SirVanderhoot

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TROPHY CASE


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    2010

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Indie Game: The Movie will be released June 12th on Steam, iTunes and Direct Download! [x-post from /r/gaming] by VikingMopin Games

[–]SirVanderhoot 1 point2 points ago

Fantastic movie. Really puts game developers (particularly if you're familiar with the three that they focus on) in a new perspective.

Head tracking HL2. Why did this never get implemented? by RandomMonstarin Games

[–]SirVanderhoot 6 points7 points ago

Not much use for it in FPS games. Head tracking is gaining popularity in flight sim and racing sim games, though, for the ability to look around the cockpit/surrounding area while having your controls (in relation to the vehicle) unchanged.

Arma II supports it, though, I believe, so that you can run in one direction and glance behind you and such.

If you want to check it out, Track IR makes a good one. Mounts a little set of reflectors on a baseball hat for head tracking purposes, tracks both head direction and position.

Good example of flight sim Track IR use

/r/movies, what are your favorite movie characters you love to hate? by wa-da-tahin movies

[–]SirVanderhoot 4 points5 points ago

HBO, not a movie, but Joffrey from Game of Thrones.

Pretty much every other major character on that show has redeeming qualities and clear motivations, even if they're just self-serving motivations. But not Joffrey. Maybe it's just this season, but everything he says, everything he does, makes me want to smack the shit out of him. It's not random malice (like a lot of hated villians), it's the unique blend of incompetence, massive ego and undeserved power. His lack of physical size doesn't help things.

Reddit! Lets be excited together. What are you excited for? by thefwordin AskReddit

[–]SirVanderhoot 0 points1 point ago

I'm going to Hawaii tomorrow morning for over a week to visit family I haven't seen in a while, plus I'm going to tell my current employer that I got a new job in a different city so I'll be giving her notice. Oh, and said employer is paying for my relocation so I'm going to have an epic cross-country road trip on (mostly) the company dime.

Feels so good, man. Everything's coming up aces for the past month. This is going to be the best summer ever.

Zero Punctuation : Sniper Elite V2 by LordOfTurtlesin Games

[–]SirVanderhoot 1 point2 points ago

Yup. He was running sideways from me, and I didn't have time to plan for the bullet drop so it landed a bit lower than I was expecting.

I know it's a historical innaccuracy, but the pop-pop was worth it.

TIL Steve Jobs shut down all philanthropic efforts at Apple when he returned to the company in 1997. by 996hurtin todayilearned

[–]SirVanderhoot 4 points5 points ago

Both can be true. It was the right decision at the time, the mistake was not resuming them after Apple... became modern Apple.

Thrifted this duck coat. What does MFA think? by healthfoodin malefashionadvice

[–]SirVanderhoot 1 point2 points ago

After the Duck Pants thread, I have to admit I was a little disappointed in this.

Is there a name for those long sleeve shirts that have a fabric strip on the arm with a button for you to roll up the sleeve and fasten it? by AdmiralBallsackin malefashionadvice

[–]SirVanderhoot 1 point2 points ago

I thought that that was the term for the ones on the top of the shoulder? Is the arm one a separate thing? I have shirts with one but not the other.

Zero Punctuation : Sniper Elite V2 by LordOfTurtlesin Games

[–]SirVanderhoot 4 points5 points ago

I'm playing the full game now, probably 3/4 of the way through if I had to guess.

The mechanics are solid but i agree that the level design often has something to be desired. Counter-snipers in particular are frustrating because you're trying to be sneaky then surprise! You're being shot and if you shoot back then everyone knows where you are.

I did enjoy the noise cover mechanic, and it's always satisfying to shoot two Nazis with one bullet or even shoot the grenade on a Nazi's hip to take out four at once. Kind of few and far between, though, and the stealth sections (I'd say about half the game or so) aren't the best in the genre.

Plus, I killed Hitler by shooting him through both testicles. In slow motion. How awesome is that?

Surreal Gaming: Which games exist that explore the surreal and how do they compare? by eltommonatorin truegaming

[–]SirVanderhoot 6 points7 points ago

The Path is pretty good. You play as one of several versions of Red Riding Hood walking along a path to your grandmother's house, but the game counts on your curiosity taking over, you leaving the path, and getting lost. What things you come into contact with on the way (by the time you find your way to the house) determine what you encounter inside the house, and it can get... weird. Lots of metaphor and subtle sexual and violent themes. Available on Steam these days, old-ish so cheap and will run on pretty much anything.

Most emotionally "touching" level of any game? by tforge13in truegaming

[–]SirVanderhoot 7 points8 points ago

The dream sequences in Max Payne 1 were wonderfully horrific. The callbacks to the game's opening scene still stand as some of the best emotional setpieces I've played.

Surreal Gaming: Which games exist that explore the surreal and how do they compare? by eltommonatorin truegaming

[–]SirVanderhoot 8 points9 points ago

I always say this (because I love it so much) but The Stanley Parable was excellent. Free mod for source, and it's plenty short so there isn't much of a reason to not play it. Just be sure to not read anything about the game beforehand, it's very spoiler-sensitive and the discovery of certain elements is really important to not give away.

Hello from Dallas, moving to Seattle, looking for a place to live by grandnexusin Seattle

[–]SirVanderhoot 1 point2 points ago

Obligitory

Also helped me

I'm in a similar boat as you (planning on moving mid-July). From what I've gathered on here, though, apartments move so quickly in the city it's nearly impossible to get a place beforehand, most people recommend staying somewhere temporary, like a week or two, then just finding a place once you get down here. Apparently apartments will often get put on the market and picked up the day of, so it's not terribly likely that you'll be able to find what you're looking for (long term) from across the country.

What is your favorite video game quote of all time? by nyyindin AskReddit

[–]SirVanderhoot 7 points8 points ago

For Halo, I've always liked "I think I'll try shooting my way out. You know, mix it up a little"

What is the one video game that gave you the most nightmares as a child? by theultimatetkin AskReddit

[–]SirVanderhoot 5 points6 points ago

That, and getting lost in vaults. Nothing worse than thinking "Yup... got what I need, now it's time to get the hell out of here" and being unable to because you got lost. The maps on the Pipboy were useless as well.

The most unusual jobs and their often surprisingly high salaries by DarrenAlbanyin offbeat

[–]SirVanderhoot 7 points8 points ago

Plus I would imagine that it's a lot safer. Underwater welding is apparently one of the more dangerous jobs in the world, I'm not sure 80k is worth the risk.

Came from a guy in class the other day by friedchickenwafflein AdviceAnimals

[–]SirVanderhoot 6 points7 points ago

I'm not insisting on retaining the meaning, I'm saying that the offensive meaning is where the insult started and where it currently is today for the majority of the population. And using the word doesn't automatically make you a bigoted asshole. Like the kids example earlier, if you cause offense accidentally (but still within the correct and modern usage of the word - so no black holes or niggardly) it just gives you the appearance of bigotry, and is something that should have stopped back when you found out the actual meaning and origin of the word.

But you're right, I think we're just talking around each other here. I've had this debate before and I'm sure I'll type something similar in the future, but at some point saying those things tends to insult you more than the person you're trying to insult (as anyone who has cringed at racist relatives knows).

And for what it's worth, I haven't downvoted you. I tend to save my downvotes for terrible writing or blatant assholery, of which you display neither.

Came from a guy in class the other day by friedchickenwafflein AdviceAnimals

[–]SirVanderhoot 6 points7 points ago

But you don't see the collateral damage in choosing a word that directly references a type of person? Choose any other term for a group of people and use it as a disjointed pejorative and it's still offensive to the group, even if you think that the two aren't connected anymore. This isn't a black holes are offensive scenario, as the term started with the offensive definition.

Came from a guy in class the other day by friedchickenwafflein AdviceAnimals

[–]SirVanderhoot 7 points8 points ago

Well, there's kind of two parts to this. One is that there is some inherent.... hostility in using the term as a pejorative. Like using the phrase "Nigger-rigged" for something shoddily built, even if it's divorced from the original use, the fact that that's where the phrase started gives it a particular tinge.

The other point that I'm trying to get at is that there are lots of phrases that are said without malice, but still carry a bad connotation for a lot of people. When a kid says something offensive but doesn't know any better, no one gets super-upset because they just haven't been told that it's not ok to say those kinds of things. And really, that's just something that didn't happen for... what appears to be the majority of this thread. They grew up saying something offensive but didn't know it, and by the time they found out that it was offensive they were grown up. For them there really isn't a connection between the two meanings because they discovered them separately, but it's damn near impossible to deny that the connection exists and that the phrase is still offensive.

Came from a guy in class the other day by friedchickenwafflein AdviceAnimals

[–]SirVanderhoot 19 points20 points ago

I've been over the subject before as well, and it boils down to the fact that you're not seeing the inherent bigotry in using the term as a pejorative. I mean, seriously, think about this argument. "I didn't mean to offend gay people! I just use the pejorative term for homosexuals as a general term for people I don't like! It has nothing to do with sexual orientation, I just like using the word." How can people not see that ignorance isn't an excuse for saying these things? If you're a kid and you grow up saying it disjointed from the homosexual origin, fine, but you need to stop when someone tells you that it's an insult that carries a lot of weight. Kids say all sorts of offensive things without realizing it, and they are quickly taught by their parents what isn't acceptable.

I know most of you must be sick of the prom pictures, but my friends and I did something that might make MFA cringe... by immabluedevilin malefashionadvice

[–]SirVanderhoot 1 point2 points ago

It's prom, that's awesome. A friend and I went in full tails (he had an awesome top hat, though) and I had two other friends who dressed in complementary absurd zoot suits.

If you're going to wear a ridiculous suit, prom is the place to do so.

Moronic Monday - Your weekly stupid questions thread by eric_twingein Fitness

[–]SirVanderhoot 1 point2 points ago

There are a couple ways to do so with minimal mess. If it's in a large chunk, smear a firm streak across both hands then slowly rub your hands together to spread it around. Or, if it's already in small (pea-sized) chunks or a powder you can roll and crush the part in your hands, again rubbing slowly and firmly. The super-fast rub-and-clap thing serves no purpose and only makes an annoyingly smelling mess for others. There are also climbing chalk bags, usually with a ball inside that you squeeze. Meant for climbers more than lifters, they're not as effective IMO as loose chalk.

As much as I DON'T want this remake to happen, I'm interested to see how they handle this guy. by halupkiin movies

[–]SirVanderhoot 0 points1 point ago

•If you are making a submission about a specific movie or actor, name them in your title!

What is the impact speed of 2 identical cars going at 40mph in a head on crash. by Souprin askscience

[–]SirVanderhoot 6 points7 points ago

A good way to think about it is that you have double the energy, but twice as much car to crush, so it cancels out and the damage to each car is the same.

E-Sports: What needs to happen to legitimize and expand competitive gaming? by DyouKnowWhatiMeanin Games

[–]SirVanderhoot 2 points3 points ago

Good point, Tribes is great in many ways (non-hitscan weapons are much easier to see from an outside perspective, and you can usually see the big grabs coming from a few seconds away which makes the camera work easier) but it suffers from the fact that you have a massive team of people who are rarely in the same frame as one another. Unless your caster is a super-human or you get really, really good at camera work, it's going to be very difficult to both keep a thread of the important things that are happening and catch all of the impressive individual moments. It might fare better as an edited program, that way you can be certain to catch every important action at once, or maybe show the coordination in picture-in-picture.

That's one reason why I like SCII for not having most of these problems, because it's rare that there are multiple things going on that you have to pay attention to, as there is normally only one focal point of the game during combat. The rare occasions when this isn't true (a multi-pronged attack, or multiple drops), the fact that the spectator has to flip back and forth (literally the same thing that the player who is pulling off the multi attack is doing) to catch all the action makes the micro all the more impressive. But it's really hard to show two players on the same team doing something equally important and equally impressive when the gamespace doesn't allow you to have them both in the frame at the same time.

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