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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   2234 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 5, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Any recommendations for "brain off" YouTube channels?

I find all TV / Netflix is insufferable nowadays. Sports, of course, being the exception.

I'm looking for YouTube channels that are entertaining / mildly interesting that Mottizens enjoy.

I really enjoyed listening to the elder scrolls lore podcast

https://youtube.com/@imperialknowledge?si=qfNilNJUaUAtsjQn

It's not as much of a watching thing.

For truly mindless I go for wood spinning and epoxy pours.

I like this guy Bright Sun Travels who reviews cruises and resorts. I have no idea why, but it’s very relaxing to listen to someone with plausible-autism explain amenities calmly for 40 minutes. It’s truly brain-off because it has no impact on anything I will ever do.

  • YMS, and specifically his watch-along videos: either by himself (last night my girlfriend and I watched the highlights of him watching The Weeknd's vanity project The Idol and laughed ourselves silly) or with his pals (their watch-along of seasons 3 and 4 of 13 Reasons Why was great comfort telly during Covid and I watched the whole thing several times).
  • Errant Signal. His long rambling videos about video games are very comfy watches, even if his woke left opinions occasionally disrupt the vibe. I've watched his System Shock 2 review two or three times.
  • Super Bunnyhop, as above (but without any wokeness or leftism). I've watched his reviews of Resident Evil 4 and the RE 1 remake more times than I can count.
  • The Internet Historian. I've watched The Cost of Concordia at least ten times.

Are you me? Errant Signal and Super Bunnyhop are classics, I've watched a bunch of SBH's videos a million times. It's kinda sad that he stopped doing mainstream game review/analyses and did more passion project topics and then everyone stopped watching his videos.

Gundam Battle Operation 2 gameplay: 42-Year-Old Gamer and Spider-Chieftain

I never got the appeal of Mecha. What’s good about it?

I’m right there with you, I like giant robots but mecha just feels odd. I attribute my feeling to growing up on Transformers; I’m used to my robots having souls and so seeing people sit inside of them and pilot them has the same sort of creepy feeling as those stories where human beings turn out to be robots piloted by tiny aliens.

(Mecha has always been more popular in Japan and the Transformers began as a line of mecha robots with human pilots, but the American adaptation went in the complete opposite direction and turned them into living characters.)

I considered them one in the same, I suppose I need to finally get around to watching Evangelion to develop a taste.

Do you get the appeal of tanks, warships, planes, and similar military vehicles?

Yeah!

Is it gundam-style mecha that seem unappealing, or legged war machines generally?

I'm not much of a gundam fan myself, but I really love giant robots and grittier mechs, for basically the same reasons I love more realistic war machines. They're big and complicated high-tech amalgamations of concentrated power, and the extra complexity of arms and legs just enhances their appeal.

Legged war machines, but;

complicated high-tech amalgamations of concentrated power

This is appealing. However all the surrounding media seems to juvenile and I didn’t catechize myself on any of it when I was young, so it’s hard to get into.

You know that "big machine is like an extension of my body" thing? This, but taken as literally as possible.

It’s like construction equipment, but without the boring limitations of reality.

Well, you just watch the cool-looking giant robots zoom around with reactionless thrusters, swing energy swords, and shoot giant guns, interspersed with some human-focused drama. (Note that different series can have vastly different appeal. For example, I enjoyed Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Fighter G Gundam, but was not able to enjoy Mobile Suit Gundam (ugly animation) or Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (overwhelmingly stupid characters).)

My personal favorite mecha to look at probably are Zeta Gundam (sleek and with a cool fold-out thruster on its back), Delta Gundam (sleek (unlike its overly edgy child Delta Plus) and with a cool shield (unlike its parent Hyaku-Shiki)), and Kshatriya (four shields and two free arms, without an ugly backpack contraption like Full Armor Gundam's).

ryukahr streams Mario Maker and Kaizo Mario gameplay. low-key, mildly amusing fluff.

The Creepcast is two youtubers reading creepypasta, and reacting to/critiquing the quality. I usually listen to a straight recording of the story in question, and then listen to their version as a sort of commentary track.

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