Dantius

Originally Posted By: Sage of Numenor The intro specifically says that the rebels captured a THIRD of Terrestia. So there's another unmapped section in between G4 and G5. No, the area map of G4 is significantly smaller than that of G5, and wouldn't think it a stretch to say that it's half as large, and this a third of Terrestia.

Originally Posted By: Randomizer Originally Posted By: Nikki. - but the insane queues and lack of organisation by pretty much everybody. I've often said the only thing college taught me was how to stand in line. Not, say, how to poison your liver? You must have had a boring college experience...

I took an Inventor seminar a little ways back. Cool stuff. *feels left out*

Originally Posted By: CRISIS on INFINITE SLARTIES I follow you up until here: Remember that up until this point, the child has most likely only been exposed to heterosexual couples. As such, they won't see any deviation from the norm, and furthermore, any questions directed against it can be dismissed without mentioning sexuality in the slightest- just handwave it away as "love" or whatever and show them a Disney movie. While that's not necessarily correct, it should serve to misdirect them away until they forget it. But that's very unlikley, as why would they question something that they've seen no alternative to thus far? Originally Posted By: CRISIS on INFINITE SLARTIES Again, I see the reasoning here, but I fail to see how "any mention of sexuality" covers women making veiled references to having a relationship, but does not cover the various heterosexual couples who talk about being in love. It's essentially a moot point anyways, as the kid almost certainly won't catch it in the first point. I'm presuming that we're now discussing this topic outside the context of the particular couple in Avernum? Because there isn't really much to go on otherwise...

Originally Posted By: CRISIS on INFINITE SLARTIES So what is it about lesbians that makes them go in this "family unfriendly" category, while the other things are okay? Keep in mind, "family unfriendly", to use your term, does not necessarily mean "abomination that must be purged". It just means a subject that I wouldn't let my (hypothetical) family near. Here's my reasoning for a perfectly normal, average, and non-bigoted family keeping their child away from such material. 1. A person inquiring about the family friendliness of the game is doing so because they either intend to buy the game for their kids or for someone else's kids. 2. Aforementioned kids would probably be young enough that they would not be able to pick out their games for themselves, or are otherwise severely limited by ESRB rating, which Jeff's games do not have. 3. This is done in an attempt to filter out questionable content, which may include violence, swearing, and sex. Note the last item. 4. There are a multitude of reasons to do this. Perhaps they're too young. Perhaps they have a religious or moral conviction. Perhaps X subject is simply sensitive (eg if a parent died in a war, the other parent may wish to not allow the kid play CoD for psychological reasons) 5. Lesbianism is a sexuality, sexual preference, sexual orientation, pick whatever term you want to describe it; I don't want to get bogged down in semantics and wind up in a choice v. genes debate. I'll go with sexuality because it's short and easy to type. 6. As such, in many peoples eyes, sexuality is inseparable from sex. 7. Therefore, if said small child is exposed to alternate sexualities, they will ask questions, like children do. The parent is either forced to give answers that they're not ready to give, or refuse and force the child to investigate on their own, which never turns out good for the parent. 8. The parent then simply blanket bans any mention of sexuality from reaching th child until the parent deems the child capable of discussing and understanding it in a mature and reasonable way. As a disclaimer, please note I have neither the patience nor willpower to cross-reference every term I would use in casual conversation and replace it with a euphemism in order to not offend. Presume in good faith that I am a crotchety old man and do so because of deeply ingrained habits and not out of a burning desire to offend X group/person.

Originally Posted By: Goldenking Originally Posted By: Triumph Umm...that's the best??? For the natives of the underground who have been subjugated, conquered, and marginalized by imperialistic Avernite tendencies, yes. Protip: Imperialists wind up being right in the end.

Originally Posted By: CRISIS on INFINITE SLARTIES How exactly is a lesbian relationship any less "family friendly" than a heterosexual relationship? The people most concerned with "family friendliness", in my experience, tend to be religious. Some religious people don't like homosexuality. Ergo, some people inquiring about family friendliness might have a problem with homosexuality. QED.

The next session of TotI will be on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2011 in the usual room at 7:00 (note the time change) CST. We should have enough players together to have a session, though, so yay.

Originally Posted By: Sage of Numenor The Awakened are a threat the way Trotsky was a threat. Not through violence. Last time I checked, which was yesterday actually, Leon Trotsky was a brilliant military genius who managed to carry the poorly manned and supplied Red Army to victory against the White Russians with little to no combat or command experience. Well, he was a military genius, at least until Uncle Joe decided to have his skull ventilated with an ice pick, but ah well, can't win all the battles you fight.

Originally Posted By: Droid Since this thread seems to have gone off course anyway, mind if I derail it further? Many European universities offer exchange student semesters, so that a student can take a little part of his education in another country. Do US schools have such programs? I have heard stories of people get into trouble for the most minor and even no infractions when travelling to the US, which is a bit off-putting. Still there are many very good schools in the US, and living there for a few months would no doubt be a great experience. Most US schools have such a program, but in some of the smaller schools it's more a "sister school" program than just a blank check to "study" (coughcough) in Paris for a semester.

Reducing population would be easy; we now know that murder on massive scales is quite feasible thanks to all the lessons we've learned in the 20th century. The trick is to only kill off enough people- you couldn't try to use MAD to reduce population, for instance, that would just eliminate the entire race. You'd need to keep the casualties capped at, oh, 95% max. I don't see how it would be easily doable.

What? I leave for a week and we've already got a debate on Geneforge morality? Was I shot two years back in time perchance? In all fairness, there's no reason that the shapers are obligated to make life better for the Serviles or Drayks. Those two species would provide competition for resources and space, so it's only natural (from an evolutionary point of view) that the Shapers would want to compete (read: eliminate) them in order to get those resources for their species. Granted, the Shapers do treat humans pretty poorly, but human leaders in our world treated their subjects pretty poorly for about 99% of all human history. I'd image that the Pope in the Middle Ages would have about as much incentive to make life better for the people under him using his vast wealth as the Shapers would have for improving life with magical powers, but at least the Shapers try to do so.

Remind me again who Shaila was? Was she the agent you meet up with in the basement of the first area in G3? I need to do a runthrough of all the Geneforge games again sometime soon, once I get off my Bioware kick.

Quick question: Is there anything we can do to increase Stamina? Like a perk/feat, or a special encounter, or a per level bonus, or does it just stay at 10, forever? Click to reveal.. (Kurex) Name: Kurex Occupation: Travelling Mage Alignment: Magnificent Bastard Race: Human Deity: Imaunte Strength: 7 (+1) Dexterity: 2 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 5 Health: 16/47 Stamina: 1/10 Magic (Evocation): 10 (+1, 10 pts) Magic (Conjuration): 5 Magic (Abjuration): 2 Magic (Illusion): 1 (+1, 1 pt) Martial (Sword): 3 Composure: 3 (+1, 3 pts) Stealth: 1 Perception: 1 Perks: -Smug - When you hit an enemy, gain +1 to all composure rolls against them for 1 round.

I have this thing called "free time" now that the holidays are over. It's shocking! And with no further ado, calendar.

Since I'm so ambitious, I resolved to finish all ongoing (non-work-related) long-term projects, most of which involve my house or yard. It's a convenient way to delay facing the fact that I will fail my resolution until spring, at least. Of course, that does also include any ongoing Internet projects, soo...

Originally Posted By: Sauroposeidon 7. Sauroposeidon Is that what you get when you cross a Dark Lord with a Greek god, because- Ah, screw it. My heart isn't in it right now...

Originally Posted By: Lilith http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/sep/24/1 I see you and raise you an incendiary blog post.

Originally Posted By: Droid I got this book Freakonomics as a christmas present. It's not a very good book. Freakonomics is an awesome book, mainly because the author's primary objective seems to be to troll the reader- like in the chapter where he argues that "Abortion reduces crime because it kills poor people who would otherwise be criminals; PROBLEM?" Of course, he does it in a much nicer way with statistics and logic. It's such a great book.

Originally Posted By: Goldenking A common misconception. The classical Marxist point of view makes it abundantly obvious that Communism is inevitable - it's part of the march of progress shown by historical materialism, in every sense just as much as capitalism and feudalism were before it. It's all about the procession of technology, which will make Communism happen, not utopians trying to get everyone to share. After all, at a point where technology has advanced to the point where labor isn't necessary to get crops grown, say because of robotics, there will be a lot less necessity for huge differences in wealth distribution. So essentially you're saying I'm wrong because someone stated that I'm wrong? "Because Marx said so" is hardly a very sound argument. Besides, Marx thought that the conditions for the workers would continue to get worse and worse, until they were essentially reduced to scraping out the worst existence that would still allow them to work. However, we've seen nothing but a rise in living standards, nutrition, medicine, education, wages, and comfort(excepting during wars and depressions, but those are anomalies). If the workers are seeing constant improvement in their lot in life, what reason would they have to overthrow a system that is providing them objective benefits and by all appearances will continue to provide them with objective benefits? Actually, I think there's a good quote on the objective benefits of Capitalism, from a most unlikely source: Originally Posted By: Karl Marx, in the Communist Manifesto [The bourgeoisie] has been the first to show what man’s activity can bring about. It has accomplished wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and Gothic cathedrals; it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former Exoduses of nations and crusades. [...] The bourgeoisie, during its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together. Subjection of Nature’s forces to man, machinery, application of chemistry to industry and agriculture, steam-navigation, railways, electric telegraphs, clearing of whole continents for cultivation, canalisation of rivers, whole populations conjured out of the ground — what earlier century had even a presentiment that such productive forces slumbered in the lap of social labour?

Originally Posted By: Erasmus That is a common misconception, a True communism incorporates democracy into itself and allows a smooth switch between a liberal form of economics and a planned form of economics including the gray areas between them in accordance to the rule of the people. The problem is it always gets gover-napped by a dictator before it reaches that state and becomes a planned dictatorship when it was supposed to be a socialistic democracy. Yawn. Communism has never worked and never will work- it's predicated on the assumption that people will work in the best interests of society as opposed to the best interests of themselves, which never ever ever will happen. I'm sure you heard the quote "If men were angels, no government would be necessary"? Well, if men were angels, large-scale communistic societies would actually work instead of just collapsing into de facto dictatorship. Not that that's a bad thing. China's doing just fine right now, what with their "centralized state power" and the ability to present a cohesive front to so many of their problems. I don't see what so bad about a few human rights violations every now and then if you can get the level or growth and union that China has.

I demand a Festivus thread! Granted, it's a day late, but the importance of airing of grievances and feats of strength must be acknowledged!

Originally Posted By: Sylae Corell America is more of an aristocracy than a democracy if you ask me. When was the last time you saw someone not made of money in a political office (maybe this is a good thing, because a hungry politician is a bad one? I dunno)? In any case, only the rich can vote and it seems like most rich people could care less about the common man. While I feel extremely hesitant to use the phrase "natural aristocracy of merit", I do feel compelled to point out that there have been many, many examples of intelligent, self-made men that became president even if they didn't start off qith a silver spoon in their mouth- Clinton was the son of a poor salesman and Carter was a frigging peanut farmer (granted, also an engineer on a nuclear sub IIRC), so it's not like every president we've had was a crazy wealthy robber baron like the Bushes. However, that has become less and less common recently, which is of course not a good thing.

Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba And it's time for the session to begin. Let's hope someone dies again! Dikiyoba. It's today? I though it was tomorrow... Sorry, I'll be unable to attend. My bad for not notifying anyone earlier...

Originally Posted By: Nikki. But fair is foul, and foul fair, isn't it? Hover through fowl and filthy fairs!