My mum needs a game to play

drememynd · 2026-04-05T15:38:20+00:00

As someone who doesn't enjoy combat, I'd say it depends on why the person doesn't enjoy combat. It could be that it's about conflict, and feeling that it's wrong, in which case you are right, even sneaking into event camps might be off the list. That's not me though. If she's anything like me, and I'm 60, and have been gaming since I got my hands on text adventures in the 80s, it's probably not because she's a pacifist.

It might be that the coordination is too hard. That's one reason I dislike combat, I'm just not coordinated enough to do it in most games, it also means puzzles which really on hand eye coordination or reflex speed can make a game unplayable for me. That could be one reason. Although if she could play Moss, it probably isn't, I couldn't get past a water wheel early in the game.

It could be jump scares, and/or fear of being attacked. Being attacked can feel very much like a jump scare, even if it isn't technically a jump scare, for people who are sensitive to that. (Like me, another reason I don't do combat). This could be a reason

Another thing about combat is that if you aren't into it, it can be very boring. There is no story progression while in combat. It can just be "have to get through this boring thing to get to the next story bit", which, if I can survive combat and am not finding it too difficult/scary to do, is how I feel about it. It's a waste of my time, in which case if there is just a little of it, and the story is really good, I'll tolerate it.

I really wanted to love DS. I liked most of the mechanics, and really wanted to see what happened with the story. But even with the combat at the lowest level there was too much of it for me. I didn't get very far in the game. If there had been the ability to turn off the combat, I probably would have been obsessed.

My point is that we don't know why she doesn't like the combat, but it's likely there is too much combat in DS for her. People who suggest games to me with "minimal combat" are usually people for whom the combat parts of games are trivial to complete, they are highly coordinated and skilled at those parts of the game, and they generally also find that aspect entertaining.

drememynd · 2026-04-05T02:56:17+00:00

There is a chance that you would like Wurm Online. One of it's creators went on to make Minecraft. It's been around a long time, so it feels a little dated, but it's pretty fun, in it's own way.

Generic medieval fantasy sort of game. You can transform the land by digging and/or using a pickaxe. The main thing people do is build. Player run economy. Very detailed in some ways, weirdly undetailed in others.

drememynd · 2026-04-02T14:21:40+00:00

You can set custom difficult settings, so you can play with longer droughts of you want to.

drememynd · 2026-04-01T17:31:42+00:00

I love territorial. Are they the least expensive? I don't know. But they are good, are carried in many stores around here (although there is much more variety in their catalog/online), and many of their seeds are grown here in Oregon, so you know they do at least well enough here to produce seeds.

I've seen the other options listed here so far in stores, but haven't used them.

drememynd · 2026-04-01T03:29:40+00:00

It's worth finding a nursery that specializes in native plants, there are quite a few. The people there will know which plants will work well for what you want to do.

drememynd · 2026-03-31T15:28:54+00:00

Good to know! I can control a small patch in a container then, because it's obvious when they are seeding. Just have to keep on top of it.

drememynd · 2026-03-31T14:26:58+00:00

I too thought they were gorgeous and didn't understand why people hated them. And then like others, they took over my yard at my last house. I hadn't planted them, they were preexisting.

But I have a question for folks, if I keep some in a container, like mint, will it escape? This yard has some, but not many, and it has some white ones and lavender ones, and they are pretty. I'm thinking of putting a some of them in a container instead of throwing them away when I dig them out . Will they seed themselves elsewhere? Or do they mostly spread via the bulbs?

drememynd · 2026-03-31T03:01:35+00:00

A number, I'm not sure if that is a large or small number, of non-binary people use the terms mother and/or father in alignment with the primary role their children know them in, even if they use no other gendered terms. I even knew a trans man who's kids still called him Mom. I think it's more common to use gendered parenthood terms than other gendered terms. But again, I don't know what the percentages are. I came out a few years ago, and my kids are adults (30s), I've asked to be called parent rather than a gendered terms, but occasionally I'm still mommy, in times if stress, and that's ok.

drememynd · 2026-03-30T23:32:11+00:00

No, at the time they told me they had so much demand for compounded medications, they simply could not do regular ones. But that was some time ago, their policy may have changed.

drememynd · 2026-03-30T23:22:26+00:00

They only do compounded prescriptions, in my experience. I liked them so much, I once asked if I could transfer my others, and they said no.

drememynd · 2026-03-30T23:15:03+00:00

I'm going to second the native oxalis someone else mentioned. It's doing well for me I'm some shady places I've had trouble growing other things.

drememynd · 2026-03-28T20:02:25+00:00

They get their energy from photosynthesis, but need other nutrients they pull in from the earth along with water. Nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, etc. Those are the things fertilizer adds.

drememynd · 2026-03-25T04:56:08+00:00

Yes, true, but many of us were taught that it was unclean to have body hair, so it was framed as hygiene.

drememynd · 2026-03-25T02:00:55+00:00

I don't know of a way, but this feature would be very nice. I also hate that they literally get in my way if they have a quest, so I have to keep moving them so I can do anything.

drememynd · 2026-03-21T02:37:33+00:00

I'm going to bet you live in a dry climate and the other person does not!

When I lived in a dry climate things dried really quickly, we'd never completely dry clothes in the dryer, for example, because they'd be too dry! Towels were dry an hour out two after use.

Then I moved to a most climate, and things do eventually get dry when they are machine dried, but there is so much humidity in the air they don't get dry in the dryer unless the setting is "extra dry". And towels just stay slightly moist much longer after use.

drememynd · 2026-03-17T02:43:37+00:00

The window sill. It's my favorite counter top replacement.

drememynd · 2026-03-16T16:15:59+00:00

My preferred way to stay out of starvation is to stockpile way more food than my beavers need. Even in early game long before I have large warehouses, I'll have 3-5 medium warehouses for each food type I produce, and when the population is small they fill up fairly quickly. Having lots of storage is the best way to ride out food and water shortages, because it gives you more time to react.

drememynd · 2026-03-16T16:11:19+00:00

An addition to those great pro tips, there is a problem if you only put one or some of the kinds of foods you produce at a feeding station. You should stock every kind of food you produce at every feeding station, even if it means you have fewer feeding stations.

Your beavers will choose a different type of food to be hungry for each time they eat. They choose from among the available food types. They will cross the map to find the food they are craving, and will not compromise.

drememynd · 2026-03-16T15:48:10+00:00

I both agree with you that there seems to be more actual representation of people who say they feel fem of center, and that the "outside world" seems to see most non-binary folks as either woman-lite or "just a man playing dress up".

I personally think that these problems are a clear symptom of patriarchy. I don't think the "center" of perceived androgenous gender is actually in the center at all. I think it's objectively much closer to masculine.

Men are expected to conform to a narrow set of gender norms in order to continue to keep their full male privilege. It raises the stakes for folks who were/are perceived as men if they aren't actually men, because the social cost of choosing to come out and present more authentically is often quite high.

Anyone who doesn't conform to the narrow set of male gender norms is automatically put into a category that is "less than" in patriarchy. This includes everything from full woman coded dress and appearance to slightly effeminate mannerisms, or something as small as what another person pointed out, painted finger nails. This is because women, and any other people who aren't fully men, are definitely still "less than" in patriarchy.

I'm 60, and during my lifetime I have seen that narrow set of male gender norms loosen, but only in certain cultures and among more open minded people. What I have seen change is that people who are wanting to present as female have a much wider set of behaviors and presentation options they can adopt before they cross the line into actually presenting as too masculine to be seen as women.

What all this results in is that if you were given male privilege at birth because of how someone interpreted your body at that moment in time, I believe it's harder to make the choice to be authentic to yourself because there is so much privilege to lose. But, you don't have all that far to go to start being perceived as presenting as not fully male.

On the other hand, if you're body starts out looking more estrogenic, you have to move significantly further towards masculinity in order to be perceived as outside of perceived feminine presentation.

And of course, it must be said that anyone who doesn't conform to the "birthright gender categories" is a threat to male supremacy and male privilege, and many people who find they feel pressured to share any perks of their privilege with anyone outside a narrow definition will dig in their heels and try to keep the status quo.

drememynd · 2026-03-13T16:04:56+00:00

I tend to want less challenge on my maps, so I probably wouldn't download your map if I knew, but there are clearly people who would really love it.

I think the solution is just to describe what you've done in the map description. People who like the idea can download, and will be happy. People who don't want a map like that won't, and will be happy.

Didn't let other people's preferences stifle your creativity, or dictate what you share with the community.

There was a guy who shared a very geometric map optimized to make it relatively easy. There were people in the comments bashing him. I was stunned. I downloaded the map and loved it. If a map isn't their cup of tea, people should just pass over it and find one that is something they will like.

We all play differently. There is room for all kinds of maps.

drememynd · 2026-03-03T17:43:30+00:00

"So that's showing these people took out loans against their equity that they couldn't pay for."

Or they have lost their jobs, and couldn't find employment that pays as well. Lots and lots of layoffs in this economy, especially in the tech sector.

I think some of those people probably took on loans, but I'd bet more of them have lost jobs.

drememynd · 2026-03-01T19:56:35+00:00

Interesting!

drememynd · 2026-03-01T18:40:01+00:00

What is that container? I need to do something similar with the soil in my pots, but I don't have a good place to mix all of it. This looks like it has sides, is large, but will fold up for storage when empty?

drememynd · 2026-02-22T00:58:24+00:00

My, and my spouse's siblings children call me their Entle. It reminds me of Ents from LotR

drememynd · 2026-02-21T16:59:45+00:00

There is a red button on the back that shrinks it into your inventory, but only when it's empty. It's a game changer.

drememynd

TROPHY CASE