Hahaaaaa. I've still got the old AOL Instant Messenger (remember that, kiddos?) logs from when I used to chat with my high school girlfriend right up until she broke up with me in college.
I won't be getting rid of them because, as I have mentioned a couple times, she died in college and almost all my memories around her are actually good and pleasant. Not memories I actually want destroyed, especially since the person I share them with is gone.
faceh
3hr ago
Most of the comments I write that get AAQC's were absolutely NOT intended as such at the time I started writing them.
But then at some point when I realize just how much thought and effort I'm pouring into it and I'm only halfway done writing it and I think "whelp, if I'm this committed, better make it worthwhile just in case it gets selected."
My longtime favorite is 15 Million Merits for being a particularly effective allegory about media consumption, celebrity culture, reality TV, corporate monetization of everything, and now it seems to have inadvertently predicted the future of doomscrolling short form videos and AI slop.
Nosedive is well-executed and still relevant.
Playtest is the most viscerally horrifying and genuinely dark episode in my opinion. With the possible exception of the one immediately after that, Shut up and Dance, which is honestly so grim its surprising they aired it.
Damn. Basically just watch season 3. The fourth episode is a bit of a palate cleanser and while I find it overall underwhelming a LOT Of people loved it.
faceh
4hr ago
Our family dog dying (of old age) when I was young was a formative event for me.
More impactful, though, was the death of my hamster because I was actually present and watching when he took his last tiny breaths. I actually wanted to take the poor thing to the vet to try to fix him, I hadn't understood just how little lifespan most rodents get.
Our cat got hit by a car and we only found out from a nice lady leaving us a voice message about finding the body after we put up Lost Cat signs. That did a number on all of us.
Also, I will always, every time, cry about the ending of Old Yeller.
Point being, its going to be a traumatic, stressful event no matter what. Only thing I can suggest is to help them redirect any blame/anger they feel away from any particular persons and also be ready to help field questions about their own mortality too.
faceh
4hr ago
Wonder if it was due to achieving relatively strong balance for the weapons selection.
You had interesting and unique weapons for any given playstyle you prefer. Snipers at distance, middle-distance/jack of all trades assault rifles, shotgun for close range, and a decent variety of pistols that were actually impactful on their own and not just backup weapons. Sticky grenades, as mentioned.
And of course, the Gravity Hammer and Energy Sword.
And fun vehicular combat.
This was before online multiplayer games were dominated by "THE META" such that certain weapons just get binned as nonviable if everyone else is playing 'optimally.'
If you wanted to run around like a madman crushing skulls with a hammer, you went for it.
I think there's something intrinsically appealing about the plucky underdogs pulling off a long-odds victory amidst a larger defeat... and of course getting a heroic last stand/death.
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