Rock climber here! While I've spent far more time in the gym than on the crags, I've met many folks who do both and I must say that being an asshole is NOT an accept part of the sport. Yes, there are those who think that being a highly skilled climber excuses any terrible behavior, but there are far more amazing climbers who are also the nicest folks in the world. At the gym, advanced climbers will be the first to cheer on a new climber when they achieve their first send, because we all know what it feels like to first hit the wall.
I love the show and this episode was super fun, but I wanted to share that rock climbers are more often than not, a kind and welcoming bunch. And I wouldn't want anyone who is interested in trying climbing for the first time to be scared away thinking otherwise
Oh boy, Russ being blown away by randomizers was my heartwarming moment of the day. Highly recommend all the besties checking out archipelago.gg, but also just any randomizer community. Oh and tell Russ that Elden Ring Randomizer slaps, and he should check out- bingobrawlers.com - and the VoDs of this season for some awesome competitive Elden Ring Rando.
I played a little of Cairn, but found it a bit too challenging. However, I played Jusant, which is almost identical climbing-control-wise, except it’s a lot more forgiving. Highly recommend that one! A bit more scripted in parts, but it was fun.
Hey! Rock climbing weirdo here! I wanted to say that I am very much enjoying Cairn. I feel like it gives some quintessential climbing experiences, like the relief of finding a good hold when you're tired, the fear of suddenly realizing how far above your last piece of protection you are, and the wonderful surprise when a hold is better than you thought. I wanted to give you and other non-limbers playing this game some (American) slang to use when talking about the game.
Beta: instructions for how to get up a route
Topo: a picture of a wall with lines drawn on for the route
Jug (handle): a really good, deep hold
Crimp: a tiny hold that you can only get fingertips on
Whipper: a big fall onto a rope
Decking: when you fall and hit a ledge instead of the end of the rope
Spicy: dangerous or sketchy, usually when you're at risk of decking
Pumped: when your arms are tired
Nut: a wedge shaped piece of aluminum on a wire used instead of a piton
Cam: a removable aluminum device that you stck in a crack instead of a piton. Super cool engineering.
Piece (of protection): anything that you use to put the rope through to catch a fall. In cairn it's just pitons, but in real life it might be a cam, a nut, a tree, or even a sling wrapped around a rock.
Elvis leg: when your leg won't stop bouncing like Elvis
Dihedral: an inside corner
Chimney: self explanatory, but when you have a wall in front and behind you
Stemming: when you place your hands and feet flat on opposite walls. Done in dihedral and chimneys.
Arete: an outside corner
Piton: PEE-ton is the only way I've ever heard it. Nobody uses them anymore, but you find old rusted ones hammered into the rock here and there.
Hand jam: when you stick your hand into a crack and squeeze, it wedges in through friction rather than grip strength.
My favorite thing about modern gaming discourse is how much of a joke it was to say that Death Stranding was the first Strand Type game, and for that to turn out to be 100% unironically true
Hey Russ, a friend of mine (also a Besties listener) and I are about 4 months deep into a Seamless Co-op Randomized Elden Ring run, which has been a blast. If you want any info about how all of that works, reach out! It's fun!
I also share the frustration with difficulty when it comes to food/water/temp management on top of already difficult climbing but it provided a great moment where I was struggling with a particular stretch of climbing and fell a few times already. It took long enough where I twisted a piton and was burning through supplies quickly. I had a moment of realization when I had just eaten the last of my food and I was out of water that I HAD to succeed on my next climb. I jammed some painkillers and chalked my way up the stretch. The feeling of relief of finding the next water source was incredible.
On the subject of Majora's Mask and fan wizardry, I just finished a play through of the Majora's Mask decompilation PC port and can't recommend it enough. You can switch on settings like 3DS song of double time, 144fps and even hand-drawn 4k texture replacements on the fly. Can't recommend it enough.
I've been wanting to recommend two things to you guys, not sure if this is the right place. I'm not affiliated with either, but they're both so good.
First is Lennox Mutual, a personalized immersive phone... experience? by Candle House Collective. It's best to go in without knowing too much, but it's creepy and funny and sad and a little ARGy. You can pay by the call or sometimes get an "Eternity Plan" which gives you access to unlimited calls. I'm luckily nowhere near done but it's been so cool so far.
The second, for anyone in New York, is Great Gotham Challenge – elaborate immersive puzzle hunts around the city a few times a year. They have puzzles, actors, props and history, and the people involved are the best too.
Griffin's story about losing his gold copy of Ocarina reminded me that I lent a friend my gold copy of The Adventure of Link (along with Basewars) at the end of high school and never got them back b/c the guy moved to NY and I never from him again.
Not going to name names, but if you know someone on the East Coast with the initials P.T. who can't remember how they got a copy of The Adventure of Link and Basewars, please send them my way.
Hey, Besties! I know it can be hard to get time to revisit older games, but since it sounded like you didn’t play The Game Bakers’ last game, Haven, I want to recommend you give it a try!
The gameplay is hard to describe, but despite it being pretty good and interesting, it’s the narrative that’s the real achievement of the game, showing an intimate relationship between a couple with a level of authenticity that is not common in video games.
Rock climber here! While I've spent far more time in the gym than on the crags, I've met many folks who do both and I must say that being an asshole is NOT an accept part of the sport. Yes, there are those who think that being a highly skilled climber excuses any terrible behavior, but there are far more amazing climbers who are also the nicest folks in the world. At the gym, advanced climbers will be the first to cheer on a new climber when they achieve their first send, because we all know what it feels like to first hit the wall.
I love the show and this episode was super fun, but I wanted to share that rock climbers are more often than not, a kind and welcoming bunch. And I wouldn't want anyone who is interested in trying climbing for the first time to be scared away thinking otherwise
Oh boy, Russ being blown away by randomizers was my heartwarming moment of the day. Highly recommend all the besties checking out archipelago.gg, but also just any randomizer community. Oh and tell Russ that Elden Ring Randomizer slaps, and he should check out- bingobrawlers.com - and the VoDs of this season for some awesome competitive Elden Ring Rando.
I played a little of Cairn, but found it a bit too challenging. However, I played Jusant, which is almost identical climbing-control-wise, except it’s a lot more forgiving. Highly recommend that one! A bit more scripted in parts, but it was fun.
Hey! Rock climbing weirdo here! I wanted to say that I am very much enjoying Cairn. I feel like it gives some quintessential climbing experiences, like the relief of finding a good hold when you're tired, the fear of suddenly realizing how far above your last piece of protection you are, and the wonderful surprise when a hold is better than you thought. I wanted to give you and other non-limbers playing this game some (American) slang to use when talking about the game.
Beta: instructions for how to get up a route
Topo: a picture of a wall with lines drawn on for the route
Jug (handle): a really good, deep hold
Crimp: a tiny hold that you can only get fingertips on
Whipper: a big fall onto a rope
Decking: when you fall and hit a ledge instead of the end of the rope
Spicy: dangerous or sketchy, usually when you're at risk of decking
Pumped: when your arms are tired
Nut: a wedge shaped piece of aluminum on a wire used instead of a piton
Cam: a removable aluminum device that you stck in a crack instead of a piton. Super cool engineering.
Piece (of protection): anything that you use to put the rope through to catch a fall. In cairn it's just pitons, but in real life it might be a cam, a nut, a tree, or even a sling wrapped around a rock.
Elvis leg: when your leg won't stop bouncing like Elvis
Dihedral: an inside corner
Chimney: self explanatory, but when you have a wall in front and behind you
Stemming: when you place your hands and feet flat on opposite walls. Done in dihedral and chimneys.
Arete: an outside corner
Piton: PEE-ton is the only way I've ever heard it. Nobody uses them anymore, but you find old rusted ones hammered into the rock here and there.
Hand jam: when you stick your hand into a crack and squeeze, it wedges in through friction rather than grip strength.
My favorite thing about modern gaming discourse is how much of a joke it was to say that Death Stranding was the first Strand Type game, and for that to turn out to be 100% unironically true
Hey Russ, a friend of mine (also a Besties listener) and I are about 4 months deep into a Seamless Co-op Randomized Elden Ring run, which has been a blast. If you want any info about how all of that works, reach out! It's fun!
Predatory Wasps of the Palisades by KK Slider is my jam. And makes me want to cry almost as much as the Sufjan version. https://youtu.be/YfT-Zj-cZv8?si=XbCtc6B74BdfZgsg
hell yes!
Early episode? 👀👀
Let it be known: I resisted the urge to buy a copy of Rocket Slime last weekend and I think that's awfully great of me.
I also share the frustration with difficulty when it comes to food/water/temp management on top of already difficult climbing but it provided a great moment where I was struggling with a particular stretch of climbing and fell a few times already. It took long enough where I twisted a piton and was burning through supplies quickly. I had a moment of realization when I had just eaten the last of my food and I was out of water that I HAD to succeed on my next climb. I jammed some painkillers and chalked my way up the stretch. The feeling of relief of finding the next water source was incredible.
Man... Griffin, I hope you knew how much better the 3ds bomber notebook is. You mentioned it a couple times in the stream, it's not as helpful on n64
Any chance we could get a step-by-step on getting Ship to Harkonian up and running on a retroid pocket 5? I’m very intrigued.
On the subject of Majora's Mask and fan wizardry, I just finished a play through of the Majora's Mask decompilation PC port and can't recommend it enough. You can switch on settings like 3DS song of double time, 144fps and even hand-drawn 4k texture replacements on the fly. Can't recommend it enough.
I've been wanting to recommend two things to you guys, not sure if this is the right place. I'm not affiliated with either, but they're both so good.
First is Lennox Mutual, a personalized immersive phone... experience? by Candle House Collective. It's best to go in without knowing too much, but it's creepy and funny and sad and a little ARGy. You can pay by the call or sometimes get an "Eternity Plan" which gives you access to unlimited calls. I'm luckily nowhere near done but it's been so cool so far.
The second, for anyone in New York, is Great Gotham Challenge – elaborate immersive puzzle hunts around the city a few times a year. They have puzzles, actors, props and history, and the people involved are the best too.
These are trying times but I'm just thankful to have new Trial by Fieri ❤️
Griffin's story about losing his gold copy of Ocarina reminded me that I lent a friend my gold copy of The Adventure of Link (along with Basewars) at the end of high school and never got them back b/c the guy moved to NY and I never from him again.
Not going to name names, but if you know someone on the East Coast with the initials P.T. who can't remember how they got a copy of The Adventure of Link and Basewars, please send them my way.
Hey, Besties! I know it can be hard to get time to revisit older games, but since it sounded like you didn’t play The Game Bakers’ last game, Haven, I want to recommend you give it a try!
The gameplay is hard to describe, but despite it being pretty good and interesting, it’s the narrative that’s the real achievement of the game, showing an intimate relationship between a couple with a level of authenticity that is not common in video games.