@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

b4ux1t3

@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io

Software Developer, dad, animal person. Maybe not in that order? #opensource

You'll mostly see me posting about #TTRPG, #GameDev, #Programming / #SoftwareDevelopment (primarily #DotNet, #FSharp, and #FunctionalProgramming, but also lots of others!), #parenting, and a little bit of #Woodworking.

I used to post about #HamRadio over on @b4ux1t3, but now I do that here!

he/him

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. For a complete list of posts, browse on the original instance.

b4ux1t3 , to random
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

I have a bug in my butt.

People (mostly rich people) don't seem to get just how easy it is to make money if you already have money.

If you stick a million dollars in any half-decent money-market account, you will literally make between 20 and 30 thousand dollars a year doing nothing.

If you have a billion dollars in a sane investment portfolio, you could pay for a new someone to live almost their entire life every single year, and still be a billionaire, and that's after taxes. 1/2

Tim_Eagon , (edited ) to random
@Tim_Eagon@dice.camp avatar

So, I watched Game of Thrones to the bitter end and was wondering if House of the Dragon was worth watching.

b4ux1t3 ,
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

@Tim_Eagon I think it's better in some ways, worse in others.

All in all, a worthy watch.

Tim_Eagon , to random
@Tim_Eagon@dice.camp avatar

I've been reading some reviews of Inside Out 2 and critics keep on harping on Pixar's creative decline like Turning Red (one of Pixar's best films), Coco, Lucca, Soul, and Onward (yeah, I'll go to bat for it) didn't come out within the last 10 years. The Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, while unnecessary, we're still pretty entertaining.

b4ux1t3 ,
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

@Tim_Eagon I loved Onward. I even bought the ttrpg they produced for it. It's pretty good!

I cry every time I watch it. I had a decent relationship with my dad (er, have, he's not dead, but as a kid I mean), and the thought of my kids not getting that makes it hit pretty hard.

I don't identify with the kids, but with the mom and dad, and even the step dad, despite that never having been an experience I've had.

Solid movie, good storytelling, rife with TTRPG inspiration. 8/10 in my book.

vampiress , to random
@vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

It always amazes me when I meet someone around my age who genuinely, never used any social media.

HOW DID YOU AVOID IT? WHAT IS YOUR SECRET?

"I guess I just never made a Facebook account.”

What beautiful bliss this life must be.

b4ux1t3 ,
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

@vampiress I can honestly say I don't know anyone my age (mid 30s) who has not at least previously had a social media account, and for most it's multiple accounts.

vampiress , to random
@vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

Good Morning cats 'n kittens.

It's a public holiday here on the biggest landmass in Oceania.

Which means I'm working on Dungeons of Freeport, because I am a terminally creative person.

But I did let myself sleep in! See, ma, I do relax sometimes!

I will post more about my progress throughout the day.

But first: caffeine.

b4ux1t3 ,
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

@vampiress terminally creative is a great way of putting it.

I get antsy if I can't make something for more than a day or so.

I actually like Mondays for that reason; I get to go to work and make shit (even if the shit I make is mundane), and it's relaxing compared to my weekends of...like, housecleaning.

b4ux1t3 , to random
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

Just heard someone touting ChatGPT as a way of generating dungeons for . "They can come up with interesting ideas, but they never feel like there's a cohesive narrative thread."

It's. . .it's almost like they're random. If only there were a way to generate random dungeons in a way that didn't need gigawatts of power.

eyes all of the multitude of roll tables in every TTRPG book ever

Nope, better use ChatGPT.

SJohnRoss , (edited ) to random
@SJohnRoss@dice.camp avatar

I now have a "Solo Journal RPGs" subfolder in my "Solo Gamebooks and Pick-a-Path" subfolder in my "The RPG Library" subfolder.

This to commemorate having made my very first purchase of a commercial solo journaling game.

Fingers crossed. Up 'til now I've only dabbled with some of the lil' freebies.

They were okay, but they didn't rate a FOLDER, if you catch my meaning.

So this is an expression of hope, in the ancient language of hope: the subdirectory.

b4ux1t3 ,
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

@SJohnRoss god, I hope you like it. 😅 I hate the idea of being the reason you wasted money.

b4ux1t3 ,
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

@SJohnRoss a lot of the indie ttrpg space needs some pointers on PDF production. So many indies just release the one PDF they output for printing as their digital copy.

In any case, glad to hear it was enjoyable to read!

vampiress , (edited ) to random
@vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

Despite people often not realising or presuming I -am- Australian, that is a technical fact. Here is a list of the there most insanely Australian things about me. Guess which one is the lie?

  1. I once got charged by a wild wombat.
  2. I once drove a WW2 jeep around some random guy's property.
  3. I was once next to someone who got hit by a boomerang, blood going all over my face.
b4ux1t3 ,
@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

@vampiress I sense a trick question.

I thought being charged by a wombat while throwing a boomerang from a ww2 truck was the rite of passage to be allowed to stay in Australia at 13?

SJohnRoss , to random
@SJohnRoss@dice.camp avatar

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

    •
    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss putting together your normal post topics and this one: "high trust solo RPG" sounds to me like "real life".

    That game blows, the visuals are spectacular but the character creation is opaque and the stats feel made up.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss if you want any recommendations for Journaling games, I've tried quite a few at this point. :D

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss that's more or less how it starts. I found it took a bit of time to get swept up in the world, a few runs of "Oh, that was it?"

    My short list I feel comfortable recommending:

    • Thousand Year Old Vampire
    • The Magus
    • Colostle
    • Apothecaria
    • Delve

    The first two are a little more writing prompt, a little less game.

    The third is a nice meld of game and writing.

    The last two can be either; they can be heavily mechanics-driven or more free form. Depends on your mood, really.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss of them, I think delve might be your best bet; it feels like something you would like, given what I love seen of your posts.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss nah, it's a "map drawing game" about building a Dwarven city.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss I should clarify: it's more like "the map is the journal". It's a "Journaling" game where the artifact is a map and history rather than an actual journal. In the same way that the Magus is boiled down to a directed writing exercise, this is more of a "directed map-making exercise".

    The end maps always feel very... Natural and organic in a way that typical "random" city generators don't.

    It could also just be our tastes in rolo "rpgs" and just don't line up. Nothing wrong with that!

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss there is another from the maker of both delve and apothecaria called "umbra". It's a lot more like delve than like apothecaria.

    I have, unfortunately, not found a lot of speculative fiction, near-future, space opera or cyberpunk (which are generally my favorite settings) solo rpgs. :(

    It seems like they mostly lean heavily on the sort of comfortable fantasy settings that popular non-solo games tend to.

    I'll certainly try to remember to mention them to you if I find any!

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss when I found out apothecaria was made by the same person as delve, I was thoroughly confused. They feel so different that it feels wrong to have them under the same folder in my document manager.

    That...might not necessarily mean it'll match up with what you're looking for, but I would say confidently that they are worlds apart.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss yeah, it's a little different from delve, but still very much in the same vein. Apothecaria? Not even on the same planet. Literally. Ha!

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss hahaha, it's mostly that a lot of your posts are "look at this map, and look, I have (at least) a detail for every single street", and that's actually sort of how I play delve.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss that makes sense!

    It's kind of like how I'm a programmer, and if I were told "Hey, do this game where you manage the dependencies of this software stack", I'd be like "why would I do that when I can apply programming to an actually fun problem?"

    Taste is a weird thing, but especially so when you mix work with play!

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss what I'll never understand is how my wife stands playing "organization" video games when she spends half of the day cleaning things up after the kiddos.

    Tim_Eagon , to random
    @Tim_Eagon@dice.camp avatar

    There's an early contender for my favorite staff member at my wife's new school thanks to a plate of homemade cranberry, chocolate chip cookies (and I don't even really like cranberries).

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @Tim_Eagon Cranberries are only good when done right.

    Putting them in a chocolate chip cookie sounds like a pretty good way of doing it right :)

    Xenograg , to random
    @Xenograg@dice.camp avatar

    How Difficulty Class and the D20 engine ruined roleplaying

    https://mythlands-erce.blogspot.com/2023/10/how-difficulty-class-and-d20-engine.html

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @Xenograg "Lazy GMing ruined roleplaying"

    Not that a GM has any obligation to not be lazy.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Burnout Paradise remastered version on PS4/PS5 is currently going for a mere five Australian dollarydoos digitally if anyone doesn't have it and wants a good time crashing cars in slow motion.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress picked it up on the switch a few months ago.

    It's surprising how well it holds up!

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    I am a helpful director. My actors get nothing but support from me. #IndieFilmmaking

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress I... I am so disappointed.

    A Baal worshipper?! I thought they raised y'all better in the southern hemisphere.

    Everyone knows Asmodaeus is better for internet speeds.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Jesus. Mighty Kingdom being 'rightsized'. What gross corp-speak.

    An official post from Mighty Kingdom, game dev studio based out of Adelaide here in Australia. It partly as follows: (1500 char limit for alt text sucks) Last week Mighty Kingdom advised its people of a strategic rightsizing to streamline our operations and prioritise core business to align with our vision for the future. This has resulted in a restructuring of roles and a 28% reduction in our workforce. This decision is made with heavy hearts and we never wanted to find ourselves in this position and we have exhausted all possible avenues to avert these changes.
    ALT
  • Reply
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    • b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress "we spent three months and untold manhours restructuring the company, instead of using those resources on our core business model. This is a good business decision that has literally never gone wrong for any company ever."

    :/

    hrefna , to random
    @hrefna@hachyderm.io avatar

    Thunderstorm outside and my brain goes "I wonder if the thing about not showering during a thunderstorm is true and, if so, what's the actual injury rate from that?"

    I found a meteorologist who estimated it at 10-20 people through all fixtures per year… but they didn't have any hard data to back that up. Several other experts in various fields who all said it was possible and definitely happened… but outside of a few instances on ships I couldn't (at a glance) find any likely candidates.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @hrefna the way I see it is:

    Even if it's vanishingly unlikely, I can wait until the storm passes to take a shower.

    Doing that definitely won't kill me.

    That's about as superstitious as I get. It's one of those things that, since I can't prove the negative (that it's safe) with available data, why bother risking it?

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    I am exploring submodules in git.

    Pray for me.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress had a conversation with a younger coworker the other day about git submodules.

    "But why not just use a package manager?"

    My response was "I agree, now go back in time to 1995 and invent a package manager for C that doesn't suck, and maybe by 2005 Linus won't feel the need to invent submodules."

    clarkvalentine , to random
    @clarkvalentine@dice.camp avatar

    Among many other things, the ugly messiness of electoral politics in the US was laid bare in the last couple of weeks

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @clarkvalentine While I generally agree, there's a huge line between "not being generally supportive of protesters when it's politically disadvantageous" and "threatening to upend the entire democratic system".

    At least, god damn, I hope there is. . .

    Ailantd , to random
    @Ailantd@mastodon.art avatar

    Artshare!

    #artshare #NoNFT #NoAI

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @Ailantd I like my hashtag better: https://hachyderm.io/@b4ux1t3/112338791456572538

    But that won't stop me from sharing. :D

    #ArtShare

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    I used to be really excited for what the next smart phone would offer. Or the next tablet. Or hell, the next smart watch.

    Not any more. And of course this happens when all technology (or gadgets) become old-hat.

    Thing is there IS new stuff that might be exciting. VR. MR. AR. They haven't hit their stride yet. I SHOULD feel excited to see what happens when they do.

    But I don't.

    Why/? I honestly think is the software. The monetisation. The -companies- themselves.

    The companies selling the new gadgets make me not care.

    No matter how fancy the tech, it won't stop it just straight-up boring me. Even when Apple or even Meta show off something new with a VR headset, I never do more than glance at it for a moment, before browsing away to a different article or video.

    Basically, what I'm saying is: capitalism killed my interest in gadgets and technology, almost entirely.

    I'm more excited by weird $40 open source bits of hardware, despite many using decades old tech.

    So that's what I think I'll focus on. The weird shit. The cool shit. The bizarre re-uses of 8-bit Z80 or 6502 processors. Of cheap e-Ink displays on 2010-vintage microcontrollers.

    Maybe I'll find some joy again there.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress From my perspective, AR has hit its stride, it's just useful and unobtrusive.

    Everytime you use a GPS, you're augmenting reality.

    QR codes, holding your phone up to a sign to translate it, (like it or not) catching Pokémon at the local park, previewing items you want to buy in your house, all things that AR does now and has done for a while.

    It's not flashy and not new, so it doesn't get any attention, but I'd say that "next gen" AR has some big shoes to fill.

    (I really like AR)

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    What if we aren't actually alive, but just ghosts haunting meatsacks? 🧐

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress this is a whole mood, one which I identify way too much with.

    dm_draco , to random
    @dm_draco@dice.camp avatar

    IYKYK

    #ttrpg

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @Tim_Eagon @dm_draco want to know, don't know, sad. :(

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Me: "You know, I don't often use my printer but I'm glad I have it for moments like printing out character sheets to fill in."
    My HP Printer: "lol no, i'm broken now"

    Fuck I hate printers.

    Maybe it's time to bin mine and finally buy one of those 'perfectly fine' Brother printers I keep hearing about.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress Can confirm. Brother printers are perfectly fine.

    Mine has been through quite a few reams now, my only complaint is that the prints often seem kind of washed out, but it may just be the discount toner I buy.

    Just, uh, skip their desktop software. It's very. . .spammy.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    I feel a non-development blog post coming out. About my experiences living in both suburban and inner urban places - and why I passionately love the latter so much.

    Maybe something to write over coffee mid-morning.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress my problem with suburbia is that it's the worst of both worlds.

    You still have to get in a car to go anywhere (at least in the suburbs I've lived in), like the country, and it's still crowded and noisy, like a city.

    You don't get the benefit of closeness and convenience (and, ironically, community) you do in cities, and you don't get the peace, quiet and connection with nature you do in the country.

    Suburbia just sucks.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Friends don't let friends communicate in English pre-coffee.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress even non-verbal communication is a bit much.

    And I swear to Zod, if slack dings....

    SJohnRoss , to random
    @SJohnRoss@dice.camp avatar

    [Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

    •
    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @SJohnRoss I would push back on this, because a map that isn't driven by a story is effectively random noise.

    Even on the scale of a planet, if you just place continents, mountains, etcwhere you please, they're not being informed by potential past geologic events.
    Ike I said, I would push back on this, but who gives a shit, making maps is fun. :)

    RickiTarr , to random
    @RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

    I'm not distracted, I'm on a side quest.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @RickiTarr had a friend who always got lost when she was driving.

    "I'm not lost, I'm exploring!"

    Same mood. :)

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Years ago, on the Early Internet, can't be much past 2000, I remember finding a novel manuscript someone had put on their web site. This pre-dated buying eBooks online.

    Felt a bit like a Graham Greene story, an understated spy drama about someone whose time undercover as an arms dealer in Switzerland was ending, and he couldn't cope with losing the monied lifestyle his job had gotten him used to.

    Can't remember the writer’s name, or the book's name. But it stays in my head regardless.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress here's hoping for a bit of that famous Internet sleuthing to ne put to good use.

    b4ux1t3 , to random
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    I just gotta say this. Maybe it's the eclipse pre-maturely plucking on my mind waves (or... Some other astrological nonsense).

    I love the community on this platform. You're all a bunch of beautiful, weird-ass nerds, and I've never felt more at home, heard, and comfortable than on Mastodon.

    Keep the fediverse weird.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    "Why Utah Is So Weird" is one of Wendover's most interesting videos yet. It’s a look at what makes Utah's politics so outside the norm for the United States. [22m]

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_U_rzlVVdA

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress every Wendover video I watch legitimizes every penny I spend on nebula. Level-headed, well-researched documentaries on anything and, it seems, everything under the sun.

    deinol , to random
    @deinol@dice.camp avatar

    Does anyone have experience with the Dune RPG? I’m not particularly interested in the system or the setting, but I’m curious what their adventures look like. Are there any worth adapting?

    #TTRPG #SciFi #Dune #Adventure

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @deinol honestly, if you're not interested in the setting, there's not much there for you. I find it's kind of specific to the world. But I've also only ever played it once, so take that into consideration.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Today, I venture into truly the most puzzling and difficult-to-escape dungeons: an Ikea store.

    Pray for me.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress I have never simultaneously hated and loved a place more than IKEA.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Why would someone curse their model railroad like this?

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress agreed, N scale for life.

    Oh, someone already made a joke about the scale. Now I'm forced to address the fact that some one actually wants Amazon in their imaginary train-core life.

    vampiress , to random
    @vampiress@eigenmagic.net avatar

    Just hit a new “mmm okay, that's unsettling" moment.

    Thinking of putting a short story of mine I particularly like up on my web site with some others I have on there, but then had this realisation of despite having a robots.txt to block such things in theory... the idea of my stuff getting hoovered up into an illegal LLM database of Content(tm) is so gross.

    Yet... it feels like a fool's errand at this point to even try to stop it?

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @vampiress I have similar feelings, but have come to terms with them using the following logic:

    If you want to share your words with people, there just isn't a better medium than the Internet in general. That it can be hoovered up is a side effect of this property.

    It sucks, but, also, the types of people who I think would want to engage with my work are the ones who wouldn't generally be using a LLM to begin with, so it kind of works out.

    thoughtpunks , to random
    @thoughtpunks@dice.camp avatar

    What's the last game you picked up that blew your mind or had a bit that just instantly made sense to you? What #TTRPG mechanic or bit of advice impressed you? Why is it so good to you?

    #TTRPGThoughts

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @thoughtpunks recently, I picked up a playtest for a solorpg that sets the target number of a d12 roll with a drawn card from a normal playing card deck.

    It's such a simple concept, and could be expanded upon pretty easily. Really spoke to me.

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @thoughtpunks Yeah, I was really impressed by how well it worked, and yet it seems so obvious in hindsight.

    I don't usually like contested rolls, e.g. a d20 against a d20 to see who wins. Even with bonuses it's still basically random; that doesn't represent much.

    Drawing a card here would appear to be the same on the surface, but the suit dictates the kind of action. It isn't just about hitting a TN, knowledge of past draws comes into play. You can "get good" at it. Really neat.

    my_actual_brain , to random
    @my_actual_brain@fosstodon.org avatar

    So, Dungeons & Dragons. Where do I start? I have been interested in learning to play this game for years, but do not know anyone else who does. I found a site called Roll20 which is like an online place for this.

    There are games open to new players, but I do not even know enough to get started. So, can someone recommend a starting place for me to read or a youtube channel to watch before I join my first game? Also, D&D, pathfinder... etc is there a big difference?

    #dnd #d&d #ttrpg

    b4ux1t3 ,
    @b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io avatar

    @slyflourish @my_actual_brain can confirm, sly flourish is pretty great.

    ;)

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