The obscure content thing is an issue I’ve run into especially looking for ~70s era sci-fi or horror movies that are regarded as cult classics or underrated online.

If you are looking for software you might want to look for websites that list open source projects.

I can’t really think of decent mega lists though. The FMHY one does have a lot of simply free things but it is mixed in with a lot of pirated content.

Have you not had much luck using operators?

I’ve found them relatively reliable

https://ahrefs.com/blog/google-advanced-search-operators/

https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/results/syntax/

https://support.startpage.com/hc/en-us/articles/4521473758228-Advanced-Search-on-Startpage

Yeah it seems like since COVID19 and the release of RG350 there’s been a real increase in the amount of progress

The Vita also has a lot of source ports.

For the right price it can be a pretty good deal considering it can play PSX and below as well as PSP games and a lot of handheld emulators still struggle with Vita emulation.

The RG35XXSP has a GBA SP clamshell style and is relatively new with a lot of positive reviews

It depends what you want to emulate. Most consoles can do PSX and below without any trouble. A lot of devices share the same chipset so that’s a big thing to look out for.

If you want to get into things like PS2 and GameCube you are going to have to pay more and likely consider Android.

A console with HDMI out and Bluetooth might be what you are looking for so you can potentially have that desktop experience you are used to.

I think Batocera-based custom firmwares can show retro achievement availability from the games list

https://wiki.batocera.org/retroachievements_settings

Just a heads up the “10,000 in 1” game claims that every of these devices advertises isn’t something you should consider. It’s going to be a lot of games you’ve never heard of for older systems like the NES so they fit on lower capacity SD cards. Potentially in multiple languages. It also comes on SD cards most people would recommend replacing.

It’s better to just download the entire library, individual games, or an already curated collection.

Is that substantial though or is it like calling 120V something like 110V/115V?

When you say upgraded do you mean changed to a new device or just updated the OS?

If it’s the former you might be able to extract the app and transfer it and crack it yourself.

I believe the term punk has kind of drifted towards a catch-all term to describe something that clashes against what is considered the norm for most people.

There are definitely traditional punk themes in genres like cyberpunk and solarpunk. I feel like with dieselpunk and steampunk it’s largely a matter aesthetics.

Kind of an easy way to describe broad themes. If you are looking for a game similar to Mad Max for example with a post apocalypse desert that’s full of scavengers it might be easier to just use the term desertpunk.

What is it exactly? Some kind of developer mode to bypass the login screen?

Some people use Usenet for that kind of thing. I typically stumble across things I have been looking for on other social sites. For example someone makes a post with Adult Swim pilots and specials and other people will add additional material they happen to have. Sometimes it can help to think of what category what you are looking for is under then lurk around there for something like a bundle or a mislabeled version.

Probably not the answer you are looking for but thought I’d mention it

Good to known I thought there would be other giveaways like not having the DLC registered to your account but somehow having the achievements for it.

In that example though there might be some ways that could happen legitimately like having Fallout New Vegas on Steam but using DLC acquired from a physical copy or GOG.

I feel like I heard before no one has gotten banned for it yet but it just seemed a bit too easy to me

I don’t even like connecting to the net with pirated games. Always feel I’ll get banned and I used game piracy to test drive them.

Pirated games wouldn’t be associated with your Steam account so I don’t think you would be banned.

Even using the Steam API I don’t think you would unless you were sharing it openly or were making an obscene amount of requests.

That said I don’t know a ton about online fixes or using CreamAPI to unlock DLC for games you own so maybe it would be possible to get banned in that regard.

• Are free tier VPNs (like Proton VPN) good enough?

Other people have already answered this but keep in mind a lot of them are browser based. Even if you are using a web UI for your torrent client that’s not going to protect you. I’ve seen a few people here make that mistake.

• I don’t want to pay much or anything for a VPN, is a way I can get a good free one, or set one myself somehow (I have experience with selfhosting) ?

Have you considered looking into direct downloads?

They are a bit more work but if you are motivated on going in without protection it’s a safer alternative.

If it helps you rationalise the cost of a VPN you can always think about how much money you save compare to paying for subscription services.

I was going to mention the support aspect. I believe some TOTP 2FA applications have automatic online backups by default but some don’t and require users to make their own backups. I can only imagine how challenging it would be to deal with users who have locked themselves out of their account due to their 2FA setup.

I had to go through that with itch.io a while back and had to verify my most recent purchases to recover my account. It was nice I was able to get it back but that in itself could be a security concern.

Your example made me wonder how effective coating yourself in sound padding tiles to the point you resemble a lychee fruit would be.

At that point, it was no longer sound but sheer pressure. You could feel it in your chest.

I wonder if there would be a way to counter that though. Maybe some kind of sound-focused bomb suit developed for a single profession?

I imagine most situations are avoidable with modern technology allowing us to do things remotely but perhaps there was something used historically or as part of a “because I can” experiment.