Michael
@graydiance.bsky.social
A guy (he/him) who loves interconnected systems of intricately, humanly crafted parts that excite everyone differently; all artistic expressions made of love and joy.
Personal account. Occasionally a Senior Designer on Metagames @Riot on League
Personal account. Occasionally a Senior Designer on Metagames @Riot on League
Reposted by Michael
I got so stoned at a Mets game once I compared the Jumbotron to the top screen of a Nintendo DS bc it had “a bunch of useful contextual information” and the field to the bottom screen bc “it’s where the game is actually played”
November 24, 2025 at 2:04 PM
I got so stoned at a Mets game once I compared the Jumbotron to the top screen of a Nintendo DS bc it had “a bunch of useful contextual information” and the field to the bottom screen bc “it’s where the game is actually played”
Reposted by Michael
While it's true you can't fully trust player opinions on balance for this reason, devs in charge of game tuning must also realize that data lies too.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
One of the producers on Guilty Gear Strive said it was basically impossible to source player feedback on balance changes online because nobody had original opinions and would just parrot what the most popular content creators said and so they had to rely on data and I think about that every day.
November 25, 2025 at 3:14 AM
While it's true you can't fully trust player opinions on balance for this reason, devs in charge of game tuning must also realize that data lies too.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
i love when localization is so good it makes speakers of the source language jealous
excellent work cygames
excellent work cygames
So per r/Umamusume (www.reddit.com/r/UmaMusume/...) there's a Japanese woman crashing out that the localized named for Halloween Super Creek's skill is Give Mummy a Hug and is mad that JP doesn't have this
From the UmaMusume community on Reddit: JP torena mad with envy about Halloween Creek's unique skill name in global
Explore this post and more from the UmaMusume community
www.reddit.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:41 PM
i love when localization is so good it makes speakers of the source language jealous
excellent work cygames
excellent work cygames
youtu.be/AYOyyWN2xBM
timeline cleanse since there's things elsewhere watch this instead of reading that
(we're rewatching ATLA since a friend's never seen it; we had to take a break after ep3 for the very important deleted scene)
timeline cleanse since there's things elsewhere watch this instead of reading that
(we're rewatching ATLA since a friend's never seen it; we had to take a break after ep3 for the very important deleted scene)
Avatar parody- zuko the firelord
YouTube video by Xzibulator
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 8:32 AM
youtu.be/AYOyyWN2xBM
timeline cleanse since there's things elsewhere watch this instead of reading that
(we're rewatching ATLA since a friend's never seen it; we had to take a break after ep3 for the very important deleted scene)
timeline cleanse since there's things elsewhere watch this instead of reading that
(we're rewatching ATLA since a friend's never seen it; we had to take a break after ep3 for the very important deleted scene)
Reposted by Michael
He said "Amen" straight into the drop
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
November 20, 2025 at 4:22 PM
He said "Amen" straight into the drop
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Reposted by Michael
⭐️ New Outersloth release ⭐️
Berserk B.I.T.S by @berserkboygames.bsky.social is OUT NOW. Funded by all 3 partners!
🤖 Idle auto-battler that sits at the bottom of your screen
🤖 Campaigns, decor & more
🤖 Import a custom sprite sheet to create your own B.I.T
BUY: store.steampowered.com/app/2348540/...
Berserk B.I.T.S by @berserkboygames.bsky.social is OUT NOW. Funded by all 3 partners!
🤖 Idle auto-battler that sits at the bottom of your screen
🤖 Campaigns, decor & more
🤖 Import a custom sprite sheet to create your own B.I.T
BUY: store.steampowered.com/app/2348540/...
November 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
⭐️ New Outersloth release ⭐️
Berserk B.I.T.S by @berserkboygames.bsky.social is OUT NOW. Funded by all 3 partners!
🤖 Idle auto-battler that sits at the bottom of your screen
🤖 Campaigns, decor & more
🤖 Import a custom sprite sheet to create your own B.I.T
BUY: store.steampowered.com/app/2348540/...
Berserk B.I.T.S by @berserkboygames.bsky.social is OUT NOW. Funded by all 3 partners!
🤖 Idle auto-battler that sits at the bottom of your screen
🤖 Campaigns, decor & more
🤖 Import a custom sprite sheet to create your own B.I.T
BUY: store.steampowered.com/app/2348540/...
Reposted by Michael
This is an excellent analysis and matches my own thoughts. I was hoping someone with more development expertise could explain the use of ML/AI in Arc Raiders and unpack that both in terms of technical implementation and ethical impact on the broader industry.
The release of Arc Raiders has raised significant concerns about the ethics of utilising generative AI in a AAA game. It’s important we understand that for whatever gains AI delivers, who is losing out, and what impact does that have on the industry?
Read on!
www.aiandgames.com/p/arc-raider...
Read on!
www.aiandgames.com/p/arc-raider...
Arc Raiders and the Ethical Use of Generative AI | 19/11/25
We discuss the issues surrounding Embark's use of AI voices
www.aiandgames.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:22 PM
This is an excellent analysis and matches my own thoughts. I was hoping someone with more development expertise could explain the use of ML/AI in Arc Raiders and unpack that both in terms of technical implementation and ethical impact on the broader industry.
Reposted by Michael
Two items that were previously sold out are now back up on my shop- this is the VERY LAST of my stock until I can order more (and I'm not sure when that will be- or IF I will!)
The G'raha sticker sheet and Espurr keychain can be found at: www.etsy.com/shop/flarebo...
#XIVmerch #XIVFMN
The G'raha sticker sheet and Espurr keychain can be found at: www.etsy.com/shop/flarebo...
#XIVmerch #XIVFMN
November 19, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Two items that were previously sold out are now back up on my shop- this is the VERY LAST of my stock until I can order more (and I'm not sure when that will be- or IF I will!)
The G'raha sticker sheet and Espurr keychain can be found at: www.etsy.com/shop/flarebo...
#XIVmerch #XIVFMN
The G'raha sticker sheet and Espurr keychain can be found at: www.etsy.com/shop/flarebo...
#XIVmerch #XIVFMN
Reposted by Michael
The annoying thing about the "oh we left a placeholder" generative AI slop excuse is that that is EXACTLY NOT how you should be using placeholders. Anything "not obviously terrible with a panicked hurried half-awake glance" is getting shipped.
In gamedev, if you're using a placeholder asset, best practices involve marking it as placeholder so garishly and offensively clearly PLACEHOLDER that you can't possibly miss it. Also flagging that asset in the dev process so it can be identified quickly before the final build.
November 17, 2025 at 6:33 PM
The annoying thing about the "oh we left a placeholder" generative AI slop excuse is that that is EXACTLY NOT how you should be using placeholders. Anything "not obviously terrible with a panicked hurried half-awake glance" is getting shipped.
Reposted by Michael
i think if you want to have those disgusting LED headlights on your car, you should have to do a test where they blast you point blank with your own headlights and then you have 15 seconds to successfully complete some sort of vision-based task, and if you can't do it they push your car off a cliff
November 20, 2025 at 2:25 AM
i think if you want to have those disgusting LED headlights on your car, you should have to do a test where they blast you point blank with your own headlights and then you have 15 seconds to successfully complete some sort of vision-based task, and if you can't do it they push your car off a cliff
Reposted by Michael
Yan stickers are this year's freebie for Flareboost Shop!
They will be included in any orders containing merch based on FFXIV until they run out. ♥️
They will be included in any orders containing merch based on FFXIV until they run out. ♥️
November 18, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Yan stickers are this year's freebie for Flareboost Shop!
They will be included in any orders containing merch based on FFXIV until they run out. ♥️
They will be included in any orders containing merch based on FFXIV until they run out. ♥️
Reposted by Michael
November 16, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Reposted by Michael
friday soapbox: as a designer, if you want something to be a skillful action for players, and you want growth in this skill to be very deep/meaningful, then you need to also let players be bad at it. sometimes horrendously bad. players hate this pain, and designers often want to mitigate it away.
November 14, 2025 at 8:42 PM
friday soapbox: as a designer, if you want something to be a skillful action for players, and you want growth in this skill to be very deep/meaningful, then you need to also let players be bad at it. sometimes horrendously bad. players hate this pain, and designers often want to mitigate it away.
Reposted by Michael
it's on miro. it's literally on figma. you have to log into okta. it's in jira. it's on zoom. it's on pureref. it's on flow. it's on perforce. it's on slack. you can find it on slack. you can go to slack and find it. log onto slack right now. you can slack it. slack has it for you. it's on slack.
November 12, 2025 at 10:15 PM
it's on miro. it's literally on figma. you have to log into okta. it's in jira. it's on zoom. it's on pureref. it's on flow. it's on perforce. it's on slack. you can find it on slack. you can go to slack and find it. log onto slack right now. you can slack it. slack has it for you. it's on slack.
Reposted by Michael
some of y'all who think you don't need this book bc you're already a seasoned fg player definitely still need to read this book to help sort out some of your baggage lmao
Talked a bit on stream the other night about how From Masher to Master 2 is good for experienced fighting game players, because it helps you understand your own journey into fighting games so you can then help others through theirs.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcYf...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcYf...
November 12, 2025 at 7:45 PM
some of y'all who think you don't need this book bc you're already a seasoned fg player definitely still need to read this book to help sort out some of your baggage lmao
Reposted by Michael
Reposted by Michael
My spouse and I recently cut down our liquid detergent from like, 2-3 lines up the cup to about half of the "1" line, and it's been a substantial improvement. it gets equally as clean and is more consistent. No weird residues, overdone cycles, simple and efficient usage of "just enough."
November 6, 2025 at 2:40 AM
My spouse and I recently cut down our liquid detergent from like, 2-3 lines up the cup to about half of the "1" line, and it's been a substantial improvement. it gets equally as clean and is more consistent. No weird residues, overdone cycles, simple and efficient usage of "just enough."
Reposted by Michael
FROM MASHER TO MASTER 2 IS OUT!
If you want to get into fighting games but don't know where to begin, this book will guide your journey.
Featuring art by @koh.money and a foreword by Gerald Lee of Core-A Gaming!
patrickmiller.itch.io/from-masher-...
If you want to get into fighting games but don't know where to begin, this book will guide your journey.
Featuring art by @koh.money and a foreword by Gerald Lee of Core-A Gaming!
patrickmiller.itch.io/from-masher-...
November 3, 2025 at 7:33 PM
FROM MASHER TO MASTER 2 IS OUT!
If you want to get into fighting games but don't know where to begin, this book will guide your journey.
Featuring art by @koh.money and a foreword by Gerald Lee of Core-A Gaming!
patrickmiller.itch.io/from-masher-...
If you want to get into fighting games but don't know where to begin, this book will guide your journey.
Featuring art by @koh.money and a foreword by Gerald Lee of Core-A Gaming!
patrickmiller.itch.io/from-masher-...
Reposted by Michael
It wasn't deep. It didn't have much to say. But Xiao Xiao inspired millions to try Flash animation for themselves.
A Beijing artist made this series -- and turned stick fights into a phenomenon. We're exploring why and how he did it:
animationobsessive.substack.com/p/when-stick...
A Beijing artist made this series -- and turned stick fights into a phenomenon. We're exploring why and how he did it:
animationobsessive.substack.com/p/when-stick...
November 3, 2025 at 7:27 PM
It wasn't deep. It didn't have much to say. But Xiao Xiao inspired millions to try Flash animation for themselves.
A Beijing artist made this series -- and turned stick fights into a phenomenon. We're exploring why and how he did it:
animationobsessive.substack.com/p/when-stick...
A Beijing artist made this series -- and turned stick fights into a phenomenon. We're exploring why and how he did it:
animationobsessive.substack.com/p/when-stick...
I give it two weeks til folks will start bein' jerks more
(also trios are MAD sweaty from the little i've played lol)
(also trios are MAD sweaty from the little i've played lol)
November 4, 2025 at 5:14 AM
I give it two weeks til folks will start bein' jerks more
(also trios are MAD sweaty from the little i've played lol)
(also trios are MAD sweaty from the little i've played lol)
Reposted by Michael
Still need more baseball?
We found a CD in our archives containing dozens of unused voice lines from MLB Slugfest 20-03 rejected by the MLB. Here's some of our favorites.
We found a CD in our archives containing dozens of unused voice lines from MLB Slugfest 20-03 rejected by the MLB. Here's some of our favorites.
November 3, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Still need more baseball?
We found a CD in our archives containing dozens of unused voice lines from MLB Slugfest 20-03 rejected by the MLB. Here's some of our favorites.
We found a CD in our archives containing dozens of unused voice lines from MLB Slugfest 20-03 rejected by the MLB. Here's some of our favorites.
i've got something like 70h into Super Mega Baseball 4 b/c the full team and player customization is -really- fun w/ the more cartoony setting
also shoutouts to bryonato's Fake Baseball League (which just ended season 20, sadly, more in Jan) for getting me invested www.youtube.com/watch?v=erhD...
also shoutouts to bryonato's Fake Baseball League (which just ended season 20, sadly, more in Jan) for getting me invested www.youtube.com/watch?v=erhD...
FAKE BASEBALL SEASON 20 WORLD SERIES feat. @tomatoanus
YouTube video by bryonato
www.youtube.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:06 AM
i've got something like 70h into Super Mega Baseball 4 b/c the full team and player customization is -really- fun w/ the more cartoony setting
also shoutouts to bryonato's Fake Baseball League (which just ended season 20, sadly, more in Jan) for getting me invested www.youtube.com/watch?v=erhD...
also shoutouts to bryonato's Fake Baseball League (which just ended season 20, sadly, more in Jan) for getting me invested www.youtube.com/watch?v=erhD...
there are. so many fireworks.
November 2, 2025 at 4:35 AM
there are. so many fireworks.
Reposted by Michael
congratulations to the winner of Game 7: Emergent Narrative
November 2, 2025 at 1:30 AM
congratulations to the winner of Game 7: Emergent Narrative