Zoraptor

Don't know what it is about narcissists but they almost always end up sounding like they're satirising themselves. Hmm. Most SJWs end up sounding like they are satirising themselves; narcissists end up sounding like they're satirising themselves... hmm. I'm sure it's coincidence.

And of course, Brink 2 and Star Trek: Legacy HD

They should have the reputation from both Ultima Underworld and Looking Glass though- and Warren Spector for that matter. They're quite old reputations now, but very highly respected. Personally I'd have gone for a System Shock game (or 'System Shock' game, depending on how the insurance company that owns the IP feels) rather than UU since it's more suited to the sort of modular design that kickstarter's variable funding makes necessary.

Would be nice if Coke put the money that was set aside for the twitter stuff that Gawker sabotaged towards a bit of pay back. While I don't have a problem with mass email campaigns they are very easy to rationalise away if you want to- otoh a few emails from someone at Coke- or their advertising agency- with their contacts could make things very difficult for Gawker almost instantly. If they wanted to.

Seems that the rebels have closed off most of the pocket around Debaltsevo. Still (somewhat) disputed but looks like there's up to 5000 UA troops caught there.

That's been a problem with Wikipedia for ages. I tried to change the System Shock 2 page once to remove the "EA is going to make System Shock 3!" part of it since I know perfectly well that the "System Shock 3" EA was making was actually Dead Space- same genre, made by the rumoured team etc etc. Can't do it, a (at that time) 4 year old (speculation/ rumour) article from a 'reliable source' trumps anything and everything including primary sources (copyright/ USPTO) proving EA no longer had rights to the games or franchise- because the copyright and trademark databases are primary sources/ it's original research. So, until someone writes an actual citable article saying that EA is not making System Shock 3 the reference has to stay there, even eight (!) years after the original, speculative, articles were written. (Not C&VG's fault in this case though, everyone heard the rumours they reported. Just another example of how stupid wiki's blanket secondary trumps primary source idea is. And to be fair the wiki admin who reverted it certainly sounded rather embarrassed about doing it, but do it he did) Edit: and having checked they actually say in the article that EA doesn't own the IP now, having found a citable source. Somehow that still ain't enough to remove the "EA is making SS3" rubbish though.

If there's one thing I've noticed from the youtube war footage of the recent years it's that either everyone fighting is terrible or the competent ones are too busy being competent to film themselves being competent (or bring along embedded 'proper' journalists), and the tendency is to be either immensely cautious and spray your AK over some cover one handed without a hope of hitting or be utterly incautious and stroll across roads and open fields as if you're going for a walk with some occasional random, seldom properly aimed shooting thrown in to liven things up. I am reminded of something Orwell said in Homage to Catalonia, that the Spanish conscripts often seemed utterly incapable of even basic defensive measures like cover. Makes sense that those who survive for any length of time go rather to the other extreme. (Inept, not inapt. Logically it should be inapt, but it's english and our language is nothing if not random.)

I knew he was going because I read that the actor's signed up for a different programme. Since none of the regulars has left any other way since S1 that only really left one way he was going out. It was an extremely well shot and atmospheric- if pretty disposable- episode. Also trippy as anything.

It's a lot more than one of them- a certain, er, revolutionary indie dev made sockpuppet troll accounts to make GG look bad, for example- though the excuse is always the same (with minor tonal variations) when caught out. About 90% of the time 'trolling' is trolling under the standard subjective definition of people who cannot handle others having differing opinions: I post thought provoking stuff without being overly concerned if it offends or gets negative responses so as to Make Valid Points; people I disagree with are all just trolling and doing it because they're ignorant, stupid or malign.

Fargo talked about it a bit though he generally didn't volunteer information. There was a bit of a flap when he said W2 would be on Origin because people thought he would be forced at gunpoint to link all copies to Origin by EA, for example. Which would have been hilarious but didn't happen. As it was they allowed the original Wasteland to go for free to all backers, so who knows, maybe they'll give a free UU to all backers here. Don't hold your breath though.

The claim was made that they are military passports rather than actual passports- though a cursory exam suggests only one of them actually is so with the rest being old/ new versions of the actual Russian passport. Presenting them is pure theatre and means nothing practical, the Ukrainians claim to have captured more FSB/ SVR agents (carrying their ID cards and passports, as all intelligence agents do...) than that. Though since Russia has conscription it matters a lot less whether there are Russians there as volunteers/ mercenaries since they're all trained, that's why having regular forces on the ground would be largely unnecessary. Giving the rebels ammo at least is a given though.

"No." Yes! It's called 'Underworld Ascendant', there is no "Ultima" and hence no trademark infringement EA as EA does not own the rights to the word 'Underworld'. The thread title is somewhat misleading since it is not an official sequel.

Yeah, I've disagreed with Hurlshot on some things but I have no doubt at all that the disagreements were over honestly held views that were expressed, for want of a better term, honourably. I have no doubt that this is the case here as well.

I thought the reformed troll aspect was interesting. Granted it could be entirely made up, but the idea that there was a rock bottom where said troll realized they had a problem presents an interesting parallel to other kinds of abuse. My main problem with that article is that it's an article from The Grauniad. I don't have any trust that it (the end, mainly) is something that actually happened as opposed to something the writer wanted to happen to make a point. It is exactly the sort of 'progressive' story The Gaurdian is renowned for and reflects its editorial position; it is the equivalent of getting a 'typical immigrant' story from the Daily Mail or a 'typical leftist' story from the Daily Telegraph. It is stereotypically Guardian, almost to the point of parody and plain doesn't ring true to me at all. To be clear, I'd certainly believe that the impersonation part of it happened, it's the moral ending that I doubt as it's a(n unironic) Stan Marsh monologue over the last twenty seconds of a South Park episode story type ending and is a bit too convenient, right down to mentioning her 'article in Jezebel'. (I suspect most trolls do grow out of 'career trolling', I just think that the vast majority either try to forget they did it at all or don't feel ashamed but simply move on to other interests. The sort of person who has sufficient self awareness and empathy to apologise would be very unlikely to do it in the first place precisely because they have self awareness and empathy)

It certainly isn't in the classic sense. Which has some disadvantages but a whole lot of very real advantages. The big contrast for GG would be with the 'Occupy' movement- which failed when it tried to become a classic movement. GG is near completely decentralised and its supporters have a wide range of views, often mutually incompatible but by and large people have been able to express their opinions without infighting because there isn't a real hierarchy and you don't have (inevitably self appointed) leaders saying something others vehemently disagree with as if they're speaking for everyone and thus driving people away, you just have individuals disagreeing; and you also don't have obvious points of attack since there's no one to discredit and take the 'movement' down by association. In essence it's like putting Muhammad Ali (because let's face it, SJWs are generally very good at what they do and have won far more often than they've lost) in the ring to fight someone made of smoke, all he can really do is become the subject of a rope-a-dope. That also makes it very hard for GG to win in a classic sense, but it makes it next to impossible to lose- and in a 'fight' like this in a very real sense a failure to lose is winning.

Not very believable. Can't see the Syrians wanting non WP/ soviet standards like 7.62 NATO or 338 rifles much for logistical and supply reasons, and Ukraine (or Russia/ Iran for that matter) should have plenty of alternatives to sell. Also written in english on official letter head and using inconsistent calibre notations? Yep, needs far more than just a random jpg for evidence.

US equivalent of 'troll army', Brits are going to have 2000 army personnel working on propaganda full time. And Israel at least has the same thing. On a $ per haemorrhoid generated basis the Russian troll army is certainly most cost effective though.

Oh, I have no doubt the Russians were primarily trolling (though no doubt they'd see it as point making) and I'm perfectly aware that each side can flatten the other pretty quick. But it's the equivalent of 8chan trolling 4chan, it's all in the game and they ain't no poor innocent shrinking violets who just blundered into the geopolitical equivalent of Compton. The US/ west frequently decides to send fleets or planes places to 'make a point'- though, no doubt, the people they make said point to see it as trolling. If we're going to play whose brinkmanship is more stupid then an intruder run is still just an intruder run, even if done for moronic lulz- but I think something like launching cruise missiles at the embassy of a nuclear armed country trumps that comprehensively in terms of potential for unpleasant consequences, as does that abject moron Wesley Clark ordering British troops to attack Russians troops at Pristina airport in a fit of pique. Ain't no shrinking violets.

To be honest I've always found it rather odd that the term for a lesser accident is 'bent spear'. A broken arrow isn't really a big deal since your bow is still fine and you probably have lots of other arrows and can recycle the fletching and arrowhead- but with a bent spear you're a lot less likely to be carrying spares and the consequences are likely to be a lot more serious. Should really be the other way around.

42 broken arrows to 1982, from a non wikipedia book source I had handy. Difference being this is through among the world's busiest airspace, not responding to civilian ATC, transponders off so they wouldn't have shown up on TCAS, with aircraft probably equipped with nuclear warheads, flown by pilots and aircrew who meet the bare minimum flight hours to qualified aviators, and the airframes not being the most well-maintained in the world. A recipe for a disaster with casualties potentially in the thousands. I'd be interested to know if any of the US/ West's equivalent flights have transponders on since that rather defeats the purpose of them- certainly in the 2001 incident the claim was that they should be visible on radar 'because of all their dishes and antennae', not because they had their transponder on. Cannot say I'm particularly impressed by the rest as setting a case for Russian behaviour being exceptional either. At least two 'western' fighters have crashed recently due to mechanical issues (albeit the Jordanian one may actually have been shot down but the official story is mechanical trouble) and anything involving nukes has a potential for casualties in the thousands. Mainly though, suggesting that someone else shouldn't do what we do because, basically, they cannot be trusted and their equipment is crap is not going to be taken very seriously by them and may actually encourage more incidents.

Collisions do happen, certainly. Meh, it's all just one of those things where if it's the Russians doing stuff it is "grossly irresponsible aggression!" but if we do it it's "legitimate flights in international airspace being harassed!".

Yep, impossible to say really. The proxy war between Qatar and Saudi Arabia has stuffed things up for Syria every bit as much as the proxy war between the west and their allies and Russia/ Iran has so the rebels would almost certainly be more united with a bit less ideologically based 'support' from some of their 'friends'. Then again, with too little help they'd just get steamrollered, and with even more help you might have Assad gone but you'd just have Libya 2.0, quite possibly with ISIS or Al Qaederia with their capitals in Damascus and Aleppo.

Yeah, going to back this. First one since Outcast (which failed) I'm definitely backing. Won't necessarily be expecting UU3, I'd be more than happy enough with something like Arx Fatalis 2.

This is not necessarily a bad way of doing things- there are circumstances where it makes perfect sense. It is treated more like a 'karma' system from Fallout only instead of opening up conversations or whatever with good/ bad guys it means that you can intimidate or persuade because of your reputation for ruthlessness or integrity- which does make sense. ME3 is potentially somewhat better, since it has a generic 'reputation' as well, though whether it actually does anything I don't know. There's also questions such as whether it actually makes sense for- as an example- the big DS/ LS decision in Kotor to be a fully free one; and that in a game where you got very large benefits for going full one side or other philosophically. Does it make any sense really for a full DS guy to go LS or vice versa on a purely arbitrary basis, or would it be better gated through the meter mechanic... Obviously player agency should be key and railroading is bad, but it also doesn't make a lick of sense for someone to swap their philosophy around like it is possible to do, especially for a DS guy. You cannot satisfy everyone there.

In particular reusing the letters in the additional part (O, S, R) identically is pretty half hearted. Even something like that final E is better, it's clearly copied from the E at the end of 'TIME' but at least it isn't identically copied and reused. You generally cannot be sure from a cursory examination- it is after all possible that whoever was uploading the photo was just being kind to anyone stuck on 2400 baud modem and wanted to post a horrendously jpegged image so their load times would be reduced- but it is frequently possible to get a 'hmm' reaction just from a cursory examination. In this case: 1) Low res, high artefact for no good reason 2) The writing looks odd, even on a quick look 3) (meta) It's similar to the very often manipulated and memetic 'behead those who insult [extra text]' muslim demonstration placard, if you've ever seen them 4) (meta) The subject is a controversial one, some people will want to make a 'point' out of it The human eye is actually pretty good at picking up inconsistencies, even if a lot of it is just of the 'odd feeling' type- albeit such pattern recognition also has false positives such as a tendency to see faces and the like in toast/ clouds and other random patterns.