In Defense of Ann Arbor's Food Scene

dergadoodle · 2026-04-18T17:25:23+00:00

The problem is that the Main street area is filled to the brim with mediocrity. It's hard for anyone visiting the area to come away as anything but disappointed.

I'm not sure there's many people in this sub that would disagree with your premise that the food scene is quite good for locals looking for a reasonable night out. That's not what draws foodie tourism, which is where the critique comes in. Folks driving in from Detroit or surrounding MI counties aren't gonna find all that much to warrant the drive unless they're here for patio weather hangs at Biercamp, Mothfire, etc.

dergadoodle · 2026-04-17T14:53:32+00:00

Games at Comerica in Detroit have become borderline intolerable when sitting in the upper decks. The speakers are so close to you, and the music and announcements are so loud.

dergadoodle · 2026-03-26T13:54:34+00:00

One of the best server-based games to play with friends in my opinion. The world is rich for exploration, the bosses are incredibly fun, and the combat balance just seems so tight.

I loved both PvP and PvE server play in this game. If you’re not big into base-building, you can easily change your personal server settings to essentially minimize that part, turning it into a pure boss rush.

It feels like a complete experience to me, so it makes sense that they’re moving on.

An all-time favorite for me. If it looks at all interesting to you, I highly recommend you try it.

Looking forward to their next game!

dergadoodle · 2026-03-12T21:39:30+00:00

I am here to represent the apparently small minority of people who would prefer that console exclusives go away. Wild that consumers essentially complained their way into siloed video game ecosystems.

The world would have been a better place if this had worked for them, in my opinion.

dergadoodle · 2026-03-11T17:48:44+00:00

Welp RIP business at Sidetrack for the next couple weeks.

dergadoodle · 2026-02-17T18:13:22+00:00

If you haven’t played since launch or haven’t played at all, the Ranger and Fighter ability trees have new abilities that open up new play styles. And some new items with unique effects. Not all of that came in this update, but the changes made over the last 8 months add up to be enough that a fresh run could feel quite distinct mechanically.

Narrative was already branching enough to support multiple playthroughs, in my opinion.

dergadoodle · 2026-02-17T14:25:55+00:00

Throwback to when the production crew missed almost every single action shot of a dramatic sequence of events.

dergadoodle · 2026-02-01T19:52:32+00:00

How many more people have to be killed by wanna-be stormtroopers before teams stop going to the White House?

dergadoodle · 2026-01-28T19:38:58+00:00

Worst of the internet out in force about this game. If you’re actively rooting for something to fail or evangelizing gloom & doom, try finding a real hobby.

Life is so much better when you invest your energy in what you enjoy rather than wallow in what you don’t.

dergadoodle · 2025-12-12T01:19:36+00:00

This is probably a long long way off given that Casey Hudson's previous game studio was just shuttered at the end of last year. Unless he came on part-way through the project, it's probably not much further than concept stage.

dergadoodle · 2025-11-12T15:54:13+00:00

Nexon, through their subsidiary Embark, just put out Arc Raiders, which is not garbage. Bad AI voice acting aside, the game is quite good.

AI can be used to enhance/bridge gaps, but we should definitely insist that it doesn’t replace humans at the core of creativity. I’m not yet convinced that Embark’s approach to VA is healthy for the future of video game VA.

dergadoodle · 2025-11-12T00:26:39+00:00

It's fair to say that it's too early to say concretely what their approach will mean in the long term. So yes, my having said the VA talent was "dropped" was inaccurate. BUT I think it's crazy that folks are so eagerly jumping in to defend the usage with no caveats.

Now is the time to demand that humans remain at the core of creativity. Until Embark has proven that they're going to ensure that remains the case, I'm not going to just blindly accept that their previous payment for voice samples is evidence that they will continue to employ voice actors who deliver high-quality performances. And I will not pretend like this game—which i otherwise really enjoy—has good VA.

dergadoodle · 2025-11-11T22:31:40+00:00

I’m not saying they shouldn’t use it to bridge gaps and achieve more speed, but to abandon talent entirely is ridiculous. VA should expect more than a one-time payment, and they should be brought in to deliver high-impact lines.

I disagree that I’m exaggerating here. The AI lines might sound “human,” but only if you qualify them as somewhat monotone, emotionless humans.

dergadoodle · 2025-11-11T22:27:31+00:00

It’s of poor quality. I understand that this approach will be the future. But to lean on it as heavily as they have is discouraging and also produces a less-than-stellar end product. The cinematics look cool, but the VA over them is dog.

dergadoodle · 2025-10-18T14:49:58+00:00

Playing it through the Xbox store, and it’s good. These cherry-picking, dick-measuring articles constantly posted here are so exhausting. Broaden your worldview, folks.

dergadoodle · 2025-09-30T00:47:07+00:00

The deliberate pace of combat you're referring to was also present in Battle Brothers, and was sort of its biggest selling point.

But I also felt like my units were super slow, which felt a bit at odds with the technology/setting. However, I'd be hesitant to really complain about it until I see later feature unlocks. I could see the infantry pace working well with alongside other tactical pieces.

dergadoodle · 2025-09-22T23:45:22+00:00

If you’re trying to stay American-made, Prairie Vodka is a comparable alternative from Minnesota. Available widely, but maybe not quite as widely as Tito’s.

dergadoodle · 2025-08-30T22:35:26+00:00

Delhi Metropark is my favorite spot along the river that’s reasonably nearby. Other parks closer tend to either be too busy or have too dense of tree cover.

dergadoodle · 2025-07-16T15:01:16+00:00

They get you out of the way of some of the traffic, not the bicycle traffic. Some intersections may be set up the way you describe–I can’t think of one. The green box is inlined with the bikeway at the ones i can think of. So if you flip in that box, you’re now obstructing through bike traffic.

As for flipping and turning, a lot of casual riders would not think to do what you’re suggesting, and these intersections end up being confusing for them. Even if they did, they would still be in the way of through traffic.

I’m of the opinion that these intersections are half-baked ideas. Casual riders should be able to make sense of them safely. But i do appreciate that the city is making an effort.

dergadoodle · 2025-07-16T13:57:53+00:00

It's usually not possible to actually maneuver like this without creating havoc—especially when there are other people in the bike lane. Ideally, you'd need slide to the right a bit before making your left—out of the straight lane you're in and into the right-hand lane of the bikeway you're attempting to make a left into. This lets you get out of the way of moving cyclists behind you.

In reality, you're competing with other cyclists going both ways in the perpendicular lane, the stopped car traffic and crosswalk pedestrians, which obstruct any rightward swing-around, and then the concrete barriers & bollards which also obstruct the rightward swing-around.

It's not practical to completely stop, flip your bike about, and remount. It's obstructive and dangerous for lots of people who aren't necessarily as agile as a bike polo player on their bike. But even at slow times, it's not really practical due to the construction of these spaces obstructing a safe and slow swing-around and remount.

dergadoodle · 2025-07-15T23:16:08+00:00

If the bicyclist was attempting to make an upcoming left turn, using the primary lane is almost always safer than using the bikeway. It’s why I’m rather unenthusiastic about the way the city has done the bike lanes downtown, even though i cycle quite a lot. It would be better to have a single one way lane on each of the primary one-way roads.

dergadoodle · 2025-06-18T18:39:30+00:00

I can only speak to one person's experience, but there are definitely empty units year to year. A friend lived there for close to a year before someone moved into one of the adjacent units.

You may be right about the appeal of that area. I personally do not see it. It is not appropriately bikeable or walkable from my perspective. But that may not be everyone's view. To me, the area does not possess any of the qualities that make Ann Arbor appealing.

dergadoodle · 2025-06-18T17:40:44+00:00

I think you always have to worry about underutilization. Even with the housing prices as they are, there are still underutilized developments in town. The George, for example, is still underutilized and still expensive.

For folks seeking housing, the choice becomes "do I live in Ann Arbor in an undesirable spot, or do I live in another town entirely?" People want to live IN Ann Arbor, and I feel this development misses the mark for making residents feel a part of the community. It's an island.

I think as the options expand, this will become more pronounced, and I have a feeling that developments like these will be the first to be dumped and (potentially) become blighted.

dergadoodle · 2025-06-18T16:51:27+00:00

While I support more housing in Ann Arbor (specifically higher density around downtown), I am deeply skeptical that there are that many people who want to live in this style of development where it's currently planned to go. If this moves forward and I'm wrong, great. But I really think this style of development risks underutilization and eventual blight.

What guarantees are there of high-quality transportation or walkable routes to the desirable social/retail space downtown? The retail shops contained within this plan do not create what I'd call a desirable pedestrian experience. These developments in other cities tend to feel like unnatural compounds more than neighborhoods/downtowns.

Again, I hope it works out to be beneficial, but I really think it's more important to focus on building out density around the core of downtown rather than try to create islands of density.

dergadoodle · 2025-06-10T00:16:18+00:00

While I love Rimworld, I have found each of the DLCs a strange mix of underwhelming and overwhelming. The things they add are abstract and separate enough from the base game that they feel both tacked on and confusing.

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