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research notes in Geneforge Series
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Tuesday, March 22 2005 08:06 Profile Homepage #4
OK. Too bad I won't be a Barzite. thanks anyway.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
research notes in Geneforge 2
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Tuesday, March 22 2005 08:06 Profile Homepage #4
OK. Too bad I won't be a Barzite. thanks anyway.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
research notes in Geneforge Series
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Saturday, March 19 2005 12:06 Profile Homepage #0
Is there a merchant who collects research notes?
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
research notes in Geneforge 2
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Saturday, March 19 2005 12:06 Profile Homepage #0
Is there a merchant who collects research notes?
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Huh, where to start ? in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Tuesday, March 1 2005 04:48 Profile Homepage #6
* The Adventurer's Club 1, 2 and 3 are a series (surprise...)

* All Alcritas' scenarios related (more or less) except for Kalloskagathos

There must be more but I don't remember them right now.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Graphics call in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Monday, February 21 2005 08:33 Profile Homepage #4
http://users.utu.fi/~cmkant/dialogUpd.gif

There's one Nephil dialogue pic among those.

A young Nephil, also without an attack picture:

http://users.utu.fi/~cmkant/nephslith.gif
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Used to Avernum, but want to buy Exile in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Saturday, February 5 2005 14:00 Profile Homepage #2
The Blades demo should give you some idea of what the spells, user interface etc. are like.

Blades of Exile and Blades of Avernum are different. There may be a wider selection of commands available in the Blades of Avernum editor but the scenario designers have made more inventions with the BoE editor over the years. (Although some of those tricks, like cutscenes, are more easily done with BoA language.)

Because scripting language is more difficult than BoE editor, there may not be as many BoA scenarios in the next five years as there are BoE scenarios now. Blades of Avernum has also its own limitations. If I'm correct, the town limit is still 100? It's possible to make about 170 town scenarios with Blades of Exile. (I think The Adventurer's Club 3 uses the maximum number of towns.)

(EDIT: OK, so that wasn't one of the worse features then :) )

So, my advice would be the same as SkeleTony's, if you can get used to BoE's differencies.

[ Tuesday, February 08, 2005 05:39: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Bad Grammar = Rampant in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Tuesday, January 11 2005 14:35 Profile Homepage #27
Babelfish?! Arrrghh! I certainly hope that I don't have to read non-English text that gets translated with Babelfish...

(The text above "translated" with Altavista Babelfish into Dutch and back:

"Babelfish?! Arrrghh! I hope certainly that I don't not English texts must read which with Babelfish... are translated..."

And into Portuguese and back:

"Babelfish! Arrrghh! I wait certainly that I don't has that to read the text Non-Inglês who starts translated with the Babelfish...")

Or at least they must first develop it VERY much. ;)

quote:
If internet english is all some people see/have to lern from, well God help 'em.
In Finland and many other countries there are also lots of English language movies and TV shows with subtitles. Of course I can't speak for those who watch movies that are dubbed into their language... Anyway, English is also popular in schools.

[ Tuesday, January 11, 2005 14:39: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Fantasy Stories in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Tuesday, January 11 2005 14:01 Profile Homepage #3
I'm writing a story (in Finnish), but it's rather science fiction where the main characters see their world as magical.

I have lots of unfinished fantasy short stories. The earliest are so bad that it's funny to read them...but I believe I have made some progress over the years, thanks to the audience that I've got.

I've thought the whole (vast) plot of my current project through in my mind but now I'm scratching my head about how to also write a decent story out of it.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Recommended Reading in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Wednesday, January 5 2005 12:58 Profile Homepage #35
So far I've liked Clive Barker's Abarat.

I've read some Isabel Allende. It goes more to the "non-fantasy" category in my head. But I recall it wasn't exactly light reading.

[ Wednesday, January 05, 2005 12:58: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Weird Bug in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Monday, December 27 2004 02:11 Profile Homepage #3
One possibility is that the editor has just messed up the town. It happens from time to time. I haven't seen an explanation of what causes it. It happened once to a town that I had finished when I was designing The Leaving.

I make backups about once a week nowadays.

[ Monday, December 27, 2004 02:11: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Favourite Cartoon Series in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Thursday, December 2 2004 13:55 Profile Homepage #14
Hmmm...
Cow&Chicken
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Who lives where in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Monday, November 29 2004 14:24 Profile Homepage #45
quote:
Originally written by Intentionally Selfish:

I just need to.. yeah, I'm from Vantaa to be more precise, but that's not my point. Look, people, only one Finnish girl here. Hello, yes. Me. Me.
I like being special :P
Only two Finnish girls here, that is. :)

[ Monday, November 29, 2004 14:35: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Who lives where in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Sunday, November 28 2004 17:20 Profile Homepage #33
I live in Turku, Finland. Based on the description, the weather here seems to be more or less the same as where Rosycat lives.

The temperature was about -7 °C today and there's some snow on the street. And some ice bears. :)

EDIT: POLAR bears! English is sure difficult.

[ Monday, November 29, 2004 14:28: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Tell me if you like programming. . . in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Wednesday, November 24 2004 17:09 Profile Homepage #51
I have "programmed" (hehe) with C++ and Java. I even passed a basic programming course as a Computer Science student in my university, once. But I can't really program. (Though that was a Java language programming course, not Basic :) )

Besides, the high and increasing unemployment among programmers in this country doesn't motivate me to learn. And the fact that I have an OS9 Mac. Now I study other things such as Sociology at the same university.

BoA is interesting, though

[ Wednesday, November 24, 2004 17:12: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
So are we really dying now? in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Saturday, October 30 2004 02:10 Profile Homepage #16
I'll continue to play BoE as long as there are any decent new scenarios... But also BoA. Why do I play BoE? I still don't like BoA's graphics as much, and some other things related to the Avernum engine.

For me, Neverwinter Nights would cost over twice as much as BoA did. Then there are the expansions and modules. (I once ordered a Baldur's Gate expansion from MacPlay for 50 dollars - even the shipping cost more than Spiderweb's - and I never even got the game. From Spiderweb I have got every game I ordered, this also affects my opinions... Also, my computer is 3 years old and Neverwinter Nights would probably be very slow on it.)

[ Saturday, October 30, 2004 02:14: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Alt. Terrain in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Monday, October 25 2004 11:35 Profile Homepage #5
Milu's Blades of Exile Page is updated again! There are some snow graphics there.

(Though I have to say, Wyrmfire's and Drk Draxis' snow terrains are very nice...)

Edit: Oops, I read the post too quickly. In addition to Old MacDonald's Farm, at least Ashen has some snow graphics.

[ Monday, October 25, 2004 11:52: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Ethics? in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Monday, October 11 2004 08:36 Profile Homepage #52
quote:
quote:The theory of evolution applied to human societies (and morality values!) does lead to a question: if we are evolving all the time, are we better now than ever before? Is humanity getting better and greater all the time? And can we separate people who are more "evolved" from others?

Evolution depends on something called natural selection. This states that individuals who are more apt to survive to the current set of dynamic conditons are more likely to survive and able to pass their genetic material to their offspring.
In fact, my comment was supposed to be a trap, in a way, to see if there are people here who equate evolution with becoming better... I think it's highly doubtful that we could ever determine how natural selection works (if it even does, which I doubt) in present societies.

History provides nasty examples of the application of the evolution theory. For example, the intelligence of women and black people was considered to be lower than white males and this was explained largely with evolution.

Afterwards, it's been pointed out that intelligence tests (they were used also to prove the aforementioned results) are not objective. Like *i said, an important question is: what is intelligence?
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Ethics? in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Sunday, October 10 2004 05:22 Profile Homepage #37
Toast - it's more dangerous to consider all deviance as mere amorality. This, rather than the acceptation of deviance or looking at the reasons behind it, leads to polarization.

What is extreme in one culture may be very moderate in another. This is not a rare phenomenon, or an aberration.

Highlighting certain values (via education, press, people socializing with each other, etc. - in many different, subtle ways) helps maintain the social order. How can we even look at our culture from the "outside" - unless we can look at another culture from the "inside"?

For example, as a Finn, I find it horrible that the Americans kill their own people. Or found it shocking when I first heard about it. We don't have the death penalty system. (Of course, it's not that simple: how to define culture? There are subcultures, American cultural values affect my culture through films, some people here have nothing agains death penalty, etc. However, if you have an opinion on which the majority is against you, it may be very hard to keep your own opinion under the constant attack without building defence mechanisms.)

The theory of evolution applied to human societies (and morality values!) does lead to a question: if we are evolving all the time, are we better now than ever before? Is humanity getting better and greater all the time? And can we separate people who are more "evolved" from others?

EDIT: I realized that I'm repeating someone again. Frustrating!

[ Sunday, October 10, 2004 05:34: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Books! What're you reading? in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Sunday, October 3 2004 16:01 Profile Homepage #10
Tree And Leaf, by Tolkien.

Sadly, I don't have much time to read, except on holidays.

(Oh yeah, and right now a Data Structures and Algorithms hand-out. I have an exam today morning. :( )

Donaldson's Thomas Covenant isn't bad, though it's been a long time... but I liked The Mirror of Her Dreams better.

Unfortunately, the translation of the first Thomas Covenant book in Finnish was a bit too... ambitious. Its language and/or style was really strange. The other books never came out.

[ Sunday, October 03, 2004 16:09: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Adventurer's Club 3 in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Wednesday, September 29 2004 10:27 Profile Homepage #5
Strange. I downloaded it from Alexandria and unstuffed the .meg.sit (or something) file and it works perfectly...
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Europe car-free day in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Thursday, September 23 2004 16:12 Profile Homepage #13
quote:
Originally written by Fear Uncertainty and Custer:

Milu: There is a difference between trying to win converts on the street in a non-disruptive way and setting up a roadblock and bantering about like morons. One is constructive and one isn't, and one is disruptive and one isn't.
I agree - there is difference between peaceful and "too" aggressive demonstrations... But where exactly the line goes - that's where people tend to have major differences of opinion, in my experience. Also the spectators. I've also seen well-organized, peaceful roadblocks where people get arrested for blocking the way.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Europe car-free day in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Thursday, September 23 2004 15:49 Profile Homepage #11
quote:
Originally written by Fear Uncertainty and Custer:

I am not ecologically ignorant, merely pragmatist; I know what problems cars pose to the environment, but frankly I do not believe the way you are tackling it will work. Any American political science student will tell you the same. Perhaps the fact we have been democratic for far longer than Europe -- and we are far more respectful of democracy and the instutition thereof -- makes us more politically pragmatist, I dunno.
It doesn't matter how right you are, it matters who knows you're right and who's willing to vote on it. Get used to the framework of democracy for effecting political change, or you're going to keep wasting your time on silly things like this:
Ahem. I HAVE used my democratic right in all elections after turning 18. I have written in papers, I have handed out flyers, I have used the framework of democracy in every possible way that I have time to. I am right now a candidate in our communal elections. I know many people who do all this. And we get no seats in our parliament. Because we are such idiots according to everyone? Because we are so lazy? No, I don't quite think so. Rather, most people don't really know anything about us, when I talk with them on the street.

How do our democracies work? Parties that get seats in the parliament get a lot of money from multiple party support systems so that they can advertise before elections. Big parties have more time on TV. Newspapers speculate about which big party will win. Small parties have no money. Nobody even knows what their arguments are. Perhaps I oversimplify this but I've heard that in the US this phenomenon can be seen on a larger scale than in Europe.

One can argue, "but why not join the bigger parties?" But I don't think that's democracy anymore.

Then again, I would claim that I'm using my democratic right when I'm demonstrating. Is demonstrating an aggressive tactic itself? In my opinion, no more aggressive than saying on TV that terrorists want Kerry to win. Of course, there are peaceful and violent demonstrations.

P.S. It's also interesting that many people across Europe who participated in demonstrations in their youth - in the 70's - have got top positions in their countries' government nowadays.

[ Thursday, September 23, 2004 15:50: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Europe car-free day in General
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Thursday, September 23 2004 15:13 Profile Homepage #10
quote:
Originally written by Seaweed:

We have a car-free day here in Finland too (much because other countries have and we're dedicated flow-goers). No one really cares. Except maybe people without cars who can feel good and superior for a day. Still, no demonstrations or reclaiming of the streets, I'm afraid.
At least in Turku there was some kind of a street action and I suspect there were in other cities too. I didn't participate, I had a lecture.

Well, about causing inconvenience... In every action I've been in and I remember, they have made room for emergency cases, such as ambulances.

In Finland, the demonstration culture is very restrained. I've been in a demonstration in Belgium, where I almost lost my hearing, because people used such loud whistles and screamed very loud. And afterwards, all the streets were covered with serpentine. (That was a demonstration with 100000 participants - mostly middle-aged people - from all over Europe.) In Finland, that kind of action would be easily labeled "rioting". In Belgium, it was not.

Generally, I think football and other sports audiences tend to cause a lot more inconvenience than demonstrators. I've even heard a police say something like that.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
Scenarios in Blades of Exile
Milu
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
 written Saturday, September 18 2004 11:46 Profile Homepage #31
In my version of BoE and editor, abilities like Giant Strengh, Intelligence, Strength and Dexterity don't seem to work.

EDIT: Darn, it _does_ affect the damage rate and bonus to hit after all. You're right, it's hard to test them. Except: intelligence should affect the damage that the Wound spell does, which the ability doesn't seem to do in my version.

[ Monday, September 20, 2004 01:43: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00

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