These two have such a great buddy dynamic we just get to see the beginnings of. I think a sequel about them getting established in the US would be a lot of fun. They're fish-out-of-water characters both figuring out a fresh start (and maybe some redemption from their involvement in the criminal enterprises their life circumstances led them to).
Csongor reconnecting with his brother, Marlon probably starting some kind of business (trying to make it a legitimate one this time while having to navigate the challenges of his checkered past and awkward legal status), some kind of threat from unresolved Russian mob / Chinese intelligence complications, and Csongor navigating trying to start a relationship with Zula who needs safety and stability to recover from everything in Reamde, while helping the friend who saved his life start a new one without getting entangled in more shady dealings).
I doubt Neal would ever write it, but I just thought I'd share and see if it resonated with anyone else who enjoyed Reamde, or likes the idea of a Neal Stephenson "buddy story" in general?
I wonder how much of that is from people playing games on their laptops though. Budget or mid-range laptops are much less likely to have a dedicated GPU (or in mid-range at least not a powerful one), or much RAM.
For people who buy laptop PCs and can only afford one computer purchase every X years, it won't really matter if the Steam Box has better specs. If it's not a laptop it's not an option for them.
You're not going to find an app that doesn't use analytics. It's unreasonable to expect someone to build / run a service for users with no idea how it's actually functioning for them. To any app using Google Analytics, you are only one of hundreds of thousands of anonymous data points; get over yourself or buy a burner phone if you're that concerned about some upstream data broker knowing that ::gasp, shudder, horror:: you were on a dating app and ::shriek, cower, cry:: maybe targeting a romance-related ad to you.
If you can get past that, I'd suggest https://datefirefly.com/ - it's independent and trying to rebuild the old OkCupid kind of experience before Match Group bought OkC and drove it into the ground.
Or if you're in / near a city, try speed dating groups or see if there are matchmaking services with a good reputation.
I love the sound of this. The article itself I found to be a bit of a rambling mess, too full of references and insiderism, but skimming around to get the gist of the game itself it sounds incredible. High-level "God" gaming with grand strategy simulation, that manages to not go totally off the rails because it's so big and detailed you have to work together to keep the system in balance.
And (I think; the article went on a tangent about the game designer's theoretical relationship with their reputation instead of detailing how this actually works) some kind of mechanics that challenges such high power players to reflect on their relationship to that power?
Given the common headaches of finding ~5 people with the schedule compatibility and emotional maturity to make a more standard RPG campaign last, finding a group to play this with feels challenging. But I'd watch the hell out of a well-produced Actual Play of it.
Again, this whole idea that you need to make an argument about the tradeoffs of technology in general in order to make an argument against AI is weak and needless. Do you have a smart phone you use the calculator on sometimes, or do you write out all your long-form division? Is everyone who owns a microwave, uses tax preparation software, or switches to an electric toothbrush just a lazy dumb-dumb in your mind?
When the barriers to access are removed, that’s great
but it dilutes the end game product over all.
AI art is rubbish and it gives you exactly what you ask for.
Cool? Maybe,
This is just talking out of both sides of your mouth trying to sound fair and balanced instead of actually making a good argument. "AI art is rubbish" -- yes!!! We don't need vacuous, hypocritical hot takes on using technology to say that.
Pedantry. "Think less, shut up, accept what the algorithm feeds you from this sub without question" was still the basic gist.
🤷♂️ I'm drinking tea and having a nice day. Sorry you think I'm getting bent out of shape just because I'm critiquing your poorly thought-out comments. 🙂
you’re getting bent out of shape over such an insignificant piece of shit like me, it’s pathetic.
My guy it honestly sounds like you're the one who needs to take a screen break more than I do. Be well.
We all use technology everyday to make our lives easier, but does it?
🙄 Yes. If you disagree with something this obvious, please write me a lengthy letter explaining why and send it by horse & buggy mail carrier. I promise, I'll read and respond just as soon as I'm able.
Do you want people writing books and creating art that have no business writing books or creating art?
🤮🤮🤮 Maybe we should require an intelligence test before allowing people to post their opinions on the internet too? Or have children?
If you actually think that disallowing some people to create art because they aren't "good enough," then you aren't really defending art or artists at all.
"You're using your brain too much, just enjoy the 'hUmOr'" as a defense of this is ironically the funniest thing in this thread.
This is such a weird take.
Oh poor baby, you need a wittle spell check to make sure you don't mess up the words in your important email?
Oh little loser, you gotta have an automatic transmission to make the car go vroom vroom?
Oh Mr. has-a-life, you have to pull out Shazam instead of knowing 8 million songs by heart?
All of us use technology to make our lives easier, to supplement skills we don't want to sink perfectionist-level time into, to enjoy "good enough" results in one area or another.
This kind of holier-than-thou hyperbolic snobbery does nothing to generate actual thoughtful reflection of where to draw the line with technology dependence and only distracts and detracts from actually good critiques of generative AI's ethics and other negative effects. I wish this sub didn't allow low-effort meme posts because it's such a brain rot circle-jerk.
💯 Eating well.