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Episode 5: 'Spiderweb Resistance'. in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Wednesday, March 26 2008 11:33 Profile Homepage #79
quote:
Originally written by Tyranicus:

Hey Diki, where would one go to reread Episode 3?
It's still on her old site: http://www.freewebs.com/dikiyora/

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The 2008 Elections in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Wednesday, March 26 2008 11:30 Profile Homepage #52
Salmon, what happened to "if you want me to vote for your guy, promote him, instead of dumping on the other candidate"? Or was the case only when there was no dirt to dump on Hillary?

Yes, everybody knows that for you this episode was as significant as Obama's camp accusing Bill Clinton of racism while claiming to promote racial reconciliation.

Or Obama picking Farakan's quote as the title of his book while claiming to promote racial reconciliation.

Or Obama refusing to shake Hillary's hand while claiming to be able to befriend the Republicans to pass things in Congress.

Or Obama claiming consistent anti-war stance, despite having identical voting record to Hillary once he actually got to US Senate. (It doesn't matter what speeches he gave when he was so insignificant that there are were recordings of his "famous" speech made, it matters how he voted once he actually got a chance to vote on these issues.)

Or ...

So it wouldn't really be in Obama's interest to turn this election into a mud slinging contest, because there is far more mud that could fly his way than Clinton's way.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The 2008 Elections in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Tuesday, March 25 2008 17:18 Profile Homepage #44
And they say Obama doesn't run smear campaigns. :rolleyes:

[Insert the link to sermons by Obama's spiritual father here.]

Let me see... A candidate who makes up a courage under fire story vs. a candidate who plagirizes entire campaign speeches, picks a Farakan quote as a title for his auto-biography, avoids all policy questions by talking about "hope", and has a personality cult so big that he gets an ovation just for blowing his nose. I wonder which would make a better president.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Episode 5: 'Spiderweb Resistance'. in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Tuesday, March 25 2008 12:55 Profile Homepage #75
The episodes just keep getting better. :) I like the direction in which they are evolving: less one-line cameos and more focus on a few characters, who are getting some distinct personalities. This is why I liked some GIFTR characters from Episode 4: Since they aren't based on Spidwebbers, you have to define them by more than just a name.

PS As for the contriversy about Jeran, it can be summarised in a singe sentence: RPing a guy with a sword is appropriate only at RP clans for MMORPGs or at Renessance Fair, and since this forum is neither, don't stick your sword where it doesn't belong.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The 2008 Elections in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Tuesday, March 25 2008 11:06 Profile Homepage #39
quote:
Originally written by Jumpin' Salmon:

What my hope is, come 2009, is a President that can well represent this country on the world stage. ...
The problem is that the job of US President combines duties of both Head of Government and Head of State in the same position, and the two Democratic candidates are compaining for the two different halves of that position.

The job of the Head of State is to meet with foreign leaders, give rousing speeches, and smile for the cameras. The job of the Head of Government is to make sure the government doesn't go bankrupt, emergencies are responded to promptly and competently, and that the grand reforms he promises actually get accomplished.

Obama is quite clearly compaigning for the former position, while Clinton is campaigning for the later. This is why it's so hard for Obama and Clinton supporters to understand each other: Clinton supporters ask "how can you run the country if all you talk about is 'hope' and 'vision'?" Obama supporters ask "how can you represent the country on world stage if all you talk about is your experience and detailed plans for internal policy?"

The best compromise seems to be a Clinton/Obama ticket, where Obama serves as the good will ambassador, representing US to the world, while Clinton makes sure the reform agenda actually gets accomplished. Vice President can visit foreign countries even more easily that president (who is constantly distracted by domestic issues), but President is the one who has to negotiate compromises in Congress and make appointments to government positions.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The 2008 Elections in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, March 17 2008 11:14 Profile Homepage #22
quote:
Originally written by Jumpin' Salmon:

Okay, so what? I prefer Obama's rhetoric over the threat of more-of-the-same from Clinton or McCain. Both of them seem to be obstructionists, much like Bush, so I still am not swayed. My chief criticism is that I don't see either of them doing the things necessary to turn this country back from a slide into recession, and you've done nothing to dissuade me. Rather than bad-mouth Obama, talk up the other two. Tell me how they would do the things I want to see done.
Um, you do realize that Hillary and Obama promise exactly same things? They might heatedly argue about fine points of healthcare plans, but those fine points will change a dozen times during political process anyway.

Every list of campaign promises I've seen shows same positions for Hillary and Obama, with the only difference being how they are worded. This is why the campaign is so close: it's impossible to chose among the two candidates on issues. So the only question is: who has the higher chance of delivering on their promises?

And this is the area where Obama utterly fails, because even after 3 years in Senate he has no proof that he can actually do any of the things listed in his speeches. How will he reach out to Republicans, if he couldn't reach out to shake Hillary's hand? How will he solve the economic problems if can can't thing of any tough decision on domestic policy he faced in the last 3 years in Senate?

EDIT: The two questions I've posted in the end are not rhetorical. Obama's refusal to shake Hillary's hand was one of the most important events in the campagn for me, because we can see politicians' true character only when they think nobody is watching. And when somebody who builds his entire image around being "Mr. Positive" doesn't show common curtecy to his opponent when he thinks nobody is looking, that raises questions about the authenticity of his image.

And on the questions of carrying out policy, there are plenty of tough questions Senators have to struggle with: What is the best way to improve economy? How do we handle global warming without bankrupting the country? How much gun control do we need? What should be done about costs of healthcare? If a Senator doesn't find votes on any of these issues challenging, he is either blinded by fanaticism, or convinced that his decisions are always perfect. Neither of these explanations makes the candidate appealing to me.

[ Monday, March 17, 2008 11:35: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
It's time for a new CSR in Blades of Avernum
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, March 17 2008 09:49 Profile Homepage #32
quote:
Originally written by Ephesos:

In terms of making people appreciate the sheer volume of scenarios, I've considered re-doing this forum's header in the style of the BoE forum. Think it would make any difference?
That sounds like a good idea.

A suggestion if you do this: link to the reviews at ShadowVale / BladesForge / wherever CSR ends up, rather than to downloads directly. This way players will know if a scenario with appealing title is a good representation of overall quality. A related suggestion would be to include download links to review threads.

[ Monday, March 17, 2008 09:50: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The 2008 Elections in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, March 17 2008 09:25 Profile Homepage #20
quote:
Originally written by Jumpin' Salmon:

quote:
Originally written by Emperor Tullegolar:

Is there a specific bit of Obama's policy that you revere or are you simply enthralled by his rhetoric like everyone else?
Yes. After spending 3 trillion dollars in the "war" against terrorism under the current pro-security administration, I am seeking a new look at how to protect the country. Apparently, spending it into a recession is not going to be working, and I believe that Obama has a better shot at changing that course than do McCain or Clinton. I don't want more of that, and I think Obama is the only one of the remaining three to see that our actions as a country have created the terrorist threat. Heck, just eliminating support of the Saud family (friends of Bush) would eliminate half of the threat.

But, good question.
The problem with Obama is that he has exactly same track record that Bush did in 2000: none. Sure, he will win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis, improve our economy, raise the standard of living, and put a chicken in every pot ... if you believe his unsubstantiated promises. However, he has absolutely no proof that he can do any of those things. Or, for that matter, that he can do anything more than give pretty speeches.

I know that 3 years in congress isn't much time to accomplish anything, but if Obama was half as brilliant as he claims to be, wouldn't he have at least something other than "hope" to his name? Every time he is asked for proof of his "judgment", he proves it by skillfully avoiding the question. Yes, he was against the invasion of Iraq back when he wasn't in Congress, but so was almost half the country, including every homeless man in Berkeley. However, once he actually got to Congress, Obama's voting record was very similar to Clinton's.

The most typical example of Obama campaign for me was an interview a couple days ago when reporter asked him to give an example of his "judgment" that didn't involve Iraq or Iran. He avoided the question. Reporter asked him again. He avoided the question. Reporter gave up and asked about any example of judgment. Obama said "there are lots of times when I have to show judgment. There was a vote on Iran several months ago..." The US Senate makes hundreds of decisions that affect every aspect of our lives. What has Obama been doing for the past 3 years, if after a year of being asked this question on campaign trail, he still can't give an example of a difficult decision he faced in some area other than his one favorite subject?

[ Monday, March 17, 2008 09:28: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Studies in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Wednesday, March 12 2008 19:05 Profile Homepage #29
I studied CS and Math in college. As for other interests, I like reading historical novels.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The Ultimate Faction Survey Poll in Geneforge Series
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Wednesday, March 12 2008 19:02 Profile Homepage #27
quote:
Originally written by Jumpin' Salmon:

Huh. Why do most geneforge polls turn into debates of this caliber?
Godwin's law. :P

Discussions of Geneforge morality reflect people's views of real politics, so people argue as passinately as they would in any other debate about a hypothetical moral dilemma. And then somebody drags in inevitable nazi comparisons and things deteriorate from there.

I could have posted in the gun control debate instead, but that would be just as pointless as posting here, but more frustrating due to immediate real life implications.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The Ultimate Faction Survey Poll in Geneforge Series
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Tuesday, March 11 2008 16:33 Profile Homepage #23
I try to maintain the most moral of least destructive courses of action in these games. This means supporting Awakened when given the option, but going back to Shapers when the option isn't there. For me, Awakened present the best balance, because they are willing to use most available methods to protect their territory, but do not try to wipe out anybody.

If the limited war (as waged by Awakened) isn't an option, Shapers present the "lesser of two evils" alternative. Their methods are nearly as ruthless as the Rebels', but their goal is to contain and limit the destructive power of shaping, while the Rebels' goal is to gain unlimited personal power by any means necessary. Rebellion took far more from Takers than from Awakened, while Shapers took more from Obeyers than from Barzites.

We could argue endlessly about technicalities of who started what, but in the end of the day both Rebels and Shapers turn out to be equally willing to kill, torture, and enslave to achieve their goals. And regardless of whose goal looks better in propaganda posters, in practice an average Drakon is more selfish, arrogant, and ruthless than an average Shaper lord.

As for "supporting the Human Rebellion", that's like saying that you "support moderate Shapers". Just like Shaper supporters in these debates are expected to accept the existence of a hard-line Shaper council, Rebel supporters have to accept the fact that Drakons' power is so much greater than that of the rest of Rebels that "Human Rebellion" is about as independent a force as "moderate Shapers". (And "reform from within" seems far less likely to happen in society ruled by Drakons than in Shaper society, which already indicated willingness to change. Barring gladiatorial combat is one example of reform that happened before these games even start.)

I din't even consider Trajkovites in this discussion, because their position is completely unviable. They take the Shaper view of dangerous power ("let's ban it and hope for the best"), but don't leave themselves with enough power to destroy those who abuse Shaping. So at best Trajkovites would grow into new Shapers (a police force that prevents the rest of population from using Shaping powers). And at worst they would let the world plunge into chaos again, as power-hungry madmen fight each other unopposed (because nobody else is powerful enough to oppose them).

[ Tuesday, March 11, 2008 16:44: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
It's time for a new CSR in Blades of Avernum
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Tuesday, March 11 2008 15:47 Profile Homepage #20
A benefit of moving CSR here (on the official boards) is that it would be more likely to attract new players to the community. If a person new to Spidweb comes to this site because of A5, he is more likely to click down to an unusually active BoA/BoE forum than to seek out a scenario rating site. Once a person does click on the forum, he might be attracted by sheer volume of scenarios. (Sure, the Spidweb tables are large, but it's one thing to seek out rating tables for custom scenarios for a game you've never seen, and another thing to just look at another section of the forum you are already visiting.)

More players seeing the ratings -> more players buying the games -> more scenario designers and higher likelihood that Jeff will make another similar game in the future.

[ Tuesday, March 11, 2008 15:48: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Simulated Reality in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, March 3 2008 15:38 Profile Homepage #35
quote:
Originally written by Nick Ringer:

...
Let's suppose we wanted to simulate reality. Not like Alorael said - reality with conscious inhabitants, with some degree of free will, advanced enough to mistake for reality. How much computing power would we need to make a simulation - say, a planet? Is it possible to acquire? If so, how long until humanity gets it?
We don't yet have artificial intelligence advanced enough to understand human language. (That would be a requirement for good electronic translators, perfect voice dictation software, and several other applications.) We are getting pretty good at separate elements, such as speech recognition and understanding of grammar, but we still have a long way to go.

I've seen (rather optimitic) predictions that our computers will reach computational capacity of human brain in an average desktop computer around 2015. If it takes a few more years to develop the necessary algorithms, you can expect real artificial intelligence around 2020. If computers keep doubling in computational capacity every two years, a desktop computer will have the computational capacity of a billion people by 2080. However, other aspects of computer architecture (such as storage bandwidth) haven't been growing as quickly, so storage access might become more of a bottleneck than raw processing power.

In summary, by some optimistic predictions I've seen, if current trends in computing continue, we'll be able to create a simulation of the entire human society before the end of this century.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
AAAAAAAH!!! in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, March 3 2008 15:03 Profile Homepage #100
quote:
Originally written by Andraste:

... Too bad I can't sign up for two more weeks. TWO WEEKS? Every class I need is going to fill up, or I'll have to take the 7:40 ones. 7:40 genetics class is a terrible idea.
...
I am not sure what your school's policy on waiting lists is, but when I was in college we were unofficially told that "if you just keep going to class long enough, you'll likely get in". Depending on how difficult the class is, you can expect that anywhere from a couple people to half the class could drop out in the first month. (Although I am not sure you'd want to take a class that managed to scare away half the students in a month. :P )

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Quick Question in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, March 3 2008 14:57 Profile Homepage #51
quote:
Originally written by Student of Trinity:

If the newbies don't behave, the Arctic will get them!
FYT

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Episode 4: Spiderweb Reloaded. Something like that anyway. in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Thursday, February 14 2008 17:14 Profile Homepage #726
quote:
Originally written by Excalibur:

quote:
Besides, Drakey is an administrator and he just turned 8 a couple of months ago.
I find that hard to believe, it's more or less impossible for him to be eight years old. (Unless he's a leap year baby)
In case you still don't get it, Drakey has been 6 for over 6 years.

And most of this board's original moderators were under 15 at the time.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
The Handy Abominable Photo Thread in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Thursday, February 14 2008 17:10 Profile Homepage #64
quote:
Originally written by Nikki.:

My hand pwns yours:
...
Again, this was done at "work".
Looks like somebody was very bored at work. :P (Not that I am the one to talk about that.)

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Getting political in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Thursday, February 14 2008 17:06 Profile Homepage #99
quote:
Originally written by Nick Ringer:

...
Consider current voting requirements in the United States: to vote, you have to be eighteen years old and a permanent citizen (I believe you must have at least six months continuous residence).
Almost right. You have to be a citizen, rather than just a resident.

quote:
This is pretty close to "fair" as the world goes, you've got to hand it to them. You don't have to be white, male, or rich to submit your political opinion. On the other hand, do you become more qualified to make that decision on your eighteenth birthday?
The line has to be drawn somewhere, unless you want 5 year olds to vote, and 18 sounds reasonable.

quote:
Should an international businessman from Singapore have no say?
If he lives in another country, he should have no more say in American politics than I have in politics of his country. (Unless he is a tax-paying citizen, who is temporarily leaving abroad.)

quote:
If you're convicted of a felony, does your opinion suddenly become meaningless?
No, but removal of voting rights for particularly bad crimes is just part of the punishment.

quote:
For instance, suppose legislation were passed requiring a college diploma to vote. Just a bachelor's degree.
...
There are plenty of people with college degrees whose common sence is severely lacking. :P And common sence is more important than university education in preventing elections from turning into a popularity contest.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Scope of Ethics in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Thursday, February 14 2008 16:52 Profile Homepage #48
quote:
Originally written by Student of Trinity:

To get the CI from GR, you need at least a few additional assumptions:

1) Thinking badly about people because they have committed a given action counts as doing unto them as far as the GR is concerned.

2) You must formulate moral principles for everyone, not only for yourself, and automatically think badly of anyone who violates a moral principle that you think should apply to them.
...
So the GR does not imply the CI.
I agree that assumption #1 is necessary. However, if assumption #2 is wrong, both GR and CI would lead to an empty set of rules for others, so the result would still be the same. (CI, as I understand it, doesn't say that you have to formulate rules for others. It just says that if you do make rules for others, you better follow them yourself, which is the same as conclusion I get from GR applying assumption #1.)

quote:
Neither does the CI imply the GR without further assumptions, such as (probably with others as well)

3) If I don't want someone to do something to me, then I further believe that it is wrong for them to do it.

This 3) is not trivial. For instance it means that I can never have preferences which I acknowledge as being less than rights. ...
You are probably right here. I was able to come up with the same conclusions from both GR and CI in all examples presented in this thread, but that involved so many steps that chances are I made some invalid assumptions along the way.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Geology Lecture in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Thursday, February 14 2008 16:38 Profile Homepage #6
The death toll appears to be smaller than the original estimates. News article. (That doesn't matter for this discussion, but is still good to hear.)
quote:
Originally written by Emperor Tullegolar:

I always thought locking your door was a bit pointless. Burglars will get in wether or not it's locked. Only law abiding citizens who want to enter would have trouble getting in if control was stricter. Look at how prohibition worked... or rather, how it didn't work. Banning anything really just leads to a rise in organized crime. Marijuana us America's number one cash crop, you know.
FYT

More briefly, "locks stop only honest people", but everybody uses them anyway.

[ Thursday, February 14, 2008 16:41: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Getting political in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, February 11 2008 17:42 Profile Homepage #72
quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

quote:
Originally written by Zeviz:

How many major European countries have disbanded their armies and replaced Department of Defence with Department of Peace? That's not the only "non-standard" thing Kucinich proposed, but that's the one I've heard about the most lately.
Really, who the hell is going to invade the US? Mexico? Canada? Japan is doing just fine with a very limited military, and it has China breathing down its neck.
My question isn't whether USA needs an army. My question is whether France, England, or even Finland have an army. Because if they do, then Kucinich's position would be considered very far from "mainstream liberal" even in those countries. Which was my original point.

PS If you are trying to prove that USA doesn't need an army, Japan is a pretty bad example, considering that it's protected by American navy.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Getting political in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, February 11 2008 14:49 Profile Homepage #64
quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

quote:
Originally written by Zeviz:

(Think of Ron Paul as the Liberaterian equivalent of Kucinich.)
Ain't nothing extreme about Kucinich, at least by global standards. He's basically a European-style centre-left social democrat.
How many major European countries have disbanded their armies and replaced Department of Defence with Department of Peace? That's not the only "non-standard" thing Kucinich proposed, but that's the one I've heard about the most lately.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Best game to buy in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, February 11 2008 14:33 Profile Homepage #5
The later games in the series are more polished, but if you like the earlier ones, you'll have more fun playing them in order. So, I'd recommend starting with demos of Avernum 1 and Geneforge 1. If you don't like the engine, or level of polish, try Avernum 2 and Geneforge 2. If even that doesn't satisfy you, try the last installment in each series.

All the demos are free and large enough to give a good feel for the game, so it's best to try them all before deciding where to start.

PS Nethergate and BoE/BoA are also very fun. Nethergate is smaller, but allows you to play through the same storyline from two different sides (making references to the other party's actions). BoE has a huge number of scenarios and is now free. And BoA has fewer scenarios, but newer engine.

PS If you are feeling nostalgic about games from early 90s, you could even try the original Exile games.

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
[PPP] Alas, friends, we look toward uncertain times in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, February 11 2008 14:11 Profile Homepage #11
If you turn off the search function, you can get rid of the database completely, returning to storing threads in text files. Posting statistics can still be calculated by parsing these files and storing results in the database for easy access. Some things (like old forum threads in an archive) are naturally static and don't need to be regenerated from the database every time somebody wants to view them.

If only overuse of search is a problem, you could make search feature available only to those who log in, requiring users to create account for using search. Then you can place rescrictions like "no more than 20 full-text searches per user per day".

[ Monday, February 11, 2008 14:15: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

--------------------
Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Scope of Ethics in General
Zeviz
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
 written Monday, February 11 2008 14:03 Profile Homepage #33
It sounds to me like the two statements: A: "Treat others the way you'd want to be treated." and B: "You should always act according to principles that you believe should apply to everyone else as well." are equivalent.

A => B
One of conclusions of Statement A is "If I don't want others to think badly of me for doing something, I shouldn't think badly of them for doing that thing" Which means "I can think badly of others for doing something only if I am ok with them thinking badly of me for doing that thing." Which means "I should always act according to principles that I believe should apply to everyone else as well."

B => A
One of conclusions of statement B is "If I think it's wrong for others to do something, I shouldn't do it either." This means that "I shouldn't do to others things I wouldn't want them to do to me. This means "I should treat others the way I'd like to be treated.

So A=>B and B=>A, which means that A<=>B. (Either rule can be derived from the other.)

[ Monday, February 11, 2008 14:04: Message edited by: Zeviz ]

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Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00

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