Journal of Other Forum Analysis (Volume II, Issue 2)

[Snoopy]

Morrigan expected Nep to get her back on the mod team. But Nep discovered Morrigan is pals with that Nazi black metal guy. 

[killamajig]

Thread backfire 

https://www.resetera.com/threads/woman-tries-to-get-to-3rd-base-with-16th-century-italian-statue.1504225/#post-154308091

You know she's got to be American. The repair cost seems cheap given its age/material but it seems the damage was small. Hopefully they dont get that guy who tried to restore the Jesus painting.

Narrator: "Not American"

edit: also it wasn't a guy that repaired the Jesus painting

[Taco Bell Tower]

He'll be back to make more of his cancel culture threads.

Why Heaven's post not quoted?  This was in regards to .doops bluesky post 

[JoeBoy101]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/current-discourse-red-or-blue-button-era.1501903/post-154298110

Again, I understand what you're saying. I just disagree. The physical act of pressing either button in isolation means nothing because the outcome of the button press depends on the final aggregate vote. Yes, we've already established reds are safe from the immediate consequence of the election result either way. However, blues are safe insofar as over half of people don't press red. If blue gets a simple majority, then subsequent blue votes actually don't matter either.

Really, all the first four billion and one people have to do is press blue, and then the rest of us can get out of the voting line and go home.

I’m beginning to see a pattern. Queen Neppy doing anything she can so she doesn’t have to vote.

[Hap Shaughnessy]

Member only:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/im-an-unemployed-gamedev-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do-with-my-career-in-an-ai-driven-world.1503943/

Hello, Era.

Disclaimer: I've been moving between apathy, hopelessness, and pessimism for a long time now (months) and this is going to be a vent post about my personal situation, touching on unemployment, worry about the future, rejection of AI, etc. I'm saying this in case you understandably don't feel like reading something negative in these times.

To summarize: I entered the video game industry in 2020 (after six previous years working in other sectors) after wanting to work in it for a long time. What followed were five years, until June 2025, in which I moved through 4 different companies, working mainly in QA but also performing game designer duties, especially in the last ones. I left the first company after a mandatory hours reduction due to lack of work, and the following three closed down, laying off all their employees (and I'm still waiting for severance pay from two of them). So, I've been out of work since July 2025, and as you can see, my last six years haven't exactly been a synonym for stability and peace of mind. After so many years with the dream and goal of entering the industry, the road hasn't exactly been easy.

But now everything is even worse. In the first three cases where I moved from one job to another, it took me four months at most to find a new position. Now, with much more experience, it's proving impossible: remote work (all my jobs have always been remote, since I live in a small city with zero video game industry presence) is being abandoned by a large number of companies; many of those that still allow it do so in a hybrid format (which, at the end of the day, forces you to move anyway) and, of course, the elephant in the room: AI. Not to mention, obviously, that there are many more professionals applying for the same (few) positions.

However, after the closure notice of the last company, I didn't want to sit idly by, and I chose to try and get that thorn out of my side by launching my own video game, teaming up with two colleagues and trying to follow the rule of making a small game. Despite my problems stemming from ADHD (another layer of frustration, seeing how I'm not even able to concentrate or be consistent with my own project), the game is progressing positively; we'll have an updated demo in the June Next Fest and we'll launch it, if all goes well, in July.

Being consistent and realistic, it would be a miracle if the game gave us enough to dedicate another X months/years to making another game without having to keep looking for a job to support myself. It will add experience to my CV and, I hope, help pay a bill or two, but the logical thing is to think beyond that. And there, honestly, I don't know what will become of me…

My passion is video games and it's what I've always wanted to do. But the current situation I mentioned makes it almost impossible to work as a game designer. And having to think about alternatives outside the industry (which already feels like a small personal defeat), what has always interested me most (UI and UX design) is another sector radically affected by AI. And, sincerely, the prospect of having to spend X months/years training in a sector to start as a junior, where AI does nothing but advance and cannibalize positions, doesn't seem like the wisest or safest thing in the world.

So here I am. 33 years old and not knowing what will happen with my future, both immediate and long-term, spending my savings, finding it impossible to buy a home, and watching how "my world," both for work and leisure, is in decline because of this damn artificial intelligence. All while my ADHD ensures I only truly take advantage of a tiny fraction of the vast amount of free time I have, failing to progress in my personal goals and objectives and feeling frustrated by being unable to be a functional adult. Everything's just great...

What should I dedicate myself to? What should my Plan B be? And Plan C? What a mess...

So, as I said at the beginning, excuse this vent and such a negative tone. But, honestly, I find it very difficult to have hope or be optimistic about the coming years.

Thanks for reading me, Era.

[Hap Shaughnessy]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/welcome-new-members-introduce-yourself-here.119184/page-49#post-154304671

im a gamer. i have a twitch account. check it out
MOD EDIT: self promotion link removed

https://www.twitch.tv/xick7613

Deleted Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/xick7613/

https://www.youtube.com/@Whatever290

[Hap Shaughnessy]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/netflix-home-of-all-your-favorite-controversial-and-cancelled-comedians-is-giving-dave-chappelle-3-shows-at-their-comedy-fest.1504576/

[benji]

They pulled a game made by a person who attempted to murder a world leader. You guys are delusional if you think they will keep it on there.

They pulled it because they are techno-fascist billionaires who don't mind Nazis and will openly cater to them to enshrine their wealth and dominance. Let's not pretend it's anything different.

Yeah, Gaben's wealth and dominance would really be threatened if he had ten times the moderators for the forums nobody uses and kept this one game up for sale.  

https://www.resetera.com/threads/current-discourse-red-or-blue-button-era.1501903/post-154298110

Again, I understand what you're saying. I just disagree. The physical act of pressing either button in isolation means nothing because the outcome of the button press depends on the final aggregate vote. Yes, we've already established reds are safe from the immediate consequence of the election result either way. However, blues are safe insofar as over half of people don't press red. If blue gets a simple majority, then subsequent blue votes actually don't matter either.

Really, all the first four billion and one people have to do is press blue, and then the rest of us can get out of the voting line and go home.

I’m beginning to see a pattern. Queen Neppy doing anything she can so she doesn’t have to vote.

Except she votes in every single general election.

Looking at that thread makes clear how incredibly stupid these people are. 22 pages of people arguing over the moral ramifications of two sentences. I can't tell whether I prefer the guy trying to argue "game theory" against a hypothetical with no information or the people who can't read all three sentences in the OP before trying to argue about this.

Member only:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/im-an-unemployed-gamedev-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do-with-my-career-in-an-ai-driven-world.1503943/

Almost literally three years ago: https://www.resetera.com/threads/i-want-to-make-my-own-games-but-i-dont-know-which-path-to-take.723028/

Hello, Era.

Sorry for a slightly more personal post, but in a way, I need to hear opinions and thoughts about my situation.

I suppose, like many others, I've always wanted to make video games. For one reason or another, I spent the first 6-7 years of my professional life writing about video games and working in unrelated jobs, but almost three years ago, I started working as a QA Tester. However, alongside that, my desire to develop my own ideas has only grown bigger and bigger.

My field of interest has always been game design and storytelling, so my programming knowledge is practically non-existent at this point. Due to a mixture of chronic procrastination and self-sabotage that kicks in when I start learning something and then give up because I know that achieving the results I want will take a lot of time, during which I will only produce mediocre results. And now, as I feel the itch to start my own project again and I have an idea for a project with some potential and a manageable timeline (a small game, 5-10 months of development), I'm torn between investing a significant amount of time in learning to program it myself and seeking (paid) help from an artist, or alternatively, taking a bigger risk by seeking both an artist and a programmer to form a team of three. What troubles me here is that, apart from not being particularly well-off financially, I'm not sure how I feel about starting a project where I'll "provide the idea" and the heavy lifting will be done by others.

Obviously, being a designer (I've done design tasks in my previous position) doesn't mean just coming up with the idea and then distancing myself from it. Additionally, I would take care of everything else, also to experience and learn firsthand about communication, marketing, Steam sales, and so on. What are your thoughts on someone with not much experience wanting to start a mini-studio to work on a mini-project? Is it foolish? Is it too risky?

[malfoyking]

People watch Chapelle's stuff. They need to get over it. At what point would they move on with their lives over this cancel shit.

[benji]

At what point would they move on with their lives over this cancel shit.

When others finally engage in basic human decency.

[simiansmarts]

People watch Chapelle's stuff. They need to get over it. At what point would they move on with their lives over this cancel shit.

There's nothing RE loves more than reactionary "FUCK THIS GUY" threads that amount to absolutely nothing. If only more users were as wise as doops and took a step back to reevaluate how much of a miserable person this forum has encouraged them to be.

[Lonewulfeus]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/former-fbi-director-james-comey-has-been-indicted-a-second-time-by-trumps-justice-department-two-sources-familiar-told-cnn.1504669/#post-154319530

Bondi trying to save her job, but it will be the nail in the coffin for her

Pam Bondi was fired almost a month ago, Slayven needs to stick to comics

[simiansmarts]

 
 
 
 
alright, which one of you did this

[malfoyking]

 
 
 
 
alright, which one of you did this

You??

[Uncle]

Looking at that thread makes clear how incredibly stupid these people are. 22 pages of people arguing over the moral ramifications of two sentences. I can't tell whether I prefer the guy trying to argue "game theory" against a hypothetical with no information or the people who can't read all three sentences in the OP before trying to argue about this.

it's not about the number of sentences, but it is about assigning culpability over doing practically nothing

game theory doesn't seem to be relevant because you can't develop a mathematical model, though you can at least look at an options matrix and quickly discover there is only one choice that potentially results in your death

and then everyone pulling faces like "I don't want to live in a world full of the kind of psychopaths who would choose to kill all those people"
 

by that logic aren't they all making choices every day that result in suffering for others?

"I bought this bag of oranges thus demonstrating that there is continued demand for oranges thus perpetuating the orange farms where they're picked by practically slave labor earning pennies a day"

[Hap Shaughnessy]

alright, which one of you did this

Obviously it's Blueballs.

[simiansmarts]

You??

I have made it clear that I never poke the bear, only observe. 

[Uncle]

it's cringe so it's definitely blueball false flagging

[Snoopy]

No mention of virgins or basements so it’s not Jeff Marvel or Visawife

[killamajig]

Neppy going ham in that thread 

now at....

Nepenthe    103
excelsiorlef  46
The Adder   43
Vaenyr         39
DECK’ARD 31


Of course excel enters the chat, that cunt can't resist a good shit post thread

[benji]

As someone who helped make a video game supporting Sanders' campaign way back when, this effectively ends my looking toward him without an apology or retraction. I get that might be a hard response, and maybe I'm alone in it, but I'm not playing "enemy of my enemy" with nazis

https://www.resetera.com/threads/bernie-sanders-defends-graham-platner-calls-him-an-“excellent-candidate-and-the-next-senator-of-maine”.1330780/page-2#post-146676601

I don't say this to gloat. I truly, truly don't.

But it's shocking to me that we are in such perilous times, that non-Black folks are starting to finally see what Black folks have been seeing, and saying, and critiquing for the last damn decade.

If some of you really want further insight into this, I implore you: observe Black spaces. Take a peek at Black Threads, Black BlueSky, and see how Black folks are talking about this. About white leftism.

What you won't see a whole lot of is surprise.

Honestly, it's actually fucking frustrating.

Listen to us for once in your goddamn lives.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/bernie-sanders-defends-graham-platner-calls-him-an-%E2%80%9Cexcellent-candidate-and-the-next-senator-of-maine%E2%80%9D.1330780/post-146735209

It's the simple fact that it's basically assuming this is GOING to happen instead of putting forth any action, any energy, any resistance whatsoever.

Bernie did this with Canada last year too. He doesn't actually have anything to say, he just keeps banging his stupid "so we should have socialism then, right" drum. It's fundamentally unserious bullshit and he has to know it.

And I say this as someone whose dad worked for the guy.

Suddenly everyone at ERA hates Bernie Sanders.  

Bernie was a good man once. But like so many others on the left, he's simply too old and too set in his ways to be useful at this time in history.

Bernie is one person and has been doing shit like that for ages. He is not a leader and he is not the defacto representation of left leaning people in this country. Fuck Bernie.

Bernie's consistency on messaging was great when he was running for office and acting as a Senator related to domestic economic issues, but he really needs to read the room and realize it's entirely inappropriate to make these disastrously evil foreign policy attacks about those issues as well. It's so tone deaf and provides absolutely no push back or response as to why it's bad to begin with.

Just call this evil and a betrayal of our allies. Tell the military to disobey unlawful orders. No mealy mouth bullshit. Why is that so hard for Democrats to do. Cowards

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/28/bernie-sanders-interview-israel-arms-00894498

Spoiler:  (click to show)(click to hide)

[Boredfrom]

I mean, the red button is the safe choice… but then you realize that not everyone thinks this and are going to choose the blue button because is the moral upstanding option at first glance. So you are still going to fell guilty about it even if in theory is the genuine safest option.

[Boredfrom]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/spiders-greedfall-steelrising-is-shutting-down.1504234/

this gen is beyond ruthless.

they were AA powerhouse, rip.

Holy historical revisionism, dudes took until PS4 to release mediocre received games until Greedfall.

[Lonewulfeus]

it's cringe so it's definitely blueball false flagging

Blueball secretly agrees with us but can’t it admit it here to keep up pretenses.  Blueball do not drop a like on this post if it is factually correct.

[Uncle]

I mean, the red button is the safe choice… but then you realize that not everyone thinks this and are going to choose the blue button because is the moral upstanding option at first glance. So you are still going to fell guilty about it even if in theory is the genuine safest option.

I don't feel guilty about choosing not to place myself in danger

the best reframing I saw online was: there is a giant blender. some idiots are climbing into the blender. if at least 50% of people climb in, then their combined mass will be too much to properly spin and chop everyone up. alternatively, you can just walk past and not climb into the blender to begin with.

I don't feel guilty about not climbing into the blender

[Boredfrom]

I mean, the red button is the safe choice… but then you realize that not everyone thinks this and are going to choose the blue button because is the moral upstanding option at first glance. So you are still going to fell guilty about it even if in theory is the genuine safest option.

I don't feel guilty about choosing not to place myself in danger

the best reframing I saw online was: there is a giant blender. some idiots are climbing into the blender. if at least 50% of people climb in, then their combined mass will be too much to properly spin and chop everyone up. alternatively, you can just walk past and not climb into the blender to begin with.

I don't feel guilty about not climbing into the blender

Ow, the edge!

I would because I know people, family members and friends,  that would press the blue button and will not know any better.

The red button is the safe and sanest option, I agree. But I will still feel guilty in choosing it.

[JoeBoy101]

I mean, the red button is the safe choice… but then you realize that not everyone thinks this and are going to choose the blue button because is the moral upstanding option at first glance. So you are still going to fell guilty about it even if in theory is the genuine safest option.

Not to start this bullshit argument over here as well, but the red is the only logical answer. The choices are ‘red you live, blue you have a decent chance of dying’. The only reason people hit blue is because their belief that others will hit that button trying to save other people hitting that button. It’s collective insanity where all the people hitting blue are doing so for ‘moral standing’ when in truth they believe they are saving all the other people hitting blue. That belief ignores the fact that all those other people had the equal option to save themselves by hitting red. Blue exists solely as a trap for people to martyr themselves for ‘moral’ reasons, because that is ostensibly the reason everyone else hit the blue button.

There’s already the easiest path for success for everyone involved and that’s hitting the red button. Blue is only there for people to torture themselves with, but feel morally superior. “I’m not being selfish.”

This exercise shows the inherent problem where if someone is completely selfless and sacrifices themselves, it only drags down others trying to rescue them when, if they looked after themselves with equal fervor… everything would be fine.

…

[benji]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/spiders-greedfall-steelrising-is-shutting-down.1504234/

There were some problematic aspects to a good game in Greedfall that needed addressing in a sequel, but if anything they doubled down on some of them (Especially in regards to 'magical native' and 'The Good Coloniser' tropes) which no doubt led to a bunch of the more negative reception for the prequel. I was privy to gameplay of it before release and ooft, that content put me right off.

Can't say I'll miss the developers of a pro-colonizer game

Ooft.

[Boredfrom]

Again, I didn’t say that it wasn’t the logical answer. :

There’s already the easiest path for success for everyone involved and that’s hitting the red button. Blue is only there for people to torture themselves with, but feel morally superior. “I’m not being selfish.”

Not necessarily, a lot of people will probably not think about it beyond “blue is the moral choice”, not because any moral grandstanding.

That’s why I can disassociate the guilt even if is logical to do it.

[killamajig]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/just-found-a-wallet-with-at-least-7000-in-it.1503502/page-5#post-154301755

someone asked when planetsmasher would show up with his story...

When I was a teenager, I found $500 cash on the ground at a hotel at Disney World on a school trip. Almost got into a fistfight with a classmate over it.

Not the millions we thought he would claim but the disney fight is a nice bit of bullshit