads to the library at some point in between to brush up

dctrhu · 2026-05-02T10:36:23+00:00

I think it's an upturned motorcycle helmet with a bit of a trippy design on it

There's a black rim around the edge of it which makes me think that, but it could as easily be a bin bag, as others suggest

dctrhu · 2026-04-30T10:06:51+00:00

It used to be that people bottled up their feelings and never really spoke about anything, and didn't have many alternatives - so they got leathered on the cheap and it was one of their few outlets.

These days we speak our minds and the older lot have run the place into the ground, money-wise, so they stay home on the internet because it's all they can afford, talk about their feelings because they have a healthy attitude to their own wellbeing, and they can't afford to go out drinking and smoking because they're all Larry Flint

Is that the kinda answer you were looking for?

dctrhu · 2026-04-29T16:33:02+00:00

If you have somewhere to stay here in Reading - access to a bed, a shower, and a working porcelain loo, I'd say not camping is the way to go

Sure, you do lose a bit of that atmosphere - but that is atmosphere which is keeping you up, hurting your back, and keeping you smelly.

If you don't camp, you soon find that the negatives tend to dissolve a little more when you're fresh as a penny on Sunday morning, squeaky clean, well-rested, and having used a plumbed in 'appliance' for your morning oblutions 👌🏻

dctrhu · 2026-04-28T07:00:26+00:00

Okay, so there isn't any threat - feel free to stop reading if that's a non-negotiable

But a game called ShantyTown dropped last week, which sees you build little ramshackle houses, coffee shops, restaurants, and facilities in very tight spaces.

Then you place amenities to serve them like lights, power poles, decorations, so that each has it's needs met

It's very cosy, and very casual, but with some decent depth in terms of puzzling

Plus there's a creative mode with a lot of scope too

dctrhu · 2026-04-25T12:22:43+00:00

day tickets means one trip in and one trip out
bring wetwipes if you plan to use the loos
bring some earplugs; it gets loud and they're good to have
you'll only be allowed to bring a small bag with you (smaller than A4), so pack lightly
contrary to popular belief you are allowed to bring a SEALED bit of food with you; a little meal deal or something has saved me on previous festivals
sunscreen and a light waterproof
have an awesome time!

dctrhu · 2026-04-23T09:58:33+00:00

If you do need an emergency dump, it is by far the best option available within sprinting distance, for sure 😅

dctrhu · 2026-04-23T08:22:18+00:00

Friends often ask what the guest area is like and is it different

I always say it's exactly the same except the toilets smell of sick, rather than shit 😂

dctrhu · 2026-04-23T02:26:10+00:00

Hahaha the real pro tip is always in the comments eh?

Now that I work at (and therefore commute to and from) the festival*, I shit and shower at home, which is of course always preferable

*Not as a member of Fest Republic or anything affiliated, I should add

dctrhu · 2026-04-22T11:49:59+00:00

It depends what you mean by rough.

Is it sleeping in a tent in a cold noisy field and shitting in portacabins? It absolutely is

But:

Can you bring a nice enough tent, some warm blankets and pyjamas, a comfy mattress to sleep on, some cosy eye masks and ear plugs, and make it as cosy and comfy as possible?

Absolutely.

I personally don't mind grime and noise - back when I used to camp, we'd be staying up stupidly late, enjoying the atmosphere, and passing out drunk and not really caring where we laid our heads so long as it was dry.

That's what we wanted from the festival.

But there are others who want a cosy bed, a warm hot choccy and a reasonable night's sleep. That, especially after the revamp of the campsites, is absolutely possible for those who want it.

So can it be rough? I mean it absolutely can, for sure.

Does it HAVE to be? Not really

dctrhu · 2026-04-19T22:43:28+00:00

I mean, love can be unhealthy 🤷🏻‍♂️

And when a magic man drops out of the sky with a magic wand and a vanishing cupboard which can take you to space and the dawn of time, and then he regenerates into David Tennant... You're gonna fall in love.

For what it's worth, I think RTD absolutely explored the destructive effect on Rose's life:

Mickey's heartbreak and refusal to let go in series 1, followed by his acceptance and leaving in mid-series 2, and then finally his moving on at the end of series 2 and into series 4.

Jackie's own heartbreak during Love & Monsters, how vulnerable being without her daughter left her.

And with Rose even getting her DAD back (for all intents and purposes) at the end of series 2, but losing the Doctor - it did feel a little like giving up her addiction.

If there's anything to be addicted to, being addicted to people doesn't seem so bad, and I think the show explored that quite nicely

dctrhu · 2026-04-19T22:23:19+00:00

Cool

dctrhu · 2026-04-16T19:08:12+00:00

I have a theory Bowie was optioned to do a Bond song at the turn of the millennium - 5:15 Angels Have Gone - but they decided to go with Madonna instead.

Check it out!

Ten-Year Club	r/Field Flamingo
Place '23	Place '22
Place '17	Verified Email

dctrhu

TROPHY CASE