I started playing around 2022, so I don't have a point of reference for some of your points. They did overhaul space stations visually, but they are mostly the same functionally system to system. I can't remember if they made multi biome planets because frankly, I rarely land on the same planet twice. Again, they did revamp the appearances of land and water biomes to make them more interesting as well.

To me, No Man's Sky is more about breadth and discovery rather than depth and simulation. I have come back to the game a number of times because of interesting expeditions or the addition of new mechanics like piracy or organic ships.

It's not a game for everyone, and it doesn't do any one thing better than any other game, but it's a great experience if you want a solo space sandbox experience.

I'd also be curious how it scales as you add more contacts. I don't think Signal does presence monitoring, does it?

Just finished S2E9 a few minutes ago. Not gonna lie... the last episode shat the bed. I would have given the show a 10/10 through S2E7. S2E8 wasn't bad, but it set us on the path towards the finale.

I watched Season 1 at least three times. I absolutely love this series (present tense, even now). That's why I am so disappointed in the last episode. I feel like S2E9 was on par with the worst of the CGI-fest 3rd acts that mar so many superhero movies. This act should have wrapped up the Zaun vs Piltover story, where the Noxians played a wildcard third party, but instead we just got a steamroll over the primary conflict of the past 1.5 seasons and this silly Allies vs Robots and Fascists battle with wildly underdeveloped players.

Act 3 was just completely rushed. Vi and Caitlin needed more time to reconnect. Caitlin and Jinx needed more time to earn Caitlin forgiving her. Jinx needed to address her "hero of Zaun" role. Maddie's heel turn was basically there to justify Cait dumping her ass as soon as Vi came back. Vander/Warwick was just there to die again. Heimerdinger was dismissed out of hand. Ekko and Singed had better arcs than S1 set them up for, but they are maybe the only beneficiaries of the last act. Sevika got the absolute fucking shaft. God damn.

The last 20 minutes of the episode were absolutely maddening. Shoehorning that scene in with Jinx sacrificing herself to save Vi who had suddenly lost all parkour and self-preservation instincts? Fuck. They felt so disconnected from everything else that the show had set up. That last council scene with Zaun reprsentatives at the table felt as unearned as Daenarys' turn in the Game of Thrones finale. It is really mind boggling to me that it was part of the same show that I had enjoyed so much up to that point.

Yeah, I bought mine in 2019 back when Musk just seemed like a dorky edgelord. I'm definitely not going to buy a new car just because Tesla's CEO is a tool, though when I AM ready, it's certainly not going to be another Tesla.

Okay, as someone who has been to a number of kink events, I'll ask, what would you consider sexual? I've seen people go heavy into sub space with zero genital stimulation. The subs I see generally play naked, but it's more about the psychological aspect of being exposed/removing barriers rather than tittilation.

Whether those subs would argue their experience was sexual or not? I think that really depends on the sub.

Corrupted Blood taught us that we needed to add the vital "I'm a malicious/selfish asshole" variable to our calculations.

Those state races were the only solace I could find on election night. The GOP candidate for AG was the guy who wrote the bathroom bill that caused so much pain and pushback years ago. I was sure he would try to take a page out of Ken Paxton's playbook and politicize the fuck out of his office.

I'm sorry that the redistricting sent Jeff Jackson (the state AG-elect) home from US Congress, but he'll do a ton of good in his new role just from not being Dan Bishop.

Especially considering the samples were exposed to supergravity as the plane came out of its dive. I feel like that would mostly invalidate whatever they were hoping to find.

Also, why do they dismiss asking ISS staff to participate in studies? Bodily autonomy doesn't mean you can't ask someone to conduct .. uh... research with you. It just means you have to respect it they say no. Astronauts seem like the types who wouldn't mind putting in a little extra effort for... science.

Or how to identify misinformation when you've got two or more rival nations flooding their feeds with bullshit

Is Pedro Pascal generally pretty jacked? I remember him looking buff for Game of Thrones and he's probably getting into Marvel fit for the F4 movie, but it seems like he leans more towards trim or dad bod, depending on the role. I'm thinking of Last of Us or maybe the second Kingsman movie.

Man, I wish that was the case at places I worked at. My last company would give you stipends for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Try to spend that stipend at a convenience store because you don't eat breakfast and just want some coffee and a snack for later? Screw you, we're deducting from your paycheck for that.

I had a coworker who got caught on the wrong side of that policy. Since then, he'd always max out his stipend at every meal. Apps, desserts, etc. He'd get a second entree just to take back to his hotel as long as it wouldn't put him over the limit.

He probably cost the company hundreds extra because they wouldn't reimburse him for a bag of chips one time.

Yes, doubly funny because he would star in the Martian in a very similar role the year after Interstellar came out

I felt so defeated when I went to pick up some medication last night which was $100 instead of $60 which it had been the previous month. I asked if there were any coupons available and the pharmacist said that was AFTER the coupon price. $100 for 15 pills.

I've been paying out of pocket for this med for years since my insurance company determined I had reached the "lifetime benefit limit" for that drug. I submitted an appeal earlier this year and was shut down. I've talked to my doctor about alternative drugs, and he said pretty much all the rest have significant side effects.

And after this week's elections, I'm sure it's only going to get worse over the next four (or more) years.

Seems like a good move for everyone. If you like the Civ series and have wondered if there was a decent fantasy or sci-fi version, Endless Legend and Endless Space 1 or 2 have you covered, respectively.

Good catch. I was drunk when I wrote that comment on my phone. Either I misread the release date or I mistyped it.

Meh, the best way to play RDR was back in May 2014 2010 on an Xbox 360.

Remake RDR1 in the sequel's engine you lazy bastards.

An improperly wall-mounted LCD isn't a huge falling threat unless there's a child or pet under it though.

I would expect most injuries from tube tvs would be muscle related from lifting them, with the occasional severe shock from those who were brave enough to open them up for repairs but not smart enough to discharge them properly.

You beat me to it, because I was looking for evidence to support the dick pics thing. I can't find any source I would be comfortable vouching for. Just a grain of salt there.

That pic was taken at the Dorton arena in Raleigh. I used to go there as a kid to watch minor league hockey games. Now it's used for livestock shows and the like.

Dunno about TN, but in NC, a Weapon of Mass Destruction is a legal term referring to anything designed to harm more than one person simultaneously.

This led, for example, to a local headline about a man holding up a bank with a WMD because he used a sawn-off shotgun.