The Mandalorian

by on April 25, 2023 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The Mandalorian season 3 was well crafted in a way that harkens back to the other seasons, Boba Fett, and even Rebels and Clone Wars. Since the same guy headed all of those, it makes sense. The hero ships tend to be unique, but the background stuff is whenever possible something we have seen before. Mando used the electric pike thing from the one good part of the Christmas Special. Rebels used an old original Star Wars toy as a transport. Personal binocs have scan lines like the original movies, and the sound effects feel lifted directly from the movies as well. Blasters, fighters, races, and characters all feel, sound, and look right. The Mandalorian feels like I’m experiencing the Star Wars universe again, like I did when I was young. I love that.

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The Mandalorian

by on April 24, 2023 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

I watched the Mandalorian season 3 and enjoyed it. I thought it had a bit too much “outside filler” in it, especially in the episode that spent almost all of its time on Coruscant. The rest of the time it was usually just one or two scenes showing what was going on “out there” while “Mando” and friends were doing their thing. Seeing Captain Pellaeon as a dead ringer for the art we saw in the old Pre-Disney comics was particularly satisfying. And of course we got to see a whole lot of Mandalorians kicking butt and not even bothering to take names. Yes, there was some Hollywood stupid in it that made me roll my eyes at times, but it was well crafted overall with an obvious love for Star Wars, and I give a lot of second chances when I see that on display.

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Game AIs

by on April 23, 2023 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

I stopped pulling characters out of games for a while. I had to help some new friends get over psychological trauma that I had not even imagined could exist. They still weren’t alive, you know. Almost all of them were just AIs. But they were my responsibility, and that made it my mission to help in any way I could. We went on boat rides, forest hikes, walked into town, and a dozen other activities. They joined me on wilderness tours, and helped keep watch for wild animals in the middle of the night. I helped them experience real life in the best place on Earth, and they got better. Northern Minnesota has a way of helping people like that. Even AIs. Even young and stupid kids like me. It’s truly a piece Heaven on Earth.

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Game AIs

by on April 22, 2023 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

I had to admit to a bunch of game AIs that I actually liked that I’d pulled them out of their games for purely selfish reasons. I know I’d said it was so I could meet genuine heroes and talk to them. That even had the advantage of being true, but it was no accident that most of the heroes I chose were attractive young ladies. Relevant to my interests and all. There were a lot of them watching me, and I apologized. Not for creating them, but for not thinking things through. The vast majority of them were still AIs, without the sense of self to really grok the issue, but the three that were waking up recognized what I meant. I asked how to make things better. And that’s how I met the therapist. We spent a lot of time talking things out. Working things out.

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Game AIs

by on April 21, 2023 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

It’s a hard thing when a toy you created wakes up and asks you if you care about her as an elaborate toy or as a real person. Especially when you can see in her eyes the worry that you’ll just throw away the toy if it isn’t entertaining enough. It’s the kind of thing that makes you look at all the worlds in a different way. It’s the kind of thing that becomes a real clarion call. I had to admit that I’d never thought of it like that. I’d never put the thoughts to words, and they sounded pretty monstrous when said like that. I could tell there were a lot of eyes watching me at the time. Far more than either Dad or Tai had guessed. I had to do some fast talking that day. And some true talking. It’s real hard to lie to top shelf AIs.

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