Restructure for animated gifs
Animated gifs can't go through the asset pipeline since they come out as a single frame of the original animation. Previously, I had only a couple of them and didn't have my assets structured very well. I had the assets that needed to be passthrough copied alongside those that could go through the pipeline. It wasn't bad since there weren't many animations. I mapped just those to passthrough copy to go to a single directory. This will become more fraught as I add more since there's more opportunity for collisions. When mapping to an output directory, I can't maintain the inner structure of that directory. The files are flattened. I moved everything around, both to separate images that can go through the pipeline from those which can't and to allow for a simple passthrough copy that will maintain the directory structure so that each blog post can have its own directory of passthrough copied animated gifs in the build.
This commit is contained in:
Devon Campbell
parent
cb2aa96e90
commit
ae0487886b
69 changed files with 122 additions and 115 deletions
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@ -21,15 +21,14 @@ module.exports = function(eleventyConfig) {
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eleventyConfig.addPlugin(embedYouTube);
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eleventyConfig.addPlugin(embedYouTube);
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eleventyConfig.addPlugin(pluginRss);
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eleventyConfig.addPlugin(pluginRss);
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "assets/css": "css" });
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy("css");
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "assets/fonts": "fonts" });
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy("fonts");
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "assets/images/*": "images" });
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy("images/**/*.{gif,png,jpg,jpeg}");
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "assets/favicon": "/" });
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "favicon": "/" });
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({
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"node_modules/simpledotcss/simple.css": "css/simple.css",
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"node_modules/simpledotcss/simple.css": "css/simple.css",
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});
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});
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "src/robots.txt": "robots.txt" });
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "src/robots.txt": "robots.txt" });
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eleventyConfig.addPassthroughCopy({ "assets/images/about/devon.lol-button-03.gif": "images/devon.lol-button-03.gif" });
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eleventyConfig.addFilter("buildPageTitle", function(title) {
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eleventyConfig.addFilter("buildPageTitle", function(title) {
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if (this.page.url === '/') {
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if (this.page.url === '/') {
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@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
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<!DOCTYPE html>
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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<head>
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
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href="style.css"/>
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</head>
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<body>
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<h1>Generated from: http://www.cufonfonts.com</h1><br/>
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<h1 style="font-family:'BitBold';font-weight:normal;font-size:42px">AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhŞşIıİi Example</h1>
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</body>
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</html>
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@ -1,29 +1,40 @@
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#!/bin/bash
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#!/bin/bash
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check_existing_file() {
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check_existing_blog_file() {
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if [ -e "$1/$2.md" ]; then
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if [ -e "src/blog/$1/index.md" ]; then
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echo "Error: A file with the name '$2.md' already exists in the '$1' directory."
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echo "Error: A file with the name 'index.md' already exists in the 'src/blog/$1' directory."
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exit 1
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exit 1
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fi
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fi
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}
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}
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read -p "Enter the title for the new blog post: " title
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check_existing_feed_file() {
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if [ -e "src/feed/$1.md" ]; then
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echo "Error: A file with the name '$1.md' already exists in the 'src/feed' directory."
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exit 1
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fi
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}
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if [ -n "$1" ]; then
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title=$1
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else
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read -p "Enter the title for the new blog post: " title
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fi
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kebab_title=$(echo "$title" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | tr ' ' '-')
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kebab_title=$(echo "$title" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | tr ' ' '-')
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check_existing_file "src/blog" "$kebab_title"
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check_existing_blog_file "$kebab_title"
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check_existing_file "src/feed" "$kebab_title"
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check_existing_feed_file "$kebab_title"
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# Create a new blog post file with the appropriate frontmatter and content
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mkdir -p "src/blog/$kebab_title"
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echo "---" > "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "---" > "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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echo "title: $title" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "title: $title" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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echo "layout: article.njk" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "layout: article.njk" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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echo "date: git Last Modified" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "date: git Last Modified" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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echo "tags: post" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "tags: post" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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echo "excerpt: Placeholder text for excerpt" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "excerpt: Placeholder text for excerpt" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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echo "---" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "---" >> "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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echo -e "\nThis is the content of the new blog post." >> "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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echo -e "\nThis is the content of the new blog post." >> "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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# Create a new feed file with the appropriate frontmatter
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echo "---" > "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "---" > "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "title: $title" >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "title: $title" >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "relativeUrl: /blog/$kebab_title" >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "relativeUrl: /blog/$kebab_title" >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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@ -32,4 +43,4 @@ echo "tags: feed" >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "---" >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo "---" >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo -e "\nThis is the content of the new blog post." >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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echo -e "\nThis is the content of the new blog post." >> "src/feed/$kebab_title.md"
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$EDITOR "src/blog/$kebab_title.md"
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$EDITOR "src/blog/$kebab_title/index.md"
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Before Width: | Height: | Size: 8 KiB After Width: | Height: | Size: 8 KiB |
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Before Width: | Height: | Size: 34 KiB After Width: | Height: | Size: 34 KiB |
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BIN
images/blog/outsourcing-my-memory-to-gum/script-discovery.gif
Normal file
BIN
images/blog/outsourcing-my-memory-to-gum/script-discovery.gif
Normal file
Binary file not shown.
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@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
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# Run `vhs` from project root to get the correct output
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Output assets/images/blog/outsourcing-my-memory-to-gum/script-discovery.gif
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Set Shell "bash"
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Set FontSize 32
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Set Width 1100
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Set Height 900
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Type "npm run" Sleep 500ms Enter
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Sleep 4s
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Type "npm run start"
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Sleep 3s
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@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ date: git Last Modified
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This site exists because I got sick of what the web has become. I wanted to return to the web I remember from the late 90s and early 2000s, before every web site and every search results page were just trying to sell you something. I went searching to find if that web still existed.
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This site exists because I got sick of what the web has become. I wanted to return to the web I remember from the late 90s and early 2000s, before every web site and every search results page were just trying to sell you something. I went searching to find if that web still existed.
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<img src="/images/about/good-news-everyone.gif" alt='Animation of Futurama character Professor Farnsworth saying "good news, everyone!"' />
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[It does](/blog/the-old-web)!
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[It does](/blog/the-old-web)!
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@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ You can follow me [on Mastodon](https://techhub.social/@RadDevon). I tend to be
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If you want to link to my site, you can use these buttons!
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If you want to link to my site, you can use these buttons!
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<img src="/images/devon.lol-button-03.gif" alt='A button resembling a dialog box from the SNES RPG Earthbound. "Devon.LoL" is written inside in white.' />
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<img src="/images/about/devon.lol-button-03.gif" alt='A button resembling a dialog box from the SNES RPG Earthbound. "Devon.LoL" is written inside in white.' />
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Feel free to skip the buttons too if you prefer. I personally prefer when links to other sites have some context, so text links are even better. Any link is appreciated.
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Feel free to skip the buttons too if you prefer. I personally prefer when links to other sites have some context, so text links are even better. Any link is appreciated.
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@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
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---
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---
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title: Covid Comfort Report Card, October, 2023
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title: Covid Comfort Report Card, October, 2023
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layout: article.njk
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layout: article.njk
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date: git Last Modified
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date: 2023-10-22 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
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tags: post
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tags: post
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excerpt: If you travel as a Covid-cautious person, you'll find it more or less comfortable to exist in some cities based on a number of factors. Here's my roundup of the cities I've visited.
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excerpt: If you travel as a Covid-cautious person, you'll find it more or less comfortable to exist in some cities based on a number of factors. Here's my roundup of the cities I've visited.
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---
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---
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@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ I'll be looking at some subjective factors like my own experiences existing in t
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## Braga, Portugal
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## Braga, Portugal
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No one here was anything but nice to me. I never got a sideways glance and no one ever accosted me — at least, not in English! 😅
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No one here was anything but nice to me. I never got a sideways glance and no one ever accosted me — at least, not in English! 😅
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@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ I don't have per-city vaccination data on Portugal, but [86.1% of the country is
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## Chicago, Illinois
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## Chicago, Illinois
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Chicago is one of the friendliest US cities I've been to for the Covid-conscious. Masking is relatively common, especially on public transit. Lots of masking in the airport which is great to see.
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Chicago is one of the friendliest US cities I've been to for the Covid-conscious. Masking is relatively common, especially on public transit. Lots of masking in the airport which is great to see.
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@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ Chicago is one of the friendliest US cities I've been to for the Covid-conscious
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## Knoxville, Tennessee
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## Knoxville, Tennessee
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The South maintains its reputation of being friendly… as long as you're exactly like them. In this case, that means that you are anti-vax and certainly not masked. I was accosted no less than three times in a few weeks in Knoxville while masked. If you're wearing a mask here, even in a crowded public area, you'll very likely be the only one. Moving around in downtown, I would see a handful of people in a given week who were also masked.
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The South maintains its reputation of being friendly… as long as you're exactly like them. In this case, that means that you are anti-vax and certainly not masked. I was accosted no less than three times in a few weeks in Knoxville while masked. If you're wearing a mask here, even in a crowded public area, you'll very likely be the only one. Moving around in downtown, I would see a handful of people in a given week who were also masked.
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Knoxville has a site for Covid vaccination data… but unless there's something wrong with my browser or internet connection, that site is literally empty. I see boxes with labels where data should be, yet those boxes have no numbers in them. I thought the site was just broken and maybe I could [download Knoxville's data as a CSV](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/datasets/COVID_VACCINE_COUNTY_SUMMARY.CSV), but, again, unless there's a weird problem on my end, this link produces a CSV with only column headers and no actual data.
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Knoxville has a site for Covid vaccination data… but unless there's something wrong with my browser or internet connection, that site is literally empty. I see boxes with labels where data should be, yet those boxes have no numbers in them. I thought the site was just broken and maybe I could [download Knoxville's data as a CSV](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/datasets/COVID_VACCINE_COUNTY_SUMMARY.CSV), but, again, unless there's a weird problem on my end, this link produces a CSV with only column headers and no actual data.
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It's safe to assume this means the number is embarrassingly low — so low, in fact, Knoxville is willing to literally kill people by giving them insufficient information about whether or not they should visit in order to avoid sharing it. We can extrapolate from the [CDC's data on Tennessee as a whole](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-booster-percent-total): only 56.4% have received the full series and an abysmal 10.6% have received a bivalent booster. Maybe not worth killing people over — that problem will take care of itself — but certainly worth getting embarrassed over.
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It's safe to assume this means the number is embarrassingly low — so low, in fact, Knoxville is willing to literally kill people by giving them insufficient information about whether or not they should visit in order to avoid sharing it. We can extrapolate from the [CDC's data on Tennessee as a whole](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-booster-percent-total): only 56.4% have received the full series and an abysmal 10.6% have received a bivalent booster. Maybe not worth killing people over — that problem will take care of itself — but certainly worth getting embarrassed over.
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## Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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## Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Milwaukee seemed generally accepting of masking. I was shouted at once out of a moving mini-van — a great way to be taken seriously when delivering medical advice. I didn't see many other people masking. Perhaps more than a town like Knoxville, but not by much. Comfort level in general was still much higher though.
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Milwaukee seemed generally accepting of masking. I was shouted at once out of a moving mini-van — a great way to be taken seriously when delivering medical advice. I didn't see many other people masking. Perhaps more than a town like Knoxville, but not by much. Comfort level in general was still much higher though.
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I made my way through the mall. It was relatively uneventful. It was about like I thought it would be. I did think that, since it's the Mall of America, it would probably be packed to the brim with cool stores. Instead, it seems to be suffering like most malls, with lots of empty storefronts and stores that almost certainly couldn't have afforded the rent in the mall's heyday. Anti-vaxxers though can thrive in even the most downtrodden shopping mall.
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I made my way through the mall. It was relatively uneventful. It was about like I thought it would be. I did think that, since it's the Mall of America, it would probably be packed to the brim with cool stores. Instead, it seems to be suffering like most malls, with lots of empty storefronts and stores that almost certainly couldn't have afforded the rent in the mall's heyday. Anti-vaxxers though can thrive in even the most downtrodden shopping mall.
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I was walking through the mall, masked, minding my own business, when a man called out to me, "nice mask." I felt the corners of my mouth turned up. "A compliment! How nice," I though to myself, but this was a Trojan horse. Now that my guard was down, the guy dropped his bomb: "THE PANDEMIC IS OVER, YA KNOW!" It's the last time I ever drop my guard and expose my soft underbelly to a man wearing a camo t-shirt and a baseball cap to cover up a "business in the front" haircut while leaving his luscious "party in the back" exposed.
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I was walking through the mall, masked, minding my own business, when a man called out to me, "nice mask." I felt the corners of my mouth turned up. "A compliment! How nice," I though to myself, but this was a Trojan horse. Now that my guard was down, the guy dropped his bomb: "THE PANDEMIC IS OVER, YA KNOW!" It's the last time I ever drop my guard and expose my soft underbelly to a man wearing a camo t-shirt and a baseball cap to cover up a "business in the front" haircut while leaving his luscious "party in the back" exposed.
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## Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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## Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Montreal was lovely and everyone there was lovely to me. No one blinked twice at my mask, and if they delivered any Minneapolis-style sick burns, they were in a language I did not understand.
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Montreal was lovely and everyone there was lovely to me. No one blinked twice at my mask, and if they delivered any Minneapolis-style sick burns, they were in a language I did not understand.
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@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ What I can see though is that the adult age grouping that surely represents a la
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## Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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## Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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No one has ever said anything to me or treated me differently in Philadelphia because I was wearing a mask. In fact, I've had quite a few lovely interactions while masked. Lots of people are still masking in the city, especially on public transit. I didn't notice quite the same levels of masking at the airport as I did at O'Hare, but it's still a very comfortable place to be Covid-conscious, at least on this "feel" metric. Let's see how it compares on the more metric-y metrics.
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No one has ever said anything to me or treated me differently in Philadelphia because I was wearing a mask. In fact, I've had quite a few lovely interactions while masked. Lots of people are still masking in the city, especially on public transit. I didn't notice quite the same levels of masking at the airport as I did at O'Hare, but it's still a very comfortable place to be Covid-conscious, at least on this "feel" metric. Let's see how it compares on the more metric-y metrics.
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@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ Sadly, I don't see any data about uptake of the bivalent booster. Unless Philade
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## Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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## Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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|
||||||
By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I was on a bit of a hair trigger after having been harassed for masking in so many American cities. My head was on a bit of a swivel. I was out one evening getting bubble tea, and a frat bro shouted at me out of a car. Aside from that, people were very nice. My experience was colored more by the accrued psychic damage from months of harassment up to that point than it was by Pittsburgh itself.
|
By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I was on a bit of a hair trigger after having been harassed for masking in so many American cities. My head was on a bit of a swivel. I was out one evening getting bubble tea, and a frat bro shouted at me out of a car. Aside from that, people were very nice. My experience was colored more by the accrued psychic damage from months of harassment up to that point than it was by Pittsburgh itself.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I was on a bit of a hair trigger after having b
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Portland, Oregon
|
## Portland, Oregon
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I always felt comfortable masking in Portland. It seems people mask at a higher rate than in other cities — comparable to Chicago and Seattle. I can't recall ever being harassed about it.
|
I always felt comfortable masking in Portland. It seems people mask at a higher rate than in other cities — comparable to Chicago and Seattle. I can't recall ever being harassed about it.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -114,13 +114,13 @@ Portland does not, best I can tell, publish its own data, but [the Oregon Health
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Porto, Portugal
|
## Porto, Portugal
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I don't have much to say about Porto that I didn't already say about Braga. People were kind and no one hassled me during my time here.
|
I don't have much to say about Porto that I didn't already say about Braga. People were kind and no one hassled me during my time here.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Salt Lake City, Utah
|
## Salt Lake City, Utah
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Salt Lake City wasn't my favorite place to be — their downtown is made up primarily of endless criss-crossing highways — but I wasn't accosted a single time about my mask. I even got a haircut here while masked, and the barber was very friendly. I was here for a conference, and the conference required masking which was awesome! That led to SLC being one of my most comfortable places, along with Philly, Chicago, Portland, Seattle… and anywhere that *isn't* the US. 😅
|
Salt Lake City wasn't my favorite place to be — their downtown is made up primarily of endless criss-crossing highways — but I wasn't accosted a single time about my mask. I even got a haircut here while masked, and the barber was very friendly. I was here for a conference, and the conference required masking which was awesome! That led to SLC being one of my most comfortable places, along with Philly, Chicago, Portland, Seattle… and anywhere that *isn't* the US. 😅
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ Salt Lake City wasn't my favorite place to be — their downtown is made up prim
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Seattle, Washington
|
## Seattle, Washington
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I love Seattle. I've spent a lot of time here, and I've never felt uncomfortable masking. Masking is still relatively common, and I know from my time living there that vaccination rates are sky-high… but let's see exactly *how* sky-high they are.
|
I love Seattle. I've spent a lot of time here, and I've never felt uncomfortable masking. Masking is still relatively common, and I know from my time living there that vaccination rates are sky-high… but let's see exactly *how* sky-high they are.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
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|
|
@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: Curses Ain't All Bad
|
title: Curses Ain't All Bad
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2022-12-03 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: Curse of the Dead Gods taught me something about life while I was learning that curses don't really need to be avoided at all costs. Sometimes, they can even be a good thing.
|
excerpt: Curse of the Dead Gods taught me something about life while I was learning that curses don't really need to be avoided at all costs. Sometimes, they can even be a good thing.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I was very bad at the video game Curse of the Dead Gods at first because "curses" were, in my mind, something to be avoided at all costs. I thought of them as punishments for doing poorly, and I didn't want to be punished.
|
I was very bad at the video game Curse of the Dead Gods at first because "curses" were, in my mind, something to be avoided at all costs. I thought of them as punishments for doing poorly, and I didn't want to be punished.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
You can't avoid them, though, and once you've played a few times, you realize curses aren't all that bad. In fact, the rewards you get by making blood offerings generally outweigh the problems the curses introduce. The curses usually even have a tiny upside.
|
You can't avoid them, though, and once you've played a few times, you realize curses aren't all that bad. In fact, the rewards you get by making blood offerings generally outweigh the problems the curses introduce. The curses usually even have a tiny upside.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: What If "Good Enough" Is Actually Great?
|
title: What If "Good Enough" Is Actually Great?
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2024-03-31 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: I make the argument that maybe "good enough" is better than we think.
|
excerpt: I make the argument that maybe "good enough" is better than we think.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: How to Stop Feeding AI
|
title: How to Stop Feeding AI
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2023-08-14 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: It's now possible to tell OpenAI's bot not to crawl your web site, so I did it.
|
excerpt: It's now possible to tell OpenAI's bot not to crawl your web site, so I did it.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: I'm on YouTube (Hurray, I guess?)
|
title: I'm on YouTube (Hurray, I guess?)
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2024-02-19 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: I launched a video game channel where I try out and share new (to me) games. It's on YouTube because the alternatives aren't great.
|
excerpt: I launched a video game channel where I try out and share new (to me) games. It's on YouTube because the alternatives aren't great.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: Implementing webmentions is a pain
|
title: Implementing webmentions is a pain
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2024-06-20 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: Facebook, Twitter, and the others have taken control of the web by making it easy for regular people to interact online. Our answer for interactions people can own is Webmentions, but they have an Achilles' heel…
|
excerpt: Facebook, Twitter, and the others have taken control of the web by making it easy for regular people to interact online. Our answer for interactions people can own is Webmentions, but they have an Achilles' heel…
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
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|
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|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: Rapid Fire Game Reviews Holiday 2022
|
title: Rapid Fire Game Reviews Holiday 2022
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2022-12-27 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: I give my thoughts on some games I got to try recently including Spookware, Neon White, Timespinner, Delta Manifold, Dread Delusion, Lunacid, Immortality, Astalon, and Phoenotopia, among others.
|
excerpt: I give my thoughts on some games I got to try recently including Spookware, Neon White, Timespinner, Delta Manifold, Dread Delusion, Lunacid, Immortality, Astalon, and Phoenotopia, among others.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -10,25 +10,25 @@ These are my thoughts on some games I've played over the last few months, in no
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Spookware
|
## Spookware
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
The microgames of [WarioWare](https://www.igdb.com/games/warioware-inc-mega-microgames) paired with the cute and self-aware irreverence of [Undertale](https://www.igdb.com/games/undertale) (featuring skeletons just to complete the analogy). I really like the vibe here. The one surprising thing about the game is that a lot of it _isn't_ the WarioWare-style microgames. There's a old style adventure game bridging between the somewhat rare microgame segments. That part can be tedious. I'd like to see a sequel that de-emphasizes this aspect of the game and leans harder into the microgames. Still a lot of fun though. It had me laughing out loud.
|
The microgames of [WarioWare](https://www.igdb.com/games/warioware-inc-mega-microgames) paired with the cute and self-aware irreverence of [Undertale](https://www.igdb.com/games/undertale) (featuring skeletons just to complete the analogy). I really like the vibe here. The one surprising thing about the game is that a lot of it _isn't_ the WarioWare-style microgames. There's a old style adventure game bridging between the somewhat rare microgame segments. That part can be tedious. I'd like to see a sequel that de-emphasizes this aspect of the game and leans harder into the microgames. Still a lot of fun though. It had me laughing out loud.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Neon White
|
## Neon White
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
One of my favorite things to do in a game is to refine my skill. I like to throw myself against a challenge over and over until I finally overcome it. I think a lot about an old PS2 game that I never hear anyone talk about anymore: [Stuntman](https://www.igdb.com/games/stuntman). You played a stunt driver going from movie to movie taking on-the-fly direction as you pulled the stunts needed for various movie scenes. I don't hear people talking about that game, but it was a favorite of mine. This is that but with an art style that screams "Japanese video game!" I'm pretty sure this _isn't_ Japanese, but it could pass. Lots of fun to be had here. I look forward to getting deeper into it and refining my times!
|
One of my favorite things to do in a game is to refine my skill. I like to throw myself against a challenge over and over until I finally overcome it. I think a lot about an old PS2 game that I never hear anyone talk about anymore: [Stuntman](https://www.igdb.com/games/stuntman). You played a stunt driver going from movie to movie taking on-the-fly direction as you pulled the stunts needed for various movie scenes. I don't hear people talking about that game, but it was a favorite of mine. This is that but with an art style that screams "Japanese video game!" I'm pretty sure this _isn't_ Japanese, but it could pass. Lots of fun to be had here. I look forward to getting deeper into it and refining my times!
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Timespinner
|
## Timespinner
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
More than any game I've tried, this game reminds me of [Symphony of the Night](https://www.igdb.com/games/castlevania-symphony-of-the-night). That's one of my favorites, so I'm excited to play more of this. It feels right in all the ways Symphony did.
|
More than any game I've tried, this game reminds me of [Symphony of the Night](https://www.igdb.com/games/castlevania-symphony-of-the-night). That's one of my favorites, so I'm excited to play more of this. It feels right in all the ways Symphony did.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Teardown
|
## Teardown
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
The destruction is so cool. Not too sure about the game they've wrapped around it. It's neat, but setting up a route to race out of a level once I start destroying stuff wouldn't be my first choice of activity. I want to take my time and bask in the destruction.
|
The destruction is so cool. Not too sure about the game they've wrapped around it. It's neat, but setting up a route to race out of a level once I start destroying stuff wouldn't be my first choice of activity. I want to take my time and bask in the destruction.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -46,29 +46,29 @@ I just finished [Dark Pictures: Little Hope](https://www.igdb.com/games/the-dark
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Persona 5 Royal
|
## Persona 5 Royal
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Slick, stylish, and beautiful. Tedious and not very fun to play. A soundtrack that parks itself in your head well after the meter runs out.
|
Slick, stylish, and beautiful. Tedious and not very fun to play. A soundtrack that parks itself in your head well after the meter runs out.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Delta Manifold
|
## Delta Manifold
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I wish I liked this one more, but it needs a lot of polish. Some better sign-posting would be nice too. I don't want literal signposts, but I need something more than the game is giving me to tell me what to do next. The levels are just random hallways and rooms connected together with tons of dead-ends. I can't tell if I'm missing something or if someone just banged these out really quick in Unity and left all the parts where they landed. The description on the game's Steam page says it wants to be [Metroid Prime](https://www.igdb.com/games/metroid-prime). I want it to be too, but it's not there yet.
|
I wish I liked this one more, but it needs a lot of polish. Some better sign-posting would be nice too. I don't want literal signposts, but I need something more than the game is giving me to tell me what to do next. The levels are just random hallways and rooms connected together with tons of dead-ends. I can't tell if I'm missing something or if someone just banged these out really quick in Unity and left all the parts where they landed. The description on the game's Steam page says it wants to be [Metroid Prime](https://www.igdb.com/games/metroid-prime). I want it to be too, but it's not there yet.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Dread Delusion and Lunacid
|
## Dread Delusion and Lunacid
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I'm lumping these together because they're both first-person RPGs that call out [King's Field](https://www.igdb.com/games/king-s-field) as an influence. Dread Delusion has a fun surreal art style but feels a bit more aimless. Both games have you wondering around a fair bit, but I felt the pain of it more in Dread Delusion. Something about the sparseness of the world and the same-ness of the environments I've been going through so far makes me feel this game is the thinner of the two, even though I'm pretty sure it's the one that has been "released" while Lunacid is still in early access. It's cool and I want to play more, but I'm not in love.
|
I'm lumping these together because they're both first-person RPGs that call out [King's Field](https://www.igdb.com/games/king-s-field) as an influence. Dread Delusion has a fun surreal art style but feels a bit more aimless. Both games have you wondering around a fair bit, but I felt the pain of it more in Dread Delusion. Something about the sparseness of the world and the same-ness of the environments I've been going through so far makes me feel this game is the thinner of the two, even though I'm pretty sure it's the one that has been "released" while Lunacid is still in early access. It's cool and I want to play more, but I'm not in love.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Lunacid feels different. There's something about the darkness of it. Everything is darker. I'm spending a lot of time in tight corridors. It's a lot different from the bright environments of Dread Delusion, and I like it. I feel like I'm really discovering in this game. I'm poking at walls and finding things the game wants me to think I wasn't supposed to find. Yesterday, I found an item that was very surprising, and I'm exciting to see how it fits into this game. When I level up in Dread Delusion, it doesn't really feel like anything has changed. In Lunacid, I feel like my character is actually progressing. There's a lot I'm excited about here.
|
Lunacid feels different. There's something about the darkness of it. Everything is darker. I'm spending a lot of time in tight corridors. It's a lot different from the bright environments of Dread Delusion, and I like it. I feel like I'm really discovering in this game. I'm poking at walls and finding things the game wants me to think I wasn't supposed to find. Yesterday, I found an item that was very surprising, and I'm exciting to see how it fits into this game. When I level up in Dread Delusion, it doesn't really feel like anything has changed. In Lunacid, I feel like my character is actually progressing. There's a lot I'm excited about here.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Immortality
|
## Immortality
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I love what this game is in my head, but I'm not sold yet on what it is in reality. Because of the way I play games, I'm scared to death about the prospect of trying to come back to this game in four months when I remember I want to play more of it but _don't_ remember anything that happened in it. I hope the game has a mechanism to ease me back in at that point, but very few games actually do have something like that. When that day comes, I'm probably going to feel like I need to restart... and there's zero chance I actually do that. The anxiety about the way this game will fit into my life fills me with dread even while I've enjoyed my time with the game so far.
|
I love what this game is in my head, but I'm not sold yet on what it is in reality. Because of the way I play games, I'm scared to death about the prospect of trying to come back to this game in four months when I remember I want to play more of it but _don't_ remember anything that happened in it. I hope the game has a mechanism to ease me back in at that point, but very few games actually do have something like that. When that day comes, I'm probably going to feel like I need to restart... and there's zero chance I actually do that. The anxiety about the way this game will fit into my life fills me with dread even while I've enjoyed my time with the game so far.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -76,13 +76,13 @@ I love what this game is in my head, but I'm not sold yet on what it is in reali
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Haak
|
## Haak
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
This Metroidvania is just really well executed. Moving around feels great. The unlockable abilities are paced well, and I haven't felt stuck so far. Just a nice experience with fun art and a cute cat helping you find your way, at least in the early parts.
|
This Metroidvania is just really well executed. Moving around feels great. The unlockable abilities are paced well, and I haven't felt stuck so far. Just a nice experience with fun art and a cute cat helping you find your way, at least in the early parts.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Midnight Fight Express
|
## Midnight Fight Express
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
The [Arkham Asylum](https://www.igdb.com/games/batman-arkham-asylum) combat works in an isometric game. I thought this was going to be great, but I think it will be ultimately forgettable. I nearly forgot to include it here!
|
The [Arkham Asylum](https://www.igdb.com/games/batman-arkham-asylum) combat works in an isometric game. I thought this was going to be great, but I think it will be ultimately forgettable. I nearly forgot to include it here!
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ A flashy action game that's a bit awkward to play. Maybe it would get better if
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Pentiment
|
## Pentiment
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
This is another one that I'm in love with the idea of but not yet the game. I'll give it some more time. I've just played a few minutes at this point.
|
This is another one that I'm in love with the idea of but not yet the game. I'll give it some more time. I've just played a few minutes at this point.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -112,6 +112,6 @@ The worst thing about Phoenotopia is that I can neither pronounce nor spell its
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Betrayal at Club Low
|
## Betrayal at Club Low
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
This one was a surprise. I went in expecting nothing. Actually, based on the... scrappiness of the interface, I expected this to be janky. It isn't. It's simple but polished. It's a point-and-click adventure with some tabletop RPG-style dice-rolling mechanics laid on top. The dice rolling is surprisingly deep. You're allowed two re-rolls per action, and you can select which dice to re-roll. Outcomes on the dice can add other rules as well like allowing you to re-roll opponent dice or swap results with your opponent. The art style is funky. It almost looks like it doesn't all belong together, but it works. If you want something quirky and charming as heck, this is a good choice.
|
This one was a surprise. I went in expecting nothing. Actually, based on the... scrappiness of the interface, I expected this to be janky. It isn't. It's simple but polished. It's a point-and-click adventure with some tabletop RPG-style dice-rolling mechanics laid on top. The dice rolling is surprisingly deep. You're allowed two re-rolls per action, and you can select which dice to re-roll. Outcomes on the dice can add other rules as well like allowing you to re-roll opponent dice or swap results with your opponent. The art style is funky. It almost looks like it doesn't all belong together, but it works. If you want something quirky and charming as heck, this is a good choice.
|
||||||
|
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|
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|
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|
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|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: The Most Influential Game in History
|
title: The Most Influential Game in History
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2023-01-18 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: The most influential game is not Fortnite or Minecraft or Mario 64 or the original Super Mario Brothers. It's not any of the usual suspects, but it's fingerprints can be found all over modding, Twitch streaming, speedrunning, machinima, the keyboard + mouse control scheme, and online multiplayer gaming.
|
excerpt: The most influential game is not Fortnite or Minecraft or Mario 64 or the original Super Mario Brothers. It's not any of the usual suspects, but it's fingerprints can be found all over modding, Twitch streaming, speedrunning, machinima, the keyboard + mouse control scheme, and online multiplayer gaming.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ It's hard to overstate the influence of [Minecraft](https://www.igdb.com/games/m
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
You could make a case for plenty of other games being the most influential too. [Super Mario Brothers](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-bros) showed games could be more than just score chases. [Pitfall](https://www.igdb.com/games/pitfall) opened the door for developers not employed by the console maker to make games. [Mario 64](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-64) was the template for 3D platforming. [Rogue](https://www.igdb.com/games/rogue) has a whole modern genre named after it! But in spite of everything these games and Minecraft brought to the table, none of them is the most influential game ever. Instead, that title belongs to another game with Minecraft's pixelly graphics and a first-person perspective. It's a game that, like Minecraft, was PC-first and created incredible longevity by fostering an enthusiastic modding community. It's a game that planted the seeds for some of the innovations Minecraft brought forward.
|
You could make a case for plenty of other games being the most influential too. [Super Mario Brothers](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-bros) showed games could be more than just score chases. [Pitfall](https://www.igdb.com/games/pitfall) opened the door for developers not employed by the console maker to make games. [Mario 64](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-64) was the template for 3D platforming. [Rogue](https://www.igdb.com/games/rogue) has a whole modern genre named after it! But in spite of everything these games and Minecraft brought to the table, none of them is the most influential game ever. Instead, that title belongs to another game with Minecraft's pixelly graphics and a first-person perspective. It's a game that, like Minecraft, was PC-first and created incredible longevity by fostering an enthusiastic modding community. It's a game that planted the seeds for some of the innovations Minecraft brought forward.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
[Quake](https://www.igdb.com/games/quake) was the Minecraft of its day, and its day was about 15 years before the release of Minecraft. Let's take a look at the staggering number of innovations Quake brought gamers in the mid 90s.
|
[Quake](https://www.igdb.com/games/quake) was the Minecraft of its day, and its day was about 15 years before the release of Minecraft. Let's take a look at the staggering number of innovations Quake brought gamers in the mid 90s.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Modding
|
## Modding
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Modding was around before Quake, but it came of age with Quake. Many community map and mod makers were ultimately hired as level designers and game developers. Valve recruited early employees out of the community and brought the team behind Quake mod Team Fortress in-house to build its sequel on Half-Life… which was itself built on the Quake 2 engine.
|
Modding was around before Quake, but it came of age with Quake. Many community map and mod makers were ultimately hired as level designers and game developers. Valve recruited early employees out of the community and brought the team behind Quake mod Team Fortress in-house to build its sequel on Half-Life… which was itself built on the Quake 2 engine.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Since the game included a few demos, you could run your benchmark against one of
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
## Speedrunning
|
## Speedrunning
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Quake’s demo file format was great for watching others compete in deathmatch or capture the flag matches, but it was also used to records speedruns through the game’s levels.
|
Quake’s demo file format was great for watching others compete in deathmatch or capture the flag matches, but it was also used to records speedruns through the game’s levels.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ This was the dawn of the WASD + mouse control scheme that is standard among firs
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Before Quake, multiplayer gameplay on PC required either a game client that could dial up directly to another user’s modem or entering another player’s IP address in the game client. Enter QSpy, a Quake server browser that made it easier to find and connect to multiplayer games.
|
Before Quake, multiplayer gameplay on PC required either a game client that could dial up directly to another user’s modem or entering another player’s IP address in the game client. Enter QSpy, a Quake server browser that made it easier to find and connect to multiplayer games.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Side note: QSpy later became QuakeSpy and then [GameSpy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameSpy), which eventually became an editorial site that operated until 2013.
|
Side note: QSpy later became QuakeSpy and then [GameSpy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameSpy), which eventually became an editorial site that operated until 2013.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: The Old Web
|
title: The Old Web
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2023-10-01 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: I got tired of the commercial web, so I went looking for the Old Web. I'm talking about the web where people made pages just because they wanted to share something, not because they wanted to sell something. Fortunately, I found it. A lot of it.
|
excerpt: I got tired of the commercial web, so I went looking for the Old Web. I'm talking about the web where people made pages just because they wanted to share something, not because they wanted to sell something. Fortunately, I found it. A lot of it.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: Web Browser Review, June 2024
|
title: Web Browser Review, June 2024
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2024-06-10 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: I love the Arc Browser, but every time they add new AI features of refer to me as a "member," I feel like I'm teetering over a cliff. I decided to look for a replacement.
|
excerpt: I love the Arc Browser, but every time they add new AI features of refer to me as a "member," I feel like I'm teetering over a cliff. I decided to look for a replacement.
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
title: Which Dominoes Fall After Reddit?
|
title: Which Dominoes Fall After Reddit?
|
||||||
layout: article.njk
|
layout: article.njk
|
||||||
date: git Last Modified
|
date: 2023-07-01 # Revert to `git Last Modified` after next modification
|
||||||
tags: post
|
tags: post
|
||||||
excerpt: Twitter and Reddit have started their decline in usefulness in favor of what they hope is an ascent to profitability. Which sites will be the next to follow in their footsteps?
|
excerpt: Twitter and Reddit have started their decline in usefulness in favor of what they hope is an ascent to profitability. Which sites will be the next to follow in their footsteps?
|
||||||
---
|
---
|
||||||
|
|
@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ I'll be looking at some subjective factors like my own experiences existing in t
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Braga, Portugal
|
# Braga, Portugal
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
No one here was anything but nice to me. I never got a sideways glance and no one ever accosted me — at least, not in English! 😅
|
No one here was anything but nice to me. I never got a sideways glance and no one ever accosted me — at least, not in English! 😅
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ I don't have per-city vaccination data on Portugal, but [86.1% of the country is
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Chicago, Illinois
|
# Chicago, Illinois
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Chicago is one of the friendliest US cities I've been to for the Covid-conscious. Masking is relatively common, especially on public transit. Lots of masking in the airport which is great to see.
|
Chicago is one of the friendliest US cities I've been to for the Covid-conscious. Masking is relatively common, especially on public transit. Lots of masking in the airport which is great to see.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -31,13 +31,13 @@ Chicago is one of the friendliest US cities I've been to for the Covid-conscious
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Knoxville, Tennessee
|
# Knoxville, Tennessee
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
The South maintains its reputation of being friendly… as long as you're exactly like them. In this case, that means that you are anti-vax and certainly not masked. I was accosted no less than three times in a few weeks in Knoxville while masked. If you're wearing a mask here, even in a crowded public area, you'll very likely be the only one. Moving around in downtown, I would see a handful of people in a given week who were also masked.
|
The South maintains its reputation of being friendly… as long as you're exactly like them. In this case, that means that you are anti-vax and certainly not masked. I was accosted no less than three times in a few weeks in Knoxville while masked. If you're wearing a mask here, even in a crowded public area, you'll very likely be the only one. Moving around in downtown, I would see a handful of people in a given week who were also masked.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Knoxville has a site for Covid vaccination data… but unless there's something wrong with my browser or internet connection, that site is literally empty. I see boxes with labels where data should be, yet those boxes have no numbers in them. I thought the site was just broken and maybe I could [download Knoxville's data as a CSV](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/datasets/COVID_VACCINE_COUNTY_SUMMARY.CSV), but, again, unless there's a weird problem on my end, this link produces a CSV with only column headers and no actual data.
|
Knoxville has a site for Covid vaccination data… but unless there's something wrong with my browser or internet connection, that site is literally empty. I see boxes with labels where data should be, yet those boxes have no numbers in them. I thought the site was just broken and maybe I could [download Knoxville's data as a CSV](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/datasets/COVID_VACCINE_COUNTY_SUMMARY.CSV), but, again, unless there's a weird problem on my end, this link produces a CSV with only column headers and no actual data.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
It's safe to assume this means the number is embarrassingly low — so low, in fact, Knoxville is willing to literally kill people by giving them insufficient information about whether or not they should visit in order to avoid sharing it. We can extrapolate from the [CDC's data on Tennessee as a whole](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-booster-percent-total): only 56.4% have received the full series and an abysmal 10.6% have received a bivalent booster. Maybe not worth killing people over — that problem will take care of itself — but certainly worth getting embarrassed over.
|
It's safe to assume this means the number is embarrassingly low — so low, in fact, Knoxville is willing to literally kill people by giving them insufficient information about whether or not they should visit in order to avoid sharing it. We can extrapolate from the [CDC's data on Tennessee as a whole](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-booster-percent-total): only 56.4% have received the full series and an abysmal 10.6% have received a bivalent booster. Maybe not worth killing people over — that problem will take care of itself — but certainly worth getting embarrassed over.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ So, if your path happens to intersect with Knoxville and assuming you value your
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|
# Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Milwaukee seemed generally accepting of masking. I was shouted at once out of a moving mini-van — a great way to be taken seriously when delivering medical advice. I didn't see many other people masking. Perhaps more than a town like Knoxville, but not by much. Comfort level in general was still much higher though.
|
Milwaukee seemed generally accepting of masking. I was shouted at once out of a moving mini-van — a great way to be taken seriously when delivering medical advice. I didn't see many other people masking. Perhaps more than a town like Knoxville, but not by much. Comfort level in general was still much higher though.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ In a moment of weakness, I allowed myself to be convinced I should visit the Mal
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I made my way through the mall. It was relatively uneventful. It was about like I thought it would be. I did think that, since it's the Mall of America, it would probably be packed to the brim with cool stores. Instead, it seems to be suffering like most malls, with lots of empty storefronts and stores that almost certainly couldn't have afforded the rent in the mall's heyday. Anti-vaxxers though can thrive in even the most downtrodden shopping mall.
|
I made my way through the mall. It was relatively uneventful. It was about like I thought it would be. I did think that, since it's the Mall of America, it would probably be packed to the brim with cool stores. Instead, it seems to be suffering like most malls, with lots of empty storefronts and stores that almost certainly couldn't have afforded the rent in the mall's heyday. Anti-vaxxers though can thrive in even the most downtrodden shopping mall.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I was walking through the mall, masked, minding my own business, when a man called out to me, "nice mask." I felt the corners of my mouth turned up. "A compliment! How nice," I though to myself, but this was a Trojan horse. Now that my guard was down, the guy dropped his bomb: "THE PANDEMIC IS OVER, YA KNOW!" It's the last time I ever drop my guard and expose my soft underbelly to a man wearing a camo t-shirt and a baseball cap to cover up a "business in the front" haircut while leaving his luscious "party in the back" exposed.
|
I was walking through the mall, masked, minding my own business, when a man called out to me, "nice mask." I felt the corners of my mouth turned up. "A compliment! How nice," I though to myself, but this was a Trojan horse. Now that my guard was down, the guy dropped his bomb: "THE PANDEMIC IS OVER, YA KNOW!" It's the last time I ever drop my guard and expose my soft underbelly to a man wearing a camo t-shirt and a baseball cap to cover up a "business in the front" haircut while leaving his luscious "party in the back" exposed.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ If I had to guess, I'd say we're hovering around the 55% mark with some of the o
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Montreal, Quebec, Canada
|
# Montreal, Quebec, Canada
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Montreal was lovely and everyone there was lovely to me. No one blinked twice at my mask, and if they delivered any Minneapolis-style sick burns, they were in a language I did not understand.
|
Montreal was lovely and everyone there was lovely to me. No one blinked twice at my mask, and if they delivered any Minneapolis-style sick burns, they were in a language I did not understand.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ What I can see though is that the adult age grouping that surely represents a la
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
# Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
No one has ever said anything to me or treated me differently in Philadelphia because I was wearing a mask. In fast, I've had quite a few lovely interactions while masked. Lots of people are still masking in the city, especially on public transit. I didn't notice quite the same levels of masking at the airport as I did at O'Hare, but it's still a very comfortable place to be Covid-conscious, at least on this "feel" metric. Let's see how it compares on the more metric-y metrics.
|
No one has ever said anything to me or treated me differently in Philadelphia because I was wearing a mask. In fast, I've had quite a few lovely interactions while masked. Lots of people are still masking in the city, especially on public transit. I didn't notice quite the same levels of masking at the airport as I did at O'Hare, but it's still a very comfortable place to be Covid-conscious, at least on this "feel" metric. Let's see how it compares on the more metric-y metrics.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ Sadly, I don't see any data about uptake of the bivalent booster. Unless Philade
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|
# Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I was on a bit of a hair trigger after having been harassed for masking in so many American cities. My head was on a bit of a swivel. I was out one evening getting bubble tea, and a frat bro shouted at me out of a car. Aside from that, people were very nice. My experience was colored more by the accrued psychic damage from months of harassment up to that point than it was by Pittsburgh itself.
|
By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I was on a bit of a hair trigger after having been harassed for masking in so many American cities. My head was on a bit of a swivel. I was out one evening getting bubble tea, and a frat bro shouted at me out of a car. Aside from that, people were very nice. My experience was colored more by the accrued psychic damage from months of harassment up to that point than it was by Pittsburgh itself.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I was on a bit of a hair trigger after having b
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Portland, Oregon
|
# Portland, Oregon
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I always felt comfortable masking in Portland. It seems people mask at a higher rate than in other cities — comparable to Chicago and Seattle. I can't recall ever being harassed about it.
|
I always felt comfortable masking in Portland. It seems people mask at a higher rate than in other cities — comparable to Chicago and Seattle. I can't recall ever being harassed about it.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -113,13 +113,13 @@ Portland does not, best I can tell, publish its own data, but [the Oregon Health
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Porto, Portugal
|
# Porto, Portugal
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I don't have much to say about Porto that I didn't already say about Braga. People were kind and no one hassled me during my time here.
|
I don't have much to say about Porto that I didn't already say about Braga. People were kind and no one hassled me during my time here.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Salt Lake City, Utah
|
# Salt Lake City, Utah
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Salt Lake City wasn't my favorite place to be — their downtown is made up primarily of endless criss-crossing highways — but I wasn't accosted a single time about my mask. I even got a haircut here while masked, and the barber was very friendly. I was here for a conference, and the conference required masking which was awesome! That led to SLC being one of my most comfortable places, along with Philly, Chicago, Portland, Seattle… and anywhere that *isn't* the US. 😅
|
Salt Lake City wasn't my favorite place to be — their downtown is made up primarily of endless criss-crossing highways — but I wasn't accosted a single time about my mask. I even got a haircut here while masked, and the barber was very friendly. I was here for a conference, and the conference required masking which was awesome! That led to SLC being one of my most comfortable places, along with Philly, Chicago, Portland, Seattle… and anywhere that *isn't* the US. 😅
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ Salt Lake City wasn't my favorite place to be — their downtown is made up prim
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Seattle, Washington
|
# Seattle, Washington
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I love Seattle. I've spent a lot of time here, and I've never felt uncomfortable masking. Masking is still relatively common, and I know from my time living there that vaccination rates are sky-high… but let's see exactly *how* sky-high they are.
|
I love Seattle. I've spent a lot of time here, and I've never felt uncomfortable masking. Masking is still relatively common, and I know from my time living there that vaccination rates are sky-high… but let's see exactly *how* sky-high they are.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ tags: feed
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
I was very bad at the video game Curse of the Dead Gods at first because "curses" were, in my mind, something to be avoided at all costs. I thought of them as punishments for doing poorly, and I didn't want to be punished.
|
I was very bad at the video game Curse of the Dead Gods at first because "curses" were, in my mind, something to be avoided at all costs. I thought of them as punishments for doing poorly, and I didn't want to be punished.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
You can't avoid them, though, and once you've played a few times, you realize curses aren't all that bad. In fact, the rewards you get by making blood offerings generally outweigh the problems the curses introduce. The curses usually even have a tiny upside.
|
You can't avoid them, though, and once you've played a few times, you realize curses aren't all that bad. In fact, the rewards you get by making blood offerings generally outweigh the problems the curses introduce. The curses usually even have a tiny upside.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -9,25 +9,25 @@ These are my thoughts on some games I've played over the last few months, in no
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Spookware
|
# Spookware
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
The microgames of [WarioWare](https://www.igdb.com/games/warioware-inc-mega-microgames) paired with the cute and self-aware irreverence of [Undertale](https://www.igdb.com/games/undertale) (featuring skeletons just to complete the analogy). I really like the vibe here. The one surprising thing about the game is that a lot of it _isn't_ the WarioWare-style microgames. There's a old style adventure game bridging between the somewhat rare microgame segments. That part can be tedious. I'd like to see a sequel that de-emphasizes this aspect of the game and leans harder into the microgames. Still a lot of fun though. It had me laughing out loud.
|
The microgames of [WarioWare](https://www.igdb.com/games/warioware-inc-mega-microgames) paired with the cute and self-aware irreverence of [Undertale](https://www.igdb.com/games/undertale) (featuring skeletons just to complete the analogy). I really like the vibe here. The one surprising thing about the game is that a lot of it _isn't_ the WarioWare-style microgames. There's a old style adventure game bridging between the somewhat rare microgame segments. That part can be tedious. I'd like to see a sequel that de-emphasizes this aspect of the game and leans harder into the microgames. Still a lot of fun though. It had me laughing out loud.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Neon White
|
# Neon White
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
One of my favorite things to do in a game is to refine my skill. I like to throw myself against a challenge over and over until I finally overcome it. I think a lot about an old PS2 game that I never hear anyone talk about anymore: [Stuntman](https://www.igdb.com/games/stuntman). You played a stunt driver going from movie to movie taking on-the-fly direction as you pulled the stunts needed for various movie scenes. I don't hear people talking about that game, but it was a favorite of mine. This is that but with an art style that screams "Japanese video game!" I'm pretty sure this _isn't_ Japanese, but it could pass. Lots of fun to be had here. I look forward to getting deeper into it and refining my times!
|
One of my favorite things to do in a game is to refine my skill. I like to throw myself against a challenge over and over until I finally overcome it. I think a lot about an old PS2 game that I never hear anyone talk about anymore: [Stuntman](https://www.igdb.com/games/stuntman). You played a stunt driver going from movie to movie taking on-the-fly direction as you pulled the stunts needed for various movie scenes. I don't hear people talking about that game, but it was a favorite of mine. This is that but with an art style that screams "Japanese video game!" I'm pretty sure this _isn't_ Japanese, but it could pass. Lots of fun to be had here. I look forward to getting deeper into it and refining my times!
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Timespinner
|
# Timespinner
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
More than any game I've tried, this game reminds me of [Symphony of the Night](https://www.igdb.com/games/castlevania-symphony-of-the-night). That's one of my favorites, so I'm excited to play more of this. It feels right in all the ways Symphony did.
|
More than any game I've tried, this game reminds me of [Symphony of the Night](https://www.igdb.com/games/castlevania-symphony-of-the-night). That's one of my favorites, so I'm excited to play more of this. It feels right in all the ways Symphony did.
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# Teardown
|
# Teardown
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The destruction is so cool. Not too sure about the game they've wrapped around it. It's neat, but setting up a route to race out of a level once I start destroying stuff wouldn't be my first choice of activity. I want to take my time and bask in the destruction.
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The destruction is so cool. Not too sure about the game they've wrapped around it. It's neat, but setting up a route to race out of a level once I start destroying stuff wouldn't be my first choice of activity. I want to take my time and bask in the destruction.
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@ -45,29 +45,29 @@ I just finished [Dark Pictures: Little Hope](https://www.igdb.com/games/the-dark
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# Persona 5 Royal
|
# Persona 5 Royal
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Slick, stylish, and beautiful. Tedious and not very fun to play. A soundtrack that parks itself in your head well after the meter runs out.
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Slick, stylish, and beautiful. Tedious and not very fun to play. A soundtrack that parks itself in your head well after the meter runs out.
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# Delta Manifold
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# Delta Manifold
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I wish I liked this one more, but it needs a lot of polish. Some better sign-posting would be nice too. I don't want literal signposts, but I need something more than the game is giving me to tell me what to do next. The levels are just random hallways and rooms connected together with tons of dead-ends. I can't tell if I'm missing something or if someone just banged these out really quick in Unity and left all the parts where they landed. The description on the game's Steam page says it wants to be [Metroid Prime](https://www.igdb.com/games/metroid-prime). I want it to be too, but it's not there yet.
|
I wish I liked this one more, but it needs a lot of polish. Some better sign-posting would be nice too. I don't want literal signposts, but I need something more than the game is giving me to tell me what to do next. The levels are just random hallways and rooms connected together with tons of dead-ends. I can't tell if I'm missing something or if someone just banged these out really quick in Unity and left all the parts where they landed. The description on the game's Steam page says it wants to be [Metroid Prime](https://www.igdb.com/games/metroid-prime). I want it to be too, but it's not there yet.
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# Dread Delusion and Lunacid
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# Dread Delusion and Lunacid
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I'm lumping these together because they're both first-person RPGs that call out [King's Field](https://www.igdb.com/games/king-s-field) as an influence. Dread Delusion has a fun surreal art style but feels a bit more aimless. Both games have you wondering around a fair bit, but I felt the pain of it more in Dread Delusion. Something about the sparseness of the world and the same-ness of the environments I've been going through so far makes me feel this game is the thinner of the two, even though I'm pretty sure it's the one that has been "released" while Lunacid is still in early access. It's cool and I want to play more, but I'm not in love.
|
I'm lumping these together because they're both first-person RPGs that call out [King's Field](https://www.igdb.com/games/king-s-field) as an influence. Dread Delusion has a fun surreal art style but feels a bit more aimless. Both games have you wondering around a fair bit, but I felt the pain of it more in Dread Delusion. Something about the sparseness of the world and the same-ness of the environments I've been going through so far makes me feel this game is the thinner of the two, even though I'm pretty sure it's the one that has been "released" while Lunacid is still in early access. It's cool and I want to play more, but I'm not in love.
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Lunacid feels different. There's something about the darkness of it. Everything is darker. I'm spending a lot of time in tight corridors. It's a lot different from the bright environments of Dread Delusion, and I like it. I feel like I'm really discovering in this game. I'm poking at walls and finding things the game wants me to think I wasn't supposed to find. Yesterday, I found an item that was very surprising, and I'm exciting to see how it fits into this game. When I level up in Dread Delusion, it doesn't really feel like anything has changed. In Lunacid, I feel like my character is actually progressing. There's a lot I'm excited about here.
|
Lunacid feels different. There's something about the darkness of it. Everything is darker. I'm spending a lot of time in tight corridors. It's a lot different from the bright environments of Dread Delusion, and I like it. I feel like I'm really discovering in this game. I'm poking at walls and finding things the game wants me to think I wasn't supposed to find. Yesterday, I found an item that was very surprising, and I'm exciting to see how it fits into this game. When I level up in Dread Delusion, it doesn't really feel like anything has changed. In Lunacid, I feel like my character is actually progressing. There's a lot I'm excited about here.
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# Immortality
|
# Immortality
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|
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I love what this game is in my head, but I'm not sold yet on what it is in reality. Because of the way I play games, I'm scared to death about the prospect of trying to come back to this game in four months when I remember I want to play more of it but _don't_ remember anything that happened in it. I hope the game has a mechanism to ease me back in at that point, but very few games actually do have something like that. When that day comes, I'm probably going to feel like I need to restart... and there's zero chance I actually do that. The anxiety about the way this game will fit into my life fills me with dread even while I've enjoyed my time with the game so far.
|
I love what this game is in my head, but I'm not sold yet on what it is in reality. Because of the way I play games, I'm scared to death about the prospect of trying to come back to this game in four months when I remember I want to play more of it but _don't_ remember anything that happened in it. I hope the game has a mechanism to ease me back in at that point, but very few games actually do have something like that. When that day comes, I'm probably going to feel like I need to restart... and there's zero chance I actually do that. The anxiety about the way this game will fit into my life fills me with dread even while I've enjoyed my time with the game so far.
|
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|
@ -75,13 +75,13 @@ I love what this game is in my head, but I'm not sold yet on what it is in reali
|
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|
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# Haak
|
# Haak
|
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|
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|
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|
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This Metroidvania is just really well executed. Moving around feels great. The unlockable abilities are paced well, and I haven't felt stuck so far. Just a nice experience with fun art and a cute cat helping you find your way, at least in the early parts.
|
This Metroidvania is just really well executed. Moving around feels great. The unlockable abilities are paced well, and I haven't felt stuck so far. Just a nice experience with fun art and a cute cat helping you find your way, at least in the early parts.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Midnight Fight Express
|
# Midnight Fight Express
|
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|
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|
||||||
|
|
||||||
The [Arkham Asylum](https://www.igdb.com/games/batman-arkham-asylum) combat works in an isometric game. I thought this was going to be great, but I think it will be ultimately forgettable. I nearly forgot to include it here!
|
The [Arkham Asylum](https://www.igdb.com/games/batman-arkham-asylum) combat works in an isometric game. I thought this was going to be great, but I think it will be ultimately forgettable. I nearly forgot to include it here!
|
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|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ A flashy action game that's a bit awkward to play. Maybe it would get better if
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Pentiment
|
# Pentiment
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
This is another one that I'm in love with the idea of but not yet the game. I'll give it some more time. I've just played a few minutes at this point.
|
This is another one that I'm in love with the idea of but not yet the game. I'll give it some more time. I've just played a few minutes at this point.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -111,6 +111,6 @@ The worst thing about Phoenotopia is that I can neither pronounce nor spell its
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Betrayal at Club Low
|
# Betrayal at Club Low
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
This one was a surprise. I went in expecting nothing. Actually, based on the... scrappiness of the interface, I expected this to be janky. It isn't. It's simple but polished. It's a point-and-click adventure with some tabletop RPG-style dice-rolling mechanics laid on top. The dice rolling is surprisingly deep. You're allowed two re-rolls per action, and you can select which dice to re-roll. Outcomes on the dice can add other rules as well like allowing you to re-roll opponent dice or swap results with your opponent. The art style is funky. It almost looks like it doesn't all belong together, but it works. If you want something quirky and charming as heck, this is a good choice.
|
This one was a surprise. I went in expecting nothing. Actually, based on the... scrappiness of the interface, I expected this to be janky. It isn't. It's simple but polished. It's a point-and-click adventure with some tabletop RPG-style dice-rolling mechanics laid on top. The dice rolling is surprisingly deep. You're allowed two re-rolls per action, and you can select which dice to re-roll. Outcomes on the dice can add other rules as well like allowing you to re-roll opponent dice or swap results with your opponent. The art style is funky. It almost looks like it doesn't all belong together, but it works. If you want something quirky and charming as heck, this is a good choice.
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ It's hard to overstate the influence of [Minecraft](https://www.igdb.com/games/m
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
You could make a case for plenty of other games being the most influential too. [Super Mario Brothers](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-bros) showed games could be more than just score chases. [Pitfall](https://www.igdb.com/games/pitfall) opened the door for developers not employed by the console maker to make games. [Mario 64](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-64) was the template for 3D platforming. [Rogue](https://www.igdb.com/games/rogue) has a whole modern genre named after it! But in spite of everything these games and Minecraft brought to the table, none of them is the most influential game ever. Instead, that title belongs to another game with Minecraft's pixelly graphics and a first-person perspective. It's a game that, like Minecraft, was PC-first and created incredible longevity by fostering an enthusiastic modding community. It's a game that planted the seeds for some of the innovations Minecraft brought forward.
|
You could make a case for plenty of other games being the most influential too. [Super Mario Brothers](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-bros) showed games could be more than just score chases. [Pitfall](https://www.igdb.com/games/pitfall) opened the door for developers not employed by the console maker to make games. [Mario 64](https://www.igdb.com/games/super-mario-64) was the template for 3D platforming. [Rogue](https://www.igdb.com/games/rogue) has a whole modern genre named after it! But in spite of everything these games and Minecraft brought to the table, none of them is the most influential game ever. Instead, that title belongs to another game with Minecraft's pixelly graphics and a first-person perspective. It's a game that, like Minecraft, was PC-first and created incredible longevity by fostering an enthusiastic modding community. It's a game that planted the seeds for some of the innovations Minecraft brought forward.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
[Quake](https://www.igdb.com/games/quake) was the Minecraft of its day, and its day was about 15 years before the release of Minecraft. Let's take a look at the staggering number of innovations Quake brought gamers in the mid 90s.
|
[Quake](https://www.igdb.com/games/quake) was the Minecraft of its day, and its day was about 15 years before the release of Minecraft. Let's take a look at the staggering number of innovations Quake brought gamers in the mid 90s.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Modding
|
# Modding
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Modding was around before Quake, but it came of age with Quake. Many community map and mod makers were ultimately hired as level designers and game developers. Valve recruited early employees out of the community and brought the team behind Quake mod Team Fortress in-house to build its sequel on Half-Life… which was itself built on the Quake 2 engine.
|
Modding was around before Quake, but it came of age with Quake. Many community map and mod makers were ultimately hired as level designers and game developers. Valve recruited early employees out of the community and brought the team behind Quake mod Team Fortress in-house to build its sequel on Half-Life… which was itself built on the Quake 2 engine.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Since the game included a few demos, you could run your benchmark against one of
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
# Speedrunning
|
# Speedrunning
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Quake’s demo file format was great for watching others compete in deathmatch or capture the flag matches, but it was also used to records speedruns through the game’s levels.
|
Quake’s demo file format was great for watching others compete in deathmatch or capture the flag matches, but it was also used to records speedruns through the game’s levels.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ This was the dawn of the WASD + mouse control scheme that is standard among firs
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Before Quake, multiplayer gameplay on PC required either a game client that could dial up directly to another user’s modem or entering another player’s IP address in the game client. Enter QSpy, a Quake server browser that made it easier to find and connect to multiplayer games.
|
Before Quake, multiplayer gameplay on PC required either a game client that could dial up directly to another user’s modem or entering another player’s IP address in the game client. Enter QSpy, a Quake server browser that made it easier to find and connect to multiplayer games.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Side note: QSpy later became QuakeSpy and then [GameSpy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameSpy), which eventually became an editorial site that operated until 2013.
|
Side note: QSpy later became QuakeSpy and then [GameSpy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameSpy), which eventually became an editorial site that operated until 2013.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
Loading…
Add table
Add a link
Reference in a new issue