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What have you been reading lately? in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Sunday, December 2 2007 17:18 Profile Homepage #606
Once a day, and since I'm identifiable only by member number, post count and signature, and since most people don't habitually read numbers even on Spiderweb, I'd prefer to have my signature left to me.

—Alorael, who means this in all seriousness, unlike his complaints about the use of the "emdash name comma who et cetera" format, which he expresses only 90% seriousness.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Best Spiderweb serious EVER in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Sunday, December 2 2007 11:00 Profile Homepage #2
Nethergate isn't really a series, but it is serious.

—Alorael, who votes for Exile/Avernum, acknowledges that Geneforge has a stronger overall plot, and wishes Nethergate were, in fact, a series so he could choose it.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
What have you been reading lately? in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Sunday, December 2 2007 10:56 Profile Homepage #602
quote:
Originally written by Sticky:

I've been reading some of Jim Butcher's work, which while its not exactly quality work is fairly amusing, and light.
The only book of his I've read is the first of the Dresden Files, and it struck me as a much lighter version of Glen Cook's Garrett series set on modern Earth instead of a modern-ish fantasy world.

—Alorael, who gives Glen Cook the distinction of being one of very few fantasy authors who can apparently manage to write an endless series without having it fall apart. Maybe it helps that it's mostly a series in the sense that detective novels with the same protagonist are series.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
What have you been reading lately? in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Saturday, December 1 2007 23:22 Profile Homepage #599
On Thanksgiving and the day after I read Neal Stephenson's The Big U. It's definitely a first book and even more insane than his later ones, but it's also a great send-up of both university life and giant, mutant sewer rats.

—Alorael, who recommends it to anyone who has ever been to college but probably not anyone who is thinking about going to college. It might give you the wrong ideas.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Meadows of Heaven in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Friday, November 30 2007 10:28 Profile Homepage #10
1. What was the last song you listened to?
The Arrogant Worms birthday song. Unsurprisingly, a birthday was involved.

2. What was the last song / album you bought?
Rameau - Une symphonie imaginaire

3. What is your favorite song?
I plead the Fifth. This very much depends on mood and what I'm doing.

4. What is your favorite record album?
See 2.

5. What song do you think has the best music?
See 3.

6. What song do you think has the best lyrics?
I don't do lyrics, generally. I'm impressed by "Age of False Innocence" purely on the basis of amusement at power metal about Galileo.

7. Who is your favorite composer?
You might reasonably guess Rameau from 2 and 4, but Bach and Vivaldi edge him out, perhaps simply because I know (and have) so much more by them.

8. Who is your favorite lyricist?
Tom Lehrer, perhaps. Or the Capitol Steps!

9. Who is your favorite performing artist?
Leon Fleischer, I think. Maybe Dan Laurin or Marion Verbruggen, but both of them get added respect for being fun and witty people in addition to being great musicians.

10. Is there any song that has ever just hit you like a brick? What was it, and why?
Lots of songs have hit me like bricks straight to the eardrums. This is mostly due to excessive volume, not meaning (or lack thereof). A particular Fritz Kreisler's andante doloroso deserves recognition here as well.

11. What is that one song that you just can't stand?
Just one? I'll get back to you after excising several hundred others from existence.

12. What artist do you absolutely hate?
I hate the art, not the artist.

13. If a group of SpiderWebbers got together to start a band, who would be in it, and what genre would they perform?
It would be large, amorphous, and eclectic. It would involve piano, guitar, zither, recorder, drums, trumpet, saxaphone, and theremin. It would be majestic and glorious and baffling.

—Alorael, who suggests a single Spiderweb musical piece to start with. How about 9 Variations on a Theme of Point B?
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
A1: Which items do I need to keep for future quests, etc? in The Avernum Trilogy
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Friday, November 30 2007 07:00 Profile Homepage #1
I don't know of any complete list of items for quests in A1-3. A3 was the first game to introduce any sort of crafting, and it comes only in the form of item augmentation platforms. You don't need to amass any particular materials, just good gear that's worth adding extra bonuses to.

—Alorael, who liked those platforms and was sorry to see them disappear in A4.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
A lot of game ready character models are on sale (50% off) in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Wednesday, November 28 2007 21:22 Profile Homepage #10
If this is supposed to get the attention of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software, use email. He hires freelance artists for his art. If you're aiming for these boards, well, why?

—Alorael, who will lock this either way. It's advertisement, and that's against the CoC. So goodbye!
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Eat It! in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Wednesday, November 28 2007 21:18 Profile Homepage #14
I will not eat at McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, or their ilk. Their food is too fast for me. Chipotle is actually quite good, but I can barely get through one of their burritos even if I'm hungry. Subway isn't bad and can reliably be found somewhere along stretches of interstate.

—Alorael, who will and has chosen to fast rather than eat at a standard fast food chain. He has standards.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Bug in Nethergate Resurrection? in Tech Support
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Wednesday, November 28 2007 12:50 Profile Homepage #3
Like most of Shadowvale's sidhe population, the fomori don't like you. They tolerate you because they have to and because you can do something for them. Once that's done, they'd rather not see you ever again.

—Alorael, who supposes it's only fair warning to point out that this will be generally true of major quests. Do what you need to before you leave, because you tend to leave carnage, rubble, and anger in your wake.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
I'm back in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Wednesday, November 28 2007 06:26 Profile Homepage #36
quote:
Originally written by The square route of nothing:

quote:
Originally written by LakiRa@:

quote:
Origianlly written by Nija:
go 2 hel u nasty penson.
That's just the thing he was refering to. :P
"Drakon" is spelled with a "K"

And while maybe not the very best speller here, I at least put spaces after my parenthesis. AND STOP CALLING ME NIJA! I AM NOT THE UNIVERSES WHIPPING BOY FOR GODS SAKE!
"Referring"

"Universe's"

"Pedantic"

—Alorael, who isn't quite sure what the ties among the universe, whipping boys, and Nija are. He's quite curious, though. What, exactly, is wrong with Nija?
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
The New World in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Tuesday, November 27 2007 22:03 Profile Homepage #5
Stygia 1! It's time to updated that dated A1-3 series!

—Alorael, who sincerely hopes not. Having the Avernum games run on Leopard would be nice, but having them upgraded isn't necessary.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Dragons and Vahnatai-The superiors.Foolish or mighty? in The Avernum Trilogy
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Tuesday, November 27 2007 21:57 Profile Homepage #4
Motrax is the most human-loving dragon. For his trouble he dies only after Pyrog, the weakest and absolutely the most foolish of them all. Athron is quite good at her isolationism, and in the end the dragons show that they're quite willing to work with each other and even humans when it's expedient. Ultimately, though, they don't owe humans anything and don't particularly like them. (Interestingly, you hate the vahnatai for trying to kill all humans. Didn't humans try to kill all dragons and come very close to succeeding?)

The vahnatai are magically strong, but are they actually physically weak? They look spindly, yes, but vahnatai warriors are among the most dangerous minor enemies you face in Avernum games. They're deadly fighters. Also, while Rentar-Ihrno is definitely an egomaniac (and eventually insane), Bon-Ihrno and like thinkers aren't a voiceless minority. They're just understandably less involved in human affairs.

—Alorael, who thinks antagonizing the vahnatai more because of Rentar would be foolish indeed. Rentar and her minority were able to inflict immense damage on both the Empire and Avernum. Imagine what would happen if the rest of the vahnatai joined in, especially if more than one clan got involved.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Did Thralni leave? in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Tuesday, November 27 2007 12:51 Profile Homepage #12
To summarize, Thralni left but came back. Thuryl also left and came back, and was but is no longer a mod. I am Alorael. Currently everyone you might be looking for is reasonably likely to read this very topic.

—Alorael, who can be identified by this very signature on every single post. Don't count on his displayed name, as it changes daily.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
For all you physics gurus in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Monday, November 26 2007 20:57 Profile Homepage #26
I think you calculated tension wrong. The forces on the inclined plane block are:

F = 2ma = 2mg*sin30-2umg*cos30 - T
So T = 2mg*sin30-2umg*cos30 - 2ma

Your signs aren't quite the same, but there's an easier way to do this.

Gravity only affects the block on the inclined plane, which pulls the other block right and is in turn pulled left by that block. Therefore you know the two blocks are experiencing the same acceleration.

Treat each block separately. F is the force on a block, u is the coefficient of friction (0.2), and T is the tension in the rope.

For the block on the flat plane:
F = ma = T - umg

For the block on the inclined plane:
F = 2ma = 2mg*sin30 - 2umg*cos30 - T

Add these equations together:

3ma = 2mg*sin30 - u*(2mg*cos30 + mg)

a = 1.48 m/s^2

(Check math on this one!)

—Alorael, who knows your way would work too if you keep your directions and signs straight. It's just probably easier to leave T out.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Anyone find Avernum 4 not as good as 1-3? in Avernum 4
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Monday, November 26 2007 06:18 Profile Homepage #20
Once you're out of the area around and under Silvar and Cotra you're done with chitrachs except for a few isolated encounters elsewhere. Yes, you're almost there!

—Alorael, who wonders if any A4 beta testers had the courage to report painful chitrach fights as bugs in the game. He certainly wishes he did.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
The Abominal Desktop Thread Continued: A New Abomination in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Monday, November 26 2007 06:15 Profile Homepage #30
quote:
Originally written by Tyranicus:

quote:
Originally written by Dryth'tor:

Wow... Tyran, you play Nova? I thought I was the only one...
I think you'll find that several people here play EV Nova. I know Aran does, and I'm sure we aren't the only ones.
Hi.

—Alorael, whose desktop is far too much of a mess to be shared right now. His desktop picture is, however, Milford Sound. It started out as a pun, but the image has stuck around.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Question about bows. in Avernum 4
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Sunday, November 25 2007 10:10 Profile Homepage #1
If you have only one character, the difference in damage is so huge that you're almost certainly better off with Eliavri's Bow or the Ebony Bow, and you're probably better off with a Blessed Longbow, too. If you have more, go ahead and use the other ones. Acid is a great source of damage over time, and the Shockwave Bow is helpful for keeping that one powerful monster away.

—Alorael, who suggests damage for a good archer and effects for characters who won't get much straight damage out of the bow anyway.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Webcomics in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Friday, November 23 2007 23:40 Profile Homepage #11
My list has grown.

xkcd is required reading for everyone on the internet.

Order of the Stick is required reading for anyone who plays, has played, or maybe one day will play D&D. After that, you can get some extra credit from Goblins.

Questionable Content is required reading for... uh... indie hipsters, mostly. I'm not quite sure why I started reading it, but I find it entertaining.

Something Positive is entirely optional, but hilarious and well worth the time. Or possibly required reading for anyone who is alive. I'm not sure yet.

Girl Genius is required reading for anyone who has conquered the world, is in the process of assembling robot/mutant/zombie hordes, or intends to show them, show them all one day.

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is essentially unrelated comics that are funny maybe 10% of the time, but it's updated daily, so there's something funny pretty regularly. I'm pretty sure it's not actually worth the slog through garbage, though.

Simulated Comic Product is the same thing, but weekly and far better.

Dresden Codak was better when it random. This plot thing isn't working out so well.

Dominic Deegan, mostly for nostalgia.

Chopping Block is what Ziggy should be. Serial killers can actually be hilarious!

—Alorael, who saved the best for last. Schlock Mercenary has been around for years and years and hasn't missed a single one of its daily updates. It's well-plotted, genuinely funny hard science (but sometimes flexible science) comedy space opera. It's good stuff.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
The Continuing Story of Spiderweb Software in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Friday, November 23 2007 11:55 Profile Homepage #27
quote:
Originally written by Nicothodes:

7. Of all current members, who do you think deserves to be a moderator. (Answer should not be a current moderator)
Synergy
Answer should not be a current moderator.

—Alorael, who agrees that mods have gotten sneaky ever since their names stopped being displayed on the front page. Why, one time, in Galactic Core...
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
FAQ Update: Who CAN and CANNOT post in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Friday, November 23 2007 11:49 Profile Homepage #6
Now you know why he doesn't post.

—Alorael, who is a decent fellow. Is he approved or not?
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
From a Mac to PC in Tech Support
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Thursday, November 22 2007 20:35 Profile Homepage #1
Email Spiderweb with the name and other information you used to register the games and you'll get new registration codes. You can't transfer saves across platforms, unfortunately, but you don't have to pay twice.

—Alorael, who can only shake his head sadly at your new choice of operating systems.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Buying Spells in Nethergate
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Thursday, November 22 2007 20:34 Profile Homepage #1
Are you playing as Celts or Romans? If the former, speak to the druids in Nethergate. If the latter, I'm not actually sure. Vanarium might be the first place you can buy more.

—Alorael, who should add that you can only reach Vanarium after visiting the Ruined Hall.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
It's that time of year again... in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Thursday, November 22 2007 17:58 Profile Homepage #16
quote:
Originally written by Void Where Permitted:

I don't like meat, but I'd take light meat over dark.
FMT.

—Alorael, who also prefers everything well cooked, even things that are supposed to be rare.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Wow!! in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Thursday, November 22 2007 17:52 Profile Homepage #27
quote:
Originally written by Najosz Thjsza Kjras:

...Alpha Centauri, which really seems to be one of the top 3 games ever made.
Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Now someone needs to make it actually run right in OS X.

—Alorael, who has perhaps lost more productivity to that game than he could to being nerve stapled.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Help make Geneforge/Avernum XFire supported! in General
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Thursday, November 22 2007 11:26 Profile Homepage #34
I actually agree with Excalibur. Alec, you really do get away with what no one else would. Age hath its privileges, but would it really hurt to actually be civil? Zeviz, no matter how much Alec pushes at the rules, dragging it into a public fight in an unrelated topic doesn't help anything. If you're concerned, contact someone or say it once, briefly, and let it go.

—Alorael, who will now execute an execution so that the death of this topic is died. Have a nice day.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00

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