started playing XCOM:Enemy Unknown
After playing a bit this seems like a mostly worthy installment in the series that has lots of familiar things to someone who plays the classics. One thing I don't understand is why they made sectoids into alien gollums though?

The mechanics also are very different since classic XCOM never even had cover while here it's your main concern. That was a Jagged Alliance thing back in the day. It all feels pretty basic at the start but gets more interesting as your squad levels up.

started playing Jagged Alliance
JA2 or the new JA3 are the ones most would probably choose but I like the idea of looking at the whole series and the formula is a more simple one than in the later editions as often ends up being the case. Enjoying this so far, the cover mechanics, survivability and many other elements make this play very differently from original X-COM despite the obvious similarities.

@mroach yeah. I tried using it on a fresh install but didn't because I observed this behavior.

finished playing UFO: Enemy Unknown 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
This game means a lot to me, it's part of my childhood memories and I played it already back in the 90s as well as went back to it from time to time. But I never finished it. 2025 on this day in february was the end of my first successful playthrough and I did it on a Steam Deck.

@mroach the concept is great. However, I was disappointed to find that it doesn't seem to lead to any saved space on the other devices.

European diplomat summarizes #Trump Admin approach:

“Europe is going to be asked to police deal that it had no direct hand in negotiating. In meantime, Trump is seeking to take 50% control of #Ukraine rare minerals"

#Zelensky rejects US draft contract to take minerals in return for past aid

World’s #cartoonists on this week’s events

Drawing the top stories around the globe.

https://www.politico.eu/article/worlds-cartoonists-on-this-weeks-events-146/

@kevinrothrock Trump's actions affect how much of a deterrence NATO membership looks like too. Right now I would say it looks like a much weaker deterrence than it did under Biden...

The Brits are indirectly, anonymously telling Trump to go fuck himself. Ukraine now hosts the West’s proxy war with Russia and Europe’s proxy war with the Donald.

🇫🇷 Peace achieved through weakness in Ukraine could expand the conflict, warns French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

"For France, things are quite simple and quite clear, basically. Either we are in the parameters of discussion that really allow us to bring peace through strength, or on the contrary, it will be peace through weakness. And peace through weakness, unfortunately, could lead us to dramatic security situations, or even to the long-term expansion of the conflict."

Time for #Ukraine's true friends to stand up.

The USA is no longer a reliable ally

Seven European countries --- Ukraine, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, and the UK --- and the European Commission after #Trump withdrawal of support for #Ukraine

"Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength. Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.

Ukraine should be provided with strong security guarantees. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is a necessary condition for a strong transatlantic security"

In most significant criticism of #Trump and #Hegseth, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says it would have been better if the US had not given concessions to Russia before negotiations even started, such as a bar on #Ukraine membership of #NATO or acceptance of #Russia occupation

alexander vinnik, a russian #cybercrime boss who was serving a prison sentence in the U.S., will be released in exchange for American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, Reuters reported on Feb. 12, citing an unnamed U.S. official.

https://kyivindependent.com/us-to-release-russian-bitcoin-suspect-in-exchange-for-fogel-media-reports/

The Senate voted to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence on Wednesday, with Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky the only member of his party to vote against President Donald Trump’s nominee.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/12/tulsi-gabbard-confirmed-as-director-of-national-intelligence-00203829

Here’s what we’re reading today:

In 2022 there were attempts to assassinate Zelenskyy, which led to the deaths of people inside the President's Office, Zelenskyy said in an interview with The Guardian.

At least three assassination attempts were recorded before March 2022.

https://kyivindependent.com/people-were-killed-inside-presidential-office-zelensky-reveals-details-of-russias-assassination-attempts-in-2022/

A conversation between Trump and Putin without Ukraine. It turns out that you can commit any crimes if you have nuclear weapons. This is what it looks like: the world turns a blind eye, international law becomes meaningless, and dictators feel untouchаbilіty and impunіty. Those who should guarantee security negotiate for their own interests.

Do Trump and putin Get to Carve Up #Ukraine ?

A quick video: Of course, no deal is made and won't without at least some Ukrainian buy in, but the initial read-out makes this sound as if putin has good reasons to be happy...

Mark Galeotti / YouTube

https://youtu.be/giVMY5LHBjA

finished watching About Heaven 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
I found About Heaven to be one of the best documentaries I've watched. I'm an atheist/secular buddhist so certainly didn't agree with the religious people being interviewed here but I this a wonderfully contemplative documentary offering much food for thought. Their highly varying hopes and dreams about what would be there after death came through to me as very human. I believe the filmmaker isn't religious himself either and part of this is conversations with his father while they climb up to visit a place that holds special meaning to his father who is now in the last part of his life.

@fediversecounter can really see how both Mastodon and Pixelfed's been experiencing a big wave of new users.