Luca

Shanti vs Miranda

Huh. I specifically don't like the second Avernum trilogy because of the similarity to Geneforge and do favor the first trilogy. But G2 is also my favorite game, so I'm the odd man out no matter what.

I'm not sure how you plan on wording your survey, but I'd be interested in testing a theory that most people do not play both of SW's main brands of games. So basically, you have life-long Geneforgers who know nothing about Avernum and vice versa.

Sure, I'll go first. Most people (at least at CR) are aware that I've had quite a battle with depression, but I usually don't contribute much to conversations on this subject anymore - because of that, ironically, not in spite of it. Going through it raised more questions than answers with me, because I like trying to understand things by breaking them down and analyzing them. Part of what depression does is that it distorts your views, what you perceive to be real and what is a threat. What is an unfortunate coincidence and what is actually your fault. Severe depression changes your outlook to indicate that everything is hopeless with no way out, even to someone who relies primarily on logic instead of instinct. It's a monumental challenge to overcome by yourself. So, naturally, when I was living on my own in another state, trying to get my life together when depression was at its worst, all of my plans and strategies with work and interpersonal relationships were failures. This was the most frustrating part, because the logic they were based on was false, like asking someone what color their surroundings are when you're holding up a green piece of glass in front of their eyes - perception is wrong, so all things based on it are wrong. Oh yeah, and the intensely painful self-loathing meltdowns. Those were fun too. Consistent human contact was what I needed most and probably the only reason that it's no longer an issue for me now, nor likely in the future. But it's definitely changed a lot about my personality. I'm far more serious, I hardly genuinely smile at all, a bit more cynical, but ultimately more well-rounded, and able to handle bad situations more than ever. A deal of that can be attributed to my other experiences at the time, but it's still the most significant and challenging thing I've been through. But I also know enough to say this solution isn't for everyone and there likely isn't any one universal cure for it. But it is something that people have to work through with a great deal of support. One way depression and other mental conditions needs more attention is that it doesn't seem like a lot of people understand what it would be like - they can't relate. When I was in high school, it went something along the lines of "just stop being depressed. Just stop." Okay, I'll get right on that. That's like saying to someone who's been shot, just take the bullet out and put the blood back in. That's not how it works. That said, even now, I doubt I have the ability to fully convey what it was like for me, even to a psychologist who probably already knows half of what I'm going to say. But ignorance is the source of fear and hatred and therefore where I'd point a finger for the source of the stigma around mental illness. No person I've worked for has regretted hiring me, but having a history of depression is a significant disadvantage in a job market where people compete over who is more perfect on paper. Amusingly, most everything I entered into the poll would have been exactly opposite three-four years ago. I'm not depressed. I'm also not brimming with joy either. I feel a lot less, overall. I tried to use something along the line of Rand's void and the flame mental techniques in WoT, except with strong negative feelings. And that helped a great deal at, for example, preventing breakdowns at work, but it's like a bit of that stuck and is permanent. It's...weird. But I spend a lot of time thinking and I may reach some new understanding in the next five years where everything I do isn't acting. That'd be nice. I'm not sure, but I don't think I can be affected by depression anymore at this point. Mostly because I've learned to accept most things as they are, even if they're bad. Which also allows me to see more things that are good. That is probably the most valuable knowledge I have. But probably only because I needed it more than most.

That could be, but it seems unlikely that there wouldn't be a flat fee for each sale, similar to Amazon Marketplace or eBay.

I don't think I've ever posted a picture in one of these topics, but now seems like as good a time as any. http://cdn.calref.net/files.calref/31/630007ed_17.png

Yeah, I see what you're getting at. I'd suspect Jeff gets more money from A:CS at full price than getting Geneforge and A:CS at a discount because Jeff has to pay the Steam fee twice. Obviously, he doesn't have to pay Steam anything if you buy from him directly. That said, if you can't buy from him directly because you're sixteen and can't get a credit card, I'm not sure how Steam solves that problem. Predictably, I'd recommend the Geneforge Saga over A:CS, partially because you get five games instead of one, but also because it's Geneforge and what could possibly be better than that? In related news, I wouldn't put too much hope into Kingdoms Rise. I voted for it on Greenlight at the start of last year, but the developers seem to have fallen off the Earth since then.

I'm still sad that the days of mailing a money order to Seattle and getting a physical CD and hintbook are gone. Even if the pages were out of order sometimes.

Obviously created to distance kids from would-be rapists and child abductors. It's still sad considering both the number of good people on the internet and the number of last ditch pleas for help in dealing with suicide and other crises where, for some, the internet is the last possibility for hope.

This is why Arancaytar is always going to be Gandalf to me.

I assumed it was because meeting Australian members is more difficult, logistically, than driving to a neighboring state/EU country.

The problem with this game is that, to get a point, you have to give a point. So it's going to be difficult to win. Also, the line between Nalyd and Rose should be green.

Happy birthday, -X-.

Ergo SW is scary? I'm not entirely sure why you've posted this topic here under that premise. Is it because you feel SWers are classic examples of people who would be willing to support unconventional violent action? Or is it because all members live in a country that has, at one time or currently, been at war and is guilty of murder by association (if involuntary) and might disagree with the condemnation? I'm pretty perplexed. Is there a responsibility of charity with wealth? To look after those who have not been as successful? There probably is in most moralities. What if that bank had already been intensely participating in housing and job charities, what if, hypothetically, that bank made it its life mission to, with the wealth they had acquired to date, help curve homelessness. Would you still blame them for that homeless person? The bank is a business and, for the purposes of argument, the homeless person is a businessperson. One is successful and one is not. They're not in competition, but coexistence. Let's think about what caused that homeless person's situation for a moment, what might it be? Could be anything. They could have been a returning soldier that found no work because no one wants to hire someone from a war they don't condone. Could have been kicked out of their parent's house with no education or job experience. Could have been laid off from their previous job and couldn't afford their mortgage. That very bank that individual is leaning up against might have even foreclosed on them, is the bank guilty for that? For executing the section of the contract that the individual signed as leverage for getting years worth of income all at once to buy the house in the first place? Are they both guilty for the fallout? There's a social structure that has brought people to where they are. If you encounter a bank that has gilded marble doors with a homeless person leaning up against them, it is indeed a great irony, but it's hardly the fault of low bank employees who work there. By and large, if you make the argument to say that the bank's leadership is at fault for having wealth when the homeless person does not, you are basically saying that anyone who is successful should be ashamed of it and blamed for all of life's problems. Let's be reasonable, if there's an individual with a net worth of $50,000 who made the decision to lay the homeless person off, they are far more at fault for the situation of the homeless person, versus the bank that it is merely ironic that they are residing next to. Playing devil's advocate is something I like to do, especially in situations like this, but I'm still not all that clear on your complaint. What's the big picture here, did you just wake up today and realize you were lied to as a kid and that the world is actually a horrible place? In a world where humans were no more than animals is it any surprise that in 2014, survival isn't guaranteed because we still are? The world's population increased by 4.5 billion in the 20th century, it's absolutely a miracle that infrastructure and economics have developed rapidly enough, in that time, to support that population without even more cruelty and casualties of exposure, starvation, and war. I'm all for blaming large-scale institutions such as the US government, big banks, etc, etc, and I know that's the popular thing to do. But bad situations have causes. And if you want to attack a bad situation, you need to address the cause and correct it rather than taking out your rage on something else (which may be bad in its own right) that has nothing to do with the current problem. That's like organizing a march against Russia's same-sex law, expecting it to result in a freed Crimea.

I enjoy meat, but if I eat more than an ounce of it, I get quite ill. So, while I'm not a vegetarian by choice, I practically am because I only eat meat once a month or so.

I did, once.

There's a subreddit on this topic called /r/MensRights/ It's as horrible/terrifying as it sounds. I don't want to be the "men's history is called human history" guy, but...yeah.

Firstly, thanks to Slarty for everything I would have said in this thread thusfar. Perhaps, Alo, you're referring to the US gay subculture; that has more to do with a community than a way of life. I'm not sure what a gay lifestyle involves, but I'm pretty sure that's stereotyping a la "you know what those people do all the time". I actually didn't have too many issues with the current wording of the questions, spelling maybe, but not the wording. Most people are probably already aware of my positions, but I'll lay them out once again. Do you enjoy discussing controversial topics? Only if I am interested in them and, often, I am not. What is your stance on abortion? Abortion exists as the lesser of two evils in a bad situation. It's permissible to be used (obviously in cases of rape, incest, health of the mother, but that should go without saying) in cases where the child would be born into intense suffering by way of extreme poverty, starvation, and violence. In the US, the foster care system is too well known for horror stories of mistreatment, so you'll forgive me if I don't see that as a viable option. Abortion can resolve this suffering before it begins. I don't believe in abortions for more casual reasons, but also don't believe that distinction can (or should) be legislated. As with everything else of this importance, use of abortion should be responsible and wise. Where do you stand concerning the laws centered around LGBT? Basically, my views are similar to Goldengirl's. Granted the question was different when her response went in, I think it's still valid and I'll get to that in a bit. Hopefully, mid-way through this decade, people are starting to understand that sexual orientation isn't a choice people under the LGBT umbrella seem a whole lot less evil when you actually know one instead of discussing them as demons among equally discriminatory folk. Hopefully, we are making it passed that by now. Fairly obviously, real progress does not come in the form of laws but in public opinion and understanding. Laws exist to say "I can't stop you from wanting to do that, but I can arrest you for it", which is not nearly as effective as people just getting along in the first place. I may not live long enough to see that because discrimination is a beast that does not die easily. As far as laws go, not being fired from a job that you are perfectly competent at simply because of trivia that only matters to people who might date you is an important protection to have nationally and would make people sleep a lot better. Equal marriage rights are also important and are quickly becoming a characteristic of a modern nation. As far as LGBT at large, its days might be numbered at this point. To be perfectly frank the interests of LGBT have been for L and G, which is great for L and G, but everything else has fallen off the map. Bisexuality is still akin to promiscuousness and disease and laws for transgendered people essentially do not exist at all. Bisexuality takes its legal protections from same-sex laws, but efforts to try remove some of the cultural biases have been left behind. The next ten years will likely see more transgender legal battles, but up a much steeper hill. Do you believe extraterrestrials. I have pretty much use this phrase since I was a freshman in high school: "Of all of the planets, of all of the stars in all of the galaxies in, potentially, all of universes we are too small yet to know about, is it not possible, if not likely that we are not alone? It would be a very dark place if we were." The possibility is far more likely than not. Whether it has happened already or not is beyond my information and I have no opinion on that possibility, whatsoever, because of that. What is your stance on globalization. Personally, I don't find it a particularly positive thing. When you had recessions in medieval times, it was because half of your people were dead from plague. These days, it's because ten investors got spooked intergovernmental politics on another continent. At this point, it would be impossible to stop this trend without becoming as isolated as North Korea. What is your stance on animal captivity. This is not a question I think a lot about and not one I came here to answer, so I'll keep it short. When it comes to large land or sea environments for animals for the common person to see them, assuming the animals are well cared for and have enough space, this is fine. If you want to pick a battle about animal captivity, take a few days to see where your eggs come from before you attack Sea World. The only serious gripe I have with this system relates to animals who have gone extinct in public captivity instead of creating a safe, open, simulated environment to rebuild small numbers of a species. Since this isn't the 1920s, I think we're moving passed this. What is your stance on feminism? I'm a feminist, if that's what you call someone who supports equal rights and pay for women, but I don't consider myself a feminist. Nalyd and I have discussed this at extreme length. It essentially comes down to that I do not agree with what we have both determined is a very vocal minority of this group that demonizes all men for no other reason than they are men. If 95% of men are CEOs, that's a problem, but the solution to the problem isn't to have 95% of women be CEOs for the next century by punity. The solution is to have everyone, regardless of occupation, arrive to their desired endpoint by their own merits and have equal opportunities along the way. Honestly, I was much more receptive to feminism as a group before I had a member of the vocal minority as an instructor at my college, who informed me that, after the above and other arguments, my positions were because I viewed all women as sex objects. Yes, I'm gay. What is your stance on gun laws? Call me crazy, but weapons are an O.K. thing to have. Gun laws vs. violent crime is probably the best use of the ideology "educate, not regulate". Anything can be weaponized, anything can be made to harm other people, even words. If you're looking to control the number of deaths from guns simply by banning guns, you will simply see an increase in deaths from other weapons. If you ban knives and sharp objects, people will still beat people to death if they really want to (Hi, UK!). If you have a problem with violent crime, you have a problem with your education system (Hi, US!). Since this was not the answer you wanted to hear, I support background checks for the purchase of firearms, including history of mental illness. I also support and assault weapons ban because, unless you are making your own army/nation, you're not going to need a submachine gun to protect your home. But I'm telling you, those aren't long term (or even short term) solutions. Do you believe in a god? Yes, but I don't follow a religion or have religious practices or rituals. Do you believe the extinction of mankind will come in the short-term or long-term as compared to the geological timescale. We are the most technologically advanced species to walk the earth. We can still be taken out by an asteroid at any time with only several hours of warning. However, given that we have made it this far, we will probably continue going until we stop the aging process, inhabit artificial bodies, and our clocks start blinking 36. Your guess is as good as mine, anything can happen...and it will!

I missed it the first time, I'll have to catch it again ten years from now.

There's no such things as linking your FB account to the forums (Nor should there be!). If you have the url, and it is the actual url of the image, simply posting a link will suffice. Facebook does strange things to their urls where, after the .jpg (or what have you), there exists a ?[series of numbers and letter] that function, basically as permission for someone outside of your friends to view the image if it is not public (I don't have a Facebook, so I can't prove or demonstrate that) but you'll need that text as well. If you continue to have issues, you may wish to try an alternative image hosting solution, such as http://tinypic.com/ http://photobucket.com/ http://imgur.com/ I believe tinypic does not require an account, and is probably the easiest of the lot to use. Edit: Damn you, Lilith!

This is pretty much where I am with Steam, especially since they've brought back a lot of classics, now, in order to run with modern systems. At one point, back when we had these devices called "CDs", I actually needed to make a chart of what row and column my game was in to find the disc. So, Steam is basically this organization system in more practical terms. Plus, I can't accidentally run over my Steam licenses with my car...

Hopefully. I would not be interested in playing a remade Geneforge if it adopted the new limited skill tree and combat system.

For the sake of clarity and reason, a game along the lines of a SW title always contains a vast, vast, amount of content in terms of story, lore, conversation, etc. It's essentially like writing a book...three or four times, because there are always multiple endings based on your actions, even if that action might have seemed insignificant at the time. Choosing from a handful of factions means choosing from a host of significantly different plot lines. Every named character you kill, you could have had a conversation and an alliance with. This level of detail and development is pretty uncommon. You have to find titles like Bastion and Transistor in order to match the level of depth that comes from a game with the screenshots that make it look little more than an arcade game. Even then, the story is pretty linear. So the key difference is that Jeff has made dozens*, (less one and counting remakes), where other companies are, at best, one-hit-wonders that have since gone out of business. The amount of content that is already out there is pretty significant, but developed over a long period of time. I can't help but feel that, for every one person that says they're turned off by Jeff making remakes, there are two other people who would never pick Avernum up if they had to start with Avernum 1 in its dated condition. So, generating these new players by giving them an improved version of the game in living color is more important than abandoning this material.

I believe the "formula" mentioned is the Exile/Avernum theme itself. It's the longest running series/theme, with (correct me if I'm wrong) soon-to-be 13 titles. They're old to us, but they're timely releases with competitive graphics for competing isometric games on Steam, (which I can only assume is the new target audience), now that Jeff has access to it. That market has probably had little, if any, familiarity with SW in the past, and features players who seek out indie titles, such as these. In short, the remake-new pattern is likely to maintain its course until it's no longer profitable. After which time, he's forced to remake Blades. Edit: Also, what Slarty said; not only is there a significant playable difference between Exile 1 and Avernum 1, the same can be said for A1 and EftP. The same can be said for Nethergate, and just about anything that's had more than one variation.