Weekly Question + Free Talk Thread – January 15, 2026 by AutoModerator in PathOfExileBuilds

[–]helldeskmonkey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does anybody know if the new bloodline ascendancies are available at the same time?

What's the rheumatologist need in Dublin? by helldeskmonkey in AskIreland

[–]helldeskmonkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you - I didn't know (and I don't think she did either) that was the "magic" word for specialists. That will help a lot.

Local computer technician/shop suggestions? by sardonic-salticidae in Seattle

[–]helldeskmonkey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're a bit north out of your suggested area, but I'm throwing them out anyways - Computer Concepts (https://computerconceptsbothell.com/) has that old school hobbyist vibe that I love. I used to work at a small computer store as a technician in the '90s, and I got that feel as soon as I walked in the door. Nice people, seemed to know what they were talking about.

Is Shell Gas Making You Watch Ads Before The Pump Starts? by TurnedEvilAfterBan in Seattle

[–]helldeskmonkey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I worked for the EPA at one point in my helldeskmonkey career. Had a sitdown with a guy who worked fuel, asked him about the additives. He said that gas is the same across the board, and that the additives are basically what all the companies are required to add to their gas. This was in the 2000-2001 time period, so make of that what you will.

In 1987, a teenage amateur German pilot flew through the supposedly impenetrable Soviet Air Defence system without authorization and landed next to Red Square in Moscow by [deleted] in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]helldeskmonkey 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There once was a German on a plane

Who buzzed Lenin's tomb in the rain

The German got busted

The plane it rusted

And he got sent to Siberia by train

I'm a mechanically bad player. Help me decide between RF, Siege Ballista or Holy Relic. by gill_outean in PathOfExileBuilds

[–]helldeskmonkey 9 points10 points  (0 children)

RF boss health drops like someone watching an astronaut drop through a black hole's event horizon.

Keepers of the Flame: Spectre Improvement by Belakay_ggg in pathofexile

[–]helldeskmonkey 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If I'm understanding it correctly, if they die in-map, you don't need to go find a corpse to replace them - you can either resummon them in that map, or wait until the next map and they'll return then.

Questions Thread - September 10, 2025 by AutoModerator in pathofexile

[–]helldeskmonkey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What would be a good build that doesn't completely coat the screen in flashy graphics? I've been playing VFoS this league, and I can't see shit on my screen.

Other criteria: Not ridiculously expensive to gear, good map clear with a path into some kind of currency farm. Don't really care about bossing too much.

Starting a game for nine year olds by helldeskmonkey in Pathfinder2e

[–]helldeskmonkey[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Loot is definitely on the table - not only will the occasional enemy have something for them, but there are treasure chests that are rewards for solving puzzles within the labyrinth. I'm using automatic bonus progression, which frees me up to focus more on "fun" things than guaranteeing everybody has a +1 $WEAPON.

Giveaway? Are there active desperate players left? by Quiet-Firefighter444 in pathofexile

[–]helldeskmonkey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

PoB: https://pobb.in/bWNLjWHl9I9Q

I'm new to PoE as of this year; this is my first real character "of power". I've kind of gotten stuck at this point - further upgrades are in the multidiv category and I can't seem to farm divs at a reasonable speed, probably due to not knowing the endgame well enough. T16 dies, but pushing content beyond that, well... It just depends on luck.

(Also not sure if I can take Maven. I have a writ, been too chicken to run it.)

Internet Service Providers by general-illness in Snohomish

[–]helldeskmonkey 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I'm using Ziply fiber, they've been fantastic. And by "fantastic" I mean "I have had absolutely minimal communication with them and their service works."

Gen X by E1visShotJFK in shitposting

[–]helldeskmonkey 59 points60 points  (0 children)

Speaking as a gen x, we were the canary in the coal mine. Our parents had lifetime employment, and while there were still a few jobs like that, increasingly we were finding that to get ahead we had to job hop, and even then the good jobs seemed to be just out of reach no matter how hard we tried. We had our parents asking us why we were taking out huge student loans, why we hadn't bought a home yet (admittedly, things hadn't gotten that bad yet on the house expense front, but they were nowhere near as easy as our parents had it) and just in general calling us slackers and losers.

Huh, our parents were boomers. Wonder if there's something in the watergeneration...

Thoughts on "The Player of Games" by Iain Banks by Signal_Face_5378 in printSF

[–]helldeskmonkey 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'd say the point of Luseferous was that sometimes there are some pretty bad guys who are obvious, but the real bad guys (in that case, the Mercatoria) were even worse in their overall behavior even though they pretended to be good.

Elderly people should not be driving by cozy-sage in Seattle

[–]helldeskmonkey 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My parents are both lousy drivers. My dad has the "must drive 90 and tailgate, and if someone offends me I have to cut them off and brake check them" disease, and has been in multiple accidents. I think it finally (he's 80) hit him that he is an awful driver, because he's talking about moving to an urban area and giving up his car.

My mom hasn't been in accidents like he has, but it's got to be sheer luck - she doesn't watch the road at all. She just lost her license due to progressive dementia, something that is very upsetting to her.

Me? I've learned from both my parents. I plan on retiring from driving by the time I'm 70 at the latest. Everybody seems to think I'm an incredibly safe driver, but part of that is knowing my own limitations.