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Max Nichols

@maxnichols.bsky.social

4.6K followers 380 following 7K posts

He/him. Game designer. I make worlds that you want to explore. Sr. Tech Design in AAA. Prev: Bungie, Turbine. I run @HyruleInterviews.bsky.social Blog: namelessquality.com Portfolio: maxnicholsdesign.com

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Reposted by Max Nichols

Bigg @bpbigg.bsky.social · 3h

As game developers, we are extremely hard workers whose trade is inextricably linked to our mental agility. Perhaps pubic appearances are unavoidable, but doing so unprotected in a crowded high-risk environment is just... reckless, frankly. For yourself, your team, your loved ones

"But the other threat of COVID, particularly at the population level, is its ability to reinfect.

Because if COVID were a one and done virus- a virus that bestowed lifelong immunity, like measles or polio (generally) do, the cruel logic of “let it rip” and “back to normal” would ultimately work for the “survivors”. For those who didn’t die, for those who didn’t develop Long COVID from their one and only infection, for those who didn’t suffer brain damage or too much bodily damage on their first shot out of the gate, then that would’ve been it. We really could’ve gone back to normal. For those who’d been harmed, well life sucks. Losers lose, winners win. And this is the attitude that the people who consider themselves “unharmed” by COVID have very publicly and boisterously put on as they took their masks off these last several years.

But COVID isn’t a one-and-done virus. And it doesn’t reinfect at a rate that is similar to other viruses of its severity. It’s more severe than the flu, yet the average person only contracts flu once or twice a decade. People are contracting COVID every year or so (and if you think you aren’t, bear in mind that 40+% of COVID infections are asymptomatic)- some people twice a year. People are spinning that roulette wheel- or rather, the Russian roulette wheel- often. Like, really often. Like, way, way, way too often.

The danger of COVID is its inherent danger, yes, but it’s also its relentlessness. It’s that when you get away with your 5th infection it’s coming right back for you a 6th time. A 6th time in year 6? And you’re a 6-year-old child? Is it really such a mystery that teachers are complaining that “COVID babies” can’t say their names or tie their shoes coming into kindergarten? We’ve been serially infecting children with a virus that damages their brains. We know it does this. And we just…. keep doing it? "

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 1h

Man

I would pay good money for an indie-specific magazine or something. More than I would pay for one that DOES cover AA+

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 1h

There was a very clear and intentional shift towards more freedom and openness starting with A Link Between Worlds and going into BOTW.

And that was a shift BACK because Zelda 1 and 3 had a similar philosophy.

Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 1h

That seems like an internally consistent list to me! The only weird thing about it is that a lot of people who love BOTW/TOTK the most haven’t played LTTP so they don’t list them together.

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Reposted by Max Nichols

Imran Khan @imrankhan.bsky.social · 2h

A shower curtain that is a screenshot of Ocarina of Time where the text “Water Temple” is on the screen, hung up over a shower.

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 2h

I didn't play enough to learn more, and that being just one faction while others have different visual language is exactly 0% better

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 3h

A lot were in Canada and not only could they not take applicants from outside the country, they couldn't support in-Canada WFH from outside their province because they were FUNDED by their province! What a novel idea

Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 3h

Every time I saw a job posting for a game that seemed personally exciting to me it was not in the US. Almost 100% of them. >_>

Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 3h

As a game designer in the US who wants to work on particular kinds or genres of games... we already barely make any games here >_>

Working in the US and you need healthcare so you can't go indie? Hope you love GAAS shooters or AAAA cinematic games made by wannabe film directors

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 7h

I wonder how many musketeers' worth of these candy bars I've eaten over the course of my life

Is my body 90% musketeer now? Am I the same person I started as?

Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 7h

I wonder when they're gonna run out of the raw material from those 3 musketeers

Discontinued FOoOoOoOods! 🎃🍫👻🍬 @discontinuedfoods.bsky.social · 7h

3 Muskefears (2015, 2016): Fun-sized 3 Musketeers bars featuring dyed "spooky red" nougat. Released for back-to-back Halloween seasons

A bright red, fun-sized candy wrapper that says "3 Musketeers Spooky Red Nougat", behind a split chocolate bar with red filling

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 8h

I am not a screen-reader user myself but I kinda assume that folks don't even WANT extraneous detail if it's tangential the point! They have to actually listen to everything you write in there, after all. Brevity is at least as valuable in alt text as in our actual posts

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 8h

Yeah. "A picture says a thousand words" doesn't mean we need to write a thousand words of alt text >_>

I think about WHY I am posting the image. Is there a joke? Then I only need to include the details that land the joke. I only include more if it's needed for what I'm trying to communicate.

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 17h

Charles Martinet, best known for his role as Paarthurnax the Old One (Skyrim, 2011)

A screenshot of a big ol’ dragon from Skyrim.

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 17h

One of my friends all throughtout college had blobde hair and ALWAYs wore a Kisuke Urahara hat. It was hos trademark.

I went years before i realized he was straight-up cosplaying this character 24/7

When I see pictures of the char i STILL think “oh it’s Auston”

Art of Kisuke Urahara from Bleach. He has a distinctive white abd green-striped bucket hat, and medium-length blond hair.

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 18h

But for these big social media sites it’s really a denial of service without TELLING the customer they’re being denied service. In some cases while even taking their money!

They seem to be only ever used to silently punish vulnerable groups with plausible deniability.

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 18h

I used to use shadowbans for known alt accounts of banned users on forums I moderated in the early aughts. Super useful!

But…

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 18h

(I have not been shadowbanned anywhere, just an artist I know was)

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 18h

Kiiiinda feeling like shadowbans should be illegal

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 19h

Oh nice

Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 19h

WOW lmao

The description of the spell “Disbelief”. It says “Temporarily drains the soul of piety, inflicting Atheist on a distant unit.”

In this screenshot, “Atheist” is highlighted with lots of red circles

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 20h

The chocobos are multiplying and useless so I want to get rid of them but the game pulls THIS SHIT xD

I guess I’ll just have 30 chocobo

A screenshot of a dialog box over a chocobo named Boco. The box says “Release Boco from your party?” Above that is a text box that says “Kweh…? (His eyes are full of sadness)”

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 20h

I found a 13-year-old GameFAQs thread that says never more than five, haha

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Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 20h

Right!

Yeah what I’m saying is that if players are looking at those elements so much, they’re worth sprucing up! I think you’re onto something

Max Nichols @maxnichols.bsky.social · 20h

I’ve been keeping seven characters leveled up (incl. Ramza) but so far haven’t seen more than a budget of 5. Am I ever going to need to deploy more than 5?

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