The VA for Laezel (Devora Wilde) has actually seen this meme and read it in-character. :P You can find it on YouTube.

/shurg Can't say I've found it this way, but I'm pretty used both to DnD mechanics generally, and Larian's approach to encounter design in specific. (I've so far had exactly one combat game over, because I was dumb and let Ragzlin get into the rafters and chuck javelins at me for like 20 damage a pop.)

Positioning matters, your environment is something to be used to your advantage, abilities that boost your accuracy are very powerful, and different enemies have different strengths and weaknesses. /shurg Hard to give much specific advice, because different encounters and party compositions demand different tactics and threat assessment.

Yeah, post-shaving alopecia is a thing, especially in double coated breeds. (Which is part of the reason you're supposed to avoid shaving them.)

Eh... it tracks well enough I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand. Right wing talking heads push so hard at young men, it's fucking exhausting. And the slightest attempt to engage with or learn about current events and politics tends to lead to social media algorithms jamming alt-right nonsense down your throat, because that reactionary, provocative/offensive content generates more engagement. And so much of it is trying to frame the normal struggles of growing up (sex and sexuality, responsibility and expectation, growing independence (fiscal and otherwise) etc, etc) as things being inflicted on them by others, things thay can be simply solved by stripping power from these groups. (Immigrants, women, people of colour, LGBTQIA+, etc.)

Never mind the nudity toggle, we need a "hairless cats" toggle at the beginning of the game too I guess, if we want everyone to be happy. :P

Short answer; no.

Long answer: If you're really struggling and still quite early, swapping to Samurai isn't a terrible idea, it has a good stat spread and good starting gear. Elden Ring though, like all Soulsborne games, doesn't really put much empthasis on your class. All it is is your starting stats and gear. A couple bosses in, your starting stats won't matter near as much as how you've been leveling, and you can find the gear Samurai starts with in the starting area, if you really want to use a katana. So feel free to do whatever you want/is fun for you, but I wouldn't bother, personally.

Well... it is a Baldur's Gate game (as much as I've seen claimed otherwise), so the story is centered around the usurper gods of death, their legacy and their attempts to gain power and influence in the world.

The first act is reasonably light (with exception of mindflayers and some light occular body horror :P), just normal dnd stuff, goblins, druids, etc.

The second... well, to avoid spoiling too much, let's just say it goes dark. :P Haven't seen the third yet, personally.

"...you know what the problem is with the CBC? Too much ethics and journalistic integrity."

Who... who is this for? Who wants this? Who hears this and goes "ah yes, this is, A: a real problem, and B: a useful solution to said problem."

Eh. I haven't seen his dialogue since they apparently tweaked it, but I didn't find it that bad to begin with. There was a bit of a vibe in act 2 like "sorry you're hurt, didn't mean to lead you on, was just being nice" but thats life sometimes. /shurg

The RPGHorrorstory element... eh. I somewhat agree, mostly just in exactly how far along/established in his journey of magic he was. A young prodigy attracting Mystra's attention, and then ruining himself (and endangering others) in pursuit of more, is an interesting twist on the traditional exploration of a Wizard's hubris, the issue comes more from like "yeah, I didn't just attract Mystra's attention, I was a peer of Elminster and one of Mystra's Chosen" (conspicuous failure to mention the magical institutions of his home, EG, the Blackstaff, Vajra, Larael, etc., aside). TBH, just changing his interactions with Elminster to either double down on the implicit arrogance of assuming himself Elminster's peer, or have him be more of a fanboy, a la Karlach to Minsc and Jaheira, would've gone a long way.

Some specific quests have time limits (long rest based ones) but those that do are pretty explicit about it and make a point of warning you before you can unintentionally progress them.

The rarities do somewhat correlate with power in a vacuum, but synergy>raw stats, generally.

Worth noting, if you're dual-wielding, you can sneak attack with a bonus action. (Go into your reactions and make sure Sneak Attack is set to always.)

AT is mostly about adding control and utility abilities to the Rogue; options to take enemies out of the fight, and aid/supplement your sneaking. Sleep, Colour Spray, Hold Person, Invisibility, etc, are your mainstays. Your unrestricted spells (ie, ones that don't have to be enchantment or Illusion) should probably be geared towards defence and mobility. (Shield, Misty Step, etc.)

Yup. Until our technology and biological knowledge reaches the point where we can stop using (metaphorical) chainsaws and start using scalpels, everything is a tradeoff that's going to vary greatly by individual. Personally, the only side effect I've noticed from my meds (diagnosed as a child, didn't take medications for it until more recently), is appetite supression, and aside from a couple blood sugar crashes before realizing working out on an empty stomach was a dumb idea, I've seen no ill effects. On the other hand, a good friend of mine on the same medication experienced heightened anxiety and tachycardia. /shurg

There's perhaps an argument to be made that the current state of healthcare leaves clinicians unable to provide the needed followup care and medication adjustment, but then the issue isn't the use of medication, so much as the burden on physicians. /shurg

I have yet to be mutilated in any way (aside from snorting tadpoles like it's going out of style :P). Perhaps, making deals with malevolent fey and letting Volo of all people perform surgery are... questionable choices for your health. :P

There's a lot of griping about the third act, and yeah, I get it, it's incomplete and comparatively poorly optimized. But it's still really good. :P They clearly bit off more than they could chew with the City, that maybe they could've solved with another year or two of dev time. (Hopefully, will be solved in a Def Ed a year or two down the line.) That isn't necessarily dev time they had, though. Not without taking out a ton of loans (do you really want tencent to own more than 30%?) and risking ill-will with consumers and WotC. (The game was meant to come out over a year ago.)

TBH, alignments are, at best, a shorthand for a character's morals, how they'll likely act in a philosophical vacuum as it were; with no context, will they default to upholding the law, or defying it? Helping others, or prioritizing themselves?

For a cosmological force/extraplanar entity, these things can be absolute and binding; upholding a law they believe unjust because it is law, withholding aid even when offering it might be in your best interest, because kindness is weakness. But for everyday people? Who, why, when, where; all the possible little nuances matter. Our "alignment" might change day by day with our mood.

Much more useful, IMO, for to just be ignored during character creation, and the characters judged by how they behave. You don't decide ahead of time whether or not you're playing a good character, you show me during the session. That way, it's not words on paper, it's the actual nature of the character you want to play. /shurg

The Royal Tyrell is a great stop, I remember going there when I was about that age to visit my great grandmother. The Alberta badlands in general are neat, worth stoping by some hoodoos or other similar formations if you get the chance.

As far as other stuff goes:

The Fraser River and Hell's Gate in particular is worth a stop, when you get to BC. (Also a good menory from that trip.)

And while (as an Ontarian) I fully understand the desire to drive though the province as fast as possible, there are lots of great scenic spots in the western half of the province, along Huron and Superior. (As you get into the Sudbury>Thunder Bay stretch, in particular.) There are also some beautiful spots more in my neck of the woods (Thunder Bay>Manitoba border stretch) but by and large those are further from the highway and more of a trek to visit. :P

"Responsible, targeted" ah yes, because cutting spending below projections in literally all sectors during economic turmoil and high inflation is either of those things.

This is also a valid question, the systemic pressure to "be productive" puts a lot of weight on the side of taking meds despite side effects. Anecdotally though, some ADHD patients do find meds useful for helping them maintain interpersonal relationships and the like, not just focus on work.

Sweet. Been really enjoying things so far, but I've gotten a couple crashes on both DX11 and Vulkan, and the occasional weird/stuttery cutscene. Hopefully things run a little smoother afterwards.