The Bridge - 2017-11-16 (page 3 of 4)

« first day (2681 days earlier) ← previous day next day → last day (2359 days later) »

Kevin van der Velden

4:00 PM

@Yuuki I especially don't want to be taped to the ceiling at the LAN party I go to every year. That's like 20 meters up!

@KevinvanderVelden So what you're saying is that you have a high skill ceiling?

@StrixVaria "skill ceiling" is "increasing skill above this limit won't make you any better with this character, because you're at the limits of what they can do". "skill floor" is "decreasing skill below this limit won't make you any worse with this character, because you're already completely ineffective". They're symmetric.

@ToxicFrog Right, so a high skill floor means easy to play.

Perhaps we should just call "skill floor" "barrier to entry"?

@StrixVaria that's the exact opposite of what I just wrote?

High barrier to entry = hard to play.

4:01 PM

Yes.

I'm for that terminology.

High skill floor = easy to play.

Kevin van der Velden

@Yuuki no, it just has a high ceiling

@Maximillian The dinosaur's a T-rex, eats you all, he passes the skill check.

And skill ceiling can be "stop hacking".

Okay, RTS

Are they high or low skill floor?

4:02 PM

Overwatch | The Hardest Hero? Skill Ceiling/Floor Discussion

High skill floor == you must be at least this skilled to play this character effectively.

@ToxicFrog No, that's barrier to entry.

@StrixVaria ... Why did I see Roadhog for a second on that thumbnail?

High skill floor == this character will carry your low skill and be at least this effective despite your badness.

@StrixVaria right, what I'm saying is that skill floor and barrier to entry are, in common usage, synonymous

4:02 PM

@ToxicFrog But that's wrong.

That's like how everyone uses "comprise" backwards.

And perhaps we should just use "barrier to entry" everywhere because the Overwatch community appears to have gotten the meaning of "skill floor" backwards

I mean, it's right in the sense of descriptive grammar but it still doesn't make any sense.

Overwatch terminology has a high barrier to entry.

@ToxicFrog This is the definition I knew/used before Overwatch was even an idea in Blizzard's studio.

@StrixVaria and this the definition I knew and used since the mid-90s, sooooo

4:04 PM

I cannot intuitively wrap my head around the LoL definition of skill floor.

If someone can explain how a high skill floor intuitively means hard to play, please do.

So you're saying skill floor as in the lowest skill you can appear to have, not the lowest skill you need

6 mins ago, by StrixVaria

If the ceiling is the limit on how good the best possible player can be with a character, then the floor is the limit on how bad the worst possible player can be with that character.

@StrixVaria You have to be high up to even get to the floor

@Ronan that's how it's used in Overwatch, yeah -- a "high skill floor" character is one that will be highly effective even in the hands of an unskilled player

Whereas elsewhere "high skill floor" means "you must be at least this skilled to use this character"

@StrixVaria Yeah I know what you're both saying, just trying to say it in a different way

4:06 PM

It should really just be effectiveness floor

@StrixVaria Yeah, okay, that kinda makes sense.

High effectiveness floor = Lucio

But only when described in that manner.

Ok, I propose new terminology: (a) use "barrier to entry" instead of LoL skill floor; (b) use "effectiveness floor" and "effectiveness ceiling" instead of Overwatch skill floor/ceiling; (c) stop using "skill floor" and "skill ceiling" at all; (d) bury this conversation at a crossroads with a stake through its heart.

"With a high skill ceiling character, as you increase in skill, your effectiveness with that character increases."
"With a low skill ceiling character, as you increase in skill, your effectiveness is capped (and can't go higher)."
"With a low skill floor character, as you decrease in skill, your effectiveness with that character decreases."
"With a high skill floor character, as you decrease in skill, your effectiveness is capped (and can't go lower)."

The ceiling/floor block changes in effectiveness based on skill.

At some point.

4:08 PM

So hitting a low skill ceiling, no matter how good you are, the game mechanics limits your maximum performance?

@Maximillian Yes.

For example Torbjorn.

Turret placement is somewhat skill based, but the performance of the turret is completely up to the AI script.

Yeah, there's still room for skill to matter.

But not as much as with Genji, for example.

I'm with @ToxicFrog though

I'd never heard the other definition until recently

:|

Just because that's the one you've heard doesn't mean that's the one that makes logical sense.

4:11 PM

But in your definitions it's not capping the skill, it's capping the effectiveness, so it's a floor/ceiling on effectiveness rather than skill.

Kevin van der Velden

I'm going to open mspaint now

3

The effectiveness is a function of skill, the ceiling/floor are where skill stops being a factor.

So it's the ceiling/floor of where skill matters.

I've seen skill ceiling / floor used when discussing fighting game character tiers.

So you can get more skilled, but not more effective.

Kevin van der Velden

user image

4:13 PM

I see what you're saying, and yes it is an effectiveness ceiling/floor as well.

It can't be both

Kevin van der Velden

There, a graphical representation of why everyone but @StrixVaria seems to be wrong

@DanmakuGrazer They are directly proportional to each other aside from where effectiveness is capped, so yes it can.

With your definition, skill isn't capped, but effectiveness is

But skill is effectively capped because more skill is irrelevant past the ceiling.

4:14 PM

So it makes sense to call it an effectiveness room

@KevinvanderVelden I like you.

Your skill can go beyond the ceiling, but the game mechanics don't actually benefit from it.

@KevinvanderVelden This doesn't change anything

Kevin van der Velden

@DanmakuGrazer it explains why calling an easy to pick up character a low skill floor* character is wrong

"Difference the player can make" is in regards to effectiveness

Kevin van der Velden

4:15 PM

Cause a lower floor means the player matters more

Not skill

So a character with a higher floor can shoehorn a terrible player into some kind of minimum performance.

You're actually not selling your skill but your skill power

@Maximillian Yes.

And the height of the room has no effect on the floor's and ceiling's height

4:16 PM

Lucio is the go-to example because he can heal people merely by existing.

Even an awful torb player that puts a turret down, still has a turret that does exactly what it is designed to do.

@DanmakuGrazer This is true. Two characters' rooms can be the same height but have different height floors/ceilings relative to each other.

@KevinvanderVelden This can be both a low floor skill/low floor ceiling and high floor skill/high skill ceiling so it doesn't help visualize anything

16 mins ago, by StrixVaria

Overwatch | The Hardest Hero? Skill Ceiling/Floor Discussion

we must imagine Sisyphus happy and also as an otter https://t.co/NORUgPbniH

Tweeted by existentialcoms on November 15, 2017 at 10:30 PM

Kevin van der Velden

4:18 PM

@DanmakuGrazer indeed it can, that is part of the point =p

cc @Ash

It is time for me to not be in chat arguing over this anymore, since I am actually at work.

This conversation went pretty much exactly how I imagined it.

And that's why this topic needs to be banned

> 1. it must be remembered that this was written over fifty years ago... - Translator

heh so even this translation is extremely public domain

@StrixVaria Which is how you know you're wrong

4:30 PM

yeah, published 1902, copyright 1902, good lord

-1

Q: Does the server closure for ModNation Racers affect user-generated content?

As most of you already know, Sony closed the online servers for ModNation Racers: Road Trip for Vita, so there is no online multiplayer for it. Does anyone know if this affects user-generated content? That is, will you still be able to download karts or maps or is it all gone for good?

mod-nation-racers-road-trip

0

Q: Pattern of upgrades Clash Royale

I was wondering if there was an algorithm or pattern to how much health/damage/minion level is gained per level up. For example, a level 7 cannon will have 616HP and deal 105DMG per shot. But a level 9 will have 742HP and deal 127DMG per shot. Is there a statistical increase between these value...

5:04 PM

0

Q: Which actions get counted towards your APM in Starcraft 2?

I have keybinds that, for example, will move my screen to a set location. If my keybind is 2 buttons, will I gain +2 actions whenever I press it? What about consecutive actions? Overall, what actions get counted towards your APM in Starcraft 2?

0

Q: What Does Buying an Insurgent from Warstock Require?

So I'm planning on buying an Insurgent from GTA online's war-stock, but I'm concerned because I don"t have a bunker or anything. Will I still be able to use the insurgent even if I don't have a bunker / hanger / high end apartment / not a CEO / not a president / no lockup?

grand-theft-auto-5 gta-online

@Lazers2.0 as far as I understand this would be one action

Jude Law is going to be Dumbledore?

Kevin van der Velden

5:26 PM

Ooh! The horror teddy plush with mile long feet is being sold in the dutchlands :o

@KevinvanderVelden I should buy one if they're sold in turkey

@MBraedley How arrogant of you. No. I knew that the conversation would go this way because people are set in their ways regardless of logical evidence to the contrary. I suppose arguing with you in particular is a waste of my time, though.

Kevin van der Velden

So apparently this snackbar has chips, and fresh chips

I don't know what that means, does that mean that they sell the day old chips as well?

Maybe?

Jimmy John's sells day old bread

@StrixVaria No, it's not that we're set in our ways, it's using the definitions that have been prevalent in other areas for years. Decades or centuries even.

user15026

5:40 PM

@Unionhawk This was delightful

@MBraedley My argument is not that your definition isn't in use. It's that my definition is logically accurate and yours is not. I'm not going to single-handedly change usage patterns, but I'm not wrong either.

I understand the logic of your argument. I disagree with the naming because it doesn't make sense. You're not measuring skill that way, you're measuring effectiveness.

Anyway I'm done with you.

Congrats on being my first ignore since I became a mod.

jeez

are we really arguing over "skill floor" vs "skill ceiling"

come on

@StrixVaria Don't be an asshole. I post a single snarky remark at the end of a conversation that I barely participated in.

5:43 PM

I don't care if people disagree with me. You can believe whatever you want. I have a history with this user in particular trolling me for my opinions, not even on the bridge.

Kevin van der Velden

@quartata no, we're arguing about floor. They are two distinct if related concepts =p

@StrixVaria I take issue with the notion that I'm trolling you for your opinions because when I challenge your opinions it's because (shock) I actually disagree with them or at the very least don't fully understand them and want to have a discussion about them.

I don't hold an opposing view in order to troll, I hold an opposing view because that's what I believe.

Not that you're listening to me anyways.

WAIT WHAT

REDDIT GOT CHATS?

oh it only works with people you follow? what

It's not terrible but IDK how I feel about having this on the corner of my Reddit Experience:tm:

6:09 PM

Reddit is not for interacting with people. It's for expressing an opinion to find out how wrong you are!

@Maximillian I thought it was to find out how right you are

@StrixVaria Okay, I'm just going to say that it's a bit much that you're calling @MBraedley arrogant for what I interpreted as a flippant joke when I remember that you opened this discussion with calling people wrong.

With no history between us, it wouldn't have been.

@DanmakuGrazer see? you're already expressing your opinion to find how wrong you are.

reddit is more about echo chambers and reposts. and raiding echo chambers, and having your echo chamber raided. and reposting. and memes. and that one broken arm guy (why did I remember that aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)

@StrixVaria I'm concerned because as far as I can recall I have a history of disagreeing with you on a number of things. I don't want to be accused of trolling when I haven't been.

6:16 PM

@Yuuki It's very much about tone. I have no ill will for you.

My conversations (from my point of view) with this user have been strained for some time.

From the conversation above, even though almost everyone disagreed with me, I didn't find anyone's tone but one person's to be arrogant about it.

I'm not going to spend time going over it with a fine-tooth comb to try to explain why.

I've made it, guys. Someone made a GIF out of me!!!!! https://t.co/uMXtOZ174L

Tweeted by becsully on October 24, 2015 at 2:39 AM

I don't care if you disagree with me, I care about how you do it, I suppose. I may be a hypocrite in this regard. I will try to improve.

Hue

Sorry, did I hue into an argument

cc @GodEmperorDune

@cazc_941 Looking at context, HamStare.

@Yuuki she's a producer for NPR too which is funny

Apparently the correct answer was 'bleeding hearts'

6:22 PM

@Yuuki what's the context

@cazc_941 Would "Pinko commie" have been acceptable?

Is that a flower?

Never heard of the bleeding heart flower either tho

> Jeopardy contestant answers "Pansy" in response to question about the political left.

@Yuuki I'm missing some deeper context probably

@cazc_941 Nah, "Pinko" is a reference to old school union-busting private detectives, IIRC.

And commies are commies.

6:25 PM

Oh. I'm not sure what that means but cool

Oh, never mind.

> The term has its origins in the notion that pink is a lighter shade of red, a color associated with communism.

Ouu

I was confused because "pinkos" was also a slang term for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which was a private agency that investigated unions and worked to undermine them back in the early 1900s.

@Avery something about a name for a flower which is also a disparaging term for left wing activists. Pretty savage shot fired on live tv lol

Yeah Pinkerton Communists would be super counterrevolutionary

Like, contradictory

6:28 PM

Pinkerton (detective agency)

Pinkerton, founded as the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, is a private security guard and detective agency established in the United States by Allan Pinkerton in 1850 and currently a subsidiary of Securitas AB. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired Pinkerton agents for his personal security during the Civil War. Pinkerton's agents performed services ranging from security guarding to private military contracting work. Pinkerton was the largest private law enforcement organization in the world at the height...

Lol securitas owns them??

@cazc_941 xd lmao the left is dumb xd

That company is garbage

@Unionhawk I think it's funny when both sides do it

I did training with securitas to be a security guard but thankfully I never actually applied for the license

@Yuuki Wait what the shit they still exist

Told you, securitas is garbage

6:30 PM

The Pinkertons have been garbage since 1850 tbh

@Unionhawk A company that's been as big as Pinkerton has been never dies.

@StrixVaria Look, I'm sorry I came off as arrogant, it wasn't my intention, and I know I've been part of conversations that have become strained in the past. But I'm failing to see any other recent conversations (within the last three years) I had with you that ended like that. Again, I'm sorry I offended you and/or hurt your feelings.

@Unionhawk Although back then, they were garbage for different reasons.

I mean sure

Union busting is done by state legislatures these days

Anyway it's literally just a funny gif of somebody being inappropriate on live television

Which is always enjoyable

6:37 PM

I've always thought that "bleeding heart" was a weird insult. Having compassion for other people is a bad thing?

Yeah idk I wouldn't have got that either

Kevin van der Velden

@Yuuki looks at american republican party Yesss? According to some... people

@Yuuki caring about people is for people who care about things

@MBraedley I've cooled down a bit. I sincerely apologize for singling you out. I will put all of this in the past if you will, and I will use "barrier to entry" from now on instead of the ambiguous "skill floor".

I get too heated in arguments, which is why I've tried to mostly avoid them since ITG.

@StrixVaria Thank you. I look forward to using unambiguous terminology with you in the future :P

6:44 PM

I will just take this as a reminder to let things go.

@MBraedley 👍

@StrixVaria Probably the worst time to make a Frozen joke.

@StrixVaria I do too, sometimes, and the vagaries of tone on the internet often don't help.

-2

Q: is there a place online where I can download steam without the setup, straight from the download?

When I try to download steam, there is always a setup, and This asks for an administrator. I am not the administrator on my computer, and the administrator does not want me to have steam(I have asked) but I can download certian files without an administrator, but anything that has a setup I canno...

steam technical-issues

Kevin van der Velden

@Lazers2.0 let me guess, 10 years old

6:49 PM

It also doesn't help I was going back and forth from the lab, and missed out on a bunch of the conversation to begin with.

Kevin van der Velden

Clearly you should just stay here and chat instead

Never log off

Always be online

@Avery andI just spent last 35 minutes going over the broken arm guy's ama again, and I'm still reading it.

why am i like this

Kevin van der Velden

Insufficient estrogen

Deep-seated masochistic tendencies?

Kevin van der Velden

6:52 PM

Of course, you're already fixing that

Lack of cheese?

@ToxicFrog oh it's no secret that I'm a masochist

but yes I should consume more cheese.

@KevinvanderVelden yup, I am.

Can it be home time now so I can read more Oathbringer? Time, please elapse faster for the next hour or so.

Kevin van der Velden

WAIT WAIT WAIT

THAT IS OUT?

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME?

@KevinvanderVelden Came out Tuesday.

I'm like 200-ish pages in (out of 1250...).

6:57 PM

@StrixVaria No, sit down and eat your Bojack first

Kevin van der Velden

@StrixVaria it will be delivered tomorrow

@fredley I read on the train and I watch Bojack at home.

@KevinvanderVelden Had you pre-ordered it or did you just order it now and have it overnighted?

Kevin van der Velden

@StrixVaria "have it overnighted" implies that that isn't the default

Orders on Amazon in the US are 2 days by default.

Kevin van der Velden

Which it is, order before 23:59 and it's here tomorrow =p

6:59 PM

@StrixVaria with prime, I think

Yeah, with prime.

Kevin van der Velden

Also free shipping

"free" in that you paid for prime

I actually went to a bookstore on Tuesday to pick it up because Amazon wasn't going to have it here until tomorrow even though I ordered it back in April.

This reminds me, I need to refill my e-reader when I get home.

Kevin van der Velden

Amazon isn't a thing here

This is bol.com which is free same day shipping on orders over 20 euro

7:00 PM

I've run out of Brust and am using Evil is a Matter of Perspective as a stopgap but that won't last long.

@KevinvanderVelden really? I thought Amazon was all over the EU

Almost every physical object I buy is from Amazon.

Kevin van der Velden

It is apparently now a thing here! I have not heard of anyone actually using it

@KevinvanderVelden Do you read books like that in English or do you get the translation?

-3

Q: Is there any way to morph two worlds in minecraft?

Me and my brotherthought it would be really cool if we coulld combine our two worlds.

Kevin van der Velden

7:01 PM

@StrixVaria English

The only books I have in dutch are those that were written in dutch, by a dutch person

I've been reading through Harry Potter in German and it's insanely difficult to read in not my native language.

Hmm. I think I'm done with Kittens Game. I've reached the point where the only ways to progress are paragon (lots of resets) or markers (leaving it idling for weeks to build up alicorns).

I guess you probably have a lot more practice with English than I do with German though.

Kevin van der Velden

When did you start learning german?

@KevinvanderVelden ~10 years ago, but my practice has been sporadic.

Kevin van der Velden

7:04 PM

I was playing games in english... probably at the latest at 10 years old

TV in english (with subtitles) probably earlier

Yeah, it's easier to immerse yourself in English than pretty much any other language.

I switched Overwatch to German for like 5 minutes once and then realized all the ult callouts were done by different voice actors and most even had different lines and then I switched it back.

That was a fun one game of having no idea what was happening at any time.

Kevin van der Velden

Dutch amazon seems to be only books

@KevinvanderVelden Amazon here started as only books.

Kevin van der Velden

Hmmm, maybe even only ebooks?

Yeah it seems to be solely a digital store

I think the Moira patch just went live

Kevin van der Velden

7:06 PM

WAIT THE FIFTH DEMON CYCLE IS OUT?

Demon Cycle?

Kevin van der Velden

@ToxicFrog goodreads.com/series/46817-demon-cycle

@Sterno Yep

@ToxicFrog You shouldn't read that.

Kevin van der Velden

Warded/painted man and the others

@StrixVaria how come?

7:07 PM

Hold on, let me pull up my Goodreads review to quote from it.

@KevinvanderVelden oh I vaguely remember hearing about that, but I don't remember what I heard, which probably means it didn't sound particularly interesting

@StrixVaria I've determined that I have too many books, and need to get rid of some before buying more.

Kevin van der Velden

It is pretty clearly preachy regarding religions of course

> I do believe Rojer is the worst character ever to have appeared in a novel. Has he made a single decision for himself in the entirety of this series yet? Whenever he's on screen, whether from his point of view or not, he drags the scene down. His mere presence is a miasma on reading enjoyment. I don't know that he's even redeemable at this point. Hopefully he is cored early next book to make room for more interesting characters to fill the pages.

Leesha is a few steps up from Rojer, which puts her merely at "insufferable" rather than the worst character in all of literature. She reminds …

Arlen and Jardir are interesting. When they're on screen, things move along and I enjoy myself.

Kevin van der Velden

Did you also not like wheel of time?

7:10 PM

I did not like Wheel of Time.

So I actually may go back and try book 3 of Demon Cycle at some point.

Because the overall story is interesting and I really, really like Jardir's character.

But I have to mentally prepare myself to deal with the fact that about half the pages in the book are going to be excruciating.

I've also been reading that series, and I just finished the fifth book. I thought it was pretty enjoyable overall

Kevin van der Velden

Rojer gets pretty cool

And then [spoilers]

Also the reviews for Book 2 mostly said "I hated the part with Jardir, but then it got good in the second half" and my review was "I wish the whole book was about Jardir."

so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm 7 books (out of 16) into Realm of the Elderlings right now and I'm absolutely loving it so that's going to continue to take up most of my reading time for a while.

-3

Q: What's wrong with my deck?

This is my Clash Royale deck: It isn't working very well for me. I often find myself defenseless against tanks, and starving for elixir when I need to defend. What's wrong with my deck? Or am I not playing it well?

I just finished all of the Vlad Taltos books, and now I'm kind of wobbling around aimlessly looking for something else to read.

7:18 PM

@ToxicFrog What kind of fantasy do you like? I'm not familiar with Vlad Taltos.

@StrixVaria they're more heist-y/intrigue-y, with the occasional brief dip into fate-of-the-world stuff; a human assassin working for !elven organized crime betrays the Organization and goes on the run, while occasionally being roped into the plots that all the world-shaking superwizards are doing offscreen.

The books alternate (more or less) between books set during and after his falling out with the organization and "flashback" books looking at his life in the organization, i.e. they are not published in chronological order and each book is a more or less self-contained story (but does assume you've read the previous books to get all the references)

That sounds pretty interesting actually.

I'd read the first 9 before, but it's up to book 15 (of a planned 19) now, so I did a reread of the whole thing from the beginning over the past two weeks.

Realm of the Elderlings is a strange mix of "here's this guy's day to day life" and "the fate of the world is at stake" but in a passive, non-imminent kind of way, without much in the middle.

The characters are all very good, though. It's hard for me to pitch it in a way that doesn't sound boring.

(and having reread it, Orca remains one of my favourites and I think Hawk is my new all-series favourite, and Jhereg has moved down a bit in my estimation; the roughness of the early books is more apparent than it was the first time I read the series)

Elderlings is Margaret Ogden/Robin Hobb, right?

I read some her stuff and really didn't like it :/

It was well-written but an awful lot of it seemed to be "wow, look at how relentlessly shitty this guy's life is" and I don't really find that enjoyable.

7:28 PM

@ToxicFrog Yes.

@ToxicFrog Yes, there's a lot of this. The first 3 books were a huge step down in quality from where it started going in book 4.

I actually almost gave up on the whole thing in book 3, but I'm glad @Wipqozn convinced me to continue.

nods

If I feel like revisiting I'll skip straight to The Liveship Traders, then

Yes.

And yeah, if that description sounds interesting I'd encourage you to check out the Taltos books. They're short, fun reads and the first three are available in an inexpensive omnibus (The Book of Jhereg)

The more I read other stuff, the more juvenile I find Sanderson's stuff. Still enjoyable, but not like "serious writing".

@ToxicFrog I added it to my long backlog to try out someday.

(he's also written a five-book prequel, the Khaavren Romances, which is brilliantly parodying Dumas throughout)

7:32 PM

I also have Malazan and The Book of the New Sun on my "to read after Elderlings" list, as they've both been described to me as incredible but dense and obtuse.

And I can't really do more than one really dense thing in parallel.

nods

After getting through Elantris, I just couldn't see myself getting into more of his work.

Taltos is a good antidote to "dense and obtuse", since each book is about 150-200 pages long and while there's a lot of depth if you go looking for it, it's not necessary to enjoy the books :D

Book of the New Sun is still in my queue.

@ToxicFrog Cool, I might give it a try sooner rather than later, then.

Malazan I read once to the point where I ran out of books, then once it was finished tried to reread and didn't even get to the point where I ran out of books the first time. :/

7:34 PM

I think I just got my first 'as designed' defect

neat

closing things as other than 'fixed'

or 'duplicate defect'

I like to read one book in the "main" series I'm working on (Elderlings right now) and then one book to kind of reset my palate (which happens to be Oathbringer right now but this is an exceptional case).

Kevin van der Velden

Anyone got any good boardgame suggestions?

Eli Monpress books actually might be worth looking into.

They're a good combination of "heist" and "fate of the world".

@StrixVaria I read all five of those, loved the shit out of them, and they're due for a reread next year

@ToxicFrog I struggled in books 2-3 but book 5 was so good.

It was worth going through the others.

7:37 PM

Yeah.

As is often the case, the middle books are the weakest

But she absolutely sticks the ending.

Yeah, a really good ending is a rare thing.

I didn't like the Paradox trilogy as much, but it was enjoyable, and I haven't started reading Heartstrikers because she hasn't finished writing it yet.

nods

Alright endings are common. Endings that make me go "that was fantastic and worth every word I read to get here" are a lot rarer.

And then in a category by himself is Stephen King.

Who hasn't seemed to have heard of the concept of endings.

My go-to for spectacularly bad endings will always be Neal Stephenson

The only book I've read by him is Snow Crash and I don't plan to read more.

7:40 PM

(with a dishonourable mention for David Brin)

Have you read any Jemisin? I really enjoyed Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which stands alone well enough and you don't have to read the sequels.

Oh, duh, the Divine Cities series.

CC @Wipqozn

@StrixVaria his books are, I find, both highly variable in quality and extremely divisive, but one common factor is that they always go completely off the rails at the end no matter how good they were up until then.

@KevinvanderVelden how many people and how expensive?

I recommended Divine Cities to @Wipqozn and he read all 3 in a week or something silly.

I haven't read THTK but I did read the Fifth Season trilogy and it was fantastic.

7:42 PM

@ToxicFrog The first book I read by Stephen King was Insomnia, where nothing is solved but the main character enters an alternate dimension and talks to a giant fish the end.

Kevin van der Velden

@Maximillian usually around 6? Preferably around 60 euros (or less ofc)?

@ToxicFrog I read that as well, and didn't like it as much as Inheritance (THTK trilogy) overall.

Settlers of Catan with 5-6 player addon. Betrayal At House On The Hill is also good for six.

Kevin van der Velden

I have both of those \o/ :D

Widows Walk expansion for the latter adds new life to it.

yes, they made an expansion 12 years later.

Kevin van der Velden

7:43 PM

I have that one as well :D

Hummmmm.

@StrixVaria conversely, while I haven't read THTK most of the people I know who have liked Fifth Season a great deal more

I'll probably get around to THTK at some point

If you want something you can talk over without having to think too much, Carcassone. Ah, no that seats 5 tops.

@ToxicFrog Yeah, I got that from reading the reviews of each, but I just didn't really connect with Fifth Season.

Kill Dr. Lucky

Kevin van der Velden

7:44 PM

@Maximillian ... also have that >> =p

It didn't feel so much like a story as it did like a weird historical account.

There was a layer of detachment because of how it was told.

Pandemic

Kevin van der Velden

Also great, friend of mine has that

I may have a lot of board games, I may also have given quite a few

@ToxicFrog The Library at Mount Char is a really nice stand-alone book.

@StrixVaria my gold standard for "not a story, a weird historical account" will always be Glen Cook's Dread Empire series

which is weird and detached af

Kevin van der Velden

7:46 PM

Oh, kill doctor lucky sounds good

Mount Char is also in my queue! maybe I should read that next.

user15026

@ToxicFrog I need to read this at some point

@ToxicFrog This is long and based on your description probably something I should avoid.

Scythe, but it's a touch pricey. Alt history WW1 Russian factions squabble for control over Tesla's factory.

user15026

but I think the last time I thought about reading it I couldn't find a copy

7:47 PM

I also quite hated Prince of Thorns and Lord Foul's Bane

A coworker recommended Lord Foul's Bane and after I read it I found out it was a prank on me.

Terraforming Mars would be one more good recommendation.

user15026

@ToxicFrog I couldn't stand the Paradox books

I think I might get a OnePlus 5t 🤔

@BlueBarren hm, what's the difference of that and an OP5?

18:9 screen, Touch ID is on the back, dial app thing

Sounds like all the internals are the same

They changed how the camera works apparently too

I mean it’s not like I have an OP5, I’d be going from an iPhone 6 to an OP5t

« first day (2681 days earlier) ← previous day next day → last day (2359 days later) »

Transcript for

Nov '1716

The Bridge

General Arqade Chat. We tried to leave once, but the door lock...

--gaming jin-fanclub lazers murder -politics -stars

join this room
about this room

00:00

06:00

12:00

18:00

all times are UTC

site design / logo © 2024 Stack Exchange Inc; legal

mobile