araquen

Queen ’39

https://youtu.be/kE8kGMfXaFU

"In the year of ’39

Came a ship in from the blue

The Volunteers came home that day, and they bring good news

Of a world so newly born

Though their hearts so heavily weight

For the Earth is old and grey

Little darling, we’ll away but my love this cannot be

For so many years are gone

Though I’m older but a year

Your mother’s eyes from your eyes cry to me”

The reality of deep space travel.

Yeah. I was fine with Blizzard, since they had always developed natively for the Mac. I have to say that I was surprised to find that SE at least tried with their Wine port of FFXIV, and pleasantly surprised when they actually updated to the M chip.

That said, it is huge that Apple licensed the source code of Crossover from Codeweavers. I believe that the end result is basically going to be a game-specific “Rosetta for Windows” in which PC games will run seamlessly on a Mac (like FFXIV does), probably needing only an installer. And last I heard, MS was in talks with Apple regarding whatever gaming platform MS has - and it would absolutely be in MS best interested to tout “our platform [whatever this platform is, I am not deeply versed in the gaming scene] runs on Macs, so we’re not a monopoly."

Very true, but Microsoft doesn’t need any of them. And none of them are going to take a “demotion” to be a working executive - to off they toddle to ruin different companies (which is the life of Board members, flitting from Board to Board like human STDs in a pre-penicillin orgy). And Microsoft is big enough to put layers between their own disease and Blizzard - more like Vivaldi. Blizzard will be a small fish in a big pond, and that’s fine. Their best expansions (per many) were made when Blizzard wasn’t in a Board’s crosshairs.

Normally, I would not be happy about this, but this is the exception. Even as a Mac gamer (and please don’t at me - I have had decades of sass coming from the PC community. Let me enjoy my platform. I get what I need) this is a win. Activision was always poison for Blizzard. At the bare minimum, Microsoft will enforce corporate HR standards - may not be awesome standards, but it’s a lot better than Activision turning a blind eye. And it’s in Microsoft’s best interest to support native Mac development where it exists (and while I don’t see Blizzard ramping up their Mac dev team to previous (if meager) levels, I expect that the games I enjoy will continue to work fine on my machine, which is a modest ask.

I mean, if Microsoft bent over backwards to prop up Apple in those dark days (and you could have concussed me with a feather when Gates announced MS was investing in Apple IIRC on stage during an Apple keynote) they’ll support other platforms.

Should all gaming fall under several big umbrellas? No. But getting the Activision Board and C-suite out of the “day to day” of studio development can’t hurt.

Frankly, I enjoyed WoW more when there was that “freedom” to do what you wanted with the specs and not have the theory police breathing down your neck. The game felt much more imaginative. Once I found out the only way a class worked was by going down a specific path, I was incredibly disappointed. Specs never felt fun to me after that. It always felt like the developers didn’t have time to complete the design and lobbed the ball over the fence to the player to “code in” the last pieces - since even from Vanilla there was really only “one way” to do it (according to the theory police).

When I first started playing WoW in 2006,I always wanted to play Balance (as it was the only caster option for Night Elves), but I thought that the point of the druid was to shape shift. So I had this janky hybrid build with the goal of collecting all the shape shifting appearances. I also thought that back then Blizzard was converting agility to spell power, because that was the only explanation for the lack of intellect leather. I though I had to only wear leather, but always believed that the gameplay was to cast until I ran out of mana, then switch to feral, and to bear if I needed additional armor and then back to casting when my mana bar recovered or if I needed to heal myself.

I leveled to 40+ with this funky build. Eventually a guild member was helping me on a quest and asked me if my build was “purposeful” because it was a garbage build. That’s when I learned about how specs work. He offered to make a dedicated set, but needed to know what spec. I told him I always wanted balance, and so he made me my Big Voodoo set, which lasted me until well into Outlands.

I have always been an avid Mac user, so currently Ventura. That said, I did build a frankenbox when I wasn’t sure what would happen with gaming on my Mac (I don’t have major requirements, quite content with my little corner of MMORPG and the occasion Steam games), and that has Windows 11.

I have worked cross-platform for many years, and frankly I liked the version of Windows where the window art was translucent? Was that Windows 7? I liked that. I really did not like when Microsoft made their OS look like their phone (and yes I am cranky Apple made their desktop OS look similar to their phone).

I have not dabbled in Linux, but that is mostly because I am that most dangerous of users: the one who has partial knowledge and too much curiosity. I’m the person who thought you could upgrade Windows by simply replacing the io subsystem on a desktop with the one from more recent version on a laptop (back in that day, you could take the new system folder off a Mac and put it on a Mac with an oiler version and it would upgrade). It took 2 weeks to rebuild that PC, the entire machine needed to be wiped clean, we had to dig up the install floppies to get the CD to work to be able to use the system CDs to install a fresh copy of the OS. I am a menace to technology. ;-)

I used to prefer contacts, but I am an idiot, and kept forgetting to blink (yeah, that’s a thing), so I would get dry-eyes. So I told my eye doctor I am too stupid to wear contacts, and I have been using glasses ever since. While I miss the freedom contacts affords, I do not miss dry-eyes and the related fatigue.

My go-tos. Granted, they’re largely city builders, but my main jam is WoW, so city builders “tickles” different part of my brain - my downtime when I need a break from the MMORPG space.

Planetbase - A survival/sim/city builder. Guide a group of space settlers trying to establish a base on a remote planet. Grow food, collect energy, mine resources, survive disasters and build a self-sufficient colony in a harsh and unforgiving environment.

Dawn of Man Command a settlement of ancient humans, guide them through the ages in their struggle for survival. Hunt, gather, craft tools, fight, research new techs and face the challenges the environment will throw at you.

The Pale Beyond You didn’t ask to lead this expedition, but here you are. Stuck in the ice, Captain missing, miles from civilisation. Someone has to take charge. Manage your meagre resources, balance safety and morale, make the hard calls, and head in the only direction you can - through The Pale Beyond.

Kingdoms and Castles Kingdoms and Castles is a city-building simulation game about growing a kingdom from a tiny hamlet to a sprawling city and imposing castle. Make trade agreements, alliance, and war with neighboring AI controlled kingdoms. Each villager and resource is individually simulated.

The Wandering Village The Wandering Village is a city-building simulation game on the back of a giant, wandering creature. Build your settlement and form a symbiotic relationship with the colossus. Will you survive together in this hostile, yet beautiful post-apocalyptic world, contaminated by poisonous plants?

Homewind Home Wind is a minimalist, relaxing and cozy city builder about creating large settlements based on proximity tactics. All for free!

I miss:

r/abrathatfits - those folks took it to 11 for helping people find the best fitting bras - no matter your shape, size or orientation.

r/makeupaddiction - as someone who constantly feels like they’re putting on greasepaint and not makeup, the sub was great for helping people get their cosmetics game on

r/skincareaddiction. - a great sub for anyone struggling with skin issues

r/haircarescience - another great sub to help people with all their hair struggles

r/loseit, r/cico, r/1200isplenty, and the more discrete offshoots - great for helping me structure dietary goals.

r/hysterectomy, r/diabetes - because support groups matter (and I didn’t find the Hystersisters very supportive when I first went there, years ago).

r/volumeeating, r/eatcheaply and healthfully - lovely food “hacks”

r/criticalrole (I do hope that we regenerate with Lemmy.world as I believe there is a community of Critters there).

r/aquariums - I used to have an aquarium when I was younger. I always wanted one as an adult, but I have to suffice by living vicariously through other enthusiasts.

r/superbowls - because: owls and because it’s fun to watch the American football enthusiasts get “lost" in January.

There are others (I subscribed to almost 250 subreddits), but I can’t remember them off-hand.

I’ve seen “communities,” and my personal conceit is that “like” communities (communities with the same, similar, or synergistic subject matter) are “cohorts” so you don’t have to type “multi-communities”