Electoral dissonance

I've been observing the latest round of elections and campaigning across the pond, trying to stay open-minded and aware. It's a bit disturbing to see how polarized the political system has become. Decades ago, people in the same household could have differing political opinions without conflict. Nowadays, it feels like you're either on my side or you're a bad person, with shaming and derogatory responses for those who don't share your exact opinions. If I get any comments on this post, I kind of expect them to be in that vein.

The January 6th storming of the Capitol in 2021 is evidence of this polarization. With such division, it's easier to stir up hatred in the masses, on either side.

On one hand, you have Trump, who is up for re-election. From my perspective, he seems to use every manipulation tactic to set his own agenda. He's faced multiple legal issues over the years, some still unresolved. Despite this, there's a belief that his re-election would be good for the economy, with stock markets and Bitcoin surging whenever the polls swing in his favor.

On the other hand, you have Kamala Harris. She seems smart and level-headed, making good arguments for why Trump shouldn't be in power, which I agree with. However, I don't see what she brings to the table. The last four years under Joe Biden have been pretty flat and ineffectual. While Trump's actions stirred up drama, they were high-profile, and people seem to like that, good or bad. I think the country would be more stable under Harris, with less outlandish or antagonizing actions and speeches, but the markets don't seem to favor her as much. My gut leans towards Harris, mostly because I fear Trump could go full-on fascist totalitarian, but that could be due to the information I have access to. I'm admittedly left-leaning with some right-leaning elements, so maybe I'm a centrist?

Regardless, I don't get a vote. I'm merely observing via the information I can access and hunting for views from both sides. What stands out most to me is that if your political leaning is left or right, the other side labels you as an extremist, far left or far right. Celebrity endorsements seem to agree with this. Elon Musk and Gina Carano recently endorsed Trump. Musk likely because of alignment with his business interests and deregulating policies. Carano's reasons are less clear. I like her and have followed her career and the Disney conflict with interest. Cancel culture targeted her for some edgy social media posts, and Disney fired her to save face. I think it was hyped up to be more extreme than it was. When pushed by a bubble, the natural inclination is to double down and push against the group that did so. It could be that she simply opposes the 'leftist' culture powered by her own bubble.

When I say bubble, I mean the environment we're exposed to. What is filtered to us by social media feeds our confirmation bias, the view of our peers that align and embolden our own. We tend not to see what's outside that bubble, and when we do, we reject it. The Oatmeal did an awesome comic on this confirmation bias you should read. Like, now!

In summary, the right's view of the 'far left' seems to expect the removal of people's freedoms and rights (guns, vaccinations) and excessive government control (Ala V for Vendetta). The left's view of the 'far right' involves the removal of social equality, nationalism, xenophobia, and resistance to progressive changes. From my digging, it seems there's a lot of crossover in the more extreme views, simply bucketed into 'that's their view' because they are so unbased on reality or cruel and inhumane.

The truth is much more subtle. All of this results from cognitive biases set out to protect ourselves from the 'others'. Everyone lies on a spectrum, can have views that align with the left or the right, and probably don't actually align with the extremist views. But news, activists, and social media portray it as such to win votes for the side they align with and because it's clickbaity. It gets people riled up and engaged, keeping them in the headlines, getting attention, and making money. What's the downside, right?

I guess my point is, think about your views, be open, do the research, and be mindful of what is filtering into your bubble. It's uncomfortable to do this work, but that's a good thing. Regardless of who is elected, it's all downhill unless, as a people, everyone can come together and see each other as equals, with views, with flaws, but people just like yourself. Take care all, and get out and vote!

 

Let's plays are back on the menu boys!

 Greetings all!

It's been a spell, but I have finally gotten around to a semi-regular let's play schedule. My new laptop and sound setup mean that I am able to record footage with a good framerate, and with a decent level of audio quality. (Not perfect, but it is a £40 Fifine USB microphone I am using). 

At the moment I am working through a Hardcore Minecraft series, if that's your bag, come check it out! 

Episode 1 of my latest attempt here: https://youtu.be/W8F-fsy4yt8

Velk Reviews: Baldur's Gate 3

In the latest installment of the Baldur's Gate series, Larian Studios invites players to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of the Dungeons & Dragons universe with Baldur's Gate 3. From the moment you step into this fantastical world, it's evident that Larian has spared no effort in crafting a breathtaking experience that seamlessly blends stunning visuals with immersive atmosphere.

Set against the backdrop of a world teetering on the brink of chaos, Baldur's Gate 3 thrusts players into a gripping tale of magic, monsters, and political intrigue. As you create your custom character, choosing from a diverse array of races, classes, and abilities, you're immediately drawn into a narrative that unfolds with each decision you make.

The game's visuals are nothing short of spectacular, with beautifully rendered environments, detailed character models, and spell effects that dazzle the senses. Whether you're exploring the depths of a dark dungeon or traversing the vibrant landscapes of the world, every corner of Baldur's Gate 3 is filled with rich detail and atmosphere, begging to be explored.

It's not just the visuals that impress; Baldur's Gate 3 delivers a deep and engaging gameplay experience that stays true to its Dungeons & Dragons roots. Combat is tactical and challenging, requiring careful planning and strategic thinking to overcome formidable foes. Meanwhile, the game's robust character creation system allows for a high degree of customization, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique.

At its core, Baldur's Gate 3 is a game about choice and consequence. The decisions you make throughout your journey have far-reaching implications, shaping the world around you and determining the outcome of the story. Whether you choose to forge alliances with powerful factions, uncover the secrets of ancient artifacts, or succumb to the temptations of dark magic, every choice you make leaves its mark on the world of Baldur's Gate.

I have been a fan of the Baldur's Gate series of games, including IceWind Dale since Baldur's Gate 1 was released in 1998. Using the good old Thaco system from Second Edition D&D, the game world was addictive, the game play, clunky in hindsight, was great and I spent many many hours exploring. Baldur's Gate 2 repeated this endeavour, with improved resolution, but a higher level and relatively tougher experience. Nevertheless, great games worth exploring, as is this latest instalment.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a masterful blend of captivating storytelling, deep role-playing mechanics, and strategic combat. With its stunning visuals, immersive atmosphere, and richly detailed world, it's a worthy successor to the legendary Baldur's Gate series. Whether you're a fan of Dungeons & Dragons or simply love epic fantasy adventures, Baldur's Gate 3 offers an unforgettable journey through a world of magic and mystery.
 

Blog update, New Youtube and new Tech.

So, I decided a while back that I was going to start a new YouTube channel to document my outdoor adventures. Hiking, wild camping, generally being outdoors and getting back in touch with nature. 

In a step towards this I have a bit of a rebranding going on. I created a new YouTube channel, though I still need to decide on the final name. I have been planning some excursions and the kind of content I would like to go over, still much a work in progress, but definitely taking you fine internet people on adventures with me, seeing some epic scenery, talking about places, gear, and the benefits of getting outdoors. I also want to cover off things like planning for your adventure and the life situations and logistics that might cause friction in doing so, and hopefully help you develop some processes and strategies to enable yourself to do the same. It has been a long journey for me to get to where I am now.

I have drawn a lot of inspiration from the likes of Haze Outdoors, Wildbeare and Fables and Fells, to name but a few. I have found doing this kind of thing is good for the heart legs and noggin, and in the last year of doing all of this, I have been thoroughly enjoying it. I have taken some epic photos. I have been to places I never conceived of, and met some amazing people along the way. 

After some research (and boy was it a hard choice!) I have bought a GoPro Hero12 to enable better vlogging and video capture of these adventures and the scenery.

I may create a new blog page to interact with this channel, and the work I will be putting in, but for the time being, I will be posting here, and hoping to up my rate of posting of all things geeky and nerdy, and getting out and having fun (Look! It's a geeky toy ok, don't look at me like that...)

-V

Velk Reviews! Assassins Creed: Valhalla

I started this game the day it was released for the PS5 back in November 2020. It is weird thinking back that it was that long ago, but there we are!

I have played through the base games and the additional content in Ireland and France, taking me about 180 hours to play through. That is 180 hours of fun filled murderous satisfaction 😁. Let's break it down and discuss some of the key areas.

Gameplay:

The control system took a few hours to get my head around, but once I did it felt pretty natural. Character movement is somewhat different from the AC games of yore, but once I got used to the way Eivor (You!) moves, it felt natural. There are a few combat methods in the game, with sub 'methods' of each. 

Eivor can be set up as an out and out warrior, where they wade into the midst of battle wielding whatever combination of weapons you wish them to wield, one handed, two handed, dual wielding or sword and board. I found dual wielding was particularly fun, especially later in the game dual wielding a two handed weapon in each hand, you can carve your way through the ranks of enemies.

You can take a stealth approach (It IS Assassins Creed after all...) keeping out of sight or above your enemies, creeping about, using cover, and whistling at your enemies to draw them towards your cover and taking them down, sneaking up behind them for a silent takedown, or, death from above! Dropping from outside their line of sight onto them and eliminating them (And as an added bonus, I think with a perk, you can hurl an axe at a nearby enemy that has not noticed you to eliminate them too. Double takedown, heck yeah!)

Finally, you can do some archery. The archery system (especially with the PS5 haptic feedback triggers) is great fun, and there's 3 kinds of bows you can use. Light bow, Hunter bow and Predator bow. 

I thought the light bow sucked and just did not find an area I was happy using it.

The hunter bow was great for mid-ranged picking off of the opponents, lining up headshots for instant takedowns, and making use of the stealth system to maximise the effect.

The predator bow is a sniper rifle. Zoomed in sights, and the ability to use various shots including guiding the arrow in slow motion from first person to navigate around obstacles to try to take down the targets. Great fun!

Combat is interactive, there are ques if you pay attention on what the enemies are doing to react to, and the boss fights offer a good level of challenge but are not crushingly difficult to overcome, especially with practise.

Graphics:

On a high end system, they are gorgeous. The lowest end system I have seen this on is a PS5 in 4k, the details, the terrain, the lighting, all great! I particularly love as you travel around the different counties and areas, the terrain all looks slightly different, and they are in different seasons showing some passage of time, and the plant life that exists there is realistic to the area. I remember a tweet (An X? Whatever) from @MiracleOfSound when he was playing through the Wrath of the Druids expansion that was based in Ireland, that it was like being there, was gorgeous and super immersive! I am from the UK and am well travelled, and many of the areas I have been I would say are very similar to what they are in the game. Again, love it. 

Story:

No spoilers here, but the plot line is great. Starting from Eivors childhood you get an introduction to their past before picking up in Norway to start the game.The wider world events that are happening are relatively historically accurate. If you have ever watched The Last Kingdom, you might recognise some of the locations that are contested. Play the game, meet famous real life vikings and saxons, follow the plot, explore, pillage and raid. It is a sandbox game with a plot weaved through.

If your reading this and you have NOT played it. Go play it. Just, off ya go, go play! :)

-Velk