We don't know at this point how many shots were fired by the shooter and how many were fired at the shooter. It seems like Secret Service spotted him right before the first shot.
Same as it ever was, just things will be somewhat reversed this go around. You have prominent progressives like Sanders and AOC indicating staunch support for the party's presumptive nominee, and party loyalists and centrists like Pelosi and Mark Warner casting doubt.
If you thought the endless rehashing of the 2016 Democratic primaries was fun, just wait for the bitter recriminations if Trump wins, no matter who ends up on the ballot. It's going to be bad.
There are some major hurdles that would need to be overcome:
1. Ohio Republicans have already tried to keep Biden off the ballot. What are the odds that some Republican Secretaries of State object to a non-standard change of candidates? I would bet money on multiple legal challenges in the future.
2. Early voting starts mid-September in some areas. That's less than two and a half months.
3. The new campaign would start with $0, unless Harris is on top of the ticket. If Harris remained VP or wasn't on the ticket at all, it's likely they would not be able to use the money for the campaign.
4. The new candidate will not be chosen by Democratic voters, there's no time. It will be a deal made by the DNC. Some faction will be *pissed*. You think the Bernie wing was mad at the DNC having their thumb on the scale before?
Commando builds use VATS regularly since the critical hit bar fills with each VATS attack and automatic weapons have a high rate of fire. There are perks to boost VATS, crits, and AP.
Don't be afraid to join public events that have (much) higher level players in it (like the 'Invaders from Above' one that happens on the top of every hour, but also others), though I would let others trigger the start and just contribute where you can. Events are a good way to get plans, legendary items, and consumables.
Don't fear dying. You only lose the junk you're carrying. If you scrap and stash regularly, it's not much of a hinderance.
Legendary items you don't want, you should NOT sell them for caps, but use the legendary exchange machines near vendors to get "scrip", which can be used for crafting legendary items later. You'll want to wait until you're level 50, so you can craft top level gear. Eventually you'll be able to buy random legendaries within in category (such as '3 star melee'), but it's generally better to craft yourself.
You'll want to start to specialize your combat skills to maximize combat effectiveness. (nukesdragons.com has a build planner.) Basically pick one type of weapon, then tailor your perks and gear to match that. You can do just about anything, but some are more effective than others. Pistols, as I understand, are fine against normal enemies but suck in boss fights.
I started playing FO76 at launch with a group of friends. Standard rifleman style build. It was fun until they lost interest and stopped playing.
So I started a new solo character. Melee build. I played through most of the main and side quests, but endgame was mostly grinding for Atoms for cosmetics, so I eventually stopped.
I started a 3rd character after NPCs were added, mostly just to see the differences. I feel like the NPC somewhat diminish the impact of the original story (told mostly through holotapes).
I used to check in from time to time, but hadn't in a few years.
I popped in during the Fasnacht event this year February and have been playing since. There's a lot of content that wasn't there at launch. Legendary crafting, expeditions, more quests, more factions, more events, more currencies with different sets of purchasables.
I'm sure eventually it'll feel too grindy and I'll stop, but I'm having fun now.
Definitely a less-than-optimal outcome. It's been a while, but IIRC, I was able to leave at the end with the family and they had to start anew out in the countryside.
I played through once and found the story interesting. I played partway through a second time with the intent of making substantially different choices, but I kinda stopped in the middle. I always intended to go back, but haven't.
The game is a bit of a slog for one that encourages multiple playthroughs. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be that uncommon among games that encourage multiple playthroughs.
I've learned to embrace fast travel, more so than in other Bethesda games. Travelling from point A to point B isn't the same as Fallout or Elder Scrolls, where there is a good chance of stumbling across something interesting. Being able to fast travel from the quest log cuts down on a lot of the monotony. And the fact that you don't even have to be back on your ship to use it is great.
Yeah, I didn't bother upgrading the highest tiered gear a single time. The requirements just seemed too tedious.
Though I do wonder if not upgrading contributed to one of my complaints: the lack of badassness.
In the latter part of HZD, after maxing the skill tree and getting the DLC weapons and armor, I felt like a badass.
I didn't get that feeling from HFW. I'm sure many would say that's a good thing and evidence of better difficultly scaling and a greatly expanded bestiary. It could also be because the DLC comes after the main story instead of mid-way like HZD.
There is a weird sort of mirror image in my enthusiasm with the two games.
After the initial area in HZD, the game throws a lot of all too common collection quests at you. Find cups. And flowers. And Banuk figures. And Vantage points. Why? Because it's on your map and in your log. Even the scripted side quests were not very compelling.
I struggled to connect with the game and was wondering what all the hype was about. I came very close to not picking up the game again. Then I read online that others had the same issue and found many suggestions to just focus on the main quest.
That helped tremendously and soon was really enjoying it. By the end I had finished all the side quests and gotten all the collectibles, apart from the crystals from the DLC.
I immediately jumped into the second game and, despite finding the changes to weapons a bit jarring, was enthusiastic to play. I started off doing everything I could. And while I did enjoy the main quest line, by the end I had skipped some of the optional quests and a whole lot of collectibles. Especially the ones that were initially locked by story progression and required backtracking and giving practically useless loot. Not even a scrap of lore. I never even bothered with Machine Strike, except for the first lady that teaches you how to play.
I haven't finished the DLC yet, but fully intend to, and still look forward to the 3rd installment of the series.
I think the 2nd game in particular fell prey to a problem found in a lot of AAA games: the focus on adding "hours of content". I get that it's likely mostly consumer driven, as people don't want to feel like they got ripped off for the price they're paying. But the older I get the less time I want to spend doing something I'm not really enjoying just to check off a box.
One thing that annoys me about the SOTU is the seeming obligatory "the state of our union is strong!" statement. Excluding addresses that weren't technically SOTUs, I had to go back to 1995 to find one without some variant.
I get that Presidents are usually trying to strike an optimistic tone, but it just seems so ham-fisted and unnecessary.
When I first heard of Twitch, I wondered, like many others, why would people watch others playing games instead of playing themselves (apart from perhaps tournaments or major events). Then a relative became a small time streamer, so I started watching their channel, then other channels. Now, I occasionally have it open in a browser while playing a game. Sometimes I'll say "hi" in chat, sometimes I'll just have them passively running in the background. It's weird, but it makes it seem less lonely.
I've been playing it and having a lot of fun. I was as pessimistic as anyone when it was announced (I audibly groaned when I heard multiplayer), and didn't pre-order, but watched a few streamers and darn it if they didn't look like they were enjoying themselves. So when I found out some friends bought it, I jumped in and don't regret it.
Yes, it has bugs and glaring flaws, but it's a Bethesda game, so what did people expect? The exploration aspect feels very similar to FO4, but you can group with people. The backstory is interesting enough. And while I don't think they needed to go the no NPC route, it reminds me of System Shock where you're always just too late to see other humans or they're just out of reach. I don't really miss the much maligned flat dialog trees of FO4. Quests are similar, fetch something from other there, kill something over here. The bestiary is already much more diverse than anything the previous game offered, and I haven't even seen everything yet.
My biggest concern has always been end game. MMOs need to have a good end game to keep the long time players interested. I'm still not sure what's intended to keep players around once they've seen everything.
I hope the price drops aren't indication of Bethesda dropping support. With a few patches, I think they could address many of the issues generating complaints.
I fear Fallout 76 isn't going to be my cup of tea. It immediately brought to mind Sea of Thieves. In SoT, you can solo (or group), but you're on a server with X number of random players that can grief you mercilessly. The defining feature of that game is the lack of content. They depended on "emergent gameplay" to do all the lifting.
F76 will have quests, but the radiant variety in FO4 are no better than SoT's generic quests. The bestiary, at least, will be better and it already seems to give us more entirely new creatures than FO4 did (thought what's up with the Deathclaws and Super Mutants that shouldn't be there?) And, of course, there's the building. It wasn't my favorite part of FO4. And if they're still using the Creation Engine, which I fully expect they will be, it'll have many of the same quirks.
And if we're forced to play on Bethesda's servers, that likely means no mods (at least none that aren't the paid Creation Kit variety). Modders have long helped fill in the gaps on Bethesda games, especially with the interface on PC, which has been serviceable but clunky since Oblivion.
I bought a concentrated electrolyte (what plants crave) solution online. I don't have any actual data, but it seems to help, at least when switching to low carb (which is when I have the most cramping) or after drinking a bit too much.
I finished it last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. Every episode left me wanting more, which is a contrast to Netflix's Marvel shows. To me, even the best of those are slow in the middle. I think they would absolutely benefit from 10 episode seasons like Altered Carbon instead of the 13 they have now.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Trump was just shot at a rally. He appears to be fine.”
We don't know at this point how many shots were fired by the shooter and how many were fired at the shooter. It seems like Secret Service spotted him right before the first shot.
https://x.com/BNONews/status/1812299014437552637
"
At least one reporter is claiming a source said it was a glass fragment. Nothing yet officially confirmed one way or the other.
On “Choose Your Own President Biden Press Conference Adventure”
Same as it ever was, just things will be somewhat reversed this go around. You have prominent progressives like Sanders and AOC indicating staunch support for the party's presumptive nominee, and party loyalists and centrists like Pelosi and Mark Warner casting doubt.
"
If you thought the endless rehashing of the 2016 Democratic primaries was fun, just wait for the bitter recriminations if Trump wins, no matter who ends up on the ballot. It's going to be bad.
On “Open Mic for the week of 7/8/2024”
If Biden is not fit to be on the ballot in November, why isn't the demand that he resign immediately? He's got roughly 12% of his term remaining.
On “It’s Time For Biden To Be A Statesman”
There are some major hurdles that would need to be overcome:
1. Ohio Republicans have already tried to keep Biden off the ballot. What are the odds that some Republican Secretaries of State object to a non-standard change of candidates? I would bet money on multiple legal challenges in the future.
2. Early voting starts mid-September in some areas. That's less than two and a half months.
3. The new campaign would start with $0, unless Harris is on top of the ticket. If Harris remained VP or wasn't on the ticket at all, it's likely they would not be able to use the money for the campaign.
4. The new candidate will not be chosen by Democratic voters, there's no time. It will be a deal made by the DNC. Some faction will be *pissed*. You think the Bernie wing was mad at the DNC having their thumb on the scale before?
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: Fallout 76 Reviewed”
Commando builds use VATS regularly since the critical hit bar fills with each VATS attack and automatic weapons have a high rate of fire. There are perks to boost VATS, crits, and AP.
"
Don't be afraid to join public events that have (much) higher level players in it (like the 'Invaders from Above' one that happens on the top of every hour, but also others), though I would let others trigger the start and just contribute where you can. Events are a good way to get plans, legendary items, and consumables.
Don't fear dying. You only lose the junk you're carrying. If you scrap and stash regularly, it's not much of a hinderance.
Legendary items you don't want, you should NOT sell them for caps, but use the legendary exchange machines near vendors to get "scrip", which can be used for crafting legendary items later. You'll want to wait until you're level 50, so you can craft top level gear. Eventually you'll be able to buy random legendaries within in category (such as '3 star melee'), but it's generally better to craft yourself.
You'll want to start to specialize your combat skills to maximize combat effectiveness. (nukesdragons.com has a build planner.) Basically pick one type of weapon, then tailor your perks and gear to match that. You can do just about anything, but some are more effective than others. Pistols, as I understand, are fine against normal enemies but suck in boss fights.
"
I started playing FO76 at launch with a group of friends. Standard rifleman style build. It was fun until they lost interest and stopped playing.
So I started a new solo character. Melee build. I played through most of the main and side quests, but endgame was mostly grinding for Atoms for cosmetics, so I eventually stopped.
I started a 3rd character after NPCs were added, mostly just to see the differences. I feel like the NPC somewhat diminish the impact of the original story (told mostly through holotapes).
I used to check in from time to time, but hadn't in a few years.
I popped in during the Fasnacht event this year February and have been playing since. There's a lot of content that wasn't there at launch. Legendary crafting, expeditions, more quests, more factions, more events, more currencies with different sets of purchasables.
I'm sure eventually it'll feel too grindy and I'll stop, but I'm having fun now.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante”
Definitely a less-than-optimal outcome. It's been a while, but IIRC, I was able to leave at the end with the family and they had to start anew out in the countryside.
"
I played through once and found the story interesting. I played partway through a second time with the intent of making substantially different choices, but I kinda stopped in the middle. I always intended to go back, but haven't.
The game is a bit of a slog for one that encourages multiple playthroughs. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be that uncommon among games that encourage multiple playthroughs.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: The Dad Rock of Starfield”
I've learned to embrace fast travel, more so than in other Bethesda games. Travelling from point A to point B isn't the same as Fallout or Elder Scrolls, where there is a good chance of stumbling across something interesting. Being able to fast travel from the quest log cuts down on a lot of the monotony. And the fact that you don't even have to be back on your ship to use it is great.
On “I’m Worried About the Gadsden Flag Kid”
It was a charter school.
Seems to me like the parents could simply have chosen to enroll their kid in a different school if they didn't approve of the current one.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: Starfield”
My non-spoiler impressions:
Pros: It's like other Bethesda games you've already played.
Cons: It's like other Bethesda games you've already played.
Biggest complaint thus far: Bethesda's continued disrespect of the ESC key.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: I have beaten Horizon: Forbidden West”
Yeah, I didn't bother upgrading the highest tiered gear a single time. The requirements just seemed too tedious.
Though I do wonder if not upgrading contributed to one of my complaints: the lack of badassness.
In the latter part of HZD, after maxing the skill tree and getting the DLC weapons and armor, I felt like a badass.
I didn't get that feeling from HFW. I'm sure many would say that's a good thing and evidence of better difficultly scaling and a greatly expanded bestiary. It could also be because the DLC comes after the main story instead of mid-way like HZD.
"
There is a weird sort of mirror image in my enthusiasm with the two games.
After the initial area in HZD, the game throws a lot of all too common collection quests at you. Find cups. And flowers. And Banuk figures. And Vantage points. Why? Because it's on your map and in your log. Even the scripted side quests were not very compelling.
I struggled to connect with the game and was wondering what all the hype was about. I came very close to not picking up the game again. Then I read online that others had the same issue and found many suggestions to just focus on the main quest.
That helped tremendously and soon was really enjoying it. By the end I had finished all the side quests and gotten all the collectibles, apart from the crystals from the DLC.
I immediately jumped into the second game and, despite finding the changes to weapons a bit jarring, was enthusiastic to play. I started off doing everything I could. And while I did enjoy the main quest line, by the end I had skipped some of the optional quests and a whole lot of collectibles. Especially the ones that were initially locked by story progression and required backtracking and giving practically useless loot. Not even a scrap of lore. I never even bothered with Machine Strike, except for the first lady that teaches you how to play.
I haven't finished the DLC yet, but fully intend to, and still look forward to the 3rd installment of the series.
I think the 2nd game in particular fell prey to a problem found in a lot of AAA games: the focus on adding "hours of content". I get that it's likely mostly consumer driven, as people don't want to feel like they got ripped off for the price they're paying. But the older I get the less time I want to spend doing something I'm not really enjoying just to check off a box.
On “Against the State of the Union”
One thing that annoys me about the SOTU is the seeming obligatory "the state of our union is strong!" statement. Excluding addresses that weren't technically SOTUs, I had to go back to 1995 to find one without some variant.
I get that Presidents are usually trying to strike an optimistic tone, but it just seems so ham-fisted and unnecessary.
On “Robert Mueller and Various Forms of Hearing”
McConnell blocked two election security bills just yesterday.
Thanks, Obama!
On “Rutger Hauer Has Passed Away”
The soundtrack totally didn't fit Ladyhawke. I'll never be able to forget the movie because of it.
On “Watching Television Alone”
When I first heard of Twitch, I wondered, like many others, why would people watch others playing games instead of playing themselves (apart from perhaps tournaments or major events). Then a relative became a small time streamer, so I started watching their channel, then other channels. Now, I occasionally have it open in a browser while playing a game. Sometimes I'll say "hi" in chat, sometimes I'll just have them passively running in the background. It's weird, but it makes it seem less lonely.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: It’s The Annual Steam Autumn Sale”
I've been playing it and having a lot of fun. I was as pessimistic as anyone when it was announced (I audibly groaned when I heard multiplayer), and didn't pre-order, but watched a few streamers and darn it if they didn't look like they were enjoying themselves. So when I found out some friends bought it, I jumped in and don't regret it.
Yes, it has bugs and glaring flaws, but it's a Bethesda game, so what did people expect? The exploration aspect feels very similar to FO4, but you can group with people. The backstory is interesting enough. And while I don't think they needed to go the no NPC route, it reminds me of System Shock where you're always just too late to see other humans or they're just out of reach. I don't really miss the much maligned flat dialog trees of FO4. Quests are similar, fetch something from other there, kill something over here. The bestiary is already much more diverse than anything the previous game offered, and I haven't even seen everything yet.
My biggest concern has always been end game. MMOs need to have a good end game to keep the long time players interested. I'm still not sure what's intended to keep players around once they've seen everything.
I hope the price drops aren't indication of Bethesda dropping support. With a few patches, I think they could address many of the issues generating complaints.
On “Saturday!”
Apparently I have over 500 hours in RimWorld, according to Steam.
On “Saturday!”
I fear Fallout 76 isn't going to be my cup of tea. It immediately brought to mind Sea of Thieves. In SoT, you can solo (or group), but you're on a server with X number of random players that can grief you mercilessly. The defining feature of that game is the lack of content. They depended on "emergent gameplay" to do all the lifting.
F76 will have quests, but the radiant variety in FO4 are no better than SoT's generic quests. The bestiary, at least, will be better and it already seems to give us more entirely new creatures than FO4 did (thought what's up with the Deathclaws and Super Mutants that shouldn't be there?) And, of course, there's the building. It wasn't my favorite part of FO4. And if they're still using the Creation Engine, which I fully expect they will be, it'll have many of the same quirks.
And if we're forced to play on Bethesda's servers, that likely means no mods (at least none that aren't the paid Creation Kit variety). Modders have long helped fill in the gaps on Bethesda games, especially with the interface on PC, which has been serviceable but clunky since Oblivion.
On “Weekend!”
I bought a concentrated electrolyte (what plants crave) solution online. I don't have any actual data, but it seems to help, at least when switching to low carb (which is when I have the most cramping) or after drinking a bit too much.
On “Netflix Delivers – Altered Carbon Review”
I finished it last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. Every episode left me wanting more, which is a contrast to Netflix's Marvel shows. To me, even the best of those are slow in the middle. I think they would absolutely benefit from 10 episode seasons like Altered Carbon instead of the 13 they have now.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.