That actually fills me with joy to read.

It certainly did. It certainly got me playing again!

I prefer Chess, but they’re both fantastic. The last couple of years, it really feels like Chess has shot back into the mainstream - and it’s exciting!

Thanks, I’ll keep all that in mind. It’s something I’m hoping to get out of the Fediverse too. I just need to push myself to be more active, rather than just passively consuming.

How have you gone about making friends on the platform? I checked it out, but found it a bit isolating. Surely that’s on me rather than the platform, so I’d like to hear of your experience.

This is a good selection of powers, and much more interesting (to me) than the usual array this is done with. For me, it’s very difficult to choose between Flight, Telekinesis and Invisibility… I think telekinesis is probably the most useful. The only way I would choose speed is if both:

1. It is controllable, i.e. you can switch it off
2. It affects how fast you’re able to think

This is exactly where I am. 15, maybe even 10, years ago I was excited by phone releases that had significant upgrades. This is no longer the case. Screen size ratios have maxed out, cameras are far better than anything I need them for, most flagships have (or have the option of) adequate storage.

Gimmicks like the foldable don’t really excite me. I find them interesting, and could see myself owning one in the future if they become commonplace and affordable. But they’re really not that interesting.

Ultimately, I use my phone primarily for messaging, emails, listening to music/podcasts/audiobooks and browsing the internet. Nothing on the Horizon is going to significantly improve those experiences for me.

I previously had a OnePlus 7 Pro and ran that until the Pixel 7 came out, as my battery life had significantly degraded. I don’t see myself upgrading from this phone for several years at least.

The only thing that would change that, as far as I can predict, would be some startling innovation to battery technology that allows me multi-day battery life.

Edit: I would also jump ship onto a Linux based phone if that were to pick up and become a serious contender.

I managed to reach level 8, but cannot beat that one. Is there a solution you know of? (Not asking you to share it, only to confirm)