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Joined 4 years ago
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Cake day: May 12th, 2020

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  • I’d say it depends on the environment. TTRPG tends to attract analytical types and when there’s actual roleplay, is effectively an exercise in taking on the perspective of others. As well, classical RPG fare tends to come down hard on people who act in an oppressive way.

    There are many video games that are exercises in empathy (That software company), looking at the bigger picture, and sorting through noise to figure out what’s going on (Torment, Disco Elysium). Additionally, mega corporations are so vilified as to be useable as comedy (Portal). Additionally, there are games which paint the government as morally gray (Control, and yes I know but still).

    Then, of course, there’s Fallout.

    Games like this are useful because they are narrative simulations; they let you try out different ideas by playing them out. As long as there is some critical thinking and/or media literacy skills present, engaging with these will challenge right wing thinking on different levels.










  • Ohhh, that touched a deep well of hatred. My first engineering job was full stack and we had a highly modified Bootstrap front end. I’d build the thing they wanted, and the designers would get looped in for QA and insist that various pieces had to look like their little wireframe down to the pixel. I mean look, it’s easy right?

    I asked why they are insisting on constantly going against the standards that had been adopted company-wide. Did it stop? Why no! Did I get a suit down with my boss? Why yes!

    He is/was a cool guy and saw my perspective but also gave me precious advice on how to survive.





  • Here’s one: Trading cards are something you own. Skins are limited to a game you’re licensing.

    Here’s another: trading cards are portable; they can be put in a collection for display, put in a safety deposit box, etc. When CS goes, all the skins go with it.

    Another minor one: baseball cards are informational, the skins are cosmetic only.

    Mind you, I think both are forms of unregulated gambling and trading cards as well as loot boxes should have better societal scrutiny, but they aren’t identical.

    Edited for typo