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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode)

@paullicino.bsky.social

3.2K followers 220 following 790 posts

Nebula-nominated writer/games designer in Vancouver, BC - Pacific Drive, Paranoia, Magical Kitties, Zafir, Feng Shui, Maia, OMQ etc. Did acres of games journalism. He/him. 🏳️‍🌈 🍉 (I don't regularly check notifs, email in Linktree!). linktr.ee/paullicino

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · Mar 13

I can't believe we're nominated for a NEBULA AWARD FOR GAME WRITING. I'm stunned! This is beyond my wildest dreams. 😭

So much of this is my stellar Narrative Lead @karriebear.bsky.social and, truly, the entire Pacific Drive team has earned this accolade. 🎉 @ironwood.bsky.social it was a privilege!

A selfie of Paul, very excited, holding up the list of Nebula Award nominees for Game Writing, which includes Pacific Drive.

A list of the titles nominated for the 2025 Nebula Award for Game Writing.

It includes:
1000xRESIST
Restore, Reflect, Retry
A Death in Hyperspace
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
The Ghost and the Golem
Pacific Drive
Slay the Princess - The Pristine Cut
Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 12h

I fell for pretty much this exact nonsense and this is a very good write-up on how the internet can you get you swept up in a whole lot of energy-sapping nothing.

(But it does create *engagement*.)

Nathan Grayson @nathangrayson.bsky.social · 16h

collar gate is the latest instance of a trumped-up non-issue blossoming into a large-scale psychosis event – and possibly the dumbest. it's also the modern internet doing exactly what it was engineered to do

To be honest, I wouldn’t be mentioning this if not for the fact that it’s a microcosm of how online platforms work today: Somebody makes an accusation based on evidence that’s spurious at best, big names with something to gain (viewership or the downfall of a perceived enemy) uncritically boost it, internet sleuths obsessively piece together supporting evidence by amassing context-free clips and ignoring everything that doesn’t match their intended conclusion, and all of the aforementioned parties spread performatively apoplectic videos across Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and wherever else they can sucker in uninitiated normies.

Some version of this happens every week – every day, on a smaller scale – without fail. It accomplishes nothing aside from giving the disaffected masses a brief glimmer of what feels like purpose, but is actually a bloodsucking waste of their precious time on this dying planet. And of course, it provides platforms with sweet, sweet engagement numbers. As a result, platforms will probably never intervene to disrupt this corrosive dynamic, which has broken the general public’s ability to perceive anything resembling objective reality, even as society collapses around them and people like Piker attempt to identify the real reasons why (hint: they don't involve dog collars).

The internet has been like this at least since the Depp v. Heard trial, which wannabe sleuths similarly feasted on in 2022 while getting pretty much every important detail completely wrong. At least back then they were obsessing over something of consequence. Now they’ve taught viewers to regard every trumped-up non-issue they can surface with similar gravity.

Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 1d

Gymposting.

The popular "My body is a machine" meme, which in this case reads: "MY BODY IS A MACHINE THAT TURNS [picture of 20lb weight] KNEELING OVERHEAD PRESS INTO [picture of 25lb weight] KNEELING OVERHEAD PRESS (very gradually over time)."

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Reposted by Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode)

Diamond Hands: Master Bag Holder @birdrespecter.bsky.social · 1d

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 1d

These are terrific, though!

Reposted by Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode)

niko oneshot but they’re duen @riolu.gay · 2d

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 2d

I don't know, I feel like there are things that my body struggles to endure quite regularly and that I have to carefully and appropriately adapt myself.

A motivational gym poster that reads "Your body can endure almost anything, it's your mind you must persuade."

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 3d

So it turns out sharing political content halves your Instagram views, but posting thirst traps doubles them? I don't know if I should be flattered or furious.

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Reposted by Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode)

Justin LaLiberty @jlalibs.com · 3d

What an absolute treasure Diane Keaton was. Her wit never tired, nor did her style.

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you for sharing this fantastic history and I hope you feel tremendously proud of all of this work. I've been lucky enough to play everything you've been involved with and, frankly, it's all stellar.

Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 4d

Hello! Will this be available to enjoy in any remote format afterwards, such as a video or recording?

Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 4d

More Outer Wilds at 1pm Pacific time again today! More space! More mysteries! More crashing!

twitch.tv/paullicino

Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 5d

We're back in space again this afternoon! Join me in ninety minutes at 1:00pm Pacific Time for even more OUTER WILDS.

twitch.tv/paullicino

a frog sits around a campfire in a video game

Alt: An animated gif showing someone playing a banjo next to a campfire, taken from the game Outer Wilds.

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode)

Avi Lewis @avilewis.ca · 5d

Liberals and Conservatives have let corporate grocers rip off Canadians for far too long.

Billions in profits for the Big 3 Grocers, while working-class people wonder how they’ll afford their next meal.

No more waiting for the market to fix itself. Canada needs a public option for grocery stores.

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 5d

LIVE NOW INTERNET VIDEO GAMES FOR YOUR PLEASURE.

Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 5d

We're back in space again this afternoon! Join me in ninety minutes at 1:00pm Pacific Time for even more OUTER WILDS.

twitch.tv/paullicino

a frog sits around a campfire in a video game

Alt: An animated gif showing someone playing a banjo next to a campfire, taken from the game Outer Wilds.

media.tenor.com

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 5d

We're back in space again this afternoon! Join me in ninety minutes at 1:00pm Pacific Time for even more OUTER WILDS.

twitch.tv/paullicino

a frog sits around a campfire in a video game

Alt: An animated gif showing someone playing a banjo next to a campfire, taken from the game Outer Wilds.

media.tenor.com

Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 6d

(Thanks so much to everyone who added context and info to this, including how suspect that subreddit can be and that this is more likely the latest bullshit conspiracy. I sure ended up internet deep diving tonight.

But holy shit the way that he talks to his pet and to people generally. Why?!)

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 6d

That's a fair point, thank you! I'll be a bit more mindful next time.

Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 6d

Thanks for letting me know! I ended up falling down an internet rabbit hole on this and all sorts. I'm still alarmed at how his first reaction to animal distress was anger (he always seems so angry), but you're absolutely right, that subreddit certainly seems to have a bias, doesn't it?

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 6d

I feel like I'm still missing something fundamental in my judgement, that I've been unable to grow beyond naivety. I see these people who clearly present themselves as unkind, impatient or derisive, over and over, and yet somehow they will have these enormous audiences. I just don't get it.

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Paul ✍🏻 Dean (Holiday mode) @paullicino.bsky.social · 6d

I rarely find myself following what A Famous does, but the recent discussion about Hasan Piker gaslighting viewers about using a shock collar on his dog raises the eternal question: how is it that obviously arrogant, unkind, dismissive people still build fanbases?!

www.reddit.com/r/Livestream...