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Photo Thread (with an abominable twist) in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 14 2007 14:40 Profile #37
TM

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Synergy? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 14 2007 14:15 Profile #23
www.wikipedia.org, www.google.com, and www.dictionary.com are your friends. You shouldn't ignore your friends.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Synergy? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 14 2007 13:07 Profile #21
I think a better, less Southern-specific term would be "yokel."

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Synergy? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 14 2007 06:35 Profile #16
Wisconsin has rednecks, though, and they don't have the back-hills drawl. It think it's a state of mind. And hair - a mullet is a dead giveaway.

QFT = quit fixing typos? Or quoted for truth?

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Synergy? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 14 2007 05:31 Profile #12
Are there rednecks in Germany, Aran? If so, what are they called there?

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Name that tune in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, November 13 2007 10:03 Profile #5
Video killed the radio star?

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Chinese Products Fail Again in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Sunday, November 11 2007 15:37 Profile #87
I don't think the Bible is authoritative. Therefore, please come up with a better rationale for the death penalty. Try something utilitarian, because those sorts of rationales tend to be based in reality.

Otherwise, I have a bag of hammers I'd rather talk to.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Monkey See, Monkey Do in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Sunday, November 11 2007 08:27 Profile #16
quote:
Originally written by Reyes:

I'm ot saying not to use anybody else's idea, and I'm not saying that people don't think for themselves. I'm saying they should think more for themselves. There are too many that don't think enough. Too many people are essentially sheep. They go where they're told, do what they're told, and think what hey're told. It shouldn't be like that.
So what portion of the population would be "enough" sheep?

In my experience, people do what they want to do, based on the information they have (as well as whether they choose to use it) and their values, such as they are. I think it's true that we're all a lot more easily influenced than we'd like to believe; thus the problem, for example, where we know that we should limit advertising to children, but we nevertheless pause when we can't (or perhaps are unwilling to) acknowledge/prove that ads have such an effect.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Monkey See, Monkey Do in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Saturday, November 10 2007 18:45 Profile #5
IMAGE(http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/libraries/rare/modernity/images/hobbes2-1.jpg)

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Protesting (In General) in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Saturday, November 10 2007 16:15 Profile #43
quote:
Originally written by The Ratt:

I think that the whitelist blocking system would make a lot more sense if it was based in the school, not from a large company or whatever.
That may just be the way the software is licensed. Still though, I bet it is serving the school's purpose pretty well.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Chinese Products Fail Again in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Saturday, November 10 2007 16:04 Profile #63
Christ Almighty! This topic has run a bit amok.

I think that Thuryl is correct, in so far as that harsher prison sentences work poorly as disincentives, while possibly creating an incentive to kill the victim.

Despite the sense you get from hoi polloi, the U.S. criminal legal system actually does a pretty good job at focusing on things like evidence and just application of the law, as opposed to emotional shots from the hip ("they should all get the death penalty!!!"). Of course there are exceptions, but they are just that - exceptions.

That said, rape is a ridiculously contentious issue in law, frequently because of the lack of independent witnesses and the difficulty of determining intent. The brutal ones generally are no brainers; the difficult ones are the date rape cases.

EDIT: Personally, I'm opposed to the death penalty because I can't stomach anyone innocent being put to death, even if it occurs only once every 100,000 times (and it happens much, much more frequently than that). Maybe it's hokey, but Gandalf's line in The Fellowship of the Ring movie stuck with me - you can't give life back to someone who's dead, so we shouldn't be so quick to deal out death and judgment. To me, life in a little cell is punishment enough.

[ Saturday, November 10, 2007 16:11: Message edited by: Drew ]

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Protesting (In General) in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, November 9 2007 05:42 Profile #35
If things are so bad, then the students should get try organizing their parents to complain. The school will listen to the people who are footing the bill.

Personally, I don't feel that most of those grievances are that serious. Sure, they say that they want more internet access for the sake of doing school work, but you and I know that isn't the case. The vitamin complaint is also a bit bizarre.

Ultimately, privileges are just those - privileges, not rights. I'm pretty certain the school is structured the way it is to foster a particular learning environment and experience. It seems a bit draconian, but then, I don't know that I've ever met a teenager who has been happy with the way things are at his school (I know I wasn't, and I had very few grounds for complaint). If they really don't like it there, they can always petition their parents to let them go to public school, but I tell you what: the grass is rarely ever greener on the other side. At least in public school, though, your Consitutional rights (such as they are) are a bit more protected by the old 14th Amendment.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
You did it for the lulz! in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, November 8 2007 09:40 Profile #4
It can be used to purchase funiture for the rumpus room, or occasionally other benefits, as far as I know. For now though, the clan has little use for it.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Chinese Products Fail Again in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, November 8 2007 09:34 Profile #15
quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

Yeah, you gotta watch out for that cheap Chinese Rohypnol. You wouldn't want to be in the middle of oh wait this isn't Desp forget I said anything
I'll go there - you wouldn't want a potential 20-year felony turn into a life sentence. Hooray for Ruffie Dots! I wonder how many unsavory people are out there now trying to snatch these up before they're taken off the shelf.

[ Thursday, November 08, 2007 09:36: Message edited by: Drew ]

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Across the Universe? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, November 8 2007 09:31 Profile #18
I think we'll put boots on Mars if for no other reason than for nationalistic purposes. You'd be amazed how many people find "We're #1!!! Woooo!!!" a compelling reason for doing things.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
neat idea in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 7 2007 14:25 Profile #4
He could, however, have a two player arena within the game on the same machine. Since it's turn-based combat, it would be pretty easy to implement.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs with Unusual Mechanics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 7 2007 06:03 Profile #40
Importing a party is indeed not unique to Golden Sun. Party or character importation has been an option as long ago as the original Gold Box Games, the Quest for Glory series, and more recently as a part of the BG "trilogy."

Although it was kind of aped in Chrono Cross, the combat system in Xenogears, where you had a certain number of action points in combat and from that could deliver a combination of heavy, medium, and light hits was (at the time) pretty unique.

Also, how about the Saga series generally? I can't begin to pick out everything about those games that (a) was distinctive and consequently (b) made the games pretty much unplayable for me.

EDIT: Ooo. Also, the consequence of moral (light v. dark) choices in the KOTOR series, and how this would affect your interactions with the world, your CNPCs, and your powers.

[ Wednesday, November 07, 2007 06:04: Message edited by: Drew ]

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Left or Right? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, November 7 2007 05:57 Profile #68
Former army?

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs with Unusual Mechanics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, November 6 2007 18:12 Profile #26
I'm not all that into game difficulty scaling with experience gained by the party. It severely limits the incentive for players to grind if they want to. If the game is always going to provide the same challenge no matter how powerful your party is, what's the point?

This was particularly brought home to me in BG2, when Adamantium Golems would start to appear in Nalia's castle if I didn't get to it until much later. I thought that IWD2 got it right, where experience awarded would track with challenge level (aside from the squatting exploit).

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Left or Right? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, November 6 2007 09:44 Profile #63
My right hand - it's steadier.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Original names in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, November 6 2007 08:19 Profile #58
quote:
Originally written by Student of Trinity:

I never thought I'd be a geisha.
Never say never, SoT. I understand it's still the Year of a Million Dreams down at Walt Disney World.

EDIT: As for marriage, all I have to say is what the missus don't know can't hurt her. :) Besides, both Salmon and SoT are hitched. I'm probably just the most vocal about it, because it happened while I've been a member here.

[ Tuesday, November 06, 2007 08:23: Message edited by: Drew ]

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs with Unusual Mechanics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, November 5 2007 16:19 Profile #8
It's a bit different - you literally have to spell out the spell from a conventional alphabet, and you can do that at any time in the game - it's not like you have to acquire the runes for it, a la Eternal Darkness. I credit TM with introducing me to the game.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs with Unusual Mechanics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, November 5 2007 14:54 Profile #6
"Treasure of the Rudras," made by Square but never released in the US, had a magic system where you discovered different component words of spells, then combined them to get different effects. Some components were elemental; some affected the number of targets; some affected power level; others affected cost. If you were playing the game for the first time, you would have to discover these components over the course of playing. If you had played before, any character could enter in the components for a spell at any time. Pretty neat system overall, but very abusable.

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In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00

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