Walsingham

I never meant to imply all homosexuals were that way. It's precisely why I'm complaining.

Orange is a "power colour", it can help to give you energy (positive attitude and such: this was one of the reasons for the "Orange People" cult in the eighties), but it should be used sparingly (as inside a cupboard, so that you get a a high-voltage flash). <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Eeeeeenteresting. I shall try it out.

I mean, where's the connnection? Did I miss a meeting? "You. Who do you like?" "I like big strong asian men, sir. " "Very well, you will make high pitched squeaking noises and flap about." "You. Who do you like?" "I like small brunette Irish girls, sir." "Right. Here is your obligatory donkey and xylophone. Ride on one and play the other, you choose which."

What kind of mage washes his beard? Unless you'd suggest some high level mages would drink such a liquid, on the sly. And yeah. Mages have to be really sly to survive at low level, and fighters have to be sly to survive at high level. All part of the game.

I do have a slightly bigoted question, wrt to some homosexuals, and that is not their sexuality but the incessant flapping about and scene making. I don't appreciate that kind of thing from anyone; man, woman, or beast. For the same reason I don't keep a macaw. I just wonder if there is some way a person can enjoy men, while being a man, and not make so many high-pitched and incessant noises?

IWD was OK, but I got annoyed by having to make my own party. I enjoyed meeting NPCS as I went along, and seeing how they change my party and experiences for good or ill.

I was wondering how long it would be before someone reeled out a psych interpretation. But forgot that you young whippersnappers nowadays just use the internet. I actualy rather like UN blue. Which is weird considering how much I like the UN.

Acted originally out of concern for your friend. Failed you have not. Rare, one who admits they have acted rashly and in error is. Standing in awe I am.

You're only doing this cause you know Fionavar s tied up with the human sexuality thread. Freudian slip there. ~~ Getting back to story. What is a good story? We've been arguing over who has one, without saying what it IS. I'll say a story does two things, at the primitive level 1) Makes you feel things 2) teaches you things A good story makes you feel extreme things, very happy and very sad, while teaching you things from tolerance to how to cook mynok stew. A lousy story makes you feel nothing, and teaches you nothing.

Ergh to orange! The only reason you should wear orange around me is if you want me to take it off you and throw it out the window.

I think someone irreligious needs to take a stand for the Church here. You need to understand the historical context of Judaism/Christianity/Islam. We were all three subject at different times to empires and kings who placed no authority higher than personal gratification. They rebelled against this by placing a higher absolute moral imperative on people. A concept that even us feelthy atheists tend to adhere to these days. Homosexuality was just one aspect of the 'corruption' of these regimes that could be pointed at in big bold letters. The real message was that a person's sexuality, the most powerful of human drives, still had to obey God. At least that's what I heard. Correct my history if I'm wrong.

Actually, Meta, the reverse is true. Arguing it is genetic leads to calls for it to be sterilised out. An idea which I find hilarious for reasons of logic. Just like it says a homosexual will be damned unto the nth generation in the bible. It really is irrelevant how it arises _when there is nothing wrong with it_. An enquiry like the one here into the cause implies censorship. Conversely as I say, an enquiry into why people find it sexy to hurt people seems fairly sensible.

Actually I bet it would, as there'd be strong sociological and psychological influences from the environment to make you think like that. Of course there's always exceptions. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hah! Fair enough. You'd need to get into mind-reading to know that one for sure. I mean, aren't we missing something, which is that personality has a huge part to play in attraction. I know i can't be getting dates on my looks alone!

Is there a proctologist in the house? And taoreich, the stat that says you get different levels of homosexuality expressed in different environments does not say the true condition changes. It just says that whether people 'come out' changes. Growing up with Klan parents won't stop you finding black girls attractive. But it will certainly prevent you taking them to the prom. EDIT: Nice going, Meta. Thanks for bringing things up a notch. It is true that sexuality is complex. I happen to like cute brunettes and bubbly chesty blondes. Someone else likes the same, but with different undercarriages. Why should we care? just for the record I'd reiterate that this all predicates on the feelings being mutual. Finding kids sexy IS wrong, for example.

Fairy snuff.* And I appreciate you're being polite, which is always commendable. AIDS HIV is a serious problem precisely because it is wreaking havoc in heterosexuals who are the majority of the population. I lost a childhood friend to this disease two years ago, and they weren't gay in the least. As if such an illustration were needed. Moreover, you seem to be focussing on a single type of homosexual intercourse. I think I'm not far wrong in asserting that not all homosexuals use penetrative methods. I could go on, but in deference to the Grand Greenie I won't. Basically I accept your point that homosexuality can have health hazards, but they can and are managed/avoided by the majority of homosexuals. At least to a comparable point to heterosexuals. So my question is, besides health is there any reason why it is bad? *Slang, meaning "Fair enough", you feelthy foreigners, not a kind of movie.

Don't ask ME about George Villers. The b*stard still hasn't returned my hat! :D Cloris does make one point I haven't noticed here yet. This is that people do get brought out by certain situations. This is excellent if it is their true orientation. However, I'm just as much against people feeling obliged to be gay as I am against people feeling obliged to be straight. It may not happen so much, but it IS an issue in certain jobs and institutions. I don't want to be rude, so I shan't say where and who. AS another aside I get a little tired by modern sexual one-upsmanship. In certain circles being straight is like the lowest rung, and almost below contempt. Gay people usually chip in with how much sexier they are, since they have to make an effort to embrace their sexuality. But gay people are shortly trumped by bi-sexuals who can fancy anyone they please! I always get the mad urge to claim to be tri-sexual just to confuse the issue.

1. Health issues? - Rock climbing has associated health issues. It also wastes search and rescue resources on occasion. Is it bad? I don't think so. - Moreover, heterosexual sex isn't always white sheets and the missionary, at least not where I'm from. We Brits have been catching up in this department in recent years and we now have massive hetero STD infection rates among youngsters. The worst in Europe. - I can't think of any way gay sex could result in unwanted children. With all the badness that entails. 2. Social issues. People, even gay people often say how homosexuality precedes the fall of civilisations. But then so does good food, central heating, live entertainment, political corruption and a failure to support the military. The only social issue is with being counter the establishment. Being an establishment types such behaviour riles me, but no more than those grud danged hippies! As a further point, you would probably be surprised how many gay people are right this minute serving to defend you. And how many have died serving you in the past. And forget about the millions who work in our public services and political systems. ~ We should forget all about worrying whether someone is gay, straight, and a bunch of other things, and focus on what makes a person an ***-hole. Answer me that question and ... ...wait, what do you mean "he's born in England"?

Now now Meta, just because he repeated almost verbatim views written in documents captured from terrorist hideouts in Birmingham does not make him a terrorist. Actually, that IS a little harsh. I didn't get the feeling he was up for killing anyone, he just advocated it.

Two points 1) The problem you mention is real. But it is hardly confined to games. It affects everyone form the stock market to the military. I think it is referred to as the 'Software Crisis' officially, and as the 'Techie/Marketing/Customer Balls Up' by me. It's a complex issue that project managers go to three day seminars on, so I'm not goingto pretend I can sum it up here. Basically, competition feeds tighter and tighter schedules that lead to unrealistic planning and implementation. This clashes with the marketing gibbons, and the whole thing lands on the user's foot with a resounding crash. 2) I'm going to keep hammering on about this until one of you shoots me. Quality games attract quality gamers. A gamer who wants more than instant 'headshot!' gratification will allow for bugs, and can cope with patches. Nurture those gamers, appeal to them, and you have a much more robust and reliable fanbase, who will not abandon you if a game comes out buggy.

I haven't played Splinter cell, but I've played some of the precursors Musopticon mentions. I like technical challenges, and they certainly sell. But I'll not bother doing them unless they are chocolate coated in story goodness. Otheriwse it's just like doing a very badly paid job. Where's the reward for getting through the door, or catching the helicopter. In several games I am just left thinking "If this was me I'd have gone looking for a more interesting case to pursue." As an aside on technical challenges and being straitjacketed I always remember something an old CIA operative said. He was asked in an exam how he would calculate the height of a specific building, and was given a barometer. He replied instantly that he would go to City Hall, and ask politely for the building records. If the building records were not available they would certainly record tha architect's name for legal reasons. He would locate the architect in the phone book, and offer him a shiny new baraometer if he would tell the operative how tall his building was. Either solution would be accurate to within a foot, unlike the standard solution of guaging air pressure. Most really top class work is done by this kind of thinking, not trying to shimmy across ceilings. The only game I've found that comes close on that account is Hitman. Which also has a cool story. Although I wouldn't say the story was good.

I take it you unfamiliar with lichdom and contingency spells? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Not really. What i am familiar with is a potion or two that can keep such shenanigans off me, some potions of speed, and some really fast work with a short sword. Failing that, I've found that sudden brutal attack works OK. Leeeeeeroy! EDIT: important info. This was as a wizard slayer, so every hit, regardless of damage lowers magic resistance, and ups spell failure. I hated being a wizard slayer to start with, but came to love it. FURTHER EDIT: One reason I liked it was because of the mental image this provoked. *Mage begins dread incantations, surrounded by impervious shimmer* *Silence, the wizard slayer starts goosing him, goading miniature giant space hamsters into cracks in his armour, and generally making fun. The mage becomes o irate he cannot speak. Every time he opens his mouth, Silence puts something in there, like an old sock.*

I nominate Leeroy for a really quick NPC role in the next Obs game.

I had not seen that video before. It does indeed rock. I love that guys yell of "leeroy!" And of course, like every gung ho fool he gets his mates killed. The chatter on the net during the attack is priceless. I may have to get WoW just so i can see stuff like that.

What is Yatta?

I have no beef how people become homosexual. I happen to feel its beyond the individual's control, but as I say I don't care. "Why?" I hear you cry. "Why do you not care?" Because how a person chooses to get their consensual kicks is hardly important. You may as well ask "Why does a person like blondes?" Or "Why does John Prescott like beer?" Or rather, that these are valid questions, but should be asked in a spirit of friendly enquiry, not censorship. I think that in a world like ours, where there are people hell bent on causing suffering to others it is a shame to examine overmuch the motivations of those who do not.