Mortis Nai

Yep, that sums it up in a nutshell. While I know that there are some good people in the world that can rise above it, there will always be those whom drag humanity down once more, just like crabs in a bucket.

One is an unlawful act against an innocent, one is a Lawful act against a Criminal. We as a Civilized Society have rules and laws that dictate our response and course of action when someone violates those laws. Applying your Circular Logic, when our troops come back from war we should place them in prison for Murder or being accomplices to Murder... the real world simply does not work like that.

We live in a hostile world, Humanity is not as "Enlightened" and "Civilized" as we would like to think. Were discussing one man that slaughtered his innocent child because he thought she broke his X-Box, what makes you think that Nations do not escalate to the same levels of depravity and stupidity? "We don't like your god, convert or we will kill you." Until we can destroy religion & economics, and ensure every man woman and child on this planet has food in there mouths, a roof over there head, an education, medical care... then we will always have war and we will always need a means to protect and defend what is ours, as well as take by force that which we want. Humanity as a whole, are violent animals by nature, kept in line only through tools of fear. I would love to beleive in a Utopian ideal, where everyone in the world is equal and we all love our fellow manl... but we Assasinated Ghandi and Nailed Jesus to a Cross... So untill that Utopia comes around, Im looking out for me and mine.

Its not quite that simple. Currently it costs a lot more to use the Death penalty than to imprison someone for 40 years or more, but that is because of the insane amount of checks, balances and red tape that goes along with it. However when I reference Capital Punishment I am not speaking of the exact system we have in place at the moment, more rather hearing the verdict and taking "old yella" out the back to a merciful end at the barrel of a shotgun. Someone goes on death row they are there for a Life Sentence before they actually face the chair, most people sentences to death die in prison during the long wait and the US actually Kills far less people than you would think. The Number of people that face the Electric Chair is relatively few, even in states such as Texas.

My Parents raised me under the general principles that everyone is equal, life is always precious, love they neighbor as thyself, war is bad, do no harm etc etc etc Through life experience I have found this to be a falsehood, while it is a nice ideology and it would be wonderful if we could all get along, if there was no need for war, that no one would do harm to their fellow man... life simply does not work that way. I do good deeds, I help my fellow man, I bring food to the homeless on our street, I help my neighbors, I am kind and patient and giving... but I know that war and death are a necessity in the society that we live in. But if someone threatens me or mine... Woe be to them, for no god, no hell and and no fury know not the bounds of my wrath and vengeance. A little baby... is a complete innocent to this world... anyone whom would hurt such innocence... does not deserve to live. There is a huge and vast difference between someone annoying you... and someone killing a baby. If someone aggravates me, yes I ignore them... if someone was to murder a member of my family, I would not think twice about killing the SOB in retribution, in as slow and painful a way as possible. Sheep and Wolves... however we do not live in a Democracy, the US & UK are both Representative Republics, there is no such thing as a "Democracy" in this world... its a Utopian ideal that is fundamentally flawed in more ways than you can shake a stick at. As for a Difference in Culture, I was Born in Leicester England, I moved to Aberdeenshire, Scotland when I was 10 years old, Lived there until I was 17 and then moved Chicago, IL to the US (A state that does not have the Death penalty by the way.) And yes, I am well aware of my Human rights, I actually memorized them. This discussion would involve Article 3, Article 5... your solution of Locking them up with nothing Violates Article 5, 6, 22, 25 and 27. Also, just in case you wanted to know, the "European Declaration of Human rights" was changed to the "Universal Declaration of Human rights" of which all countrys in the UN must adhear to, includeing the US that is also accountable for upholding both the Universal Human Rights as well as it's own constitution. Compassion, Kindness and Mercy are all good things, but they only stretch so far, and in some situations someone has to deal with the ugly truth and do what other people "Do not wish to" on account of there own Morality, but that does not mean that it is not a necessity. Some people have to get there hands dirty, so that everyone else can live happy lives and pretend that we live in an ideal world where everyone can stand on principal. Just In case you ever wished to know, here are your human rights.

Unfortunatly this is not a Christmas Carrol where the ghosts of the past come back to haunt them, or a drama where the "Killer" hears voices and is haunted by the ghosts of those he has slain. Most people whom commit murder are incapable of feeling remourse, they suffer from acute mental illness or some from of personaliaty disorder that prohibits them from interacting with the "normal world" as everyone else does. A Psychopath is someone void of any true emotion with the exception of uncontrollable rage. People like that are simply not capable of the morral and emotional retribution you would be trying to inflict upon them... So the only options really is to: 1: Lock them away and forget about them, spending money on incarceration. 2: Place them in an assylum and place them under supervision, and try to "treat" the problem, so that you can then incarcerate them, spending money on treatment, incarceration and some form of reformation. 3: Kill them and be done with it. I still think 3 is a better solution, I do not want them to feel retribution, I want them to not exist on this planet as a physical force any more. They have broken the most basic and simple of seociatys laws that we all agree to so that we can live togeather in a state other than anarchy, and they deserve to meet the ultimate penalty for what they have inflicted forceably upon another. Nope, I think Prison is a great thing, and I believe it should act as a source of reformation. Prison should be a tool of society too help turn those whom are not beyond help and "salvation." If we as a society can help turn a criminal into a productive and healthy member of society then that's what we as "Civilized" people should aim for. Most people turn to crime because of circumstance, and generally because the system has failed them in some way. Your born in the streets, you receive a poor education and are given no opportunities to advance and progress in life, so you turn to selling drugs and theft to provide for yourself... Well, that's easy to resolve. Give the person a decent education and try to repair the harm done to them, present them with opportunity and try to produce once more a healthy and productive member of society. But if you are beyond reformation, or your Crimes cross a certain line (Rape, Child Molestation or Cold blooded Murder) then you have crossed a line that no amount of "reformation" will make amends for... so the solution becomes to remove them from society altogether, and seeing as how we can no longer exile people from society the only alternative is death. Throwing someone into a dark pit of a cell for life with nothing, is no less torturous or "Uncivilized" then flipping a switch and actually dealing with the problem, rather than letting it fester. if a limb goes gangrenous and is beyond salvation, you amputate, its the some for society. Treat them as human beings that you want to someday see back on the streets living full and productive lives, or cut your losses and "put the rabid dog down." Throwing them into a dark pit with nothing, never to see the light of day again is simply returning to the dark ages. As for the "3 Strikes and your out" law, it only applies to felonies, but I agree, it does not always work and causes a great many more problems than it solves... but if all States in the US were allowed to use and enforce the Death Penalty, and it could be done without so much red tape and BS, then they would not be looking for round about laws to keep certain people in prison and away from society for a life time.

I played a great deal of White-Wolf as well as AD&D and I have always thrown in the idea of "Automatic Success" for easy rolls if the character has the skill for it, but then the only thing that avoids is the chance of getting a Critical Failure or a Critical Success so that seems fair and balanced to me. But if a player needs to Roll a 3+Skill Mod and they get a 2, well that's all apart of the fun of D&D, and that's why we use dice to begin with. If your PC was in combat and needed a 3 to hit a Orc, but only rolled a 2, you more likely than not wouldn't "Just give it to them" you would describe a scene where the PC and Orc clash, going blow for blow, blocking, parrying and ducking out the way, with the action ending with the PC finding an opening in the Orcs defence and taking the opportunity, slashing for the Orcs head, but the Orc looses his footing and staggers back a little, causing the PC's blow to turn from a killing strike to a nasty cut across the cheek that does no real damage but does get the orc rather angry. So if you can make such a wonderful and descriptive scene and round of action from a missed opportunity, then why cant you do the same in social situations? Perhaps the PC meets a foreign noble and rolls his 2 instead of a three, he gets all the curtsies and etiquette down flawlessly... only to mispronounce the nobles last name, which while a little embarrassing would not destroy the PC's chances entirely, it gives you a kink in the scene to work with to make it more interesting and less predictable and the PC can try another roll later in the scene when the opportunity presents itself to see if they can recover from the minor slight. As a DM I see it as my Job to bring the world to life, the dice act as a force of random chance and chaos that stops my games from becoming completely predictable.

When it comes to someone murdering Innocent people, then yes... I am all for the death penalty. Charlie Manson should not have been allowed to live, nor should his disciples. They are never going to be "reformed" into healthy & productive members of society.... we have to throw them away into a cage for the rest of there lives as if they are humanities dirty little secret. You want to kill people? Join the Army? Want to slaughter innocent people without the ability to defend themselves... then burn. It's not like this guy accidentally killed his child... he punched it in the face repeatedly and threw it into a chair. Killing someone that young, innocent and unable to defend themselves is completely unacceptable. The Universe works on the laws of causality, every action has an equal and opposite reaction... I truly and whole heartily believe that killing that SOB in retribution places the world in balance once more.

Yes but there are all sorts of wonderful means of torture that would not harm the vital organs. Hell, why not have him perform the surgery on himself? "Next we want you to remove your kidneys... that's it, nice and gentle... Oops, you slipped, better stop that bleeding."

Sickening really doesn't come close to describing this... I really dont think I have the words to aptly describe the level of disgust I am feeling right now...

Suddenly I feel less safe in my apartment. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We have traced the reponses and the posts are coming from inside your house, run!

People spend an increasing amount of their lives online and interacting via digital means, when we strip away the fact that everyone is a living, thinking, breathing sentient being behind the keyboard and start treating everyone as nothing but unimportant text... then we as a society have a problem. Granted, "trust" can only be given and broken so many times, Its no wonder that the greater Internet Community as a whole is far more jaded and cynical than they once were... but still, the Kids brother dies and people make fun of it or assume that the "Character died" not a real person... that says something kinda scary right there. As for the "Proper place" I really do not see how if the kid spent most of his time playing WoW and writing on the WoW Forums... how that is not appropriate... other than the fact that "It's the WoW forums... what do you expect" which is the entire reason I have a problem with WoW to begin with.

I thought about that, the Internet is a magnet to Trolls and Attention whores who have been known to fake illnesses or even death of themselves or close relatives etc... which is why I did a little digging first. WoW Desensitization While it doesn't validate or really discredit the "Article"and the title itself is a little on the exaggerated "Anti Gamer" bent that has been spreading through media recently... it does show peoples general reactions by there response to the article which was the part I found interesting.

I gave an uneasy laugh and an "Oh my god I cant believe he said that" type of reaction as well man. I mean, I'm not saying its not witty but that level of scathing inappropriate witticism is extremely childish and disgusting owing the situation. There are lines, and there are moments when a community pulls together for one reason or another... I mean, We had our own moments of well known and respected members of the Community getting sick, dieing off and general tragedy that goes along with life. if you played on a PW there was usually the one kid that found they had some form of serious addiction, one who almost died, and one that gets cancer or has to go in for a serious operation. Those are the times that people in a Community will pull together, even if it's for the sake of only one individual whom needs some form of support. What is demonstrated in the WoW post is exactly why I have despised the game since Blizzard first began to discuss a Warcraft MMOG... it's not the game, it's the people.

I just found this and words cannot describe my level of disgust... this is exactly why I cant stand f$@!#$g Bliz kids. Yeah... if that's the high watermark for an Online Community then I have a great idea for a MMOG that involves people paying me $20 a month to kick them in the nuts.

Cool beans.

List of Free MMOG's And one of the best freeware Games has to be The Elderscrolls: Arena

Damn it, the feeling is not leaving me... I'm going to have to reinstall freelancer over the weekend.

Damn it Jaguars... everytime you post I want to play Freelancer

But... JE is coming to PC in January 07. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And Mass Effect has been stated to be an X-Box 360 only title, Jade Empire took 2 years to come to PC (We have yet to see its release), KotOR took almost a year to come to PC. It may take a year, it may take two... it may even take 3, but If we are to go by Biowares previous "X-Box only" releases then there is a historical precedent stating that Mass Effect will more likely than not appear on the PC at some point down the line... probably by the time most 360 Gamers have forgotten about it and its being sold for $9.99 used. So the choice becomes... buy a 360 for Mass Effect and one or two other games, or wait it out and see if it comes to PC at some point. If it doesnt in a year or two, then the price of 360's will have droped yet again and perhaps there will be some more decent games warrenting the purchase of the system. If I had a 360 I would get Mass Effect the moment it went on sale, but I don't and Mass Effect while extreamly cool, does not see to warrent that "Must have" game that justifys buying an entire gaming system.

At least you don't have to wait for 20 minutes for your ship to reach the jumpgate from 15km out, because you forgot to use/don't have any instas bookmarked. Hurray for "Warp to 0km!" <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The Joy of mining... I had an Executioner decked out to the 9's for Speed so I could vent a little after long mining hauls, I could hit 1120 m/sec in that thing, was great for delivery missions as well. Eve was a truly wonderful game, I loved it to death but the skill system gives way to much of an advantage to people whom have been playing for years... and you need to invest at least 3-6 months of time into it before you can really do anything other than "Noobie" missions. One of the wonderful things with online games, is that eventually there is a point to which everyone is pretty much equal and a large part of the fun is getting to that part of the "End game" and the speed to which you do it is based upon your effort and ability to network and play with others. Eve works more as a time sink that rewards customer loyalty. I still want Elite 4 I had hoped it was going to be Hello Kitty My Island Adventure.

Jade Empire for PC is another one, I never got to finish it on X-Box because the hard drive crapped out when I was almost finished with it I keep on putting in for the Beta of Pirates of the Burning Sea but as always happens with MMOG's I'm interested in... I only get into the Beta during the stress test or a couple of weeks before the stress test when I haven't been checking my e-mail for a while and miss my window of opportunity. But... A Pirates MMOG with Akellas Sea Dogs/PotC/AoP Engine... why did no one think of doing that before? I mean, i guess there is eve... but sitting in wait at a jump gate with 20 other people taking shots at anyone who passes through just looses its appeal really quickly.

I'm sitting here looking through the list and saying to myself "What the hell is that game? Ive never heard of it... well, guess I wont be playing it" and that made me stop and remember being a little kid, so eager to play absolutely any RPG I could get my hands on and finding some real gems and diamonds in the rough that my friends had never even heard of. I wonder if that is a symptom of getting older and why nothing seems "New" ? As you get older you stick more closely to what you know you like rather than taking chances on something new that is more likely than not going to disappoint or not be what your looking for? I'm trying to remember the last time I really took a chance on an RPG and didn't buy a game from a company or series that I was already familiar with and knew for the most part what my gaming experience was going to be... Perhaps my new years resolution should be to shed my prejudice and prefounded notions of certain games, take a chance and perhaps find some new games that I will enjoy. Perhaps I will check out the Persona games, I have 1 & 2 for the PSX and never played them, if 3 is coming out for 2007, perhaps that would give me something to get excited about next year.

I didn't know there was a previous list, I did check back 10 pages (to the end of October) in the forums before posting just to be sure but I guess it must have been further back than that. My apologies if this is old news, I just thought it may spur some interesting discussion about up and coming titles, what people are looking forward to etc.

Talk to Gamespy, not me man... but yes, some of them do seem to be wrongfully categorized. I just took the information from their Release date Index, sorted it by their listed categories and reformatted it for the forums. Action RPG is listed along with "Action" games which is not recognised as a separate category, and I mean... until there is more information available and we start seeing previews of certain games I would say them being released in 2007 is highly suspect, but still... its fun speculation and shows what we have to look forward to in the semi near future. *Is really looking forward to Pirates of the Burning Sea and has been for years now*