Off Topic Discussion Megathread

[Vyrerus]

Consequences Matter: Thomas Sowell

[TheMightyMollusk]

My spouse and I were at the Beast in Black show in Cambridge and a bunch of people had phones, so I checked Youtube, and lo and behold, found a couple of uploads. (No, we're not visible in either video.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOH-d7FVu3E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7nrH1EFt60

[OgruMogru]

Starfield and a kitkat <3

[TheMightyMollusk]

Ending 3 down. Woof, that was brutal.

By rejecting both the corporations and the Rubiconians, the third path sides with ALLMIND, the mercenary support AI network.....which intends to use the Coral to assimilate humanity into its collective consciousness. That's bad.

Oh, and the Simulated Arena battles? That was ALLMIND using you to learn new tactics. Way to go, Raven!

So everything goes to hell, ALLMIND hijacks all of the non-piloted drones and slaughters everyone, then decides that since the player won't be assimilated, they need to die. While ALLMIND also calls up the mind of recurring boss Iguazu for an extra edge.

Final boss starts with ALLMIND Iguazu's super AC, alongside four more ACs, in a wide-open battlefield with no noteworthy cover. Get past that, and they ditch that AC for and even bigger and stronger one, while also calling up two of the Sea Spider boss (in its second form, because of course) for backup (Ayre shows up in an AC to back you up, but honestly, she isn't a lot of help). Get past that, and Iguazu hijacks ALLMIND and goes apeshit (and disables Ayre's AC) for a climactic showdown. Overall, a long, grueling ordeal, that I eventually passed after multiple attempts with one single AP and very little ammo left.

And then the final ending, Alea Iacta Est. Latin for "The die is cast". With ALLMIND shutting down, Ayre releases the Coral to merge with humanity, without taking away their free will like ALLMIND intended, pushing both species forward into the unknowable future. It took me a minute to realize......

......It's the Synthesis ending from Mass Effect 3. All life is forced to evolve, without knowledge or consent. It's framed as the golden solution, as if it were inevitable once humanity found the Coral, but....I dunno. Feels weird.

Overall I think I liked the second ending better. For one thing, Rusty lived.

[DiaDeem]

So.. what even is healthy to eat? I decided to make myself a large batch of rice I could come back to instead of frying so much stuff, but then the internet says rice can lead to diabetes???

What am I supposed to eat only carrots and lettuce?

[Renalt]

So.. what even is healthy to eat? I decided to make myself a large batch of rice I could come back to instead of frying so much stuff, but then the internet says rice can lead to diabetes???

What am I supposed to eat only carrots and lettuce?

Have you tried Photosynthesis?

[DiaDeem]

Have you tried Photosynthesis?

I mean.. one of my OCs is actually kindanotreally part plant

[TheMightyMollusk]

So.. what even is healthy to eat? I decided to make myself a large batch of rice I could come back to instead of frying so much stuff, but then the internet says rice can lead to diabetes???

What am I supposed to eat only carrots and lettuce?

Yes.

Reject modernity.

Return to bnuuy.

[Renalt]

Yes.

Reject modernity.

Return to bnuuy.

Yes. Mao would be pleased that her larder can be a bit more full.

[Larirawiel]

Cheers