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#31

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by crazy canuck - November 14, 2025, 03:24:41 PM

Why is it a letdown Tamas - and why do you guys want a later start date?  If you want vanilla 1492, just play IV?

Feels like I explained this already. Are my reasons insufficient or not adequate for some reason?    I mean they might not be good reasons, but I feel like I provided reasons.

I am not sure you can answer for Tamas - he made post saying that discovering that Hungary had a large number of vassal states which made up the bulk of his income was a letdown.  I am not sure why that is.

#32

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - November 14, 2025, 03:06:31 PM

By the by reporting in the Guardian that the government think the politics is too hard (although this government's approach to politics is reminiscent of Ned Flanders' beatnik parents: "we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas") and one option to replace raising the rate of income tax is lowering the thresholds for income tax levels. Which I think shows an astonishingly contemptuous view of the intelligence of the public if they think they'll be able to get away with saying they've not broken a manifesto promise not to raise income tax while doing that.

I'm not saying people are right in expressing a desire to burn it all to the ground, but I sort of feel like that type of tricksy bullshit is the sort of thing the public loathe.

#33

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by Tamas - November 14, 2025, 02:57:49 PM

Why is it a letdown Tamas - and why do you guys want a later start date?  If you want vanilla 1492, just play IV?

First of all if I didn't prefer EU5 over EU4 I'd be playing EU4. But after 400-ish hours I am kind of bored of it.

And the later start date would be better because the trajectory of history was much more set in 1492 than in 1337. This is also an advantage of the 1300s startdate, obviously, but looking at some people discuss their games in the AI modder's Discord shows me that nearly every game Castille eats Portugal but leaves Aragon alone, the Ottomans never go past the western half of Anatolia and bits of Greece, Austria almost never gains any territory, and no Russia emerges, like, ever.

Hopefully these are just AI issues, if SOME regional and world challengers apart from France emerged I'd probably be content even if they are not called Ottomans, Muscovy and Austria. But none of that happens.

#34

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Valmy - November 14, 2025, 02:28:48 PM

We have to find somebody who is genetically flawed enough to accept you, but gentically perfect in all other ways. I can see that being a very small number of potential partners.

#35

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by Jacob - November 14, 2025, 02:16:20 PM

Or hollowing out of state capacity/fusion of state and corporate power as key national security infrastructure is in private hands.

Yeah that too.

#36

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Jacob - November 14, 2025, 02:15:16 PM

Seeing an ad on reddit:

Looking for a DNA hack? Tired of chasing 10/10 partners or getting rejected not being perfect? Skip the gamble - access the best genes: beauty, intelligence, health. Evolution, upgraded. Join the world's first global solution for upgraded-DNA lineage. 100% free to join and explore.

The image is the face of a pretty woman (probably AI generated).

Sounds pretty good for any singles out there. You get to "access" 10/10 women, even if you're not perfect yourself. And it's free.

It almost seems too good to be true...

#37

Gaming HQ / Re: Pdx to publish Vampire - T...

Last post by Valmy - November 14, 2025, 02:06:05 PM

Crap I totally forgot about this after all my son's excitement over EU5. I was going to play it over Halloween 

Well maybe next year if I think of it.

#38

Gaming HQ / Re: Pdx to publish Vampire - T...

Last post by Solmyr - November 14, 2025, 02:04:49 PM

Finished my playthrough. On its own, it's a good game IMO. The story kept me engaged with all its mysteries and twists. I like the Fabien sections, very detective noir stuff. I played on easy combat difficulty since I care more about the story than combat challenge, so the combat was not tough. There are some interesting combos you can pull with use of different abilities and it felt like you really are an Elder tearing through chaff.

Probably about a 7-8/10 for me, will likely replay it at some point in the future with a different clan and try to get a different ending.

#39

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by Syt - November 14, 2025, 02:03:06 PM

Not sure if this goes under "Elon Musk is a douche" or "the US continues to withdraw from basic international cooperation": https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/11/us-spy-satellites-built-by-spacex-send-signals-in-the-wrong-direction/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/remember-when-elon-musks-4-year-old-son-said-theyll-quietly-do-whatever-we-want/ar-AA1yXSQX

[...]Then, after some gibberish, Musk's son grabbed his dad's mic and said, "We're in SpaceX and we quietly do just whatever we want," before breaking out into maniacal giggles.[...]

#40

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by Valmy - November 14, 2025, 02:01:22 PM

Why is it a letdown Tamas - and why do you guys want a later start date?  If you want vanilla 1492, just play IV?

Feels like I explained this already. Are my reasons insufficient or not adequate for some reason?    I mean they might not be good reasons, but I feel like I provided reasons.

As for why not just play IV...well I didn't really play much of III or IV. I think my version of IV would require an absurd amount of money to get all the DLC for it. And hey I am just going to play V anyway. I am just thinking of ways it could be better that is all.