Potatomache

I mean, AI can be used to design a lot of robust yet efficient structures. In engineering and architecture, with enough data, AI can generate designs for buildings, and parts that are not only sturdy but can be built with less resources along with other design considerations. There’s a really cool nasa video where competitors are trying to 3D print structures for habitation in space.

AI is also used in medicine to come up with new protein structures to create new medicine. It’s also used in environmental sciences, to help predict earthquakes or monitor land use, etc.

There’s a lot of practical uses for AI.

Base building games sound like they could work for you, Terraria, Frostpunk, Don’t Starve. If you want something even chiller, you could go for games like Stardew Valley or My Time at Portia.

Yup. I never used any of the apps (always opened reddit through my mobile browser) so I wasn’t affected that way. I am sympathetic to all the issues brought up, and I do really like the fediverse, but I don’t think the users are here yet.

I like going to reddit to read about opinions or someone more knowledgeable than me talk about things. I find there’s a lack of discussions in the fediverse at the moment for me, and maybe that’s due to me having to curate my experience more. I don’t know. But for now, yes, I still use it.

I think it very much depends on the type of games you play. Some microtransactions or DLCs aren’t just cosmetic.

I don’t remember which game had mounts and extra inventory space as microtransactions, but they exist, and sure, they’re optional, but it still kinda sucks that a player has to either grind for hours for rare RNG loot or just shell out 20$ for something that would make the game run better.

Single-player games aren’t immune to this either. I still remember the fuck up that was Mass Effect 3’s Day 1 DLC. Bioware insisted the character on the DLC was optional but many, including myself, felt that a character who represented a race that has been at the core of the series was absolutely necessary, and that his removal from the base game was a simple act of greed. Especially since he was ready to be played at the onset.

I wait for deep sales now. That usually comes with the downside that the game isn’t as hyped up or commonplace, but on the flipside, it’s been patched and surely someone on the internet has fixes to any issues that may arise.

I do buy into monetization sometimes, but I tend to budget it very tightly and only go for cheap skins, or novelty gacha characters.

The combat’s a little clunkier and needs a more tactical approach (especially on higher difficulties), but once you get used to it, it can get pretty addictive. It’s the only game in the series where you can get to the nitty gritty details of the AI on the companions: where you can specify which health percentage they should heal at, which enemy to prioritize, or when they should do x if y happens.

Story-wise, the game is solid. You can really tell that they took great care in mapping out all the different choices you can make, and how those meaningfully branch out into different story lines. The companions are beautifully written and have reactions that ring true to their characterization.

Personally, I thought DA:I was a big game that felt empty. It had the combat polish and the beautiful vistas, but not the depth of story and character that I hoped for.

So if you can tolerate the clumsy gameplay, and a slow start, I definitely recommend DA:O.

Agreed. I think the closest one would be Garrus actually, but even then, there was a gap.

One thing I will say about DA:O that I think they did better than ME, was how some romantic interests would take initiative towards the player, which I found surprising and caught me off guard. It helped build the illusion that the characters were their own person, and thus the relationship between player character and them was more genuine.

I like romance in video games when they’re well done. Mass Effect had some hit or misses but I like the potential it showed in this aspect. I wish they treated all the potential love interest with the same care and attention they did Liara though (I went for Thane and his romance path in ME3 was… meh). I think OG Bioware did a pretty decent job with romance. Dragon Age: Origins was also fantastic in this regard.

I have yet to scratch that romance itch with other games. I’ve tried it with Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Pathfinder: Kingmaker. They don’t quite land as deeply. I’m hoping the newest Baldur’s Gate will have an interesting romance aspect.

I think genuine and thoughtful discussion takes a lot more effort than shit posting, and when you mix that with a karma system that encourages one-upmanship and a few echo chambers, it can get toxic real quick.