Nicolas Gagné

Hey friends, I need recommendations.

I want to learn Spanish before going on a trip in a couple of years, but there's no opportunity for classes here.

What's your language learning app of choice?

I want to actually learn it, like structurally, not just tourist essentials.

Any ideas?

I told myself I'd play a few indies after finishing Dragon Age Veilguard, but Borderlands 4 is out, and I just love these games.

Comments say the game's a mess at launch though, so I'll probably wait.

Hollow Knight and Outer Wilds are next.

rest in piss

My brain started bugging out when GY!BE's East Hastings was playing in my earbuds, at the same time as a Bob Dylan song in the speakers of the café I was working in.

Friends, harmonica and bagpipes don't mix so well.

And this is out since yesterday! I had the pleasure of translating the game in French. Take a look, it's a lot of fun!

This has been out for a couple of weeks now. And we're in the credits!

Free the Robots - The Prototype Vol. 2 (FTR 20 Year Anniversary Edition) Listen to The Prototype Vol. 2 (FTR 20 Year Anniversary Edition) on your streaming service

My work music this morning is Free the Robots latest album, and it's great!
tidal.com/browse/album...

Thanks, I'm not going out until I know it's out of the area.

Yeah, an actual polar bear. I've been living here for five years and there's been one almost every year coming down the coast from Northern Labrador.

Can't believe I'm stuck inside on such a beautiful day because there's a freaking polar bear hanging around.

Sometimes, I do miss the city.

Come one now. That sad excuse for a board game doesn't need a movie. How would you even?

Just let me pay an enchanter to enchant my gear and let me pay a blacksmith to improve it.

Sure, I can just use console commands to raise my skills, but it's not the same.

But then it's just regular strong gear. You also want rings and amulets and enchantments to really succeed. So you'll grind the Enchant skill by enchanting all of these daggers and rings you just forged and selling them, because your first enchantments are useless. You're just grinding.

Like, if I want to play a melee character, I can just do that, but then I want my gear to get better, so I need to invest some time in smithing, but you don't get anywhere by investing just "some time" in smithing. You need to mine ore, you need to grind the skill by forging hundred of items.

Once in a while, I get an itch to just start a new Skyrim run and do something interesting.

Bu then I remember everything that annoys me about that game, I go on Nexus Mods and I find nothing to fix them, and the itch passes.

And it sucks, because I'd like to be able to really enjoy that game.

All of these "free market" people on the right can't argue with that, surely.

How long can one afford to freelance in an industry that looks like it's crumbling?

Become ungovernable

Picture of a woman from Renaissance (or something), with text over it that reads: "Sugar and spice and equal fucking rights."

Shout out to my local café for displaying that sign.

Been playing Soulframe for two days (finally got an invite!), and I really like it so far. The combat is good, the movement is nice, the level design is really well done.

For some reason, I didn't really expect that level of storytelling, but it's SO GOOD. I love it.

Even worst than that: when the video went up, the title actually said "bad Dragon Age sequel". They changed it pretty quickly but still.

"DEI initiatives were not put in place to ensure lower qualified minorities could get hired instead of more highly qualified white people. It was put in place to ensure lower qualified white people were not hired instead of more highly qualified minorities."

I imagine everyone's on a quest to be seen by as many people as possible on the new site, even if that means bringing absolutely nothing to the conversation that hasn't already been said many times.

It's tempting and easy to just go along with societal expectations, but you should question everything, and make more intentional, conscious decisions about what you do professionally or as hobbies, where you want to live, what the next step in your life should be, etc.

Think more. Question more.

Ah yes, the famously "enjoyed by players" forced live-service games that feel like mobile game timesinks.

While there is certainly potential for a live-service Dragon Age game, it can't be a direct sequel, it has to be in-universe and referencing the story without affecting established canon.

Puisqu'on parle beaucoup des politiques EDI (équité, diversité et inclusion) ces jours-ci, il est toujours bon de se rappeler que les hommes blancs sont historiquement les principaux architectes et bénéficiaires des politiques d'embauche (en leur faveur).

FB post that reads: As someone who’s been personally harassed by an “anti-woke, anti-DEI crowd” for the last year, I need people who aren’t aware of this “movement” to understand that unless you are a white cis man, there is nothing you can do or achieve that will convince these people you belong. Targeting DEI initiatives is gross, counterproductive, and will lead to wildly unfair hiring practices. I’ve seen people complain that DEI initiatives go too far (??), or that someone with “real qualifications” doesn’t need DEI and will be hired on merit. I’ve been in my industry for 9 years. I studied at one of the best schools for my discipline. I’ve written scripts that sold millions of copies and won dozens of awards. I was a Forbes 30 Under 30 and BAFTA Breakthrough recipient. And *still,* with all that, the anti-diversity brigade regularly calls me - in articles, emails, social media posts, and YT essays - a “diversity hire” who only gets jobs because companies want to be “woke.” It’s even worse for Black women I’ve worked with, who get all of the same in greater volume as well as slurs and racist hate. My white guy colleagues with considerably fewer accolades and experience? None of that. That’s why we need diversity initiatives. So people doing the work get recognized for it.

Copying over from FB; I posted this there because I know more conservatives there who need to hear this again and again and again

Anyone else listening to Midnight Burger?

I started pretty recently, and I just finished the episode "Four Souls", and I got actual chills.

It is so, so good.

Tidal top artists for 2024: Ghibli Melodies, Alexandra Stréliski, Music Lab Collective, Gentle Game Lullabies, My Little Lullabies

Tidal top songs for 2024: 5 songs from Ghibli movies.

In 2024, my musical personality is apparently "lullaby playlists to put the babies to sleep".

I swear I'm into other things! I also played the LoFi Girl Synthwave playlist while I work.

And that's pretty much it.