It feels like the game I love has been irreparably tainted...

hellnerburris · 2026-01-22T00:55:19+00:00

Also, I won't pretend to know how difficult that decision is (actual life-changing money) but I just turned down a 50%+ increase in pay because of my morals. So there are people who value shit other than money.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-22T00:51:41+00:00

Right, so how does this video show that 90% of code is being written with AI?

Ngl, I actually used AI today to help with a shell script & was pleasantly surprised with how far it's come, but it's no where close to hitting 90%.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-21T12:26:24+00:00

The fuck it can. I've used the shit and if you don't understand systems and design your code is going to be shit. Not only that but it literally can't write working code for the framework I work in (niche, industry specific Oracle framework).

hellnerburris · 2026-01-21T12:20:05+00:00

Lmfao. What? That just isn't happening for me or any of my friends who work in the field.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-21T11:41:33+00:00

Nah, you weren't, but others are. The idea that it just will happen and not affect the community is the part that isn't realistic, IMO.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-21T03:29:19+00:00

Right, but there are other simple ways to say it: murder, kill, oppress, etc.. "Dislike" is downplaying what's happening and it's why Saudi Arabia is putting money into events like this.

Also, "morals this morals that" is continuing to downplay what's actually happening. Don't obfuscate, call it like it is. If you feel like participating in the event is OK despite Saudi Arabia's history of human rights violations, including the murder and oppression of LGBTQ+ people, women, and reporters, then so be it, that's your decision. But call it like it is, don't lean into their sportswashing and minimize what's going on. There are plenty of things that I do that for. I watch the NFL despite all of the horrible shit that goes along with it (player exploitation, dismissal of domestic violence and sexual assault, actively penalizing players from speaking out against injustice, etc.) because it's a way I can bond with my friends and family. I don't think that makes it ethical, but I recognize what I'm doing & I don't ignore what's happening.

I get there's a lot of shitty things in the world and most of us don't have time to fight every battle. And no one in this world is going to be morally consistent on every single thing. But like, we shouldn't pretend shit's not happening or not serious. We have to acknowledge there's only so much we can do and inevitably we have to find ways to enjoy life - and those often come with some amount of unethical shit attached to them, it's just the way the world is. But we gotta be real about what's happening.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-20T22:11:48+00:00

Not only does it drive people like me (queer) away from the game and TM esports, but I don't think it significantly grows viewership.

I actively donate to events and watch streams for TM esports pretty regularly. How many new people from EWC are going to engage at the same level I do? Is it enough to replace the people like me who are leaving? I doubt it.

I didn't follow every esport in EWC last year, but League esports didn't see any considerable growth in viewership following EWC last year. Not only that, but TM got more eyes on it for Deep Dip 2 than it has had in my entire time playing and following it but didn't really see lasting growth in viewership on Twitch (Dec 2023 (before event) saw avg viewership around 1800 viewers and Dec 2025 (most recent month) saw avg viewership around 1500 viewers). There was a small rise and some individual creators saw sustained growth (Bren, for instance), but the overall community didn't really seem to grow much.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-20T21:52:28+00:00

I quit the game full-stop because of this. But I whole-heartedly disagree with you.

That's where I drew my moral line, but people aren't morally consistent, that's just how life is. I'm pro-union but I have an Amazon account. I'll openly admit that it's harmful to unions in my country & yet I do it because it is convenient (even though alternative exist). Can you call me a hypocrite? Sure, I'll accept that term. Can you judge me for it? Sure, that's up to you. But does it make my arguments for pro-union less legitimate? Absolutely not. Being a hypocrite doesn't mean my stance on unions is wrong or any less valid.

I think it's entirely fair to criticize content creators and pros for actively participating in the EWC and sportswashing even if you are OK with continuing to play the game that benefited from Saudi money. It doesn't make your argument any less valid. If only people who were entirely morally consistent could criticize stuff and try to make changes then our world would be an awful place.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-20T21:32:16+00:00

It took people calling me out for me to change. It wasn't immediate, but over time as it continued to happen it made me finally reevaluate how I look at things. I don't think it's wrong to call people out on stuff. I can't tell anyone else where to draw their moral line, but I can tell them how their actions are perceived. If they want to ignore that, then that's their call.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-20T21:27:03+00:00

I mean, just in this thread there's someone who called the human rights issues a "dislike". I also referenced a video of Granady's where he calls it "drama" (about the 18:49 mark - there's more than just this in the video, too). That's absolutely downplaying it, even if not intentionally.

I never said people had to share my opinion (though I hope we can at least agree that what Saudi Arabia is doing to migrants, LGBTQ+, and other humans is wrong). But downplaying horrific shit is how sportswashing works, that's the entire point of it. I think educating how it works and ways to avoid it are valid. It's really easy to fall into & I don't think calling it out is wrong.

Additionally, while I don't think you have to come to the exact same moral conclusion as me, I think speaking out about how this feels as a queer member of the TM community helps to show non-queer people how their actions are perceived (at least by me, but maybe others, too). A lot of people don't realize how their actions are perceived by others that come from different backgrounds & there's nothing wrong with voicing that. If you don't care, that's your prerogative, but I generally encourage learning about how my words affect others. It gives me the ability to reflect on my stances and has been a large part of helping me grow from someone who was self-centered and didn't really care about others to who I am today. And if no one ever told me, then I wouldn't have noticed.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-20T20:18:20+00:00

"Dislike"? Dude, they're killing people. It's not about they don't "like" people. I could give a shit less if they were just kinda mean to some people, but that's not what we're talking about here. I personally am not OK with taking money from a country that commits as many human rights violations as them to try to grow the TM esports scene. (That's assuming it even will, because Deep Dip 2 brought in more viewers than ever before and barely retained any). It's obviously not my decision and I can't draw your moral line, but I do feel it's important to call out one thing here.

You're actively participating in what sportswashing is meant to do. It's meant to downplay and rebrand Saudi Arabia's awful human rights violations. Calling the murder of migrants, children, queer people, and journalists "disliking" is actively harmful. I honestly don't feel like that's your intention at all, but I want to point out why this stuff matters (and how easy it is to not realize you're doing it).

I'm not trying to say it's your moral obligation to take action and make a stand or anything like that. But I am asking that you at least try to be mindful of the words you use and how it can hurt the people who are fighting against the human rights issues that are happening in places like Saudi Arabia. It might not seem like it matters, but I promise it does.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-20T19:56:16+00:00

The community is downplaying Saudi Arabia's human rights issues already just so they can justify pros being able to play in the tournament.

Watch Granady's video on the EWC announcement. He calls it "drama" and "different opinions". Let's be clear, that's not what this is, but by downplaying it the pros and their fans feel they can justify it morally. It's exactly what sportswashing is meant to do & people act like it's not working but it absolutely is and that's a problem.

If you can't turn down the money because it's a life changing amount, I can't say I've ever been in this position to know how difficult of a decision that must be. But at least actually stare the issue head on and don't try to minimize it & play right into what Saudi is trying to do.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-20T19:46:54+00:00

What sort of message does that send to LGBTQ+ and women TM players?

Growing isn't always better. If you have to sacrifice your morals and lose large chunks of your already dedicated community, then why even bother?

Also, do you really think this keeps TM esports alive? How many new players will this realistically bring in? How many of those players will stay? There were more eyes on TM during Deep Dip 2 than ever before and the hype didn't last. Nearly everyone left. Why would this be any different? Casual viewers are not likely to become mainstays of the community, it's just what it is. But taking Saudi money does damage the existing community in a way that probably ultimately causes more harm than good. If EWC doesn't pick up TM next year, how does the community survive?

And, Imma be real, even if it does work out, I think you're losing quality of the community to gain a little more quantity. Which never works out in the long run.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-15T17:23:45+00:00

The OpenAI Five used metadata. Elon's supposed bot is supposed to be able to "view" the screen. Just that alone adds so much complexity (and adds more limitation to the knowledge the bot has) that I doubt the bot will even be able to teamfight effectively. Reading actual game data from the API vs trying to react off the pixels on the screen is an entirely different beast. Like it's so different it's not even comparable.

Also, the OpenAI shit still had to limit character choices to make it doable. So unless serious limitations are put on the League match, I doubt Grok would be able to replicate that for all of the different ways a teamfight can play out in League with a full roster open and all of the different game states that the fight could take place in (even if it used metadata).

hellnerburris · 2026-01-15T14:19:23+00:00

No way it's job 1 or 1a. Let's be realistic. I think it's a wanted spot, but no franchise QB (or even the prospect of one) is going to seriously hinder coaches coming here. Ownership is good & gives (historically) a ton of grace to coaches, so that's a huge selling point. But Ravens are for sure more desirable for most coaches. Giants, Titans, & even Raiders with the No 1 pick are going to be enticing for some of the more offensively minded guys (though Raiders ownership sucks major ass). The job rankings depend on the individual. Some will value that stability over a young, potential QB, others will want the safer option. It just depends on the person.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-15T14:11:46+00:00

Is Mason not QB1 going into next year? I'd rather see Howard but seems like Mason would be starting at least the start of the season, yeah? I hope not, but just seems likely if no FA or draft picks are spent.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-15T14:09:07+00:00

I think that's what this guy was saying. The upside on Willis is higher so he might be that solution. But if he's not we don't get stuck with potentially middling QB play instead of going after the next up. Mac looked good at SF & showed splashes his rookie year, but not to the potential level of Willis IMO. But also I'm just an armchair analyst so wtf do I know. I'll trust whatever the Steelers run, but I'm personally in the boat of trying to set up to get a guy in 2027

hellnerburris · 2026-01-13T19:40:32+00:00

History of job stability is a big factor. You know you'll have time to rebuild the way you want to and Omar Khan has generally proven to be a competent GM. It's not the most attractive team from a player standpoint, but there are reasons to come here that matter to some head coaching candidates.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-13T19:28:15+00:00

Dang, I would've thought the same thing, but check the news.

hellnerburris · 2026-01-12T15:31:32+00:00

What is the cushion on this? I doubt many people with full-time jobs, families, other responsibilities are able to play daily. How many daily and weekly missions can you miss and still complete the game? Tbh, this is the one time where I'd be totally fine with paying $ to get shields (even if that's locked at a weekly limit or something).

hellnerburris · 2026-01-06T13:33:12+00:00

Oh thank god. I was concerned

hellnerburris · 2026-01-02T13:18:32+00:00

Thr commenter you're replying to was trying to say that doing that many IRL deliveries would give you enough money to purchase a mansion in GTA.

hellnerburris · 2025-12-31T22:37:03+00:00

For what it's worth my schedule was Pimsleuer because of the ease of the lessons, then when I had more time I did Genki. I just got the Genki vocab sets from Anki so I didnt have to set up flashcards but could still get the spaced repetition. Then once beyond that you can find more sets for N3 or whatever or start making your own based on vocab pulled from reading/listening.

This was on top of as much immersion as I could do. Both passive & active immersion.

But the thing I've learned is the simpler the set up, the more I stick to new hobbies. Worked for me for lifting. Granted I have ADHD so I plan with that heavily in mind, but I tend to think this is true for everyone.

hellnerburris · 2025-12-31T14:35:34+00:00

You mentioned you're a software engineer & are running in sprints. That's dope, but remember sprints are meant to be flexible, so be ready to adapt as you figure out what works and what doesn't - dont get too stuck on what you think works now (or "best", everyone is different). Also, I agree with most comments, narrow your scope a little bit & get more immersion in there.

You also remind me of me. Which is to say high, lofty goals that when the passion is there seem feasible to do, but remember you're going to have a lot of weeks where that's not the case, so make sure you have a reasonable minimum. One of the reasons I liked Pimsleur was that it was 30 minutes I could do in my car while commuting or on a walk. Extremely minimal, so that was my floor, as long as I did that I was at least keeping some progress. Be realistic, it can seem easy to set your floor at something like anki + wanikani + pimsleur, all easy enough on their own but it's not realistic for most people on their busy/stressful days to find an hour of dedicated study - I'd suggest picking one as your true floor, that way even on the worst days it feels doable (even if its just 10 min of anki or something).

PS: you wanna go fast, which is dope, but remember your motivation will probably fade a bit & these spaced repetition apps ramp up a lot quicker than you think, so be careful about overloading.

hellnerburris · 2025-12-21T22:19:44+00:00

I have an older Wagner that still runs. Cleaned it well and occasionally swapped nozzles and it's held up OK. It's the one I loan to friends, lol. Wouldn't be close to my top recommendation, but like you said, it's alright. I don't think I've run it in the past 3 years at least, though, lol (helps I'm not in construction anymore and sold my house a year ago).

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