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Cake day: December 20th, 2023

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  • Star Citizen is an insane phenomenon to me. It’s a good game and a massive fraud at the same time, and one fuels the other.

    Let’s give credit where credit is due - the game is incredibly immersive. The massive social element, ability to walk and explore things outside your ships and rovers, to customize them, to create all the inventive ways to make money and to prevent hostiles from doing the same is fascinating. It’s…believable, immersive, real. No other game has nailed it just so accurately, and I would invite you to experience it by yourself, but

    But once the player’s attention is caught, they become a milking cow. You want to develop in game? You have to pay up big time, lest you want all your ships and money go away with an update. They don’t go loud about their wipes, and most players face them when they’ve reached a certain point in the game - at which point they either lose all progress, or start to buy their ships for cash. For, like, hundreds or thousands of dollars per ship.

    While this may sound bollocks to someone who haven’t played it, but the way it is normalized in the community combined with the element of frustration of losing everything in a universe player now cares about really drives folks to spend massive sums on the game.

    Back in the pre-war era, I remember a person from Ukraine (a country with per capita GDP of ~$5000, or 1/16th that of the US) secretly stashing over $1000 to buy a new ship, adding to his ship park of $4000. His family (wife and two kids) haven’t been on a good vacation for years, and this amount of money would allow them to do so several times over in the southern Ukraine, but he bought some virtual ships. No, really. He was a clan leader, so he felt like he had to have all the nicest ships at his disposal, and his only grief was that he couldn’t afford the $8000 and $21000 ship packs.

    The way community psychology works in the game is insane, and I believe a study could be made on how exactly was this all pulled off. Catch with a good premise, and make sure to never let the player go. I’mma be clear - what made me leave the game is not the sudden realization of its predatory practices, but simply the fact my computer started lagging heavily in the new areas, and me not having money to upgrade at the moment. I did consider buying a $400 ship just to have a decent hauler after wipes though, despite myself living in a not-so-rich of a country. Looking back at my Star Citizen experience though, I see how crazy it would be.







  • AllerotoMemes@sopuli.xyzApartments and metros
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    3 days ago

    The wall thickness and heat isolation vary between the places, but it would probably suffice to say they serve their purpose well in the northernmost regions.

    Kitchens are fairly small, washing machines are commonly installed in the bathroom, and dishwashers are normally not used in them.




  • That’s a valid concern; however, there is a clear benefit to making a full ecosystem. End consumers love it and stay with it, and this might contribute to increased adoption of Linux as a whole. At the same time, plenty of people don’t like ecosystems, myself included, and for us the choice is not going away.

    KDE, in my eyes, is in the best shape it’s ever been, and they really can afford to spread development efforts. Besides, new applications bring new developers, which may contribute back to the core.


  • That’s a valid concern; however, there is a clear benefit to making a full ecosystem. End consumers love it and stay with it, and this might contribute to increased adoption of Linux as a whole. At the same time, plenty of people don’t like ecosystems, myself included, and for us the choice is not going away.

    KDE, in my eyes, is in the best shape it’s ever been, and they really can afford to spread development efforts. Besides, new applications bring new developers, which may contribute back to the core.






  • AllerotoMental Health@lemmy.worldWe all need patience
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    8 days ago

    That’s a double-edged sword. Some people with trauma see this as a pass to do whatever and lash out at people etc., which is not great.

    As one good saying went, “It’s not your fault, but sadly it is your responsibility”. Support? Great. Some more understanding? Yes! But carte blanche for everything? No.