Dikiyoba
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Posts posted by Dikiyoba
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CONGRATULATIONS, NIKKI!
Dikiyoba thinks SW is a much better place for your presence, you roguish radish.
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Plus, Avadon 2 will be released for all three platforms at once. The months of work dealing with compatibility and beta testing for the iPad and PC versions have to happen upfront, instead of after the Mac version is released. That is another reason for the extra-long development time.
Dikiyoba hates turnips, FYI. They are terribly untrustworthy.
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Dikiyoba doesn't know if it's the best quality, but Dikiyoba always enjoyed the combat scenes in the early Redwall novels, especially in the original. It does more large-scale and individual combat scenes, but the style is easily adaptable to small-group combat.
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Let's imagine an adventurer in D&D who does nothing wrong, per se, while doing classically good things (by the D&D definition) such as killing bandits, defeating necromancers, etc. However, this adventurer always refuses quests that involve saving slaves; we'll say it's because the adventurer is lawful. In fact, the adventurer willingly uses weaponry made by slaves, paying money to slave owners for this gear. Slavery is one of those things most people regard as evil; does the adventurer's actions make them evil, because they're helping to finance slavery?
As far as DnD alignment goes, that sounds like Lawful Neutral. Doesn't care whether the laws are good or evil, just that following them is important. A Lawful Good character probably wouldn't accept illegal slave-freeing missions, but would attempt to boycott slave-made goods and try to change the laws so that slavery is illegal. A Lawful Evil character would probably own slaves and twist or rewrite laws to the Lawful Evil character's benefit.
Dikiyoba.
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A large orange tabby cat with wings jumped out of a nearby tree. Tenderpaw recognized her easily. Her fur had taken on a richer hue, her scent was milder, she seemed to have grown even larger, and of course there were the wings, but it was recognizably Tigerheart. And her voice confirmed it. “You mousebrain. Why am I not surprised to see that you died by a stream?”
The shock and joy of seeing Tigerheart freed Tenderpaw from his disorientation and despair. He staggered to his feet. “You have wings. You’re a starspirit!”
Tigerheart’s wings were even larger than the rest of her. Her fur grew along the front edge of her wings, than gave way to orange-red feathers. The large primary feathers at the outside tip of the wing had black tips, creating a black stripe. Tigerheart caught Tenderpaw staring at them and folded them up until they were only two mounds of fur. “They’re nothing special. I bet your wings will grow in soon enough. Here, let me take a look.” Tigerheart walked around Tenderpaw, inspecting him closely. “Aha! They’re growing in already. Look at this loose skin.” She bit a patch of skin along his ribs and stretched it out. “You’ll probably start feeling some new muscles developing soon, but it’ll be a few days at least until the bones start growing.”
Tenderpaw turned his head to look. “Will it hurt?”
“Nope. Now that you’ve left your Earth body, nothing will ever hurt again. Come on, it’s a long journey to the Skytree.”
“You’re taking me to the Skytree? I thought the Skycats did that.”
“Starspirits often guide the ones they know to the Skytree. It allows the Skycats to focus on other things. Besides, we’re less intimidating. Who would you rather have, me or Suncat?” Tigerheart swiped playfully at Tenderpaw’s front legs.
“You.”
“Well then.” Tigerheart paused to lick smooth a patch of fur. “Whenever you feel ready, we’ll go.”
“I’m ready.”
This is where our story ends. Our heroes, reunited at last, journey together, traveling east, toward the mountains, and the Skytree, and the sunrise. Although the sun is just over the horizon, you can still see the stars, reminders to help each other out, take action despite being afraid, to always be ready to rethink your opinions, and nine thousand other things besides.
This exercise features Dikiyoba’s current, very-long term project. You’ll probably see more of it in later exercises. This ending feels far too short and a bit too sappy. Maybe Dikiyoba will try an ending that doesn’t involve the afterlife later.
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Exercise: Write the ending or epilogue to a novella or novel. It can be something you are working on, have worked on in the past, or to something entirely new. It can even be a new ending to a published work. It can be the last few paragraphs, the last page, or the last chapter. (Yeah, I know a Cracked article mentioned something similar to this recently, but it's a good one.)
Limitations: None
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Rules
1. Follow the scenario/exercise description and limitations.
2. Everyone's work is independent. You can borrow ideas from posts belonging to other people, but you can't take over or interfere with someone else's continuity or characters. Come up with your own.
3. Make sure your writing is comprehensible. Use the best spelling and grammar you can. It doesn't have to be perfect (especially if English isn't your first language), but at least read over it once or twice and run a spellcheck on it before you post.
4. Don't be overly negative, especially if you aren't participating. It's okay to ask questions or comment on someone's writing. It's okay to provide helpful critiques if a person asks for it. But don't just complain, or point out flaws without the author first giving permission, and especially don't insult anyone or their work.
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Dikiyoba will do another scenario challenge for topic #3. Have fun!
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Bump, because I discovered what is clearly
.Joke songs aside, I'm finding I quite like some of X-Ray Dog's work. I'm not a fan of the hip-hop or pop songs, just because I don't much like those genres, but the orchestral pieces tend to be on the same level as Immediate Music's older work (Immediate Music seems to have gotten better in the last few years, although the newer stuff is harder to find, so I might have a biased sample). It's a shame X-Ray Dog hasn't released a "best of" public album or two, because I would love to buy that.
Two Steps from Hell is definitely Dikiyoba's favorite trailer music production company, though.
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Rapists and child sexual abusers should be executed without a trial. The problem is the justice system in America awards the bad guys with life imprisonments/temporary insanity. Its a disgrace.
1. There is no way to determine whether people are guilty or "evil". Evidence can be and is misleading or faked. Confessions can be and are coerced. People don't carry little flashing alignment signs. There's simply no way to tell.
2. The USA has and continues to execute or give life sentences to thousands of demonstrably innocent people, even with trials. Moving to executions without trials would magnify that problem and result in the murder of tens of thousands of people.
3. Killing people, except to defend yourself or another person from a clear and immediate danger, is wrong. You can't kill someone who is defenseless. You can't kill someone who is minding their own business. You can't kill anyone who isn't currently attempting to harm anyone. To do otherwise is wrong.
4. To paraphrase Sam Vimes, you can't be a good guy and do bad guy things. If you kill people, you are the bad guy, no matter what the intent behind the killing was.
5. Killing people makes you evil.
6. KILLING PEOPLE MAKES YOU EVIL.
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@Aran: Dikiyoba awards you one Internet.
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The results have not changed: Dikiyoba is still unable to take the damn test.
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Nightwatcher, please don't make joke posts in threads where people are asking for help and haven't received it. It's rather frustrating to get useless responses when you are having a problem.
Anyway, changing graphics is quite difficult in Geneforge. First and foremost, you'll end up changing the graphics for all the people or creatures of that type. Thankfully, switching two types around won't cause too many oddities. Second, since the graphic icons and sheets are different sizes, there are template scripts that tell the game what size particular graphics are. There just might be instructions for changing graphics somewhere on this forum, but mostly you'll be on your own to figure it out. The file you are looking for is located in the scripts folder and called "gf4floorster." The graphic templates are at the beginning. Also note that each PC has three separate templates. Third, the graphic templates are very finicky, and tend to crash the game if done wrong. Save a copy of gf4floorster before you begin, and expect some frustration.
Dikiyoba.
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Did Aodare advise to wipe out the awakened too?
Aodare wants you to kill everyone. Zacchary and Drypeak, the Awakened, everyone.
IIRC, no one really cares about the Awakened, so you can leave them alone on the unaligned path.
And then they either die or get enslaved and put to work under the worst conditions, hooray. Not a very good option if you want them to be left alone.
Dikiyoba the best option for the OP is to go for the Awakened ending. It's really the only one that leaves them alive and well, even if it might be unrealistically good for you.
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A quick search indicates that Kiwa hirsute[/r] doesn't use its "hair" as insulation, though, but rather as bacteria habitat (and then presumably it eats the bacteria). A better example would be bumblebees, which are adapted to being out and active in colder weather than other pollinators. Admittedly, bumblebees can generate their own body heat using their flight muscles, rather than relying solely on environmental heat.
Dikiyoba.
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The problem is, "reptile" means many things. For most people, it means any scaly, cold-blooded animal that lays eggs on land, like snakes and lizards. If you're a herpetologist, a more technical but similar definition probably works as well (emphasis on probably--I'm just guessing here). If you're a paleontologist, taxonomist, or evolutionary scientist, then "reptile" is a confusing hodgepodge of animals, because birds descended from reptiles, and based on what we currently consider a reptile, so did mammals: specifically, from the synapsids, or mammal-like reptiles. Most synapsids, including the famous Dimetrodon, were cold-blooded and scaly, but somewhere along the line they developed hair and warm-bloodedness. So hair definitely appeared on reptiles first, and then those reptiles finished evolving into true mammals. But evolution is irrelevant to the slitherzaki anyway, because they aren't following normal reptile rules. They lay eggs in water, something no reptile does. So they're clearly just called reptiles because they are cold-blooded and scaly. And if you want to assume they grow hair in places where they don't have scales, there's nothing to stop you; after all, they're already violating part of the common definition of reptile anyway.
Dikiyoba is going to assume that he's painting his face pink in preparation to cheer on his favorite sports team, the Almarian Drones, at the Avernum Mushroom Rugby Championships.
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Just throwing this topic out to see how much interest in fiction writing and free-form RPs is left at SW. If there's enough interest, I'll probably make this a series.* Since most people are very busy and time constraints are what bring most RPs down on SW nowadays, this thread is completely commitment free. You can post once, many times, or just ignore this thread all together. You can produce a complete short story, a beginning or excerpt from something longer, or just a few paragraphs.
Rules
1. Follow the scenario description and limitations.
2. Everyone's work is independent. You can borrow ideas from posts belonging to other people, but you can't take over or interfere with someone else's continuity or characters. Come up with your own.
3. Make sure your writing is comprehensible. Use the best spelling and grammar you can. It doesn't have to be perfect (especially if English isn't your first language), but at least read over it once or twice and run a spellcheck on it before you post.
4. Don't be overly negative, especially if you aren't participating. It's okay to ask questions or comment on someone's writing. It's okay to provide helpful critiques if a person asks for it. But don't just complain, or point out flaws without the author first giving permission, and especially don't insult anyone or their work.
*If anyone likes this idea and wants to do their own, with their own scenario and rules, great. I'd prefer it if you contacted me ahead of time so we don't end up having multiple threads going at once, though.
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Scenario
An expeditionary ship [or a small fleet of ships] of a technologically advanced alien species [or multiple alien species] has just discovered Earth and humanity. (Questions to generate ideas: What are the aliens like? Why are they exploring? How do they react to the discovery of humans? Why are they interested in Earth and/or humans [are they interested in Earth and/or humans]? Do they contact humans in any way? What are the aliens' future plans regarding Earth?)
Limitations
Setting: Present day
Point of view: Limited to the aliens' perspective only.
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Dikiyoba.
- Balladeer and Upon Mars.
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Amongst the titles I purchased, there was Geneforge 1-5, Avadon and "Avernum: The Complete Saga." Now the saga says it's comprised of Avernum 1-6 and Blades of Avernum. That has to mean the "Great Trials Trilogy" and the first 3 right? I'm expecting "Yes...stupid." If it's friendlier that's a bonus.
Yep, you've got all the Avernum games already.
2. With the knowledge above, this means only Nethergate and Avernum: Escape from the Pit will be new. My big interest in potentially buying these again are playing Avernum EFTP and Avadon on Android. Do we get to pick which platform we want these games on title by title or, less likely, do we get copies across all platforms and OSs. It's obviously not a deal breaker if we have to choose one. But the biggest draw is being able to choose. As I've only seen Steam mentioned along with Mac, it looks like no to Android. Please be good tidings.It looks like the Humble Bundle isn't offering Android versions, since it doesn't say anything about them. So the Humble Bundle probably isn't for you. There will be other sales where you can pick up the Android version of Avadon and A:EftP, and Nethergate: Resurrection. In the meantime, the full series of Avernum and Geneforge will keep you plenty busy.
Dikiyoba.
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Avernum 2 actually has two examples of cave diseases, plus numerous illnesses from unspecified causes.
A small, pregnant woman with black, curly hair sits in the corner. She holds a small boy in her arms. His face is flecked with red, and he looks very ill. "I am Malka, and this is Daniel," she says, indicating her son. Malka cradles Daniel in her arms. Occasionally, he coughs, and she gives him a worried look. "Oh, I'm so worried, I don't mind telling you. My boy, Daniel is very sick. Some cave disease. A rare one."You are shown to one of the longhouses. It is filled with desperately ill nephilim. Their fur is matted and covered with flakes of fungus, and their normally bright eyes are dim and blank.Also, you forgot the "weird fungi" part of Lilith's post. The diversity of fungi, the typically warm and moist environment, and the reduced health of many Avernites is going to make fungal diseases a serious and common problem.
Thankfully, A2 shows us that Avernum is filled with benevolent adventurers who will fetch greymold salve and other medicine for random sick strangers (and even for normally hostile monsters like drakes) without expecting much in reward, so as long as disease doesn't kill you instantly, you have a good chance of not dying due to disease.
Dikiyoba.
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and I don't see the Arthur resemblance.
Eh, it's just that they're both examples of really, really anthropomorphized animals. There's just too much MLP pony left in them to be human. They still have the same skin, the same hair, the same eyes, the same face shape (just flattened with the snout transformed into the nose), the torsos are very similar, and the legs have the same flared shape. The only real difference is the arms and the lack of a tail.
Dikiyoba.
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I beg to differ. The people of Exile have mushrooms to feed, and 'hole in the ground' doesn't do much in the way of moving fertilizer. In any case, iirc there was a city in Valorim that had a comprehensive underground sewer?
Shayder on the Isle of Bigail, at the very minimum. A few cities in the prepackaged BoA scenarios have sewers too, and so does pretty much every city in Avernum by A4 or A6.
(Also, tanneries from all three series would have needed urine as well.)
Dikiyoba.
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Best wishes to you and your mother, Jerakeen. I know it's a hard place to be in. Remember to take care of yourself too (although since you're checking in on these forums, you probably don't need this reminder).
Dikiyoba.
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You'll have to download the games individually, but you can get the registration keys for all of them at once when you order (or if you've already ordered, you can send an e-mail with your ordering info and the registration codes). The CDs install a pre-registered copy of the games, though, so there's no real need to mess around with downloading anything (except one game to play while you are waiting for the CDs to arrive).
Dikiyoba isn't entirely sure what you are asking, but hopefully this is a useful answer.
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the Empire was generally quite safe. They did after all kill anything even half threatening. So no monsters there.
Before Hawthorne was assassinated, the Empire could and did banish anyone at any time for any reason to Avernum. Get on the bad side of a politician? Banished. Getting too popular? Banished. Don't fit in? Banished. Accidentally interact with someone who might be a rebel? Banished. You're hardly safe when the threat of being tossed into a cave filled with demons and other monsters constantly looms overhead.
(Is there any canon on what happened to outcasts and the like between Hawthorne's death and Prazac becoming an effective ruler? With Garzahd as the de facto ruler, the Empire probably wasn't any less threatening than it was under Hawthorne. And of course, if you choose to live in the Empire, then you are complicit in all of the Empire genocides to non-humans.)
Dikiyoba.
Writing Challenge 3 - After the Apocalypse
in General
Posted
Scenario: The zombie apocalypse has come and gone. A cure has been found, most governments re-established, the shambling hordes of zombies and groups of bandits disposed of, and people have returned to living peaceful, normal lives. There are some differences, of course. Billions died during the zombie apocalypse, infrastructure was badly damaged, and every body with a largely intact brain reanimated a few minutes to several hours after death. Write a scene or jot down notes that show what life is like 20-50 years after the zombie apocalypse has ended.
Limitations: None.
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Rules
1. Follow the scenario description and limitations.
2. Everyone's work is independent. You can borrow ideas from posts belonging to other people, but you can't take over or interfere with someone else's continuity or characters. Come up with your own.
3. Make sure your writing is comprehensible. Use the best spelling and grammar you can. It doesn't have to be perfect (especially if English isn't your first language), but at least read over it once or twice and run a spellcheck on it before you post.
4. Don't be overly negative, especially if you aren't participating. It's okay to ask questions or comment on someone's writing. It's okay to provide helpful critiques if a person asks for it. But don't just complain, or point out flaws without the author first giving permission, and especially don't insult anyone or their work.
*If anyone likes this idea and wants to do their own, with their own scenario and rules, great. I'd prefer it if you contacted me ahead of time so we don't end up having multiple threads going at once, though.
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Dikiyoba.