Obviously I can’t make an accurate inference since I don’t know you or your family, but I’d hope that over the years your brother has matured, or at least through a real relationship that he would mature. Not the girls job to do it of course, but maybe meaningfully connecting with someone would be enough for him to gain some self reflection to better himself? A hope than certainty of course.

I’m Chinese-Canadian so to some extent, I have some kind of insight. Definitely haven’t been the best to my own brother and have suffered my own abuses from my parents. But I think self reflection and my own growth in my 20s, both from living on my own while in uni and living on my own, as well as having been in a long term relationship during that time, I was able to improve. Not perfect and still a product of my past, but hoping your brother is able to be better if he does have kids and a family. Not inflict generational trauma. Or at least, I hope things work out for you.

If I remember correctly, I think another major hurdle is the feedback loop part (prosthetic inputs to neural connections). We have some relative understanding of having machines to act in how we intend, but without that loop, still leads to a lot of errors. I don’t mean full simulation of the sensorium to mimic having your arm back, but the minimal amount necessary for fluid movement without conscious visual monitoring.

I’m not entirely confident in my answer but I think my initial issue with Disco Elysium when I first tried to play it was because I expected the typical high action and quick cause-and-effect outcomes I’m used to in most RPGs. At least IMO, most RPG choices in games usually end up with a relatively clear outcome, whereas DE felt more gradual. Similarly, DE is more detective than action, which might sometimes benefit from gradual clues all coming together.

Not to say anyone is wrong for not liking this approach, it does take a bit of commitment to engage with it. But I think being willing to engage with it on its level might make the initial hump more bearable. I’ve honestly come to enjoy the slower approach of DE, but refreshing compared to everything else.

I like playing as Yosuke too, but it’s hard to keep playing as him as it’s an Assassins creed game so much of the open world relies on being agile and climbing, which he can do somewhat but not enough that I don’t need to switch to Naoe (really fun doing a leap of faith with him though, I expected they’d just spawn me on the ground). It is nice being a one man army and all but really, his only use value is when I want to have an easy fight and the handful of quests/activities that necessitate him. His character doesn’t feel like an afterthought but he doesn’t feel like his play style is fully utilized.

Generally, I’m still happy with having the two different characters for different gameplay, but I just wished I had more reason to play as both instead of sticking to one and switching when it’s necessary.

They need little goggles. That’s lab safety 101

Unfortunately more work I need to catch up on for my research MA program. But it’s just messing with some R code for analyses, which is much more preferable than doing any writing. Might bike to a cafe and work there for a change of scenery.

I couldn’t fully get through 3 to the very end but when I was playing, I had to turn off subtitles and dialogue audio to get through it without cringing the entire way through. Rough story aside, lot of the humour of 3 felt dated at the time of release whereas 2 /TPS still fit the humor at the time, which I lets me still appreciate it now. Course, it also helped the general stories for 2 and TPS were also enjoyable.

I had to put down my 14yr cat yesterday, feel you bud. Been crying by myself ever since. Try to have someone who can support you if you can.

Great job, and good luck! It might be hard and take some time to get back into the swing of things, but take it day by day, moment to moment and things won’t seem so tough.