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It's not just conspiracy nutjobs -even if they are the most glaring example- it's most people, generally speaking. For all the talk of the importance of "critical thinking", it seems the criticality is rarely, or ever, applied inwards -- often true even for scientists. Statistics are an incredibly powerful tool to help make sense of the world around us, but ultimately statistical models are models and not reality itself, being subject to biases, errors and limitations. This is not to say they are worthless and any old wives' tale is just as good which for some seems to be the result of one scientist making an erroneous claim at some point. But it also does not mean that just because it turned up in a peer-reviewed journal, it's straight up Word of God. Especially if it's cutting-edge stuff. I remember last year when people were taking preprints as gospel. I wonder how much of that ended up with substantial revisions... or even in the trash. Educating people to deal with uncertainty and reject quick answers to complex questions has always been an uphill battle. I figure it's not getting any easier in the age of instant expertise. ...dunno why I went off on this tangent, but thanks for coming to my TED talk I guess.

I would punch a fur seal in the face to be in my 30's again. Anyone know a good vampire? Asking for a friend.

No, that you can even begin to compare a virus as problematic as HIV to a relatively simple coronavirus with a way to attach to human cells that has been throroughly researched for decades, the fact that there were two decades of research on SARS to base everything off of for SARS-CoV-2 which has a version number in the name because it shares 70% of its makeup with the original SARS from 2003 (so much, by the way, for the idea that this is a completely new virus - it's a novel strain of coronavirus, yes, but it's still actually 95% the same as coronaviruses found in bats - should also give everyone a hint on how this didn't escape from any lab but is simply another unfortunate case of zoonosis), and of course the different incubation times and infectiousness. If you take an HIV vaccine test and control group and observe them for a month or two you're unlikely to be even able to test for new HIV cases, and HIV's transmissibility is so, so, so much lower than that of SARS-CoV-2 that you need an extended study period before even attempting to draw conclusions about efficacy, never mind testing for the myriad of HIV mutations that there are, the problems with coming up with proper study groups who all need to engage (and continue to do so) in a sufficient amount of high risk activities, and any number of such things - and that is before all of the red tape that's been cut for emergency approval because, hey, global pandemic (or, if you believe certain groups, "plandemic", amirite? kek). I do share your misgivings about your government's response, because it hasn't been much better here either, however, that's on the politicians. Not on the vaccines. Nobody involved in creating and testing them was ever claiming that they would be 100% effective in preventing an infection or hospitalization, and for all the data we have by now, we can draw the conclusion that they do exactly what they're supposed to do - mitigate against a disaster like the nigh complete collapse of medical care in Italy back in 2020 - but are a little less effective against the delta variant. Which isn't unexpected either. Neither is not being as effective after 1d6 + 3 months. Our government, meanwhile, thought it would be a good idea to call vaccinated people "fully immunized" which gives the wrong impression, especially to people from high risk groups who think they're perfectly safe now, but are only mostly safe. Isn't that the beauty of science, actually, to not have to choose to believe someone, but simply look at all available, peer reviewed data and know? You don't need to be a reseracher in the medical field to have someone who is explain to you how these vaccines work based off of decades of medical research. Yes, scientists make mistakes, and that's a good thing. Is science perfect? Well, no, there are problems and accidents happen. Sometimes it is running into a dead end. And every now and then, someone with a radical idea who is telling everyone else that they are wrong is right, like Einstein was with relativity. But guess what, Einstein had the a theory with certain predictions, other contributed proof in form of experiments, and look at that, the other theories were discarded. No more aether, among other things. People telling you the vaccines are unsafe can't even come up with data to corroborate that, it's just a feeling or some misgiving borne out of not understanding how things work, or a general sense of unsease that the words "gene therapy" bring. A good deal of nations were willing to stop the AZ rollout over a nothingburger of a blood clotting issue (which was incredibly tragic for the affected, but overall a statistical nothingburger nonetheless), so if there would be any actual data that would corroborate all the horror scenarios cooked up by the conspiracy theorists, then hey, that would certainly... no, never mind. Really, and that's exactly why I should have stayed out of here and from now on will, again. Because why bother trying to come up with posts when they're waved away by telling me that this is just something I believe. Speaking of believing, only a couple of pages back you believed that nobody knows what is in the vaccines, now you believe that medial "professionals" who had a look into the makeup of the vaccines (where did they get that from when there's no data available?) think they're unsafe.

Maybe this is already well-known, but I just discovered this: casting Wall of Flame on neutral NPCs results in them taking damage without ever turning hostile. If the spell is recast enough times that one NPC dies, then the survivors will turn hostile. A couple more notes: I've tested this first on the Spindle Man, an Ogre and a Crystal Eater Spiderling. Casting WoF repeatedly did not initiate combat, until the Spiderling died from WoF. Then the entire crew went hostile, with the Spindle Man and the Ogre already being in dire straits. Then I did more testing with Biakara Bekarna and Llengrath in the Temple of Revelations (don't ask me why). Then I found the following: Other Wall spells: WoD doesn't do anything as long as you don't do something else to initiate combat. Wall of Many Colors turns NPCs hostile after a little while, not sure why (I intially guessed it was because of the Dominate component that would trigger/reset alliances but Petrify also seems to work the same way. Maybe the hostility triggers when an Affliction happens). I didn't try Wall of Force but I suspect it would be the same as WoF - EDIT: unless the Hobbled component does the same as for WoMC! Will try and test later. EDIT2: Wall of Force is even different, it is actually like Wall of Draining, it only targets foes so it doesn't work on neutral targets. Interestingly, WoF intiates combat the second it is cast in the Temple of Revelation situation, even though everybody remains neutral until one is dead. If no one dies or if no other offensive action is taken, the game is stuck in combat forever, everybody remaining neutral. Again, WoF did not initiate combat with the Spindle Man or Ernezzo for example -just when one is dead. This little trick has limited uses, but it can help outright kill or heavily soften one or several NPC(s) currently neutral. Well, they have to be in some kind of line . Conclusion: I knew Wall spells were funky, but now they're even funkier. PS: I am using the Community Patch, I'm not yet using @Elric Galad's BPM.

It was a lot less sanity-draining than what usually goes on in this thread.

Myocarditis rather than pericarditis? Doesn't matter anyway, the answer is that if you run a study on ~40,000 people and a side effect only occurs at a 1/100,000 rate the chances are that no one gets the side effect in the study. But that's true whether the study is expedited or long term. If you're giving it to 500 million europeans you statistically Expect 5000 people to get it, but againm that's irrespective of whether it was approved fast or slow. They do stop studies when possibly related serious effects show up, eg they stopped the AstraZeneca covid vaccine when someone in the phase 3 trial developed neurological symptoms, but that was eventually shown to be unrelated. Indeed. For anyone who doesn't know the 'original' 'scientific' 'antivaxxer' Andrew Wakefield got his MMR vaccine --> autism paper published in The Lancet. And he, of course, wasn't really antivax since he was himself, coincidentally, trying to patent individual vaccines.

Ceterum autem censeo Epicum esse delendam

I got sent a deluxe key for Humankind by amplitude as thanks for my help testing the game. I did not test the game. I am not certain if I should be happy or offended. It could say a lot of what they thought of my feedback on other games.

Play Fortnite like the kids ?

is also noteworthy how everybody forgets vampirism is a curse. is only implied in bram stoker stuff, but traditional western/christian vampires mythology holds that during the day, while body is sleeping, your soul is being tormented in hell (edit: technical your soul is constant being tormented in hell, but the vampire is only aware o' this during the day.) then again, pretty much all the oldie versions o' eternal life or eternal youth granting includes some horrible punishment or side effects. safe bet: if somebody offers you magical powhaz, but especial youth, turn and walk away... alternatively am supposing you could punch the jumped up spiritual used car salesman in the face. regardless, we earned our advancing decrepitude. made more than a few sacrifices to get to this point. HA! Good Fun!

My friend says, good point but still better than getting even older.

We're like...adults now. AKA loads of bills to pay, and everything hurts

I'm guessing that means you no longer have perfect purity test scores? Unless that wasn't you, then I apologize, but I'm like 99% certain, but even my memory fades after two decades. The Fallout forum moderators quit in droves, and we constantly kept appointing new ones, some of which turned out to be just as bad as the trolls and agitators. That really was a fun time. I mean, for you guys. I just had the popcorn and was glad that wasn't my responsibility. The BG community was nice and quiet, for the most part.

I'm halfway through being pregnant! Wish I were all the way through, but... what can ya do?

Oh, this is back again! Hi guys Tess

I like that this keeps resurrecting itself every couple of years or so, although at this point I am Somewhat Offline. It's just nice to know that people are still around and kicking (for the most part-- I do wish Sargy would pop his head up again).

Ugh. I just remembered what it was like to be a moderator on the Interplay forums when Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (the console game) was announced. That was a rough weekend.

The only really "correct" class in Dark Souls is Pyromancer. Not only do you get immediate access to pyromancies (which unlike the other types of magics do not require stat-scaling and thus can be used with any character so long as you have a pyromancy flame), Pyromancer also objectively starts with the best stats combined with being level 1 (i.e. the most room to grow). Pyromancy is objectively the best class in DS1 - just as Royal is objectively the best in Demon's Souls. DS2 and DS3 would not make the same mistake of having a class that is objectively the best, thankfully. Not that the classes *particularly* matter (you will only be marginally set behind at worst by picking something else), but...it's less than ideal design to have a "favored" class baked in like that. And if you play magic-only instead of melee on your first playthrough, you're a right real toss-pot, .

HA! am not feeling guilty 'bout vol. don't actual miss him that much either. we woulda' missed vol ~2000-2018 or so, but not the more recent vol. still, it would be unfortunate if something unpleasant in rl prevents him from posting. nevertheless, and we don't feel guilty admitting, we don't actual miss the recent vol. as for this board, is a hairsplitting question. is still more than a few folks here who joined the obsidian boards day 1... winter o' 2004? however, this board were kinda the natural descendent o' the bis boards, and there were a couple interplay iterations which existed previous to the bis boards. neverwinter were released 2002 and were not developed by bis and it weren't particular relevant to the obsidian boards, so unless the earlier poster were actual referencing nwn2, then am needing assume he were talking pre obsidian boards and pre winter o' 2004... am suspecting if you want the exact date, then look for joined date for amentep or vol... is possible fionavar had a join date a few days earlier than the day 1 for ordinary posters, but we ain't bothered to look and am not genuine curious enough to check. HA! Good Fun!

Yakuza 8: Like a Bubble is lookin' great.

I miss Volo.

This new version has an updated microchip based on the new 2nm silicon that greatly boosts the signal reception of the mind-controlling 5G waves. The Illuminati more than offsets the costs of the "vaccine" by having to build far fewer signal towers to cover everybody.

now that vol is no longer posting, @Amentep may be the last o' the genuine old guard. "Come on. Stop talking nonsense and lock up." "I am of those who like to stay late at the cafe," the older waiter said. "With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night." "I want to go home and into bed." "We are of two different kinds." the older waiter said. He was now dressed to go home. "It is not only a question of youth and confidence although those things are very beautiful. Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the cafe." "Hombre, there are bodegas open all night long." "You do not understand. This is a clean and pleasant cafe. It is well lighted. The light is very good and also, now, there are shadows of the leaves." "Good night," said the younger waiter. "Good night," the other said. HA! Good Fun!

LOL, it doesn’t matter. Either way the answer is the same: yes.

Now it's just 30 years away... Why Nuclear Fusion Is Always 30 Years Away

Okay, I gave Aloth all three spells and attacked him with Magran's Might (convenient because it's single target, gets reflected and every pulse counts as one spell so I don't have to cast so many spells). The VFX of all three combined look cool by the way. What I found: the reflection spells don't get supressed by superior versions. However, as I suspected, a reflected spell (here Magran's Might) substracts its levels from all three reflections simultaneously by the time it gets reflected. So it's not a "layered" reflection - they don't really stack. Thus it is useless to have them all active at the same time. Better to cast a follow-up once a former reflection spell expired (that way you also get a way longer duration of reflection overall).

There's a few other oldies around (albeit I think there are some posters who predate the BIS forum ). Some don't post but still PM. Sargy hasn't been around since his last post in this thread AFAIK.

I was just 13, and 14 when we were all piled onto the old forums awaiting the launch of Neverwinter Nights. I miss the old days of innocence.

I can't believe how many old names I see in this thread. Sargalleth, Chairchucker, ol' Deraldin ... This is Darius from olllld school Black Isle Forums. I hope you all are well, 20ish years later.

^ It's just a few pounds. Some people lose that coming out of the bathroom. >.> Mostly it's just interesting to me that this time it meant such a waist size loss. That doesn't typically happen with a few pounds. Frankly I don't even really know what I'm "supposed" to be. BMI says between 92-123 lbs. At 92 I'd be a literal walking skeleton likely dying in a hospital. 118-120 always felt "right". But then you just add 10 pounds and technically suddenly I'm "fat" or something. Pffft.

When you go for the serious Star Trek cosplay....

Anyone overly worried about the vaccines' emergency approval should just pretend it's a response to an earthquake instead and ask if they'd be shocked and appalled at how normal bureaucratic procedure isn't followed after one of those. There's a massive amount of bureaucracy that gets sidestepped in any emergency response. After an earthquake you don't want people living in tents for years because you're holding planning meetings, receiving submissions, then counter submissions, then writing the costs of repairs to water and sewerage into next year's budget and gazetting that for comment as you'd normally do. You side step all of that due to it being an emergency and fix the infrastructure without it being budgeted; but keep the stuff that is really important ie repairs and rebuilds must still be done to safety standards so next time there's an earthquake the house doesn't kill anyone living there. There are of course reasons for the extended time frame and extra bureaucracy which occurs under 'normal' circumstances but those reasons are extra safeguards for when there's the luxury of little time pressure.

This is Miyu-talk for @Bartimaeus, because... eh, I can only quote the old man and his post.

Yes. High tolerance for nonsense through years of b-movies and playing videogames.