Pinned
THE TOMCAST - YouTube
Tomcast is a podcast featuring Tom talking about (or relating things to) videogames.
www.youtube.com
I'm a software developer by day; game developer (UE5) by night. [TODO: write a better pinned post]
TODO: personal-website/space-vampire page
I'm sincerely making a podcast as a joke. Nobody should listen to it.
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
TODO: personal-website/space-vampire page
I'm sincerely making a podcast as a joke. Nobody should listen to it.
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
As much as cozy mech game would be cool, it would necessitate moving most of the power lines below ground. Or having certain places where mecha can't go since they could damage infrastructure.
I'm fun at parties.
I'm fun at parties.
It wouldn't surprise me if the military supplier knew this and sold civilian level replacement parts.
For the soldiers being a pilot would also garuntee them a civilian job. At least initially.
For the soldiers being a pilot would also garuntee them a civilian job. At least initially.
December 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
As much as cozy mech game would be cool, it would necessitate moving most of the power lines below ground. Or having certain places where mecha can't go since they could damage infrastructure.
I'm fun at parties.
I'm fun at parties.
I'm all for questionable choices in facial hair; But we really need to stop centering things on lonely single men.
December 6, 2025 at 4:27 AM
I'm all for questionable choices in facial hair; But we really need to stop centering things on lonely single men.
Reposted
Fun Fact: 2026 is the year the original 1998 Riven Wall calendar can be used again. Try hanging up both to double your Riven experience!
December 3, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Fun Fact: 2026 is the year the original 1998 Riven Wall calendar can be used again. Try hanging up both to double your Riven experience!
I do in fact call it "biskie" in my own head.
If you don't pronounce "bsky.app" as "biskie dot apeepee," don't talk to me.
December 2, 2025 at 7:10 AM
I do in fact call it "biskie" in my own head.
Reposted
The real scary thing is how many AAA games are already doing this. Aim assist, the sticky crosshairs, auto crouch, taking control of the camera... The dotted line, the cinematic walk and talk. The follower who solves the puzzle for you.
(In the context of FPS and third person action games)
(In the context of FPS and third person action games)
that would go scary hard from a game design standpoint.
a game with a lot of assistance, and a model monitoring how you execute on tactics, and then it starts performing actions ahead of you without telling you.
a game with a lot of assistance, and a model monitoring how you execute on tactics, and then it starts performing actions ahead of you without telling you.
November 29, 2025 at 7:22 PM
The real scary thing is how many AAA games are already doing this. Aim assist, the sticky crosshairs, auto crouch, taking control of the camera... The dotted line, the cinematic walk and talk. The follower who solves the puzzle for you.
(In the context of FPS and third person action games)
(In the context of FPS and third person action games)
There's no way hospitals with burn wards can go out of business with posts like this.
“Like the polar ice caps, we have witnessed Your Mom shrinking from outer space,” Dr. Sykes said. “Unfortunately, there were some downsides, too: Several grocery stores went out of business, and next year’s congressional maps are in flux now that Your Mom fits in a single zip code.”
Novo Nordisk Unveils New, Stronger Ozempic for Your Mom: tinyurl.com/bddhnv5p
November 27, 2025 at 10:53 PM
There's no way hospitals with burn wards can go out of business with posts like this.
The weirdest problem I have is the Unreal Engine keeps better implementing things I've spent months working on.
Its not a bad problem to have. But its making me want to continually update the engine.
Its not a bad problem to have. But its making me want to continually update the engine.
Spent the morning having a quick look at the ultra early new Substrate Toon BSDF / Toon Profiles added to UE5-Main Branch this past week, looking cool, although no specular stuff is implemented, just diffuse but promsising!
#UE5 #UnrealEngine #GameDev #TechArt #Stylised
#UE5 #UnrealEngine #GameDev #TechArt #Stylised
November 24, 2025 at 2:32 AM
The weirdest problem I have is the Unreal Engine keeps better implementing things I've spent months working on.
Its not a bad problem to have. But its making me want to continually update the engine.
Its not a bad problem to have. But its making me want to continually update the engine.
The further irony is that gold recently tested all time highs.
shovel sales off the chart. great news for gold rush no end in sight!
JUST IN: Nvidia's strong earnings beat Wall Street estimates, a positive signal for the AI boom and economy.
November 20, 2025 at 2:08 AM
The further irony is that gold recently tested all time highs.
As a player, killing myself* is my prerogative. You used to be able to have a key bound that would kill yourself (last game that had this was Nier Automata and that game was good). If the player wants to die the game should let them.
*this should only be in videogames. Do not actually kill yourself.
*this should only be in videogames. Do not actually kill yourself.
So you could really hurt yourself by double-jumping on a lift that's descending. Even worse is the edge case: There's one specific armor that lets your double-jump turn into a HOVER. I'll wager that's a fatal fall.
Yes, the player did it themselves, but it feels bad man. No reason to jump on lifts.
Yes, the player did it themselves, but it feels bad man. No reason to jump on lifts.
November 19, 2025 at 8:44 AM
As a player, killing myself* is my prerogative. You used to be able to have a key bound that would kill yourself (last game that had this was Nier Automata and that game was good). If the player wants to die the game should let them.
*this should only be in videogames. Do not actually kill yourself.
*this should only be in videogames. Do not actually kill yourself.
There is a whole element of agency (clear determinant feedback and player control) and intentionality (the gameplay dynamic where players can form and execute plans) that is important to mention.
Grinding for gold with an optimized plan is different than grinding a slot machine.
Grinding for gold with an optimized plan is different than grinding a slot machine.
This concept is often hard for devs to grasp too, not just players. I put it as "the joy of doing" vs. "the joy of being".
Why does some grind or hard challenge feel joyful in game A, but a chore in game B? You enjoy *existing* in game A. The "thing to do" serves that joy.
Pet the dog. Enjoy being
Why does some grind or hard challenge feel joyful in game A, but a chore in game B? You enjoy *existing* in game A. The "thing to do" serves that joy.
Pet the dog. Enjoy being
November 19, 2025 at 1:59 AM
There is a whole element of agency (clear determinant feedback and player control) and intentionality (the gameplay dynamic where players can form and execute plans) that is important to mention.
Grinding for gold with an optimized plan is different than grinding a slot machine.
Grinding for gold with an optimized plan is different than grinding a slot machine.
This might seem like the melodramatic climax of an entire arc. But actually it's just the first episode.
November 16, 2025 at 5:48 PM
This might seem like the melodramatic climax of an entire arc. But actually it's just the first episode.
With all the layoffs there are now only 505 people in the game industry.
This is the GDC salary survey breakdown
1) approximately 5 people answered that they make over $1,000,000
2) the percentages add up to 103% lol
1) approximately 5 people answered that they make over $1,000,000
2) the percentages add up to 103% lol
November 15, 2025 at 4:17 AM
With all the layoffs there are now only 505 people in the game industry.
You heard Cleopatra lived closer to the iPhone than the building of the pyramids but have you heard...
In about a year, I think it is, maybe a little more, we will be as far away from Alien: Isolation as Alien: Isolation is from GTA3
November 13, 2025 at 7:52 AM
You heard Cleopatra lived closer to the iPhone than the building of the pyramids but have you heard...
Reposted
Hey, all you tech savvy motherfuckers that I love so much, if I were to want to upgrade to a 3rd party controller for PC, (contemplating moving away from standard Xbox One controllers due to drift & noise), what would you recommend?
Price range preferably sub-$100, but can maybe fiddle with $150~.
Price range preferably sub-$100, but can maybe fiddle with $150~.
November 10, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Hey, all you tech savvy motherfuckers that I love so much, if I were to want to upgrade to a 3rd party controller for PC, (contemplating moving away from standard Xbox One controllers due to drift & noise), what would you recommend?
Price range preferably sub-$100, but can maybe fiddle with $150~.
Price range preferably sub-$100, but can maybe fiddle with $150~.
AI might have a place writing automated test cases and while it is possible (in the strictest sense) to have AI automate large portions of a test plan, I would still want human testers finding bugs.
Remember AI is an average machine; and people don't really want to play an "average" videogame.
Remember AI is an average machine; and people don't really want to play an "average" videogame.
www.videogameschronicle.com/news/square-...
I imagined trying to get through bug reports written by an LLM and immediately got an honest to god headache. What do you mean I can’t even go back to the person who wrote it and ask for more details because there isn’t one, but it can still make shit up?
I imagined trying to get through bug reports written by an LLM and immediately got an honest to god headache. What do you mean I can’t even go back to the person who wrote it and ask for more details because there isn’t one, but it can still make shit up?
Square Enix says it wants generative AI to be doing 70% of its QA and debugging by the end of 2027 | VGC
The publisher is researching “Game QA Automation Technology” with the University of Tokyo…
www.videogameschronicle.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:05 PM
AI might have a place writing automated test cases and while it is possible (in the strictest sense) to have AI automate large portions of a test plan, I would still want human testers finding bugs.
Remember AI is an average machine; and people don't really want to play an "average" videogame.
Remember AI is an average machine; and people don't really want to play an "average" videogame.
I went to get take out and I could've used a canoe.
Rainy night here in Seattle. Time for a nice hot coffee & eggnog
November 6, 2025 at 4:08 AM
I went to get take out and I could've used a canoe.
After taking a look at the the Phantasy Star TTRPG, I think it is legit.
It does a few things to simplify and expand 5e (and Esper Genesis) and has some refinements to rules. I think it's a good first ttrpg for Phantasy Star fans and good for players who want a science/fantasy d&d.
It does a few things to simplify and expand 5e (and Esper Genesis) and has some refinements to rules. I think it's a good first ttrpg for Phantasy Star fans and good for players who want a science/fantasy d&d.
Fun fact: they just released a Phantasy Star TTRPG (I think its based on 5e D&D)
November 3, 2025 at 3:23 AM
After taking a look at the the Phantasy Star TTRPG, I think it is legit.
It does a few things to simplify and expand 5e (and Esper Genesis) and has some refinements to rules. I think it's a good first ttrpg for Phantasy Star fans and good for players who want a science/fantasy d&d.
It does a few things to simplify and expand 5e (and Esper Genesis) and has some refinements to rules. I think it's a good first ttrpg for Phantasy Star fans and good for players who want a science/fantasy d&d.
I think you should be able to talk to all the characters in a game and they should have quirky one-liners.
Like Doom should have a narrative mode where you can talk to monsters and the cacodemons just can not understand binoculars.
Like Doom should have a narrative mode where you can talk to monsters and the cacodemons just can not understand binoculars.
did something happen to make people start shitting on games narrative as a concept on here
November 3, 2025 at 12:25 AM
I think you should be able to talk to all the characters in a game and they should have quirky one-liners.
Like Doom should have a narrative mode where you can talk to monsters and the cacodemons just can not understand binoculars.
Like Doom should have a narrative mode where you can talk to monsters and the cacodemons just can not understand binoculars.
Fun fact: they just released a Phantasy Star TTRPG (I think its based on 5e D&D)
November 2, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Fun fact: they just released a Phantasy Star TTRPG (I think its based on 5e D&D)
Pretty sure this aligns with some 202X strategic defense tactical initiative or whatever that would allow of all this to be done tax deferred or something. You know because lasers.
After the AI bubble I hope the next bubble is Laser Tag. Laser tag arenas on every street corner. Blacklight lit battlefields propping up every sector of the economy. A one story building by the side of the highway called “Blast Zone: Pizza & Arcade” valued at $2.7 trillion
November 2, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Pretty sure this aligns with some 202X strategic defense tactical initiative or whatever that would allow of all this to be done tax deferred or something. You know because lasers.
Wrong answers only.
How's your bioelectric level?
October 29, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Wrong answers only.
I should be banned from software
I think you aren't being radical enough. Software services should be built around interoperability and programs should all be client-side decorated in a way that could be user defined (in addition to a CLI fallback that also acts as the interoperability layer)
October 28, 2025 at 1:23 PM
I should be banned from software
Reposted
i think about this every time i cook
October 21, 2025 at 12:43 AM
i think about this every time i cook
I rarely clean my bread knives but... I mean I live alone and only use it on one bread at a time so it seems like a waste to me. But I don't take pride in it.
I never wash our bread knife – and I won’t let the internet shame me into changing my ways | Emma Beddington
I never wash our bread knife – and I won’t let the internet shame me into changing my ways | Emma Beddington
Apparently the mostly British habit of not cleaning your bread knife after use is ‘gross’ and unhygienic. If that’s true, then call me disgusting, writes Emma Beddington
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:26 AM
I rarely clean my bread knives but... I mean I live alone and only use it on one bread at a time so it seems like a waste to me. But I don't take pride in it.