MedicineDan

Taking a break from political angst to post a couple things about the day. First, glad you're still among the land of the living and not abducted and sold into bondage, Hurlshot. Okay, so I bought Fantasy Grounds and the DMG, PHB, and MM modules to load into it for my niece. She's excited. I find playing with her kind of a pain, but I'll do it if she really wants. My 5th edition campaign with my main group is going very well and FG is wonderful. Second, I thought I lost my green folder I use for all my patient info. Home health pays a lot more and it's a lot more flexible than the hospital, but it's extremely nerve wracking to have patient info in my house. I'm very careful with the folder, but I have to chart at home and I was kind of sweating bullets for a few minutes. I can hardly wait until I take my boards and start being an NP. I'll work urgent care or some such. Less strenuous and stressful, I think. Being a provider means dealing with things like liability and getting a DEA number and whatnot, so maybe it will still be stressful, but I have high hopes.

Yeah, Mal, but I dispute the claim that "white supremacists" as quoted, are either a solitary or significant source of danger to the country. Frankly, I don't think Islamic extremists are either. BLM? Antifa? Moreso than white supremacists, but they're only a symptom of a problem. We're overlooking the real issues statistically. I don't have time to shadow box the issue. I'll yield the floor and let my words stand as is. Fair enough. Oh, I know! "Bwahahaha, dis guy is pretending we're in a debate club." Nope. No pretending there's any fair exchange but, then again, it's a message board. :rueful grin:

"'We judge that ideologically-motivated lone offenders and small groups will pose the greatest terrorist threat to the Homeland through 2021, with white supremacist extremists presenting the most lethal threat.' "Not BLM and Antifa? Someone's about to lose their job." In the words of Biden, "Come on, maaan!" Okay, small groups of "white supremacist extremists" isn't a reference to right wing militias? I could go web surfing and come up with prominent voices within the Democrat party and media making that association, but I'm not going to. It's easy enough to find if you look. There is this idea that white males are a danger to society, and it's partially pushed by these assessments. Look, I don't feel put out. My personal privilege isn't in danger, should I have it. I'm a relatively not ugly tall white guy who kills people with kindness. If I'm a class or a group of people, I tend to find trust with them. I think this craziness is bad for society, but I win people over pretty well anyway. ...and I have had considerably more minority patients than I have white. Even moreso if we count some of my white patients as Hispanic, as I am so counted depending on the convenience of the interested party.

This place never fails to entertain. BLM isn't the problem. BLM is a symptom of the problem. That goes for Trump also. We're simply at a crossroads. Biden represents the forces of chaos. To be fair, I don't believe Biden himself advocates or desires chaos. Biden desires power. A politician of... what? almost fifty years? Third presidential run? I've always heard, from pundits and politicians speaking and writing in the media, that Biden is an affable guy. A real glad hander. I don't personally have anything against him, but he's going to do and say whatever it takes to get elected. Trump is kind of chaotic, but his brand of chaos isn't as far reaching. I also appreciate the red herring of right wing militia being the source of crime and murder in our country. Sure. I mean, I have no doubt the folks here are certain of that fact. Statistically, it's silly. I've been seeing that assessment for years and it transcends ridiculous, shoots right past sublime, to an almost religious experience in its surreal glory. Murder and mayhem in any great measure does not stem from right wing militia. It doesn't stem from the police. I would think people who want to find real solutions would focus on the real problems. Anyhow, getting away from the partisan hackery that is this place... echo... echo... echoooooo. I'm truly curious as to what's going to happen this cycle. As folks know, I'm not frightened to make predictions and stand by them. This election is different. I think it's foolish for Trump supporters to discount the polls. Generally, they're pretty good. However, he did manage to outperform his polls last time. it wasn't as much as people claimed after the fact, but he did. The thing is, I know the pollsters are trying to adjust in order to be more accurate. On the other hand, there's reason to believe the polls are even more screwy this time. I don't know. My gut tells me that it's still Biden's to lose. He's a dotard and an unscrupulous, but I think the Trump hating inertia is actually quite strong. Look at this place where people I once thought were at least intellectually honest have thrown all pretense away and are now hackneyed partisan. That hate has burned both ways for a long time, but it's strong and it could carry the day. Having said that I think it's Biden's race right now, I will say this: if you lose, if the American people refuse the forces of chaos and destruction, it will be after you've thrown *everything* at our side. This is it. We have not had an election like this in our lifetimes. That's not hyperbole. That's life in 2020. EDIT: Freudian slip. He must first get elected.

After all these years, I still find it weird that my throw away posts end up like this. ...But you're right, uuuhhii. We can't properly nail down Tristan into a such a small space by labeling him.

In all seriousness, apart from my lame joke, Tristan is my favorite character. I guess I could continue the schtick and call him the best female character and Amiri my favorite male? I don't mind the switcheroo with the stereotypes and whatnot. It's probably a bit ham fisted, but it's cool. ...And it's funny to see Amiri kvetch at Tristan for wearing his heart on his sleeve. The one choice the devs did with Tristan that I disliked was that, at the end of his quest, I think the 'optimal' ending is for the PC to speak to antagonist instead of Tristan, but Tristan's plea is simply the best writing in the game. No, that's an insult. It's great writing. I've known people going down a dark path in real life and I can hear my own voice when Tristan exhorts the bad guy to mend his ways. I guess I'm a wimpy heart on the sleeve kind of guy like Tristan... only not handsome and I can't cast spells. Anyhow, I think I can finally carve out a good 2 to 3 hours to play the game today. Still tempted to buy WL3, but I'm digging in to Pathfinder at the moment. If I were seriously going to go for an all female party, which is to say my A-team other than side quests, it would have to be Linzi. She's a bard, so kind of jack of all trades master of none, but spell selection and performances can either mitigate or heal a lot of damage. I think my actual go-to party will probably be Valerie (not an ideal build, but she'll work), Amiri, Ekundayo, Ferret (a rogue I hired), Catherine (my main), and Tristan.

Close enough and I want a healer.

I've decided to create an all female party. It's going to include the main character, Amiri, Linzi, Valerie, Octavia and Tristan. Slow going so far. It's a sign of a good game that I'm thinking about it while I do other things.

Much as it pains me to voice support for the narcissistic voice of Demosthenes, I don't want social media treated like a public utility. For one thing, look at how well severe state regulation of electricity has worked in California. I know I know! Deregulation was a disaster! Not really. When you deregulate the retail but not the wholesale end, you're courting disaster. Even more immediate is this: Letting the state regulate the internet gives the state the power to decide what or what is not allowed. A prime example is this: Facebook currently censors (within its own purview) certain posts about Covid-19. However, there is almost no doubt that some of those posts will ultimately end up being supported by research. After all, saying statements about masks would have been alternatingly been pro or con at different times right? Facebook has the right to do what it wants, but if we suggest that the government has plenary power over content, that is to say, can kill unwanted content, then isn't there the prospect of the government mandating only the 'right' thing should be allowed? Only, we all have experienced where the consensus has been wrong. We must allow for dissent. It can be ugly, and it is often wrong, but the alternative is far worse. That's it for now, as I suspect the ETOH is starting to diminish my already limited capacities, but that's my take. No matter what, will fight to the death your right to say what I believe to manifestly wrong. For most people, that's a throw away statement. For me, I simply hope I don't want to have to prove myself right. EDIT: clarification.

So, for you grognards, I clearly got to the endgame in Kingmaker. I mean, considering that I've been playing between other obligations, I think I went pretty fast. Apparently, I was already there when I stopped playing in the first place, which is sad. Anyhow, a bunch of quests came up with a X saying that they were failed, which tells me that I could have finished them if I had done things differently. Should I finish now or, as tempts me, restart and finish later. I was an enchanter specialist mage, but I think I would be better off being a transmuter or conjurer. If it were role playing, I would definitely go enchanter. For a hack and slash like this game, I think a more direct damage specialty would be better. Then, I could ditch whatsherface and take KnockKnock. I have no love for the little bastard, and I think whatsherface is probably better. I dunno. Start over or just finish and then go on to WL3 when I get the chance?

I bought a bunch of peaches in anticipation of making peach mead tonight. I've got a gallon of pear and 3 gallons of blueberry. I haven't made a five gallon batch of anything for a while. The glass carboy is just damned heavy is all. I might make a batch of brown ale tonight. I've got the goods, but it's always such a pain. I'll have to see. I'd be forced to use tap water. Not a big deal. I've used tap water on occasion before for things I meant to drink myself. The water tastes good here. If you can't brew with regular tap water where you live, you need to move. Still, for brews I make for others, I typically get some sort of mountain spring water or some such with a taste I enjoy. EDIT: I was afeart that the must was too hot off the boil, but I put my yeasties in anyway and they're already going to town. The fact is, fermenting is better at room temperatures or lower, depending on what you're making, but a little heat to start the yeast isn't bad as long as it doesn't kill them.

To be clear, if I had to make a bet, I'd still bet on Biden for this election. A lot of crazy stuff going on, but I still tend to believe the problems in a nation tend to fall on the president although they are not normally his fault. That's any president. People blame the guy in charge for all sorts of stuff beyond his, and eventually her, control. Of course, even believing that, I can still come, speak my sincere opinion, and if I poke someone in the eye doing it, fair enough. :big beefy grin:

I'm curious to see how things pull out for this election. I mean, Biden would be disastrous, I'm sure. Let's see how long he can speak out against generic violence without citing Antifa and BLM. Yeah, it's right wing militias that are causing mayhem. At least they're moving away from the "mostly peaceful" rhetoric. Biden's kind of stuck in that he probably hates the violence but can't do much about it. I'd like to think he hates it on principle, and maybe he does. I *know* he hates politically because it's causing him grief. He can't afford to lose either group from his core constituency. You know, Trump sometimes does the same sort of thing, but the press does its job and goes after him for it. Biden...? He's a *hero!* :shaking my head with a bemused smile: This is really going to be a make or break for polling. To cite the 2018 polls, I think it was fair to say that Trump's rhetoric was and is offputting and, just like Obama, his impact is either limited or largely negative when he, himself, is not on the ballot. I said this at the time. I guess I could pull up an old post, but it could be doctored, right? I could have a friend search through my old posts and attest to it? lol Some people around here kill me, or maybe want to. If you don't understand the difference between presidential and midterm elections, you're a fool. I mean, not anyone here personally is a fool. I'd hate to be approached in a parking lot one night be the victim of a "Mostly peaceful" murder. A lot of conservatives point out things like ballot harvesting in California during the 2018 election, which is now part of the political landscape here, but that's silly. Yes, it's wrong and it helped the Dems, but the election was going to be a disaster no matter what. All harvesting did was turn a run of the mill disaster into a historic one. Anyhow, mid-term elections usually hurt a first term president, especially in these times when the supports of the candidate who lost are incensed. Trump magnified that, though. I'm voting for the guy, and I urge you to do so also. Maybe you can't help it if you're cowed into submission, but you can still vote. Anyhow, I'll check in to see what ol' Demosthenes has in store for me. Can't wait for the fire and brimstone. lol Maybe this time, Phillip really will go down!

So, I remembered someone mentioned Pathfinder: Kingmaker, so I fired it up for a bit today and I saw something that has put the breath of new life into the game. There's some sort of coin available that gives me huge bonuses and I have a pretty big stockpile of the things. Amazing! The kingbuilding stuff was always the biggest pain the arse. Now I don't have to micromanage quite so much. My kingdom is actually in pretty good shape, but I was getting tired of dealing with the crazy assed constant events. Good stuff!

I'm not one to give advice at all, but I will attest that little things can become big things. God willing, I'll be celebrating my 25th anniversary in February. Marriage can be a real blessing, but it is work to keep it running smoothly. The one thing I *would* give as advice is this, there should be no earthly loyalty above your wife. /sermon

What a ****.

I never concentrate on barter in these games. I know, by late game, money won't be a problem. It seems to me that this is a hamfisted way to make barter more useful. I think that's wrongminded, as I see things. I don't mind the 'getting the first shot' thing, though. I like the bad guys giving my guys an excuse to pound them into oblivion. The barter thin, though. I wish they'd take barter out of these games in the first place or at least make barter more useful in an 'organic' (Good God, I need a shower) sort of way.

Godspeed the day.

Yeah, my wife has just started her 33rd year. It's absolutely dismaying teaching under lockdown conditions, but take heart, brother. This too shall come to pass. Well, my friend, I'm a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy, but I will gladly buy you a brew also. In fact, Gromnir, the rat bastard, can count on a brew also. If I'm feeling particularly generous, I'll even make it one of my homebrew, which leads me to my day. Working home health now, because of school, I charted on a patient I saw yesterday. So weird keeping pt info at home! The *real* fun of the day, however, was was doing the second step of my blueberry mead. It's a new technique. I'll keep you posted how it goes. I also did a non boil pear 'brew.' 2lbs raw honey and a full 3lbs pear. I cored them all, skinned half, and then processed everything. The real problem with pureeing fruit is that it doesn't always settle right, which means that it's hard to clarify, but I have my hopes.

Duh, I just scrolled up there and saw it. If I recall WL2, the dialogue skill checks were stiff in that game also. I'm tempted to buy it, even if it sits on my shelf for some time before I play it. Anyhow, thanks for pointing out my obliviousness, melkathi. Turns out I had skimmed that post except for the damned title of the game

Anyone playing Wasteland 3? I just now saw that it's available on Steam. I loved Wasteland 2, so this one is a no brainer. Too bad I didn't see it until the weekend before work and school wreak havoc on my gaming time again.

Same here. The places that look as if there should be harvestable ant eggs provide no interaction. I've slaughtered ants everywhere in and around the nest, leaving aunt bodies stacked on top of each other and, as suggested as a work around for the issue, didn't even loot them. The nest was completely cleared out as far as I could see and the two areas that *appear* to ant eggs certainly had no aunts around. If I kill off all the soldiers, nothing happens. If I kill off all the workers in and around the nest, tons of them, and then loot them, they respawn in the nest, but no eggs. If, as suggested, I kill off the same number of ants and then loot them, respawn but no eggs. I've never even found an ant egg in this game, but this is extremely frustrating as I'd like to make things that say they require ant eggs.

I'm playing on a PC with 0.2.0.2266 rel Cratereus. My experience is that, if I kill off all the soldiers, there's no egg respawn at all. It's pretty empty in the nest even after sleeping a couple of times. I tried your solution of killing off tons of worker ants and then leaving them unlooted. I've then gone into the nest only to hear them respawning and the eggs unchanged in any way. I've identified two different areas where I see broken ant eggs (at least I assume). In both, I see at least one egg that *appears* to be whole, but I can interact with the egg in any way. Those areas and the appearance of eggs has remained unchanged in every way other than the existence or absence of ants depending on whether I've killed them or not.

I tried this but it isn't working for me. I slaughtered all manner of ants. Worker ants. Soldier ants. Ants in the colony. Ants out exploring. I've come in and I hear ants hatching at the egg sites, but no ants. I've even slaughtered herds of ants outside and gone to the colony in good order I *still* can't get eggs. It truly sucks!

I never finished kingmaker. The endgame kingdom building stuff was kind of opaque so I stopped and never got back into it. I've been owning soldier ants in Grounded but the ant eggs still aren't there. I put in the channel turn undead effect on wife's cleric for the campaign I'm running in fantasy grounds. I was seriously iffy about it, but gave it a shot. I'm so glad I did.