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Cake day: March 12th, 2025

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  • I was wondering how pixelation actually adds utility to the game. But I’ve looked at a few screenshots and Rimworld doesn’t seem particularly pixelated to me. Maybe we’re talking at cross purposes here, because Rimworld does have “pixel art” in the sense that it’s drawn pixel by pixel, and it does have the simplistic style that’s common in pixelated games. But it’s displayed at reasonably high resolution so it’s not noticeably pixelated.

    What I’m bitching about is games like Stardew Valley where they have committed to fewer pixels on screen. The simplistic style with higher resolution in Rimworld is clear and functional. What I’m saying is that pixelated games would be better if they did the same.






  • Don’t get me wrong, I love the creativity that comes from having such a limitation. And back when it was a necessity, and you could count the color palette on your fingers, some pixel art was amazing. But it was largely about trying to transcend those limitations. For example, it was very common to use antialiasing as much as possible, because you’re trying to make things look good despite the pixellation. Whereas the aesthetic of modern pixel art tends to be about making things as clunky and jaggy as can be, so you can really check out those pixels, or showcase that crappy color palette. Conspicuous pixellation is untrue to its origins. It also makes game objects less recognizable, sacrificing utility for an aesthetic. I know there are people who like it, which is fine, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be criticized, and so far I have seen no counterpoints to the criticisms I have raised.


  • I really don’t see the point of the whole pixelated aesthetic. I mean, it’s nostalgia, but for what? For a time when we wished we had more pixels? If you want that kind of nostalgia, why not also have a loading screen showing a cassette tape going round… for 15 fucking minutes. Hell, it isn’t even accurate nostalgia, because pixelation on a hi res smartphone or monitor looks totally different from the blurry pixelation you get on a shitty CRT TV. If you can see the corners on your pixels, you’re doing it wrong.

    I know there is a lot to be nostalgic for, it’s just that the lack of pixels isn’t one of those things. Some things have simply gotten better, more pixels is one of those things. Pixelation is just a way of making a game graphically less clear and less pleasant to look at. /rant




  • I’d add a third issue. In a democracy, your social systems are the agency of the people as a whole. We collectively bear responsibility for those systems. By condoning the death penalty we embrace cold blooded killing for revenge, when it is done as a collective. Those in favour of the death penalty are thinking about the perpetrator and why we want to hurt that person, and not about the mental health of our society and why we should not be debasing ourselves. When I’ve discussed these matters with USAns, this issue is usually ignored or dismissed, and I think that says a lot about the condition of that society.