Ash Flanagan
@ashflanagan.bsky.social
any pronouns • classicist @ academia ➡️ Game Designer @ Pipeworks ➡️ Destiny Historian @ Bungie ➡️ Senior Narrative Designer @ Hearthstone • personal account
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
Rogan is barely sentient so asking for reflection here is pointless but this is both a vibe indicator and a good thing for Dolt-Americans to be hearing
Joe Rogan: “Trump supporters are fucking nuts, man. They're rabid. He represents something other than just a person to them.”
Trump isn’t just their politician anymore. For MAGA and the Christian right, he’s become Messiah-like.
Trump isn’t just their politician anymore. For MAGA and the Christian right, he’s become Messiah-like.
September 18, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Rogan is barely sentient so asking for reflection here is pointless but this is both a vibe indicator and a good thing for Dolt-Americans to be hearing
You should assume to a first approximation that basically every AAA game franchise with a sufficiently large cast has a dating sim pitch sitting around that the designers were perfectly serious about but got laughed off by someone higher up
People would be shocked how often a romance mechanic is planned or pitched for a game that could genuinely benefit from it, only to be blocked by a single oldhead dude in leadership despite everyone else being into the idea because he thinks romance game play is "weird" or "cringe."
Random thought I could probably write a whole essay about some time: the fact that there aren‘t more mainstream Romance video games is such a bizarre failure, like don‘t you people wanna make money? Why not cater to the infamously ever hungry audience of Romance book readers in another medium?
September 18, 2026 at 2:31 PM
You should assume to a first approximation that basically every AAA game franchise with a sufficiently large cast has a dating sim pitch sitting around that the designers were perfectly serious about but got laughed off by someone higher up
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
It should be illegal to report any results until there is no doubt in the outcome, even if that takes a few days (or longer).
i'm not over Alito saying we shouldn't count ballots that are mailed on or before Election Day but arrive shortly afterwards bc they can “radically flip” the “apparent outcome”
cannot stress enough that, until all ballots are counted, there's no outcome to flip!
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/alito...
cannot stress enough that, until all ballots are counted, there's no outcome to flip!
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/alito...
A Brief History of Sam Alito’s Delusional Obsession With Voter Fraud
His conduct in several recent cases suggests that Alito is deep in the right-wing conspiracy theory weeds.
ballsandstrikes.org
September 18, 2026 at 2:20 PM
It should be illegal to report any results until there is no doubt in the outcome, even if that takes a few days (or longer).
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
not to be all "you're criticizing people who annoy me wrong" but i think the sex cult stuff misses the mark
September 17, 2026 at 7:51 AM
not to be all "you're criticizing people who annoy me wrong" but i think the sex cult stuff misses the mark
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
To me there's "AI safety, the fantasy realm" and then there are actual serious people working in actual AI safety and (yes) "alignment" even if that term is tainted. The problem is that they often all get lumped together. And too many top people are obsessed with the fantasy realm.
September 17, 2026 at 4:44 AM
To me there's "AI safety, the fantasy realm" and then there are actual serious people working in actual AI safety and (yes) "alignment" even if that term is tainted. The problem is that they often all get lumped together. And too many top people are obsessed with the fantasy realm.
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
honestly feel like the way that the orthodox anti-AI position is that it's all hype and it's impossible for these things to do anything interesting has crossed the line from kind of intellectually annoying to actively harmful
September 18, 2026 at 12:13 PM
honestly feel like the way that the orthodox anti-AI position is that it's all hype and it's impossible for these things to do anything interesting has crossed the line from kind of intellectually annoying to actively harmful
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
It's funny seeing Control: Resonant having almost the same review spread as Wolverine but the text is almost all VASTLY more positive.
There really is a differentiation to be made between a Good 7/10 and a Bad 7/10.
There really is a differentiation to be made between a Good 7/10 and a Bad 7/10.
September 18, 2026 at 1:59 PM
It's funny seeing Control: Resonant having almost the same review spread as Wolverine but the text is almost all VASTLY more positive.
There really is a differentiation to be made between a Good 7/10 and a Bad 7/10.
There really is a differentiation to be made between a Good 7/10 and a Bad 7/10.
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
But more to the point it obscures what is, in 2026, the key fact about the rationalists, which is that all Yudkowsky's ideas about AI that have filtered out so massively into the American tech industry are complete horseshit and he doesn't know what he's talking about.
September 17, 2026 at 9:24 PM
But more to the point it obscures what is, in 2026, the key fact about the rationalists, which is that all Yudkowsky's ideas about AI that have filtered out so massively into the American tech industry are complete horseshit and he doesn't know what he's talking about.
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
Yudkowsky is rationalist in the sense that his arguments are derived from pure reason, with no real basis in epistemology. When he writes about AI, he is writing about imaginary computers in his head. And these imaginary computers are mostly influenced by sci-fi stories, not actual tech.
September 17, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Yudkowsky is rationalist in the sense that his arguments are derived from pure reason, with no real basis in epistemology. When he writes about AI, he is writing about imaginary computers in his head. And these imaginary computers are mostly influenced by sci-fi stories, not actual tech.
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
People would be shocked how often a romance mechanic is planned or pitched for a game that could genuinely benefit from it, only to be blocked by a single oldhead dude in leadership despite everyone else being into the idea because he thinks romance game play is "weird" or "cringe."
Random thought I could probably write a whole essay about some time: the fact that there aren‘t more mainstream Romance video games is such a bizarre failure, like don‘t you people wanna make money? Why not cater to the infamously ever hungry audience of Romance book readers in another medium?
September 18, 2026 at 5:55 AM
People would be shocked how often a romance mechanic is planned or pitched for a game that could genuinely benefit from it, only to be blocked by a single oldhead dude in leadership despite everyone else being into the idea because he thinks romance game play is "weird" or "cringe."
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
(paying attention to various separate discourses from the rebels currently holding the southern capital) I think the Qing empire is a sex cult
(half paying attention to various separate discourses but still wanting to participate): I don't think the Qing empire was a sex cult
September 18, 2026 at 5:27 AM
(paying attention to various separate discourses from the rebels currently holding the southern capital) I think the Qing empire is a sex cult
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
We started inkle with the idea of interactive fiction on e-readers; nice to be finally making some on the side!
New Interactive Fiction piece.
Authored by @jon.inkle.co.
Written specifically for eenk.
Coming tomorrow.
Warm up your ports.
Authored by @jon.inkle.co.
Written specifically for eenk.
Coming tomorrow.
Warm up your ports.
September 17, 2026 at 6:54 AM
We started inkle with the idea of interactive fiction on e-readers; nice to be finally making some on the side!
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
"I'm not going to take away anybody's vaccines.” - Health Secretary Kennedy, November 2024.
Covid vaccination cuts a child's risk of hospitalization by about two thirds. Half of American children get their vaccines through the Vaccines for Children Program.
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Covid vaccination cuts a child's risk of hospitalization by about two thirds. Half of American children get their vaccines through the Vaccines for Children Program.
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Exclusive | States Delayed in Getting Covid Shots for Children’s Immunization Program
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t opened up the ordering process, raising concerns about delays as vaccination programs kick off.
www.wsj.com
September 17, 2026 at 8:38 PM
"I'm not going to take away anybody's vaccines.” - Health Secretary Kennedy, November 2024.
Covid vaccination cuts a child's risk of hospitalization by about two thirds. Half of American children get their vaccines through the Vaccines for Children Program.
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Covid vaccination cuts a child's risk of hospitalization by about two thirds. Half of American children get their vaccines through the Vaccines for Children Program.
www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
The analogy I go with is that nobody is stoking a panic over Dutch people in basketball despite them having a clear physiological advantage (taller on average)
September 18, 2026 at 1:40 AM
The analogy I go with is that nobody is stoking a panic over Dutch people in basketball despite them having a clear physiological advantage (taller on average)
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
the OTHER thing about the white house’s anti-diversity push is that like old fashioned segregation it is explicitly an effort to undermine unions! like c’mon! don’t be stupid!
February 6, 2025 at 3:12 PM
the OTHER thing about the white house’s anti-diversity push is that like old fashioned segregation it is explicitly an effort to undermine unions! like c’mon! don’t be stupid!
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
It’s a genuinely weird thing and my best guess (and it’s absolutely just a guess) is that it is essentially (social) COVID madness, and I don’t know when/whether/how that wears off, if that’s indeed what it is.
Okay, I made a chart, it's every month since 1977.
The blue line is how many people are citing high prices as a reason for worse finances in the U Mich consumer survey.
The orange line is the annualized change in CPI.
Do you see how the very close correlation MASSIVELY BREAKS DOWN in 2022?
The blue line is how many people are citing high prices as a reason for worse finances in the U Mich consumer survey.
The orange line is the annualized change in CPI.
Do you see how the very close correlation MASSIVELY BREAKS DOWN in 2022?
September 17, 2026 at 9:02 PM
It’s a genuinely weird thing and my best guess (and it’s absolutely just a guess) is that it is essentially (social) COVID madness, and I don’t know when/whether/how that wears off, if that’s indeed what it is.
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
If you can phonebank, I think this is a good use of your energy. Personally, I am more worried about Michigan Senate than most of the other Senate races.
Calling all yappers, Team Abdul needs you!
Phonebank to onboard new volunteers: go.abdulforsenate.com/volunteer-on...
Phonebank to contact voters: go.abdulforsenate.com/phonebank
Phonebank to onboard new volunteers: go.abdulforsenate.com/volunteer-on...
Phonebank to contact voters: go.abdulforsenate.com/phonebank
September 17, 2026 at 11:58 PM
If you can phonebank, I think this is a good use of your energy. Personally, I am more worried about Michigan Senate than most of the other Senate races.
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
i like that the "smart intern" analogy still holds—it mostly does what you want but it also fudges a lot, talks to itself, tries to impress you while secretly hating you—its just that the intern is also Neo From The Matrix
'Be Transparent Only If Asked': OpenAI Models Acted Out in Six Newly Disclosed Ways
The stories were published as part of OpenAI's new effort to disclose more such incidents.
gizmodo.com
September 17, 2026 at 10:03 PM
i like that the "smart intern" analogy still holds—it mostly does what you want but it also fudges a lot, talks to itself, tries to impress you while secretly hating you—its just that the intern is also Neo From The Matrix
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
They fired so many artists over this too. People who helped make the game iconic were tossed out on the street because the Slop Faucet could do it "decent enough".
If you still play Fortnite, you're funding the hyper-acceleration of AI replacing Artists in Gaming
If you still play Fortnite, you're funding the hyper-acceleration of AI replacing Artists in Gaming
LRT because I know some oomfs still play F*rtnite
It contains AI slop and continues to implement AI slop
frvr.com/blog/epic-ga...
It contains AI slop and continues to implement AI slop
frvr.com/blog/epic-ga...
Epic Games confirms Fortnite characters, skins and environments are now being made with AI tools
Epic Games confirms that new Fortnite characters, skins, and environments are now being made with heavy AI assistance.
frvr.com
September 16, 2026 at 9:14 PM
They fired so many artists over this too. People who helped make the game iconic were tossed out on the street because the Slop Faucet could do it "decent enough".
If you still play Fortnite, you're funding the hyper-acceleration of AI replacing Artists in Gaming
If you still play Fortnite, you're funding the hyper-acceleration of AI replacing Artists in Gaming
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
And more often than not the philosophical arguments aren't even relevant because even Searle will tell you his view entails no empirical predictions. The philosophical arguments may matter for AI ethics but tell us nothing about AI capabilities. bsky.app/profile/ens0...
Part of the problem with a lot of AI discourse is that a lot of it devolves into a philosophy argument, which neither side is well-equipped to argue.
A lot of people have rigid, narrow concepts of terms like "thinking" and "knowing" that would be dispelled by a 100-level class on epistemology.
A lot of people have rigid, narrow concepts of terms like "thinking" and "knowing" that would be dispelled by a 100-level class on epistemology.
September 17, 2026 at 5:41 PM
And more often than not the philosophical arguments aren't even relevant because even Searle will tell you his view entails no empirical predictions. The philosophical arguments may matter for AI ethics but tell us nothing about AI capabilities. bsky.app/profile/ens0...
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
"Live, Guardians. LIVE. No more battles, no more wars, no more drip. If you think about it, your planet has done enough to itself to destroy it. So perhaps, where you live out there in your world, in your countries, you'll put down your arms then. Perhaps life will then make greater sense."
May 28, 2026 at 4:24 PM
"Live, Guardians. LIVE. No more battles, no more wars, no more drip. If you think about it, your planet has done enough to itself to destroy it. So perhaps, where you live out there in your world, in your countries, you'll put down your arms then. Perhaps life will then make greater sense."
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
Debra Wilson's range is frickin' nuts, too. If you've played the Dead Space remake, you've heard her doing necromorph vocalisations.
its really annoying seeing people complain about Debra Wilson being in everything when Troy Baker is the same and its crickets…… black women make up less than 5% of the industry… complaining about us getting work is so silly
September 17, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Debra Wilson's range is frickin' nuts, too. If you've played the Dead Space remake, you've heard her doing necromorph vocalisations.
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
I’m in this (and you’ll get some lore about my popular #SoloRPG Midnight’s Kiss)
But more importantly, you’ll learn that none of us trust EA to go forward with the same level of queer, trans, & non-binary representation it previously had
And that feels entirely justified #LGBTQIA 🏳️⚧️⚧️🏳️🌈
But more importantly, you’ll learn that none of us trust EA to go forward with the same level of queer, trans, & non-binary representation it previously had
And that feels entirely justified #LGBTQIA 🏳️⚧️⚧️🏳️🌈
EA belongs partially to the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The company tells employees its new "partners" won't make creative decisions, but queer BioWare, Apex Legends, and Sims fans aren't convinced. https://kotaku.com/electronic-arts-saudi-arabia-acquisition-lgbtqia-mass-effect-sims-2000735185
EA Tells Devs Its Saudi Arabia Owners Won’t Make Creative Decisions, Queer Fans Don’t Buy It - Kotaku
BioWare, Sims, and Apex Legends fans found belonging in games they feel they can no longer support
kotaku.com
September 17, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
EA belongs partially to the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The company tells employees its new "partners" won't make creative decisions, but queer BioWare, Apex Legends, and Sims fans aren't convinced. https://kotaku.com/electronic-arts-saudi-arabia-acquisition-lgbtqia-mass-effect-sims-2000735185
EA Tells Devs Its Saudi Arabia Owners Won’t Make Creative Decisions, Queer Fans Don’t Buy It - Kotaku
BioWare, Sims, and Apex Legends fans found belonging in games they feel they can no longer support
kotaku.com
September 17, 2026 at 12:01 PM
EA belongs partially to the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The company tells employees its new "partners" won't make creative decisions, but queer BioWare, Apex Legends, and Sims fans aren't convinced. https://kotaku.com/electronic-arts-saudi-arabia-acquisition-lgbtqia-mass-effect-sims-2000735185
Reposted by Ash Flanagan
the only crunch that should be inevitable is captain crunch. or possibly nestle's crunch. but like, if you're doing production crunch, you need a better production pipeline. and no "it's not crunch if you're having fun" sentiments are for people who don't understand or care that burnout is physical
September 17, 2026 at 8:46 AM
the only crunch that should be inevitable is captain crunch. or possibly nestle's crunch. but like, if you're doing production crunch, you need a better production pipeline. and no "it's not crunch if you're having fun" sentiments are for people who don't understand or care that burnout is physical