Off Topic Discussion Megathread

[Vyrerus]

Fun fact, I've been using The Mighty Mollusk (or some similar variations) as an online handle for a bit over 20 years now. I don't even remember the whole joke it started from anymore.

I've been using Vyre/rus for everything since about 1999.

Kinda funky, some recent author named a character Vyre, and on another forum I got asked if I knew a lot about the book series.

Similarly, from about 2016~2018 I had a rash of people in XIV asking if I was a fan of some streamer who had a story with characters who'd she'd lifted names of FFXI NPCs for, entirely. Naming her own channel/stream persona Aphmau after the third expansion's deuteragonist.

Also got a black metal band from somewhere named VYRE. No questions about that... yet.

Online handles are fun, and I wish modern social media didn't move away from them.

[RicaRuin]

Well, my DualSense decided to break, as in the small spring in the shoulder pad broke and FF XIV permanently thinks I have that corresponding hotbar selected. Now the delay is actually good so I can look into repairs/replacement.

[Illmaeran]

snip
Shame there's no TV accurate Master Grade, but what're ya gonna do.

Have you ever built any Macross/Robotech models before?

Fun fact, I've been using The Mighty Mollusk (or some similar variations) as an online handle for a bit over 20 years now. I don't even remember the whole joke it started from anymore.

I've been using the same mouse pad since 1998. One of the guys in the first online gaming clan I was in had a print shop that could make custom neoprene mats and every so often he'd open up orders for things like mousepads with the clan's logo and such on it. It's seen better days, but is still in the prime of its life. I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted another 20 years.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Have you ever built any Macross/Robotech models before?

A small one, years and years ago. Wasn't very impressed. The transformation made it kinda fiddly and fragile. A larger kit could probably manage better tolerances, but I'm not that into Macross (and I won't buy Robotech because screw Harmony Gold), so I haven't kept up with them since then.

Incidentally, I also can't recommend Kotobukiya's Armored Core kits unless you're willing to put in a lot of work. They're very prone to a lot of very tiny parts that fall off or break if you look at it funny, and the joints don't really hold up over time.

[SturmChurro]

...

A lot of people think I either speak German or Spanish, when they see my username. I mean, I studied German for a bit, and I can understand simple or common phrases, but I definitely can't really understand it. More so, I just have an idea what people mean in German. Spanish, I grew up around my grandmother speaking it a bit, and trying to teach me it, I can understand a decent amount of it, but I also can't speak it. So, it's always fun how disappointed people seem to get. Speaking on that, I have had people trying to insult me in Spanish, but I still can understand more than they think so that's funny as well, I'll just reply to them in English. It's even funnier when when I am on a mic, because I apparently sound very "white". I guess it helps that my grandpa (who I was partly raised by) had a heavy southern accent, and I think I might have picked up a bit of it.

I do have different usernames though, and variations of this one. My ESO account for example: it has a more general username, and all my characters have lore friendly names, because it's Elder Scrolls. I like to do a tiny bit of RP when I play RPGs and Elder Scrolls especially. I have always done lore friendly names for it, and even think of light backstories for my characters. I'm one of those people who actually hates making goof characters, like in Oblivion even.

[Vyrerus]

A lot of people think I either speak German or Spanish, when they see my username. I mean, I studied German for a bit, and I can understand simple or common phrases, but I definitely can't really understand it. More so, I just have an idea what people mean in German. Spanish, I grew up around my grandmother speaking it a bit, and trying to teach me it, I can understand a decent amount of it, but I also can't speak it. So, it's always fun how disappointed people seem to get. Speaking on that, I have had people trying to insult me in Spanish, but I still can understand more than they think so that's funny as well, I'll just reply to them in English. It's even funnier when when I am on a mic, because I apparently sound very "white". I guess it helps that my grandpa (who I was partly raised by) had a heavy southern accent, and I think I might have picked up a bit of it.

I do have different usernames though, and variations of this one. My ESO account for example: it has a more general username, and all my characters have lore friendly names, because it's Elder Scrolls. I like to do a tiny bit of RP when I play RPGs and Elder Scrolls especially. I have always done lore friendly names for it, and even think of light backstories for my characters. I'm one of those people who actually hates making goof characters, like in Oblivion even.

I always play a serious Orc. Though I will admit, my Oblivion orc's appearance was a little goofy. Just his hair, really. Long and neon-teal. I either name my Elder Scrolls characters Vyre or something random that sounds Orcish but probably isn't. Character I'm working on in Skyrim is named Dumaulk.

I got mistaken for being German once by an Italian man on a transatlantic flight to Frankfurt. He tried speaking to me in German, and I barely know any lol.

Also I had an instructor when I was in Naval Nuclear Prototype named Mrs. Sturm. She haaaaated me.

[SturmChurro]

I always play a serious Orc. Though I will admit, my Oblivion orc's appearance was a little goofy. Just his hair, really. Long and neon-teal. I either name my Elder Scrolls characters Vyre or something random that sounds Orcish but probably isn't. Character I'm working on in Skyrim is named Dumaulk.

I got mistaken for being German once by an Italian man on a transatlantic flight to Frankfurt. He tried speaking to me in German, and I barely know any lol.

Also I had an instructor when I was in Naval Nuclear Prototype named Mrs. Sturm. She haaaaated me.

Well, a lot of Americans have German ancestry, especially depending on what part of the country you are from. Probably a pretty honest mistake. I'm actually mostly English, with Irish/English from my dad's side with a hint of German from my great grandmother on my grandpa's side, but I look like my grandmother, who is Spanish. So, ancestry is funny that way.

Yeah, I can't play orcs in Oblivion or Morrowind. Too ugly. Like, I actually can't play what I consider ugly characters in any game I play really, including FFXIV. Orcs are actually one of the strongest races in Skyrim, due to it's passive or racial though. You wouldn't believe how much time I spend researching names for my characters to be lore friendly, I'll spend quite awhile in generators to give me ideas. Nowadays, I just have a set few names I usually use though, since I typically just play the same races anymore. Nords, dunmer, and altmer mostly.

In this game, I never really got into the whole lore friendly thing, and for that matter, I doubt I could afford it anyway, with the amount I have used a fantasia in the past. It'd cost me like.. 30 bucks each fantasia plus name change, if I recall. I know some regulars here actually do that, and I don't know how you all do it, to be honest. Anyway, this name is kind of a trademark on here, I have rarely ever seen anyone with anything similar, heck I've only personally seen a couple with a "churro" name in-game. As far as names based on food are concerned, not many choose it. Funny thing is, I haven't had a churro in probably 10 years now. Yeah, they don't make them like they do in California here...

[Vyrerus]

Churros.

Skyrim really did good on making Berserker Rage actually amazing. Doubles all damage, halves all damage taken for one minute. The amount of times I've used it to utterly end a Dragon or Dragon Priest...

Orcs are kinda ugly, but they also look tough! And weird. I think the orcs in Skyrim are just buff dudes with funny teeth and bumpy noses at this point. Older orcs were way uglier.

I've been able to stand playing something not as visually pleasing as other things if I it has an advantage since Diablo 1. In Diablo 1 on the way down to the 13th level you always come across an enchanted Breastplate. It's classified as the heaviest armor for terms of appearance, and so it makes your character look wicked cool. It only has 20 defense though, and so you should really stick to anything else with higher defense, named Scalemail or something, which by comparison makes your guy look kinda lame.

Watched my brother struggle. He wanted to continue looking cool, in spite of having better armor, so he died repeatedly, and he couldn't beat the Hell levels.

So when I played, I sold the breastplate and opted to use scalemail with 35 defense instead. A few hours later I'm killing Diablo(though by then I'd found Enchanted Gothic Full Plate w/ 54 defense which did make me look cool AF), which made my brother mad but also hopeful. He'd thought the game was going to be impossible to beat, but I beat it, and I was only 7 or so.

My other brother almost can't stand to play male characters if female is an option. Everybody gots their preference.

I pretty much wound up sticking to Orcs in Elder Scrolls for a few reasons.

1) Berserker Rage is <3
2) Except Dark Elves, I don't really like the other Mer.
3) Imperials and Bretons are wienies.
4) It always makes people who ask me what I play in Elder Scrolls turn their head or drop their jaw.

[SturmChurro]

...

Yep, not wanting to wear what you really should be wearing if it looks awful, or doesn't match... it's even worse if you play games in the hardest difficulties.. it's like extra hard difficulty layered over it. I've foregone helmets in SO many games, if there was no hide helmet function, simply because I wanted to see my character's face, or it looked goofy. This even bleeds over into older stuff like Baldur's gate or other crpgs that use portrait systems, I have to have a portrait that looks halfway decent, but also mostly matches what I can broadly make in-game. Custom portraits HAVE TO BE in the same art style as well, or I can't use them. It can get pretty ridiculous for me.. It's why I hugely enjoy glamour like systems in games. If a game doesn't have it, then I will knowingly nerf myself just so I can have either a matching outfit, and/or look good, and I really HATE a lot of RPG game design where the best looking stuff is saved for endgame, and by endgame I mean like you get to use it for about half an hour and then the game is over. Literally worthless.

A lot of people won't play an orc, or don't really look into it, because they don't like what they look like either. I'll play a nord for my warrior builds usually, for their theme mostly, but orcs are just simply better, plus they get immediate access to strongholds. They are just one of the best for that game. The racials are what make races truly standout in something as watered down as Skyrim. In the older games, I literally can't even consider playing one, and I don't think they are even playable in Daggerfall or Arena. Speaking of Daggerfall, and Arena.. I miss the miqo'te-like khajiit! That's one I'd actually consider playing if they looked like that in the later games. Even though they usually make great thief characters. Just not my thing. Altmer are just simply the best pure mages, in all the games, and dunmer I just like thematically - I need to mod some of their features for Skyrim though. Imperial's calm racial is actually kind of strong if used right, bretons are overrated IMO (altmer are better).

Speaking of racials, It's probably for the best they aren't really a thing in this game, with it not being super alt friendly. People can play what they want, and not have to worry too much about min-maxing.

[Vyrerus]

Yep, not wanting to wear what you really should be wearing if it looks awful, or doesn't match... it's even worse if you play games in the hardest difficulties.. it's like extra hard difficulty layered over it. I've foregone helmets in SO many games, if there was no hide helmet function, simply because I wanted to see my character's face, or it looked goofy. This even bleeds over into older stuff like Baldur's gate or other crpgs that use portrait systems, I have to have a portrait that looks halfway decent, but also mostly matches what I can broadly make in-game. Custom portraits HAVE TO BE in the same art style as well, or I can't use them. It can get pretty ridiculous for me.. It's why I hugely enjoy glamour like systems in games. If a game doesn't have it, then I will knowingly nerf myself just so I can have either a matching outfit, and/or look good, and I really HATE a lot of RPG game design where the best looking stuff is saved for endgame, and by endgame I mean like you get to use it for about half an hour and then the game is over. Literally worthless.

A lot of people won't play an orc, or don't really look into it, because they don't like what they look like either. I'll play a nord for my warrior builds usually, for their theme mostly, but orcs are just simply better, plus they get immediate access to strongholds. They are just one of the best for that game. The racials are what make races truly standout in something as watered down as Skyrim. In the older games, I literally can't even consider playing one, and I don't think they are even playable in Daggerfall or Arena. Speaking of Daggerfall, and Arena.. I miss the miqo'te-like khajiit! That's one I'd actually consider playing if they looked like that in the later games. Even though they usually make great thief characters. Just not my thing. Altmer are just simply the best pure mages, in all the games, and dunmer I just like thematically - I need to mod some of their features for Skyrim though. Imperial's calm racial is actually kind of strong if used right, bretons are overrated IMO (altmer are better).

Speaking of racials, It's probably for the best they aren't really a thing in this game, with it not being super alt friendly. People can play what they want, and not have to worry too much about min-maxing.

Orcs are kinda tragic. Their tusks are so big, I think they can't actually kiss T_T Kissing is a good thing!

I do like styled things that look good. Just always kept that lesson from Diablo 1 and my brother in mind. I hate losing more than I hate being ugly.

Yeah in the older Elder Scrolls of Arena and Daggerfall, Orcs were either not present or were enemy monsters. They've come a long way