Annnnd ...
Kudos to Mr. Biden for doing the right thing.
He just saved a 100.000 lives, even if some of the saved are too far gone to notice.

No spineless GOP would have faced the backlash and imperiled their treasured follower's vote, the only think they care about.
Their well being is of no consequence to them as 45 proved time and again.

How's that blue pill tasting? Nothing like a little more government control to help it go down. So what about those 97-99.75% of those who've already had it and recovered without any issues? Nobody seems to want to talk about them. Oh, they have. And, honestly, there's no way anyone's making money off of all these little vials of liquid salvation? Any sane person knows you should always follow the money.

BTW, isn't this a gaming website to talk about games and the gaming industry? Why does politics have to become a daily thing from self-proclaimed "experts"? (who just so happen to comment at all hours of the day. There's a correlation between too much free time and well being, you say?) There are soooo many other websites you can spew your self-informed righteousness (and I'm talking both sides of the aisle here). Blues is pretty much the only site I go to everyday, mostly so I can try to escape all that bs.

In the meantime, here's a thought: maybe step away from your weaponized keyboard, get some fresh air outside of your echo chamber, and actually meet some people who believe something different than you. Have an actual conversation. It's amazing how wrong your mass generalizations will actually be. Some of my best friends have very differing views on a lot of things, but we've learned that a) politics isn't everything (even though every news media outlet wants you to think so) and b) we still fully respect each other opinions and viewpoints as we've all come from very different walks of life. I mean, do you even know why someone doesn't want to get the vaccine? Have you asked them, personally, face-to-face? I guess it's just so much easier to vocally hate on people you've never actually met.

I think to add to the 'toy soldiers' feel they should have added a fluid plastic base under each soldier's model so it morphed under their feet while they ran. They just look like little people instead of the actual toy soldiers I expected to see.

I will state, I've never played the original game before so take my opinion as much as it's really worth.

I got it on GoG when it was on sale. I started three campaigns; the first was a starter which it just throws you right in and I failed miserably, the second I did a little better and failed miserably, and the third got a few steps further along then failed miserably.

It's very depressing to play. It doesn't seem like any decision you make comes with any positive results, just the least worst decision. The difficulty increases quickly through the campaign and even though it forces you to spin a lot of plates at once right off the bat, I could never seem to keep up with the demands. I probably didn't play it right or it just wasn't for me.

I may try again when the sun finally decides to come out from behind clouds after the 10th straight day of rain or it just may force me into a corner, curled up, and sobbing.

Apple M1 destroys Intel and AMD in newly-released benchmarks.

And triggered rants in 3....2....1....

I dig the style and on sale for only $12. May have to give it a go this weekend.

Listening to the rattling and creaking from the rover, I started wondering if Perserverence was B.O.B.

aka_STEVE wrote on Mar 17, 2021, 13:59:
I haven't bought either of the expansions/ DLC's ..., mostly because I was disappointed with how much platform-jumping there was in the game & with how it wasn't as fun to play when you were running/ gunning because the entire thing was more of a concentrated effort of resource management .
Anyone who has played it knows what I mean. Monster #1 takes gun X to kill, so i can get resource B , then switch to skill Y to get health, so I can pick gun C to take out Monster #2 properly , then grenade group of monsters #3 to get x,y,z ,..etc...etc...
I just wanted to run around shooting hordes of demons... but it is like serious work trying to do everything in the right order in this game. I end up more stressed out after playing than I was before I wanted to sit down / play/ & unwind.

I was the same, really like Doom 2016 so I was excited for DE. I lost interest after 8-10 hours of playing and haven't picked it back up. Couldn't quite figured why I was struggling with it but I think it's similar to what you're saying. There were several enemy spawn points where it felt like I was running and gunning for what seemed like 20 minutes; just kept respawning and respawning... I do enjoy a good brawl, but by the time I was done I was too tired from the non-stop frenzy I lost interest to continue progressing.

Maybe my age is starting to show where mental endurance is becoming a factor, or I just plain suck at games now.

Cram wrote on Feb 25, 2021, 21:34:
Was hoping his 3rd Alice game would happen.

I don’t replay many games but both Alice games I’ve played through multiple times. Just liked the vibe and story line. When I saw the Cheshire Cat for the first time in the first game’s teaser trailer I was pretty much sold at that point.

Having a third installment would have rounded out the story nicely.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Feb 12, 2021, 08:56:

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 22:56:
Dude, you're right, we won't meet in the middle because you're not going to budge...

You've utterly failed in this discussion and you will continue to fail in further discussions until you understand how negotiations work. As someone claiming to have a successful business, I find it difficult to believe that you're unaware of negotiable and non-negotiable clauses which must balance to achieve a successful negotiation.

I had no intention of changing minds, my goal was to bring my perspective to what's going on which I believe I have done so with the hope that someone else may gain some perspective of their own. If this was lost on you, then it was not my failure, but yours.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 22:30:

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 19:39:
Have you actually ever heard someone say that or are you projecting?

Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have gone out of my way to type it. It and the standard variation of "Billy's parents should just work harder" bullshit. Guess where that bullshit came from? "Conservatives". The same "conservatives" who preach about the sanctity of life...so long as it only applies to the unborn.

Also, you might want to look deeply within before you accuse others of projecting or, perhaps, get to know them a bit better before you make asinine statements. But you do you. Also, learn your logical fallacies. As Beamer pointed out, that could have been construed as a strawman...if I hadn't actually heard it said with my own fucking ears.

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 19:39:
In regards to health care, do I believe it's a right to be given free healthcare for everyone? No, I don't.

Then you and I would have no common ground to meet on, thus making it impossible to "meet in the middle" anywhere. I find it to be a moral requirement that the sick, injured, and dying are cared for regardless of their ability to pay while also not being hounded in to destitution or medical bankruptcy for seeking out care. Do you think the stories about people dying from being able to afford insulin, for example, are just a clever trick dreamed up by the media? Or the stories about people doing caravans to Canada to buy it in bulk where it is ridiculously less expensive and can be bought over the counter? The same formulations (i.e. Lantus, Novolog, etc.) that are prohibitively expensive and out of reach here in the States?

ACA was always hot garbage but it was the Republicans who poisoned the well so badly that nothing truly effective would come out of the attempt. However, that is no excuse to throw up our hands and say "It's impossible" when literally every other first world nation has figured it out to varying degrees and posseses a functional national healthcare service.

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 19:39:
Here, I'll throw a few more tidbits about me: I'm not white, I'm hispanic; married, father of two. I graduated Summa Cum Laude after dropping out of school after 1.5 years of a failed college experience (1.2 gpa) and went back to finish my degree after working odd-and-end dead-end jobs. I now have built and own a successful business for 15 years now.

Cool. I'm a Caltech burnout and dropout who started my first business at 14. Do we need to stand up so people can clap for us or are we just supposed to stand around patting ourselves on the back? All of that was self-aggrandizing and pointless in the context of the current discussion.

Dude, you're right, we won't meet in the middle because you're not going to budge, but keep blaming everyone else. Bad thing? Republicans! It's the evil, greedy, REPUBLICANS!!! Sorry I don't believe you that someone told you that "Billy can die". Can I prove it, of course not, but if they did, you should know better than to base millions of people off of one single person's opinion. Don't be so dense and close-minded.

Bottom line, I don't trust the government to control the health of the nation, they can't even control their spending...

Caltech burnout/dropout? Ok, good job but so much for having an actual discussion. Did you learn the art of conversation and debate at your time in school? I guess you be you, too. (which is one of the dumbest thing I ever hear people say)

Mr. Tact wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 20:05:
I'll take you at your word on that. I know those kinds of situations did happen to some people.

I'm not part of a "some", there were a lot of people it happened to. Fortunately for you it worked in your favor, for a lot of us, it did not. So....

Also, they reported the numbers for the amount of people who signed up but little was said about the amount of people who couldn't even afford pay the first month; it was astounding.

Don't have the time to go down this road, introducing my 12-year-old to Stranger Things for the first time, S1E3 right now. So if you excuse me....

Burrito of Peace wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 18:38:
My last example is healthcare. If someone says to me "It sucks little Bobby's parents can't afford insulin. He can just die." Then I know I will never reach the fundamental start of a resolution when it comes to the health, healthcare, and wellbeing of my fellow man with that individual. It's the anathema of common decency.

Have you actually ever heard someone say that or are you projecting? In regards to health care, do I believe it's a right to be given free healthcare for everyone? No, I don't. Does someone have the right to have access to health care, yes. No discrimination, yet the "affordable" part starts getting iffy as to what's considered "affordable" to whom. Prior to the AHCA, we paid $750 / month for a family of four where we only went to the doctor once, maybe twice a year; we've done our best to maintain a healthy lifestyle (eating, exercise, etc). Afterwards, it shot up to $1400 / month for the same coverage. Yeah, we "liked our plan" and "we could keep our plan" but forget about buying food anymore. It was basically a tax hike that we had no control over and got penalized when we couldn't afford it. We basically had to reduce our plan to the absolute lowest coverage we could possibly get which was basically no coverage at all but still had to pay $850 / month.

1) Do you believe, as Gina does, that Trump lost the election because of voter fraud? If so, what actual evidence do you have that supports that?
2) What sources do you use that are reliable - meaning that they at a minium fact check their information and they offer corrections when they're wrong. Do you stop believing those sources when you find out that their facts are sometimes wrong and they don't correct themselves when they discover so? Or would you choose to continue to follow those news sources even knowing that they willingly provide factualy incorrect information?

1) no I don't believe there was voter fraud, but would it surprise me that there was, sure. Just like what was accused in 2016 just the opposite way. But I'm not whining about it. I have not denounced Biden as president and I won't be a "Never-Biden" because he was elected, time to move on; I've got a business to run. Hasn't this already been settled? Why is this still a thing? Honestly kind of surprised it's still being brought up.

2) To be completely honest, I don't pay attention to national media as the bias is excruciatingly painful to watch. My wife will watch a little more national coverage so I am exposed to it. I will randomly look at CNN, NYT, Fox, WaPo, MSNBC, NPR, BBC if a major story breaks to get the wide range of exposure which is why I see the bias because everyone has so many different takes on the same event because pandering. What I mostly watch is local news since it directly affects me more.

I think what wears me out the most is the lack of what we're doing now. I opened myself up for questions, made myself vulnerable to everyone so I'll be curious the amount of retribution I'll incur. (OMG, YoU aCtUaLLy wAtCH FoX tO bE beTtER iNforMeD oN aLL aNgLeS?!?) Hopefully more will be willing to do the same. With that said, you only know me about the two questions I've answered but can you really know me and the opinions I make based on a few posts on Blues? You either need to walk a mile in my shoes OR have some semblance of respect that my opinions are built upon 40+ years of experience living on this earth and I may know a thing or two. Just as I respect that your opinions are based on your life and I have no right to look down upon them. I just hope we can all do the same...

Here, I'll throw a few more tidbits about me: I'm not white, I'm hispanic; married, father of two. I graduated Summa Cum Laude after dropping out of school after 1.5 years of a failed college experience (1.2 gpa) and went back to finish my degree after working odd-and-end dead-end jobs. I now have built and own a successful business for 15 years now.

Bodolza wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 18:19:
Something else I've been seeing a lot of lately from conservatives online is claiming victimhood for their beliefs, but as soon as those beliefs are questioned by someone, they disappear from the conversation. It's hard to have an actual discussion about what you believe if only one side is willing to participate.

That's a strange things to state and leave it at that. Do you actually have questions? Or are you using this as a way to "call people out"? Honestly, I don't hear many sincere questions around here, mostly a lot of out-of-context deflection and the overabundant use of "strawman"; almost like it's Life's Word of the Year.

Verno wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 17:12:

Opinions are nothing special and people latch onto their own too much as if holding one automatically makes them immune to criticism. I think more people should probably start having this attitude if we want to reverse the decline of our nation and make no mistake, we are in decline due to this polarization.

Completely and wholeheartedly agree, it will require a meeting in the middle meaning both sides need to be willing to have enough courage to understand one another. IMO, if anything needs to be defunded, it's the major news networks/entertainment industry (that line is getting blurred between the two these days) if we're talking about people thinking their opinion means more than what it really is.

Verno wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 17:12:

Also let's all move away from labels - for example calling people ignorant is not going to move a discussion anywhere productive.

Ignorance is not a label, it's a lack of understanding. I know I'm ignorant about a number of things but I know better than to start shouting loudly as if I'm the expert. This nation is polarized because of an extreme talent for ignorance who, as a result, belittle and then pile on. This mindset is exactly what Gina Carano is speaking of.

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

wow, does history have a tendency to repeat itself. The rest of that quote is incredibly disturbing....

Mr. Tact wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 16:30:

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 16:19:
Honestly, the amount of hatred I've seen just on this board alone the past four years for anyone who voted for Trump; makes me truly question the future of the human race. Where's all that unity I keep hearing everyone wants? I guess it's just easier to remove the differing opinion than actually hear why half of the US doesn't think like you.

To repeat:

Mr. Tact wrote on Jan 9, 2021, 22:57:
Hey, I do what I can. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I completely understand why people voted for Trump in 2016. Most people pay far less attention to politics than I do. Most people are busy living their lives, paying their bills, they don't know jack shit about politics -- they know they don't and that's fine with them. They didn't know Trump was a charlatan, who lies like a rug, who cares as much about the working man as he does mud on the bottom of his shoe. They listened to Fox, Rush, Hannity, and the rest of it and believed.

But if after four years of what Trump has said and done, you still believe he deserves your vote -- you're lost to me. You clearly have no connection with reality. Yes, I believe over 75 million US citizens have no connection with reality, in politics. Do I believe they should be gunned down? Of course not. However their ignorance is weighing this country down. And frankly, I don't have a lot of concern for them. Maybe that makes me a horrible person. So be it.

So what office do you hold in Washington? I'd be curious to know the source of your raw, untampered, unbiased information you receive that isn't fed to you. From what I've seen, people find the news network they agree with and tether themselves to it. There's bias everywhere for the need of the mighty click. Unless you are personally witness to every conversation, every press conference, you will be fed biased information. Context is everything and the news knows this.

Just because you don't believe people shouldn't be gunned down doesn't mean you think any less of them and in the next breath question whether you're a horrible person. The world has been full of ignorance, everywhere, just like you're ignorant about the opinions of the opposite side. You're just assuming based on your belief system that if someone doesn't vote for the Democratic party, they're weighing the country down. Sounds pretty ignorant to me.

Mr. Tact wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 14:34:

Cutter wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 14:20:
Is she pro-Trump?

Which doesn't directly make her "pro-Trump", but it certainly indicates her separation from reality -- generally a prerequisite for being "pro-Trump".

She didn't say who she voted for but Hollywood doesn't allow for such a thing as an acting conservative. Seriously, why is that?

Honestly, the amount of hatred I've seen just on this board alone the past four years for anyone who voted for Trump; makes me truly question the future of the human race. Where's all that unity I keep hearing everyone wants? I guess it's just easier to remove the differing opinion than actually hear why half of the US doesn't think like you.

Regardless, if any of you actually put the words you've said here into any kind of action... The Nazi's just decided to make that goosestep and you're cowarding behind your keyboards; your mindsets are still the same. How do you convince a nation to commit mass murder? Make them believe the others are not or lesser-than human and don't deserve to share the same planet. Gosh, that all sounds really familiar from the party of love and unity.

Haven't played the first Tomb Raiders in a long time so this will be fun to revisit.

I do particularly like the line item: "Adjustements of the body shape of Lara for something a little bit more realistic". All it needs is an *ahem* between the 'more' and 'realistic'. At least, that's how I read it.

It was pretty fun, up until that damn ice island.

Same. Had to look on a website to see what they said to do since you can't just go anywhere and realized there's really only one way up and it's very winding all the way around until you reach some of the discovered zones so you can fast travel. It was annoying just the first time up and then once I got to the top, I could hit all the side quests by gliding down from a fast travel points hitting the vaults first since those become points once beaten.

the puzzles that involve a lot of platforming. They can be a little annoying.

Yeah, I agree. I got to the point I was hoping a Vault was a more simple battle vault instead of all the platforming. Once I got the Herakles heavy lifting and the Phosphor clone godly power, that helped a lot since I could just grab a heavy block and if I just needed a light weight, I could just clone on it and I'd be on my way. Made some of the more infuriating puzzles a bit easier.

I'm up to the point of fighting Typhon but going through buffing myself to make things a little easier. Getting Ambrosia and Zeus Lightning to get my health and stamina higher. And working on maxing out armor. I use the axe and arrows more than I do the sword. Also trying to find the legendary mounts as well, some are pretty sweet looking.

I will say I've worked pretty hard on a vault, especially to get the chest within, and pretty disappointed when I get a visual weapon as opposed to something new. It is a really great game though, got it on sale at Best Buy and surprised it hasn't gotten much more love. Maybe the strange name is a deterrent.

With that said $40 for a DLC is a bit steep when I got the game for $25 so not sure I'm going to get that just yet. Hopefully it will go on sale at some point.

Same with LN1, though I never finish it. I'm finding out I'm a hard sell on completing games these days. Too many other things to compete with and if the game doesn't truly capture me within a few hours, I rarely go back to it. It's also pretty disheartening when my kids are better at video games than I am now. Circle of life...